Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve just published my first novel and I’m about halfway through two more. I like to write romantic comedy, romance and chick lit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, with two teenage offspring and a gorgeous Australian cattle dog called Missy. She’s the inspiration for a very important doggie character in a romance novel I am writing now.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is called ‘Planet Single’, and I wrote it because I don’t think there are a lot of novels around for women who have been married and had kids and then find themselves single again. The dating scene is very different when you’re a little . . . *ahem* . . . more mature. It can feel like you’ve landed on a different planet! I wanted to write about – and for – people who have also had to start over. I think that matters of the heart – and the body – are pretty much the same at any age.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have advanced procrastination techniques, but I don’t think that’s unusual, going by the discussions I have with writer friends. I like to drink white wine and guzzle potato chips while I write, but that’s also standard, right?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aaaah! Too many to list all of them, but some favourite authors are Maeve Binchy, Liane Moriarty, Maggie O’Farrell, Helen Fielding, Marian Keyes, Joanna Trollope and Mary Wesley.
What are you working on now?
A romance set in a small, remote Australian coastal town. The heroine swears she’s finished with cities and the shallow and fickle men who inhabit them, then meets an annoyingly attractive city boy who’s come to stay in her home town for a while.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m on a steep learning curve for this very subject, so watch this space. I’m working my way through a very useful list of book promotion sites that I found on Indies Unlimited website. That’s how I found my way here. 🙂
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Don’t give up! It all seems so hard, and there are so many things you have to learn, but it will all be worth it. Have faith in your story and your characters and try to always do your best for them.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just get it on the page (or screen). You can edit bad writing, but you can’t edit nothing!
What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading a Maeve Binchy book for about the fifth time (Tara Road). I was feeling ill with a cold the other day, so I reached for something soothing. Maeve’s novels are like literary comfort food for me.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing and publishing the romance, then finishing the next romantic comedy. The first draft is about half written, but it will need a lot of redrafting, I think. It’s a pretty big project, but now that I have finished and published Planet Single, I know I can do this one too!
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?
Three novels from any of my favourite authors listed above, and one guide book on how to survive on a desert island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie McGuinness Website
Maggie McGuinness Amazon Profile
Maggie McGuinness Author Profile on Smashwords
Maggie McGuinness’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account