Anna Rashbrook Interview Published on: 14, May 2024
How have your various roles and experiences, from managing a farm to becoming a librarian, influenced your writing?
I’ve only really used my farm and animal experiences so far in my books.
You've lived in multiple countries throughout your life. How has your international background shaped the settings and cultural elements in your novels?I’ve only set one book in Austria where I lived and I loved writing my experiences and memories into this.
Your novels often feature horses and dogs prominently. Can you tell us about your personal connection to these animals and how they find their way into your storytelling?I’ve had dogs and horses all my life. They are part of me and they write themselves into my books even when I try not to have them there.
You mention that your novels are based on your Christian faith. How does spirituality influence your writing process and the themes you explore in your books?I write in the desire to share what I believe, even if it is only gently, so that maybe someone will begin to think about God and who he is.
Your books encompass a wide range of genres, from memoirs to supernatural thrillers. What draws you to explore such diverse storytelling styles?I get bored with writing one sort of book and like to try new things. My memoirs are my witness to the world of my life as a Christian.
Can you share with us your journey into equine therapy and how it has informed your writing, particularly in regards to the human-animal bond?I worked in a college in the UK, where students with Learning Disabilities who loved horses came on a three year residential course and we used the horses as a way of teaching them. Horses reflect us, our emotions and state of mind, often when we are totally unaware of that. I used this when I worked with non ridden therapy where you give exercises to people on foot and learn things about themselves that the horses reveal to them. This is why I wrote my Horses and Souls series.
Managing a holiday home business must have presented its own set of challenges and adventures. How have these experiences translated into the narratives of your novels.I could write a really funny book about our experiences but haven’t got to that yet!
Your books often feature rural settings. What attracts you to writing about the countryside, and how do you create vivid and immersive landscapes in your storytelling?I love the countryside and describing places that I know and have lived in are very real to me as I write, such as the location in Legacy.
Tangled relationships and drama seem to be recurring themes in your novels. What draws you to explore the complexities of human connections in your writing?Untangled relationships aren’t interesting to write or read!
Could you share some insights into your writing process? How did you approach the creation of characters and plot in your novel, "Dear Boot"?Dear Boot isn’t a novel. It’s a collection of the letters my mother and I wrote to each other when I spent a year working in Switzerland in the 1970s.
Many of your novels are set in the countryside. How do you balance the tranquil beauty of rural life with the dramatic tension that drives your stories?Rural life is often the best backdrop for strong emotions as nature can often echo what is going on in the plot.
As a librarian, you must have encountered a wide variety of literature. Are there any authors or books that have particularly inspired or influenced your writing style?I love the author Elizabeth Goudge, and have read her books all my life, but my writing is fails to reach her wonderful spirituality.
Your memoir, "Finding" offers glimpses into your own life experiences. What prompted you to share these personal stories with your readers, and how does writing memoir differ from crafting fiction?The trilogy which Finding is part of is my witness to the world of my faith and journey with God. I felt he was telling me to write it all down, so I did. I have always kept a diary so it was simply a case of reading them and making them into a readbale form.
Are there specific authors or books that have had a significant impact on your writing style or storytelling approach?Probably all the horse books I’ve always read!
When did you join AllAuthor? What has your experience been like?Brilliant, it’s been fun on here. I joined as I saw it was a growing and really good promotional site.
