When did you realize that you wanted to become
a writer?
Pretty much as soon
as I could pick up a pen; maybe before that! When I was very small I used to
make up stories in my head and tell them to an invisible audience. These were
usually accompanied by toys, specifically My Little Ponies – I would spend
hours amusing myself this way!
Is being an Author all you dreamed of, or did
it just happen? The best and worst thing about it?
Being an author is my
ultimate dream. The best thing about being an author is being able to create
new worlds and sharing these worlds with others. I cannot even begin to express
the joy it brings to learn that someone aside from yourself is delving into the
same, strange world that you created. The worst thing? Sometimes spending days
at a time agonizing over a sentence or scene to the point where it becomes a
fervent obsession to get it as close to perfection as possible; but, on the
other hand, the challenge makes the end result all the more rewarding.
What was the very first thing you ever wrote?
It was about a dragon
that could talk. I think it was the first example of my penchant for
anthropomorphism!
What made you create (your book)? How did it come to you?
I have always been a
big fan of shapeshifting and the idea of being able to transform from man to
beast. I also wanted to try my hand at a romance. Furthermore, I wanted to
write a story set in the future. Rolling all that into one, out popped How the Wolf Lost Her Heart!
Who is your literary hero?
Kurt Steiner from my
favourite adult novel, The Eagle has
Landed. It is a (mostly) fictional story set during WWII. Steiner, a
disgraced Lieutenant Colonel, is ordered by Himmler to head a plot to kidnap Winston
Churchill. Despite their Nazi affiliation, Steiner and his men are noble and
courageous individuals who highlight the overall message: “Good men fighting
for a rotten cause” as Jack Higgins, the author, put it. In one scene, Steiner
rescues a Jewish girl from the concentration camps and directly defies the SS
to do so, which results in him and his men being punished. He was a true hero
in a bad situation and this is why he remains my favourite literary hero.
How much of your characters are based on your
traits or someone you know personally?
Hmmm …. Well, there’s
quite a lot of me in several of my characters! Both Skye and Raphael have got
negative and positive aspects of me in them. With regard to others, Daphne is
one example where I’ve mingled characteristics of people I know, such as my sister
and closest friend. Oh, and Mr. Oogberg is a combination of every terrible
client or customer I ever had in some of my less desirable jobs!
Describe your main character in six words.
Feisty, moody, insecure, brave, independent, strong.
Describe the world you’ve created in six words.
Hmm … Different,
volatile, intense, frightening, futuristic, chaotic.
What scene was your favorite to write?
It’s a toss-up
between two. The first is the scene where the main characters have transformed
into their spirit animals and are running through the park for the first time.
I loved implementing an ethereal feel to it. The second would be the scene
where Skye is in trouble with her manager, Ned, for leaving a client on hold
for ten minutes. Ned is one of my favourite characters and I always enjoy writing
parts where he makes an appearance.
What scene was the hardest for you to write?
Probably *that* scene
at the end. Haha! It was a little tricky – but very enjoyable! I would also
describe it as a relief – after the build-up throughout the book it was
satisfying to finally be able to say, “Finally!”
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working
on the sequel to How the Wolf Lost Her
Heart. It starts off about a month later; tensions are extremely high as
war is brewing. There is a lot of backstory in this one which addresses a several
unanswered questions in the first, such as how London came to be in such a
terrible state and how the thugs multiplied. I am also working on a prequel
which is set in 2012 and tells the story of Skye’s ancestor. The story revolves
around the original experiment and how they attained the ability to transform
into their spirit animals.
Goals? Accomplishments? Improvements?
As a writer, I am constantly learning
and striving to be better. I’ve always been a firm believer that the learning
experience means more than the end result. So far, my biggest accomplishment is
the publication of my book, but I intend to produce many more stories in the
future, particularly some children’s stories that I am very excited to share.
Are there any authors or books you recommend?
So many! But I would say: Robin Jarvis
who wrote The Deptford Mice. His stories
are mystical and profound. Tom Sharpe was a brilliant author; I highly
recommend Righteous Assembly for
Young Adult and Adult readers. It’s hilarious! For children, Watership Down is a beautiful, magical
story that will stay with the reader forever.
What's your favorite thing to do when you're
not writing?
I’m very adventurous
with food so I like to try different types of cuisine – the more unusual, the
better! I also enjoy walking dogs and playing the occasional game of Black
Jack.
