Blade Runner meets Perdido Street Station? Can do, says debut author Nina D'Aleo.

Nina D'Aleo's been a great confidante in recent months. Her first book, The Last City, has just been released by our mutual publisher, Momentum, and as she's already been through the process I'm shortly to embark on, she's been a wonderful sounding board. That might also have something to do with the fact that in addition to her degree in creative writing, she's a qualified psychologist!

She's agreed to be interviewed by me to tell us a bit about her book, which has been billed as an intoxicating blend of noir crime, science fiction and fantasy. Sounds awesome, right?

AW: I understand 'The Last City' has been in the works for a while. Can you tell us a little about its genesis and the journey you've been through on the way to having it accepted for publication?

 ND: Yes totally true – from first idea through to now it’s been a good nine years and a whole lot of drafting and redrafting. The book has definitely seen its share of rejections, but it’s been my great fortune to have a brilliant agent who has never given up on the story and it was beyond thrilling to have Momentum accept the story this year – every writer's dream!

AW: What was it like going through the professional editing process with your publisher? What did you learn?

ND: I loved the editing process. I had two wonderful editors who I felt really cared about the story and who really connected with the world I was trying to create. I think what the process really taught me was that different readers will bring different interpretations to your work – and I found it very cool to see how the story looked through someone else’s eyes.

AW: Any pearls of wisdom for other writers? Things you wish you'd known when you were starting out that you've picked up along the way?

ND: I guess the main message that I’d put out to other writers who are aspiring to get their work published is - don’t give up. As all writers know, writing can be a very long and lonely road at times, and during those times it’s important to hold on to your dream. Keep writing, keep reading, keep putting your work out there. 

AW: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

ND: A plotter – definitely! Each to their own, but I like to know where I’m going!

AW: What inspires your writing? Books, movies, chance interactions?

ND: Definitely all of the above – and also artworks, poetry, music and people in general… Every day there is something new and inspiring…

  

AW: Do you have anything else in the works?

ND: Yes – at the moment I’m working on the next book in the Last City series and also a few other ideas… :)
 

Nina D'Aleo

About Nina:

Nina D’Aleo wrote her first book at age seven (a fantasy adventure about a girl named Tina and her flying horse). Due to most of the book being written with a feather dipped in water, no one else has ever read ‘Tina and White Beauty’. Many more dream worlds and illegible books followed. Nina blames early exposure to Middle-earth and Narnia for her general inability to stick to reality. She also blames her parents. And her brother.

Nina has completed degrees in creative writing and psychology. She currently lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, George, their two sons, Josef and Daniel, and two cats, Mr Foofy and Gypsy. She spends most of her days playing with toys, saying things like share, play gentle, and let’s eat our veggies and hearing things like no, no way and NEVER! She is also working on more books – including the next book in the Last City series.

Click for more about Nina and The Last City

Thanks for chatting with me Nina!

And for those who've stayed with me this far, some advice please, seeing as I'm new to the author interview caper. What are the questions you most like hearing other authors answer?

If you were in the interviewer's chair, what would you ask?