Stephanie Zia Author of the book "Ten Good Reasons to Lie About Your Age":
Where do you call home? Kensington, London. We live next door to a very famous author. I've never met her. That's London for you.
Do you have plans for a new book? Several - a half-written children's fantasy book that needs complete restructuring and another women's fiction comedy about a group of women living in Kensington. It's beautiful, but strange.
What inspired you to write your first book? I was writing lots of short stories on a writing course I attended every week for 3 years. Bridget Jones Diary inspired me to write my first novel, Baby on Board (Piatkus), which was "Bridget Jones has a baby". Like many, many others I thought I WAS Bridget.
How did you come up with the title and cover design? A brainstorming session at my writing group.
Have you based any of your characters on someone you know, or real events in your own life?
Not much with this one, the gay couple on the island are based on a couple I met on the Greek island of Mykonos years ago. 'Barry' was a sarong dealer who lived half the year in Bali. Bizarrely I went to Bali years later and bumped into him at an All White party up in the hills. Then I bumped into him on a beach a few days later.
What books have most influenced your writing most and why? Too many, I read, used to read so much. Of the more contemporary authors, Marian Keyes for her simplicity, depth and humour. Intelligent and fun is what I'm aiming at.
What book are you reading now? I'm reading Jennifer Egan's A Visit From The Goon Squad and totally loving it.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? Jennifer Egan. The perspectives are incredible.
Is there anything you would change in your last book and why? Well, as it's digital, I have. An author friend pointed out a couple of places that stopped her believing in the story, tiny things but they make all the difference. So I changed those. Just recently I changed the slang word 'butters' for 'peng'. Butters is bad, I thought it was good. Peng is good.
What is your biggest challenge when it comes to your writing? Finding the time.
Who designed the covers? Fena Lee, a teenager who lives in Singapore!
Do you have a book trailer? No.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Jenny Colgan's: read lots, write lots, repeat. Get lucky. Stay lucky.
Where can your readers follow you? my blog is Confessions of An Author - www.fessingauthor.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me and allowing us a glimpse into your writing word. Patti
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