It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Alexandra Sage (aka A. A. Chaudhuri) onto the website today. Alexandra exchanged the real world of litigation as a lawyer for the imagined world of crime by becoming a full-time Amazon bestselling author. She is a big fan of John Grisham and now seems to be following in his footsteps.
Alex: Tell me a bit about yourself, Alexandra.
Alexandra: I am an only child - my mother is English, my father is Indian - born and raised in Portsmouth, Hampshire, a naval/seaside city on the south coast, before moving to London aged 21. English Literature was always my favourite subject at primary school. I remember my mother reading to me for hours when I was a toddler, and it wasn’t long before I became an avid reader myself. I’m not sure whether it’s the result of being an only child and therefore not having a constant playmate, but I would spend hours with my nose buried in a book, and this didn’t change as I grew into my teens. Even at the age of five or six I can recall writing short stories of my own, making them into mini booklets, which I would staple together and proudly present to my parents. However, back then, and well into my teens it was my ambition to be a top tennis player. Tennis was my life for nearly fifteen years and everything, including schoolwork, play dates and all extra-curricular activities, took a back seat. I was a member of the British Junior National Squad, highly ranked in my age group, and spent most evenings after school training, and most weekends at tennis camps. The school holidays were filled with tournament after tournament, and after finishing my GCSEs I left school to play professionally on the WTA satellite and challenger circuit, achieving a world ranking of 650. Still, I would always take a book with me; books offered an escape from the rigorous mental and physical demands of playing top level tennis, and it was during this time that I became a big John Grisham/thriller fan. At 19, having become disillusioned with tennis for various reasons, I went back to college to study for my A-Levels, and I think, being a bit older and having had a break from studying, I was more focussed and determined than ever to do well, and came out with three As in English Literature, History and Theology, along with an A in GCSE Italian, most of which is a now a blank sadly! I then went on to read History at UCL (looking back I regret not reading English Literature, but I had a fantastic History teacher who persuaded me (!)) then spent two years studying at The London College of Law before landing a training contract with a top ten City firm. I ended up practising litigation at two other City firms before deciding to pursue my passion for writing in 2009 after falling pregnant with my second son. Although I enjoyed some aspects of being a lawyer, in the end it was too dry for me and was never something I really enjoyed and felt passionate about, unlike my writing. In addition, although I made some great friends, I was never wholly comfortable working in the City which can be quite cutthroat in nature. I initially wrote and self-published two women’s fiction novels back in 2013/14 under the name Alexandra Sage, having tried in vain to get an agent, before turning my hand to crime writing. The crime/thriller genre has always been my favourite genre; I love everything about it – the suspense, red herrings, twists and turns, the challenge of working out the identity of the culprit, along with its fast-moving nature - and so it was only natural that I’d want to pen my own thriller. It’s therefore been quite a journey to reach this stage – including five arduous years to get my agent, Annette Crossland of A for Authors, and another equally gruelling three to get my first publishing deal, both moments inducing a feeling akin to winning the lottery (!) - but I’m grateful for the many opportunities and life experiences that have inspired my writing and hopefully made me a better writer for it.
Alex: Tell me a bit about yourself, Alexandra.
