What's the story behind your latest book?
Incredibly, the idea for Powder was sparked by our snowboarding friend, Leon. After we returned from our ski trip in Niseko, Japan, he decided to stay on to hike to an abandoned ski lodge in the middle of nowhere and actually spent the night there by himself. He said it was super creepy. That set my imagination on fire. I knew there was a book in there somewhere. Then I read a news article on the Yakuza (sorry, no specifics here or it'll be a spoiler), which gave me the idea for the rest of the story.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I love the outdoors so I try to get close to nature on weekends, whether that's going for a hike in the rainforest or a cruise on the motorbike (I'm strictly the passenger!) or just tossing a frisbee in the park. Most days you can find me training at my local boxing gym but all that is balanced out by some quality couch time and a Netflix marathon.
What is your writing process?
I'll admit, I'm not a structured writer; I don't follow a plan. I've tried doing that and, for me personally, it doesn't really work. Once I get an idea for a story, I tend to get visually powerful flashes from random points in the storyline, which I'll jot down, not always sure where that 'scene' is supposed to go. I end up with a bunch of seemingly unrelated scenes, which I put into sequence and then fill in the gaps. That's the first draft, at least. Then the story gets reworked over and over and over... Often, what I end up with is story that's very different from what I'd set out to write but it's always way better. It tends to evolve on its own somehow.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Did I mention I'm a control freak? Actually, it's more about freedom than control; it's about controlling my freedom! When I get an idea of how I want things done, I like to be able to go at it without being restricted by someone else's timeline or agenda. As scary as decision-making can sometimes be, I prefer it when I'm the one making all of them. I get to decide on my design, my branding, my marketing, my pricing - everything! That's total freedom. And while all of that can be time-consuming, it keeps my energy up and when my energy's up, the ideas flow.
What are you working on next?
I'm usually juggling a few writing projects at any given time. At the moment, I'm working on a YA series that puts a new twist on the old theme of time travel. It's still fast-paced adventure but there's more of a love story woven through it, with dark undertones and powerful visuals. The feedback from my beta readers has been encouraging so far. I've also got another series on the go for slightly younger readers about a runaway kid who ends up living on the streets with a graffiti gang and discovers that she can paint the future. I'm excited about that one but the first draft is still very much in the embryonic stages. Watch this space...
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Haha! I actually do. When I was about eight years old, I wrote a story about a kangaroo with super powers. I drew pictures and everything. I told my teacher I was going to write books when I grew up.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I remember when I learnt to read in Grade 1. It was like I'd unlocked the magical code of the Universe! I pretty much haven't stopped reading since. I can't say that I remember the first story I ever read but I do remember reading my first book without illustrations - The Tightrope Men, a gripping spy novel by Desmond Bagley. I was about fourteen and my dad let me read it because I was bored with books written for my age group (YA literature hadn't been invented yet...). It was an incredible story and I remember being amazed at the way I'd stopped seeing words on a page and instead saw a blockbuster movie unfold in my mind. So cool!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love seeing how a story unfolds and evolves and saying "Wow, I did not see that coming!" Yes, even with my own writing, some of the unexpected twists catch me by surprise. I find immense satisfaction in finding just that right word and will often re-visit a particular sentence over and over until I find the perfect word to bring it to life. But I guess the greatest joy is when someone tells me they "just couldn't put it down". Then I know I've written what I love to read.
