We had the good fortune of connecting with Joan Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joan, how do you think about risk?
I am pretty sure that humans were designed to require at least some level of risk in their lives to be happy and feel fulfilled. That doesn’t mean we all have to love extreme sports or enjoy dangerous adventures, but I do think there is some threshold of activity that causes excitement to participate and generates a sense of accomplishment when the task or event is successfully completed. Personally, I like a good helping of controlled risk. That means that I want to do things that a number of other people may consider risky, but with proper preparation, I can be highly confident that I’ll succeed. For example, I have now hiked the entire North Country National Scenic trail twice (4800 miles long), and many people, women in particular, find this way over their own risk-taking interest level. However, I am comfortable in the outdoors, I prepare for as many contingencies as I can, and then I proceed with confidence.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My current primary source of income is as an author and editor. I’ve been writing all my life, but with a few exceptions didn’t have much success getting published. Then self-publishing become a viable option, and print-on-demand made it affordable. My first major self-published book was North Country Cache, stories from my first hike of the North Country Trail. That was in 2005. I decided I wanted to try some fiction, and in 2011 the first of my Anastasia Raven mysteries was published. A few years later, I added a series of children’s mysteries, collectively called The Dubois Files. I Now have a total of 16 books available, and am working on a couple more. Somewhere along the way, people began asking me to edit for them. It seemed to be something I was good at, so I now do quite a bit of that as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in a popular summer tourist area near the Lake Michigan beach. This is also a region of Michigan with a huge number of quiet outdoor recreational opportunities. For sure, we would go hike on the North Country Trail, which has several trailheads nearby in the Manistee National Forest. We might do some paddling on one of the many rivers and lakes, and take a bicycle ride.

There are lighthouses to visit, Ludington, MI has a maritime museum. The Arts Center always has displays and fun activities. Any visitor to Ludington should eat and have some ice cream at House of Flavors, consistently voted one of the top ice creams in Michigan.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The North Country Trail Association works to build, protect, and promote the trail that I love.

Website: booksleavingfootprints.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048591006533

Other: myqualityday.blogspot.com

Image Credits
Bill Curtois

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