Alexandra: I am an only child - my mother is English, my father is Indian - born and raised in Portsmouth, Hampshire, a naval/seaside city on the south coast, before moving to London aged 21. English Literature was always my favourite subject at primary school. I remember my mother reading to me for hours when I was a toddler, and it wasn’t long before I became an avid reader myself. I’m not sure whether it’s the result of being an only child and therefore not having a constant playmate, but I would spend hours with my nose buried in a book, and this didn’t change as I grew into my teens. Even at the age of five or six I can recall writing short stories of my own, making them into mini booklets, which I would staple together and proudly present to my parents. However, back then, and well into my teens it was my ambition to be a top tennis player. Tennis was my life for nearly fifteen years and everything, including schoolwork, play dates and all extra-curricular activities, took a back seat. I was a member of the British Junior National Squad, highly ranked in my age group, and spent most evenings after school training, and most weekends at tennis camps. The school holidays were filled with tournament after tournament, and after finishing my GCSEs I left school to play professionally on the WTA satellite and challenger circuit, achieving a world ranking of 650. Still, I would always take a book with me; books offered an escape from the rigorous mental and physical demands of playing top level tennis, and it was during this time that I became a big John Grisham/thriller fan. At 19, having become disillusioned with tennis for various reasons, I went back to college to study for my A-Levels, and I think, being a bit older and having had a break from studying, I was more focussed and determined than ever to do well, and came out with three As in English Literature, History and Theology, along with an A in GCSE Italian, most of which is a now a blank sadly! I then went on to read History at UCL (looking back I regret not reading English Literature, but I had a fantastic History teacher who persuaded me (!)) then spent two years studying at The London College of Law before landing a training contract with a top ten City firm. I ended up practising litigation at two other City firms before deciding to pursue my passion for writing in 2009 after falling pregnant with my second son. Although I enjoyed some aspects of being a lawyer, in the end it was too dry for me and was never something I really enjoyed and felt passionate about, unlike my writing. In addition, although I made some great friends, I was never wholly comfortable working in the City which can be quite cutthroat in nature. I initially wrote and self-published two women’s fiction novels back in 2013/14 under the name Alexandra Sage, having tried in vain to get an agent, before turning my hand to crime writing. The crime/thriller genre has always been my favourite genre; I love everything about it – the suspense, red herrings, twists and turns, the challenge of working out the identity of the culprit, along with its fast-moving nature - and so it was only natural that I’d want to pen my own thriller. It’s therefore been quite a journey to reach this stage – including five arduous years to get my agent, Annette Crossland of A for Authors, and another equally gruelling three to get my first publishing deal, both moments inducing a feeling akin to winning the lottery (!) - but I’m grateful for the many opportunities and life experiences that have inspired my writing and hopefully made me a better writer for it.
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Alexandra: I would describe my writing as quite dark and edgy, both in terms of the themes I explore and the way I write and express myself. I also have quite a fast-moving, punchy style, perhaps influenced by American thriller writers like Grisham and Connelly whose styles I admire. I enjoy weaving societal issues into my writing, along with exploring the darker side of human nature and what motivates people; for example, the way childhood and upbringing can impact on a person’s character and their behaviour as an adult; the way gender and class can be great dividers, the way past trauma can have serious repercussions for those in the present. I think in many ways this enables readers to connect better with an author’s characters, and helps them to understand the rationales and inner conflicts driving them, so much so they may sometimes feel sympathy towards the ‘bad guys’, and can even feel torn between wanting them to get away with their crimes, and wanting them to get caught. I think this psychological analysis can often prove to be far more chilling than, say, the graphic depiction of a murder, simply because none of us, as fallible human beings, are immune to the stresses, strains and often painful life events that can compel the seemingly normal unsuspecting of people to commit the most heinous of crimes. My first two books in the Kramer & Carver series – The Scribe and The Abduction – both featuring London lawyer amateur sleuth, Maddy Kramer, who teams up with DCI Jake Carver to solve investigations set in the legal world – explore such issues, including the impact of childhood and parent/child relationships on a person’s behaviour as an adult, including their ability to interact with others and form relationships, and how past trauma can sometimes have a domino effect on the lives of others, and not just the person directly affected. They also touch on issues like sexism, misogyny and abuse of power, all of which remain prevalent in the City. My current novel, She’s Mine, a psychological thriller published by Hera Books this August, also focusses on the mother-child bond, while exploring the more dangerous and destructive emotions human beings are susceptible too, for example temptation, jealousy and the desire for revenge.
