When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I knew I needed to become a writer when people told me that I had good stories to tell.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Far too long, 10+ years. I spent much of that time doing research.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I am a full-time writer. I try to write in the mornings and evenings.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I hate to write, but I have a knack for weaving stories.
How do your books get published?
I met my publisher through my mom.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I get a lot of story ideas from reading history or other fictional books.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I was in my forties when I wrote my first book, A Maiden’s Honor
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Travel, cycling, scuba dive
What does your family think of your writing?
They are all very supportive
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
It’s A LOT of work, writing the book is just the beginning.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
A Maiden’s Honor is my first book, but I have many, many more to write. I’m looking forward to writing all of them.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Write, write, write, and read
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I hear from some. They all seemed to like A Maiden’s Honor. They say it’s thoroughly researched, well written, and above all, it’s a riveting story, and they ask when the next book is coming out.
Do you like to create books for adults?
Yes. It’s not in me to write simple stories.
What do you think makes a good story?
My stories are all character driven. I try to make my characters as human and likable as possible. There are good and bad qualities in each of them. None of them are perfect, and none of them (i.e., the villain) are all evil. I also like complicated stories with lots of twists and turns.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Georgia and Cincinnati
Any books in the works?
Yup, I’m working on the sequel to A Maiden’s Honor.
What are your plans for the future?
Keep writing and keep sharing my stories with the world!
travelingtiari, #Romance
When cultures clash – an epic 19th-century adventure
By Amazon Customer
A captivating and most unusual story set during the Napoleonic wars: the whole world is on fire, and people from various cultural spheres get mixed up in the most unbelievable adventures. Like Sarah, who is of Scottish origins but grew up on a remote island in the South Seas; she and her father embark on a journey to Scotland, but the ship’s captain has got other plans: he poisons the father in order to sell the beautiful daughter into slavery on the Barbary Coast. She is in turn kidnapped by Algerian pirates, though, and the pirate captain, who turns out to be a Brit, falls in love with her – but then she is captured by the Dey of Algiers, who wants to add her to his harem…
In a really thrilling way, this book shows us how cultures clash, how people from different societies and religions have enormous difficulties in understanding each other. The most striking example is the young heroine: her parents were both Scottish, but she grew up integrated into a Polynesian island society; she doesn’t even speak proper English because she never bothered to listen much to her father’s lessons – she had no idea she would ever have to leave her island. Then she gets to know and love the British pirate and tries to understand the Western way of living and thinking – and a little while later, she gets thrown into a North African harem!
Intricate character portrayals and vivid descriptions of all the harem intrigues and the political schemes of the time make this book a real page-turner. A must for all fans of historical romance!
“A Maiden’s Honor”
(The Woman from Eden Book 1)
by Josanna Thompson
Can be found at:
Viv Drewa 