Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Lorraine and I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my 14-year-old dog, Jed.
I am writing a six-part novel serial, “A Life Singular”, a story languishing inside me since I was a teenager. I have enjoyed a long career as an IT professional which has taken me to many countries and has set me up well for the world of e-books and digital publishing!
After a set of unfortunate circumstances, I have been a longstanding sufferer of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and all the symptoms that go with it, and decided to use my novel serial for two purposes: first, to inspire other sufferers of mental illness to work through and triumph over it, and second, to inform non-sufferers that it is possible to co-exist with us. We will all thrive with mutual respect, love and support.
I have recently finished Part Two of the six, and am about to embark on Part Three. It will be available by June 2014. I hope you enjoy the serial. Please visit my website (http://www.ALifeSingular.net) and leave a comment if you did, or a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Thank you very much for supporting independent authors! Sales proceeds go to The Smith Family and the School Volunteer Program, two Australian non-profit organisations helping children in need to achieve their potential.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“A Life Singular – Part One” and “A Life Singular – Part Two” are both available now. Essentially a love story, the original idea for the story has been with me since I was a teenager, and is based on a fascination for celebrity and how many stars seem to struggle in their private lives, despite being wealthy and blessed with the adulation of their fans.
The serial is based around a successful man writing his autobiography after the tragic loss of his wife, at the hands of a rogue gunman. I wanted to reveal the humanity behind celebrity, and to help readers to explore the world of mental illnesses such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression through a love story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any particularly unusual writing habits, except that my old hound is always beside me, either snoring or breaking wind, and sometimes both! I love coffee, so there is normally an empty coffee mug beside me, just waiting to be filled and emptied again.
Since I am an e-chick, my editing process may be somewhat unusual. When I’m ready with a draft of a few chapters, I create an e-book and download it onto my tablet. This allows me to pick up inconsistencies and typos much more easily and imagine I’m a reader rather than a writer!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My influences are wide-ranging. I love Victor Hugo, Eugene Ionescu and Honoré de Balzac from French literature, and am a freak for thoughtful song lyrics from Don Henley, Billy Joel and Bernie Taupin, among many others. Most of all, I’m influenced by real life and by heroic stories of personal triumph.
What are you working on now?
“A Life Singular – Part Three” is currently about 40% complete. I’m always working on all remaining parts, to make sure they all remain consistent. I hope to have Part Three available by June 2014.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am casting my net really wide to promote my serial. I prefer to use my own website (http://www.ALifeSingular.net) for sales, because I want to direct sales proceeds to my chosen charities, The Smith Family and the School Volunteer Program.
I also have a blog at http://ALifeSingular.com and use Goodreads, Shelfari and of course, AwesomeGang!!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am still very much learning myself, but one piece of advice I wish I had in advance was to watch out for self-publishing companies’ policies on sexual content. Part Two of my serial was going to be so heavily censored that it would have negated the entire premise for that section of my story, therefore I lost my money and was left with a one-part serial!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tweet, tweet, tweet! Twitter has become such a powerful tool. As an introvert Anglo-Australian, constant promotion is counter-culture, but I need to get over it!
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading the Rose Gardner Mysteries by Denise Grover Swank. This is a bit of light relief, as a reward for finishing Colm Toibin’s Testament of Mary and then the complete essays of Michel de Montaigne, which was extremely heavy going!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Having recently moved back to Melbourne after five years in Perth, I need to find a job. I wish I could write full-time, but I will need to sell a lot of books to be able to do this.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would be lost without an Internet connection, so a very diverse selection it would have to be: something French and classic, a contemporary romance or two and probably a book on boat-building!
Author Websites and Profiles
Lorraine Pestell Website
Lorraine Pestell Amazon Profile
Lorraine Pestell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Lorraine Pestell is a post from Awesome Gang