Writers on Wednesday: Alli Sinclair
Welcome to another great Writers on Wednesday interview. This week, I am lucky enough to be chatting with Australian author Alli Sinclair, whose second novel Under the Spanish Stars has just been released.
Tell me a bit about yourself …
I’m
an adventurer at heart and have been lucky enough to visit and live in some
amazing parts of the world. I worked as a mountain climbing guide for a few
seasons in the Andes and have always had a fascination for exotic destinations,
cultures, and languages. My next adventure is never far from my mind, and these
days I get to share them with my partner and two children.
Tell me about your most recently
published book?
Under the Spanish Stars (published
by Harlequin MIRA)
When Charlotte Kavanagh travels to Spain, the land of her
ancestors, to discover the mystery behind her grandmother’s painting, she
uncovers decades of lies and deception that lead her to question the true
meaning of heritage, family, and love.
Under
the Spanish Stars is set in beautiful and historic Granada in southern
Spain. It gives a taste of flamenco and the gypsy culture, while delving into
the turbulent history of Spain in the 1930s and 40s. This book will appeal
to anyone who enjoys multi-generational stories that explores the
relationships between family, lovers, and self as well readers who enjoy
reading stories set in foreign destinations, romance, adventure and a twist of
mystery.
Tell us about the first time you were
published?
My
first novel, Luna Tango, came out in
2014 and I will never forget the day I walked into the local bookstore and saw
it on the shelves for the first time. I stared at my book baby in the New
Releases section and got all teary. The lovely staff at the book shop thought I
was upset and asked if I was okay but when I explained the reason for my tears
(of happiness!) they offered to take lots of photos and congratulated me and
made a big fuss. After ten years of dreaming about seeing my book on shelves it
was lovely to celebrate with such wonderful people (who are now good friends).
As writer, what has been your proudest
achievement so far?
Holding
a book I’ve written in my hands! It was a surreal moment and one I’ll never
forget.
What books or writing projects are you
currently working on, if anything?
I’m
writing an Australian historical at the moment which is quite the departure
from my first two books. But there’s that lovely international flavour with a
very gorgeous Italian immigrant, so my love for other cultures will be woven into
this storyline.
Which do you prefer? eBooks or Paper
Books? Why?
I
actually like both. I love the fact I can load multiple books on my iPad when I
travel (instead of lugging books that take up valuable suitcase space), but I
also like the tactile rush of turning paper pages. So, really, I have a foot in
both camps!
Indie Publishing, or Traditional
Publishing?
There
is definitely room for both Indie and Traditional publishing. If someone has a
story to tell, it doesn’t matter how they get it out there, the important thing
is people get a chance to experience the worlds and characters a writer
creates.
Aside from your own books, of course,
what is one book that you feel everybody should read?
Oooh,
that is tough! I believe that books are subjective so I don’t think there is
any one book for everybody. My personal favourite is A SUITABLE BOY by Vikram
Seth. It’s set in India and has an amazing cast of characters, some amazing
conflict, a tragic love story or two, and lots of rich culture. Given it is almost
1500 pages (in soft cover), it’s a major undertaking but totally worth the
investment of time and effort.
Finally … is there anything you would
like to say to your readers in Adelaide, Australia?
Hello
from Geelong! My dad is from Adelaide and I still have family in gorgeous
Adelaide. We used to travel there nearly every school holidays to hang with my
dad’s side of the family and I’ve lost track of how many times I have been
there! These days I take my own family over for regular visits. I’m very much
looking forward to see Adelaide readers in August when I will be there for the
Australian Romance Readers Association book signing (keep an eye out for
details! http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au).
Links
BUY LINKS:
Published by Harlequin MIRA (Australia)
http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/product/9781760374181
Under the Spanish Stars
is available in print and e-book.
PRINT:
Dymocks
–
https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/under-the-spanish-stars-by-alli-sinclair-9781760371616/#.VqLPxzbBbUI
Boomerang
books - http://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/a/b/book_9781760371616.htm?utm_source=millsboon&utm_medium=aff&utm_campaign=deeplink
EBOOK:
Amazon
(Australia) -
http://www.amazon.com.au/Under-Spanish-Stars-Alli-Sinclair-ebook/dp/B016NRW9NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451121447&sr=8-1&keywords=9781760374181
Ebooks.com
- http://www.ebooks.com/2508954/under-the-spanish-stars/sinclair-alli/
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Instagram: alli_sinclair
Google +: Alli Sinclair
Alli has a FREE prequel to
Under the Spanish Stars available. Links are here: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/product/9781489205575
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