Author Interview: Anne John-Ligali

Rebekah Louise
Feb 12, 2018
6 min read

Just before we get to know more about the lovely Anne author of 'The Big Event' I would like to share that my latest book 'The Bulletproof Proposal' will be free to download on Valentine's Day.

So without further ado today I have the lovely Anne John-Ligali author of 'The Big Event'. She will be sharing what inspired her to write her first story which is part of a series and her experience as an author. There is also a quick firing round at the end so you can find out what Anne enjoys. If you would like to read my review of 'The Big Event' please click here and scroll to the third review.

1. 'The Big Event’ is a lovely short story that sets the scene for future stories. The idea that the main character, Constance meets up with her virtual friends at a party is a unique one. What gave you the idea behind this?

There are a number of reasons why I came up with this story; the first being it started off as a bit of homework from a writing group. Second, a conversation I had with a friend as to how much him and his friends rely on social media to stay in touch, although all living very close to each other and the third reason, it’s a world I am very familiar with i.e. having virtual friends then getting the chance to meet in person. I have read a number of articles on how social media changes the way we interact, and I suppose with all of that I wanted to write a story to show all of this more but in a creative and humorous way. I have written a full blog post on why I wrote The Big Event that goes into more detail.

2. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have found a nice little group of writers who I have known for a while that I met through my blog. Khardine Gray I approached on Twitter. During that time I had no writing friends and I was lonely. It’s a lonely place when you don’t have a like-minded person to share your thoughts with. So as you can imagine I was glad when Khardine and I began an online friendship and four years later were still the best of friends. We meet up often and our kids (surprisingly are the same ages) play together.

Then there’s David P. Perlmutter who I bumped into at the London Book Fair 2016, and it was only then we both realised we were already Twitter friends. I also met Ray Burke at the fair that year and Anton Marks the following year. Then there’s the baby of the bunch, Soulla Christoudoulou. I met Soulla at one of David’s book signing events in Camden. He introduced us and we clicked straight away. Soulla and I have been friends now for almost a year and we’ve had a wonderful year.

I would say they all inspire me to keep going with my dream because we’re all into the same things. Also I think by having friends who have been self-published before I met them encouraged me to keep going, and a reminder that it’s not just about writing the book, but there’s the publishing/business side too to get your head round. I have mentioned to David many times that I appreciate the way he puts himself on the map by the level of marketing he does for his books. It’s made me realise that as an indie, just because you have a book out it’s not the end, you have to keep reminding people that YOU and your BOOK exists so you can somehow get the book into the hands of more readers.

3. What does literary success look like to you?

Apart from making a decent living, literary success is about writing what you want and being accepted for what you choose or have the passion to write about, seeing great reviews, working your own hours and meeting up with your online and real bookish friends. It’s also about knowing that you’ve touched someone with your words, changed their life, seeing your book on the shelves of a supermarket, or in the window of a bookstore, and knowing that people are enjoying your work. I had a few messages from readers on Christmas Eve and a review on Christmas Day on how much they enjoyed The Big Event and how much they are looking forward to more.

4. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

In terms of The Big Event, the only thing I researched into was The Dorchester Hotel. Never having stepped foot in there, it was important for me to bring it to life. So as everyone does I went straight onto Google. As for the other things in the story I felt it was not necessary because the story is really about my world.

In terms of other stories I have written, I tend to research into places, people and their traits, visit the library and borrow travel guides, maps, talking to people, newspapers, anything really. When I research I tend to go with the flow. When I start the book, that’s when I realise what I need to research. In some cases depending on the plot I will know straight away what I’ll have to research. So for example, in the second part of my Friendships Online Series, I began researching luxury spa’s, extensively. Having said that, I did give Champneys a ring and mentioned how I would welcome the opportunity to take part in some participant research for my new book, but they didn’t buy it.

5. How do you select the names of your characters?

Once upon a time I used to get the old baby names book out and flick through. After a while I got bored and realised that I’d be getting the same names and found them to be a bit plain. So my new way of finding interesting names which I’ve been using for the last four to five years is what I call the TV way.

What I do is I scribble down interesting names that jump out at me at the end of films or TV dramas as the title credits go up. I divide first and surnames into groups and call it my name bank. So if I need a good first name I’ll go to my first name bank of ideas and the same for the surnames. I find by using real names (And yes, it’s okay to do so. So long as you switch up the first and surnames around) I end up getting some great combinations I would never have never found in a baby book. Having said that. I find the big budget American movies/cartoons (got loads off Toy Story 3) have the best names at the end.

6. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

So far I have read all my reviews. I have enjoyed reading them. I find it a pleasure to see what another person discovers about my story that I probably would not have picked up on, and what the story may have taught someone else. Although I have no negative reviews at this moment in time, touch wood, I feel there’s also a lot to learn from negative reviews, if they are written constructively that is.

7. Who is your favourite author and why?

Anyone who writes women’s fiction. There are so many to choose from, especially nowadays. But if I were to pick out a few authors over a long period of time who I have enjoyed, I’d say Maya Angelou, Dorothy Koomson, Lola Jaye, Sophie Kinsella and Cecelia Ahern. I admired them for their story-telling talents. These writers do not fall in the same genre but I enjoy them all because of the pictures they paint stays in my head.

Angelou, who I first read at school still leaves a mark. Her writing is timeless. Koomson peaks my curiosity and I love the mystery she brings into her gripping stories. Jaye is able to cover twenty years or more in one book. The way she takes the reader through a period in time or a time period is done so seamlessly I find that amazing. Kinsella I adore for her likeable characters and she makes me laugh. And Ahern, I love the way she blends realism with a hint of fantasy, (the book of tomorrow) and it’s so believable.

Lastly, I thought we could do a quick firing round so your readers can find out a little more about you.

Tea or coffee? Tea.

Chocolate or cheese? Cheese.

Paperback or Ebook? Ebook.

White or red wine? White.

Lipstick or lip-gloss? Gloss.

Flats or heels? Flats.

Thank you so much Anne for your time today. If you'd like to find out more about Anne and her book please connect with her below:

Amazon UK: The Big Event buy your copy here

Amazon US: The Big Event buy your copy here.

To finish I would like to offer my latest book 'The Bulletproof Proposal' free to download on Valentine's Day. To grab your free copy please click on the picture below.