Reading by Deb: INTERVIEW with JULIE ARCHER

I want to thank Julie Archer for taking the time for this interview!

Bio:

Author of contemporary romance featuring rock stars, small towns, a healthy dose of angst, some steamy times and always a happy ever after!

When not writing, I can usually be found binge watching teen drama series on Netflix, or supporting Spurs from my armchair, and running around after my two feline children, Corey and Elsa.

Follow me on Facebook or Instagram, see my latest releases on Amazon or drop me an email, juliearcherwrites@gmail.com.

Real Angst. Real Romance.

When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’m an only child and I started creating stories as a way of having friends! From about the age of ten, I would escape into these imaginary worlds.

Did you have any influencing writers growing up?

My early years were spent reading Enid Blyton, the Famous Five, Mallory Towers and St Clare’s.

As a teenager, it was the Sweet Dreams YA romance books; The Popularity Plan by Rosemary Vernon was the first one I ever read and loved.

Then I discovered Jackie Collins. I think Rock Star is the book that inspired me more than anything.

Are any of your characters based on people in real life?

No. I try not to base my characters on people in real life. I live in a small town with a close knit community and it would be too easy to identify them!

Where do you draw your book inspirations from?

It can be anything. An image, a song lyric, a news story. Sometimes an idea will just hit me, and I’ll run with it to see if it will work.

Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let the characters lead the way?

Usually, I have a vague idea in my head, sometimes a beginning and an end, which means ‘filling in’ the middle. But most of the time the characters take me off track and things I didn’t anticipate happening take place.

When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a cheater photo for inspiration?

Sometimes, yes but not always.

Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is your favorite way to sit back and relax?

I love a good reality show, currently obsessed with Selling Sunset, Selling The OC, and Made In Chelsea.

Oh, and also quiz shows, but I like to class that as research for our pub quiz team!

Who are your favorite current authors to read?

Kennedy Fox, Staci Hart, Kandi Steiner, and I’ve just discovered Charity Ferrell.

What are your favorite books by others?

Far too many to mention!

Rock Star by Jackie Collins is one of the first books that inspired me to write.

One of my favourite books of all time is Fast Friends by Jill Mansell.

Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?

When I’m not creating fictional small towns, my go to locations are New York and Puerto Pollenca in Mallorca.

Both are places I love and provide a lot of inspiration for different reasons.

Do you write in single or multiple POV?

In my early books, I wrote multiple POV, but now it’s dual POV. I have thought about single POV, but I find I need to hear both sides of the story.

What do you find to be your best research tool?

Google has saved me more times than I care to mention!

Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than one name?

No, although sometimes I wish I did.

What genre do you write and why is this your preference?

I write contemporary romance and it’s because it’s what I like to read.

Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?

For the last year, I’ve worked in a bar/restaurant as a waitress.

Prior to that I worked in graduate recruitment for a UK pensions specialist listed on the London Stick Exchange.

Before that, I worked in technology recruitment for Visa, the payments processing company and recruited some of the engineers who created contactless technology.

I love the fact that when I’m taking an order for coffee and cake, these people have no idea of my past life and how successful I was in the corporate world before deciding to make a whole lifestyle change and move to Devon from just outside of London.

I also have two feline children, Corey (named after Corey Taylor of Slipknot) and Elsa (who has a toy called Olaf) who I love more than anything. There is nothing more satisfying than coming home at the end of a long day and have two cats happy to see you!

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Just write.

Don’t try and make it perfect first time. Allow yourself to write a gloriously craptastic first draft.

And find some people who will become your tribe. Support from other people in the writing community is invaluable.

How do you deal and process negative book reviews?

I try not to read any of my reviews, which does mean missing out on the good ones while avoiding the negative ones!

However, sometimes I’ll see one and then beat myself up for days about it. Telling myself that my book ‘just wasn’t for them’ and then moving on is how I try to deal with it.

What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Writing the blurb!

A 50k book is easy but trying to distil that into 150 words is a total nightmare. And I almost never write the blurb until I’ve finished the first draft in case something changes during that part of the process.

Sometimes I’ll also get stuck on the steamy scenes, so I’ll just write “insert sexy times here” and move on.

What do you need in your writer’s space to keep you focused?

I always have a notebook and pen to jot down anything that comes to mind that’s not related to what I’m doing.

And I need to have sorted out all my admin tasks before I start, because otherwise I’m thinking about paying bills when I should be writing.

What is your naughty indulgence as you are writing?

Mini Cheddars. Or anything savoury.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?

Lyra Parish, one half of the Kennedy Fox writing duo.

She’s so focused and yet relatable. I have so many things I’d love to ask her about things like transitioning from the corporate world to full time writing.

What is your schedule like when you are writing? Do you have a favorite writing snack or drink?

I’m very much a morning person. So, I like to write between around nine and one (although not always solidly!).

After lunch, I’m less productive and try to do other tasks instead.

Do you listen to music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?

I listen to Toby Tarrant on Radio X. Wish You Knew, one of my Rockstar romances, is dedicated to him and I sent him a copy.

He read out some of the book on the radio – pretty much a career highlight to date! Other than that, I’m a rock chick at heart.

Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

Um, yes!

Corey likes to sit on the keyboard or on the desk (which is pretty small, so there’s no room for both of us!).

Elsa will sometimes sit on my lap, but I have to be at such a strange angle it’s impossible to type properly.

What is your kryptonite as a writer? What totally puts you off your game?

Honestly? A bad review.

Having said I try not to read them; I’ll occasionally find one and then it makes me question every word I’ve ever written. After that, it can take me a while to get in the right mindset to create something new.

Have you ever killed off a character that your readers loved?