I have been reading love stories for as long as I can remember and when I ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James The Brontë sisters, etc. during my studies, I was hooked for life.
I married my college boyfriend and soul mate and we are fortunate to live in the picturesque little seaside village of Betty’s Bay, South Africa with the ocean a block away and a beautiful mountain right behind us. And although life so far has not always been an easy ride, it has always been an exiting and interesting one!
I like the heroines in my stories to be beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong. And the heroes must be strong but possess a generous amount of sensitivity. They are of course, also gorgeous! My stories typically incorporate the family background of the characters to better understand where they come from and who they are when we meet them in the story.
(a) What inspire you to write a book?
It differs from book to book. Sometimes it’s a meet-cute, sometimes an occupation, sometimes a trope but most of the time I ‘hear’ conversations between people that will then lead to a story.
(b) Do you write full time? if yes, is it tiring to write day in day out?
Yes, after I’ve retired in 2010, I’m able to write full-time. An ideal day is when I can start at 9:00 and write until 16:00 before I start dinner. It is still such a priviledge to be able to do this full time, I enjoy every moment – even the times I stuggle with a scene. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what the problem is and to fix it. But yes, by the end of the year, I’m tired and this year I’m able to take a month off before I have to start on a new story.
(c) Which of the book that the story plot touches you the most and the hardest for you to let go?
I’m not sure if I understand this question correctly, but when characters struggle with their issues and baggage, I get very emotional. The older I get, the more people’s behaviour interest me – why do people react the way they do? What kind of childhood would lead to someone wanting to guard their hearts, for instance. It’s always sad to say goodbye to characters, one of the reasons I love to write a seires – you don’t have to let them go immediately!
(d) Do you read other author’s book specifically from the same industry as you?
Since I’ve started writing romance, I tend to read more widely. I love a well written who-dunnit or cosy mystery and I also read more literary works, but still love a romance – the happy ending does it for me every time.
(e) Which part of the writing process that you find it hardest to go thru i.e. from writing to the published book?
The middle of a story is sometimes challenging. You don’t want your reader to lose interest, there has to be enough conflict to move the story forward.
To Learn More About The Author
My Sanctuary 