Name Vovo Verdan
Age 49
Where are you from: Sydney, Australia
A little about your self `ie your education
Family life etc I was raised in Sydney and Launceston (Tasmania) and Melbourne, Victoria. I started my education at a Catholic school, before settling at a primary school and then highschool. I am single and have two brothers, one older, one younger.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
Trying to find a publisher for my two children’s books, as my current publisher does not produce kids books.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing when I was about seven years old and won a small prize for a story about Santa Claus.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
In the mid nineties, after selling about a dozen stories to men and women’s magazines.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
I had the story floating around in my head for several years prior to getting it down on paper.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Not really, just stock-standard, I’d say.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
I actually had the title from the very beginning, because of the character interactions.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Not really, just want it to be entertaining, even thought provoking.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
It’s not auto-biographical, but its handy to write about things that you know about, like airplanes, for example. I learnt to fly when I was sixteen. I also lost a leg to cancer, so writing about such things comes easy.
Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Not the experiences, no. I have a wild imagination.
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?
I have read lots of the classics, but really enjoy Stephen King and Jackie Collins.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Not really that excite me.
Fiona: What are your current projects?
Getting my two kids books published, one of which is on my website for people to take a look at, I hope.
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Don Sowman, my flight instructor, who died in an air-crash some years ago.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, I do. A hard and noble one, at that.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Probably not. I spent a lot of time rewriting and editing to get it right.
Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
A school project back in primary days.
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The two kids books are entitled, Bungadungaloo and A Nearly True Story, both for Middle-Grade.
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I like to place twists all over the place and hope the reader discovers them.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Stephen King, he’s the master. My fav is ‘Misery’.
Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
No, not really.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
My publisher arranged all that.
Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Being patient in getting a publisher, which isn’t so easy these days.
Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Not really.
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep at it. If you’re a writer at heart,. You will always find a way to do it.
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Hope you enjoy it, and also hope you were a little shocked.
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
The Day of the Triffids
Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?
A very dry sense of humor gets me chuckling, not much makes me cry.
Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?
I’d like to meet Captain James Cook, he was a great navigator.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?
He Tried His Best!
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
Fishing.
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
The old si coms are my favorites, like Seinfeld and Friends.
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music.
Any roast, Green and Neil Diamond.
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
Airline Pilot.
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
