MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ROBERTA FRANKLIN!

MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ROBERTA FRANKLIN!

What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

I’m Roberta Franklin, and I write adventure-romance.

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

My latest book, “Treasures of the Deep Blue Sea”, is a sequel of “The Professor and the Bird”, but it can also be read as a standalone. The protagonists, Nikos and Sally, are on their first holiday together in Crete, where they get mixed up in a local vendetta. I’ve been to Crete, and I live in Greece, so I’m quite well informed about things like family feuds that still happen there!

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

I’ve always loved romantic movies, novels and poems; love is just such a beautiful thing to write about! And a bit of action and adventure makes it even more thrilling.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

As I said, I’ve been to Crete; I also did a lot of online research about the area my story is set, Matala.

Can you tell me about your Series?

So far, there are two adventures of Nikos and Sally: in the first, Sally ends up in Nikos’ archaeological camp in the middle of the Anatolian desert when her motorbike breaks down during a rally. They start feeling attracted to each other while Nikos teaches her about history; then they make a very rare find on the dig, and soon a bunch of dangerous artefact thieves turns up, wanting to steal it…

The second adventure of Nikos and Sally, as I said, is set on Crete; and the next instalment which is in the making right now will be set in Ireland, Sally’s native country.

Do you have a favorite book out of this series?

I think so far “Treasures of the Deep Blue Sea” is the best – but then I haven’t finished the third adventure yet!

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for your series?

It all started three years ago, when I fell in love with the man I’ll marry soon. Love is the best inspiration for writing – and I gave my protagonists a feature from real life: an age difference of more than twenty years…

What kind of research did you do for this book?

Travelling and online research.

Was it always meant to become a series?

Not until I’d almost finished the first story – that was when my protagonists practically told me they wanted to have more adventures together!

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

I don’t write the same amount every day; there are days, sometimes weeks, when I don’t write at all. But when I’m on a roll, I write 1,500 or 2,000 words daily – in my bedroom, usually late in the evenings.

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

As I said, I’ve already started on Nikos’s and Sally’s third adventure; the working title is “Who Believes in Spirits, Anyway?”. And at the same time I’m also writing a romantic story with different protagonists, set in Australia, with the working title “The Search for susieperth”.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

I think I just listen to my intuition when I choose the names; sometimes I take them from people I’ve known in real life, sometimes I just choose a name that suits the character.

Where do your ideas come from?

Both from real life and from my imagination.

Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

I’d like to write a paranormal romance one day – maybe with vampires.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

When sometimes there’s no inspiration for days and weeks; I just leave it, then, and continue when I really feel like it. You can’t force writing.

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I think book trailers are a great way of telling people about your book; I’d like to create one for mine, too.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Being published in the first place – and then being published again!

What’s the best thing about being an author?

It’s great to invent stories, to create something, to give people something to read that’ll make them feel good.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully publishing another “Nikos & Sally” book!

Have you always liked to write?

Yes, I used to write little plays me and my friends would perform in class when I was still at primary school; I also started writing short stories while I was at school.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

First of all, always keep going, never give up; if you’ve decided you want to be an author, nobody can stop you! And be yourself, create your own style.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

I’ve always loved history, and I think being an archaeologist must be a fascinating occupation.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

Oh yes, of course I read my reviews; I’m very grateful for each one of them, no matter whether good or bad. Reviews always help an author to improve his or her work.

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

When I’ve got no inspiration, even though I know I should be writing.

What are you working on now?

Two romantic stories, “Who Believes in Spirits, Anyway?” and “The Search for susieperth”.

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

Here’s a bit from Chapter 1 of “The Search for susieperth” – Raymond, a British gentleman of a certain age, tells us about his initial fears when he got to know young Susie in Australia over the Internet…

But in the next paragraph, she stated a wish that alarmed me very much.

Now Ray, you know it’s unfair. You knew what I looked like from the very first moment you contacted me; I still haven’t seen a picture of you yet! Will you be a dear and send me one, then?

Love, Susie

Oh dear. I was sure that was going to be the end of our pen pal-ship. I was sure she imagined me as a dashing young fellow her age or at most ten years older than her, with a perfect body and maybe even wearing bagged trousers. While in reality… I started searching frantically in my Pictures folder; I couldn’t cheat, I had to find a recent picture. Susie’s eye for the age of a film or even a photo is much too keen for not realising at first glance if I’d send her a photo from my old days at the library back in the 80s and 90s.

I finally settled on a picture from the previous summer, from a trip to Brighton with friends. My heart beat wildly when I attached it to my e-mail and pressed ‘send’. The last lines I’d written were:

Will I ever hear from you again?

Best, Raymond.

Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

I love writing about love and romance, it’s just so uplifting both for the writer and for the reader. I also add a good dose of adventure to make the stories more entertaining.

Where did your love of books come from?

I had a lot of books when I was a kid, and my parents always encouraged me to read. I started out with all the classic children’s books, and by the time I started secondary school I was reading books of all genres.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

I’m a great fan of murder mysteries; Agatha Christie is my absolute favourite. I also love classic romance, from Jane Austen to D.H. Lawrence, and I’m a fan of fantasy and horror, too; Bram Stoker is my favourite there.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

I guess Sally is a bit like me – and a bit like what I’d like to be, too!

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

When I’m on a roll, writing really energizes me; many times I keep writing till late at night.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Both, I guess; readers of romance want to read about love and adventure, and they want their happy ending. I can give them all that in my own way. Where I don’t stick to conventions is the age of my romantic protagonists: I always like the man to be considerably older than the girl.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I’m friends with lots of other authors on social media – J.B. Richards, Aliyah DalRae, Pat McDermott, Tina-Marie Miller, to name just a few of the best. I’ve learned a great lot from every one of them through our conversations!

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Soul of a Gypsy.

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Who gives you strength in everyday life, and inspiration for writing?

My soon-to-be husband; from the moment I met him, he’s been my rock and my constant inspiration.