AUTHOR INTERVIEW: A.J. York

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I am from England and currently live in Sweden. If I am not pulling a pose in yoga, I am drinking a cup of tea. I really enjoy hanging out in cafes, where I love to watch the world go by.

I started writing stories when my fiance' and I moved to Gothenburg. I was inspired by an old apartment we had been living in. It had a maid's rooms off the kitchen. There was even a back entrance to the building that the staff would have used once upon a time. We were due to move out and I was cleaning a floor to ceiling bookshelf. I managed to get more dust on me than anything else. I kept thinking about the maid who would have once lived there and how she must have had super cleaning powers. Delilah then started to manifest over the coming weeks. I imagined a girl with a power over dust, zipping round making everything sparkle.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or do you prefer writing freehand?

I always write on my laptop and make hand written notes. I usually sit at the kitchen table with a candle burning and a large mug of tea.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

I love it when I get in the zone and I write solidly for a few hours. It is a great feeling getting the ideas out onto paper. I do not think there is a least favourite part about writing. Getting to grips with marketing and communication has been difficult, but still enjoyable.

How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want to get to know them?

Some characters come to me by what it is they can do. For example, Delilah and her ability to eradicate dust. Then I begin to put together a back story of who they are, where they come from and the things that have happened to them. Other characters are made up of bits of people I have met over the years. I think readers will like to get to get know my characters because they are sweet, funny and open to adventure.

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What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I have a minuscule marketing budget, which I used to pay for a website and a few giveaways a year. After that I have become restricted to what is free. I am on Twitter, Facebook and use Goodreads regularly.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I try to identify my free time, but more often than not, I get an idea and I just have to sit down and write. I am not an early riser and prefer to write at night or at the earliest, lunchtime.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I am working on a final draft of Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest. It going to be sent to a beta reader soon. I am also working with the illustrator now, which is very exciting.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have an outline for a Christmas story called Tallulah the Christmas fairy. I expect it will be an illustrated short story. I would like to have it ready by Christmas. I also have an outline for Delilah Dusticle’s Mission Impossible, the fourth book in the series.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Do not allow the fear of not being good enough hold you back.  That is all.

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A question for you, Kathryn.

Write down at least five different genres that you do not write in onto different pieces of paper. Fold them and put them into a hat. Pull one out and open it. Do you think you could write a story for this genre? Any ideas come to mind? I did this as a challenge and I am now considering writing a murder mystery.

I wrote down five.

Western

Horror

YA

Memoir

Fantasy

I chose YA. I do write middle-reader and actually plan on starting a YA series in a few years. (I've got two mysteries to write before that :) I actually hoped I wouldn't draw western or horror, but I may try a memoir or a fantasy one day. Thanks! It was fun.

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Thank you, A.J!

Learn more about A.J. at the following sites:

Website: www.ajyork.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/delilahdusticle

Twitter: @delilahdusticle

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