Meet Ann Troup, the Author of “The Lost Child”. Comment below for your chance to win an eCopy of her book along with a $10 Amazon Voucher!!
Q: When did you realize you wanted to write a book?
I knew that I wanted to be a writer, or more accurately a novelist, in my early teens though I didn’t write my first full length novel until I was in my twenties. I did write a play when I was eight, which was performed at my primary school I do recall that it was very tragic and deeply romantic and probably quite terrible – I’m sure my mother was cringing in the audience. So, I have always written for my own pleasure but didn’t become serious about publication until I hit my 40’s and had the necessary time to devote to it.
Q: As you geared up for your Book Release on May 19th, 2015, what was the most exciting part(s) for you?
The single most exciting aspect was the enthusiasm and great feedback from book bloggers who had received advance reader copies of the book. Knowing that people who love books, storytelling and sharing their passion had enjoyed my work and wanted to shout about it was a fantastic experience and for me definitely the most exciting part of the process. Everything else was exciting and daunting in equal measures, when you have written a book and it is unleashed onto the world there is a feeling of exhilaration and fear – it can make you feel very vulnerable, very humble and very hopeful.
Q: Where did you get your inspiration from for this book?
I’d had the idea for some time. In the town where I grew up a girl had gone missing and years later that incident turned out to be connected with terrible crimes. I used to work as a psychiatric nurse and worked with some of the people who had been affected by the crimes and the losses they had caused – the dynamics of it stayed with me and formed the seeds of the story that became The Lost Child. The book is purely fictional, as are the characters however the relationships, reactions and behavior of the characters is very much rooted in my real life observations of how people behave in unusual and extreme situations. Human behavior is a never ending source of story material.
Q: Is there an author that you feel resonates with you and your writing style?
I honestly don’t know. My editor is adamant that she sees a similarity between the stories that I write and the books that Diane Chamberlain and Rosamund Lupton write. I’m sorry to say I had never read anything from either before The Lost Child was published. I have since read some of their work and can see the connection, though not in style. Our similarities lie more in our subjective choices regarding plot and story development than in any similarity of style.
Q: When do you typically write? Where do you write? How long did it take you to write? Set this up for us…
These days I have the luxury of being able to call writing my full time job, so I now try to have a working day as regards writing and fit it in between nine and five as much as I can – though if I’m ‘on a roll’ those limits are entirely flexible. I write in my home office, which was my daughter’s bedroom before she left home, so we call it the empty nest. It’s a warm, light and relaxing space, full of all my bits and pieces and I can shut the world out and enter my imagination quite happily in there. In terms of The Lost Child writing the actual book took around six weeks for the first draft, though in reality from first thoughts to publishable book probably took years. I take an inordinate amount of time with the planning and plotting, but once that’s done the book emerges relatively quickly. By the time I sit down at the computer I usually know exactly what the story is and where it will go, of course there is always room for new ideas to emerge, but the skeleton is definitely there.
Q: May I ask who your favorite authors are? Books?
Haha, there are too many to list! I just like beautiful writing, thought provoking stories and sheer entertainment. For beautiful writing I would say John Steinbeck (any, but particularly Cannery Row) Edna o’Brien (August is a Wicked Month and The Country Girls) Kate Atkinson (Behind the Scenes at the Museum and and Human Croquet) and one of my all time favourite authors Jane Gardam (again, I would read her grocery list, but in particular I love Old Filth, Faith Fox and Bilgewater). I absolutely cannot name one favourite, there really are too many wonderful books and writers.
Q: What is your favorite part of being a published author?
Knowing that people have enjoyed something that I created and that for a few hours they have been transported out of their lives and have been entertained by my words. Chatting to and connecting with other people who love books and writing is also hugely enjoyable, and I love to hear from people who are passionate about the written word. Second to that I do rather enjoy getting paid for doing something that I love – I don’t intend that to sound mercenary about it, but it is rather gratifying to know that what you do can be valued and appreciated in monetary terms.
Q: Do you have a new book on the horizon? Do you want to tell us a little bit about it?
I do have a new book on the horizon – it’s called The Silent Girls (It was originally listed as The Unnamed, but we have decided to change the title before it is published in February 2016).
I can’t say too much about it at this stage but it is a very different story that explores similar themes to The Lost Child in regards to how people adapt to terrible things and how their choices form a legacy for others. It’s a darker story but just as twisty (maybe even a little more twisty…) and full of characters that you will love and hate – I hope!
Lastly, Book or eBook??
Gah! Both, but for different reasons. I love, love, love books – they are my favourite possessions, but I have a modest home and not much room, so I am very selective about my dead tree books. I will always by a paper copy of a book I will read again. On the whole I buy more eBooks now, mainly for convenience, but a book is a book and I will value it either way.
The Write Review 
Enjoyed the interview. Would surely like to win a copy of this book.