- How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
It was tricky business coming up with a title as the novel is two intertwining stories with different characters, though some overlap, and in some ways, there exists an almost ensemble grouping of characters in many important scenes. The title refers to the lead character and antagonists of the main story-line. There is something about the ring of it that appeals to me, though I can't put my finger on it.
- Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes. I have written one other book that is not currently published and I am going through extensive edits at the moment. It takes place in the 1950s through the '80s in The United States and has a strong paranormal element to it. I also have the third book, which is the second in the Phineas Varga series, in which I've completed the outline and written several parts, but I am now realizing I am farther than I initially thought from completing that.
- Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
Several. I find that writing two stories simultaneously for part of the time, at least, gives me perspective and the ability to notice things I might not otherwise see if I'm only focused on one work. Often, I'll take a week away from one book to write on the other, and then when I return, things jump off the page needing my attention that I think I would have otherwise overlooked.
- Pen, typewriter, or computer?
Computer, but occasionally I will print out a chapter and edit with pen, then return to make corrections in the electronic file.
- What is something unique/quirky about you?
I am not a fan of social media but use Instagram for work, and I am being told that I need to start using Twitter. I know that in 2020 this mindset is probably beyond "quirky," but I suppose I got a bad taste in my mouth years ago when I tried Facebook. I found myself simply overwhelmed by it all . . . the need to "like" posts, the expectation that I should in turn post things of my own, and the time-suck that could occur when going down rabbit holes regarding people I had neither spoken to nor seen in twenty-five years, etc. I know that there are many good things about these types of apps, and by my not using them, I certainly acknowledge that I am missing out on the daily occurrences of distant friends and acquaintances. However, I am increasingly wondering whether the bad that comes along with them has come to outweigh the good and if man is innately incapable of collectively and positively wielding a tool with such power. That being said, if you email me, I will always respond.
Though part of her childhood was spent in the West Midlands, A. K. Rouse now writes from the United States' great Midwest. Memories of traipsing through beautiful English gardens, forests, and castles during these years provide the backdrop for her stories. Now, you will find her roaming the verdant fields of a music fest or walking the city streets with her husband, three children, and two Irish terriers.
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