Delve into the whirlwind journey of self-published romcom author Anna Foxkirk. While navigating the challenges of the indie author landscape, she finds joy in crafting her own cover art and plunging into vibrant tales of romance. Join her as she spills the details on upcoming projects, a fascinating road trip rockstar-in-the-making romcom, and an anthology with top-notch romcom authors.
What has been your biggest challenge as a self-published author and how did you overcome it?
Yikes. There are so many challenges being a self-published author! I wouldn’t say I’ve overcome, rather that I’m still figuring it all out, especially the business side of things. The biggest challenge for me is not writing the book, but getting my head around advertising, marketing and promotion. Mention the word algorithm to me and I pretty much go into meltdown.
Can you share one of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had as a self-published author?
Everyone says do NOT design your own covers, but I get almost as much pleasure out of creating my cover art as I do writing the books. Obviously, I carefully research the genre expectations and there are always aspects of my covers that I want to change in hindsight. But I’ve been asked several times where I got my covers done or if I’d do a cover for another author, and it gives me a kick every time to know I haven’t done such a bad job!
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you’re excited about?
Super excited about my novel coming out on 1st March, Alice and the Impossible Game. It’s a roadtrip rockstar-in-the-making romcom with plenty of forced proximity (in a VW campervan) and a fake date thrown into the mix. I’m also pulling together an anthology of 12 romcom authors for next Christmas. I really can’t tell you more than that yet, but there are some awesome authors involved with hilarious and exciting stories to tell. I can’t wait to share those stories later this year, so watch this space!
If you could co-author a book with any author (alive or deceased), who would it be and why?
Oh my God, I love this question although it’s very difficult to choose because there are so many authors I admire and would love to hang out and write with. I am soooo envious of collaborative writing teams such as Christina Lauren or the dystopian authors Heidi Catherine and Tamar Sloane, and their working process fascinates and excites me. I think, just for today, if I had to choose just one author to work with it would be Marian Keyes. I’ve been an admirer of hers for such a long time, and I could listen to her all day. She’s always a great crack!
What are some hobbies or interests you have outside of writing?
I swim in the sea as often as possible. At the moment, I’m doing ‘wet’ January, swimming every day, which is going to be interesting at the end of the month when I am spending along weekend up in the High Country and will need to find a mountain lake – bracing! I also discovered line dancing last year and I absolutely fell in love with it. I bumble around like the rear end of a pantomime ass, but it’s great exercise for body and mind. My brain is ready to explode try to remember all the steps by the end of an hour’s session.
How has your background (cultural, geographical, professional, etc.) influenced your writing style and the stories you choose to tell?
I have a passion for travel and have lived in many countries – I was born in in Fiji and have lived in Kiribati, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Germany, England, Scotland and France, and I’ve visited many other countries too. I think that is very much reflected in my romcom writing because I was forever feeling like a fish-out-of-water. However, I’m ex-military and, as much as I have wanted to write a military romance novel, I’ve never felt comfortable writing about my experiences. I did four operational tours in Bosnia during the civil war there, and humour was so important to raise flagging morale, but the whole experience was so profoundly life-changing, that I haven’t felt I could write about it and do it justice. Maybe one day.
What of your book(s) are you the most proudest of, and why?
I’m proud of all of my published books because I think it’s a great achievement just to complete a writing project. The book closest to my heart is probably Holly Ever After, my Christmas novella. There’s a little bit of truth in it, if embellished somewhat! But in all honesty, the book I’m proudest of is a historical novel based on a real woman, Vera Atkins. There was so much research involved, but unfortunately that’s still sitting on my laptop: it doesn’t really fit with my romcom brand and I’m still not sure what to do with it. Open to suggestions!
What is your most recent book and/or what are you working on currently?
My most recent book is Alice and the Impossible Game coming out on 1st March 2024. I’m currently working on getting that ready for market. Next, I’ll be working on my novella for the Christmas anthology I mentioned previously. I do love writing a Christmas romance!
Is there a book project you have in mind that you plan to write one day?
If so, can you tell us a little bit about it? Alice, from Alice in Wanderlust and Alice and the Impossible Game has an identical twin, Tilly. I’m excited to write her story. She’s a bit of a wild child and this will be her redemption story. It’s probably too early to call, but I’m thinking it will probably be a brother’s best friend forbidden romance set in Scotland.
You can find Anna Foxkirk on her website, on Instagram, or on TikTok.
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