It’s author interview time! *Cue Jazz hands!* Today we’ve got author Sheila Johnson!
Sheila, tell me a bit about you and your latest work.
I have a diploma in journalism and have written over six hundred articles. I have also published two books. I self-published ‘Alpha Male’ in 2016 and my latest book, ‘Waireka’ was published in June 2018. It is a historical romance set on a dairy farm in nineteenth century New Zealand.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Christian, Romantic, Passionate.
How would you Twitter pitch your novel?
Waireka is a story of love and commitment, hope and despair set against the farming background of nineteenth century New Zealand.
What are your top 3 tips for aspiring writers?
Persistence, Passion and Self-belief
Are you a panster or plotter?
Panster.
What does success look like to you?
Finding my books in all the big retailer outlets.
How do you choose your character names?
I have used names that describe my characters attributes e.g. Craig (hard) but in Waireka, some of the names are based upon real historical figures or are close to the real names.
Do you ever Google yourself?
Only to share my blog on Google.
What do you do when you get stuck with your writing?
Go and do something else. Either something in the home or visit someone.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Alpha Male – About 9 years Waireka – only 6 years, so I’m improving!
What’s your main weakness as a writer eg.SPaG, continuity etc?
Making enough time for it. Life is very busy.
What do you find hardest/easiest about writing?
Publication and promoting myself.
Describe your writing process in 3 words.
Location and idea based.
What’s been your biggest learning curve?
Social Media
Do you prefer pen and paper, or is everything on the computer?
Mostly on the computer but sometimes when writing poetry I use pen and paper or if interviewing someone for an article.
Who’s your favourite author and why?
Jane Austen, L.M Montgomery
What’s your favourite book?
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (old) Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks, Pursuit of Happiness – Douglas Kennedy, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine – Gail Honeyman (recent)
How do you relax?
Theatre, Cinema, Watching Formula 1 Motorsport
And now for some silly questions just for fun…
Tea or coffee?
Coffee
Beer or wine?
Wine
Chips or curly fries?
Chips
Puppies or kittens?
Kittens
Summer or winter?
Winter
Waireka is a story of love and commitment set against the farming background of nineteenth century New Zealand. This historical romance follows Eliza’s journey from her home in Scotland all the way to Wellington, New Zealand to be one of the first early pioneers, as she and her husband, Alister, set up a dairy farm. It’s a story of love and tragedy, hope and despair but most of all a tale of survival in the new country.
Sheila Johnson, a UK based writer, has over ten years’ experience as a successful freelance journalist. She writes fiction under the name of Sheila Donald, and in 2016, published, a Christian romance based around an Alpha Course, called ‘Alpha Male’. ‘Waireka’ is her second book, a historical romance set in in New Zealand during the nineteenth century.
When not writing, Sheila enjoys singing, history, listening to music, films, the theatre, cooking, swimming and Formula One racing.
Waireka is available on Amazon now: https://amzn.to/2t1CMhY