Author Interview: Sophie Rose Williamson

 

Website - http://sophie-rose.weebly.com/here-come-the-girls.html

Amber has had her world torn apart and now she needs to go back to find out how to get past the hurt and torment of her husband and his mistress. Amber tells us her deepest thoughts and takes us on her journey with the added Irish humour of the author. Most Irish authors are unique and brilliant in thewriting style, Sophie is no exception. This story will take you on a roller
coaster ride of humour, sadness and all the twists and turns Amber takes on her journey.

1:         If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?

I have the privilege of calling many authors’ friends. I am very privileged to have worked with some top notch writers. My favourite author to work with is Mary O’ Sullivan of leading International Publishing House Poolbeg Press. Her words flow easily. We complement each other. Mary has a very relaxed approach to writing. Yet she is incredibly professional. I feel greatly privileged to be currently working with one of Ireland’s no.1 Bestselling authors.

2:         What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

Unusually I don’t have a stringent typical working day. My working day is usually dictated by my family life, my children and my friends. I have learned as the years have passed to relax my schedule. I believe if you’re not having fun, the job is not worth doing. I typically get up around half nine each day. I have my breakfast often in a friend’s house. I then head home and go through my emails. Then I make a list of P.R., marketing, interviews and paperwork which has to be done that day. Once that is out of the way I start the edits on one book. A few days later I then begin to write on the second instalment. For over three years I worked at home, in local cafes, for hours with very little money.

Having wrote three books in an office not much larger than a cupboard, I now have a larger office space in the form of an attic conversion. It is totally secluded, peaceful and allows me the peace to escape to a fantasy world where my magical characters come to life. I also wrote a large chunk of my third novel in my parents’ home.  It is some of my best writing. They allowed me the use of their large spacious family front room, giving me full use of private internet. I miss that space terribly despite the dramatic interruptions. 

3:         What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing for me is the dedication it requires. I am awful at punctuation and grammar.   So getting into the editing phase scares me. I put it off feeling quite inadequate. I often think how I became a writer at all considering the fact that I am not that great at grammar or even spellings. Thankfully most computers have spellcheck now.

4:         When did you first start writing?

I first started the creative process as a toddler. I must have been four or five. I remember putting on plays with my older sisters and friends in the local alleys. We would mount the plays on old red and blue milk trays. The ones the local milk men used to use. We would hang the lovely colourful curtains on top of the alley way gates. At the tender age of four of five I was designated as props manager, the sun and moon were usually my job. From there I progressed onto stage in our backyard shed. Then I went to dancing and performance school, called the Montfort’s. I began writing poetry in Cyprus. Finally in secondary school my real flair of writing began. It has stopped and started since. Writing for me is creative and therapeutic. It is an adored passion of mine. It is my favourite thing to do apart from spending time with my children, family and friends.

5:         How did you come up with the idea for the book, your book?

I came up with the idea of my book “Here Come the Girls” to deal with some of the painful things I have had to overcome in my own life. Depression, self-harm, separation, anxiety and addiction all played a part in the evolvement of Here Come the Girls by myself, Sophie Rose Williamson.    

6:         Are you a big reader? If so what are you reading now?

I am an avid reader. Reading books opens up a whole new world to me. I find it exciting, fascinating. It allows me to escape and relax. It is my time alone, to distress from the external factors of life. Right now I’m reading Mavis Cheek, Yesterday’s House. And I love it. It   was given to me by a very kind man in our local community centre.

7:         Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

As the head of my publishing house says, dedication, commitment and persistent are all vital ingredients. He is quite an old fashioned strict man whom we collectively and warmly refer to as daddy. These are some of the reasons for which I love my career.