Alexandra: I would describe my writing as quite dark and edgy, both in terms of the themes I explore and the way I write and express myself. I also have quite a fast-moving, punchy style, perhaps influenced by American thriller writers like Grisham and Connelly whose styles I admire. I enjoy weaving societal issues into my writing, along with exploring the darker side of human nature and what motivates people; for example, the way childhood and upbringing can impact on a person’s character and their behaviour as an adult; the way gender and class can be great dividers, the way past trauma can have serious repercussions for those in the present. I think in many ways this enables readers to connect better with an author’s characters, and helps them to understand the rationales and inner conflicts driving them, so much so they may sometimes feel sympathy towards the ‘bad guys’, and can even feel torn between wanting them to get away with their crimes, and wanting them to get caught. I think this psychological analysis can often prove to be far more chilling than, say, the graphic depiction of a murder, simply because none of us, as fallible human beings, are immune to the stresses, strains and often painful life events that can compel the seemingly normal unsuspecting of people to commit the most heinous of crimes. My first two books in the Kramer & Carver series – The Scribe and The Abduction – both featuring London lawyer amateur sleuth, Maddy Kramer, who teams up with DCI Jake Carver to solve investigations set in the legal world – explore such issues, including the impact of childhood and parent/child relationships on a person’s behaviour as an adult, including their ability to interact with others and form relationships, and how past trauma can sometimes have a domino effect on the lives of others, and not just the person directly affected. They also touch on issues like sexism, misogyny and abuse of power, all of which remain prevalent in the City. My current novel, She’s Mine, a psychological thriller published by Hera Books this August, also focusses on the mother-child bond, while exploring the more dangerous and destructive emotions human beings are susceptible too, for example temptation, jealousy and the desire for revenge.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Alexandra: No, I definitely don’t plan a detailed synopsis! I’ll have a vague idea of the plot, along with how it might progress, when I first start writing, the bare bones of which I’ll outline on a word document before I get going, but having done that, I’ll then start writing and see where it takes me. New characters and ideas will occur to me as I write, along with red herrings, twists and turns that can often take me in a completely different direction from that which I’d originally envisaged, including the motivations and backstories of characters and even the identity of the culprit. It’s one of the most fun, exciting, not to mention satisfying things about being a thriller writer: that new character, twist or red herring you hadn’t considered when you first started writing the novel, but which suddenly pops into your head and takes the story up a notch, sometimes adding a totally new dimension to it. Also, the characters/new ideas that might occur to me as I write will often necessitate me undertaking further research, and that research in itself can lead to the plot taking yet another diversion from the one I’d originally sketched out in my head. It’s fun having the freedom to take the plot wherever I want it to go as I write, rather than having to stick to a rigid plan.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Alexandra: My latest novel, She’s Mine, is a dark, sinister and twisty psychological thriller being published this summer by Hera Books on 18th August in e-book and on 26th August in paperback. The story centres on Christine Donovan who, twenty years ago took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped, never to be seen again.
Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her.
Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn't dead.
Although Christine might finally get the answers she craves, what she doesn't know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home, and so the question remains how far is she willing to go to find her lost daughter?
Unlike my previous books, She’s Mine is written in the first person, and from different perspectives. I really enjoyed getting into the skins and mindsets of each character, bearing in mind their gender and age differences and unique idiosyncrasies. It was also quite a challenging book to write on account of the subject matter, and being a mother of two young children myself. I started writing it in April 2017, and so being able to finally share it with the wider world after several years of hard work and perseverance is a great feeling.
Alexandra: No, I definitely don’t plan a detailed synopsis! I’ll have a vague idea of the plot, along with how it might progress, when I first start writing, the bare bones of which I’ll outline on a word document before I get going, but having done that, I’ll then start writing and see where it takes me. New characters and ideas will occur to me as I write, along with red herrings, twists and turns that can often take me in a completely different direction from that which I’d originally envisaged, including the motivations and backstories of characters and even the identity of the culprit. It’s one of the most fun, exciting, not to mention satisfying things about being a thriller writer: that new character, twist or red herring you hadn’t considered when you first started writing the novel, but which suddenly pops into your head and takes the story up a notch, sometimes adding a totally new dimension to it. Also, the characters/new ideas that might occur to me as I write will often necessitate me undertaking further research, and that research in itself can lead to the plot taking yet another diversion from the one I’d originally sketched out in my head. It’s fun having the freedom to take the plot wherever I want it to go as I write, rather than having to stick to a rigid plan.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Alexandra: My latest novel, She’s Mine, is a dark, sinister and twisty psychological thriller being published this summer by Hera Books on 18th August in e-book and on 26th August in paperback. The story centres on Christine Donovan who, twenty years ago took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped, never to be seen again.
Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her.
Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn't dead.
Although Christine might finally get the answers she craves, what she doesn't know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home, and so the question remains how far is she willing to go to find her lost daughter?
