Norma is an award winning author, speaker and an eco-friendly designer. Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet won The Grand Prize in the Writer’s Digest Book Awards, and was the Award Winner for Best New Non-Fiction USA National Best Books 2008. Norma created the practice she calls Harmonious Adjustments,; which combines the best principles of Feng Shui, the use of eco-friendly materials, the application of the Four Elements, color, Vastu, creative visualization, energy work and good design. Norma is an an animal lover, a hiker, crafts person, healer, and a gardener. She lives north of New York City with her husband and Pug, Toast.
Interview by Wendy Burt-Thomas, Author of 3 books, including:
"The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters"
1. Tell us about your latest book
Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet shows you how to create a beautiful, non-toxic and natural home and workspace; a sanctuary that will support, invigorate and nourish you to enable you to flourish in all aspects of your life—while being kind to the environment. There are hundreds of resources and information providing eco-friendly and safe construction and building materials and household goods.
2. How did you get started as a writer?
In 5th grade, our class assignment was to write a book and bind it. I wrote A Dog Named Tanya, complete with a black velvet, construction paper and magic marker cover. It has © 1972Lehmeier Publishing Company, Town of Cortlandt written inside. Tanya was my Samoyed, but the story is fictitious.
3. What does a typical day look like for you?
I work at home. After chores which include the care of my old, blind and deaf Pug, Toast, I typically read, check emails, post entries on Intent.com, and on my blog. I write and research over the course of the day. In between, I hike, do errands and inevitably, waste time with emails and the Internet. I also garden.
4. Describe your desk/workspace.
My workspace is great! My desk is in the center of the sunroom, which features large windows overlooking my wooded and landscaped backyard. I enjoy watching the many birds, squirrels, rabbits that live here. My desk is plain and I keep it pretty neat. I use a wireless laptop computer. My favorite aspect is that I store virtually my entire office in a small closet behind me, so the look is very minimalist.
5. Favorite books (especially for writers)
For writer’s, The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White.
For publishers, How to get Happily Published by Judith Applebaum, The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter, and The Complete Guide to Self Publishing, by Tom & Marion Ross.
6. Tell us 3 interesting/crazy things about you
In below zero, whiteout conditions, I hiked up Mt. Washington in N.H.
I’m good at manifesting my dreams and have been doing so way before “The Secret” was published! (Tips to do so are in Harmonious Environment.)
I’ve had a ridiculously large number of, and a variety of, jobs—waited tables at scores of restaurants, marketing director of a non-profit, dental hygienist (for about 2 weeks,) event director, caterer, sales…
7. Favorite quote
“Don’t worry, be happy,” Meher Baba
8. Best and worst part of being a writer
Best: Makes you think, is creative, and is the most rewarding job when job is well done.
Worst: Can be very tedious.
9. Advice for other writers
If you decide to self publish, form your own publishing company. Hire an editor, professional book designer, get your own ISBN. Do not go to a “self-publishing” company—they are subsidy publishers and your book will not be taken seriously.
10. Tell us a story about your writing experience. Can be funny, embarrassing, inspirational, etc. ("I once pitched an agent at a urinal. It did not go well.")
I did a book signing at Book Expo America (BEA) and the owner of a DC bookstore took a copy. Months later, I called that bookstore to ask about them selling it at the Green Festival in DC. When I told her the title of the book, she said the co-owner had taken a copy at BEA and had given it to her. She told me she loved the book and that it was on her nightstand!
Short pitch on where to buy your book, your Web site, blog, etc.
Harmonious Environment is available in select bookstores, Amazon, B+N.com and signed copies are available at www.HarmoniousEnvironment.com.
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