Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The entire book takes place in a magical forest realm, where everyone understands each other, no matter their species. This realm exists within our own but only very few can see it and feel it. It shelters the homeless, the hunted, the broken… so long as their hearts are still full of love. Each chapter is a separate story about the characters, whether it be a black Labrador and a colony of rabbits, or a couple of lonely orphaned brothers; some stories explain how a character was ‘rescued’ by the Forest Realm, some tell stories about the various characters who already live there. A couple of chapters are merely fun anecdotes.
All easy to read and lighthearted enough for all age groups.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Forest Realm became my safe place when I was a child, though I didn’t know it as that back then. A few years ago a close friend of mine was suffering from severe depression. She had helped me so much in the past when I was dealing with my own depression that I started writing short stories based on my old childhood safe haven to try and help her. One of the main characters, Anita the Forest Witch, is based on this lady and they even share the same name. She enjoyed the few that I’d sent to her, and she suggested that I put them together in a children’s book and try to get them published. My husband had been making the same noises for a while by that point, so I carried on writing about the Forest Realm… and two years later, here we are!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Some days, I will just sit down with a cup of Ristretto, stare out into my garden and start typing whatever comes into my head. Sometimes it will be the groundwork for a story, sometimes it’s a short poem, or Songspell as one of my main Forest Realm characters calls it.
My garden has become a bit like a very small piece of the forest in my head; early morning, when the birds are singing and the sun is rising, it provides a certain, essential kind of peace and calm.
It’s also fun to watch the magpies and the pigeons squabbling over the bird table!
On top of this, I also do a lot of reading, and I watch a lot of fantasy and science fiction. I consider this essential for a sort of ‘writer’s meditation’. It allows me to focus my creative ‘intentions’ nicely, with the added bonus of all the inspiration it provides; for example, I might have found that I’ve written a character into an almost impossible situation, so watching or reading other people’s work can suggest solutions for that character.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Lord of the Rings, Watership Down, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, all of the Discworld series and any book based on Supernatural.
Tolkien, Richard Adams, C.S. Lewis, Sir Terry Pratchett, Enid Blyton, Wilbur Smith, Stephen King, John Connelly, Harlan Coben.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Time management and marketing! I am a full time Biomedical Scientist as part of the emergency services team in Jersey General Hospital in the Channel Islands, just off the north coast of France. Trying to juggle that, along with all the Continuing Professional Development that is a requirement of the job and being a Chartered Biologist, writing my book, writing poetry (known in my book as Songspells), and studying various on line diplomas such as Dog Training, Canine Communication, etc. is pretty challenging.
But worth it. I love dogs and they are my main reason for doing all this.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep editing and proofreading your own work. Keep on doing it until you’re sick of it, then do it again. Break the rules good and hard and don’t let anyone hold you back. It’s your story, so write for an audience of you.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to use the proceeds from the sale of my book to fund a forever home sanctuary for stray, elderly and abandoned dogs. A second book in the series is already in the beginning stages, with the possibility of releasing Anita the Forest Witch’s book of Songspells and even a recipe book… for food, that is! No cruel ‘eye of newt’ practices in MY forest!
Author Websites and Profiles
Johanna Aldridge Amazon Profile