Interview with Gillian Joy
Published 2015-06-26.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I can't say I do. I don't ever recall not loving to read though. I especially used to love the Trixie Belden Series when I was young. I don't know if it a specific impact on me. But I used to pretend I was Trixie.
How do you approach cover design?
I struggled with the cover of Guardian, I began trying to design my own but didn't really like anything I came up with. A Facebook friend directed me to a cover designer, and although I loved the pre-made covers she had for sale, none of them were quite right. Fortunately she was happy to work with me to design a custom cover and I have to admit. I love the finished result.
What do you read for pleasure?
Yes, yes, yes, absolutely yes. I love reading.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
My phone actually. I have a samsung Galazy S5 and it is perfect for laying in bed and reading.
Describe your desk
Lol. I work on the kitchen table. Actually I write anywhere, mostly on my phone or my tablet. So technically my desk is wherever I happen to be at the time.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. A fairly poor area that actually recently featured on an ABC documentary called "struggle street", I don't think it really influenced my writing at all, because technically I shouldn't be able to write at all if I followed the stereotype. So far all the books I've written have been set more where I live now, rather than where I grew up. Then maybe that is the influence.
When did you first start writing?
Initially when I was in school. I even had a short story published in a school magazine. Not a huge feat I know but it was a pretty big high school. I didn't really start writing until I was in my 40's though. Initially it was just for fun. I had no idea at the time how big or how easy the indie publishing world was.
What do your fans mean to you?
I love my fans, there is nothing better than someone messaging me to tell me how much they enjoyed they enjoyed my book or series. The fans Rock!
What is your writing process?
I don't really have a process. An idea forms and I start writing. The story generally unfolds as I go. I had no idea how the story was going to end when I started writing Guardian. I initially thought it would just be one book, but then I remember reading somewhere that the average novel was about 80,000 words and when Hannah's story hit 100,000 and still wasn't anywhere near finished I decided it wasn't going to be told in just one book. It ended up being a trilogy, although there will still be more to come in the 'Guardian' books.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
If it wasn't for Smashwords, I don't think I would have published at all. I had no Idea what to do, or how to do it. Smashwords made it all so simple to distribute to most of the major e-Book sites, without them I would have had no success whatsoever.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Reading! I love to read, although believe it or not I design houses for a living, so I spend a lot of time doing that. I am a Mum too, so my favourite thing is to spend time with my family. Camping and four wheel driving are some of my favourite pass times but I seem to spend more time at dance classes, footy games and netball games than anything else. I swear half my life is spent running my kids from one activity to the next.
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