Hello Reading Friends!
It’s that time when we enjoy an author Heart-to-Heart💗, and today I have the pleasure of introducing Giselle Green. Giselle writes the touching, emotional fiction that Heart-to-Heart💗 readers love. Her latest release, The Girl You Forgot, is not only a fantastic love story, but also a thought-provoking read. (Click to read my full review…)
So, let’s get started…
Welcome to an author heart-to-heart💗, Giselle. Please share a little about yourself…
Hello, and it’s lovely to be here on your Heart-to-Heart blog, and thank you for inviting me, Rae!
A little about me: I always knew I was going to be a writer. I sent my first manuscript off to a publisher when I was fourteen, and I never looked back. As a result, I was strongly encouraged to read English at Uni but I chose to take science subjects instead. I am so glad I did. It helped balance out the way I view the world and the way I think. True science, in reality is a bit like Star Trek – I think we’re meant to ‘‘boldly go’ (!) where no man has gone before.’ New discoveries can only come from creative endeavour. In that sense it’s a bit like writing!
I like learning new things. When I first announced I was going to formally study astrology, over twenty-five years ago now, there was a lot of eye-rolling from friends and relatives. They missed the key point: I was keen to investigate… to see for myself if it worked.
It turns out the whole subject of astrology is also related to writing. Writing is about stories. Stories are about how our characters play out the balance between free-will and choice. Are they fated to whatever happens to them? I hope not! The story gives them opportunities to learn and make informed choices… this being the cypher which often changes what appears to be their inevitable ‘fate.’
It’s interesting how the things which draw us, often end up being so interrelated.
What an intriguing background. This is why I love these questions! The answers are always so unexpected…
People will ask me why I write: I do it for fun, entertainment, enlightenment, challenge. Writing a book can be as entertaining as reading one. It’s a journey. I will usually start off knowing WHAT has to happen but I have no idea HOW I’m going to get there. It’s like I have a destination in mind but I don’t know the route. The process of finding out is enlightening. And writing a new book is always challenging. People ask if it gets any easier – it doesn’t for me because I don’t tend to repeat what I’ve done before. The sense of personal triumph at the end when I’ve done it, is what makes it worthwhile.
You rise to each challenge beautifully! All that hard work pays off, Giselle, as your novels read so smoothly, and I’ve learned something from each one.
A little about my books and writing: As a mum of six, you can imagine, I’m a family-oriented person. I love to write about ordinary families who find themselves in extraordinary situations. All fictional, of course. I mention that, because my style of writing is very ‘up-close and personal’. It leads some people to believe that some of these might be events I’ve experienced myself, ha ha! But, this is the power of imagination…
Only a few years ago I’d never have imagined that I’d be writing in this way. You have to become more open, less guarded in your storytelling. You have to silence any internal editors/critics going on inside that tell you that you can’t write this or you can’t let a character do that. The fact is, you have to let them do whatever the story demands they do. You have to learn to trust in the story.
For me, I think that came about as a natural response to writing in the first person, immersing myself more in the character I was writing about. First person narrative gives the reader more immediacy, more excitement because everything is happening in real time. If your heroine has a problem, you feel it with her, you experience her thought processes as she does. That’s nice. That feels personal and real. The reader is more easily able to engage. I didn’t develop this way of writing by chance, and my method isn’t static, either. I’m constantly developing it so as to achieve my objective even better – which is to allow the reader to experience vicariously what my hero/heroine is going through. As I write dual perspective, readers always get both sides of the story equally explored.
I think getting that vicarious experience is part of why readers come to the novel. They experience, they feel, they learn. And hopefully, they also enjoy.
Thanks for the sneak peek behind your writing style. That emotional connection is definitely why I return to your novels again and again…
What inspired The Girl You Forgot? It came from an article I read, a personal account written by a journalist who’d studied neuroscience at University. One day, his tutor was upset, explaining that he’d lost a dear colleague with a brain tumour who’d walked into the sea rather than lose his memories as per his diagnosis. Someone made the observation that colleague would still have been ‘himself’ even if without all his memories… and that set me thinking: how much of our identity is gleaned from our memories and stories we tell about ourselves. How much of it would endure, if we lost those memories?
As a footnote, I’ll add that, this book took an age to write: I wanted to give up so many times because I didn’t know how to express what I felt needed expressing. The idea, however, wouldn’t go away! I had to come back to it again and again, till – after four years – I finally nailed it. I am so happy I persisted, I think it was worth it!
We’re delighted you didn’t give up on the story!
What do readers love about it? From the feedback, I think readers appreciate that first and foremost, it’s a love story. Two lovers find themselves in an impossible situation, and they are about to embark on keeping a big ‘secret.’ The reader is told on PAGE ONE what the secret is. The story is about how holding such a secret pans out for them…
It’s about the power of truth, and the power of love to overcome even some unpalatable truths. It’s also got some sweet and wise characters – like Old Harry – that readers have found very endearing. It’s a serious topic but it’s got a lot of funny bits, because that’s also true to life. Humour helps us remember that, even when it’s not always easy, life is also sweet. It’s up to each of us to let ourselves pause and remember that.
A little about what’s next: I’m working on a book based around the theme of Home and Belonging. It’s features an outrageously handsome Scotsman with a – shall we say – very ‘interesting’ career! I’m having a lot of fun with writing about him, and also the girl he falls for, Sofia. I won’t say more, other than that it’s an impossible situation for both of them, as she’s also just about to marry someone else… but, is it for the right reasons?
I know I am biased, but I love a handsome Scotsman!
Thanks so much for making time to chat, Giselle. The Girl You Forgot is a fabulous read and deserves to fly off the shelves.
To discover more about Giselle and her writing, follow the links below, but in the meantime, stay safe and happy reading!
Check out Giselle’s Website: www.gisellegreen.com
Follow Giselle on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gisellegreenauthor
Follow Giselle on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gisellegreenuk
Buy links for THE GIRL YOU FORGOT:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-You-Forgot
Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/the-girl-you-forgot/id1514383385?mt=11&app=itunes
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-girl-you-forgot
Total respect! How any author can even write a grocery list with children is beyond me. Amazing!
Thanks so much for reading, Monika. And I agree! Authors who juggle little children and writing are absolute superstars!
Lovely interview and fascinating answers.
Aw, thank you so much for reading and commenting, Rosie. : )