Author of Deception: A Hollywood Mystery
Q&A
Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?
I was born in Sauda, Norway and now live in Thousand Oaks, CA
If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?
We came to this country because my father insisted we move to Seattle. I have never understood why. My mother, sister and I were very happy in Norway. For years, growing up in Seattle, I was sure that we would move back to Norway but we never did. Whenever I visit Sauda I feel like I’m really home.
What made you decide to write and publish your first book?
A director friend of mine thought that my life was very interesting and adventurous with many twists and turns and thought I should do a one-woman show. So I wrote the script for it and included a song for me to sing. But I decided I just don’t have the ego to do a one-woman show with no one on stage but me. I love acting in the theater and love doing comedies. There is nothing like working with wonderful actors on stage bouncing lines off one another. Being up there alone and expecting people to watch and listen to just me seemed to egotistical. So, instead of the one-woman show, I wrote my memoir in a book “Learning How To Fly” and was very happy with the result. I won the Beverly Hills Book Award for that book which was incredibly gratifying.
How would you describe your books to first-time readers?
My memoir, “Learning How to Fly: A Speed Reel Journey Towards Life’s Purpose has a lot of humor that comes through even during my difficult experiences. I believe that a sense of humor helps you get through tough times. I hope it’s inspirational to my readers because that is what it is intended to be.
In Deception: A Hollywood Mystery I used a lot of people I know and fictionalized them quite a bit. The story centers around a singer-songwriter, Josh Sibley, and a Beverly Hills PD detective Rosemaria Baker. It is a mystery with a little bit of romance and animal lovers will love it.
My next book “A Fate Worse Than Death” is a prequel to “DECEPTION” and begins with Rosemaria’s life as a young girl and gives us insight into why she is the dogged detective she grew up to be.
“MALEVOLENCE – A Hollywood Mystery” continues the story of Josh and Rosemaria and is both a mystery and a thriller.
What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?
When I began my first book I discovered that writing is a joy for me. I don’t get writer’s block and everything flows naturally. The characters in my books seem to know where they’re going and what they want to do and I just keep typing to keep up with them.
Publishing the traditional way takes a lot of time. Self-publishing is much easier and faster and you still get wonderful editors to help make your book better.
If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?
The advice I would give myself as an actor and writer is that I could have done both. I knew I was a good actor and love it very much, but there’s a lot of time between acting jobs and I should have had more faith in myself both as a screenwriter and novelist. If I could go back in time I would say to myself, “Britt, believe in yourself and write!”
How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?
I would like to reach millions of people with my books and have them really enjoy them.
What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?
My biggest challenge is marketing.
What are your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
My strength is definitely in the writing. That’s the easy part.
What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
My biggest weakness by far is in marketing. I can’t afford a publicist and depend of word of mouth and social media to sell my books. There are hundreds of thousands of books out there, some good, some not so good. But we’re all competing for people’s attention. I wish I were better at attracting attention and convincing people they should buy my books and that they will love them.
When do you think you will write your next book?
I have two finished books in the pipeline right now that need editing then I will publish them: “A Fate Worse Than Death” and “MALEVOLENCE – A Hollywood Mystery.
Are you self-published or did you use a hybrid publisher or a traditional publisher?
I used Bublish to publish my books and I like them very much.
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