Tell us a little
about your books
Getting
Rooted in New Zealand is a funny travel memoir about my time living
aboard in New Zealand.
What made you choose to
write about your experiences?
I started writing my book because I had funny experiences
that I had trouble believing were true. I wrote the stories down to stay sane.
I wrote situations down that were happening around me and shared them with
friends. The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into
a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
Most of the book was written as the events happened; it just
took me a few years to work up the nerve to publish. I spent the month of
February organizing the stories I had written attempting to make a cohesive
narrative. It then went through several rounds of editing. To write my book Getting
Rooted in New Zealand, I relied upon my personal journals, e-mails, and
memories.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I constantly make myself notes. Last week in Wales, I was
scribble stories on the backs of maps and Google directions as a passenger in
the car. I also send myself text messages or emails riding in trains or buses. It
might not look like I’m writing a book if one was to observe me, but I am
constantly watching, listening and thinking about writing.
Where do you get your
ideas for your books?
My book is a true story. My life has been so strange it
sounds like fiction, but it is really too weird to be made up. My truth is
stranger than fiction.
How old were you when
you knew you wanted to write and what was your first attempt?
I consider myself an accidental author. My educational
background is in fine arts. I was bored
with the fine art scene. Everything has already been done before in painting,
but I am the only person that can tell my own story. Writing feels like a more
honest form of art than any other method I’ve tried. People either laugh or
they don’t.
My first attempt at writing was writing a monologue for the
director Thomas Sainsbury in Auckland, New Zealand when I was 27-years-old.
Performing the monologue was the scariest thing I had ever done. I was shocked
by the adrenaline rush I got from making people laugh. I was addicted to
writing ever since.
What do you like to
do when you're not writing?
I love traveling. I am very gluttonous. I love cooking,
baking and drinking wine. To counterbalance my gluttony, I enjoy yoga, pilates
and running. I’m running 10K this weekend in York raising money for a friend with
multiple sclerosis.
What was one of the
most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I wrote, designed, published and have been marketing my own
book. Self-publishing is one person taking on all of the responsibilities typically
held by teams of people in traditional publishing companies. It has been a
steep learning curve. There have been many bumps Even more surprising is people I have never met
have been sending me nice messages through my email or Facebook telling me they
liked my book Getting
Rooted in New Zealand and can’t wait for the next one. I’m always shocked to see a good review on
Amazon from someone I don’t know.
in the roads and moments when
I regretted publishing. The most surprising thing I’ve learned in creating my
own book is I am capable of doing all of the above.
How many books have
you written?
I plan to divide my books by the countries I’ve lived in.
When I move to a new country the story begins there. My next book will be about traveling on
the South Island of New Zealand, Australia, California and attempting to settle
down in Scotland.
Which is your
favourite and why?
Getting
Rooted in New Zealand is the first book I published. I am curious to
see reader’s reaction to my next book. Getting
Rooted in New Zealand will always be special to me. My good, bad and
weird experiences in New Zealand turned me into author and I am extremely
grateful for that.
As a child, what did
you want to do when you grew up?
As a child, I wanted to be a hairdresser. I honestly thought
I would be good at it. When I was 9-years-old, I gave my little sister a
haircut when our parents weren’t looking. My little sister’s hair went from
shoulder length to above her chin. It was just a few days before picture day at
school. I’ve never been fully forgiven.
What are you working
on now?
I’m working on promoting my book Getting
Rooted in New Zealand. I have been volunteering for Museums Sheffield
and the Lantern Theatre.
Getting
Rooted in New Zealand book description:
Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and
quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after
reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal,
she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new
wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations
in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and
a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it
really means to get rooted.
About the author Jamie Baywood:
Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she
made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting
Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living
there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United
Kingdom. She is working on her second book.
amazon.com/author/jamiebaywood
facebook.com/jamiebaywood
Twitter: @jamiebaywood
Pinterest.com/jamiebaywood
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