#AuthorInterview with Regina Timothy @gina_wann

Hi all, I’d like to introduce you to Regina Timothy…..

Thanks Kerry for inviting me to chat about my debut book Full Circle, a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope.

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

My name is Regina Timothy and I grew up in Kenya.

I’ve always had active imagination and I’ve written most of my life. I find myself with a lot of ideas and different scenarios I’d like to see incorporated in a novel setting. I don’t know if everyone has that. I write a variety of genres in both fiction and fiction.

I’ve written short stories and poetry but Full Circle is my debut novel. The story follows the main character Samia-al-Sayyid, a 33 year old Iraqi immigrant living in the U.S. She overcomes a lot, and works so hard to make a good life for her teenage son. In the end, it seems all her all her efforts are not enough.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

A great source of writing inspiration for me is what I observe around me. People, events, and sometimes things get me thinking.

I’ve always loved books and movies with a strong female leads, especially books that highlight that inspire and explore human connections. I wanted to be one of the million voices in the world that gives a voice to these remarkable characters. So, Full Circle was born.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

No. All my characters are fictitious.

How do you pick your characters names?

I don’t have a set formula per see. Sometimes I’m lucky and a name comes naturally and when I try it out it fits perfectly. Other times I hit a rut. In such cases I make Google my friend. I research the names, see if the name has a meaning and if the meaning of the name will reflect the character’s personality, and makes sense for the era and region.

If the name checks all these checkboxes I then try out the names out aloud and listen to how it sounds. If I like what I hear, then I consider my search over.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I don’t have any process that’s set in stone. When it comes to writing I consider myself a panster as opposed to a plotter. For most of my writing, when starting out, I normally have a general idea of what I’d like a story to look like or what I’d like to cover, but I usually don’t have a fixed idea about who I’m going to meet or what’s going to happen. The minute I begin writing the story my imagination runs wild and the story evolves in ways that sometimes surprise even me.

Who are your top 5 favorite authors?

Reading has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I’ve read thousands of books by different authors in my lifetime and it is kind of hard narrowing it down to five favorite authors.

But if I were going to do it off the top of my mind, in no particular order I‘d go with Khaled Hosseini, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Robert Kiyosaki and J. K. Rowling.

These are a few of the authors I greatly admire.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

I would love to share a cup of tea with Jane Austen. Her books often covered the dependence of women on marriage in an era when marriage was an integral part of society and what was considered an eventual rite of passage. I’d like to know how difficult that was for her confronting the societal norm at the time and what trouble, if any, she got into for her opinions.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes I was. I’ve always loved reading a good book. It didn’t matter what genre it was, as long as it was good, I would read it. I got into a lot of trouble in school because I always got caught reading a novel when I was supposed to be listening to what was going on at the front of the class.

When did you start to write?

I began writing when I was quite young. I enjoyed writing essays at school and was encouraged by a teacher to hone my ability. I kept writing even after leaving school but I didn’t take it seriously until a few years ago.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

This is a tough one, but if I was to pick one from my favorite list it would be Jane Austen’s Pride or Prejudice.

It would have been nice if all the girls including Mary got a happy ending – I’m a sucker for happy endings.

But that isn’t a good enough reason to change its ending. This is because if you changed anything it simply would not be the story which we all love.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I consider myself an avid reader of all genres and I’ve enjoyed many books in my lifetime. But there are some books that appeal to the emotions of a reader and stay with you long after the last page. An example is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Other books that appeal to me include ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. These are a few of the books I greatly admire and would have loved to write.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Footprints – Building castles in the sand. I don’t know why I came up with that or if it makes sense.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Daenerys Targaryen in the book Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. Who wouldn’t want to meet the mother of dragons? I would probably take her to King’s and watch her reclaim her Iron throne.

What are you working on right now?

I have several projects that I’m currently working on. The one closest to completion is a non-fiction self-help book.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release is titled Full Circle.

Full Circle is a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope. It explores the devastation of loss, the great capacity to forgive and the lengths our loved ones will go to protect us.

The book follows the life of Samia-al-Sayyid an Iraqi immigrant living in the U.S with her son and the relationships she creates with two women – her employer and her best friend. When a terrorist attack destroys these relationships, she feels responsible and she is forced to flee back to Iraqi where imminent death awaits her.

Do you have a new release due?

Full Circle debuted last Christmas Eve. It’s been a rollercoaster of months trying to promote the book. So I’d taken some time off to concentrate on Full Circle, but I am now currently working on a new book due for release later in the year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Take a deep breath, pour myself a healthy dose of white wine in my Olivia pope wine glass, take a seat, and try not to obsess on sales.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love connecting with readers from different places and getting their thoughts on my books.

Readers can find me on the following platforms:

Amazon – https://t.co/dIHcck2L0Z

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17539626.Regina_Timothy

Librarythings – https://www.librarything.com/profile/Regina-Timothy

Twitter – https://twitter.com/gina_wann

Blog – http://reginatimothy.wordpress.com

Get in touch with me and I’ll definitely get back to you

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

My book Full Circle is available on Amazon

I am really eager to hear what people think so if you do read it please post a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Regina 🙂

Thanks too Kerry for having me. I’ve had so much fun.

Book Blurb

Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, Samia-Al-Sayyid an Iraqi immigrant is living a quiet life in New York City after she fled her home to avoid imminent death.

She works hard for her cold, heartless, high-strung boss, loves her seventeen-years-old-son, and cherishes the close friendship she has formed with her best friend Susan.

Nothing can go wrong, or so she thinks – until the estranged brother she left back in Iraqi shows up on her door step. Then she finds herself in a cab, on her way to the hospital to identify her son, a terror suspect who has blown the city, and with it her boss’ husband, and her best friend’s son. With everything lost, she is forced to flee to Iraq where she confronts her past. Will she make peace with her past? Can she get forgiveness for all the damage she has caused?

Full Circle is a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope. It explores the devastation of loss, the great capacity to forgive and the lengths our loved ones will go to protect us.

Author Bio

Regina lives in a picturesque village in Kenya where she enjoys amazing landscapes, exotic wildlife, and beautiful sunsets and sunrises. She always had active imagination. By chance, she started blogging in 2010, which rekindled her love for writing and telling stories. When not writing she enjoys watching classic movies (she’s a movie buff), going to the theater and auto shows. You can join her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gina_wann and visit her blog at https://reginatimothy.wordpress.com/