Unlike my previous books, She’s Mine is written in the first person, and from different perspectives. I really enjoyed getting into the skins and mindsets of each character, bearing in mind their gender and age differences and unique idiosyncrasies. It was also quite a challenging book to write on account of the subject matter, and being a mother of two young children myself. I started writing it in April 2017, and so being able to finally share it with the wider world after several years of hard work and perseverance is a great feeling.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Alexandra: The first book I distinctly recall reading as a child is The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I absolutely loved this book (along with the sequels) and would spend hours poring over the exquisitely illustrated hardback version. I can still remember the wonderful characters and magical lands conjured up and described so vividly by Blyton; the feeling that these characters were my friends and that I was there, living each moment with them, all my senses heightened and alive to every sight, sound and smell. It really is the most magical book. Of course, I have fond memories of other childhood favourites too, particularly in my early primary school years: Charlotte’s Web, Rebecca’s World and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory were all firm favourites and books I would read over and over again.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Alexandra: The amount of research I do usually depends upon the subject matter of the novel itself. With She’s Mine, and another psychological thriller I have written, I dived straight in, largely because their primary focus is the human mind: the feelings, circumstances and backstories that motivate their characters, along with things I have personal experience of; for example, working in the City as a lawyer, being a mother, being in love! There were inevitably bits of research required along the way, but generally, with my psychological thrillers, I’ve found it easier to dive straight in than was the case with my legal thriller/police procedurals, along with my as yet unpublished spy/political thriller, The Conspiracy. These books required extensive research before I started writing and further research as the stories progressed. With The Scribe and The Abduction, published by Lume Books and Isis Audio, I had to do a fair amount of research on police and forensic procedure before I started writing both novels, while further points of research came up once I started writing. For my spy thriller I did vast amounts of research on government agencies like MI5, the FBI and the CIA before I started writing the book. I have a whole lever arch file of notes for that novel! As for The Scribe and The Abduction, the research didn’t stop once I started writing. Things cropped up along the way that needed to be verified, although I’ll admit that we writers embellish a little here and there to make the story more interesting!
A huge amount of research can be done online now, and I used the internet extensively for She’s Mine, The Scribe and The Abduction and The Conspiracy. But sometimes on-site visits are warranted to get a real feel for a place. No amount of research on the internet can tell you what a place smells like - what you might hear, see, sense - as well as the general prevailing atmosphere. For example, for The Scribe, I visited the various murder locations, even though I had lived in London for thirteen years before and was therefore familiar with most of them. I wanted to go there and imagine what it might be like both at night and in the day-time, observing every little detail, imagining what I, as the victim, might see, the sounds I might hear as the killer approaches, noting down the exact location of minor details which add tension to the scene.
Employing expert advice is another invaluable research tool. For The Abduction I employed two experts to advise me on police and forensic procedure/pathology. One of these was Roger A. Price, who’s not only a brilliant crime writer, but an ex-DI and therefore knows his stuff! All this helps make your book more convincing, although it’s important to strike a balance as the last thing you want is to make the book boring and dry for the reader, as if they’re reading a manual on procedure, rather than a page-turning thriller.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Alexandra: I think it’s inevitable that writers, to a greater or lesser extent, will base their characters on people they have met in real life, even if they do so subconsciously. I wouldn’t say any of my characters are out-and-out based on people I’ve encountered, but some of them, particularly the more disagreeable characters (!) in my Kramer & Carver series, were to some degree inspired by them, whether that be in relation to their physical appearance or their character. It’s also probably true to say that my lead protagonist in The Scribe and The Abduction, Maddy Kramer, is partly inspired by some of the strong, intelligent and resilient female lawyer friends I made during my time as a lawyer, but not by any one individual in particular.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Alexandra: No Honour by Awais Khan, out with Orenda Books this summer, is a stunning, truly remarkable book that offers a powerful, deeply moving insight into the abhorrent practice of Honour Killing and, in this particular instance, centres on one father’s determination to save his beloved daughter from this same horrific fate.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Alexandra: I spend a great deal of time marketing my books on social media, specifically Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but also LinkedIn. The book blogging community is an incredibly hard-working and supportive one, who selflessly help authors like myself to promote their work by way of reviews and blog tours. I also have my own website which I try to update as regularly as I can, with news, articles and links to my books. This past year has been incredibly hard on authors and the book industry in general, with authors, publishers and literary agents not being able to meet in person, attend and participate in live events and books signings due to the pandemic. So many authors have sadly had their live book launches cancelled because of COVID, a devastating blow for them having invested so much time and effort in their novels. As a result, social media has become the primary means of marketing books for authors and publishers. COVID has certainly forced me to be more creative in the way I promote my books and become more technology proficient! But it’s not just about tweeting the links to where people can buy your books, which can get boring and repetitive. I also enjoy writing articles and blog posts for my own website and other sites and industry bodies like The CWA; for example on a particular aspect of a book or the writing process, or what might have inspired the story.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Alexandra: Well, obviously reading! I love all types of thrillers and police procedurals, but particularly psychological thrillers. Other than that, I tend to unwind and keep my stress levels down with physical exercise. I run twice a week, and do a variety of Les Mills workouts, my favourites being Body Combat and Body Pump. I try to do some form of physical exercise every day, something that’s been particularly important for my mental health this past year and a bit. I’m also a big movie buff and adore all types of police/crime/psychological thriller drama series, as well as fantasy and historical sagas like Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom. Pre-COVID, I loved to explore new countries and cultures, having travelled all over the world as a tennis player, and I really miss being able to do that. Having said that, there’s also nothing more relaxing than snuggling up with the kids on a Saturday night and watching a good movie with a generous slice of cheesecake and chilled glass of Prosecco!
