In celebration of the upcoming release of my debut novel, Fast Forward (see announcement here), I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Coleen Kwan!

PAST:

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a kid I was always daydreaming but I never really thought about what I wanted to be. At one stage I thought having a book store would be cool because I could spend all day reading!

2. What did you do before you became a writer?

I worked for many years in information technology. I designed computer systems for mortgages, superannuation, and stock broking. It paid the bills, was well-paid, and it was challenging but not as creatively satisfying as writing.

3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?

When I was very young, maybe only three, my father built his own campervan from bits and bobs. Then we — dad, mum, and three children — set out for a long cross country trip. I don’t recall how many weeks we spent on the road, but I remember having lots of fun with my family. Looking back now, I marvel at my parents’ gung ho attitude. The campervan was unreliable, the distances were long, and my siblings and I were very young at the time. But I’m very glad I have that memory.

PRESENT:

4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?

My new release is Real Men Don’t Break Hearts, published by Entangled Publishing. It’s a sweet, small town romance between Nate, a reformed bad boy, and Ally, a good girl wanting to reinvent herself. Six years ago Ally was jilted at the altar, and she always blamed Nate, her ex’s cousin. Now Nate is back in town and he’s her new landlord. To make things worse, she finds herself reluctantly attracted to him. Cue lots of tension and conflict.

I’m currently working on the next book of the Real Men series. This story deals with Tyler, Ally’s best friend. Nate and Ally put in an appearance in this book, and it’s fun to see them deal with the next stage of their relationship.

5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)

I wake my two teenagers up (sometimes that involves a lot of yelling) and somehow manage to get them out the door in time for school (usually). Then my partner and I do our morning walk for about 40-50 mins. I try to write from about 10 until 2, with a break for lunch. If the story is flowing or I haven’t reached my daily word count, then I work some more. By 3 or 4 my creative juices have usually dried up, so I find that’s a good time to do email or research or just browsing on the internet.

I rarely write at night. I’m not a night person and my brain just isn’t creative when the sun goes down.

6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:

Spending time with my parents, my family. Having the opportunity to concentrate on my writing without worrying about full-time work. Working with great editors and meeting other writers and sharing the ups and downs of the writing life.

FUTURE:

7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?

I’d like to fast forward to 22 Dec 2012 just to check that the end of the world hasn’t happened!

8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?

I would love a robot to cook fresh, healthy, yummy dinners for me and clean up afterwards. I’m a reluctant cook at the best of times, so an invention like that would really make my life easier and more fun.

9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?

I hope I and my family stay healthy. I hope my daughter has chosen the right subjects for Year 11. I hope I keep on writing and being published.

Thanks for being on the blog today, Coleen!

Check out Coleen’s book, REAL MEN DON’T BREAK HEARTS.

You can also visit Coleen at her website/blog, facebook, and twitter.