Interview Olivia Winter

by

Marja McGraw

1. What made you decide to set your book in South Africa on a game ranch, and do you have a personal history in South Africa?

I set my book, Bright Star Safari, on a South African game ranch because I was born in South Africa and have lived in the wilds for a large part of my life. I love the bushveld and the wild animals that are part of it, so it was not a difficult decision to make.

2. Can you give a hint as to the type of danger that might lie ahead for Amanda?

Without giving too much of the story away I can tell that Amanda faces kidnapping and a race for survival in a wilderness teeming with dangerous wild animals.

3. Does Bright Star Safari have a strong romantic storyline?

Yes indeed! Bright Star Safari is first and foremost a love story so there is strong emphasis on romance. The danger the protagonists face adds a new dimension, but it is love that triumphs in the end.

4. How do you choose your protagonists and other characters? Do they come from people you've known in real life?

I guess some of the characters are drawn from people I know and some from people I wished I knew. But once I start writing, the characters take on a life of their own.

5. Now for a little about you. How long have you been writing?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but Bright Star Safari is my first full length novel.

6. How did you get into the business of writing?

I'm an avid reader and read anything and everything I can lay my hands on, so I guess it was pretty natural for me to try my hand at writing a story of my own.

7. What do you look for in the future of your career as a writer?

I'm excited about the release of Bright Star Safari and look forward to writing many more novels.

8. Where do your stories come from?

The story might start with a real life happening, but from then on it's imagination all the way. Once started, there's no shortage of ideas.

9. Do they contain a thread of truth or are they purely fictional?

The stories are all fictional, but they're set in real places and based on truths that COULD happen. I hope readers will enjoy the journey to a very beautiful and exotic land.

10. Do you have one particular story inside you that's just begging to be written?

I think all authors have that one special story. I certainly have. I plan to write it very soon.

11. Do you have any advice for new authors? Is there something that's proved to be particularly important to your career?

Believe in yourself first. Then sit down and draft a rough outline of the story you want to write. From then on the only advice I can give is to write and keep on writing. And keep on writing...