Last week I shared my review of the beautiful and heartbreaking love story Ghosts of Our Pasts and today I am thrilled the Sophia Duane had the time to answer a few questions for us. I had so much fun learning more about her and I hope you do too!

Sophia I’m so excited that you are participating in Contemporary Fiction Month. In my opinion a whole month dedicated to the genre is just fantastic!

1. Could you start off by telling us a few things about yourself that we might not think to ask?

That’s a difficult question because I dislike telling people about myself, but I’ll do my best. You might not ask if I believe in the supernatural, so here’s the answer. I believe in ghosts and the afterlife. In fact, I lived in an apartment with a ghost. It might make me sound crazy, but there was a guy in a hat who would chill out in a vacant chair. I’m pretty sure he died at the top of the stairs and liked to pet my cats, and play hide and seek with my step-kids.

2. Since we are celebrating contemporary fiction this month, who is your favourite contemporary author?

I have many actually. A couple are Melina Marchetta,Suzanne Collins,and Philippa Gregory.

3. Do you prefer to read series or standalone novels?

I enjoy both, but I think if an author can tell me everything I want to know about his/her characters in one book, it shows real skill.

4. Can you tell us a little about your writing process? Do you plan or are you more of a stream of conscious writer?  

I’m a little of both. I do plan, but it’s a more fluid planning. Lots of jots on paper, skeletal chapter outlines, that sort of thing. But then I’m also a fan of letting the characters take me where they need me to go, which sometimes isn’t anything close to what I put down on paper.

5. I don’t want to give anything away in the story for readers who haven’t yet been lucky enough to read Ghosts of Our Pasts but can you talk a little about what inspired you to create Will and Emma?

I had a real need to process the events in my past in a meaningful way. I think there’s a scar that everyone shares, and Will and Emily were born out of a necessity to help myself deal with the things that happened.

6. Will and Emma’s romance was definitely more of a slow smoulder, when it seems that insta-love is so popular what made you decide to let your characters take their time?

I believe in realistic portrayals of love. I think “insta-love” is possible, but mainly it’s hormones. Also, these are deeply wounded people, so they wouldn’t just open up because of something as vague as “love at first sight.”

7. After spending so much time getting to know Will and Emma I don’t want their story to end. Do you think you will be revisiting them in a sequel? Or a series?  

There will be no sequel or series. As much as I love all the characters I create, I don’t think revisiting them would serve any purpose.

8. Can you tell us a little about what you are working on next?

Right now I’m in the editing stage of a historical novel set in WWII and directly after. It’s a whole different genre and will most likely be published under a different name.