Cheryl Ilov Author Bio:
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a dancer, martial artist, and a recovering physical therapist turned Amazon #1 best-selling and award-winning author. I never planned on becoming an author, nor did I even consider myself a writer. However, I have always had a passion for storytelling, and I suppose my writing career began by chronicling medical documents and progress reports for thousands of patients as a medical professional in the fields of both respiratory and physical therapy. Along the way, I discovered that weaving stories along with treatment modalities helped educate my patients and was a powerful tool in their recovery and ongoing progress.
I started a blog in 2011, when a marketing “expert” I was working with set one up for me, even though I had no idea what a blog was or why I would possibly want one. But once I was able to figure it out, I began writing about health, fitness, and life in general, integrating my knack for storytelling and fine tuning my writing skills at the same time.
After a few years of writing blogs and attracting many followers, I had a mental head smacking moment when I realized that those blogs could be organized to create an outline for a manuscript and subsequent book. And that is when my new career as an author was launched, at the tender young age of sixty-one.
When I am not writing, you can find me in a ballet class dancing with my barre buddies, hanging out in a martial arts dojo beating up bad guys, hiking in the glorious Rocky Mountains, or relaxing at home with my handsome husband and our two adorable Italian Greyhounds. Life is good!
What inspires you to write?
I believe that all of us have important stories which need to be shared with the world. Stories that can inspire, motivate, entertain, educate, or simply give us food for thought. I also believe that when we share our stories, we connect with each other and build healthy relationships which will then help make the world a better place. At least, that is my hope and prayer, and that is what inspires me to write.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually start with a few ideas, and scribble them down the old fashioned way, taking pen to paper. And I do mean scribble, because sometimes I'm in such a hurry I can't even read my own notes. Once I have several key points and ideas written down, I start playing with the organization of the basic ideas and expand on them over time.
I am a knitter, and I like to think that writing is like knitting with words, only without a pattern, and not knowing exactly how it's going to turn out. It used to cause me high anxiety, but now I just enjoy the process and go with the flow.
Who are your favorite authors?
I love local authors! I have been so inspired by so many wonderful authors who live in my community and am amazed by their brilliance and creativity, as well as those who I have met online or from interviewing them for my podcast. They range from a variety of fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, history, local history, and historical fiction.
What genres do you write?
Non-fiction.
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
I decided to write what I know, and since I am a physical therapist who ran my own private physical therapy office for twenty years, I wrote my first book as a self-help for fitness over fifty. It is a very important topic and one which I am passionate about, and wanted to bring my positive message of hope that we can all have vibrant health and energy at every stage of life.
My second book a memoir about how I began my martial arts training at the tender young age of forty-seven and becoming my teacher's first female black belt ten years later.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
Two manuscripts, several blog posts, and a grocery list.
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
I go to martial arts class, dance class, go for a hike in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, or pick up my knitting.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Home Page Link
Follow On Amazon
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