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Alexandra: John Grisham, particularly his earlier novels – A Time To Kill and The Firm. He wrote the former (sending out submission after submission) while working long hours as a trial lawyer, but never gave up, despite it being repeatedly rejected. Since then, he’s gone on to write countless bestsellers, never losing sight of his rigorous work ethic or passion for writing despite money being no object for him. That takes real commitment and passion for his craft, and is something I hugely admire. I was an avid fan of his books as a teenager, and I’d like to think my writing has been influenced by his fast-paced punchy style. To be honest, I admire every single author who’s persevered and never given up in the face of adversity and numerous rejections. The writing industry is a notoriously hard one to break into. It’s ruthlessly competitive and immensely subjective but if you have talent and are a hard worker the trick is to hang in there and never give up, which can, admittedly, be very tempting when the fiftieth rejection pops into your inbox; the same inbox every writer known to man will refresh repeatedly, hoping that elusive ‘yes’ has finally appeared!
Alex: Great answer, Alexandra. I'm sure it's a source of some comfort to all struggling newbie writers out there that some of the all-time greats have been rejected by publishers. Among them, one F. Scott Fitzgerald was allegedly told by a publisher when presenting his manuscript for The Great Gatsby that he'd have a decent book if just "got rid of that Gatsby character." Anyway, thank you so much for sharing your writing journey with us, Alexandra and giving such fulsome and thoughtful answers to my questions. It's been fascinating.
Alexandra: It's been a pleasure, Alex.
Alexandra: The first book I distinctly recall reading as a child is The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I absolutely loved this book (along with the sequels) and would spend hours poring over the exquisitely illustrated hardback version. I can still remember the wonderful characters and magical lands conjured up and described so vividly by Blyton; the feeling that these characters were my friends and that I was there, living each moment with them, all my senses heightened and alive to every sight, sound and smell. It really is the most magical book. Of course, I have fond memories of other childhood favourites too, particularly in my early primary school years: Charlotte’s Web, Rebecca’s World and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory were all firm favourites and books I would read over and over again.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Alexandra: The amount of research I do usually depends upon the subject matter of the novel itself. With She’s Mine, and another psychological thriller I have written, I dived straight in, largely because their primary focus is the human mind: the feelings, circumstances and backstories that motivate their characters, along with things I have personal experience of; for example, working in the City as a lawyer, being a mother, being in love! There were inevitably bits of research required along the way, but generally, with my psychological thrillers, I’ve found it easier to dive straight in than was the case with my legal thriller/police procedurals, along with my as yet unpublished spy/political thriller, The Conspiracy. These books required extensive research before I started writing and further research as the stories progressed. With The Scribe and The Abduction, published by Lume Books and Isis Audio, I had to do a fair amount of research on police and forensic procedure before I started writing both novels, while further points of research came up once I started writing. For my spy thriller I did vast amounts of research on government agencies like MI5, the FBI and the CIA before I started writing the book. I have a whole lever arch file of notes for that novel! As for The Scribe and The Abduction, the research didn’t stop once I started writing. Things cropped up along the way that needed to be verified, although I’ll admit that we writers embellish a little here and there to make the story more interesting!
A huge amount of research can be done online now, and I used the internet extensively for She’s Mine, The Scribe and The Abduction and The Conspiracy. But sometimes on-site visits are warranted to get a real feel for a place. No amount of research on the internet can tell you what a place smells like - what you might hear, see, sense - as well as the general prevailing atmosphere. For example, for The Scribe, I visited the various murder locations, even though I had lived in London for thirteen years before and was therefore familiar with most of them. I wanted to go there and imagine what it might be like both at night and in the day-time, observing every little detail, imagining what I, as the victim, might see, the sounds I might hear as the killer approaches, noting down the exact location of minor details which add tension to the scene.
