An exclusive AdC Interview with Wendy Soliman
Where are you originally from?
I’m a Brit through and through. I grew up on the Isle of Wight in Southern England, spending all my time riding horses and writing stories instead of studying. Not much has changed in the intervening decades, other than that I no longer live in England.
Nowadays Andorra is home. For those of you who’ve never heard of it, it’s a small principality high up in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. We divide our time between there and West Florida.
Married? Children? Pets? Day job?
I’m married for the second time round but have no children. Instead I have a dog to lavish my mothering instincts on. The latest, Jake Bentley, is named after the hero in one of my books on the basis that they’re both good looking mongrels with independent spirits and naughty streaks! We adopted Jake from a rescue place in Spain. He’s travelled all over the place with us and is now in Florida.
Favorite foods?
Anything calorific, especially chocolate. Why are the things that are good for you so boring?
We know you love to travel, tell us something about your different adventures?
We used to have boats, (still do actually). We once spent an entire summer travelling from Spain to Sicily, round the heel of Italy and on to Croatia, where we spent the summer. Jake came with us. That’s where I got the inspiration for my series of marine crime mysteries, The Hunter Files, published by Carina Press. Charlie Hunter is my retired live-aboard detective who gets pulled back into some of his old unsolved cases, usually because a beautiful woman uses her powers of persuasion on him! The second in the series, Risky Business, is published on June 25th.
Do you have a social/political cause you are passionate about?
Politics? Absolutely not! I learned years ago that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s not worth getting worked up about things you can’t alter.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. Live it to the full and don’t be afraid to go after what you want. Tell us your latest news? Current projects? I’m very excited about a Regency series that Carina Press have contracted. They feature a marquess and his three siblings and each of the initial four books will be dedicated to one of them. The first of The Forster Dynasty will be published in December. It has a working title of Soul Deep but that could change. The heroine writes for a scandal sheet in order to keep her and her sister from the workhouse. When she repeats inaccurate gossip about the marquess, Hal Forster, she finds out that she’s bitten off more than she can chew. I like to think of Leah as the forerunner to the modern-day paparazzi. I do so love the rich Regency period. I know a lot of other writers feel the same way but fortunately readers haven’t gotten tired of them.
Easiest and hardest thing about writing?
Easiest thing – writing itself. I have 23 books under my belt and have yet to suffer a case of writer’s block.
Hardest – Self-promotion. There are a lot of writers out there and taking the time and trouble to keep your name current is not only time-consuming but also doesn’t come naturally to a shy Brit like me!
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was fifteen at the time and I did it because…well, because it was, and always has been, something that comes naturally. A bit like my sister being a natural florist and my mother-in-law being a natural artist, I suppose. We all have something in us that we enjoy but I’m in the fortunate position of being able to spend my days pursuing my passion and getting paid for it. How bad can that be?
What ignites your creativity?
Anything that happens in real life. Right now we’re touring Cornwall, England and I just visited the place where my favourite author of all time, Daphne duMaurier, lived and wrote. Yes, I actually saw the creek that inspired Frenchman’s Creek and can fully understand why it fuelled her imagination! We’re off to visit Agatha Christie’s house next. This beautiful, rugged county has been a constant source of inspiration for writers and artists for centuries. I want to stay all year!
What books do you have on your favorites shelf?
Well, Frenchman’s Creek, obviously, and all of duMaurier’s books. I love the way she managed to write both contemporary and historical novels, something which I strive to do myself. I love Judith McNaught’s books too for the same reason. She tends to write about rich alpha males with wrongs to right. We live in a real world so I’m all for a little escapism. Anything that isn’t too realistic—like brooding billionaires—does it for me! I mean, you don’t come across those every day.
What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading the latest Sandra Brown romantic suspense. I think I’ve read every book she’s ever written but still can’t get enough of her. If you could say one thing to the next generation of authors, what would it be? Don’t give up the day job! It’s much easier to get your tome out there in this digital age but don’t imagine it’ll make you rich any time soon.
What would you like to say to your readers?
I need to know if I give them pleasure. If I do then I’ve done my job right.
Visit Wendy's Website WendySoliman.com
Read Wendy's Sneak Peak A Class Apart
Click for more of Wendy's books at Bookstrand
Risky Business coming June 2012
