Andrea Roche Interview Published on: 11, Mar 2020

Not really, Mostly because I believed everyone was able to make up stories in their head. I thought it was nothing special to have an imagination and be able to verbalize my thoughts. A child wants to please their parents and my parent didn’t prize that ability. I didn’t find until many years later not everyone had flights of fantasy, and it was a special ability. Having spent so many years in your childhood home, which is your most cherished memory?

When I was very young, we had a swing set in the yard. Playing on the swings with my sisters and their friends is a dear memory. Being I was the baby of the family they were always careful with me when we were on the swing set. They paid special attention that the “baby” wouldn’t get hurt. It made me feel very special. In life, who has been your biggest inspiration as an author?

Without a doubt – Jane Austen. The way she had of turning a phrase was masterful. Also her ability to tell a story and placing the reader in midst of the scene was perfect. There was so much she had to sacrifice as a woman. But, look what she has left behind. She is legendary. In What ways do you think your writing will instill in your readers the idea that a woman can find their independence while keeping homegrown values?

In my story, my main character became an independent businesswoman. Her values, which were instilled to her by her mentor, are that people are all created equal. She values everyone’s life and believes everyone deserves a chance.

Because she runs her family’s plantation in the 1600’s era, there are servants who work the fields. Arose keeps her values by treating them as equals, freeing them to come and go as they please, giving them nice homes, and the children educations. How did scrolling through the pictures of your honeymoon in Jamaica inspired you to start writing?

While my husband and I were in Jamaica, we visited a mansion called ‘Rose Hall’. When I stepped out of the bus, I was inundated with emotions and visions of things that happened on the grounds in the past. The voices and images stayed with me for years in the back of my mind. They never pushed me until I opened the picture album and remembered what was going on in my head at that time.

I did tons of research I will tell you just some here:
 I researched and noted so many things. What dresses she may be wearing as a maid at her sisters wedding and the colors she may be wearing. Of course having her own mind, she wouldn’t wear that dress so I researched another dress of the time which would be more provocative
 I research the names of ships that were in the ocean at that time. The Golden Sun was the name of a French ship I used as her Uncle’s galleon.
 In 1692, the town of Port Royal in Jamaica was hit by an earthquake, which was followed by a tidal wave. Stories abounded about why the town was wiped off the map. The common belief was that it was God’s retribution for the wickedness of the pirates of the town. One ship made it out before the tidal wave hit. My characters escaped on that ship.
 Recently in the sandy underwater graveyard of the fallen town, a pocket watch was found. I used the watch and the time it said on it in my book.
 I also research the history of Jamaica and found that many indentured servants were given homes on the sugar plantations and were treated more as sharecroppers than they were slaves. I used this in my story.
 I always loved pirate lore and used the fact that women were believed to be bad luck on ships, so many dressed as men. I made her dress as a man for part of her life so she can live on the sea much like Jacquotte Delahaye and Anne Dieu-Le-Veut, (who actually turns up in my second book as the mother of her husband.)

My education was the cornerstone to my ability to write and sell my books. Encouragement from professors in my lit classes drove me to successfully finish Nights Arose. The ability to make great adverts and marketing tools were learned and polished in not only school but in practice while I was working in my family company.

Making great ads and knowing how to speak to people and get their interest are all things I learned in college. They are both steps in marketing your book to your market and yourself to the customer.

The sugar plantation I first felt the spirits is called Rose Hall. I felt a story that needed to be told around the name. I changed it to Arose for how she came up from the ashes of her scattered life just as the night comes up out of the day.

I love my ads and book trailers. One time I did a week’s worth of ads where I introduced the characters of my book, one every other day.

People kept checking back to see who I was posting that day. It was a great selling technique.

I have also won several awards for Nights Arose. I always add them to my adverts. I also post reviews for my stories on Twitter and Facebook and my blog.

I never set out to write a story and constantly doubted I could make it work! A couldn’t imagine someone would be interested in the stories I made in my imagination. My biggest motivation was my mother’s words telling me I can do anything and be anything I wanted to be.

After her death, I wanted to show my family and myself I could live up to her expectations.

I loved it! I was simply in my element with the entire cosplay. I am a Trekkie, Star Wars, (I’m definitely a Sith!) and most especially a PIRATE. I went to the Convention with my best Pirate Costume on. I took pictures with Bumblebee from the Transformers and with my favorite Sith cosplayer and actress Deanna Martin. (Who is now the proud owner of a personally signed copy of Nights Arose.)

I love reading and read about 2 to 3 books a month. I usually leave my thoughts for the author to review. And if the book is especially good I love to rave about it in hopes to spread the good word for the author.

Reviews are so important and I read every single one and take them all to heart. I have learned so much about writing- what works and what doesn’t in my writing. I have found so many people like my style of writing and enjoy the messages they are taking away from the story. What I have found as a consensus is that people are swept away by my descriptions of the scenes and locations. That is such a great takeaway from a review.

Nights Arose ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, although I believe it is great as a stand-alone. Right now, I am working on the continuation of Arose’s story. It goes deeper into the story of the antagonist and turns her into the anti-hero.

Courageous!

I first saw AllAuthor on Twitter. I found the site and learned of the cover contests. I entered and made it high in the rankings. I really appreciate the exposure AllAuthor has given to Nights Arose.