Good morning, everyone!
Well, it looks like the colder weather is here to stay! Sadly, I'm one of those people who doesn't cope well with being cold, so the heating is on and will probably be staying on for the duration! What will I do when winter comes?
Now, it's time to get cracking with Tuesday's interview and we have the lovely Sasha Lane in the hot seat!
Eva: Good morning Sasha and welcome. Thank you for agreeing to take part. So, tell us all about yourself (as in, a bit of a biography).
Sasha: Good morning everyone and thank you so much Eva for inviting me. I am an international selling author of Romantic Comedy novels. My first hit was with ‘Girl, Conflicted’ – the first of four books in the ‘Girl’ series, which has received comparison to the Shopaholic series by the fabulous Sophie Kinsella. The ‘Girl’ series follows the main character, Emma Story, as she navigates life in her thirties. The books address serious issues, with humour and fun, helping readers associate with the characters and the real issues that they face. ‘It Only Takes A Minute’ is the latest book and a stand-alone Romantic Comedy Novella. This book is the perfect fun read to get you in the mood for your holiday!
I write books which promote humour, escapism, and the pure enjoyment of reading. Hopefully readers associate with the characters and can see a bit of themselves in them, and they enjoy the journey each character takes.
I currently live in South Yorkshire and work full time in the financial services industry. I write in my spare
time, driven by a love of fiction, both romantic comedy and crime due to my degree in Criminology.
I love spending time with my friends, running, Pilates, and cake – definitely lots of cake!
How many books have you written up to now? Are they published or self-published? What
genre are they?
I’ve written five books to date – currently working on my sixth. The first four are a series with the
same characters. I always wanted to show what happened to the character after you type ‘The End’
of a book, and I loved the character so much, I wrote another three.
All of the books are Romance/Romantic Comedy/Chick lit, and they are all self published.
Of all the genres there are, is there any genre/s that you feel you wouldn’t be able to write and
why? Is there any genre that you really wish you could write, but feel you wouldn’t be able to
do it justice?
I really wish that I could write Crime Thrillers. I have a Criminology and Criminal Justice Degree,
which is a huge passion of mine, and I love reading Crime as much as Romance, but my writing
style doesn’t suit that genre. I’ve tried, and failed, twice! Apparently my writing is too upbeat for
Crime writing.
Do you have any favourite ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ words that you like to use in your books?
What are those words? Also, what words used by other authors irritate you more than they
should?
I don’t necessarily have any favourite words but I do hate it when other authors use slang in their
books.
Do you sing at all, be it karaoke, in a choir or have done so professionally? Whether you have
or not, have you ever written (or had the urge to write) any song lyrics? Have those lyrics
been used at all?
My singing is better left to the car or the shower – well away from other people who would be
subjected to that!
What question would you like to pose, (if you were to ever interview your favourite author),
which never seems to get asked in author interviews? And who is that favourite author?
I love Lindsey Kelk and Sophie Kinsella. My books have been compared to the Shopaholic series,
which is a huge compliment. I have met both at book signings and they are both so lovely. I loved
Sophie’s books first, especially the Shopaholic series, maybe because I see a little of Becky
Bloomwood in myself, and I find Lindsey’s books easy to read – I also grew up not far from her so
am inspired by her journey.
I would like to ask them what they struggle with in the writing process, and what they dislike – we
all have different challenges and it’s not plain sailing – or fun all of the time!
If you were to ever write a children’s book, (and those of you who already do) would you/do
you do the illustrating yourself, make use of a family member or friend’s talent or pay an
illustrator? Do you solely write or do you have any other creative pursuits?
As much as I loved art when I was growing up, I think I would have to invest in a professional
illustrator if I were to venture into children’s books.
I have done creative pursuits in my past, all prior to my writing journey. I made and sold my own
jewellery, and I once had a Ladies Shoe and Handbag shop – which was a real learning curve and life
lesson.
Of all the characters you have created, who is your favourite? And why?
I think my favourite female character would have to be Emma, in the four book series which starts
with ‘Girl, Conflicted.’ She was my first, and I loved her from the moment I created her. She grew
with me with each book, and she honestly felt like a real friend by the end. I was sad to leave her
character, and generally missed her.
My favourite male character has to be Dylan, in the standalone book, ‘It Only Takes A Minute’. I
could absolutely see myself getting swept of my feet by his charm.
Have you ever killed off a character in your books (I’m sure you have)? If so, was it
because…it fitted nicely into the storyline? OR…Did you start to really dislike the character
and, with too much work involved to re-write without that character, think it the easiest
option to have that person die?
I have killed off a character in ‘Girl, Conflicted.’ I’m not sure that I intended to do that when I first
created them, but it was a fitting end to them – they were not a nice character and I felt that the story
could take that kind of ending for them.
Are any of your characters based on family members or friends? Have you kept their
characters totally true to life or have you given them bonus traits that you wish they
possessed in real life?
