Hello readers! Today I bring you Dorota Skrzypek, the author of Sex, Life, & Hannah "a book series about a 20-something year old girl living in Los Angeles, and her dating misadventures after The Ex breaks up with her. It is, quite literally, about the sex and life of Hannah as she struggles to find The One and figure out whether he even exists."
It's sort of lilke Sex and the City, but with a bit more sex, from what I've seen ;)
We'll have a giveaway early next week for a Sex, Life, & Hannah Book Club Membership, which gives access to the two finished book and the two that will be released this year, so stay tuned!
You can also read more about it, and some excerpts here: http://www.sexlifeandhannah.com/, including the purchase buttons!
Thank you, Dorota, for your time and patience with me, I hope you enjoyed this interview, I was very happy with your answers, I loved some of your answers and I'm putting your books on my e-book list, which is, unfortunately, even longer than my "paper book" list, but I'll get to them, I'm sure.
Hi
Dorota, is that your real name or a pen name?
I
wish I’d thought of a cool pen name, but no, Dorota is my real name.
Is
this your first book(s)?
Actually
no. The very first book I published was a graphic novel called The Dentist and The Toothfairy. I wrote
the short story, and an amazing artist out of Montreal, Canada did all the
artwork.
Tell
us a bit about your writing and your latest book and a bit about the sequels
that will come this year.
My
writing tends to focus on relationships, and often their downfall. I am hugely
fascinated by human relationships of all sorts; friendships, lovers, partners,
husbands and wives, what makes people click, fall in love or lust, what makes
people part ways, and I can’t seem to write about anything else at the moment.
The
latest book in the Sex, Life, &
Hannah book series is basically another nail in the coffin that is Hannah’s
love life. She continues to make awkward decisions about the men in her life,
pin all her hopes on nostalgia and passionate romps in the sack, and acquiesce
to the pressures of what society thinks your life should look like by the time
you reach your late twenties. But don’t worry; just when Hannah starts to
believe all relationships are doomed, she has the epiphany that all women
should have: men, marriage, and babies aren’t going to make you happy, only you
can make yourself happy, and you need to start living your life that way
instead of chasing some expectation.
When
did you start writing?
I
got my first journal in elementary school; first grade to be exact. I was
basically a journal writer from then on, until I realized I wanted to write
books, which didn’t occur until my mid-twenties.
What
made you start writing?
Not
sure exactly why I felt compelled to start or keep writing in my journals. At
first I think I just wanted to keep track of what was happening in my life, and
then it became a form of therapy for a long time. I don’t write as much now in
my journal, maybe because I spend a lot of time blogging, or maybe I fixed all
the problems I thought I had…
How
did you choose your style, the genre of writing?
I
write in two very distinct ways. The first way sounds very much like the
fairytales I used to read before bed, the second sounds a lot like I’m still
writing in my journal.
How
spicy can we expect the books to be? How explicit?
I
like to be emotionally and sexually explicit in my Sex, Life, & Hannah books without crossing the line of
pornography, because I want my writing to feel relatable. I want to express the
thoughts that sometimes we’re too afraid to say, and I want the characters to
do some things that we might be too afraid to do.
Are
the books in any way inspired by your life (at any point of life)?
Yes,
absolutely, especially the first book in the Sex, Life, & Hannah series. When I wrote that first manuscript
I literally had my journal open right next to my computer. That first book is
really about my first major heartbreak.
Is there
prejudice, among bloggers, among other authors, among critics, anyone, for the
"spicy"/sex-related genre?
Probably.
I think some people won’t even go to my website because the word “sex” is in
the domain name. But to me, the word “sex” encompasses so much more than just
the physical act. Our sexuality makes up so much of the person we present to
the world, and that is more my intent of the use of that word in the title of
my book series.
Why
did you decide to publish your books online?
I
am of that in-between generation that grew up on print books, but has seen the
publishing world change dramatically over the last five years. When I first
thought about publishing books I didn’t think eBooks stood a chance, and now I
find myself reading books on my Droid Kindle before I think about buying them.
I also feel that having my books available online makes it easier for people
all over the world to access them.
What's
your writing routine - do you like music on or not, do you have a special
environment, etc.?
I
like to think about the perfect song for the scene I’m about to write, and then
put that song on repeat until I’m done. I can’t even imagine writing without
music. It would be like watching a movie without music—impossible.
What
are your plans for the future? Sequels, new books, new themes, etc. (especially
after the next 2 books of the series)?
After
I finish the fourth book in the Sex,
Life, & Hannah series, I am planning on doing another book with the
artist in Montreal. It will sort of be a sequel to The Dentist and The Toothfairy. I am also planning on writing a
short script and shooting the movie, hopefully in Poland, in 2013.
Anything
else you want to add?
Anyone
that enjoys a good romance series will not be disappointed by Sex, Life, & Hannah.
