Speed Round! with Donna Keel Armer, author of Solo in Salento

Speed Round! with Donna Keel Armer, author of Solo in Salento

First book you read that left an impression? Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

How old were you? My mother read this book to me at a very early age…maybe 4 or 5. I was one of 4 sisters and we acted out the parts in a stage production. I was probably 8 or 10 when I read it on my own

How far do you live from your childhood home? 446.5 miles

Who is your favorite author? Pat Conroy

What book is your all-time favorite? Beach Music

Did your parents have a phrase or saying that you find yourself using? I call them momilies and my mother could spew them out—pull yourself up by your bootstraps; don’t toot your own horn; don’t say hey to acquaintances—hay is for horses; white is only worn from Memorial Day to Labor Day…….they are endless but I try hard not to say these things to anyone else

What’s the name of the first story or essay you wrote that was published? I wrote a poem called Rain for my high school publication. I was sixteen

What was the name of the publication? The Stateman

What’s the name of the first manuscript you published? Solo in Salento

What word best describes your writing process? whenever, wherever, however I can

Sunrise or sunset? Both, life is too short to compromise on anything that’s beautiful

What’s your favorite color? Red

What’s the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them? Whether or not their eyes smile

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten? Someone telling me they read my book and loved it

Describe yourself in 5 words Stubborn, Sassy, Serious, Snarky, Steady

Tell me the nickname your parents used to call you when you were little. I never ever had a nickname. Being from the south my parents called me both names Donna Lee

In which subject were you worst at school? Biology because I refused to dissect any of the creatures

In which subject were you best at school English Literature

What advice would you give your young self? Don’t be so serious….laugh more

Cat person or dog person? Both…rescue animals however they come

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? Italy

Tell me one secret about yourself that might surprise everyone If I did, then it wouldn’t be a secret. So far I’ve revealed all I’m going to reveal to the world at large.

Solo in Salento by Donna Keel Armer

SOLO IN SALENTO BEGINS WITH A LIE.

Desperate to break out of a life haunted by a wretched past, a loss of faith, toxic relationships, a stressful management career, and a slow sink into domestication, Donna craves time away from everything and everyone, including her loving husband. So she lies, telling everyone she is traveling alone to research a novel she intends to write. While in Otranto, Donna masters the complex recycling system of a country where she doesn't speak the language. By applying these same trash rules to her own life, she discovers that she can sort, recycle, and discard the personal garbage that has plagued her over a lifetime. The book's universal themes of personal growth and travel invite you to come along on this transformational journey filled with mysterious sacred places, culinary delights, and the possibility of being kidnapped. Readers seeking personal realization, along with active travelers, courageous wannabe travelers, and armchair travelers, will be drawn into the magic.