Author interview: Rebecca Emin

Today I have the pleasure of talking to Rebecca Emin, one of the most supportive fellow writers out there in the blogosphere.  Rebecca has written poetry and short stories, has had flash fiction published by Ether Books.  And now she’s published a novel for older children and teens.  It’s called ‘New Beginnings’ – a story about overcoming bullying and pursuing your ambitions.  It’s inspiring and affirming (and my daughter loved it).  Here she is answering questions on the book, on digital media and how she manages to juggle everything while also being a full-time mum.

Write your biography in 50 words.

Rebecca Emin lives in Oxfordshire, with her husband and three children. Her debut novel, ‘New Beginnings,’ will be published by Grimoire Books on 23 January 2012. She is currently working on her third novel. Rebecca enjoys writing flash fiction and short stories and is an author for Ether Books.

What’s New Beginnings about?  And can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind it?

New Beginnings is about Sam, who starts at senior school and becomes a victim of bullying. The book shows how she copes with this, develops important friendships both inside and outside of school, and also gains confidence by taking part in activities that she loves like drama and self defence groups.

New Beginnings was my first novel length piece and I have drawn from my own experiences and interests throughout the book, and then expanded on some of them.

Tell us your favourite stage of the writing process.

I absolutely love getting edits back from a beta reader, editor or publisher. By that point I have moulded the story as much as I can on my own without going cross-eyed. I love seeing what a fresh pair of eyes has picked up and especially love suggestions for how to improve my writing.

Apart from writing, what other work do you do?  And how do you manage to juggle everything?

I am a full time mother of children aged 9, 7 and 4. I also do the admin for my husband’s company.

As for juggling everything, I always feel I have too much to do for the available time. Something has to slip. I’m the first to admit I am not a domestic goddess.

What do you do for relaxation?

I like going to a spa for the ultimate break, but obviously can’t do that very often. My favourite way to relax for an evening would be go to see a show at the theatre or the cinema. I also love reading.

How important is digital media to your role as a writer?

I think digital media will become more important as time goes on. Despite my preference for reading paper books, I have recently ordered a Kindle and have already got an iPod Touch which I read short stories on (via the Ether App, which I have several stories on as well). Publishing is evolving all the time, so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years.

Writing wise, what are you working on at the moment?

My second novel is complete and currently seeking a home.  I currently writing a contemporary novel for adults during NaNoWriMo.

I am also working on a short story for Deck The Halls which is an anthology coming out in December from Emergent Publishing. Aside from that I always have several short story and flash fiction pieces on the go at various stages of the writing/editing process.

Finally, name your most precious thing.

That is the easiest question! My children.

You can buy ‘New Beginnings’ on Amazon in the UK and in the US but this week Rebecca is giving away a free copy!  Write a comment below, we’ll put names in a hat and draw out the lucky winner later in the week.

Rebecca’s blog – Ramblings of a Rusty Writer - can be found here.  You can also keep up with Rebecca’s news on Facebook and on Twitter.