Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in London in 1962, and now live in Melbourne, Australia. I’m an author and blogger with a passion for social justice. I received my doctorate in Social Ecology from the University of Western Sydney in 2006. I’m the author of two novels, both released in 2015 by Odyssey Books, Asylum and The Drago Tree. I’ve written two more novels: A Perfect Square, due out in August 2016 and The Cabin Sessions, scheduled for release in 2017.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
All Because of You: Eleven tales of refuge and hope, is my first short story collection. With one exception, all of the stories were inspired by my own experiences. Some of them are more autobiographical than others. I wanted to show, mostly to myself, that it is possible to write about personal subjects that are difficult and confronting, and not end up with versions of a therapeutic ‘Dear Diary.’ My big discovery was that catharsis is located in the delete key.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best before sunrise. I always write my first drafts on paper and I don’t look back over what’s already written until I reach the end.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My greatest influences are Iain Banks, Fay Weldon, Marge Piercy, Doris Lessing, Umberto Eco, and Iain Banks again. I always come back to this Scottish author.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a sequel to The Drago Tree. A work of crime fiction, it’s called La Mareta. It’s set on the exotic island of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands located off the coast of Morocco. Lanzarote is my favourite place on the planet. I used to live there. And setting my novels there means I get to go back and visit. It’s a truly extraordinary place.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have a best method for book promotion. I think book review blogs are a terrific way of reaching out to readers, especially those who feature authors.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to not give up. To work hard every single day, for at least three hours, and to find a good book, or two or three, to read while you are writing. Books similar to yours that you can use as models, books who speak to you, so that every time you lose confidence or inspiration, you can open the page and read a paragraph or two and very quickly your own inspiration will flow. It’s as if through the voice of the narrator, those other authors are whispering directly to you, showing you all the tricks of the trade, encouraging you to persist.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To write to impress a reader who is a little bit brighter than you are.
What are you reading now?
Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have another project on slow cook. I think it’ll be another crime novel. That’s all I’m prepared to say about it just now.
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?
Walking on Glass by Iain Banks
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Paradise by Toni Morrison
Author Websites and Profiles
Isobel Blackthorn Website
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