Happy Monday!
Adam's in Wyoming, so he's recruited me to fill in for him. Doesn't that just figure?
Anyway, I'm excited to be here for today's interviews, because I hardly ever get to do them; Adam's usually too selfish to let me. Pity. I can bring a unique perspective, since I'm living in a possible future, and some of these authors that Adam features have made it BIG - like, teach-them-in-school big.
Oh, no, I can't tell you who. Spoilers.
Anyways, time for me to stop talking and let this marvelous person take over!
--Kendra
Felicity Green is the best-selling fantasy and paranormal mystery author of the Scottish Witches Mysteries and over 30 other books, in English and German.
A German native, Felicity spent over a decade in England, studying English literature and drama and pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. She toured the British Isles with theatre groups and fell in love with all those magical places in England, Scotland, and Ireland that continue to inspire her novels. Once Felicity started writing her own plays, she knew she had found her calling. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from University of Sussex.
When Felicity isn’t writing or reading, she likes traveling, yoga, hiking, and trying out new recipes. Felicity lives at the German-Swiss border with her husband, her daughters, and an idiosyncratic Maine Coon cat.
Amazon link for THE WITCH CLUB, the first Scottish Witches Mystery:
Social Media, Goodreads, BookBub
Books you’re looking forward to release by someone else?
I love all books by Kelley Armstrong. She's great in all genres. I preorder all her books, even in genres I don't usually read. Like romance. She has a romcom out in June. It's called Finding Mr. Write and it's about a female writer who hires a male actor to impersonate her in order to get a publishing contract. It looks like such a fun book. I also read anything by Annabel Chase. I look forward to the eight book in her Bloomin' Psychic series. Unfortunately, it's the final one!
Coffee, tea, or cacao?
Big coffee fan! I used to work in a coffee shop in Canterbury, UK, and I'm a trained barista.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Probably in primary school, when I used to get into trouble for lying. I was just making up entertaining stories! I've always been a storyteller. I started writing down those stories at age fourteen. But I also always wanted to become an actress, so I pursued that dream for many years before I got more serious about writing and did a Masters in Creative Writing at University of Sussex.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I love traveling and I always get inspired by interesting places. Especially if there's a local legend already attached to that place. I love that kind of stuff. If I'm traveling and I see a book on local folklore, I'll buy it. I'm also a big research nerd and I love learning. I've taking open university courses in forensic anthropology, criminology, and history. I own books on all kinds of niche subjects from Victorian mental asylums to gravestone iconography.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I have two small kids, so I have to work around their schedule. Otherwise, I'd probably work nonstop. I like to get up at 5 to get a chapter in before I get the kids up and ready for kindergarten and school. Then I work from eight till noon, and again a couple of hours in the afternoon. As a rule, I don't work in the evenings. I do write at the weekends, though. I tend to write 2000 words a day and I don't like to break a writing streak.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love going for a walk or a hike. I'm currently training for a long distance hike in May. It's the St Cuthbert's Way in Scotland. I really look forward to solitude, the Scottish landscape, and walking for hours on end!
And, this won't be a big surprise, I also love to read.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have written over thirty books in English and German. The book I'm currently working on is always my favorite.
Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
My advice would be to write a lot. Don't get too anxious about doing things right. Write the book first, then give it to readers – editors, critique groups, beta readers, reviewers – and get feedback. Learn from the feedback and write the next book. Also, read a lot in your chosen genre.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love to hear from my readers. One of the best things about newsletters is that I get emails from readers in response. It's so nice if a reader takes the time out of their busy day to write to me. I always appreciate it and reply. It's interesting to me where readers come from and what their lives look like. Although I have to say that some readers tell me very personal things. I'm not always sure how to respond. But in general, it feels great to get to know my readers that way. It creates a special bond.
What do you think makes a good story?
A relatable protagonist, thrown into an unsual situation with lots of conflict, and emotionally high stakes to get out of it.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Oh, it definitely energizes me. I've been in burn-out and I've had adrenal fatigue. As an indie author, the to-do list can get a little overwhelming. Trying to balance everything with motherhood and everything else isn't easy, either. But no matter how bad things were, I could always write. In fact, it's what I withdraw to when everything else gets too much.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Be fearless!
Do you write novels, novellas, short stories, episodic fiction, poems, screenplays, or something else? What is your preferred format?
I write novels, novellas, and short stories. I like writing short fiction, but it isn't as lucrative as novels. I have a lot of ideas, and I like starting and finishing projects in a short amount of time. I could never work on a book for two years or more, like some writers do. So I find writing short stories really satisfying. I'm also secretly interested in screenplays. As a former actress, I'm really interested in them. Dialogues are my forte, so I think I could be good at it. I might take a class on writing screenplays in the future.
Are you traditionally or self published? Or both? Do you feel there are advantages to one over the other?
I'm self published. I used to work for small publishing companies, so I already had experience with publishing and marketing books. And I knew it could take a long time for my debut novel to get published. I didn't want to wait that long. I'm too impatient for trad. In general, it takes a lot longer for a book to get published. I'm a bit of a control freak, too. So I prefer to do things myself, the way I want to. It's a lot of work, though! And it can get a bit lonely. I also have an agent for my children's books – I'd prefer to find a publisher for them. Self publishing children's books is too much on top of everything else. I've had so many close calls, including getting shortlisted for the Times and Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. I still haven't found the right publisher. It can get disheartening.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Ugh, I hate half-finished books. It's like a huge item on a to-do list left unchecked. I also don't really like going back to a book. All my creative and emotional energy goes into my current project. That's probably one reason I like self publishing so much. I can write, just about suffer through edits, format the book, and hit publish. I currently have one half-finished manuscript I'm not sure I'll ever get back to. I also have a half-finished book I urgently want to finish, which is going to be the first book in a new paranormal cozy mystery series. I have two unpublished children's books, and it's difficult to shift energy back to them, to sell them to publishers, too.
What do you have coming next?
The fourth instalment in my Scottish Witches Mystery series, A Witch Through Time, is out in May. Coven leader Mary MacDonald's secret is finally revealed!
It's up for preorder and free in KU. Check out my website www.felicitygreenauthor for more information and a link.
