In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’ve been doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today I thought I’d do what Jenn J McLeod did recently on her blog, and interview myself! (Weird, I know. But if you’re still with me, read on… 😉

Welcome Juliet!

Thanks Juliet!

😉

PAST:

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

Many things. A dancer (did it), an artist (did it), a singer (but soon realised I was missing a vital requirement – singing ability), a fashion designer (didn’t do it), a fairy (I used to practise flying off my bed), and I’m pretty sure I thought making up stories was normal, so I think I was destined to become an author!

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

Many things (see above question!). I studied a lot – fine arts, visual merchandising (like window display and fancy sign writing), interior decorating, until I started a degree in health science and became a qualified naturopath. I ran my own natural health clinic for a number of years, and set up an online health business, while also doing the odd bit of dance teaching, until I changed course in order to homeschool my son. It was at this stage I decided to try my hand at writing novels.

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

This is such a hard question! Who came up with these questions?? Oh yeah, I did 😉

I’ll share three. I used to love it when I was a little kid on Christmas Eve and would look at the sky, trying to spot Santa on his sleigh, or even Rudolph’s red nose. It was so exciting!

Getting my university degree was also a great memory. I remember an overwhelming sense of achievement after I accepted my degree and sat back down in the audience and finally looked at it. I studied for the majority of this degree at home by distance learning, in between feeding and changing and comforting a baby, and dealing with years of sleep deprivation. It took me six and a half years, and it was a great feeling to finally finish.

Another great memory is when my son took his first steps. It was the day before his first birthday and a few weeks after his father had died. He simply held onto his own hands for support and walked towards me with a big smile on his face. Didn’t even fall. Unforgettable! 🙂

PRESENT:

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

My debut release FAST FORWARD was published in February. It’s a romantic comedy with a time travel twist. Here’s the blurb:

Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.

Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?

In December 2013 my novel, THE JANUARY WISH will be released. It’s a contemporary romantic women’s fiction set in a small Australian seaside town, and is about how one woman’s life changes when her secret past collides with the present. (I seem to enjoy writing about all things past, present, and future!)

As for what I’m currently working on… A LOT! See my works-in-progress under each of the genre categories on this blog 😉

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

Ha! Typical?… Wake up, check email and facebook and twitter, eat breakfast, do stretches, shower, write a bit if I can, upload & schedule blogs, answer interviews, book promotion, answer emails, deal with any pressing business matters (I still run an online health site), feed and pat affection & food-obsessed cat multiple times each day, kindly turn away door-to-door sales people, chat to my critique partner via messenger about our plots and characters, tweet & facebook some more, help son with his Year 10 homeschooling/distance ed (majority of day), write lists to help me stay on top of everything, write more lists to stay on top of the lists, more tweets, facebook replies, and emails, write down plot ideas when they arise, clean up spills in the kitchen and remind son to put his rubbish in the bin and drinks back in the fridge, cook dinner, clean up after dinner, write, and if I’m lucky, watch a bit of TV before reading and going to bed – usually after midnight!

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

1. The beautiful seaside town I now call home and have been living in for about two years.

2. My supportive family.

3. Being a published author and getting to make stuff up!

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 go about ten years into the future to see how my son is going as an adult and whether he is happy and following his career dreams. I’d also love to see how many books I’ve managed to write (and hopefully sell!) by then.

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?

Apart from a magical cleaning robot who does everything for you, I’d like some kind of device that allows you to have an express sleep of about an hour or two but with the benefits of a full eight hours! Think of all the writing and reading I could do with the extra hours in the day 😉

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

To keep following my passions, have good health long into the future, be a bestselling and award-winning author, have a movie made from one of my books (or two, or three, whatever ;)), see my son live a happy, healthy, and successful life, and enjoy my life with people I love.

Well, that was fun! And weird 😉

I hope you enjoyed reading about my past, present, and future!

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To read other past, present, future interviews, click here. 🙂