Meet The Author: HS Matthews
A bit about HS Matthews…
By day I work in finance, a job I have loved for a long time, but something was missing. The logical side of me needed my creativity to come out to play, I have always loved to draw and write poetry and when I was younger I dreamed of writing a novel (like lots of us). One day with lots of encouragement from my family and a couple of close friends I started my journey with Lottie, one I have loved, that journey is coming to an end soon, the final book in the series is being edited and should be published this year.
I live in the United Kingdom with my husband and two very lively cocker spaniels. I love to read, and walk the dogs and nothing beats a great episode of Star Trek for me! Yes, I am a Trekkie and proud of it!
Q – What inspired you to become a writer?
A – I loved reading books as a child and I was in awe of the places they could take me, I guess I wanted to be that person who could transport others to the places in my imagination. The first book that transported me to another world was The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton and that feeling of wonder has never really left me.
Q -Who are your biggest literary influences?
A – Literary influences, that’s difficult because I love to read such a varied group of authors from Bram Stoker to Barbara Taylor Bradford and all writers in between, I couldn’t pin down one.
Q – How do you handle negative reviews or criticism of your work?
A – I try to stay positive and use them as constructive criticism, I am of the mindset that not everyone will like how or what I write.
Q – What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Publish in as many places as you can if you self publish. But the best bit of advice I could give would be to write what you love, if you do that then readers will enjoy feeling that in your books.
Q – What do you hope readers take away from your writing?
A – A sense of wonder and a story that sticks with them like The Magic Faraway Tree did with me.
