Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Aboriginal woman with stories to tell. I’ve been writing fiction since 2015 but The Conscious Virus is my first published novel.
I have three other books of the series at the first or second draft stage.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Conscious Virus was inspired by experiences of the Coronavirus Pandemic but it connects with ideas and experiences going back to 2015.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in the mornings before I go to work. Coming to the end of this book, I stayed up all night sometimes (or until 3 or 4 am), determined to get the best story out. Sleep-deprived, cranky, with nothing but my story to keep me going–that’s where The Conscious Virus came from. There was joy in it, too, as it came out to the world.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts.
What are you working on now?
Although it pushed its way to the front to be the first book published, ‘The Conscious Virus’ will be the fifth or the sixth book in the Aedgar Wisdom series.
The first book of the series, the origin story, working title ‘Aedgar Arises,’ will be out next year. The first three books of the series are set in a remote Aboriginal community in the central Australian desert, close to Uluru.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own website has a loyal following. It has featured extracts from the conversations Nerida has had with spirits since 2015.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep listening to the voices in your head. Love and value yourself. We are each here for a reason and writing keeps you on your path.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I was a confused young woman, an old Aboriginal man told me to begin healing by loving myself. I considered it and began to treat myself with kindness and compassion. It saved my life. So, I know that an idea can help change a person’s life, if they are ready to hear it.
What are you reading now?
Spirits of the Ghan by Judy Nunn and Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. I’ve just finished Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child. At work at lunchtime, I’m reading Both Sides of the Fence, a memoir by John Spencer, a man of Aboriginal and Scots ancestry about the history of Central Australia.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m looking forward to producing an audiobook version of The Conscious Virus in the next few months.
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?
The I Ching (The Book of Changes), the Wilhelm translation; Traditional Healers of the Central Desert: Ngangkari by the NPY Women’s Council; The Macquarie Dictionary; Dear Veronica by April Crawford.
Author Websites and Profiles
Miki Mitayn Website
Miki Mitayn Amazon Profile
Miki Mitayn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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