I grew up on a mid-western dairy farm where chores and outdoor life lasted from dawn to dusk each and every day. I loved the outdoors, border collies, and stargazing at night. At a state college, I met my husband and earned a master’s degree in abstract mathematics. Long before women were thought to be smart enough to learn math or any form of technology, I worked with tabulating machines, then the early mainframe computers.
After spending my working life coping with the rigid logic of computers, I started writing stories. My first short stories were about growing up on a farm. Now I write fiction, both short stories and novels. For me, writing fiction is a bit like a first-grader being told to color outside the lines–a freeing experience, which enables my mind to explore the universe without limits.
My reading taste is eclectic ranging from Stephen King to The Tenderness of Wolves to Where the Crawdads Sing. I read an entire series if I like the first book: Don Coldsmith’s Spanish Bit , Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern, J . K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, etc. My favorite book of all time is A Boy Ten Feet Tall, a coming-of-age story about a young English boy in Africa.
When writing, I draw heavily on my formative years of growing up working cattle, watching hawks, coyotes, and killdeers, stargazing, and reading. Those early passions form the settings of many of my stories. I still experiment with different genres, although the concept of coming-of-age is a common theme in my writing. My stories range from mainstream literary to science fiction, but they all retain a gritty realism. My heroines always face life-altering choices.
The imaginary worlds my heroines live in reflect real-life problems encountered by children and women, problems ranging from dysfunctional families to discrimination to oppressive government institutions. I welcome readers to share my heroines’ journeys and their victories.
©2021, Kari Mumy, all rights reserved.
