Sunday 12 March 2017

My Interview with Author June Bourgo


When did you first realize you wanted to become a Writer/author?

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager but never thought of it as a career. It came late in life, when I submitted some articles to a magazine in my thirties. I was in my fifties when I started my first novel.

Where do you get your ideas for your book?

My first marriage was an abusive one. The relationship lasted nine years and I wanted to give back to women who had gone though similar experiences. I wanted to share the lessons I’d learned but not in a non-fiction self-help way. I decided to write a novel with a female protagonist who through adversity travels a journey of self-awareness and survival. The story is total fiction but the lessons learned were similar to mine. The book and character took on a life of their own and were no longer about me. I went on to write two more books in The Georgia Series.

What kind of things do you enjoy when not writing?
I enjoy listening to jazz, hiking in nature, being near the water, and reading.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written four novels, two short story books, and contributed to an anthology. I think Winter’s Captive, my first book and Book 1 of The Georgia Series,  is my favourite because it was a healing for me on a personal level, and showed me that I can be a novelist.

Do you have any suggestions to help others who have a passion for writing?

If you love writing and write, you are a writer. Like any profession, there will be ups and down, and obstacles. Don’t give up. The odds were against me, because I started late in life and I was self-taught. But the internet offers so much great learning tools and courses, you too can make it. Do your homework and you’ll get there.

What do you think makes a great story?

For me, a build-up of suspense and passion. I want something that draws me into the story emotionally, makes me laugh, makes me cry. But it must end on a happy note or with the promise that all will be well. Reading for me is escapism, as I’m sure it is for most of us, and when I invest in a story I want to feel good when it ends. No endings in death for the protagonist for me lol.

Which Writer/Authors inspire you?
As a Canadian, I love the writings of the award winning, long time novelist, Alice Munro and the relatively new comer, Chevy Stevens.

What are you working on at the moment?(optional)
I’ve started a new series, The Crossing Trilogy. I’ve just completed, Magnolia Tree, Book 1 and started writing, Night Storm, Book 2

What genre are your books?

All my books are what I call magical realism (a literary genre or style that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction).
And always strong female protagonists who overcome angst and adversity and become empowered.

What drew you to the genre you write?

The strong female protagonists are because of my desire to present women as strong and independent heroines. Something women need to feel and believe in, especially if they were ever involved in controlling situations. A lot of women have told me they relate to my character, Georgia Charles.
As for the magical realism, I have included spirits in my stories as secondary characters, not to scare my readers but rather to show them as being there to help my characters on their journey in this physical life. My stories are very character oriented so they are a cross-over of literary/commercial and can be classified as Upmarket Commercial Fiction.

Which Actor/Actress would you like to see portraying the lead character from your most recent book?(any book you like)

I’d like to see Emily Blunt play Georgia Charles in The Georgia Series and Dakota Fanning play Sydney Grey in The Crossing Trilogy.

Do you write full-time or part-time?

Luckily, I’m at a stage of my life where I can write full-time and I’m loving it.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Staying focused. If I lose focus I go back and read what I’ve written thus far and see where I went wrong.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded Writer’s block?

I will stay in writer’s mode and either edit what I’ve previously written. This can sometimes open up the creative juices. Or I do research for upcoming parts of the book. Sometimes, I will rewrite my bio or write the dedication or start my acknowledgements for the book. These things usually get me back on track. If not, I stay away from it for a couple of days and clear my head. I usually wake up in the morning and something pops up out of my sub-conscious and I race to write it down. That gets me started too.

Do you read much, and if so who are your favorite Authors or genres?

I love mystery, suspense stories. So Chevy Stevens is one of my favourites. I’ve read all her books so far. I read Alice Munro and my other favourite is Barbara Delinsky. She lives in New England and writes about women and their life struggles. 

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

I’d suggest a new writer joining a writing group, either one in their town, or in my case, I joined an online group because there wasn’t one close to me. The support and critiques we offered each other in the beginning was so valuable. I don’t participate as such in a group any longer. I have a couple of beta readers who read my work before I submit it. But I have remained friends with the writers I met in my group and we still support each other on a creative level and a personal one. Writing can be a lonely job, it’s so important to have a support network.

How can Readers discovery more about you and your work?(please provide proper links)
You can reach me at my sites: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

Blog Site: http://losingcinderella.blogspot.ca/ 

Website: http://www.junebourgoauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/junebourgo

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5153180.June_Bourgo

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104823621838052385006/posts

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/june-bourgo/13/13/219 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/junebourgo/


Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview 😊

Thank you for inviting me and allowing me to share my insights and my work with your readers.  <3

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for interviewing me. It was fun. I hope some of my comments will help other writers on their journey.

    ReplyDelete