Author Interview 1: Athena Brady

Hi folks, this post I decided to do something I have never done before but I have wanted to try and do for a long time, an author interview.  I needed a guinea pig to test my interviewing technique and I was racking my brains about how to go about it when I thought about the lovely Athena Brady.    Her first book, Thoughts on Life,  is now available on Kindle through Amazon and she is also in the process of writing another two books with one due to be released in 2013 called ‘Broken’.  Please do go and check out the book as she is such a wonderful person and has a great outlook on life that will truly inspire those who read it.

So without further ado, here is the result of my efforts:

What inspired you to begin writing your books?

When I was a child, I could lose myself in the world of books. I learned so much about life from books and I devoured them. They fed my imagination and then I began writing myself. My English teacher Miss Whittle encouraged me to write and told me I was a natural writer, I just thought she was being nice; but her words still stayed with me throughout my life. I married had four children and wrote them short stories, throughout my life I picked up my writing and put it down. I felt selfish and indulgent, following what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I moved to Wales UK that I began to write seriously.

I had a good career that paid well. So I dropped to part time. Sometimes the seemingly worse things that happen to us, lead us to our dreams. I had a breakdown and began to write again, whilst I was off work. It was then I decided to give up my job and write full time and once I began to write I couldn’t stop. My writing brought me back to life, gave purpose to my life and I began to heal.

I started my blog, set up my own website, Facebook page and joined twitter. I then joined a social network site for artists called Wana. The feedback I received from my readers was encouraging and uplifting. I realised that I could make a difference and that I had something to offer people. That I could gave back the gift that books had given me.

Do you have a message that you wish the readers to grasp when reading your books?

My message in one word would be Hope.  There are people out there that care and if you can think it, you can do it.  Believe in yourself.

What books have influenced your life the most?

This is a really hard question for me to answer, as I had read so many books. I like spiritual type writers like Paulo Coelho, Neale Donald Walsh, Deepak Chopra, but I also like gritty raw and dark writers Martina Cole and Stephen King. I like them all for different reasons. I also love J.K Rowling, what an imagination, she is amazing. I try to read as many different genres as I can and new authors as well.  I learn something from every one.

What are you reading at the moment?

At the moment I am reading several books to include on my December Book reviews on the blog.

“Thursdays in the Park” by Hilary Boyd

“Casa de Naomi” (House of Blessings) by Paula Rose Michelson

“Widdershins” (Whyborne & Griffin) by Jordan L Hawke

“Messages from Henry” by Rebecca Scarberry

A Rebel Chick Mystic’s Guide: Healing Your Spirit with Positive Rebellion by Lisa Marie Selow

Are there any other new authors who have grabbed your interest?

New writers to watch out for not an easy question. as I am afraid I will miss someone out. Here goes,

Paula Rose Michelson.

Rebecca Scarberry

Christine Lewry

What, if anything, do you find the most challenging when writing?

I found it challenging to be objective in some of my darker characters. To get inside their heads and think like they did.   “Broken” took the longest to write I have been writing that on and off for the past six to seven years and it will be released in 2013. My heart and soul is in this book and it was a hard one to write. Book three is a challenge of a different sort, as I try to stretch myself as a writer. The story will be told by the perspective of the three main characters. As they all journey through the incident, portrayed in the book. This book will be released in 2013 and has a working title of “Prisoner of love”.

Did you ever experience writers block and if so, how did you manage to get past it?

Yes, sometimes I get writers block but I consider it a positive thing. It is a message that I need to do something else, like go into the real world for a while. Sometimes I need a break and to interact with family and friends. I often use this time to look up my friends in the blogosphere and catch up with them. I find they inspire me and help me get me back on track. If I arrange my day with a little of everything in like, Twittering, Facebooking, family, friends, reading; I find I don’t suffer with it too much.

Is the book based on your life experiences or on somebody you know?

My present book is based on my own personal experiences. “Thoughts on Life” is a collection of short articles from my blog and website. It will be part of a series, as a reader once asked me to put these posts into a book that they could take out and look at as they wanted. However, I do not want money to be a barrier to these books, so they are all free to see on my website. I have asked people who can afford to do so, to purchase the book; as I do need to eat occasionally.

How long did it take for you to formulate the idea for your book until it’s completion?

“Thoughts on Life” sort of just happened, after a request from one of my readers. “Broken” took me many years to write as I picked it up and put it down a lot. I started writing it again, over the past four years and finished it. “Prisoner of Love” at the moment seems to be flowing nicely, I have written ten chapters to date. However, it is in the first draft stage. I am a different breed of writer I think, I do not wish to be held down by a specific genre. I plan to write spiritual books, romance, fiction, non- fiction, and who knows what else? The world is my oyster as they say. I would love to write a book on angelic experiences people have had and near death experiences. Unfortunately, I am not getting enough feedback, at the moment. As I want this book to be about real people and their stories. If anyone would like to discuss this with me and contribute you can e mail me at athenabrady1@gmail.com

What resources do you find most valuable when writing your books?  (i.e. internet pages, directories, literature)

I think the best resource any writer has is their readers and fellow writers. It is from them we begin to grow;  to realise what works and what doesn’t. They can lift our spirits with a few words of encouragement and spark that creativity within us all. The internet is a good source to find out things but I think you need to be discerning and research your subject well. Life is a good source of information; we humans are very complex beings. We can all learn a lot from reading and observing the skills of different writers. Writers have to read that is one of the most important ways, we hone our craft.

Do you have a final message that you would like to give your readers and potential readers?

My message to my readers would be follow your dreams. Do a little each day to take you closer to them. Don’t worry what the world says; people will always have opinions, on what you should do with your life. Follow your heart, find your joy and share it with others. For those people who follow a difficult path or who are in pain either emotionally or physically, believe in yourself. The only thing that ever holds ourselves back is us. We are only here for a short time so enjoy your life.

Thank you for being so kind to take part in my first author interview Athena.  I wish you the best success with your books and it has been fascinating to get an insight into the inner workings of you as an author. 

That is about all from me for now folks but I will be biting the bullet very soon and posting some of the work I have been doing up for you to have a look at and give feedback if you so desire.

Until then Stay safe and Keep Smiling!

“Broken” by Athena Brady which will be released in early 2013 is a true story.

This is Susan’s story of her journey from despair to healing. Susan begins to experience a feeling that leads to childhood memories of sexual abuse in middle age. Memories she has no recollection of, that begin to haunt her in the present. She embarks on a journey of discovery, which challenges everything she thought about her life previously. There are times she thinks her dark night of the soul will destroy her and all her closest relationships. Once she has opened Pandora’s Box, it cannot be closed until she has come full circle. This book is a gripping, tense and sad narrative that you will not be able to put down, until you have finished it. A must read for those who dare to explore the grey and darker areas of life.

Related articles

• November 2012 Athena Brady’s Book Reviews
• Would you like a free review for your book?