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Interview with Manuela de Rooij

Published 2015-06-24.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The first story I ever wrote was a fanfiction story and I was about 12 years old
What is your writing process?
That depends on my mood and inspiration. Sometimes I feel like writing a chapter, or multiple chapters... Some other time I will write bits and pieces that can be anywhere in the book (the middle, the end, etc)
Overall I can get in the writersmood, just by opening the file and start typing.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I can not remember the first story I ever read. I DO remember the first book that had a huge impact on me. That was the book 'Sans Famille' by Hector Malot, also known by the English title 'Nobody's Boy', or 'Alleen Op De Wereld' in Dutch, my language.
How do you approach cover design?
I will try and look for the overall picture, that is not only clear to people what the book is about, but also catches their attention and feeds their curiosity.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
* 'Sans Famille / Nobody's Boy' by Hector Malot ; I love the whole journey Remi makes with his owner Signor Vitalis and how very graphic the writer could tell about the animals that travelled with them. The overall story is very endeering and passionate.
* 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl ; This was one of my favorite children's books. I used to love the freedom Matilda could create for herself with her magical powers.
* 'Celeste' by Virginia Andrews ; This book tells the story of a girl who loses her twin brother and her mother is so sad about it, that she actually orders Celeste to act and dress and look like her twin brother.
* 'Wicca series' (15 parts) by Cate Tiernan ; This bookseries had an enormous inpact on me. The storyline is emotional, excited, dangerous at some points and it lets you really be "part of the book".
* My own 3 books ; I am very happy and proud of my bookseries and every so now and then I love to read them again, to see if that feeling of being proud and happy still exists.
What do you read for pleasure?
Drama/Novell
Describe your desk
A lot of paper, notes and pens, etc etc
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Amsterdam in the Netherlands in a bit of a dangerous and shady neighborhood. The neighborhood perse did not influence me. The people around me and the things they did and what I went through and sometimes still do, are the things I try to write off of me, by putting them in my stories, bits and pieces of it.
When did you first start writing?
When I was about 12, but I have heard that I have been writing children's made up stories from a very young age. I have been told I used to scribble and scratch with a pen or marker on a piece of paper, when I couldn't write or read and show that to my mother or grandmother and then told the story that I made up with that
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The sky is the limit when it comes to your fantasy and imagination.
What are you working on next?
I am currently re-writing the first part of my bookseries, because I am not happy with it. As long as I am not happy with it, I can not promote it.
Who are your favorite authors?
Cate Tiernan and Virginia Andrews
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Watching TV, surfing the internet and spending time with my loved ones / friends
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Books by This Author

Obsession by
Price: Free! Words: 2,100. Language: English. Published: July 12, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Women's fiction » General, Fiction » Romance » Short stories
(5.00 from 1 review)
Part 1 of the 'Obsession'-series When Grace meets her big idol, Itálo Verona, she is like every fan; on cloud nine and convinced that she is the one who steals his heart. When that doesn't happen, you are dissapointed and eventually get over it. But what if it doesn't work that way with Grace? What if your hobby becomes an obsession? And what if that obsession becomes a deadly weapon?
Op Sessie by
Price: Free! Words: 2,080. Language: Dutch. Published: June 25, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Short stories, Fiction » Women's fiction » General
(5.00 from 1 review)
Deel 1 van de 'Obsessie'-serie Als Grace haar grote idool, Itálo Verona ontmoet, is ze net als elke fan; in de wolken en ervan overtuigd dat zij die uitzondering vormt die zijn hart wint. Als blijkt dat het niet zo is, ben je even verdrietig en ga je weer verder. Maar wat als het bij Grace niet zo werkt? Wat als je hobby verandert in een obsessie? En wat als die obsessie een dodelijk wapen wordt?