Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an English poet and writer who is new to the publishing process, however, I have been writing poetry for over two decades. I found that by actively embracing both the creative and feminine sides of my personality, I draw from greater strength of character and clarity of vision.
I am a self-confessed Geek, my thought process is deep but not overwhelming, instead I lead with my heart; being intuitive; sometimes dark, but honest; fun; passionate and inspiring.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In my debut book of poetry, “Proceed With Awesome: A Poetic Voyage”, I leave everything on the page for the reader to explore or empathise with, as I would like for you all to dwell in a more positive or decisive place by each poem’s conclusion.
I realised that beauty could be born out of not only love,
but also pain and other motivations. The more I used this therapeutic implement, the more I realised that it helped me to find a silver lining in even the darkest emotions, experiences, observations and topics; find positivity even in the face of extreme
negativity; find strength when I was being forced to feel weak; and find hope that my tomorrows would be brighter.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I only write when I feel an electric surge of inspiration rushing through me, fortunately this is pretty regularly. It can occur at any time, but waking up from a deep sleep to write seem to be my mind’s subconcious favourite option! Hehe.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I absolutley love “A Short History of Almost Everything” by Bill Bryson, his writing style is amazing, it keeps you thoroughly engaged and you have to wrestle the book out of your own hands to get anything else done! Hehe.
I also enjoy being inspired by Nelson Mandela’s books, and anything by Maya Angelou. Aside from being fantastic writers, they were first and foremost superb human beings with huge hearts and a wealth of wisdom.
These are a select few, but I could go on for days, I love reading and I’m regularly inspired by others.
What are you working on now?
I have began working on creating a paperback edition of my debut poetry book, plus I continue to write new poems and original social media posts.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy using a multitude of methods to promote my book and writing, I find Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads forums and my website to be the most fruitful methods I currently engage in, giving me lots of opportunities to meet new people, inspire them and also be inspired.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Give your craft the attention it deserves, it shouldn’t be merely an after-thought. Although, that doesn’t necessarily mean writing every hour that God sends you, but you should get to a place where you understand your path, where you have a clear strategy for how you want to maximise your gift, its impact and its potential reach.
Researching and planning will pay dividends, what you don’t know, learn it, preferably teaching yourself. The more focus you give to your intended destination and to getting there, (rather than haplessly struggling to get nowhere fast), the more professional you’ll be along the way as you move ever closer towards your dream outcome, and thus, the greater your chance of finding that success or perhaps something even greater than you could’ve imagined.
Lastly, if you believe in what you are doing, if you’ve done your best to ensure your quality is at its best and the presentation is engaging, then use that belief to get you through any set backs, if you stay driven, you will find a way.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be courageous in all things. The late great Maya Angelou once said “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
What are you reading now?
Funnily enough, I am working my way through “The Complete Works of Maya Angelou”, she had such a way with words and her passing is a huge loss to the writing world!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Once my book is available in paperback, I plan to begin crafting my second book of poetry, which I am really looking forward to… I can’t wait to share more of my poems and show how my offerings have become even more creative.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Ooh, decisions, decisions! The books I would bring if I were stranded on a desert island would probably be…
The Art of Happiness – The Dalai Lama,
Long Walk To Freedon – Nelson Madela’s Autobiography,
The Complete works of William Shakespeare …which should pass some time, and
The Mammoth Book of One-Liners – Geoff Tibballs …for over 10,000 laughs. 😉
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