Ooooh… I couldn’t resist grilling one of my favorite authors who is so close to my heart. I was honored by the love and trust she bestowed upon me. So I decided to pay it back by asking her questions and more questions, all different ones

Digital Reads Blog Tours presents Heleen Kist as she is in her daily life

Heleen, thank you again for allowing me to intrude into your life and getting to know you.

Today I want to know what makes Heleen tick… What goes on in that smart brain of hers, what makes her smile, and all those small details that make up the wonderful HER!!

1. You are in a high placed job now. Do you plan to become a full time author?

Not if I want to stay married! After making slow progress on the book, I took three months off work. I am a very sociable person and I found the experience of being by myself all day, plodding away at my creation, very lonely. My poor husband wouldn’t even have time to take his coat off before I accosted him with plot twists and requests for feedback. My perfect balance would be to spend half my working time consulting, and the other half writing a book a year.

2. Do you read a lot? What are your favorite authors/ books?

I didn’t read at all while I was writing In Servitude. I was very worried about taking over other writers’ voices. But I’ve caught up since. I read in spurts. I like the police procedurals: Ian Rankin and Rachel Abbott are firm favourites. Psychological thrillers are very varied and a good read when travelling, as are James Patterson and John Grisham. But I also read literary fiction (John Irving) and non-fiction (latest was Fire and Fury).

3. How and when do you write? Do you need the silence or does music provide you with inspiration?

It took me a long time to work out my writing biorhythm and sadly found that I could not write at night, because I would then not be able to sleep with too much going on in my head. This meant that to complete In Servitude I had tot take time off work. My best times are 9.30 to 2.30 and eventually I stopped trying to write at other times. I have earplugs in for concentration – even if my office is quiet—and for some reason, I am most focused when I also have a pink woollen hat on that my daughter made for me!

4. And what is your happy place like? Describe it

Cuddles with my kids

5. In your busy schedule, do you get some me-time? And what will I find you doing in that time?

I watch a lot of junk TV to wind down. Netflix is my friend.

6. What is that fun thing about you that is a secret or hardly anyone knows?

Twelve years ago my daughter had just been born and I was very bored being at home, so I signed up to do a 5-minute stand-up comedy routine at the Edinburgh Festival.

7. What would you like to tell my bloggers? They have worked really hard for the cover reveal and the blog tour; they are sweetest and most loving people I have come across.

I’m humbled by the support your bloggers have given me and very grateful that they are investing their time in reading and promoting a novel by someone they do not know. As someone who charges her clients by the day, I recognize the gift they are giving me. I look forward to their reviews which, judging from their blogs, will be very thoughtful. Of course I hope they like the book, but I know that tastes vary so I will not be upset if they don’t.

8. And any last words at the end of this interview? Oh yes, you do not need to edit your praises for me. I can see Heleen rolling her eyes at this… hehehe…

You’ve been my first and biggest cheerleader and I would not be where I am now – which is still only the beginning! – if you hadn’t given me the confidence to go out and kick some ass.

Wow, that did bring tears to my eyes. It is not often that an interviewee can make the interviewer sob like a baby…

Heleen, you are the BEST!!

Since I was still not satisfied, I decided to place a challenge to Heleen… Now I wanted to know her main character Grace!! Stay tuned

Heleen’s literary journey can be captured here

Interview with her main character Grace can be read here

The Blog Tour can be followed here

Digital Reads Blog Tours