Friday 26 April 2013

Birthday Bash Interview- S.L. Siwik

We are so exited to have the opportunity of interviewing the lovely S.L. Siwik
Thank you for joining us.      Thank you for having me.

What/who inspired you  to start writing? I had a sick baby at home and couldn't work because day cares  wouldn't take her. Boredom got the best of me, and I found myself writing fan  fiction stories to help stimulate my mind. Once I started, I couldn't stop.  Eventually, it lead to my own stories - Contemporary romances.
What is your  favourite part of a book?  Writing it or reading it? I'm the type of reader
where five pages into a story, I already know if I'm going to enjoy it or not. I
have already picked up on the writer's style, have a good assumption at the
writer's intentions with the story, and so I decide if I want to take the
journey or not. On the author's end, trying to create that important first
impression in a book- hooking a reader in the first scene is outrageously
difficult (for me). I admire writers who nail it. I'll likely struggle with that
the rest of my career. That's why the beginning is my favorite. It reminds me of
the first impression on a date. If you're being honest with yourself, by the end of that night, every girl knows if they want another one or  not.

When naming your charcters, do you give any thought to the actual
meaning? Yes, I do. Sometimes, when I pictures a character in my head from head
to toe, I look at their faces and think, 'you look like a....' and that's how
they are named. Other times, I literally go into name meaning dictionaries and
go through them. For example in my book released this month, Winning Back Ryan,
the protagonist's name is Anne. The name means grace, favor. After reading the
book, the reader realizing the name is quite ironical, because Annie is a 'bull
in a china shop.'

Would you ever write a different genre?  Yes, I write in Romance, but I have had
sitting on my computer for a while pieces of a supernatural/ fantasy
book....dealing with prophecy, medieval setting, werewolves, mercenaries, swords
and bows, dragons, good stuff. I dont' know if the project will ever come to
light, but I hope it does...one day.

What advice would you give inspiring  writers? You have to believe in yourself 100%. Also, take time to improve your craft- workshops, advice from professional writers, take all of it and think   about it. But, most importantly, work hard on establishing your personal style  of writing. Once you figure it out, writing will come much easier for you, and  you will enjoy it more. You'll feel 'comfortable in your skin' sort of speak.

What made you come up with your book titles? Well, with the Winning
Back Ryan series all of the books have 'back' in them. The sequel is Getting
Back Annie (due out later this year) and the third book is titled Wanting Back
Brian. So, they all connect in a way. I simply thought about what I was trying
to say in each book, if i could sum up one piece of advice from each book, what
would it be? Then, the title came to me through that.

Who is your favourite character from your books and why? I think of my characters as children, so I  try not to have favorites. With that said, there is one character that I do love  writing a teeny bit more than the others. Ben Hurley from Winning Back Ryan is probably my favourite  because he's a wild card. He doesn't care what other people think; he does what  he wants to. And he has a very unique sense of morals. He is a very complex  character that I have spent over two years developing. Everyone who has read  through so far has asked me,"Can I have more of him?" I have no doubt that he  will become many ladies' new book boyfriend.

If you could work with any  fellow author who would it be and why? Wow. Just one? It would probably be S.C.  Stephens because I think her strength is what I lack, which is making sure the  reader feels the depth of emotions that the characters are feeling in a  particular scene. Sometimes I hold back (without even realizing it), and in my  first book, a few reviewers called me out on that. I think she could teach me
alot about pushing a character's emotions all the way in a scene- how to just
punch the gas pedal and floor it.


Who are your top five authors/books- Top five books: Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Twilight, The Notebook, Beautiful  Disaster.

Thank you for taking part.  Thank you for letting me be a part. It
was wonderful connecting with all of you! Happy Reading!

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