Maria Forbes - Author Life

Maria Forbes published her debut fiction novel, Slaves of the Third Millennium, earlier this year. We wanted to catch up with the author and find out what she had been up to since becoming an established author.

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

I always dreamt of becoming an author ‘one day’. As a young girl, I was sent to boarding school at the age of five and was always making up stories about magical ways of returning home. In my twenties, I became serious about becoming an author but It was actually forty years before I did it!

What was your first job?

My very first job was during the University summer vacation when I went to work at the pineapple cannery in Brisbane. I’d heard that they paid good money so decided to give it a go. I was thrown into the rough and tumble of factory life, working with women on a pineapple conveyor belt. I had a snowflake’s chance in hell of keeping up with pineapples that came hurling down at me and overcome by it all, I fainted. The supervisor suggested that I may not be cut out for the job. I only lasted for three days.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

As I was an English teacher for twenty five years of my working life, I often dabbled in writing but I never ever had enough time to devote to it properly. I made a decision to change my career when I turned forty and went back to study to become a natural health practitioner. I became interested in helping many young people with depression and low self-esteem and I wrote my first book which was a non-fiction, motivational self-help book. However, I was itching to write a fiction novel where I had absolute freedom to compose what I was interested in and the result was my present book.

What was your life like before you became an author?

I really became an author after I retired from full-time work. I began my working life in the traditional high school teaching area, then entered the business world as a self-employed practitioner. My working life was full of activity as I juggled teaching, studying, looking after my family of a husband and three children and then operating a natural health clinic and health food shop.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

My struggle was with time. I never had any time just to have the luxury of thinking and writing. I used to have scraps of paper all over the house with plot outlines and character descriptions, hoping that one day I would be able to devote serious time to their development. I actually had the title of my book written down back in the 1980’s.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

My life has changed in the sense that I now feel a real sense of satisfaction. That drive to write has been met and I am happily writing a sequel to my current book. I feel I have achieved my life purpose and am enjoying my life.

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

I often wake up at 3.00am with an idea and write it down in the iPad beside my bed. Invariably, I have to spend some time deciphering it later in the morning. I like to do all of my chores in the morning and also go out for any appointments that I may have. Then after lunch, I settle down to write or research my subject matter and I  spend quite a few hours at my computer. I am always available for any promotional opportunities for my book.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

My most memorable moment of my life as an author was receiving the email from Pegasus to say that they had accepted my work for publication. I felt that I was now on my way to achieving what I always wanted.

How would you best sum up your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

My experience with Pegasus has been an absolute delight. It is rare to get anyone to follow through with everything they promise but Pegasus have been true to their word and followed through meticulously with their editing, publishing and marketing processes. They answer emails immediately and their professionalism has exceeded my expectations.