Today we’re here with an interview by a debut author! Anna’s book – The Winter Quarters – was released last month and it’s all about that winter aura and romance. Start off your preparations for the holiday season the right way with this, guys!
And, of course, go ahead and follow Anna on twitter!
Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get into writing?
I’ve been writing my whole life! I first got into romance, however, when I interned for a lovely agent who was a romance book addict. After a hectic internship of reading about five romance novels a week, I developed a real love for the genre and wanted to try my hand at it.
What are your favourite genres to read and write?
I try to read widely—anything from romance to horror, YA to adult, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels—it’s all my jam. I like books and the weird, wonderful things we can do with words. The older I get the more open-minded I am to experimental stuff.
And are there any genres or tropes you wouldn’t write?
It would be very difficult for me to write an unhappy ending.
How do you get inspiration for your books?
In the moment I’m never sure, but looking back at my debut The Winter Quarters, it’s such an obvious tribute to my first winter in Japan and my fledgling love for nature and onsen.
Do you have a writing playlist? And if you do, does it focus more on the lyrics or melodies, vibe of the songs?
I do! It depends on what I’m writing, but I usually listen to the same few songs on repeat so that they don’t distract me too much. For The Winter Quarters, it was “Don’t Leave Me” by IN-SIST, and “Jigoku Tengoku” by TWINKIDS.
And for something that is also very important to us & what we put a lot of emphasis on when blogging. What does ownvoices LGBT representation mean to you?
Complex, layered narratives that don’t necessarily fit the limited stories mainstream media has deemed acceptable. For me it felt good to write about one of my main character’s, Hiro’s, coming out. Coming out is often a climactic moment in mainstream stories, but for Hiro there is no single grand moment of truth. I pulled from my own experiences to depict it, and I’m not sure I could have done that if I weren’t queer, because it just involved paying attention to my own life and feelings.
Rec us some great LGBT books you’ve read recently! One can never have enough recommendations!
I absolutely adored Ziggy, Stardust & Me by James Brandon and Work for It by Talia Hibbert.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Veriani was born with a deep love of queer lit and .99¢ New York pizza slices. After graduating from NYU with a degree in East Asian Studies, she set sail for Ishikawa, Japan. Now she spends her days writing by the river and dreaming of opening an expat pizzeria.
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