An Interview with Anwen Astra

Just a (nearly) middle-aged mum from the UK, looking to spread some love and joy through writing. Writing romance novels, with some spice, and allowing the reader to find escapism from our, often stressful, lives.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I love to read, I always have! And it wasn’t long before that passion spilled into writing; I wanted to tell stories of my own. The first book I ever wrote was about a hamster that took a balloon ride to a faraway place. Needless to say, it didn’t do very well, but my parents bought into it and I was only about six years old.

When I was about 9 or 10, I went through a period of writing poems, writing about everything I could think of, and sent them off to a publishing house. I received a very kind letter in response saying that unfortunately the publishing house had closed, but to keep on writing! I never forgot that kind letter, and always knew someday I would publish my own story.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I love to travel and have travelled to some beautiful places in my lifetime. I couldn’t believe that more people hadn’t written romances about the places I had visited in Australia – it was truly a beautiful country to visit. So, I decided to write my own, inspired by the stunning scenery and wonderful people I met along the way. They say most art is inspired by truth – I suppose that’s the case here too.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I was lucky that it came quite naturally. There are lots of elements of the title in the story. Dreaming in Eucalyptus contains real and metaphorical dreams, and the eucalyptus plant grows in Australia. It seemed quite fitting.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Avicii songs – I listened to these songs on my travels. Particularly “Wake Me Up.” The contemporary sound mixed with the adventurous spirit of travelling and finding yourself fits neatly in with this book.

Probably a lot of sounds of the outback too. Maybe throw in some didgeridoo sounds for good measure!

Describe your dream book cover.

I was incredibly lucky to find someone who was able to create my dream book cover. The cover I have on my paperback and for the e-book are absolutely the dream colours and the vibe that I wanted. The oranges, burnt umber colours, the colours of Australian soil. The cover tells the story visually and I fell in love with it. It was created by the very talented Dan Rouse.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I call myself a Jack of ALL trades. You name it, and I have probably done it – within reason of course! I worked in a wedding dress shop for a while – I guess that’s where my love of romance comes from.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I reread a lot of my old favourites from when I was a teen (they are my comfort books), including anything by L.J. Smith, Tamora Pierce, and Cate Tiernan. I do love a fantasy novel. I have recently been reading some spicy romantasy content by S.J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros – they have been quite addictive reads.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

That you can heal your heart with adventure and travel. There is nothing wrong with a good cliché, and I found that finding yourself is the best form of love and healing. My perfect reader would find something they can relate to in my main character, Cassidy Cartright, whether that’s her strength, resilience or flawed nature. I hope they can see a bit of themselves in Cassidy and learn to embrace adventure.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.