Guest Blogger: F.A. Hershey, author of Swirls

F.A. Hershey is here at The Fairytale Nerd to share with us her views on THE WORK IN PROGRESS OF A WRITER.

And don't forget that she's also giving away FIVE copies of her book! So sign up now!

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I’m a writer, but I haven’t always been one or dreamed of being one.

I’ve loved reading since I knew how to, but writing was something that came to me not so long ago.

I remember being on my lunch break one sunny day here in London – I worked as a waitress in Notting Hill at the time – holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire in my hands.

I had never read any of the Harry Potter books before. I was still trying to master my English language skills and so my husband and I used to pop into a Waterstones book shop and find reads to our liking and devour them with all our might (I’d like to add that I was the one actually devouring the books).

I finished it in a few days and started over again for good measure. Then I moved back to the first one and fell in love with the series. However, something was bothering me, and I couldn’t pinpoint what.

I kept on reading, hunting for new and exciting stories, but the itching that bothered me wouldn’t go away. It was almost two years or so later that I realised that what was bothering me was the fact that I didn’t only need to read, but I also needed to write. I laughed a little at myself after the realisation. I didn’t have a story, what would I write about? But I didn’t push the thought aside, nevertheless. I started scribbling down a few ideas, wrote a few short stories, and waited until I was struck by lightning (not literally, of course).

I woke up one day, amazed by the horrible and yet fascinating dream I’d had the night before. It was the birth of an idea that turned into my first novel in a trilogy: Swirls - The Outsiders #1.

The characters, the plot, the twists and turns poured out of me as if they had just been locked away somewhere in my head for a long time and all of a sudden I got hold of the key and unlocked it. One thing I was sure of: the “itching” was gone, so this was it.

Meanwhile, I decided to go for a BA Hons Degree in English Language and Literature which I’m still happily pursuing.

I still devour books, of course, - they are my main source of food – and writing is a part of me that I’m glad to have discovered.

Is there a writer in you?

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Swirls

Sixteen-year-old Julia finds herself leaving her London life behind to move with her parents to the Amazon jungle.
A native descendant, she becomes familiarized with her own roots for the first time in her life. However, she never imagined she is about to discover much more than her own past but also just how crowded our little planet is... This is a present time sci-fi/ fantasy story about trust, friendship, love and self-discovery.

F.A. Hershey is giving away not one, but

FIVE eBook copies of her first book SWIRLS.

Sign up now for a chance to win!

Giveaway Rules:
Open to persons 13 years old or older.
Only one person per entry. Those exceeding one will not be considered.
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.
Contest ends on SEPTEMBER 28, 2011.
Leave your email address so we can send you your eBook if you win.


Note: This is the first time I'm using Rafflecopter. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think of Rafflecopter, and if you prefer this new method for future blog giveaways.