Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hi – So my name is Nadia Bruce-Rawlings. I was born in Canada and lived in Texas, Cairo, Egypt, Norway and Denver before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 21. I also lived in the Bahamas and in London. I worked in the film industry for about 30 years. I am a recovering drug addict and alcoholic with 23 years sober, I was a homeless crack-head and shoplifter before I got sober thanks to a 6-month stay in rehab, a place called Alcoholism Center for Women. Once I got sober, I had my daughter Sophia as a single-mom, and when she was 10 I re-met an old boyfriend, Brian Rawlings. We ended up getting married, and I gained 5 more kids! In 2011, just after we married, we moved to Nashville, where I ended up writing both of my books.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Driving In The Rain’ book?
It was my second book, and I was having a difficult time writing after finishing Scars. I wasn’t sure what to write about or where to begin again. My publisher, Iris Berry of Punk Hostage Press, worked hard with me into the wee hours of the morning on my stories and poetry and the direction the book should take. I couldn’t have done it without her.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I love Hemingway and Kerouac, who both influenced my early writing a tremendous amount, as did Sandra Cisneros and her groundbreaking book House on Mango Street. I even have a poem in Driving in the Rain, called Linoleum Roses, which was inspired by her book.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
The ocean, whether on the West Coast or the East Coast. The ocean is my “higher power,” it is where I find true spirituality and inspiration. It’s the one thing I miss about living in Los Angeles – well that and my best friend.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
For me, not really, because my books have all been short stories and poetry collections. I don’t have to keep track of a plot or various characters. I just write when inspired! Sometimes that is while driving – a sentence will come to me, or a paragraph, and I’ll have to write it down as soon as I can so I don’t forget it. I often use my phone to make voice-notes. Then I find them ages later and don’t recall what they were for!
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Scars’ book?
It took some time! Some of the stories were written years before others, but they fit in when it came time to publish. What happened was that I had a story I really liked (“Fire”), which I sent to a woman who turned out to be my mentor and idol. I’d heard of Iris Berry as she was famous in Los Angeles for her writing and music and performance art. I’d seen her over the years and knew her well enough to say hello, but that was it. I took a chance and sent a copy of Fire to her to get her feedback, fully not expecting to hear back. About 6 months later, she called me and said they wanted to publish a book of my short stories! I was blown-away! I put together all the stories I had sitting on a back-burner and wrote a few more. It took some time to edit, but we published it in November of that year (2014).
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?
My books are both available on Amazon or on my website, http://www.nadiabrucerawlings.com
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?
My first book, Scars, I used a photo by my brother, Geoff Cordner. I knew I wanted to use one of his photos on this book, as his images are very haunting. Iris ended up choosing just the right image. On Driving in the Rain, again, Iris chose! I was sending her a couple images by my sister, Denise Cordner, and told her to ignore the one with the rain. She immediately said, No! That’s the one!! And it’s going to be called Driving in the Rain! So…I wrote a poem that day by the same title, and it all worked out great.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I’m not sure, to be honest! I was worried my second book would be too similar to Scars, but it turned out ok. I know my third book will have to take a different turn. I don’t even know where to begin – I don’t want to bore my readers!
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
One of the challenges of Scars was that most of the stories are true, so that when people read Fire they thought it was a true story as well. It is not! It is, however, based on a news article that I read about a woman who burned her father to death in her house one day. After I read the article, I wanted to get inside her head to see why she would do that! I wrote it late one afternoon in our big house in Nashville.
Book Is Available On Amazon
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