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Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with a
very talented author. So, without further delay let’s hear
from
Anne
Whitfield
Did you always want to be a writer or did you have other goals in
mind for yourself?
I always liked writing and reading as a
child but I’m not sure if I ever set out to be an author. It was
only something that I decided I might be able to do once I was in my
twenties.
Tell us a little about what makes you…well, you.
Although I’m Australian and love my
country, I do have ties to England so I’m sort of a two country
person and that reflects a lot of my life and influences me in many
ways. I’m honoured to have the cultures of both countries in my
life. I’m married with three children and live in a wonderful part
of the country. I love spending time with my family, watching the
kids play sports or we’ll sit together and watch movies. One of my
hobbies is genealogy and I have traced my husband’s paternal side
back to the convict times of Australia and beyond that to Ireland.
I’m now trying to trace my parent’s lines.
You have a love for history. Do you incorporate that into your
writing?
Yes, definitely. I don’t think I could have
one without the other. Researching is fun for me. History is so
fascinating and terribly time consuming but I enjoy it.
When writing, do you need a quite office-like setting or can you
write anywhere?
No, sadly I can’t write anywhere. I wish I
could! It would make life easier for me. But, unfortunately, I need
peace and quiet when I write at the computer.
Tell us some of your favorites…foods, movies, authors, books,
seasons, and any others you would like to share.
My favourite food is chocolate in any form.
My favourite movies are…um this is hard there are so many, but to
narrow it down from a few hundred I’d say, Steel Magnolias, Notting
Hill, North & South (BBC) Becoming Jane, Pride & Prejudice (BBC),
The Way We Were, How Green Was My Valley, Beaches, Miss Potter, and
Little Women. I could go on forever….
My favourite authors are Audrey Howard, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon
Penman, Edward Rutherfurd and another few hundred or so more…
My favourite books are those written by the authors above, plus my
non fiction research books which I adore.
My favourite season is summer. I love the smell of fresh mown grass,
the flowers, the summer fruits, picnics and bbqs.
When writing, do you plan your stories out before you start or do
they develop as you go along?
They develop as they go along. I never know
what my characters are going to do or where they’ll lead me and I
like it that way. By the end of each book I’m love my characters and
they are a part of my life, which sounds rather weird but it’s true.
You enjoy music, do you have a favorite group? Do you listen to
music while writing and, if so, what is the perfect writing music?
Only sometimes do I have music on when
writing. If I’m writing a sad scene I might have love songs in the
background, but not often.
My music taste is wide and varied. I like most modern pop songs and
bands like Coldplay, MatchBox 20, etc, but sometimes I’m in the mood
to listen to country and will sing along to Kenny Rogers, or I might
want to dance and so out come all the disco cds.
Do you enjoy hearing from your readers and what is the best way to
contact you?
I love hearing from my readers, it makes my
day to know that they have enjoyed my books. I’ve received some
fantastic fan mail.
The best way to contact me is via email at
whitfield.anne@gmail.com
With your love of history, if you could go back in time, when and
where would you travel to?
Oh that is so hard. I’d love to have met
Eleanor of Aquitaine in medieval times as she was such a strong
woman. I’d like to visit the Great Exhibition of 1851. I’d also
liked to have been an independent woman in WWI and work in the war
effort somehow. There’s so many times and places to choose from, I
can’t decide.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Eating chocolate and buying
books—preferably at the same time.
How do you promote your work?
In any way I can both online and in person.
I have a website, blogs, email groups, written articles, sent out
brochures, plus I’ve done book signings, etc.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? What was the best
piece of advice you received when you first started out?
I didn’t really have any advice given when
I first started because I wrote without the internet and didn’t know
anybody who did write. It was a very lonely and naïve time and I
wasted years querying the wrong people because I didn’t know enough.
When I did get the internet, I taught myself so much and it was
wonderful to find like-minded people.
My advice to new writers is to write the best book you can, never
give up, research your genre market and query only those agents and
editors who deal in the kind of genre you write. Research, research
and then research some more. Then read everything you can about the
industry and ask questions. Most authors are very helpful and kind
and will help you.
If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be
and why?
Oh another tough question. I would love to bring all my characters
to life, but if I had to pick one it would have to be Kitty
McKenzie. She’s such a great character and went through a lot. She’s
strong and courageous and loving and would be a wonderful person to
meet in the flesh.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Any current
or upcoming releases?
My current release is my World War II
historical romance, Broken Hero, set in
England. It is the story of Audrey and Jake and their not so smooth
path to finding love with each other.
My next release is Her Shadowed Heart, a historical family drama,
again set in
England in the Victorian era. This is Anna Thornton’s journey and
the very first book I wrote, so it is close to my heart.
Then July 1st will see the release of another
historical family drama titled, Woodland Daughter. This story is
about Eden Harris and her fight to keep her family together. It’s
set in England in 1902.
Thanks so much for having me.
Best regards, Anne Whitfield |
