Interview with Aneesa Price
author of Ghosts & Lovers:
First Confession
Questions: R. Murry
Can
you tell me a little about yourself?
I live, read and write romance. I have my own ‘happily ever
after’ (although we worked for it) with my husband and two princesses. We
currently reside in Johannesburg, South Africa, the largest metropolitan area
on the African continent.
I first worked as an intern psychologist and after a stint as a
therapist I left psychology for the corporate world. There I climbed up the
ladder to become a Senior Change Consultant, which is what I now do as my ‘day
job’.
My journey as an indie writer was born of extreme dissonance and
needing to be more creative in my work. I played around with the idea of
opening up a patisserie but thank goodness, one day I sat down and just wrote.
It was love at first sight.
Do
you remember the first story you wrote?
I only wrote once before and this was in Junior High. It was a
fantasy, which is about all I can remember. Then in the next year, I moved
schools as racial segregation was coming to an end in South Africa and I was so
busy adjusting that I didn’t quite pick up the pen again – instead I baked and
read – A LOT.
I believe the time wasn’t right for me to begin writing in
earnest then. I needed to experience and overcome the many challenges that life
threw at me. This past, as well as the privilege I had as a therapist of
encountering the pasts of others, deeply colors my writing.
Were
you inspired by someone or something?
My life inspires me as does my loves… they inspire me in all
that I do. I often don’t know exactly what plants an idea seed but I do know
that I put who I am into my writing. Not in the autobiographical sense but
things I value, things I’ve felt, seen, heard or observed in others.
The odd thing is that since I’ve begun writing, my subconscious
is quieter, more content. I used to have many vivid and sometimes nightmarish
dreams but when I write, I sleep the restful sleep of darkness.
What
do you like about writing a story?
It just feels right. I could go for endless hours without moving
an inch when I press my laptop keys. It doesn’t feel like work, it isn’t hard
to do and it seems as natural as loving my children. I accept it as a part of
who I am and who I’ve belatedly discovered that I need to be.
Can
you tell us about your books?
I wanted to create ways of making my work more
accessible, so I combined the two novels and one novella that I wrote this year
into The Romance Collection: 3 in 1 Christmas 2012 Special Edition. Not the
most exciting title but I reckon that the holidays are exciting enough and I so
wanted a Christmas themed book cover, which it has.
This book contains Coffin Girls, Finding
Promise and Ghosts & Lovers: First Confession. I’ve also added 4 bonus
recipes from my pantry so to speak referred to in the book as Love Romance,
Love Food.
My books are written for adults who believe in
happy endings and who want a realistic journey where the road to that ending
has inter- and intrapersonal challenges for the main characters to overcome.
What
genre best fits for the book?
Ghosts & Lovers: First Confession is an experiment that I
approached with trepidation and ended up loving. Here, I didn’t do any research
until halfway through writing it. And it is a huge departure for me at least in
that it is written in the first person, set in South Africa and is short. It is
ultimately about love, marriage and desire with a paranormal twist.
Are
you working on something new at the moment?
I’ve begun writing the second installment of the Coffin Girls
series but I’m taking this one slowly by design – I need this one to surprise
and delight too. I owe it to the Coffin Girls fans.
Do
you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Do your research, write from the heart, write with your readers
in mind and carry on writing until you finish the work.
Edit your work many, many times and if you can afford it (I
seriously recommend this), hire an editor.
Read, have an open mind and heart and watch and listen. Our
world is beautiful and strange and the reality of it often offers much to
amuse, delight or make our eyes mist.
Where
can people go to read your work?
I had my work available on
all the major online retailers but I mostly sold books through amazon. I’m thus
now experimenting and seeing if exclusive publication through amazon would be
beneficial. I have to review this in February next year.
Here is my amazon author
page link where my books are all listed:
http://www.amazon.com/Aneesa-Price/e/B008NA62CO
Do you have anything to add?
I’m a writer, we always
have a lot to say *grin*.
I welcome new connections with
humble appreciation. Lovers of romance, fans of my books or other writers and
reviewers are welcome to connect with me via the social networking sites.
Here are details:
Aneesa Price – Sugary,
Spicy Reads (author and reviewer page on Facebook):
Aneesa Price’s Fabulous
Fan Club (on Facebook):
Twitter:
When I host giveaway or
release events, I always announce it on the Fan Club wall and Sugary, Spicy
Reads. I also do ad hoc giveaways for Fan Club members only.
I would like to, if I may,
end off by extending my sincere gratitude to the many fantastic friends and
readers who support me by reading my work and who encourage me to continue on
this writing journey. Thank you too to Mary-Nancy Cody Smith for the amazing
editing job on Ghosts & Lovers: First Confession and for her support and
belief in me. Thank you to Carrie Fort and Mary-Nancy for surprising me with
the Fan Club and for administering it.
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