https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLouiseMGouge/ and Twitter: @Louisemgouge
When I was a girl, I had a plan. First, I would marry the man of my dreams. Next, we would have four children (two girls and two boys) before we turned thirty. Then, since they would all be grown by the time we turned fifty, I would find something new and wonderful to do with the second half of my life. And guess what? That’s exactly what has happened.
Being a WWII baby, I grew up wanting to be a full-time homemaker and stay-at-home mother. Many women of my generation did that without apology. But as my four children began to reach high school and to need me less and less, I started thinking seriously about what I wanted to do with my time. My husband was far from retirement, and an added income would help our future. Having a very busy imagination, I had always wanted to write books. In fact, I completed one novel, but feared my English skills needed polishing. So back to school for me!
In 1986 I started college the same semester as our eldest child, I at Valencia Community College in
Over the next few years, I worked at several part time jobs, but writing was my primary occupation. In November 1994, just after my fiftieth birthday, my first novel, Once There Was a Way Back Home, was published by Crossway Books. My second novel, The Homecoming, was published in January 1998. My new career had begun! But by now I had conceived even more dreams for my future through the inspiration of my children.
In 1992, when our younger son and daughter were students at
While working my way through graduate school, I happened into a job in television marketing and public service. It was fun and exciting, and I enjoyed it tremendously. I began to wonder if this should be my new career rather than writing and teaching. But television is not a dependable job, so eventually I renewed my quest for teaching credentials. I earned my Master of Liberal Studies degree from Rollins in May 1999. My thesis was, of course, a novel entitled Ahab's Bride.
Master's degree in hand, I found a classified ad in the Orlando Sentinel at
During all this time, I have continued to write and to submit my completed novels to publishers. At last, my agent found a home for my master’s thesis novel. Ahab's Bride was published by RiverOak Publishing in 2004, and the next two books in the series followed in 2005 and 2006.
My latest new career, my ultimate dream, has been achieved. I have thirty books in print, with more to come. You can find a complete list of my books on my Booklist page.
