'Pa Joe's Place' Reviews

8 August 2014 - ROLANDA RUSSELL - Guest Author


ROLANDA RUSSELL

- Guest Author -

G'day folks,

Welcome to an interview conducted with a passionate writer - Rolanda Russell.

Go, Rolanda ...


1.      TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.

Mother of three children, plus a dog, I want what every parent should want for their children, safety and empowerment to help them protect themselves by making them aware of the social issues such as bullying and lack of self-esteem that they may be faced with.


2.      WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?

I started writing many years ago about any and everything; stories would just come to me. I would write with the hope of someday having my work published.


3.       WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?

A little bit of both, but mostly I shoot from the hip.


4.      WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?

Knowing that the readers that I am writing for will benefit from my work gives me great gratification.


5.      WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?

Writing so that my audience get the message of my books.



6.      WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?

I am still holding down a 9 to 5 job while pursuing my writing career.


7.      WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?

Publishing my first series of books.


8.      WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

Two other children books and an adult short story.


 
9.      WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

The love of wanting to do my part in keeping kids socially connected and safe.


10.  WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?

Children books.


11.  DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?

Write about what is of interest to you.


12.  DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?

Haven’t yet.


13.  DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?

Yes, in my alone time.


14.  DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?

No, anywhere, anytime and anyplace.


15.  WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?

Knowing that kids and parents will benefit from my work


16.  WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?

Kendra Norman-Bellamy. I love the realness of her writing, it relates to everyday life.


17.  WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?

How awesome and needed my books are, I am on to something big.


18.  WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?

None yet.



19.  WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?

No.


20.  OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?

Family time, alone time, reading and computers.


21.  DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?

Yes.  

22.  DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.

When everything falls into place and works out the way I planned it..


23.  IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?

My spouse, he means the world to me, just perfect.


24.  WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?

That we should have a “Kids Day” that is celebrated all around the world.


25.  WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

To continue writing and to become a full time writer.


26.  WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN?

The Bible
The Grapes of Wrath
Crossing Jhordans River
The Stone Angel

Self-Esteem – Love Yourself; Don’t Hurt Yourself, by myself


27.  DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?

Yes, for sure.  The person that is kind to others.


28.  DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?

No.



29.  DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?

No.


30.  WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?

“Self-Esteem – Love Yourself; Don’t Hurt Yourself”.  It brought me back in time to a place that I didn’t like very much; the thought that I overcame it makes me proud and forever confident.


31.   HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.

When my books are well known around the world.


32.  WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?

That empowering kids is of utmost priority.


33.  HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?

A lot, this is one case where people literally do judge a book by its cover.


34.  WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?

To be on the number one book sellers list


35.    WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?

Marketing is both tedious and expensive.


36.   ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?

Yes.


37.  DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.

Confident, humble, caring, considerate and fair



38.  WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?

When people mistake your kindness for weakness.


39.  WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?

Crossing Jhordans River


40.   WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE?

To God be the glory.


41.   WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?

To write full time.


42.   ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

Books out soon:
I Am a Stranger and What Should You Do?
Safety First

I am also working on my first short story.


VIDEOS:



BOOK STORE:



Clancy's comment: Thank you, Rolanda. Great that you are concerned with bullying, and doing something about it. Well done.
I'm ...


 






Think about this!















No comments:

Post a Comment