Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, everyone.
It’s nice to meet you.
I was fairly sure I wanted to be a newspaper reporter by age 12, and started covering high school sports for a daily newspaper when I was 14. I began by writing very simple “briefs” that listed who scored for each team and the results. The sports staff took me under its collective wing and taught me how to write game and feature stories. By the time I graduated from high school I’d been working for the Greenwich Time for four years. I also did a yearlong college internship there, and officially began my journalism career soon after I graduated from Manhattanville College in 1991. I have since devoted more than 20 years to community journalism.
To date I have written one book, and I am about to start work on my second.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first — and to date — only book, is my memoir, “Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey.” In it, I share how I met, fell in love with and married the man of my dreams, only to find out that he self-identified as and planned on having gender reassignment surgery in order to become a woman. I also share what happened after I learned the truth.
It was extremely difficult to share this story so publicly, but I chose to do so because I wanted to tell the other side of an oft-told tale. While many members of the LBGT community write about their experiences, we seldom hear how those experiences affect their friends and families. I think it’s important that those people also have a voice.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, right now I’m answering these interview questions with Wimbledon on the television in the background. Somehow I always seem to get more done when there’s some sort of background noise, and I tend to succumb to writer’s block more when there’s complete silence.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s a good question and it should be fairly easy to answer. But I can’t honestly say I’ve been influenced by any one specific author or book.
That being stated, I love to read and there are plenty of authors I admire, including J.K.Rowling, David Baldacci and Patricia Cornwell, to name a few!
What are you working on now?
Within the next month or so I’ll start the research for my second book. It will be based on my father’s life as a staunch anti-Communist and political refugee in post-World War II Europe.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve really enjoyed networking on goodreads.com. It’s a fantastic resource, especially for new authors. I’ve read some interesting books, met a lot of great people and I now have friends all over the world.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think the most important thing to remember is that publishing is a big business, just like anything else. In the overall scheme of things, very few authors become rich and famous. If fame and fortune is what you’re after, remember it will likely come at a price.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to be a published author, you’d better have thick skin!
What are you reading now?
I’m reading a very good memoir called “A Russian Princess Remembers: The Journey from Tsars to Glasnost” by Ekaterina Mescherskaya.
I started reading it in order to get some perspective on some of the things my dad went through when he was growing up in eastern Europe, and I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said earlier, I’m about to begin the research for my second book and hope to start writing it in early fall. Hopefully I can have it completely wrapped up by next summer.
I also have an idea for my third book, so stay tuned…
What is your favorite book of all time?
I’d have to say “The Black Stallion” by Walter Farley. Aside from the fact that I love horses and have ridden semi-competitively, it’s just a classic story. It never gets old.
Author Websites and Profiles
Alexandra Bogdanovic Website
Alexandra Bogdanovic’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile