Born in New York, Andrea Downing returned in 2008 from the
UK where she lived for most of her life. Having traveled extensively throughout
Europe, Africa and Latin America, she now divides her time between NYC and the
east end of Long Is., punctuated by frequent journeys out west---the area of
the USA she loves best. Her first book, Loveland, was a finalist for
the 2012 RONE Award for Best American Historical. Her 2013 short story, Lawless
Love, was also a finalist for the RONE Award. A novella, Dearest
Darling, part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, came out
Oct. 2014. Also forthcoming Feb. 2015 is Dances of the Heart, a
women's fiction novel. All are published by The Wild Rose Press..
Your real name and pen
name?
Andrea Downing (both)
About your education-
I started a year early and skipped a year into
the bargain so graduated with my BA at age 20—bit of a waste really. Moved on to get an MA at Keele in the UK.
What career did you
plan during your education days
To be an actress or a writer
What languages you can
speak and write?
Two varieties of
English, French and a smattering of Spanish.
What is your biggest
source of inspiration in life
My daughter—she's going to save the world.
What hurts you most in
this world
Stupidity-we're ruining
the world so fast it's mind-boggling.
What is the biggest
challenge you have faced?
Getting the nerve up to send off my work.
How did you overcome
it?
I realized I couldn't
look like any more of an idiot than I already did, and I had nothing to lose.
What is your favorite
genre and why?
Historical fiction. Without a sense of where we've come from, we
can't possibly know what the next best move is.
When did you start
writing?
Around age 6 I think—I
wrote a story in my notebook. Still do…
What is the purpose of
your writing?
To amuse, entertain and
hopefully educate; to take people away from their
present lives and put them in the shoes of other people.
Which of your works
has been published so far?
See bio please.
Would you like to
share a synopsis of your work, Dearest Darling?
Excerpt:
The mercantile was a marvel to her. A large store carrying about everything and
anything someone could want out here. Barrels of apples, their perfume vying
with the aroma of coffee. Rows of canned peaches and beans, brightly labeled.
Bolts of fabrics and piles of overalls and blue jeans. Racks of handguns and
rifles, cartons of ammunition. Rolls of chicken wire and shelves of implements,
tools for farm and ranch and home. Jars of sweet candies and a stack of
newspapers and books. Emily’s eyes were big with wonder and Daniel was rewarded
to see it as she did, the color, the diversity, the spectacle, not just the
practicality of things in a jam-packed shop with sawdust on the floor. And then
he shook his head to remove the distractions, concentrate on the matter at
hand.
“What
can I do for you today, Dan? Not your usual day in town.”
His
sideways glance caught Emily suppressing a smile.
“Dan?”
she smirked.
He
gulped a breath and ignored her. “Hey, Jason, how ya doin’? My cousin here is
just out from New York, looking to make a new life. We wondered if there was
any work going she might take up. And I do have a list, as usual.” He tried to
put a cheerful, friendly note in his voice, something he was definitely not
feeling.
The
shopkeeper took the list and studied it, shaking his head. “No work as I know
of. With summer coming, some things might open up. We always get folks moving
in, mebbe starting up businesses, in summer. But nothing as yet. You might want
to check back in a week or two. Or there’s the saloon. I heared Ben’s been
looking for someone to clean up each morning, but whether you’d want your kin
working there, well, that’s another matter.”
Emily
stepped forward. “Where is it? The saloon?”
“No!”
Damn woman. Daniel sucked in a breath. “You’re not working there,” he
said more gently.
Jason’s
gaze shot from one to the other. “’Course, I didn’t mean nothing by mentioning
it. Mebbe shoulda kept my mouth shut.”
Daniel
locked on Emily’s hard stare. Her anger was evident, but she stayed silent.
“Well.
I’ll get this order together. Be about fifteen minutes. Can you wait?”
“Sure thing,” Daniel said and grabbed Emily by
the wrist. He dragged her outside after him, almost tossing her against the
hitching rail.
“If
it’s the only job?” She stomped her foot. “I don’t belong to you, you can’t
tell me—”
“I
can. And I am. You made yourself my responsibility...” They were shouting, and
he lowered his voice, his gaze darting around. “You made yourself my
responsibility the day you took those tickets and came out to me.” He let this
sink in, reining in his own truculence. “You’re gonna do what I say, and I’ll
make the dang decisions. You got that?” He waited for a response. “I said, do
you understand?”
Emily
crossed her arms. “You said, ‘you got that,’ not ‘do you understand.’” Smugness
was written across her face, her lips a thin, tight line, her eyes round with
the correction.
Daniel
straightened. Then he laughed. And he laughed a little more. “Oh, heck.” He
lifted his hat briefly, swept the hair out of his eyes, and set the hat back on
his head. “How the hell did this happen to me?”
