Elizabeth Chats With…S. Lee Fisher
Like me, this month’s guest is a scientist with a doctorate and a background in pharmaceuticals. Although we had no idea how similar our backgrounds were when we met as two aspiring fiction authors at the Women in Publishing Summit and in Women in Publishing School. I am delighted to be chatting today with S Lee Fisher.
Hello and welcome to the blog. Given your scientific past versus your creative present, would you describe yourself as left-brain (analytical), right-brain (intuitive) or a mix of both?
I am almost equal. I’ve taken several tests that score me as 51% left-brain and 49% right-brain. This sometimes creates internal conflict. My analytical side often throws the brakes when my creative side wants to soar.
Watch a film, go to the theatre, read a book or talk to friends — which would you prefer?
Of course, I prefer to read a book. But watching a movie is a close second because I can enjoy it with my husband. He and I often quote movie lines or act out entire scenes with each other. I do love live theater and have been fortunate to see many productions. I am known to attend productions of the same play in different cities. For example, I have seen Miss Saigon in London, Toronto, Pittsburgh, PA., and Sunset Boulevard in London and Toronto. I’m ashamed to say the number of times I went to Les Miserables.
Describe your ideal menu — and where would you like to eat it?
I am a true carnivore. My ideal meal would be either a thick beef filet, medium rare, or a rack of lamb, medium rare, served with roasted asparagus and a Caesar salad, accompanied by a full-bodied cabernet. For dessert, crème brulée. I would love to enjoy this meal alfresco, under a blooming trellis, with a string quartet playing softly in the background. I am on the top of a cliff overlooking a calm blue sea, but waves are crashing on the rocks below. (Think Amalfi coast) My dining companion is my darling husband and best friend, Ralph, and the night never ends.
If you had to escape from a fire, what three things would you take with you?
Now you’re getting into my psyche. As a child, I had a reoccurring dream that my house was on fire. I alone was aware of the impending danger and tried to convince my uncooperative parents of the need to escape. They refused to leave, and I was left with the decision, ‘leave alone and be safe, or stay with my family and perish.’ As an adult, I learned that I am not responsible for the decisions made by other adults. I may have an obligation to voice my opinions, but in the end, they suffer the consequences of their decisions. With that said, I would leave and save myself, taking first, my purse (handbag) containing my personal information such as credit cards, driver’s license, passport, and cash. Do you know what a pain it is to replace those?! The second item I’d grab is my master sheet of passwords. I store most of my files on the cloud, so taking my actual laptop is unnecessary, but all those passwords, ugh! My third and last item, of course, I’d call for Ralph, but we’re back to my first point. I’d grab the cat and run.
Talking about yourself, how would you finish the sentence “not a lot of people know…”?
Most people do not realize that I can be shy. The teen version of me was shy, insecure, and felt inferior. During my days at university, I morphed into the adult me, assertive, self-reliant, and comfortable in my own skin. However, there are times when I feel shy once again, especially when meeting new people. It takes several minutes before I realize that I can control the conversation and outcome of the introduction.
If you knew you only had 24 hours left, how would you spend them?
Cuddled in Ralph’s arms.
What was your favourite subject at school — and which was the lesson you always wanted to avoid?
Oh, Mrs. Chisnell’s junior and senior English were my favorite classes, followed by mathematics. Mrs. Chisnell taught literature and literary history. I loved every minute spent in her company. She fanned my love of both history and reading. My least favorite subject was physical education. Despite having two athletes as parents, I am clumsy and uncoordinated. Every grading period, I had to do extra credit in gym class so that I qualified for the highest honor roll list. All academic grades were A’s, not so much in gym.
Why did you become a writer?
The answer is, to fulfill my right brain desires. I lived my professional life as a clinical pharmacist, definitely left-brain. My tagline is “Pharmacy to Fiction.” After my father’s passing in 2018, I needed a means of channeling all my emotions and grief. Enter my right brain. I began writing. I published my first novel in Oct 2019 and quickly realized that I needed to be schooled on the art and method of writing fiction. I attended lectures and enrolled in writing school. Finally, in March of 2021, I published the first novel of The Women of Campbell County series, Becoming Olive W. Olive, a coming-of-age historical fiction saga, set in rural Pennsylvania during the early 1900s. The series follows Olive’s family, transferring the role of the protagonist from Olive to her daughter Harriett while addressing the struggles of women in a male-dominated society. The conclusion of that series, Between Two Dreams, book 4 is now available. My career as a novelist is cemented, and I continue to learn, grow, and network. I am working on another historical series, questioning bigotry and discrimination, and book 1 is set to be published late 2023.
Thank you, S Lee Fisher, for taking the time to drop by today. And good luck with the new book. Readers, you can read more about S Lee Fisher and her books on her website. You can also find her on Facebook, and Twitter. You can find her books via her Amazon US or her Amazon UK Author Pages.
[This is the last Elizabeth Chats With… feature for the moment. I may bring it back at some point in the future, but I’m going to be taking a different approach to my blog this year.]
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