Roxy Eloise interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Roxy Eloise is a successful participant of the Pitch Wars event held quarterly on Twitter. During this event, she created a pitch that stood out from the hundreds of thousands, landing herself a traditional publishing contract. Her award-winning debut novel is the first in a trilogy and was inspired by a dream.

When did your love of books begin?

My love of books began when they started to captivate me. I truly believed the work of an author was magical. I believed they had superpowers, and I became more fascinated with the author than I did their books. I used to analyse the stories they created, trying to work out the secret to great writing.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I was always fascinated by authors, and 12-year-old-me genuinely believed they had superpowers. I used to stand in my local bookshop and stare at each individual book. But I wasn’t looking at the front covers; I was mesmerised by each individual author’s name. I believed being an author was something you knew you were born to be. That wasn’t me. So, I used my English teacher to work out if she spotted the spark in me.

 

I had an assignment where I had to write a short story about anything. I absolutely loved the whole process, and I wanted to know if I was BORN to write. For some reason, I was particularly proud of one sentence in my story, and I thought that this sentence would determine if I was born to be an author. I handed my story in for marking and when I received it back, I turned eagerly to this ‘life changing’ sentence. The teacher HAD noticed my sentence! But she said it was unrealistic. Well, that was it. I clearly wasn’t born to write, and I put away my notebook, not believing I could do it until fifteen years later, until I grew old enough to realise authors were not born to write; they learnt to write.

 

So, when did I decide I was going to be an author? At 28 years old when I finally had the confidence to say, “I’m writing a book.”

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Writing the book was the most fun I’ve ever had. Getting published was not fun. Whilst writing the book, I intentionally stayed away from researching the publishing industry in fear of being put off. This was the best decision I made, because nothing prepares you for the journey. One thing I would say is I definitely grew as a person and the rejections from industry experts ceased to land. The emails would soon become as irrelevant as junk mail.  

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Be prepared to do what it takes. Be prepared to leave your comfort zone. Make friends with the writing community. They may not ever buy your book but their support and advice is invaluable. Take it one step at a time and never compare yourself to another author.

Tell us about your book/books:

The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis is set in a not-so-distant future where the mention of magic is banned and one paranoid man holds all the power. He adopts children to become his private bodyguards. All raised together in a strict institute, one girl really struggles to follow the rules. It follows her moving into the adults’ section where she is now eligible to complete a compulsory assessment matching her in an engagement. With a whole new set of responsibilities, Aurora is trying to find her feet in a world she doesn’t particularly agree with. On her way, she meets an unlikely stranger who pushes her to unravel the past. It’s a binge-worthy novel with friends, bullies, and a touch of something magical.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The support they offer is one of the best parts of becoming a new author. You never celebrate alone, and the opportunities they provide are worth more than sales. We really are a big community, all connected by the love of stories.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

A book without a reader is a sad thing. An author is nothing without their readers. They are why we do what we do. Thank you to each and every one of you. You have made my dream a reality.

Where can people connect with you?

I love chatting and engaging on my socials. Drop me a DM anytime.

Twitter: RoxyEloise_

Instagram: RoxyEloiseOfficial

www.roxyeloise.com