For a while, I’ve been wanting to conduct some author interviews on my blog. But, I’m not interested in “what inspired you to become an author” questions. The questions I want to ask are quirkier and way more interesting to me.
Here is my first batch:
- If you could have any famous person post an Amazon review for your book, who would it be and why?
- If you could have lunch with any character in your book, who would it be and why?
- Do you recall the moment that the idea for your book, first popped into your head? If so, tell me about it.
- What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book? What was the most challenging?
- There are thousands of novels out there. Why should a reader choose your book?
In case you’re wondering, here are my answers as they pertain to my novel, Saturn Return:
- If you could have any famous person post an Amazon review for your book, who would it be and why? For this book, it would be Drew Barrymore. When she turned 30, she went on Letterman and talked about her Saturn Return. It spiked my sales for about a week.
- If you could have lunch with any character in your book, who would it be and why? I’d probably choose the female protagonist, Jen. I’d like to see if in person she would be like I envisioned her in my mind.
- Do you recall the moment that the idea for your book, first popped into your head? If so, tell me about it. The idea for Saturn Return came to me in the middle of the work day. I had just walked into my office suite and a woman I was renting an office to motioned me in and said, “I just got off the phone with my psychic. She could feel your aura over the phone and says you’re in a state of Saturn Return.”Astrologers call the period between the ages of 28 and 31, Saturn Return. According to astrology, it’s the first time the planet Saturn completes its cycle through your birth chart and returns to the spot it occupied when you were born. Confused? Don’t be. Whether or not astrology is your thing, when most of us approach our 30th birthdays we start to question who we really are, where our lives are going, and if there really someone perfect out there for us. That’s Saturn Return.I had never heard of Saturn Return before that day 16 years ago. But within minutes of my encounter with my office mate, I was formulated the outline of the book in my head.
- What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book? What was the most challenging? The most enjoyable part for me was the story itself. In the original version, the romance between the main characters was too predictable. While revising it, I threw a few obstacles in. One was that Jen had been offered a job at the White House, which despite just falling in love, she had to take. The other was that Adam (the male protagonist) was in a situation where if he followed her to Washington, he would risk being able to pursue a new career about which he was very passionate. The most challenging part of writing was going back through the book after making big plot changes and making sure that other parts that didn’t change still made sense.
- There are thousands of novels out there. Why should a reader choose your book? If you can relate to living your life on one plane of existence, being able to see the plain you should be on, but not knowing how to get there — my book will remind you that you can get there. Oh, and if you believe in soul mates, that’s a plus. Of anything I’ve ever written, the Amazon reviews about Saturn Return remind me of why I loved writing it.
