Today I am thrilled to welcome the lovely Alexandra Potter to my blog today for an author interview! I recently read Alexandra's new book The Love Detective, which happened to be the first of her books I have read. It was a fantastic read, an exciting adventure over to India with our heroine Ruby, and it's the first in a new series so there is more to come! My biggest thanks go to Alexandra for taking the time to answer my questions :)
You can buy Alexandra's latest book The Love Detective as a paperback or an eBook now!
Q1. Please tell me about your new book The Love Detective.
It's the first in a brand new series, which I'm very excited about as I've never written a series before. It's a romantic comedy with my touch of magic that I love so much, but it's also got an added element and that's travel. Travelling is a huge passion of mine and I wanted to share that passion with my readers. This first book is set in India and mostly Rajasthan, 'The Land of the Kings', where I spent a magical four weeks.
The heroine of this book is Ruby who's heart has been broken by her (now) ex-fiancé. So when her sister invites her out to Goa for a week's holiday, she jumps on a plane expecting a week of sea, sun and sand... and is swept up into an extraordinary adventure across India that involves a runaway sister, stolen bags and a handsome American stranger. Amidst fortresses and fortune tellers and a whirlwind of weddings, her search for her sister uncovers fascinating stories of lost and found. But as the mysteries deepen, secrets are revealed that turn Ruby's life upside down. And what started as a journey to find her sister, becomes a journey to find herself - and love - again...
Q2. You have said that this is a new book series - how many books are there going to be, and do you already know how the series is going to pan out?
I am planning to write at least three books in this series, though there could be a lot more as I have so many ideas and wonderful places that I can take my heroine, Ruby Miller. And yes I do have an idea of what is going to happen, especially with her relationship with Jack, and there are going to be a few surprises….
Q3. The book is set in India - did you travel there yourself to get experience for the book so you could write it with authenticity?
Yes, I spent four weeks researching this book and I have been before. I adore India, it is truly a special place and I couldn't have written about it without experiencing it first-hand. A lot of people that have read The Love Detective have said that the descriptions I use have transported them to India and that they are dying to pack their bags and go there!
Q4. There seems to be a lot of fate going on in The Love Detective - is this something you believe in a lot yourself?
Part of me very much believes in fate and destiny and yet the other, practical, sensible side of me says it's impossible. I think most people feel like that. They WANT to believe in fate, they want to believe in serendipity but they think surely it can't exist. That's why I love writing my books as I allow the idea of the impossible to be possible…,
Q5. Are you a fan of the chick lit genre? If so, who are some of your favourite authors?
I'm not a fan of the term 'chick-lit' as it lumps every female novelist together and there are so many different types of books that falls underneath this umbrella. I'm a fan of books that are about women today with issues that are relevant to them. I'm a fan of romance and comedy. And I'm a fan of a happy ending. So that if makes me a fan of chick lit, then yes I am!
Q6. Do you enjoy using social media to interact with your fans? What are the best and worst bits of it?
I've been on facebook for a while but I've only recently started to use Twitter. I confess at first I was a little reluctant, I'm not sure why, I think I thought it might be quite invasive. But actually I really enjoy being part of the Twitter community as it has allowed me access to lots of my lovely readers which is fab! Though it is terriblly distracting and EXTREMELY addictive and you can easily spend hours on there if you let it, so I have to be firm with it! 15 minutes with my morning coffee tweeting to my twitter friends and retweeting interesting stories and then I log off.
Q7. What is your usual writing day like?
I'm a bit all over the place at the moment, but I do try to get into a routine and that involves working a regular 5 day week (or 7 day if I'm on deadline!). The best part of my job is being able to travel and not set an alarm clock, which is lucky for me as I am terrible in the mornings. When I wake up I make a strong espresso and check my emails and my twitter and Facebook page. Then I tend to do some paperwork (there is always so much paperwork) and once that's done I tend to head out to a local coffee shop or library. I can work from home but I find it very distracting, so I like to go out and writer. I try to put in a good 6 or 7 hours a day but that can vary.
Q8. What do you enjoy doing when you aren't writing?
TRAVELLING!!
Q9. Can you tell me anything about the next book in the series?!
The second book is going to be set in Paris, the capital city of Love, and I have a wonderful magical love mystery attached that Ruby will want to try and solve...
Photo credit: RHIAN AP GRUFFYDD
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