Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was a toddler, my mother encouraged my imagination and took me to the library every week. I knew words and books were very special. The urge to write bloomed when I was in fourth grade. When the teacher told us to bring poems to put into a class anthology, I went a step further and wrote a poem of my own. Everyone raved over it. I loved the power of creating and playing with the written word. From that point on, I was a writer.

Q: How and when did you make this dream a reality?
A: I bought my first typewriter when I was 14. I punched out stories and poems day and night. But I never thought anything I wrote was good enough. Later I became involved with college, followed by family and work. I always dreamed of writing “someday.” After September 11, I realized life was too short. The following May I said goodbye to teaching, determined to become a writer.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far in your writing career?
A: Writing takes patience and perseverance. I was impatient to self-publish my first novel, and didn’t take enough time to edit and refine the work. Now I slow down. I read each manuscript thoroughly and often, making each word and sentence meaningful.

Q: What are you working on right now?
A: I’ve just published Turbulence, the third book in my Echoes Series. (The first two books are Echoes and Rebounding.) I’ve written several drafts of the fourth book and a rough first draft for the fifth and final book in the series. I split my time between marketing Turbulence and revising the fourth book, Ripples.

Q: Name some authors or books that have influenced your writing life in a positive way.
A: This is a hard question for me because there are so many. As a child, I was particularly touched by Snow Treasure and King of the Wind. Later, my favorite authors included Nikos Kazantzakis and Franz Kafka. Now my tastes range from Jacquelyn Mitchard to Dean Koontz. I’m always looking for a good story with a nice twist.

Q: What have you recently read or what are you reading right now that you would consider an outstanding work?
A: I’ve just finished The Kite Runner. I was familiar with Afghanistan’s recent history, but events became much more meaningful in this personal narrative. I’m also enjoying Between the Lines, a book for writers which addresses the subtleties in writing good fiction. I read this book a little at a time, digesting lessons to strengthen my writing.

Q: What excites or ignites your soul?
A: Many things. My faith and family come first. I can spend long minutes studying pictures of my granddaughter, who lives far away, or discussing current events with my sons. I love to travel, watching the road and wondering what I’ll find beyond the horizon. And, of course, holding one of my published books for the first time is an exciting and wonderful experience.

Jamilah grew up as Linda Kolocotronis in a St. Louis suburb. She converted to Islam in 1980. In 2002, when she committed herself to writing, she decided to write about Muslims in America. Her books include Islamic Jihad, a non-fiction treatise based on her dissertation, along with the novels Innocent People, Echoes, and Rebounding. Turbulence has just been published. She lives in Milwaukee with her Thai husband and the three youngest of their six sons. Jamilah’s website is http://jamilahkolocotronis.writerswebpages.com. You can email her at writermom6@yahoo.com.