Interview with Talli Roland

Talli Roland

Today it gives me great pleasure to have a special guest on my blog for an interview. Talli Roland has three novels available so far, and without further ado, here she is answering my questions:

Hello Talli and welcome to my blog.

For anyone who has yet to discover your books, please could you do a summary of each of your novels using only five words?

Yikes! That’s a tough one to kick off with. Damn you for making me think. Okay, here we go:

The Hating Game: Ball-breaker woman faces four exes.

Watching Willow Watts: Country mouse becomes famous overnight.

Build A Man: Ambitious reporter constructs nation’s perfect man. (Six words, sorry!)

Do you have a favourite of your own novels?

I feel guilty saying this, but yes. I think out of all of them, Build A Man is my favourite. It’s the one I feel is most ‘me'.

Do you draw on personal experiences when you are creating your characters and plot lines?

Inevitably, whether I mean for it to happen for not, personal experiences filter into my writing somehow – not exactly as they’ve occurred in my life, but in a phrase I’ve heard, or a setting. I don’t do it intentionally, but I’m usually surprised at what’s made its way into my work when I look back over my draft.

You have recently blogged about your decision to self publish Build A Man. For any writers who read this, could you tell us if this has been really hard work in comparison to having your books published by a publisher?

Actually, it feels much the same. I worked with an editor and a cover designer on Build A Man, the same way I had with a publisher. I always did my own marketing and promotion, so that hasn’t changed at all. In a way, I find it easier, because now I have complete ownership of my work and timelines.

How easy do you find it to market your books? Any tips for other authors?

It’s never easy to market yourself! But I think the best thing to do is to be interactive. Don’t just push your books at people – take an interest and be genuine, too. Also, be consistent. You can’t do one big push, and then stop blogging and tweeting for months. A little bit each day is the best way to keep top of mind.

This is obviously the most important question of the lot. If you had to give up coffee or wine forever, which one would you chose?

Rebecca! You’re so evil – I can’t believe you’re making me choose. I’d have to say wine, because without coffee, I couldn’t even start my day.

What next? Could you give us a little summary of any other books in progress?

I’m working on Construct A Couple, the sequel to Build A Man. It follows my main character as she attempts to lay the foundation for the ideal relationship. Unfortunately, she soon discovers nothing is ever perfect.

What is your top tip for aspiring writers?

Keep writing, and remember why you write – because you enjoy it. It’s easy to get caught up in the angst of trying to be published. And once you are published, it’s a whole other world of stress! Try to hang on to the joy of creating something you’re proud of.

Thank you for joining me here on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Build A Man Giveaway

This giveaway has finished.

You can find Talli online in the following places (click to follow links):

Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Talli's website

Talli on Twitter

Talli on Facebook

Talli's blog
Talli on Goodreads