Writing in New Zealand is a tough business. I’ve recently started reading a lot more New Zealand fiction and as a country, we are producing some great work. I’ve discovered some talented authors in the Twitter writing community. These hard-working creatives should get more exposure. The idea for this segment grew from a desire to support New Zealand writers. It goes live on the 7th of each month.
My guest for this month can write in different genres without batting an eyelid; she crafts creepy horror novels and is releasing the third book in her historical fiction series later this year. She is a successful and motivated author and mum who inspires me to keep on writing. Without further ado, here is my interview with Kirsten McKenzie.
KJ: What is an early book / author that inspired you to write? What are you reading now?
KM: The earliest books I remember reading are the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton. My father was an antique dealer, so I had a whole shelf of early editions, which I read and reread and reread. And now that I have access to the internet, I’ve been buying the ones I was missing for all those years! But to be truthful, it was a movie which inspired me to write – the movie Midnight In Paris is about an aspiring author who slips back in time. I adore the movie, and the interpretation of the other famous artists and authors featured. Currently I am reading a books called Letters To The Pianist by S.D. Mayes, set in London during WWII.
KJ: What is your daily writing schedule like?
KM: My daily writing schedule goes a little bit like this: Come home from taking children to school, procrastinate on the internet for three hours, whilst pretending that I am actually conducting important marketing work. Have lunch. Freak that it’s only two hours till school pick up time. Write frantically. Stop for an afternoon coffee. Have a brilliant plot idea, but have to shelve it to go do the school run. Which is then followed by after school activities, cooking dinner etc. At about 9pm, after everyone is in bed, I try to corral the afternoon’s exciting plot idea, and then at about 10.30-11pm I go to bed, exhausted, and criticising my internet procrastination from earlier in the day. You’d think I’d learn! But I do try to do 1,000 words a day, Monday to Friday.
KJ: What do you hope people get out of your books?
KM: I hope people take a moment (or several moments), to escape reality, to lose themselves in the pages of a book, to visit somewhere new, and in every book, to learn a little something. I include a lot of detail about antiques or antiquity, all based on real pieces, and I personally love being able to learn through fiction, so I hope others have this joy when they read my books, and yes, even my horror novels!
KJ: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
KM: I would take myself off to a writing course which taught you how to plot out a novel. This is one area I have real trouble with. Maybe next year I’ll find a course which teaches this.
Grab a copy of her latest book, Dr Perry, here.
Or follow her blog: http://www.kirstenmckenzie.com/book-blog/
Author Bio:
For many years Kirsten McKenzie worked in her family’s antique store, where she went from being allowed to sell the 50c postcards to selling $5,000 Worcester vases and seventeenth century silverware, providing a unique insight into the world of antiques which touches every aspect of her writing.
Her historical fiction novels ‘Fifteen Postcards’ and it’s sequel ‘The Last Letter’ have been described as ‘Time Travellers Wife meets Far Pavilions’, and ‘Antiques Roadshow gone viral’. The third book in the series ‘Telegram Home’ will be released in November 2018 by Accent Press.
Her bestselling gothic horror novel ‘Painted’ was released in 2017, with her medical thriller ‘Doctor Perry’ following closely in April 2018.
She lives in New Zealand with her husband, her daughters, an SPCA rescue cat and a kitten found in the neighbour’s shed, and can usually be found procrastinating on Twitter under the handle @Kiwimrsmac.
She lives in New Zealand with her husband, her daughters, an SPCA rescue cat and a kitten found in the neighbour’s shed, and can usually be found procrastinating on Twitter under the handle @Kiwimrsmac.
I enjoyed reading this interview! Amazing how a busy Mom manages her 1,000
words a day!
I know! She must be a very disciplined writer.
This is such a inspiring interview😍
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