Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Rebecca James

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday!

Today, I'm featuring an interview with newly published Samhain author Rebeccaa James. Her mainstream romance novel Nightswimming was released in mid-May and has already received great reviews. Click here to read an excerpt.

Let's see what this author has to say about her life in the world of writing and publishing...

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Welcome, Rebecca! Can you tell us a little about your background?
I was born in Sydney Australia in 1970 and then I grew up (well...physically, at least). My first job was as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant, which taught me a LOT about human nature, and most importantly that you should always be reasonably kind to people who are bringing you food!! In my twenties I travelled a bit - to England, Egypt and Greece - and lived for a while in Indonesia and Japan, where I taught English as a second language.

Travelling taught me LOTS of stuff - the most important of which is that you take yourself, your problems and insecurities with you wherever you go. Reinvention of self is hard...probably impossible.

Meeting my partner and having kids has been the best, best, best thing that ever happened to me. Being a parent is possibly the hardest but also the most rewarding thing in the world - and in my case it helped me become a much more settled, happy and less self-destructive person - and ultimately much less self-absorbed.

When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
I started writing about four years ago. I can't think of any one thing that triggered my desire to do it, and I have to admit that I wasn't one of those people who knew, from the age of five or so, that I wanted to be a writer. I'm a late blossomer in lots of ways!! In fact, my older sister is a (very successful ) writer and I honestly used to think, 'how boring."

I guess having children and being trapped at home a lot with my own whirling brain and a computer brought out the latent writer in me.

Now I love it - and couldn't think of life without it.

Tell us about Nightswimming.
Um. It's a book about a relationship in crisis. It examines what it's like to have your first child; all those wonderfully new and confusing emotions that first-time parents feel; I enjoyed writing it. I hope you like reading it. :)


How do you go about developing your characters?
I don't know really - I like flawed, realistic characters, though, I can say that much. And I like to write dialogue that reveals these flaws.

What advice would you give to aspiring, unpublished writers?
1. Write.
2. Be prepared to be shocked by the grim reality of the publishing world.
3. Marry somebody rich.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
I like lots of different books. I can't say I have a favourite author - but I buy every Anne Tyler book I can find, I also LOVE Richard Yates, Kate Atkinson, Margaret Atwood, Sue Miller....

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?
The most difficult bit is waiting -it is never ending and can drive you mad.
The most exciting thing about it is, kind of paradoxically, the unknown. You never know what may happen tomorrow. A three-book deal? A great new review? A kind email from a happy reader?

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
I neglect the housework.

Can you tell us about your next writing project?
um...well....I'd bettter get on with it....

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Thanks for stopping by, Rebecca! Questions or comments, anyone? You can find out more about this lovely author at her own blog, http://rebeccasjames.blogspot.com/

And now that she's whet your appetite, why not take a visit to this link and buy yourself an e-copy of Nightswimming?