Blog Tour: It Started with a Tweet - Author Interview with Anna Bell and Giveaway

Today I am delighted to welcome author Anna Bell on the blog. Her latest book, It Started with a Tweet, is out in ebook next week and in paperback later next month. Today Anna has stopped by to answer all my bookish questions. I also have a giveaway for 3 paperback copies of this fun story. Scroll to the bottom of the post to enter!

Hi Anna and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me Alba! I’m Anna - I’m a British writer of romantic comedies who lives on the edge of the French Pyrenees with my lovely husband, two energetic toddlers, a lively labrador and five chickens. 

Your new book, It Started with a Tweet, is about media-obsessed Daisy, who goes on a digital detox after an online disaster. What sparkled this idea?

My starting point was that I wanted to write a book where people could fall in love in a more old fashioned way. To me there’s nothing more magical than a handwritten letter and I desperately wanted the two main characters to write to each other. I started to think what would drive people to write each other notes in our digital era - and that’s when the detox idea was born. 

I've seen on Twitter and you also started a digital detox yourself recently. Why did you decide that? Is this something that you would recommend to everyone?

Absolutely, do it! When I started writing the book, I began by researching the topic of digital addiction and I found it fascinating to find out how people’s behaviour changed when their devices were taken away. It really made me question not only my use of technology but also my children’s too. We detoxed as a family for three days and the results were amazing. With my phone and iPad firmly out of the way, no one seemed to miss it - least of all me. It made me feel free. It’s hard to explain, but I felt like no one was judging what I was or wasn’t doing. It allowed me to enjoy my time with my family without always thinking that there was something else in the room that needed my attention. Have a go - it’ll make you realise how much time you waste on your phone! 

Tell us a bit more about Daisy, do you think your readers will relate easily to her and her media obsession?

Daisy’s a workaholic who follows the mantra work hard, play hard and her whole life is played out on social media. When she has her phone (and her job) taken away from her she really has to learn who she really is and what she actually wants from life. I think that most of us are guilty of spending too much time on social media and I think readers will sympathise with her obsession. I also think they’ll be able to feel for her when her phone’s been taken away and the lengths she’d go to get it back. I’m sure we can all think of times when we’ve found ourselves offline and are desperate to connect again. 

What's your favourite social network? And what is the one you use the most to interact with your readers?

I love the simplicity of Twitter with it’s bitesize information. It’s where I find most of my recommendations for books and I love it when watching TV programmes when it’s more fun to read people’s reactions to the show rather than the show itself. I also find it really easy to use Twitter to talk to my readers and I love tweeting with them. My guilty secret is that I’m also addicted to Instagram stories- I have no idea why I find the ordinary bits of people’s lives so fascinating, but I spend ages watching them. 

What books do you currently have on your to-be-read pile?

I’ve just started reading The Belle Savage by Philip Pullman. I adored the His Dark Materials trilogy and I could not wait to dive back into the world of Lyra. I’ve also got Marian Keyes The Break to read after. I’ve never been disappointed with one of Marian’s books and I’ve heard great things about this one too. 

And finally, what can we expect from you next?

I’m currently writing a book about two old friends who made one of those if we’re not married by the time we’re thirty pacts - and they end up deciding to put the pact into action. It’s a love story in reverse with them slowly finding out what happens when the honeymoon’s over.

About the book:

Title: It Started with a Tweet

Author: Anna Bell

Published by Zaffre

ebook: December 7th 2017 

paperback: December 28th 2017

Amazon | Amazon UK