Author name – Devika Fernando
Book title – Misty Springs
The Fun Quotient
Q.1 Tell us a little about yourself that not many of us know.
A. I may not look like it or sound like it, but I’m a German. As a half Sri Lankan, I spent the first 19 years of my life in Germany, and my mother tongue is German. But I only write poetry and prose in English.
Q.2 If not an author, what would you have been?
A. A translator or someone working with languages in general.
Q.3 How many books are actually in your bookshelf/shelves right now?
A. I can’t really answer that because I own mostly ebooks. They’re in the hundreds, but I have only about 30 paperbacks at the moment.
Q.4 What is your favourite genre, book, and author?
A. My favorite genre is romance with all its sub-genres. I can’t choose just one favorite book though! If I had to settle on one author, then Nora Roberts.
Q.5 If you could be a character from a book for just one day who would you be and why?
A. I’d want to be Elizabeth Bennett and spend time with Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice”.
The Author phase
Q.6 Are we expecting more books from you soon?
A. I’m currently working on Book 2 of the “Misty Springs series“. Book 1 is called “Seeking Love” and it’s a novella set in the fictional small town of Misty Springs in America. Book 2 uses the same setting and introduces us to new characters. It’s about half-written at the moment and I don’t have a release date so far.
Q.7 Describe the journey of writing your books — how many books have you written and which among those is your favorite?
A. Once I have an idea I really want to work on, I create a rough outline with the main characters and plot points. I research the setting if it’s not fictitious. Then I begin writing. I don’t write chronologically anymore – that means if a chapter or scene from the middle or end of the book wants to be written before the earlier ones, then I go with the flow.
I decided to become an indie author in 2014. So far, I have released 15 books, co-written two trilogies, and also published a collection of poems. It’s incredibly difficult choosing a favorite – that’s like asking her mother which of her children she loves most. But I guess “Saved in Sri Lanka” will always hold a special place in my heart because I wrote about one of my home countries.
Q.8 How did you select the names of your characters in your book?
A. Sometimes, I just ‘know’ the name. At other times, I go with a name that’s beautiful and add a common surname for that respective country. At yet other times, I want a name with a special meaning so I search name websites for beautiful, fitting names that have this meaning.
Q.9 What is that one piece of advice you wish you’d had when you first started writing?
A. That being a self-published author is about much more than writing; that it’s mostly about promotion.
Q.10 What advice do you have for the upcoming budding writers?
A. Read as much as you can and write as much as you can. Believe in yourself.
Q.11 Do you have any unique writing habits?
A. Not sure any of them are unique. But I always keep a bottle of water next to the keyboard so I can drink in between and stay focused.
Q.12 Did you face any difficulties while penning down your book? What was your hardest scene to write?
A. If we’re talking about “Seeking Love”, the hardest thing was making sure I got the ‘American small town’ feel right. Because I’ve lived in villages and small towns but those were in Germany and the US is different. I used movies as inspiration, researched online, and asked a friend.
Q.13 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with negative feedback?
A. I do read them, yes. Negative reviews still hurt like hell but I keep telling myself that nobody can always please everyone. If a bad review really makes me feel low, I read some positive ones afterward.
Q.14 Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
A. I hope to self-publish more books – but I’ll be taking it slow and probably concentrate more on novellas than on full-length novels.
Q.15 Tell us your hobbies other than reading.
A. I love taking photos, especially of nature. I also like listening to music and spending time with my cat.
- Share your social account links –
Amazon – Devika Fernando
Goodreads – Devika Fernando
Blog – www.devikafernando.com
Facebook – facebook.com/devikafernandoauthor
Instagram – instagram.com/fernando_devika
Twitter – twitter.com/author_devika
YouTube – N/A
Thank You!
Megu's blog - A born writer, whose thoughts flow depends on her mood swings! 
Thanks a lot for the fun interview!
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It was a pleasure to interview you mam! 🙂
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