Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a New Zealand author, who currently resides in Papua New Guinea. I have been writing for a number of years. I’ve written street lit, romance, erotica, literary fiction, though I would mostly say I’m into mixed genre.
I’ve written fifteen books and one short story (for a mafia anthology collection). I never get writer’s block. I have the opposite problem, where I get too many ideas, which I resolve by writing more than one story at a time.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is called BROKEN ENGLISH. Lately, there have been so many stories on the news about female teachers getting themselves into trouble for having relationships with their students, even in my home town in New Zealand. Because of this, I decided to write a book on the topic. And since one of my characters from my Behind the Lives series mentioned he’d had an affair with a teacher when he was fifteen, I decided to base it on him.
There aren’t many books out there where the student is male and the teacher is female. I can only think of a few (Tampa by Alissa Nutting, What Was She Thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) by Zoë Heller, and Boy Toy by Barry Lyga). And since the student in my story is so young, I decided to write this as realistic, literary fiction, not the usual teacher-student romance stories that are so popular (which involves a female student and a male teacher). As a result, the reviewers who received ARCs have all been surprised. One even mentioned that they expected smut, but didn’t get it, instead getting something much deeper, which they loved.
So, hopefully, like the ARC reviewers, you will also be pleasantly surprised when you read BROKEN ENGLISH.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual ones, just bad ones, since I don’t stick to allocated times. I am constantly writing or editing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s night or day, my fingers are usually tapping away at the keyboard. Even when I’m out and supposed to be relaxing, I will fish out a tattered piece of paper from my bag to write down a poem that has popped into my head.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, usually influence me more than other authors.
What are you working on now?
The sequel to BROKEN ENGLISH. It’s called SHATTERED POETRY.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually give noted reviewers Advanced Reading Copies to help promote my new releases. Promo Stars Services also helps with this, as well as sending out information to bloggers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. At times being a writer is really tough, especially when you’re a new author. Keep going, keep learning, and with a lot of hard work, hopefully you’ll achieve what you’ve set out to do.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I got was to sign up to Kindle Unlimited. Prior to the advice, I was earning a pittance, so little I really should’ve stopped writing. And although my income is still low, Kindle Unlimited has made it possible for me to continue writing. Understandably, I’m grateful to them.
What are you reading now?
SPLIT: Coffin Nails MC by Miss Merikan.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue writing whatever comes to my head. I’m hoping to finish my Broken Lives trilogy by the beginning of next year, then publish the second season of my serial, My Masters’ Nightmare, as well as continuing with my other series.
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?
Unlike my usual fiction reads, they will all be about how to survive living on the island 🙂
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