What did
you want to be when you grew up?
An actress. I was most definitely going to Hollywood.
I even studied for a year at drama school but the other students, in my
particular intake, were all so weird, I changed my mind. Now I’m a writer, and
we’re all sane, aren’t we?
Coffee,
tea or hot chocolate?
Coffee – first thing, mid-morning, and mid-afternoon,
without fail. I heat a third of a mug of milk, topped up with cold water, for
two minutes on full power in the microwave, then add instant coffee. It’s jolly
good, unless you hate instant! Out, I order Americano with hot milk on the
side, or a latte (but never in a
glass – I hate the glass).
What genre
do you typically read? Why?
I love biographies – other people are so interesting –
otherwise an extended, protracted, romantic saga in an unfamiliar setting, to
transport me to another world.
Pure escapism, for ages. Why don’t people write long books anymore?
Share a
favourite childhood memory.
Going on holiday, and being woken before dawn so we
could leave really early. The chirp of the night insects giving way to
birdsong, and whispered preparations on the driveway, so as not to set off the
neighbours’ dogs. Once we got going, the smell of vinyl inside my father’s
Zodiac (complete with fins) and milky coffee, leaking from a flask. The sunrise
on the open road, way beyond the city limits.
Do you
have any shameless addictions? ie. Tea, Books, Shoes, Clothes?
I seem to have rather a number of pairs of ankle
boots, black and various browns, all leather, with cowboy nuance. I regard them
as a collection, more than a shameless addiction. And then there’s Netflix, and
all those beautiful BBC gardening shows on iPlayer…
What do
you think is the biggest challenge of writing a new book?
Not plagiarising oneself. You have to be careful not
to write the same characters over and over, and the same story, all the while
being faithful to your own ‘voice’
Do you aim
for a set amount of words/pages a day?
Yes, always, but it never happens.
What are
your thoughts on writing a book series?
I’ve never seriously thought about it, but, in my
current work in progress, the hero has a friend, and – separate person – a
rival. Both, I think, are strong enough to carry their own stories, so yes, my
thoughts are that I’ll most likely end up writing a series, although each book
will be stand-alone. I’m looking forward to it.
***
Gina’s latest book is ‘The Sea Horse Door’, published
in April 2015, and set in Maine:
Although
Lara Fairmont directs passion and focus into her London business, it goes bust with
spectacular finality. Despondent, almost bankrupt, she nabs an astonishingly
well-paid job as a carer for an elderly grande dame of Lobster Cove. What could
be easier? Almost anything, for a start. A heady mix of misunderstanding,
folklore, suspicion, and the hand of fate unbalances Lara from the moment she
steps into Lucas Dalton’s desolate mansion on the shore. How many unanswered
questions can there be? For a start, is her boss, Lucas – deep-sea diver,
oil-rig maintenance man, and closet architect – unhinged? Is he way out of
control, or merely lost in a dark place? Where’s his wife? Why so little light,
and so much shade? Bewitched, Lara falls in love with the beauty of Maine, and
the inexplicably irresistible Lucas. But, is he the devoted son, widower, and
father he claims to be, or someone entirely different?
Bio:
Family and friends are the most
important elements of my life, followed closely by writing. I write historical
and contemporary romantic fiction full-time and am an ardent fan of the happy
ever after ending. Apart from developing full-blooded characters, I enjoy
creating a specific setting for each book I write, definitely because I love to
read books that are well grounded in their own landscapes. I've been lucky
enough to live in the most beautiful parts of the world from Cape Town to the
green depths of the English countryside, the sunny French Riviera close to the
Italian border, Paris, and now the gorgeously bosky Channel Islands.
Twitter: @Ginagina7
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gina.rossi.7
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ginarossiwriter/
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