This weeks Author of the Week is Aimee Wolfenden, the author of Mystique, a vampire hunter with a difference is out now on Amazon.
Hi Aimee, welcome to the spotlight, Tell me a little about yourself.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who inhabited a small town known as Stourbridge, nestled in the land known as West Midlands, a Kingdom known as the United! Her parents raised her as well as her siblings; a rebel older brother and a kind twin brother. This girl was called Aimee. I’ll let her take over now.
Hi everyone! Wow, this is always the hardest part! Describing myself! Well, I am 26, I live my fiancée, we have 2 fur babies with whiskers and tails, and I am a part-time author! I say part-time because I have a full-time job; working for the NHS. Any time off I have I use to try and write, promote, socialise and complete everything in-between! My ultimate goal would be to work part-time for the NHS and spend more of my energy on my books! Maybe one day, who knows! My other hobbies are just as creative! I love to do interior decorating, any little project I can get my hands on to make it look pretty! I also like games! I’m a bit of a child at times; Pokemon and Animal Crossing are hands down my favourite! My other hobby, or other love, is to travel. I need it like air! Rome and Barcelona are my favourite places so far but I’m sure that list will grow – next on my plan, New York!
I can see this interview is going to be fun! What got you into writing?
I’ve been an avid reader since a child and I remember writing since Primary school! A vivid memory is every Wednesday we would have ‘Writing Hour’ where we had to write a short story. Lining up outside the classroom we would walk in slowly and be given a glittery pencil. We would sit and write for that hour. I would always ask for extra paper and end up writing 3 or 4 pages back and front! But I guess if I had to pinpoint it, books would be the answer. I was a shy, timid child so I just fell headfirst, like Alice into the amazing Wonderland of books and stories! I have never left since.
I love to read to, you can lose yourself in a new world! What’s the main thing you love and hate about writing?
LOVE: How open it is. Like a vast ocean. Anything is possible and everything goes. Writers will sail on the same waves but set in different directions and obtain a variety of experiences each slightly different to everyone else.
HATE: How long the process can feel and how it can cause you to judge yourself. When you have spent months working on a great book and you re-read over and over, I find myself at times, doubting my own ability.
Ah Aimee, so many authors I interview say that! I think it is a fault in all authors. Who is the worst villain you’ve ever written, and why?
Oooh, do you mean worst as in a best villain or worst as in the most awful villain I’ve ever written? Either way, I’ve only written one book so I have only written one or two villains. To be honest, I think I can say I’ve got a greater villain to come in future stories.
I can't wait to meet him or her! What is next on your list to write/publish?
My second book of my Mystique series. I want to get these finished before releasing any others. You have no idea how many stories I have swimming round in my mind!
Oh I can imagine, we never seem to have enough time to get them down on paper, do we? Who is your favourite author, and why?
Oh tough question!! So tough! I would have to say, Becca Fitzpatrick is one that springs to mind. Her fallen angel series of Hush Hush had me hooked! And of course, I love Kimberley Derting for her book The Pledge. So creative, I couldn’t put it down!
I'll have to check them out. Who encouraged you the most to write?
Honestly, that’s a little tricky. I kept my writing pretty much to myself. I had no need to tell people because I never planned to do anything with it. It was my hobby. Nothing more. What ended up happening was I started printing out the story chapter by chapter and put it away in a folder. My mother found it! She’s the worlds harshest critique. I came home to find her reading it! My heart sank! I thought she’d hate it. But in the end, it took me 30 minutes to convince her it was my story! She believed someone else had written it from the internet. So that gave me a slight boost. A sort off, “well, if she liked it maybe that’s a good sign!” About 2 weeks later I came across a local writing group notice hanging up on the board in my local town and it rolled from there. All the lovely people I met from the group were amazing and really prompted me and gave me the encouragement to write! So to answer the question, my mother and my local Stourbridge group! (I wish I could name you all.)
Are you as avid a reader as a writer?
Since the adult life sneaked up on me, no I haven’t read nearly as much as I would like to. However, that is slowly changing with me aiding my fellow authors in a book swap. We read and promote each other’s work and leave reviews. That’s put me back in the swing of reading books again.
Sounds like a good idea. What’s your favourite genre?
Fantasy. Fiction. YA. I can’t decide! Too many great genres!
You know it's often hard to pin one down. Do you listen to music when you write?
I listen to music. It helps me with getting an emotional feel to whatever I’m writing. If I’m writing a sad scene I’ll listen to whatever sad song I think brings out that scene and listen on a loop, till I got what I need. It’s also fun to imagine your book as a film and think “yeah this song would fit in with this action scene!”
If you could interview any famous author who would it be and why?
Probably Stephen King. His imagination knows no bounds and so I would love to pick his brains.
Tell me a secret that none of your fans know!
I’m quite an open person so this is hard... but I love a long soak in the bath. I get lost on the internet and can lose track of time. I am also not an overly tidy person... I will leave clothes on a small pile by my side of the bed...
Three for the price of one! Tell me what your main character would say about you!
“I wouldn’t admit it to her face, but I’d love to have her as an older sister. She’s kind and sweet and would make a great babysitter for Hilary. Aimee isn’t squeamish when it comes to blood.”
How sweet, finally, any words of advice?
The best advice I can give for anyone who wants to write or be an author is this:
Look at it like a hobby all the way through. If something amazing happens and it becomes successful, great! It’s a bonus! If it doesn’t, it don’t matter, it was a hobby and you enjoy doing it! Now I’m not saying to not push yourself and not go for things. What I am saying is life may not turn out how you hope, but that doesn’t mean it should drown you out of the joy of doing what you love, regardless of whatever success does or does not happen. It’s about doing what you love. You write to write a story, not to make money.
Thanks, Aimee, for making time in your busy schedule to interview for us! If you want to find out more about Aimee, please look or her at the following links:-
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ajwoolfenden
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aj_woolfenden
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AJWoolfenden
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aimee_woolf
Disclaimer. The opinions and views expressed in the article are the interviewees and may differ from the interviewer/general public. The works and images published here may be subject to the Authors copyright, please do not copy the images or claim them as your own.