Thank you Nadia for dropping by for an interview. We have heard a lot about your book Enthralled in the last few days. Now we would like to learn a little about you.
So here goes:
1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change?
To be honest nothing! I try never to regret anything I do in life no matter how it turns out. I view my writing career through the same lense. Good or bad, each experience has been invaluable and has made me a better writer so why on earth would I want to change it?!
2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer?
The best advice I have ever received was along the lines of “you are the only one that can stand in your way.” I believe that wholeheartedly. You can be your greatest champion or your biggest enemy. It is all about how you view the situation.
3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Indian Empress Nu Jahan. She rose to power during a time in the Mughal Empire when women were seen and not heard. She was ridiculed and despised because she refused to be dictated by the rules of society. I have always enjoyed reading about her life and the more I learn about her the more impressed I become.
4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?
Ariel, The Little Mermaid! I know that sounds corny, but I have ALWAYS wanted to be a mermaid which is why I was a competitive swimmer growing up and is the reason why I continue to do a lot of water sports. I just love the water and if I could meet Ariel IN THE WATER of course--not when she got her feet--then I could also be a mermaid for a day or for however long our meeting lasts!
5) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for?
I hope they remember that I was a loyal and loving person with a passion for life and for people.
6) How do you balance your personal and writing time?
Like most folks I have a lot on my plate, but if I am going to devote myself to a writing career then I need to do both my day job, my other activities as well as set aside time to write so I set a 10,000 words per week writing goal. As a writer you can set whatever writing goal you want but 10,000 per week works for me. The great thing about setting a weekly goal is that somedays I may not write at all whereas other days I may write all day. In the end I ALWAYS make my goal which allows me to get everything-OKAY MOST things done!
7) How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
I usually just start writing and then once it gets too complicated to keep up with storylines, language and things like that I sit down and outline the chapters.
8) What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write erotic romance and within that genre my themes fall under multicultural/interracial, contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi and historical. Now I got into this genre because I wanted to see more interracial and multicultural erotic romance novels so I figured if that is what I wanted then I needed to write them myself!
9) Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
Candace from Enthralled because this is my FIRST published novel!!! I love my heroine! She is strong and corageous, yet at the same time there is a vulnerability about her. Mainly she is motivated by a desire to be a good ruler. To do what is right. Many people say that as a writer you should stay away from developing characters that are loosely based upon your own personality, which I will say in this case I did! However, I would like to think that a few of my own personality traits ended up in Candace which of course endears her to me. When you read Enthralled I think you will find that you can't help but cheer for Candace. She has so much to deal with and yet she remains poised through everything. She compromises but not at the expense of who she is. I love that about her and I hope the readers do too!
10) If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie?
Angela Bassett! I looooovvvveee her! She is just so amazingly talented and she possesses such a rare beauty and grace. Everything that she does is wonderful. I love her!
11) What would you want readers to take away from your books?
Set in a fantasy world Enthralled takes you into another realm and introduces you to characters that you only dream of! It is a perfect erotic romance because it has all of the critical elements, dominant men, feisty women and a lot of sensuality! I hope when readers open Enthralled that they feel like they are plunged into another world that they don't want to leave even after the final page.
12) Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Well since I consider myself a beginning writer too I guess I would tell them what someone told me. Rejection is a big part of this business but don't let it set the standard for your talent and your work. Just because someone isn't interested in publishing your story doesn't mean it is not a great story and shouldn't be told. Many publishers follow the trends of the market because ultimately their goal is to make money! As an author I respect that but as an "artist" I believe that there is SOMEBODY out there that wants to hear what I have to say. Twelve publishing houses passed on JK Rowling's first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Sone before a small press decided to pick her up. I bet all of those acquisitions editors are looking for new jobs! In all seriousness, when I reflect on her story it just drives me more. I truly believe that the critical factor in achieving success in this business is to simply believe in your passion. It may take days or it may take years before someone takes a chance on your book, but don't stop. Don't give up, because in the end your love for writing and your dedication to your craft will define how far you go as an author and your ultimate SUCCESS in this business. So just keep on plugging along to the next publisher/person because you have to ALWAYS believe in your talent and your work even if nobody else does.
13) Where can readers buy a copy of your book?
From my website at www.nadiaaidan.com
14) What other projects are you working on right now?
I am working on a five book contemporary series titled Friends and Lovers. The first title, Sweet Revenge is currently under review with an editor and hopefully it will be released in the next few months. This is actually the first book I ever wrote so it is very dear to my heart.
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