Gracious Living on Social Security: An Interview with Valerie Kent

Today we welcome Valerie Kent, author of Gracious Living on Social Security. We´ll talk to her about this new book and her plans for the future.

Welcome Valerie. It´s great to have you with us. Can you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I am a mature woman who has worked my way through a series of experiences and identities. Married for many years to a difficult, heavy drinking industrialist in the Middle West, I was divorced at forty-five and began many years of higher education, leading to several advanced degrees and an adjunct professorship at Eckerd College in Florida.

When did you decide to become a writer and why then?

I was always interested in writing, and a course in English composition taught by Professor Peter Meinke led me to start writing myself.

What´s it like being a Baby Boomer?

I came along before the baby boom, but certainly the women´s liberation movement and the increasing expectations of greater personal freedom helped motivate me to make the break.

Tell us a little about Gracious Living on Social Security.

Gracious Living on Social Security is a compact but wide-ranging handbook on how to survive and prosper on a limited income. It also suggests ways to shape relationships and get the most out of every day.

Has the current state of the economy made it even more challenging for you to maintain your style of living?

In many ways the current recession works to the advantage of people like ourselves who have a fixed governmental income. Things we utilize like hotels and car rentals tend to go down while costs of food and other items remain stable. The problems, of course, arise out of our own efforts to enhance our income through part-time work and other such devices because so many others of various ages are on the street and competing for the few available slots.

How long did it take you to bring this book from the first draft to the final published product?

The gestation and development of this book required about two years.

Were there any special obstacles or challenges you faced during the publishing process?

The person who suggested this book, Burton Hersh, published it through his independent publishing house, Tree Farm Books. It took a number of months to find an appropriate distributor and get the book into the hands of distributors and bookstore chains.

Where can readers purchase a copy of Gracious Living on Social Security?

It is available everywhere. It can be ordered at any book store and is to be purchased through Amazon.com.

Do you have a website or blog?

For fuller treatment of Gracious Living on Social Security, check out www.treefarmbooks.com.

What is up next for you?

I´ve had some health problems, but am slated to team-teach a course in journal writing at Eckerd College in the fall with Rick.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Buy this book! We´ll put your life on the rails!

Thanks for spending time with us today. We wish you continued health and happiness.