Author Bio:
Lexa has written most of my life, but she came to novel writing late in life, she was 72 when her first novel was published, so she believes in never giving up.
She lives at home in Suffolk UK with her husband and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, seven geese and until this year two ex racehorses. She has four sons, eight grand children which keep her busy.
Holidays are spent in Sardina as part research and part real enjoyment of seeing friends made over the years.
Now nearly 80 she still enjoys writing and is on the final edit of her latest book ‘Love in Another Time’ which, like her other two novels, ‘The Whispering Wind’ and ‘Children of the Mists’ is set in Sardinia.
What inspires you to write?
I have always kept a journal to record the memorable things in my life. Having four sons there were loots of things to jot down or write about at length.
My first real writing came after visiting Sardinia in 1972. I returned home and sat down to write my first novel, ‘The Whispering Wind’
sending it off to Publishers, only to receive enough rejection letters to paper the bathroom.
With family commitments and helping my husband to run his business and moving; I put my masterpiece away and forgot all about it.
It wasn’t until I retired that, finding myself at a lost, I took out the manuscript and re read it.
I could see why I had all the rejections, so I sat down and rewrote the book; which this time was more successful.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am an outliner. I carry a moleskin notebook with me all the time, if I think of something I write it down. It is amazing how you forget the wonderful idea you had while out shopping, when you return to the computer.
I do write the first two drafts in longhand as I like the contact of pen or pencil to the page, it helps the words to flow with out worrying about typing.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes I talk to my characters all the time and they talk to me. they certainly tell me if I try to make them do something they would not want to do!
Who are your favorite authors?
I love the old writers, Daphne du Maurier, the Brontes; unfortunately I don’t get a lot of time to read; but I do love listening to books when I am ironing on Mondays. It tends to be books by Graham Hancock with all his theories about civilisation etc, really mind blowing. Then I like romance sagas such as Lesley Pearce, Karen Swan and of course Gill Paul who I love.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I think everyone who writes would like to see their work in print. I sent my first novel, which I had rewritten to a number of publishers and got it accepted, but they wanted my to change the ending. This was not something I wanted to do, although I did write a different ending, but hated it, it never sat right.
My husband and I have always worked for ourselves, so he said, if they were willing to publish half of it, we can publish the whole.
I searched the self publishing world and went to Troubador and found them extremely helpful.
The result was two finalist prizes in the US for indie books, which at the age of 72 and never having won a prize before, I found it rather amazing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Publishing will always be there while people are willing to write. It will change; some people are happy to have a reader or iphone, but many still like to hold a book in their hand. As a lover and collector of books I know I love the feel of a book and if it has been signed by the author, it holds a special place in my heart.
What genres do you write?
Literary fiction, Romance
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Lexa Dudley Home Page Link
Follow Lexa Dudley On Amazon
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
