Author Interview: Savannah Page

Today is my third and final stop on the When Girlfriends Chase Dreams CLP Blog Tour. It's been so much fun taking part in this tour because I just love the When Girlfriends... series by Savannah Page. Today's post is a Q&A with Savannah. I hope you enjoy it!

Books Etc.: What drew you to writing a series about a group of girlfriends?

Savannah Page: I have a dear group of girlfriends from college, and even over the years, as the physical distance grows (we’re all spreading out—I’m all the way in Berlin now!), and no matter how eclectic a group we are, our friendship is really amazing and strong. I was thinking about this special friendship one day when I was drawing up the theme for my When Girlfriends… collection. I thought, How neat would it be to have a group of women, each with their own, unique story, come together throughout a collection of novels? I wanted to write about female friendship and how strong the ties that bind can be no matter the challenges, the differences, etc.

BE: What did you like about writing a series?

SP: Getting to work with the same characters over and over—really allowing myself to get to know them intimately—is the best part! Honestly, I feel like Sophie, Robin, Lara, Claire, Emily, and Jackie are all real women.

BE: Do you ever find characteristics of yourself or your friends and family creeping into your characters?

SP: Naturally, as the writer, I think characteristics of myself sneak in there. It’s unavoidable. But I always stress that while I may be inspired by actual events and experiences, my fiction is fiction. However, I can definitely say that Sophie’s need for organization, or Emily’s penchant for travel, or Claire’s sugary sweet nature, or some of my male characters’ traits or actions were definitely created with some particular people in mind.

BE: What kind of writing schedule do you have? Do you like to write at a certain time of day or in a certain place?

SP: I write during the weekdays, and usually throughout the afternoon in my home office. I prefer writing between lunch and dinner because that’s a large swathe of quiet time I can just plot and pound away on the keys.

BE: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

SP: Reading’s probably my number one hobby. In line at the grocery store, riding the subway, on the treadmill, before bed…I can’t read enough. I also like Pilates, watching far too much TV-on-DVD, traveling, crafting, and doing wedding flower blogging (my other day job).

BE: What’s your favourite genre to read? Is it the same as your favourite genre to write?

SP: Chick lit’s got to be the winner. It’s definitely my favorite to write. I like to read just about anything, though. Right now I’m reading a memoir, a travelogue, a chick lit, a sci-fi, and an Austen classic.

BE: What inspired you to become an author?

SP: I’ve aspired to be a writer since I was a little girl, and today, one of the things that keeps me writing is the desire to write the book I really want to read. I’ve got so many story ideas that I want to share and further explore, so many characters I want to get to know and places I want to visit. Writing’s a perfect outlet and I adore getting to share my stories with others.