Welcome to Author Services Australia, Iris Blobel, and welcome to our author interviews! If you could start by introducing yourself to everyone, let them know where you’re from and some of your interests and hobbies.
Hi, I’m Iris Blobel. I grew up in Germany but moved to Australia in my mid-20s. Initially, I settled in Ballarat with my husband. We’re now calling the Tasmanian East Coast home and are loving it. I love traveling, always have, and I’m looking forward to traveling around Tasmania to discover all the wonderful places over here.
What inspired you to start writing?
Echoes of the Past, available now on Amazon
I don’t believe there was something in particular that inspired me to start writing, especially as I would consider myself more of a “numbers person” and not necessarily very clever with words. But one day, I started writing a little paragraph out of boredom, and what I thought was going to be a one-off book turned out to be the first book in so many. I love writing. It relaxes me and brings me a lot of joy. So, I write when I feel like it, and I have something to say.
What is your preferred genre to write in?
I write contemporary romance because I love bringing people together. Yes, occasionally, I toy with the idea of having a go at crime or even romantic suspense, but it’s not in my nature to think that way, and I give up quickly. Kudos to those who can.
What was the hardest part of self-publishing?
Marketing – enough said ☹
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I always enjoy the Jack Reacher books, I love Toni Anderson’s stories, I’ve recently discovered Jane Harper, and I’m currently reading her books and can fully recommend them. Apart from them, I very much like Cecelia Ahern and Jill Shalvis as well.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on the 5th book in the Alinta Bay series. Even though I thought I was finished with Alinta Bay, I keep getting ideas for it. I’m also working on ideas for Books 2 and 3 for the Fermosa Bay series. Looking forward to writing those stories.
What’s next for you as an author?
Considering my German background, I would love to have some (all?) of my books translated into German. I’ve started with one book, but it’s time-consuming, and my German is not what it used to be. I’m hoping to make a decent income from books over the next 12 months to dive into this venture with more heart, i.e., involving a trained translator.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
Oh, I’d say that’d be traveling at a fraction of the real-time. I’d love to visit my daughters more often, but also, I’d love to go to Germany more often, the country where I grew up.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview, Iris Blobel! Please take a minute and check Iris Blobel out on the links below! If you would like to do an author interview, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
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Author Name: Iris Blobel
Genre/s: Contemporary Romance
Author Website: https://www.irisblobel.com
Social Media Links: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Goodreads, BookBub, and Amazon Author Central.
Best Link to Where People Can Buy Your Book: Amazon and Books2Read.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Clayton. Really appreciate you sharing the interview.
And ….
Marketing – enough said ☹ was supposed to be the answer to what’s the hardest part of being an author. Apparently so as it seems, I can’t even get a simple interview done right … LOL
You’re more than welcome, Iris, and I do believe that was my mistake on the placement of the answer, not yours! I corrected it, lol. Marketing is a grind, and there’s no super fast or easy way to do it. You either invest money in it or you invest a lot of time in it in the beginning. I’ve found focus on fewer social media platforms, but creating better content, posting more often, and interacting longer on the platforms has worked for us.