Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Rebecca Jane Johnson is talking with Ann Mullen-Martin, author of We All Want To Be Happy: A Book of Thoughts, Volume 2.

FQ: Thank you for writing We All Want to Be Happy, Volume 2. Your stories strike us with wit and brevity. Is there a person, an author, a teacher(s) you credit for helping to guide you through your life with the skill of finding the humor in struggles? Can you talk about your gift for humor?

MULLEN-MARTIN: My mother was the greatest influence on my life and she began early is teaching me how to see the positive in every situation.  Oftentimes, the positive side involved the ability to laugh as life.  The ability to laugh has saved me from many times of sad remembrances by replacing them with the joyous memory of laughter.  My personal opinion is that the ability to find the humor in life is a secret ingredient toward happiness.

FQ: What is the secret to writing effective and relatable humor?

MULLEN-MARTIN: So many people are head and shoulders above me in sharing humor.   For me, it is allowing myself to get lost in the character’s situation – even when that character is me.  Then I just write what I feel.

FQ: How did you cultivate such vivid memories of the events in your life? Did you keep a journal every day?

MULLEN-MARTIN: I have kept journals off and on through out my life and have a lot of little tidbits available to remind me of times gone by.  I have also made it a standard practice to share as much with my own children and grandchildren through telling stories of times gone by.  Sometimes a response to a story allows me to add other details as I’m questioned by my family.

FQ: Do you have a writing routine or ritual that you’d be willing to share?

MULLEN-MARTIN: The only real routine writing ritual I have is to make a note when I hear something of interest to me – a saying, a quote, whatever.  For instance, I recently heard someone use the phrase, ‘If the ox is in the ditch…….”   I had not heard that phrase since my childhood.  It was a favorite of my mom’s and I immediately wrote it down for use in an upcoming Volume 3 of Happy Thoughts.

FQ: Family is central to your stories and life. How do members of your family relate to your literary pursuits?

MULLEN-MARTIN: My family is very encouraging and seem to enjoy seeing the stories in print.

FQ: What is a favorite piece of commonsense wisdom you can share now that may not have appeared in the book? Or, perhaps share a small lesson here that you earned this past week?

MULLEN-MARTIN: I don’t know that I learned this lesson in the past week, but one I believe in was again confirmed.  The young boy across the street, for whatever reason, has  taken an interest in ‘looking after me’ because as her put it I am “a little bit old and live alone”.  He’s a really sweet kid who knocks on my door almost every day just to make sure I’m okay, always brings in my mail or moves a box when needed.  His parents are older – more grandparent age – and decided not to do a Christmas or major decorations.  I do talk about Collin a lot to everyone.   Yesterday, without any encouragement from me, my daughter, Mary, showed up at my house with a small lighted tree, 12 wrapped gifts underneath, all with Collin’s name on them.  She added a card that says, “Thanks for taking care of my mama.”  Collin came over and it just blew his mind.  He was so excited, so pleased and so grateful.   The lesson I saw confirmed was threefold: 1) There are blessings in watching others be happy. 2) Good deeds and/or intentions are often recognized and better recognized with the doer is unaware and unexpectant of a reward. And 3), the giver receives at least as much joying in giving as the receiver does in receiving.

FQ: Do you have advice on how to receive the wisdom a life struggle may be offering?

MULLEN-MARTIN: Open your mind to the full situation – not just your small or large part.  See those around you and be aware of their plights, their reactions, etc.

FQ: What do you hope readers takeaway from reading We All Want to Be Happy Volume 2?

MULLEN-MARTIN: Life is good.  Life is a temporary opportunity to learn lessons presented to us every day. The route to happiness begins within each person’s heart; it is their responsibility to look for it.

FQ: If you don’t mind sharing, what are you working on now that we can look forward to reading from you in the future?

MULLEN-MARTIN: I recently published a memoir: Growing up in Rural Louisiana, 1943-1963. I am currently working on the 3rd volume of We all Want to be Happy. It has more an opinion-based content. After that, not sure where I want to go with my writing. I have some travel plans for the first half of 2025, and may do something with that.

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