1. Please introduce yourself so that the readers will get to know you better.
My name is Karen A. Miles. I am a 52 year old English woman currently living in Barcelona. I am the proud mother to 3 amazing kids and when I’m not writing I teach English professionally. I have spent 32 out of my 52 years living abroad, which is an incredible blessing.
2. What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your books?
While I was writing I discovered two surprising things, one is that my best work is done during the night, my peak inspirational times are between midnight and 3am. The second is that writing about things that happened to you, even many years ago, is the best therapy in the world. You ‘exorcise’ bad experiences from your mind to the pages.
3. How do you manage being a mother, a teacher and an author?
It’s not easy juggling writing, teaching and above all being a single mother. My children have always been my priority, but now two of them are in their mid- twenties they are independent, so it’s a little easier. I am incredibly lucky to have a job that I love, so that helps a lot, and I write when I feel inspired, and have time, so not as often as I’d like.
4. What are your hobbies apart from reading or writing?
My hobbies are swimming, taking long walks, especially along the beach here in Barcelona and listening to music. I always have music playing at home.
5. You are currently living in Barcelona, how do you come up with the idea of setting a plot in Singapore in your book “Torn Between”?
Torn Between is semi-biographical. It’s based on some of my experiences of living in Singapore when I was 19. It’s not all true, but a lot of things are. I keep which is which a closely guarded secret and prefer the reader to try and guess.
6. What is your favorite Quote?
My favourite quote is one of my own memes. “In order to become a better version of ourselves, we first have to admit we need editing.”
7. What has been the most difficult situation in your life which you finally overcame?
I’ve had more than my fair share of difficult situations in my life, but I think it’s my second divorce. It’s difficult to cope with one divorce but the second feels more of a failure. I’ve been divorced now for 4 years and have made a very nice life for myself and my youngest daughter here in Barcelona.
8. How do you do research for your books?
In order to write about the topics in my book, the most important source of information is
experience. For the parts that are missing from my own experiences I have a wide group of friends with many tales to tell.
9. When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
I have always enjoyed writing. I used to write poems as a small child, and English Language and literature were always my favourite school subjects, alongside drama, I used to dream of becoming a famous author or an actor.
10. Lastly, who inspires you the most and why?
I am constantly inspired by my children, but externally I am inspired by the resilience of human beings in general. We all face adversity every day, and this year has been particularly difficult as we know. Somehow, we all keep going and are able to laugh…It’s inspiring.
Author Name: Karen A Miles.
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