Featured Interview With Vien R. Guenther
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Manila, Philippines. After finishing a degree in Architecture and several years of working in Manila I moved to California to live permanently with my family. While working at a local energy company I got connected to a man I worked with back in Manila in 1996. They call it fate after meeting again after ten years, so after getting married I moved to Colorado where he lives. We live close to the mountains where we can easily explore hiking trails.
We love dogs, but with our love of traveling having any pets is not a good idea, at least at the moment.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with reading even as a child. I read everything I could find, including comic books and magazines. As a young adult I read thrillers and fiction – Ken Follett, John Grisham, Clive Cussler, to name a few. I also read hundreds of romance books (Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts and many others). Later in life I read mostly non-fiction such as history, travel and exploration, and memoirs such as by Peter Mayle and the Durrells for example.
Before I started serious writing I created photo books inspired by nature surrounding us. Then as we started traveling abroad I jotted down notes thinking I might use them later. I did! The memorable experiences we had and the rich history of the countries we explored was something I wanted to put in writing. My husband and I travel on our own and initially I wrote my travel books to look back on when we can’t travel anymore. Also for others who can’t travel, or can’t afford to travel. But any travel enthusiasts can find my books informative and useful, as one reader said.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have several favorite authors such as David McCullough, Joan Druett, Walter Isaacson, James Herriot, Peter Mayle, Ken Follett, Clive Cussler, to name a few. All the books I read inspired me since each book, fiction or not, I learned something. As one quote says, “the more you read, the more you don’t know”, so I keep reading. Reading inspires me.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The latest book I published last August is about our travels in Ireland. The country’s rich history is what inspired us to explore the island. We concentrated on the Republic side of the island driving for two weeks visiting stunning historic sites from ancient sites to churches and cathedrals and castles built during the English occupation. We also explored awe-inspiring natural wonders and other interesting sites. We had a beautiful experience meeting some of the locals, chatting and laughing at their humor. Oh! Should I mention the delicious local food we had? That is after all the part of traveling that we look forward to every time.
It took me a little over a year to finish this book because we travelled in Ireland as well as Scotland in the spring for a month. After we got back it was time for gardening and summer activities so writing was put aside. Doing research takes up much of my time as well when writing a book. I take my time to make sure I’m giving the right information to whomever reads my books.
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