Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As an English major and now an English teacher, writing has been a part of my entire life. I have written a variety of articles, short stories and essays. But I finally decided to sit down, take the time and write an entire novel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Swipe Right For Love and is based on the online dating world. As most people who have used dating apps on their smartphone will know, swiping right on someone’s profile means you are interested.
I had a story in my head of two different personalities looking for love finding each other on one of these apps.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I might call it usual rather than unusual. I can only write if I am not at home. So during my long Christmas, spring and summer breaks I take my laptop to the local coffee shop (other than Starbucks) and spend about three hours each day writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am actually not a very picky reader. I tend to enjoy different authors and different genres. I enjoyed reading classics like Huck Finn, The Great Gatsby, to Shakespeare, Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk and Kurt Vonnegut. I find that I can get inspiration and satisfaction from even trashy slasher or romance novels.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second novel which is a dystopian romance which usually seems doomed from the start. I tend to enjoy writing about relationships of people and placing them in funny or awkward or in this case miserable situations.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I published my book on Amazon and have been promoting it via Instagram and Facebook. I also have a YouTube channel so promote it there too. I stick to my social media but found that I need to find places where actual book readers flock to.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t stop writing even if you are stuck. I didn’t know how to end my book and left it for six months because of my frustration. But when I decided to start writing, the ending just naturally came to me. Once you get into the zone your mind automatically takes you there. It might take pages of useless content before the tap starts flowing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My friend Brian told me that 90% of people say they are writing a novel. So he told me to be the 10% that say the did write a novel.
What are you reading now?
I am reading Stephen King’s On Writing which is a non-fiction memoir book which he talks about his writing process and back stories of how he wrote some of his famous novels.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on my dystopian romance as I mentioned before but along with that, I am still doing small pieces of writing for blogs or online articles. Mostly travel.
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?
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
The book thief by Marcus Zusak
Life of Pi Yann Martel
Author Websites and Profiles
S.A. Ozbourne Amazon Profile
S.A. Ozbourne’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account