Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first writing interest was travel writing. I have been writing travel features which were published in magazines across the world. However, I’m also a passionate reader of fiction and this compulsion has led me to write my debut novel ‘By Way of the Valley’, which is set in the suggestive Validichiana valley in Tuscany. It chronicles the quest for self-discovery of an everyday hero who is struggling to overcome his problems and take what is his by right.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘By Way of the Valley’ is my debut novel. I was inspired to write it during my travels in the Chiana Valley in Tuscany, where I met a number of people whose quirks seemed perfectly normal in the setting where they lived, but, who, if transposed to another setting, would have seemed oddly outlandish. Italy might bring up romantic notions, but its allure also comes from its dark and sinister aspects. I wanted to bring out these contrasting aspects in my novel – a kind of chiaroscuro backdrop.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write early in the morning but sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and run off to my home office to write a few paragraphs if the writing spree grips me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My all-time favourite authors include, amongst others, Joanne Harris, Roald Dahl, Dan Brown and Paolo Coelho.
What are you working on now?
I am now working on a travel book/ memoir about Malta, the island where I was born and raised, entitled ‘Notes from a Dinky Dunghill.’
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my website, Facebook, Amazon ads and sites like Awesome Gang to promote my books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read and read more. Get the opinions of others about your writing. Writing is a journey where, if you are determined, you will improve as you travel the way.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best way to become a good writer is to write.
What are you reading now?
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
What’s next for you as a writer?
Some friends who read my debut novel told me that it is ripe for a sequel. Perhaps I will follow their advice.
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?
Five-Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Zahra Website
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