TALKING ABOUT... Writing & redemption with Fern Michaels

From the fan-favorite Sisterhood series to the Lost and Found series, Fern Michaels has written more than 150 New York Times bestsellers—and her latest novel, Smuggler's Cove, is out August 26! We caught up with the beloved 92-year-old author ahead of the book's release to talk about her inspiration, her writing legacy and more

- BY MELISSA D'AGNESE

Fern Michaels writes heartfelt novels about strong women persevering and prevailing through hardships—and she’s been doing it since 1973. “I write from personal experience,” Michaels tells Woman’s World. “I woke up one day and was faced with being a single mother of five young children. I didn’t have a college degree, but I had to soldier on—so I wrote a book.” Now, 52 years later, Michaels has sold more than 100 million books. Her forthcoming novel, Smuggler’s Cove, transports readers to coastal New Jersey. Here, Michaels talks about what inspired her latest book, her 300-year-old South Carolina home and the mantra that gets her through each day.

Woman's World: You first started writing when you were a young mom. What initially drew you to telling stories?

Fern Michaels: From The Bobbsey Twins to Nancy Drew, I was always a voracious reader, but I had no real business experience at the time and five kids to take care of. I always say, you may not be able to change the circumstances, but you can change your approach—and that’s what I did. My first manuscript didn’t sell, but my second one did. Then I went on to write 161 books.

WW: Inspiring! What advice do you have for other women, who may feel insecure or lack experience but want to try something new?

Fern Michaels: Insecurity is something we put on ourselves—and we shouldn’t. My advice is to take this quote from Zig Ziglar, a famous inspirational and motivational speaker, print it and paste it on the wall: “Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” If you really put your mind to something, you can do anything…but you have to believe in yourself first. Another personal mantra of mine is “if you persevere, you will prevail.” I recite this to myself at least six times per day. It gets me through and motivates me during hard moments. I’m the living proof—if I can do it, so can you.