Today, I bring you my interview with the fabulous Anna Campbell. Read on for lots of inspiration and tips.
Sue: You’re a full-time writer with so many published books. How did that happen? Tell us about your journey.
Anna: Hi Sudesna! Thanks so much for having me as your guest today. Great question! I sometimes wonder myself how I got to this point where I have nearly 40 books published. It’s a very nice feeling! I spent most of my life wanting to be a writer, but I didn’t get picked up by a publisher until I was in my 40s when Avon bought Claiming the Courtesan at auction in 2006. I’ve been a full-time writer ever since. In 2015, I decided to branch off on my own and do most of my publishing independently. I wanted a little more flexibility than I could manage with a big publisher, although I’ll always be grateful for the time I spent first with Avon and then with Grand Central. Since then, my releases have been coming thick and fast. This year, I’m planning on having five books out, as I finish up the bestselling Lairds Most Likely series. In 2021, I’m really looking forward to starting a new series set in the glamour and excitement of Regency London.
Sue: Do you follow any writing rituals?
Anna: I’m not sure they count as rituals but I always do my first drafts longhand. I find I get a cleaner version that way. And I mainline hot tea when I’m working. Buy shares in Liptons!
Sue: What’s the best part about being a writer? And what’s the most challenging part?
Anna: I love the idea that the stories in my mind have gone all over the world. The ghosts in my brain have found a new life with readers everywhere. The most challenging part is juggling all the separate hats I wear as an indie author – writer, marketer, CEO, CFO, entrepreneur, researcher, chief bottle washer!
Sue: Tell us about your latest release.
Anna: My latest release is The Highlander’s Forbidden Mistress. It’s book 7 in my Lairds Most Likely series, but like all my books, it can be read as a standalone. Widow Selina Martin and rakish Brock Drummond, Earl of Bruard, have a mere week to be wicked before Selina is duty-bound to marry the oafish Cecil Canley-Smythe. This is the steamiest entry in the series yet and I’m delighted that readers seem to be really taking to this story in a big way. You can read the blurb and an excerpt on my website here: http://annacampbell.com/books-2/lairds-most-likely-series/the-highlanders-forbidden-mistress/
Sue: Time for a quick fire round.
Your current read…
Anna: The Last Lighthouse Keeper by John Cook and John Bauer.
Sue: Your favourite authors…
Anna: Elly Griffiths, Nicola Cornick, Elizabeth Peters, Charlotte Bronte, Tolstoy, Annie West
Sue: Your favourite fictional heroine…
Anna: Natasha Rostova from War and Peace
Sue: Your favourite fictional hero….
Anna: Francis Crawford from the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett
Sue: Tea or coffee?
Anna: Tea.
Sue: E-book or paperback or audiobook?
Anna: Paperback.
Sue: How do you deal with writer’s block?
Anna: I’m not sure I believe in writer’s block. There are definitely times when it’s difficult to write, but I think letting it become a major issue in your mind is asking for trouble. Sometimes I just need more time to let a scene stew before I put it down on paper. Sometimes I’m just tired. Sometimes something is happening in my private life that has interfered with the voices in my head. All of those things can disrupt progress but don’t destroy it. I find when I’m having trouble settling down that baby steps help. You know, I tell myself that I can write a page and then I’m allowed to stop. Usually it ends up being more than a page. If you think about having to write a whole book in one gulp, it’s terrifying and anybody would get the heebie-jeebies and stop. Because of course people don’t write a whole book in one gulp. Books are made up of words, then sentences, then paragraphs, then pages, then chapters. If you think in smaller chunks, it definitely frightens away the demons.
Sue: What is your advice to aspiring authors, especially to those who are indie publishing?
Anna: Regular and frequent publication is the secret to an indie career, I think. If you’re having trouble keeping up the progress, hold your manuscripts back and then release them close together so you build up some momentum with an audience. If people like your book, they want to click and buy another one, God bless them. If you’re at that stage where you’re just starting out, my advice is to plug you way through and finish a manuscript. There’s things you’ll learn from writing a whole book that nothing else can teach you. It’s always so tempting to give up a current project when a new idea presents itself but don’t fall for that trick.
Sue: Very insightful! Thank you for joining us today and good luck!
Get your copy of Anna’s latest book here:
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