Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! My name is Virginia Burges – Ginny to my family and friends (even those I haven’t met yet). I’m a wife to one and a mother to four, based in Buckinghamshire in the UK. I’m energetic and high on life – time is too short to be anything else. I’m a fiction author, speaker, blogger and health coach.
Among other things I love reading, writing, music, dance, travel and adventure. I believe in living life to the full.
My favourite time of day is reading at bedtime with my daughters. It’s magical to see their imaginations and intelligence being stimulated by storytelling. They won’t settle without a story!
The Virtuoso is my debut fiction novel, written after I had not long come out of a period of intense suffering. It is a coalescence of my musical knowledge, life experience and imagination; my own unique hybrid of John le Carre and Jane Austen!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As a keen amateur violinist who has performed both solo and in orchestras I am slightly obsessed with the violin. Playing is a form of meditation for me, it works out my brain, relaxes me and takes me away from daily cares. Any musician will relate to the joy of being immersed in the music and your instrument. I felt the shivers come over me one day during a practice session. What if I couldn’t play for any reason? The thought scared me. I used the memory of a traumatic childhood experience and the premise for The Virtuoso grew and developed from there. I wrote about it detail on my blog, The Path to Publication: https://rhapsodyinwords.com/2014/12/15/the-path-to-publication/
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say unusual – like most writers I have to sit down at my desk and just get on with it. I generally find that once my muse is in full flow the ideas and narrative keep coming, and my conscious mind can’t keep up with the hidden aspects that are ‘sparking’ through me.
I have various journals and pads in my office, by my bed and in my handbag, as inspiration tends to strike at the most unlikely moments!
Images, articles, books, interests, nature and my own life are rich pickings. After all, William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright the world has ever known, stole most of his plots from Greek and Roman plays.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a lot of P.D. James in my youth, and Stephen King’s Carrie had a strong impact on me. Some of my favourite authors include Kate Mosse, Louise Doughty, John Le Carre, Robert Harris, Leo Tolstoy, Paulo Coelho and Khaled Hosseini. I also enjoy non-fiction. Power Vs Force by Dr. David R Hawkins changed my life, and as part of my current historical research I found Helen Castor to be brilliant.
What are you working on now?
My next project is a trilogy of psychological thrillers with historical elements and a philosophical theme.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Aside from my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, my blog (rhapsodyinwords.com) has 3 pages dedicated to The Virtuoso – The book, reviews and the music that was written, as well as blog posts where mention is made.
I am active on social media and did a few radio interviews after the launch. I also promote my Publishers Weekly Review. I’m no expert on marketing. I thought I had climbed the literary equivalent of Everest by just writing the book, only to discover a whole new steep learning curve when it came to marketing it! I personally think a number of different strategies works best rather than just one approach. One of my goals is to develop a mailing list and monthly newsletter.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be yourself – your brand is you, so tell your story too. Know your market, have a plan in place and learn from the experts. Nick Stephenson and Mark Dawson both run excellent author marketing programmes.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The Latin aphorism derived from Hippocrates: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis’ (art is long, life is short)’
Shakespeare – ‘This above all: to thine own self be true’
What are you reading now?
The Mission Song by John le Carre and research documents and associated non-fiction books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am looking to collaborate with a scriptwriter on a screen version of The Virtuoso, as readers have told me they think it would make a great film. I am also going to be very busy with my new trilogy!
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?
That’s almost impossible to answer! There are so many amazing books and each had its special place in my heart, depending on what resonated in my life at the time. Perhaps Shakespeare’s complete plays, The Alchemist and Power Vs Force.
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