Hello Cassandra! I'm so happy to have you here on my blog. I'm really excited to start, Tell us about your book.
Cassandra: Tales from the Hamlet - memories of Italy This is a memoir - all of it is true! In 2015, unable to find work in the UK due being considered too old (I was 59!) for meaningful employment, I was fortuitously offered a senior position in a company in Italy. I had lived and worked abroad before so although this was going to a challenge, it was something I was happy to do, even though it meant packing up and moving from the UK.
Sadly the job ended after only 15 months and I found myself with no money and no way to get my cat, my furniture and my books home. An old friend, an Italian called Ugo, offered me a small converted barn in a medieval hamlet in the mountains of north west Italy - a beautiful area - with which I fell instantly in love.
The book describes my time there - and how I was welcomed by incredibly kind people who offered me sanctuary and the chance to rebuild my life.
Sonam: I keep wondering, Why did you select this type of content for your book?
Cassandra: My experiences, while being painful and traumatic initially, ultimately transformed into joy and contentment. My life has always been adventurous and as a lone female, in her early 60’s I was finding that I had to do things that most women my age wouldn’t have to. I don’t have family and I am unmarried, my book offers a look at life shaped by experiences good and bad. It offers people the chance to see how others live, outside their comfort zone and facing unimaginable obstacles. But it offers hope and a different perspective - despite the difficulties, my glass is always half full, not half empty! Hopefully those who read it realise that stepping outside their comfort zone can bring wonderful adventures.
Sonam: So, When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?
Cassandra: I think all my life I’ve wanted to write. I’ve always carried notebooks and jotted down thoughts and observations, which now are proving to be extremely useful as I dive back into the last few decades of my life and realise that what I have experienced is outside the norm and therefore, possibly interesting to others. I used to tell stories that I made up to the children of my friends and seeing their rapt interest I realised that I had a “writers voice”. Perhaps also because my father wa a writer and I saw what pleasure it gave him.
Sonam: How long does it take you to write a book?
Cassandra: Good question! My first two books just sort of downloaded themselves straight onto the page. I wrote and published them both in about four months. My third book is taking longer because life gets in the way and because I am also researching my fourth book. It’s probably not a good idea to try to undertake two projects at once! Especially as they will be very different from each other.
Sonam: What was the best money you spent as a writer?
Cassandra: There are three things that I discovered were vital to the success of my books. Firstly the cover illustration and second the formatting. Too often self-published books look unprofessional and therefore uninteresting. So I was determined that mine would look as I would want to see them on a shelf in a bookstore.The money I spent was well worth it. The cover illustration has received many compliments and the professional formatting makes the book a better read.
Reviews are the life blood of a self published writer and so the money I have spent on book reviewers and bloggers is also vital. Writing is not a cheap occupation!
Sonam: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Cassandra: I’d once again refer to formatting. My first book was badly formatted and I didn’t know better. So when I had the opportunity to reformat it, I did and republished it.
I write much more consciously now. While the content comes easily, understanding the structure of the book, the pace, the length and the way it actually appears on a page, taught me a lot. My second book was much easier to write knowing that.
Sonam: What does literary success look like to you?
Cassandra: Critical acclaim, happy readers, good reviews and of course a nice royalty cheque! But, joking apart, I would probably find it difficult being the author of an international best-seller because I am a very private person and while I may lay bare my soul in the pages of my books, I like to keep a low profile.
However I would also love to be successful enough to be able to focus solely on writing and be able to have assistants, secretaries and housekeepers to take care of the day-to-day stuff. I absolutely love writing and wish that I didn’t have to constantly stop to do some mundane task or another!
Literary success to me would also be positive reviews, peer group recommendations and consistent sales. I have been lucky enough to have my first book featured in magazines, on radio and a couple of websites. I would hope that, one day, I might actually be able to generate enough of an income to live on. We shall see!
Sonam: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Cassandra: Yes. But as my first two books - and the third one - are memoirs I had to write under my own name. My fourth book will be a different genre - historical fiction - and for that I shall be using a pseudonym.
Sonam: How many unpublished and unfinished books do you have?
Cassandra: Not so many! I have ongoing manuscripts (the first couple of chapters) for my third and fourth books. Then I have a load of notes for two more - different genres. I tend to finish what I start which is a relief - though it sometimes takes a bit longer than I would have wished. I would like more writing time and less admin time - that way I could finish the books sooner.
I also have a lot of research notes for a multi book arc but I guess those don’t count as unfinished or unpublished books.
Sonam: Lastly, do you wanna say something to your audience?
Cassandra: Yes. Writing changed my life. It gives me so much pleasure and the rush from holding an actual book with my name on the cover is huge. I look inside, read a few sentences and am genuinely surprised. “Did I actually write that?!”
If you also want to write, put aside any doubts you may have and don’t spend a fortune on how-to courses. Buy a couple of books on the basics of writing and just let the Muse take you. Also don’t try, and force the book. Let it come when it wants to.
Lastly, if you have read Tales from the Hamlet, thank you for purchasing it, I hope you have enjoyed it and do consider visiting the area in Italy that I describe. It and the people are wonderful - I am about to publish an Italian version because they are genuinely excited to be featured in the book and understandably want to read about themselves but they don’t read English!
Cassandra Campbell-Kemp. May 2022.