What are your
forthcoming writings?
Dances of the Heart, a full-length women's fiction novel, comes
out Feb. 2015. I am also working on
another full-length novel—or 2…
What genres you write
in and why?
My first three books are all historical
western romances but I seem to be moving away from that a bit as the next one
is contemporary, and after that, who knows—a mix! It's just whatever comes into my head
story-wise; I don't set out to specifically write in one genre or another.
What keeps you
motivating towards writing?
Escapism and a need to get the characters who
are talking in my head down on paper.
How do you plan,
schedule and monitor your writing commitments?
I don't. I'm at an age where family, health issues and
other commitments get in the way. I do
what I can when I can.
What are your future
plans?
To keep writing for as
long as possible, interspersed with as much travel as possible.
What is generally your
preference in reading – a paper book or ebook? And why?
When I travel I now find an ereader very convenient because I
certainly can't stuff my bag with 9 paperbacks the way I used to, before they
brought in all the airline regulations.
But I prefer paperbacks in general; I like to be able to easily refer
back to earlier scenes, I like the feel of paper in my hands—although I have to
say I occasionally miss the ease of the ebook dictionary to look up the
occasional word.
What four top most
things you take care of while writing a book?
GMC, characterization, plot and language.
How much real life
goes into a fiction writing?
You cannot create characters in a vacuum; they have to come in
bits and pieces from people you know, people you've observed, events in your
life or ones you know about.
Is high level of
imagination important to have for an Author?
Where else would the story come from? Even if it's based on history, you have to
have the imagination to implement the tale.
Your dream destination
on Earth?
I'm happiest out west,
particularly in Wyoming.
Your origin of birth
and other countries you have visited/ stayed.
Born in NYC but if I listed every country I've been in, I'm afraid
this would be a very long interview.
Let's just say I've covered virtually all of Europe, a lot of Africa
including Nigeria where I lived for a bit, a good chunk of South America, and,
at last count, about 24 states in the USA—which number I hope to increase next
summer.
What best things you
liked in these countries around the globe?
The diversity of cultures, being educated and enlightened by the
differences in people.
Your favorite time of
the day?
I'm an evening person.
Your zodiac/ sunsign?
Aries
Your favorite color
and why?
Black—it looks good with everything.
What is the last book
you finished reading?
The Lie by Helen Dunmore
What is the current
book you are reading?
American History Revised:
200 Startling Facts that Never Made It into the Textbooks by Seymour Morris, Jr.
Your favorite movie
and why?
The Blind Side because it makes me feel
good about the world
Your favorite food?
Chocolate, what else?
Your favorite sports?
Horseback riding
What is the force that
drives you?
Love for my daughter
What comes to your
mind when you think of India?
Gandhi
Some quickies: Sun or
Moon, Moon
Laughter or Smile, Laughter!
Morning or Evening, Evening
Coffee or Tea, Tea early morning and late afternoon, coffee mid-morning
Mountain or Sea, Mountain
Long Drive or Short
Drive, Long road trip
Silence or
Conversation, Depends on time of day
and mood
Water or Fire, Fire
Air or Earth, Earth
Mars or Jupiter, Neither—Earth again
Tulip or Rose, Peony actually
Red or Blue, Blue
Left or Right, Both
Glance or Stare, Glance
Fame or Money, Neither--Happiness
Boy or Girl, Girl
Day or Night, Both
Tree or Plant, Tree
Love or Passion Love
First thing you do in
the morning after waking up?
Look at the clock
Last thing to do
before sleep?
Look at the clock
If one fine morning
you wake up and find your sex changed to opposite, what will be your first
reaction?
Oh, shit
State your signature
line/ tagline/ best quote
"What
we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a
beginning. The end is where we start from." T.S. Eliot
The last line of your
autobiography would be…
And so I went off on my
last great adventure
The title of your
autobiography would be…
The Reinvention of Life
Links & other
relevant details:
WEBSITE AND BLOG: http://andreadowning.com
Twitter: @andidowning
https://twitter.com/AndiDowning
Email: andidowning@gmail.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=124888740&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:
http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Downing/e/B008MQ0NXS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
LOVELAND:
Amazon: (print) http://www.amazon.com/Loveland-Andrea-Downing/dp/1612173233/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
http://www.amazon.com/Loveland-ebook/dp/B008VEXSB0
Barnes and Noble: (ebook) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loveland-andrea-downing/1112486451?ean=2940014874021
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=991&zenid=8056610c65a9d0f13b6883882eb494a6
LAWLESS LOVE:
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=991&zenid=8056610c65a9d0f13b6883882eb494a6
DEAREST DARLING:
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