Interview with Lexa Dudley
By Kimola
Tell us about yourself, your childhood, your family. What do you do for a living?
I am an only child. I went to boarding school at the age of six and a half, then on to school in Switzerland when I was seventeen. My mother then married an american in the US army and we went to live in North Carolina and then Texas. We returned to the UK when I was nineteen. I married at twenty one and have four sons and eight grandchildren. I have always worked with my husband with his business and have written, when I found time.
Tell us about your Book, characters. What is it about? What’s your inspiration?
The two main characters are Elise, a married woman escaping from a failed marriage, who goes on holiday to Sardinia where she meets a local man called Beppe. It is about their relationship. Being a Roman Catholic country and set in 1969, it would be difficult for their relationship to be accepted by the community, let alone his family.
The inspiration for the book came from the first holiday we took in Sardinia in 1972, where we met lots of the local people and learnt about their codes of living. It fascinated me how closed their lives were then. the women being confined to the house and the men being the breadwinners.
Why did you decide to write this book? How can it help others?
I wanted to set these problems in the background of Sardinia. I love the island and its people and I wanted to pass some of that love on to other people. If there is one thing I have learnt it is that you write about what you know and love, which makes a difficult job of writing a little easier.
How do you promote your books outside Amazon? Any marketing lessons for our readers?
I use Twitter, Facebook and I have been fortunate enough to have a few interviews, which help very enormously. I also have an active website.
Do you have a print version? How do you promote it? Talk about giveaways you have done, network you have built etc.
Yes I have a print version which is with Amazon, but all the interview etc all state that it is in print as well as an ebook. I also entered it into competitions in the US AND WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BECOME A FINALIST IN THE NEXT GENERATION INDIE AWARDS 2014 FOR ROMANCE AND IN THE NATIONAL EXCELLENT INDIE AWARDS 2914 FOR ROMANCE AND LITERARY FICTION.
How do you plan your book launch? Do you have tips for other authors to do a mega book launch?
Matador, my publisher arranged the initial launch and it is on Goodreads as well.
Do you use KDP select? How has KDP Select helped you? Give us some statistics on downloads and sales (if you don’t mind).
I did use it for a while, but didn’t find it very helpful.
How do you handle criticism or negative reviews? Any tips on how to avoid them (if any).
Not everyone can like your book, so you learn to take the rough with the smooth and also if it is harsh criticism look at what was said and try not to make the same mistake again.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persevere keep writing and believe in yourself. I was 73 when I published my first novel, The Whispering Wind. I had it accepted by a publisher, but they wanted to change the ending, but I was adamant that it should stay as it is. So I published it myself, and as I said I have won prizes with it. So stick at it it is well worth it in the end.
What mistakes would you like to avoid in your next book? What have you learned from your mistakes/failures?
I have learnt that at the back of your book you put all your information, your email your website so that if people want to contact you they can. Make sure you have a really good editor and remember that even the best publishing houses don’t always find all the errors in the MS.
Name 3 of your all-time favorite books.
- Out of Africa by Karen Blixon
- Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne duMaurier
- Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
If you were given a chance to motivate someone with your words, you would say…..
Never give up, follow your dream and be true to yourself and lastly enjoy what you do.