Employing expert advice is another invaluable research tool. For The Abduction I employed two experts to advise me on police and forensic procedure/pathology. One of these was Roger A. Price, who’s not only a brilliant crime writer, but an ex-DI and therefore knows his stuff! All this helps make your book more convincing, although it’s important to strike a balance as the last thing you want is to make the book boring and dry for the reader, as if they’re reading a manual on procedure, rather than a page-turning thriller.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Alexandra: I think it’s inevitable that writers, to a greater or lesser extent, will base their characters on people they have met in real life, even if they do so subconsciously. I wouldn’t say any of my characters are out-and-out based on people I’ve encountered, but some of them, particularly the more disagreeable characters (!) in my Kramer & Carver series, were to some degree inspired by them, whether that be in relation to their physical appearance or their character. It’s also probably true to say that my lead protagonist in The Scribe and The Abduction, Maddy Kramer, is partly inspired by some of the strong, intelligent and resilient female lawyer friends I made during my time as a lawyer, but not by any one individual in particular.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Alexandra: No Honour by Awais Khan, out with Orenda Books this summer, is a stunning, truly remarkable book that offers a powerful, deeply moving insight into the abhorrent practice of Honour Killing and, in this particular instance, centres on one father’s determination to save his beloved daughter from this same horrific fate.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Alexandra: I spend a great deal of time marketing my books on social media, specifically Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but also LinkedIn. The book blogging community is an incredibly hard-working and supportive one, who selflessly help authors like myself to promote their work by way of reviews and blog tours. I also have my own website which I try to update as regularly as I can, with news, articles and links to my books. This past year has been incredibly hard on authors and the book industry in general, with authors, publishers and literary agents not being able to meet in person, attend and participate in live events and books signings due to the pandemic. So many authors have sadly had their live book launches cancelled because of COVID, a devastating blow for them having invested so much time and effort in their novels. As a result, social media has become the primary means of marketing books for authors and publishers. COVID has certainly forced me to be more creative in the way I promote my books and become more technology proficient! But it’s not just about tweeting the links to where people can buy your books, which can get boring and repetitive. I also enjoy writing articles and blog posts for my own website and other sites and industry bodies like The CWA; for example on a particular aspect of a book or the writing process, or what might have inspired the story.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Alexandra: Well, obviously reading! I love all types of thrillers and police procedurals, but particularly psychological thrillers. Other than that, I tend to unwind and keep my stress levels down with physical exercise. I run twice a week, and do a variety of Les Mills workouts, my favourites being Body Combat and Body Pump. I try to do some form of physical exercise every day, something that’s been particularly important for my mental health this past year and a bit. I’m also a big movie buff and adore all types of police/crime/psychological thriller drama series, as well as fantasy and historical sagas like Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom. Pre-COVID, I loved to explore new countries and cultures, having travelled all over the world as a tennis player, and I really miss being able to do that. Having said that, there’s also nothing more relaxing than snuggling up with the kids on a Saturday night and watching a good movie with a generous slice of cheesecake and chilled glass of Prosecco!
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Alexandra: John Grisham, particularly his earlier novels – A Time To Kill and The Firm. He wrote the former (sending out submission after submission) while working long hours as a trial lawyer, but never gave up, despite it being repeatedly rejected. Since then, he’s gone on to write countless bestsellers, never losing sight of his rigorous work ethic or passion for writing despite money being no object for him. That takes real commitment and passion for his craft, and is something I hugely admire. I was an avid fan of his books as a teenager, and I’d like to think my writing has been influenced by his fast-paced punchy style. To be honest, I admire every single author who’s persevered and never given up in the face of adversity and numerous rejections. The writing industry is a notoriously hard one to break into. It’s ruthlessly competitive and immensely subjective but if you have talent and are a hard worker the trick is to hang in there and never give up, which can, admittedly, be very tempting when the fiftieth rejection pops into your inbox; the same inbox every writer known to man will refresh repeatedly, hoping that elusive ‘yes’ has finally appeared!
Alex: Great answer, Alexandra. I'm sure it's a source of some comfort to all struggling newbie writers out there that some of the all-time greats have been rejected by publishers. Among them, one F. Scott Fitzgerald was allegedly told by a publisher when presenting his manuscript for The Great Gatsby that he'd have a decent book if just "got rid of that Gatsby character." Anyway, thank you so much for sharing your writing journey with us, Alexandra and giving such fulsome and thoughtful answers to my questions. It's been fascinating.
Alexandra: It's been a pleasure, Alex.
