Our latest Gift Pack features best-selling Australian author Belinda Alexandra, with pre-order signed copies of three of her novels for you to choose from. Belinda's gorgeous books are being re-released with new covers and we will have some of the first signed copies available. We sat down with Belinda and had a chit chat to learn a little more about this wonderful woman and her fascinating world.
RO: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
BA: I am the author of nine bestselling novels and a non-fiction book about cats. My work has been published in a variety of languages including Spanish, German, Turkish and Hungarian. Born to a Russian mother and an Australian father I have both a fascination with other cultures and a passion for my own country that I explore in my writing. An animal lover, I am patron of the World League for the Protection of Animals, Australia, and I live in Sydney with my three rescue cats – Valentino, Versace and Gucci – and a garden full of interesting wildlife.
RO: What sparked your passion for books and writing?
BA: Me becoming a writer was definitely my mother’s influence. She had a rich family history and lots of exotic friends. I used to sit for hours listening to their stories of growing up in China (They were Russians and Poles). As soon as I could hold a pencil and form a few words my mother encouraged me to write. My own life experience was a bit limited and most of my early stories were about my cat, Snuggy.
RO: What was the first book that you really connected with?
BA: I loved Snugglepot and Cuddlepie when I was small but it was reading Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations when I was a teenager that gave me that ‘aha’ moment that I wanted to be a writer.
RO: Where do you pull inspiration from for your books?
BA: I enjoy reading about history and learning about people’s life stories. I’m also very much inspired by places and nature. I have a lot of hobbies including music and dancing, which are rich sources of inspiration too.
RO: What are some of your favourite hobbies or pastimes?
BA: At the moment I’m enjoying learning to belly dance. I’ve always been attracted to world music. I play the piano. I’m also clicker training my naughtiest cat, Gucci, which is quite delightful for both of us.
RO: We are super excited for the re-releasing of your books, with gorgeous new artworks "White Gardenia", “Tuscan Rose” and “Wild Lavender”. Can you give us a little more insight into what these books are about?
BA: These are books about women facing personal upheaval due to world events. In White Gardenia, a White Russian mother and daughter are separated during the communist takeover in China, and the daughter, Anya then spends her adult life trying to find out what happened to her mother. In Wild Lavender, a French music hall dancer joins the Resistance when her country is invaded by German soldiers during the Second World War, and in Tuscan Rose, a child, Rosa, is left at a convent in mysterious circumstances. When she grows up she makes some astonishing discoveries about her family background.
We can't wait to bring you these PRE-ORDER Date With A Book Gift Packs, due to be shipped at the start of April. Thank you so much Belinda for being a part of such a special pack, and for your time chatting with us. See Belinda's latest non-fiction release: The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend online now and connect with her below.
WEBSITE >>> https://www.belinda-alexandra.com/
FACEBOOK >>> https://www.facebook.com/BelindaAlexandraAuthor
INSTAGRAM >>> https://www.instagram.com/belinda_alexandra_author/