About Emily Astillberry:
I am an author and RSPCA Inspector from Norfolk. I have a degree in English Literature and Linguistics from York University and have been investigating animal cruelty and neglect and rescuing sick and injured animals for almost 20 years. In my day job, I deal with very difficult and often emotional situations and meet all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. My career provides some of the inspiration for my fictional work.
I live in an old cottage in the country. I have a husband, 5 children, 2 dogs, a cat, 2 giant African land snails and currently one rescued hen who thinks she is a dog, so finding time to write can be a challenge. I am happiest outdoors, growing fruit and vegetables in the garden, walking the dogs and family holidays usually involve walking up mountains in summer, skiing down them in winter and sleeping in a tent whenever possible.
I love spending time with my large, noisy, chaotic family, cooking meals for friends and playing board games. I always have at least one book on the go and have always dreamed of writing my own novel. I now dream of writing more.
The Essence of Bliss is my debut novel.
What inspires you to write?
The books that I have read all of my life are my inspiration to write. I have devoured books since I was a child and love the way a great novel can make me feel. Reading is the best form of escapism there is and, as time has gone on, I have found that the books that move me, inspire me to similarly move other people and the books that leave me wanting, inspire me to see if I can do better. I take inspiration for my fictional work from all aspects of my life.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I love everything by Diana Gabaldon.
I love the weird and wonderful fantasy worlds of Anne Bishop.
CJ Sansom, MJ Haag, KJ Charles, Charles Dickens.
It's a never ending and eclectic list.
Tell us about your writing process.
The Essence of Bliss is my debut novel so I don’t have a huge amount of experience to draw from but I am definitely a planner. I started with a vague idea for my story and a page of notes. That page grew into multiple pages and eventually into a chapter list with an outline for each chapter. I then fleshed the story out. I do most of my best thinking on long dog walks where I imagine scenes from my story and conversations between characters and make notes as I go.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don’t have conversations with my characters but I do imagine conversations between them. I let their conversations go wherever they might and let the characters take over. If they say or do something inspiring, I make a note of it. It sounds strange but they often take conversations in weird and wonderful directions and sometimes surprise me.
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advice I can give is to just get on and do it. I always knew that I wanted to write but never felt that I was in the right place in my life. I was working, I was getting married, I was having children and being a mum. I told myself that when I had children and had some time off work, I would start to write. It didn't happen. I told myself that when the children got a bit older and started school, I would start to write. It didn't happen. I eventually realised that there is never a perfect time to start writing but if you want it enough, you have to make the time. Even if you're stealing 45 minutes in your lunch break or half an hour between eating dinner and starting on the packed lunches for the next day. Get up 20 minutes earlier. Go to bed half an hour later. Delete that game from your phone and just get on with it because there will never be a better time.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Initially, I was looking for an agent but I couldn’t find any that wanted to take my book on so I started looking for a publisher. I think it is a very personal choice but I didn't have the confidence to self publish. I felt that I needed industry professionals behind me who believed in my work enough to take me on.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The world will always need books.
They are a wonderful and inevitable aspect of humanity.
What genres do you write?: Romance, Speculative fiction, Paranormal fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Emily Astillberry Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Instagram
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
