A selection of our members are reading True Colours by Bella Paige.
Bella took some time out to chat with us, and you can read the interview below.
How did you get started as an author?
When I was ten I had an English writing assignment. It was meant to be a page or two long of a scene that we add in one of the Ronald Dahl books – George’s Marvelous Medicine.
And me being me ended up writing several pages. When the teacher asks me to cut it shorter, I refused to. From then on, my imagination just took off from there.
Do you have a favourite place to write?
At the moment, most of it’s done on the couch. I am not the type of person that can sit at a desk and write for hours on end.
Who are your target readers?
Anyone who wants to read my book. On a serious note, I would not recommend anyone under 16, or maybe 17 plus. My novels have sexual content in them and ‘True Colours’ has mentions of abuse, so I would say it’s for a more mature audience.
Do you prefer eBooks, printed books or audiobooks?
I prefer to read a paperback, however, sometimes eBooks can be more convenient – especially when I am travelling. To be honest, I have never listened to an audiobook but know that they sell.
Can you remember the first book you ever read?
No, but it would be something in the Little Golden Books series since they were big when I was little and I remember reading a lot of them, also Clifford the Big Dog comes to mind.
What are you currently reading?
One in a Million by Susan Mallery – it is a Mills and Boon title. They are kind of my guilty pleasure.
Tell us about The Second Chance Estate…
The Second Chance Estate is a safe haven for abuse, neglected and or abandoned children. It is kind of like a group home of sorts for kids that have been given the ‘shit stick’ in life and I know most kids in Foster Care have had a rough trot and this kind of highlights them.
It has a live-in child Psychologist so they can be there for the kid’s mental health twenty-four seven. Something that current kids in the system are neglected, just because there are too many kids in the system and not enough funds to go around.
Where did you get inspiration for your lead character, Ariel?
Her looks are based on Alexis Bledel, everything else is a combination of fiction and parts of me through in there. She had a lot of my traits with the way she drinks her tea. Her guardian personality, etc. She is what I would aspire to be.
Was it difficult writing about disadvantaged children?
It is always painful to write scenes with kids that have been through a lot. I cried after writing a lot of them.
What is your favourite part of publishing?
Being able to hold the finished result in my hand. Also, I cannot wait to see it sitting on a shelf in a book shop one day.
Where can our readers follow you?
https://www.instagram.com/authorbellapaige/
https://www.facebook.com/bellapaige88
Thank you!
I am a mother of four beautiful children. I can’t leave a book unfinished which equals a lot of late nights! When I’m not reading you can find me in the garden, or helping out at Beauty and Lace.