guest author of the month: renita d'silva

Renita D'Silva is the Best-Selling author of The Forgotten Daughter.

What got you into writing?
I love stories and have always wanted to write. But it was only when my children started school that I had time to indulge my passion, do something about it. I enrolled in a creative writing course at the local adult education centre. My stories were liked by the other participants and our tutor urged me to send them off. Many of them got published, a few won competitions and appeared in anthologies and a couple were even nominated for awards. That gave me the confidence to try my hand at writing a full length novel. I haven’t looked back since.
 
What do you like to write about?
Families. The ever-changing, constantly evolving dynamics between family members, intrigue me. I am riveted by the secrets prevalent in families and this fascination has made its way into my books.
 
What is your writing process? Tell us one unique or quirky habit you have when it comes to writing.
I write when and where I can. I don’t have unique or quirky habits as such but I do drink copious amounts of tea.
 
What was your inspiration for your latest book?
I have always been intrigued by the relationship between sisters. There is love there and sibling rivalry too. What if something happened to test that bond, stretch it to breaking point? Would the sibling bond be strong enough to weather it? Would the relationship recover? These questions percolated in my mind. I imagined a woman picking up her phone and hearing her sister’s voice after a silence of twenty years. And it went from there.
 
 What is your goal for the next five years? Any new books in the pipeline, or any off-shoot projects from your current book?
I have just finished the edits for my latest book. Fingers crossed – I hope my editor likes it. Goals for the future:  To write more books J
What is your most important message to your readers?
Thank you so much for choosing to read my books, for your reviews and messages and support. It means the world to me!
 
What is your advice to aspiring writers?

1. Finish your book and work and rework it until it is the best it can possibly be.
2. Research your publisher/agent before sending your book off to them. Make sure they accept unsolicited submissions from writers in your genre. It will save you a lot of heartache.
3. Don’t be disheartened by rejection. Easy to say, I know, but remember everybody gets rejected.
4. Believe in yourself. There will always be people who’ll not like your writing but equally, there will be many others who will.
5. Don’t give up. It only takes one person to say yes to publishing you and they might be the next person you send your work to.

You can contact Renita at ​http://renitadsilva.com
Her Amazon author page: Renita D'Silva.

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