Interview with Author Anne Marie Fitzwilliam

 

 

1.What inspired you to write this book?

I was not inspired, I was compelled. Ideas woke me at night, hounded me by day. In the end, they led to the writing of When Lily Ponds Ripple.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

It is about the unequal twins, brooding Florence, and flamboyant Charlotte Montague. The revelation of a family secret forces them to question everything they have taken for granted. The sisters leave their sheltered home and go abroad to England and Germany respectively. Despite their geographical separation, they cannot deny their close bond, nor forget their shared past. A phone call causes Florence to end her years of exile and return to the island of her childhood.

The novel is written for everyone who likes a fast-paced story full of secrets and surprises, but especially for female readers who love complex, endearing protagonists.  

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I hope to show them that leaving our home country is sometimes the only way to discover who we really are. I aim to entertain my readers with a tale full of humour, laughter and characters that remind us that friendship can heal most wounds. I wish to describe the exotic beauty of Barbados in the 1970’s and later, to portray a Germany still struggling with the trauma of World War II.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The title, When Lily Ponds Ripple, mirrors the ripples in the lives of my protagonists, Florence and Charlie. Every action causes a reaction, like throwing a stone into a pond. The cover design is similar to the gardens described in the novel. The scene symbolizes the characters’ carefree life before the revelation of the family secret.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I think doubt is part of the writing process and pushes us beyond our comfort zone. Welcome it!

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

I think that print media and social media are intertwined. Furthermore, social media has become invaluable for book promotion.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

Being a twin, I was able to understand the symbiosis, but also the rivalry, between my protagonists. In addition, my relocation from the West Indies to Germany helped me understand the losses and gains of leaving one’s homeland.   

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

My style is old-fashioned in that I like a story well told. I appreciate clarity and a plot with a fast pace. That said, I employ colourful adjectives and metaphors when they are called for. The works of Kate Morton have always inspired me.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

Doubt! Some days I felt euphoric. On others, I deleted everything I had written the day before. It was a tug of war between frustration and satisfaction. I also neglected family and friends to write my novel.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

If you take the trip with Florence and Charlie, you will laugh and cry, agonise and cheer. This cast of characters will stay with you long after the last page is turned. 

About The Author: My twin sister and I were born in Trinidad. When I was eight, my father relocated his solicitor’s office to Barbados, and the whole family moved to that neighbouring island. At the age of twenty-one, I got married and moved to my German husband’s home in Frankfurt. After attending a language college, I read English and German at the Wolfgang Goethe University and attained degrees in both subjects. Though Germany has remained my home, I often visit my close-knit family in Barbados or fly to South Carolina to be with my twin. For more info, please see: https://www.anne-marie-fitzwilliam.de/

 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.