Author Interview of the Week
Meet Chantal Bellehumeur, author of seven different novels!
 |
| Photograph by JSaunders Studio |
What made you want to be an author?
I just do this as a hobby, but essentially it is because I love to write. It is like air to me and I just have to do it because it makes me feel alive.
Who has inspired you the most?
I mostly get inspired by life in general. My son often played a role in that.
Can you tell us about some of your earlier days of writing?
As a child, I used to make little books my stapling pieces of papers together. My younger sister and I once started to write a movie script. As an older teen I moved on to trying to write novels but never finished anything I started. I wrote a few short stories as well. I never thought about publishing anything until somebody told me I should.
How has your life considerably changed since you've been published?
I often find myself lost in my own little world and people have to bring me back to reality. I go in and out of the fictional world I create and my real life. lol Also, sometimes people see me differently, like they should idolize me or something. It is flattering, but weird at the same time. The first time somebody asked for my autograph I thought they were kind of making fun of me. Now I find myself telling people I could sign their books if they want and I sometimes give away signed copies of my novels as prizes.
Word on the street is you were an extra in some commercials. Sweet! Anything we've seen?
All the commercials I was in were filmed in Montreal but I never saw any of them. I know that two of them were supposed to be aired in France, so people living there might have caught a glimpse of me. I was also an extra in a few movies but mostly as well as a few television show episodes, but mostly as part of crowds. In one show I thought it would be easy to spot me but my grandmother was a regular viewer and never found me.
You write everything from horror to romance to fantasy. As an established author, are you going to choose one genre or meddle in multiple ones?
I will continue to meddle with multiple genre. I don't want to hold back on any idea that might spring into my head.
What has been the best experience so far on your journey as an author?
Seeing my first novel, "Veronica's Soap Opera Life", in print was pretty amazing. Having people give me positive feedback and getting 5 star reviews (mainly for my horror novel "Just.Another.Common.Killer") was a good experience too. I like knowing that people enjoy reading what I write.
Can you give us some insight on any upcoming projects?
I started writing short stories for the Suburban Online Magazine. "A Mother's Love" was published in the April 26 issue followed by "A Father's Promise" in the June 7 issue. "An Unplanned Wedding is scheduled to be published in the July 19 issue. I am in the final stages of "Emily's Birthday Getaway" for August publication, and started working on a new story for the fall.
What advice can you give to any upcoming authors?
Always have writing material with you. Keep writing, even if it is not something you want to publish, like words in a journal or general notes on things; they can always become useful later on. I used the notes from my travel journal in a many of my work for example. Also, listen to constructive criticism as it could help you improve but just ignore people who feel the need to bash your work and remember that you will never be able to please everyone.
Thanks so much, Chantal for interviewing with us! Don't forget to follow Chantal on one of her outlets listed below!
Want to get your hands on one of her books? Click the links below!
Check out JSaunders Studio for more pictures of Chantal!
No comments:
Post a Comment