Welcome to Indie Publishing Group, Gwen K Harvey, and welcome to our author interviews! If you could start by introducing yourself to everyone, let them know where you’re from, and some of your interests and hobbies.
Today I live in both Toronto and in the rolling hills of Mulmur, one and half hours north of Toronto. After a 40-year career in the financial services business, I moved from writing occasional short fiction pieces to completing and self-publishing a fiction novel in 2021. I was hooked! I loved creating characters and plots and moved on to complete a second novel in 2023 which was picked up by a publisher and published in March of 2024. Last year I sold my financial services business and retired from client work. Today I’m in the editing stages of my third novel. The story in each of my novels has happened as I write it, so the genre is not planned. As a result, I have three novels in different genres – Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction & Crime/Suspense Fiction.
My other hobbies include serving on two Foundation boards, fundraising for medical research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, photography, cycling, and travel.
What inspired you to start writing?
Characters in my head, followed by “what if?” situations, seem to be where the story starts, and then writing follows.
What is your preferred genre to write in?
Today I’ve written in three different genres and don’t have a preferred one. I’m considering a book of short stories for my fourth book, so it will again be something new to discover.
What is your writing process?
I begin with characters and dive deep into who they are and what has happened to them in their lives. A story always seems to percolate from that. I then begin to write the story chapter by chapter. I have an idea forming about the arc of the story, but often it changes as I write. I don’t know the ending until I get close to it, which is what keeps me coming back to the computer. I want to know how everything ends.
I don’t have a specific time of day for writing. Rather, I enjoy finding chunks of time, blocking them into my calendar as writing time, and then disappearing into my study.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a Crime/Suspense novel, which my editor has called a thriller. It involves a naïve protagonist who becomes involved in a crime ring. She is asked to steal the identity of a young widow who is inheriting a vast fortune. However, she becomes trapped in this character when what is supposed to be a con that lasts 3 months turns into a 3-year ordeal when the will is read and a three-year trust is formed.
How do you handle a bad review?
Reading is so personal. I read novels that others love, and I don’t, so I understand that when a poor review is given, someone is expressing how the book didn’t speak to them. On the converse, when someone takes the time to leave a good review, it is so rewarding as an author to think you contributed to that person’s day in a positive way.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself continuing to write for pleasure and always being open to self-publishing if an agent or publisher isn’t available to me. It is such a personal reward to finish a story and turn it into a bound book.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview, Gwen K Harvey!
Check out where you can buy Gwen K Harvey books below and how to follow Gwen K Harvey on social media. If you would like to do an author interview or have questions about our author features, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
******
Author Name: Gwen K Harvey
Genre/s: Women’s Fiction | Historical Fiction | Crime/Suspense Fiction
Author Website: https://www.gwenkharvey.com/
Social Media Links: LinkedIn, Amazon Author Central, Instagram, and Goodreads
Best Links to Where People Can Buy Your Books:
The Acquisition of Elizabeth Grace
******
At Indie Publishing Group, we’re proud to support Canadian self-published and traditionally published authors across all genres.
If you are writing a book and need any assistance with paperback or ebook formatting, cover design, professional editing, uploading to self-publishing sites such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, or Amazon KDP keyword and category research, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We also offer children’s book illustrations and formatting services.
For Canadian authors still considering whether or not Amazon KDP is the best self-publishing platform for them, check out The Complete Guide to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for Canadian Authors, where we cover everything you’ll need to know about getting started on Amazon KDP for the first time.
