Tell us about yourself and how many books you have
written.
I am a wife and mother who works as a copy editor during the day, and I'm a
reader and author at night. I've written three books so far - all in different
genres - a sports romance, a Christian devotional book for women and a women's
fiction story.
What is the name of your
latest book and what inspired it?
Bowled Over is a sports romance that takes place in India during an
international competition. It is a second-chance romance between a journalist
and a hot cricketer, with a dash of spot-fixing thrown into the mix. Years ago,
I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks on a cricket tour in that country and
fell in love with the magic of the place. India is a place of extreme
contrasts. You have the uber rich on the one hand, and the poorest of the poor,
on the other. Overall, the people were so welcoming that I didn't want to
leave. Book description: Sports writer Gina Elliot fiercely needs to prove
herself in a male-dominated profession. When the hottest scoop of her career
plummets into her lap, she pursues the lead all the way to the Cricket World
Championship in India. Until Gina steps back into his life, star player Storm
Jones has only one desire - to take home the elusive World Championship trophy.
To his surprise, he finds renewing his eight-year-old failed relationship with
Gina is suddenly as important as winning the top prize. In the arena of
world-class cricket, their lives cross once again. When whispers of
match-fixing implicate Storm, Gina is forced to choose between her coveted
career and the man she might just be falling in love with once again.
Why did you choose to
write in your particular field or genre?
Many moons ago, I worked as a sports reporter, and came into contact with
some of the stars in different sporting codes. As a long-suffering sports fan,
I figured world cricketing success for our country can only happen in fiction,
thus far [chuckle].
What kind of research
did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning this book?
I know a fair bit about cricket (I even worked as a club umpire once) and
did most of my research online. I made copious notes as and when controversy
about match-fixing came up, and used a search engine for specifics details,
while I wrote the book. Sadly, there is no shortage of information around
controversy in sports.
How do you select the
names of your characters?
The names have to match the characters as I see them in my mind. I also
like short, unusual names, like my own.
How do you like to
collect and organise your ideas?
I use a book and a file with pictures and information that I can refer back
to while I write. Generally, I 'm a planster - I know the beginning and end of
my story, but it's the middle part that's usually hazy. I don't overplan or
outline too much, otherwise I lose interest. In an effort to be more organised ,
I now also use an Excel spreadsheet with a very basic outline. The emphasis is on
"basic".
How long did it take you
to write this book?
My first attempt took six months of writing at night, and I left it in a
draw for eight years. I rewrote the entire story during the National Novel
Writing Month (an Internet-based writing project) in 2014 and spent the next
two years revising and polishing the manuscript during several Camp Nanowrimos
(virtual camps where you can decide what you want to do).
What's next for you as a
writer?
I've just published a women's fiction story about a mother and her
relationship with her daughter, who is in prison. I'm also revising the
daughter's story, which is the second book in a series of stand-alone novels.
During this April's Camp Nanowrimo , I'll be revising a standalone novel about
one of the female characters in Bowled Over. So much writing to do, so little
time. Sigh!
Author Bio *
Vida Li Sik is a content creator by day and an avid reader by night. She
grew up in a small town in sunny South Africa, where there was not much to do.
Reading many books across different genres helped her to time-travel to exotic
locations. She has no pets, and while she wishes for a weird and wonderful
hobby, she has yet to find one. In the meantime, she loves telling other
people's stories, real ones and imagined.
You can follow Vida here:
https://twitter.com/vidalisik#romanceauthor #romancenovel #francinebeaton #vidalisik #southafricanauthor #cricket #sportsromance #cricketromance #matchfixing #southafricanromance #saiag #southernafricanindieauthorsgroup #indieauthor
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