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What or who inspired you to become a writer?
I’d say reading inspired me to become a writer. That’s probably a really lame response, but it’s true. I’ve loved reading since I was a kid, and even before I understood how or why, I knew words held power. You can do so many things with a few carefully organised sentences. End wars, build new worlds, crush or create something. I always wanted to be able to do big things with words. It’s like giving someone a gift, when you tell a story. There’s nothing better that giving someone an experience through a book that they would never have had otherwise. That’s why I wanted to become a writer.
Who is your favourite Author & what is it that really strikes you about their work?
My favourite author at the moment is Neil Gaiman, and I love his work because it’s so fantastical and beautiful in the darkest of ways.
What was the hardest part about writing your book?
I’d say the hardest part of writing a book is actually finishing it! Strange, I know, but that’s when the real hard work begins- when you’re tested to your limits. Writing queries and synopsises are actually more difficult than writing the book, I found, and receiving criticism about your work at first is hard. You develop a thick skin over time, but there were times when I’d finished Sovereign Hope and I just thought I was going to give up on my dreams of having it published. Staying positive is a real feat when you’re starting out, because sharing something as personal as a project you’ve poured your heart and soul into every day for months and months is really frightening. And when people- and there will be at least one, because you can never please everybody- don’t necessarily like what you’ve written, it can be crushing.
What was your favourite chapter to write and why?
My favourite chapter was a scene in the book where Farley and the others are involved in a car chase. I loved that I got to heighten the action a little there, and it gave Farley the opportunity to be a little badass. Not only that, but we get another glimpse at what Daniel’s capable of, which was exciting.
What was the most surprising things you’ve learned in writing your book?
That I can be patient! All my life, I’ve been so incredibly impatient. It was always a problem that if I didn’t think I was going to see immediate results with something, I was going to find it difficult to pursue. But when I started out writing novels, I instantly knew that patience wouldn’t be an issue. I was addicted to the process from the very beginning, and I couldn’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and get started.
Do you ever experience writers block?
Not really, no. If I’m not motivated to write, then it’s because I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff I have waiting for me to do. Usually, when I clear my desk of all my other tasks, I find I can write pretty easily. There have been times when I’ve wanted to sit down and read instead, sure, but I find that if I put myself in my chair and make myself write at least one sentence, I get immediately caught up in the story. It’s pretty easy to get back into the flow of writing when you do that.
What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, and I loved it!
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. With whom would it be?
Well, that’s a difficult question! Um, I think I’d like to Boudicca for a week. Even though her life was pretty messed up and her family was mostly killed, she was a powerful woman and a strong leader. She drew the Britons’ forces together against the Romans and threw back their advancement through Wales and the south. If you can overlook the fact that she burnt London to the ground, then she was a pretty remarkable role model (if your country is being occupied by foreigners, that is.)
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love snowboarding and skiing. I do both so as not to limit myself. Also, photography is a hobby of mine- one I’m hoping to improve on over the coming months. When I’m not writing, I do spend an awful lot of time reading. I don’t know what kind of author I’d be if I wasn’t addicted to reading.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
No, it’s all purely fictional.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Fighter jet pilot. My Grandad was in the Royal Air Force, and I spent a lot of time at air shows when I was a kid. I guess that led to a fascination with anything that flew. He organised for an RAF Chinook chopper to land on our school field when I was about eight years old. It made me a hero for the day.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Hot damn! I’ve been asked who I’d want to be cast as the characters from my book, but never myself. I have no idea. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with that one. There’s a risk you’re going to sound arrogant or bigheaded when answering a question like that. Maybe I’d go with someone like Juliette Lewis. She’s an incredible actress.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Never give up! There are so many huddles, some of which seem insurmountable in the beginning, but you just have to keep plugging away. Set yourself goals, work towards them and don’t give up until you’ve accomplished them. It’s worth saying twice: Never give up!
Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?
I want to thank all of the people who have bought Sovereign Hope and been so kind with their compliments. It means a great deal that so many people have already fallen in love with Farley and Daniel, and I hope they’re looking forward to the next instalment!
If you’d like to get involved in Eternal Hope, please drop by and participate in Operation: Find Daniel. I’m searching for the perfect guy to become Daniel on the cover of Eternal Hope, and I can’t do it without the reader’s help. There have been some fantastic suggestions already. Come by and make a suggestion!
Some quick questions..
Light or Dark chocolate?
Light! I have such a sweet tooth.
Sunrise or Sunset?
Sunrise, I think. There’s something special about being awake for that. Not many people are around, and it’s like you’re experiencing something important and profound. A good sunrise can make a whole day extraordinary.
Dogs or Cats?
Dogs, for sure. Not a cat fan, sorry cat lovers.
Tea or Coffee?
Iced coffee all the way!
Favorite Colour?
Green, but a certain kind of green. Like Irish green, I guess you could say. Really bold.
Favourite Disney movie?
Aladdin. I love all the cheeky in jokes in that movie that no one really notices, like the whole ‘take off your clothes’ scene. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it!
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Thank you for joining us today and answering my questions, it's been a pleasure. :)
Here's a little info on Frances Rose's book...
Sovereign Hope (The Hope Series #1)Everyone has a soul
Some are just worth more than others
Farley Hope was seventeen when her mother disappeared. In the last six months not much has changed, except that her eighteenth birthday came and went and still no sign of Moira. Her life is just as complicated as it always was. Since her father died in a car crash before she was even born, she’s officially parentless, and to top it all off she’s still suffering from the hallucinations. Mind-splitting, vivid hallucinations- the kind prone to induce night terrors and leave you whimpering under your covers like a baby.
The last thing on her mind is boys. Farley is on break from St. Judes’ when she meets Daniel. It’s not some casual run in at a party, or even a blind date with friends, though. Daniel is the guy following her in his 1970′s Dodge Charger; the guy standing at her window in the LA lunch hour traffic, trying to persuade her to leave everything behind and follow him. And he's hot as all hell.
The moment Farley lays eyes on Daniel, everything changes. He is cold and withdrawn, but there are cracks in his harsh veneer- cracks that betray the secrets he is trying so hard to hide. Farley is drawn into a world that will shake apart everything she thought she ever knew. There are truths out there that she must learn: that a person’s soul is their only real currency, and there are people who would do anything to take hers; that loving someone can hurt so much more than hating them; but, most importantly, when your future is predestined, there is little you can do to change it.
A Little About The Author...
As a child, I was always accused of being bookish because I wore glasses- big, horrible, ugly ones with too-thick lenses. Those kids, the super smart ones who always know which tender insecurities to poke at in order to provoke life-long complexes, used to accuse me of reading too many books and that my eyes were going to rot out of my head (their words, not mine!)The truth of the matter was a little more embarrassing: I used to sit too close to the T.V. That was the reason why I had to wear glasses, but kids don’t really care about small, insignificant details like the truth, and so I was labelled a nerd. The label kinda stuck, and after some sage advice from my awesome nana (nana, you rock!) I decided that if I was going to be abused for my supposed literary obsession, I might as well develop one.
I guess that’s how I got into books and reading at an early age. Since then, I’ve been ripping through books like they’re going out of fashion, which, thankfully, they’re not. Good thing, too, because I’m a writer now, and books are my business!
Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my journey- look for your names in the acknowledgements! And a big thank you to you, the reader. I hope you’ve fallen in love with Farley and Daniel just like I have, and that you’ll join them in the next book, Eternal Hope!
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