Wednesday, 8 January 2020

Rosie Travers #interview #writerslife

Rosie Travers answers some questions on her writing life
 
What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?
I write uplifting commercial women’s fiction – it’s not exactly rom-com, although I like to bring humour into my writing and an inevitable romance.  If there was a quirky-family drama-with-an-unsolved-mystery category, then my books would fall into it.

What made you choose that genre?
It chose me. I don’t plot my novels; I just write what comes into my head and those are stories that develop.

How long does it take you to write a book?
The first full length novel I wrote, which has never been published, kept me occupied for at least five years. The second, The Theatre of Dreams, was a good couple of years in the making. My third novel, Your Secret’s Safe With Me, was written in less than nine months. I’m getting quicker! 

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I’m an early bird and find I work best first thing in the morning. I have to have solitude – I can’t write when there are other people in the house.

Tell me something about yourself your readers right not know.
I spent three years living in California and worked as a volunteer at the Los Angeles Arboretum. Gardening is my second great love after writing – and pulling weeds is a great stress reliever.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I was in my 50s before I had my first book published.  As a teenager I scribbled numerous novels in notebooks and bashed out stories on a manual typewriter. Everything was put on hold when I had my family and it wasn’t until I had an empty nest that I took up writing again. 


What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
We moved to a new house this summer with a fairly substantial garden, vegetable beds and my first greenhouse. I have grand plans! 

Apart from that I love travelling and have been lucky enough to visit and live in some amazing places.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I could actually do it. When I first started writing I had no idea where my journey would take me, but to finish up as a published author is a fantastic achievement. I’m also surprised at how emotionally attached I become to my characters – and how much I miss them when I type ‘the end’.

How many books have you written?
I’ve written two published novels.

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?
I have Googled myself – everything is book related – which is good! I’m a private person.

As a child what did you want to do when you grew up?
I went through various phases when I was young – anything from bus conductor to graphic designer. I took a secretarial course after leaving school because I thought it would be useful to have something to fall back on – but I think, secretly, I always wanted to be a writer.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?
I have one complete unpublished novel on my PC, but I have an entire assortment of characters and half-baked plotlines that hopefully will find a home one day.  My current WIP is a cosy crime novel, and I’m also working on a novella sequel to The Theatre of Dreams.

Rosie Travers Bio
Rosie grew up on the south coast of England and loved escaping into a good book at a very early age. After several years juggling motherhood and a variety of jobs in local government, she moved to southern California when her husband took an overseas work assignment. With time on her hands she started a blog about ex-pat life which rekindled her teenage desire to become a writer. On her return to the UK she took a creative writing course and the rest, as they say, is history.

Rosie writes uplifting heart-warming stories sprinkled with mystery, drama and a dash of romance. The dynamics of family life is her favourites topic.

Rosie’s debut novel The Theatre of Dreams was published by Crooked Cat Books in August 2018. Her second novel Your Secret’s Safe With Me followed in February 2019.

Twitter @RosieTravers
Instagram: rosietraversauthor

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