Author Spotlight - Talli Roland

What is your writing process?

I usually have a spark of an idea, then I sit down and sketch out the major turning points for my main character – what do I want her to learn by the end of the novel? I connect the dots as I write the first draft, and then the hard work begins when I have to make sense of it all!

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

Oh, sigh. It would be so much easier to go shoe shopping! Well, I have a very strict writing regime – it’s the only thing that works for me. I sit down at my desk at eight in the morning, and I write at least three-thousand words a day.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Er . . . sort of! I tend to go in fits and starts. I love jogging, and I’ll have a few weeks when I go religiously. Then something will get in the way, and I’ll be right back to ground zero.

Do you believe in writer's block?

This is a contentious issue, but no, I don’t. There are times when writing is harder than others, but I treat it like a job. I sit down at the desk and pound away at the keyboard, fervently hoping something usable comes out! Giving myself permission to write rubbish has been really helpful to push me through those tough times.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

Oh, yes. In fact, there are a few incidents in Build A Man, my latest novel, that are loosely based on things I experienced during my time working at a five-star spa in central London. I’ve changed details significantly, though, so I haven’t got in trouble.

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

I had dream that published writers are confident, secure, and able to write exactly what they want. Ha! The reality is that nothing in the publishing world is secure, and confidence is hard to come by when you’re putting a product out to the public. I have learned that you can’t please everyone.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

Social media has been the key for me to reach my readers and spread the word about my novels. Twitter, Facebook, blogging . . . they’ve all been critical for my promotional campaigns.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Make it fun – and have fun doing it. The less work you make it for people to spread the word and the more innovative and interesting you make your promotional efforts, the more likely people are to remember you and your novels.

What did you learn while writing this book?

I learned that I LOVE writing in first person. My previous novels were penned in third person, so this was a new thing for me.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

I had a lot of fun writing Build A Man, mainly because my main character, Serenity, gets to say to the wealthy clinic clients many of the things I’d have liked to when I was working in a similar environment!

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

He’s a fairly down to earth bloke who enjoys nature, so I’m going to say Wales. Great question!

Slave to the rich and the rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. When she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- Serenity knows she's got a story no editor could resist. With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and she's ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, Serenity must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.


Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon UK