Exclusive Interview with
When did you start writing?
I've always written, but my first published book was in 2012.
What makes writing your passion?
I've always loved literature, words, and storytelling.
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for publication since 2012.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
I remember feeling like I had just tossed a message in a bottle into the ocean. That now someone, someday, would read my work. It was a great feeling. Prior to publishing, I had a drawer full of drafts, beginnings, bits and pieces.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
Many of my characters are loosely based on people I have known, others take shape as a story or scene begins to form.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Marketing.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I just keep writing.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
What keeps me going is all the stories still in my head that want to be written. I'm driven to complete them, to give them form. I would tell new authors to trust the process, to push through doubt and fear, and get something finished - start with a short piece, a short story, and then build from there.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Don't worry about the critics. Trust your own voice, only you can write your stories.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
I do read all reviews and am grateful to readers who take the time to leave them. I so appreciate it. When I get a bad one I just feel that it wasn't a good match.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
I get a feeling of deep satisfaction and connection - I feel that the reader understood what I was trying to say. It's what makes it all worthwhile. It's the other side of the conversation that a story is. Without reader feedback, it would feel like a one-sided conversation.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Many times. No great plot lines, but I weave in things that have happened.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
There are parts of me in all my female protagonists, and in some of the male characters.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
The cover is extremely important - a visual shortcut that tells the reader what the book is about (tone, mood, genre...)
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I tend to fly under the radar and I'm more comfortable with one-on-one conversations, but I would always welcome speaking with my readers.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
I've only really experienced this in reviews.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
When asked this question I always name the Victorian author George Eliot. I wrote my dissertation on her and spent a lot of time researching her life. And my favorite quote is by her, in effect - “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?"
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
What would you say to your readers?
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
What is your day job if you have one?
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Did you have a happy childhood?
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
What is your favorite music?
Share a secret with us 🙂