Wendie Nordgren | Helle Gade

Please give a warm welcome to author Wendie Nordgren

Hi Helle!
Me? You want to know about me? Well, okay. Actually, I’m kind of quiet and predictable except in my imagination. So, this shouldn’t be a surprise. I’ve always loved to read. Libraries have always been sanctuaries for me, and I love everything about them, the hushed silence, the order, the hidden worlds and new friends just waiting on the shelves. Escaping into my imagination was a way to free myself from unpleasant realities. One day, I asked myself a question. Why not?

After teaching for sixteen years, I needed a new path. A woman can only spend so many Thanksgiving holidays grading research papers. Since my husband was letting me try out one of my dream jobs, being a housewife, I had time. Did his socks really need to be color-coded in the drawer? Why not write down the story I played in my imagination?

So, I did. I wrote in secret. I was scared that I would start my project and not have what it took to finish it. You asked if I’d always wanted to be a writer, and the answer is yes, but I lacked the belief in myself to try. However, what did I have to lose? Nothing. What did I have to gain? What I had to gain was a belief in myself and in my ability to actually make my dream come true. I didn’t think anyone would read it. I’m still surprised when a reader tells me that she or he liked one of my books. For those of you who have given me a chance to amuse you, thank you.

Currently, I’m writing the next book in my Space Merchants Series, Ensign Probus. Teagan is dear to my heart. She came about because I asked myself a question. What would happen if a regular girl with nothing, no one, and a limited education got the chance to leave Earth behind? I keep answering that question with each new book, and I’m truly enjoying this one.
I start off every story I write with that question. What if? Then, I can’t help but weave touches of history or mythology into them. I majored in English and history, so it’s just me. I can’t help it.

Do I have any quirks while writing? Well, I do. I’m not the only one who does this, but I write every story down first in spiral notebooks. Then, I type it. I like for it to be quiet while I write and keep my white noise machine on to drown out superfluous sounds.

Thank you for your interest in my work!