I guess that I have taken experience of my own friends, television shows, and maybe a little of
my own personality when creating some of the characters. For me, it was about making them
believable and their friendships/relationships authentic. I wanted readers to see themselves in the
characters, and to fall in love with them as much as I had done when creating them.
Relationships/family life aside, what are your TWO main regrets in life?
I did my degree when I was thirty and did it via distance learning, which was great at that time in my
life, however I do regret not trying to go to university when I left school – I would have liked to have
had that experience.
I also regret not starting my writing sooner. I was mid thirties when I published my first book and I
regret not having the confidence to do that sooner.
What was your passion as a child? Did that passion stay with you during your adult life OR
did you, as you grew up begin to detest what you once enjoyed?
I loved books from an early age. I lived at the library from being five years old, consumed by Roald
Dahl books. I was in awe of his imagination and storytelling. I always loved a good story. My
Grandfather, whom I adored, was always entertaining me with stories from his life. He was very
charismatic, and I never tired of hearing them. This has been a part of my own inspiration for writing
stories.
What was your best subject throughout your school years? And your worst?
My best subject was English. I think it goes back to the book reading from an early age. I loved
telling a story as much as reading one, and English allowed me to experience such a range of books,
from historical classics such as Shakespeare, to more modern classics such as To Kill A Mocking
Bird. I love discussing books too, seeing how differently we all interpret stories and characters.
My worst was Physical Education, which is ironic as I now love running, Pilates, and am currently
learning golf!
Tell me about your favourite teacher throughout your school years? Was it a crush you had?
Were they just an excellent teacher of your favourite subject?? Or some other reason…kind,
fun, generous…?
My favourite teacher was my English Teacher. He was fierce and people were generally a little bit
scared of him, but he had such a passion for writing, and he absolutely encouraged me to write more
freely, and to trust my writing. I’m not sure that I would have excelled as much at that subject
without his belief in me.
Did either of your parents ever express a wish to write? Are they supportive and proud of
your work? Or do they just choose to not get involved, but they are pleased for you?
They are pleased for me, and my mother has read a couple of my books, but I’m not sure they
understand why I write, or the process I have gone through to publish my books. Neither were
interested in reading books, until my father retired. He now goes through a few books a week – but
Crime Thrillers rather than Romantic Comedies!
Tell us about your ultimate ambition, be it personal, travel, writing, work, hobby related or
other?
I would love to tour Italy. My heritage is Italian and I have inherited the love of Italian wine, bread,
cheese, and more importantly – shoes! My shoe collecting has threatened to get out of hand, but I
have a huge passion for interesting shoes, from bright coloured heels to sequinned ballet pumps. I do
not own a plain pair of shoes – they all have a personality and usually attract attention, and
conversation! If I do make it to Italy, I will most definitely need my credit card and an empty
suitcase for all my shoes purchases while I am there.
Do you have any phobias and if so, what are they? Have you ever conquered any phobia and
if so, how did you do it?
My worse phobia is spiders – I freeze when I see large ones. If the only way of conquering that
phobia is getting up close and personal with spiders, then I will definitely give it a miss!
Most people I know are not happy with something physical about themselves (face/body
etc.,) but if you could change anything about your personality, what would you wish to
change?
I wish I was more confident. I go through cycles of self doubt, like most people I guess, but it’s
something that I have always struggled with. Writing is hard. You are putting yourself out there for
criticism. Yes, lots of people may love your books, but you will never please everyone, and that’s
just something that you have to try to make peace with.
What is your ‘go to’ snack, whatever the time of day? And drink of your choice?
My go to snack is a banana, for energy, especially if I’m heading out for a run. My drink of choice
would always be a cappuccino during the day, and a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the evening.
Cats or dogs? What do you have? Do you introduce any pets into your books?
I love both, but due to work commitments, I have a large black and white tom cat. He’s a gentle giant
and a huge cutie, and we rescued him from a previous neighbour that didn’t want him – how, when
he’s such a gentle giant, I don’t know. Their loss, and absolutely our gain.
AND FINALLY, Hit me up with all your Amazon book-links? And the links to your website and
social media profiles?
Website: https://sashalane.com
Amazon uk:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Conflicted-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00UER3YJI/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Unhinged-Sasha-Lane-ebook/dp/B012ALCG12/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Unconventional-Book-3-ebook/dp/B073YD5FY9/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Always-Forever-warming-journey-ebook/dp/B07X8QXC2Q/
Social Media:
Twitter - @sashalaneauthor (www.twitter.com/sashalaneauthor)
Facebook - www.facebook.com/sashalaneauthor/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashalaneauthor/
YouTube - Rom Com author Sasha Lane - YouTube
Sasha, thank you once again for giving us a little look into your life! It's been a pleasure!
Next up on Friday we have author, Carol Kerry-Green!
Enjoy your week and I'll say cheerio for now!
Love and hugs
XXX
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