Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Sandra Bats, living in Frankfurt, Germany with my husband and so far I published two novels in English, despite German being my mother tongue. Besides writing and reading I enjoy baking, drawing and going to the gym. I’m also a fan of storytelling in general, no matter the medium, so I watch a lot of TV and frequently go to movie theaters. Recently I’ve also started to learn about narrating and recording audiobooks with the hopes of turning my own novels into audiobooks soon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel, Persephone’s Grief, is a dystopian romance and the second novel in the Persephone’s Curse trilogy. While the first novel was inspired by the question of how a person can learn to trust despite past trauma, this novel hinges another question: How far would you go for the person you love?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often get asked why I write in English despite German being my mother tongue. But I’ve always enjoyed the English language and when I spent a year abroad as a teen I even took a creative writing class in English. Ever since then I felt more at home using English in my writing, also because nearly all of my media consumption (TV Shows, Movies, Books, etc.) is happening in English.
Other than that I’m your average writer — conversing with my characters as if they’re real people and not just existing in my head. 😉
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d say the authors of my childhood — like Michael Ende or J.K.Rowling — have influenced me to become an avid reader and in turn to use my imagination frequently. I’ve also found S.E. Hinton and her novel The Outsiders very inspiring mainly due to the facts surrounding her being published while still in her teens and publishing under use of her initials so the novel wouldn’t be rejected for having been written by a woman.
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on the third installment in the Persephone’s Curse trilogy and also on an unrelated urban fantasy. For now neither of those works has a title yet. I already have one in mind for the next novel in the Persephone’s Curse trilogy but for now it’ll have to remain a secret.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I spend a lot of energy on promoting my novels via Instagram. I enjoy getting to directly interact with the readers and not just have a pure selling relationship with them. It’s such a wonderful community on Instagram and you get to hear what readers enjoy and what topics really catch their attention. I think that kind of relationship with the community really is the best marketing tool.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let the fear of failure stop you. There will be people telling you that this is just a hobby or that wanting to be a writer is a pipe dream. But if this is your dream — and I’m pretty sure if it is your dream you can feel it in every part of your heart — then go for it. It won’t be easy, it’ll be hard work — no matter if you go the self-publishing or the traditional route — but only if you try it you can find out if you can do it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In regards to writing there’s two lines of advice that I find equally important. There is “You can’t edit a blank page” by Jodi Picoult and “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story” by Terry Pratchett.
As someone who tends to procrastinate out of fear of failure these are what actually gets me to write when I doubt myself. So when I fear that a story will turn out bad I tell myself that nobody but me will even get to see this very first draft and that I can always edit it to become better. It doesn’t have to be perfect or even good in the very first version.
What are you reading now?
I have a huge TBR pile but currently I’m reading Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. I like book series that enable me to stick with the characters for longer and so I’m also looking forward to Rage & Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout which is due to release soon. And I’m sure once I finished that I’ll have picked up even more new books to read instead of the ones already filling my bookshelves.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, the obvious one is writing more books. I’m working on the third installment in the Persephone’s Curse trilogy, and I’m also in the beginning stages of writing an urban fantasy novel.
And then I’m of course hoping to broaden my readership and I’m currently taking a step towards narrating my own audiobooks of Persephone’s Curse and Persephone’s Grief.
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?
I’m a practical person so I’d definitely bring a survival book. Maybe something like 1000 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson or a DIY Book like Making Stuff & Doing Things or something similar that would enable me to survive anything the deserted island might hold. I’d also bring an empty notebook to write down what was happening to me, because that would surely make for a great novel.
And I’d bring some heavy novel along that I hadn’t yet read. Probably fantasy or a paranormal story. Something I always wanted to read but had never had the time.
And lastly I’d bring a book on how to build a boat, for when I grow tired of being on the island. 😉
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