Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I was born in and spent all of my childhood in Cambridge, Ontario. My family did not move outside of Cambridge during my childhood.
When and how did you decide that you wanted to write?
Around the time when I was in third grade, so eight years old, I remember writing a bunch of stories in my ‘creative notebook’ given to me by my teacher. Out of all the stories I wrote in that notebook, I never finished a single one. I liked writing and had the passion to express my ideas on paper, but I always had a hard time completing a story. Throughout elementary school, I was a terrible speller and needed extra help in my curriculum when it came to writing. My spelling and writing skills didn’t get sharper until the end of high school and into college, thus giving me more motivation to write as my skills expanded along with my confidence. Writing has always been a side hobby. I do not want to make writing my main source of income.
Is it necessary to experience something to write about it?
I don’t think so. For me, I didn’t experience anything that I wrote about in my book. I believe writing is something that blooms from a single idea. It’s where you take that idea, unfolding many layers as you go, that turns it into a story.
Why did it take you eight, long years to finally published your first novel?
Let Me Save You took me eight years to publish because I began writing it without knowing what to do with it. At first, I was writing this story for fun, with the hopes of just some close, personal friends reading it and giving feedback. When year seven came along, the story was still not finished. I had two chapters left to write and type up but didn’t have any motivation to write them, even though I had the final chapters laid out on paper. I didn’t get serious about wanting to finish and publish my book until I spoke with my husband’s cousin, Telma Rocha (author of The Angolan Girl and From Far And Wide), who at the time was writing her first book, ‘The Angolan Girl’. I found out that she was also writing a book and was in the same situation I was. She was learning how to self-publish and began helping me out to do the same, step-by-step with trial and error. She became my mentor – my Sensei. My book would not be published today without her help and guidance.
Who inspired the character of Seventeen-year-old, Nila Izawa, in “Let Me Save You”?
In all honesty, I don’t know. No one has ever asked me this question before. Nila Izawa’s personality is VERY different from my own, and she doesn’t represent anyone that I know directly. Nila’s character slowly took shape the more I wrote; that goes for any character in my book. I will say though, that Nila’s mother, Shino Kimura, has a few lines in which I took from my own mother throughout my childhood/ teenaged years.
What was the best use you made of weather in your novel? Do you use it to help set a mood?
This question is interesting, because I never thought much about the weather when it came to creating/ setting a ‘mood’. I’m sure for many authors that weather plays an important role, but for me, that wasn’t the case. In my book, I navigated through each season and tried my best to incorporate the nature that went along with said season so the reader could visualize being in Japan at that given time.
What are some ways in which an author can create an emotional connection with the readers through their writing?
This is a difficult one to answer because there are so many ways in which a reader can gain an emotional connection through the author’s writing. As a reader, I find that I obtain an emotional connection to the author’s characters by understanding each character’s personality and how they communicate/ act with other characters in the story. I think understanding the mind of a character is an easy way a reader can follow along and understand what that character is about, but this also means that they know when the character does something that they normally wouldn’t do, thus doing things ‘out of character’. When a character is relatable, a reader will probably attach themselves to that character, therefore, building a strong, emotional connection to them. As a writer, this was also something I tried to achieve by making my characters relatable.
What are some tips for writing an appealing romantic tale?
I don’t know if I can answer this properly without being bias. Personally, I don’t gravitate to stories that only focus on the romantic aspect between the characters. I like stories that integrate romance within a character’s life because in real life we have many things going on. Our lives don’t just focus on our romantic relationships, they focus on our relationships with family, friends, and coworkers as well. I believe a well written romance novel should include these aspects as well for a reader to feel more attached to the characters, making the characters more realistic. When a character struggles, a reader should be able to understand/ relate to that character on some level, even if the reader themselves hasn’t experienced that specific struggle.
What was your reaction when your first published novel, Let Me Save You, became a bestseller?
I don’t believe my novel is considered to be a ‘bestseller’, but if that becomes true someday, I’d be over the moon with joy.
Is it possible for a person to become a great reader and writer with limited knowledge of a language?
This is a tricky question because having limited knowledge of a language makes things hard, both as a reader and as a writer. I, for example, do not know how to speak Japanese and cannot form a complete sentence in Japanese, either. I do know a few words and have done research on certain words/ titles and have incorporated them throughout my story confidently. I think as a writer, if you are writing about a country/ culture other than your own, you need to do a significant amount of research so that you do not disrespect the culture and country of origin. As a reader, if you are willing to do some research when you come across something you do not understand in a book, then go for it. Knowledge is power.
eBooks and audiobooks are taking the place of printed books around the world. How do you feel about this change?
To be honest, I don’t think ebooks are taking the place of paperback copies. I know many readers who prefer to have a physical copy in their hands versus an ebook, myself included. My ebook sales compared to my paperback sales are also much less. Audiobooks on the other hand, I don’t have much say or personal comments in. I have been asked if my book is, or will be, available in audiobook format, but it’s not a format that I plan on using for my book, Let Me Save You. I personally don’t use audiobooks either, but they are handy for those who are visually impaired and those who prefer to listen to a story while on public transportation, working out, or just doing work around the house.
What are fun things to do or see in Kitchener, Ontario?
I recently moved to Kitchener, Ontario, but since it neighbours Cambridge, I have spent much time here with family and friends. Growing up, and even now, I shop at the local mall/ plazas, watch movies at the cinema, visit ice cream/ sweet parlors, indulge in Starbucks (daily), and go for walks around my side of town. Kitchener has a wonderful museum that holds events (COVID permitted), an indoor soccer field, an outdoor waterpark/ arcade, a ski resort, and a lovely downtown area.
What is the difference between a dental nurse and a dental assistant?
Both are pretty much the same. The term ‘Dental Nurse’ is a bit dated and not as common, so people normally say ‘Dental Assistant’.
Which is the next book you are writing? What is it about?
I am writing a second book, unrelated to the first but with similar aspects as it does again take place in Japan, but I am not ready to release information about it yet as I am still in the writing process. All I can say is that I am about halfway done and have finally figured out what my ending will be.
When did you join AllAuthor? How has your experience been?
I joined AllAuthor in May of 2021, so I’m a relatively new member. So far, my experience has been very positive. I have enjoyed participating in the ‘Cover of the Month’ contest, and love voting for covers belonging to different author’s each month as they progress into each round. I also love the management team’s commitment to follow through with their promise in advertising my book on their Twitter account, plus subaccounts. I just wish that AllAuthor was more involved on Instagram advertising as that is a bigger social media platform used by people in my area.
