Fleur Lind, one of the locals behind Rose City Writers, is thrilled to have three of her short stories featured in a new book, ‘A Collection of Short Stories & Poetry’.
Fleur says the collection is from authors worldwide, so she feels excited, humbled and proud to have her work included.
We had a chat with Fleur about the stories she has featured in the books, her writing inspirations, what kind of stories she likes to read, and more.
Q. What are the stories about?
A. The first story tells of Felix, a humble character who is living a simple and satisfying life until a gang of bullies arrives, making his life very stressful.
He needs to think quickly to out-wit them, for his survival. It’s a fast-paced tale about trying to hold your ground, even when the bar is raised and the risks are high.
The second story is based on a true event. It tells of a housewarming party, one of the guests has a secret which is revealed at the party, the comfy couch sets the scene for a surprise appearance from some off-beat but highly revered guests. It’s a gathering of friends that will long be remembered.
The third story is about friendship, a fascination/love of cars and going off-road, and finding romance when you least expect it.
Q. How did you select these stories?
A. I tried to get a good mix of characters, plots, twists, and endings. These stories ticked the boxes.
Q. What inspires you when writing stories?
A. Literally anything. It could be something I see, even for a matter of seconds, or something I hear; just a sentence will trigger an idea for a story, or an event I am part of. Nothing is sacred, anything can end up in print!
Q. What are your favourite topics to write about?
A. As I have been writing stories for the paper for over four years now, I have not had a favourite topic, as such.
I enjoy working an idea into a readable quirky yarn, giving it a twist and keeping the reader intrigued until the last sentence and delivering a dollop of humour as well.
Q. Where can people get copies of the book?
A. A Collection of Short Stories & Poetry (Book 2) can be found on Amazon at viewbook.at/BOOKiWROTE-Book2
Q. What are your favourite kinds of stories to read?
A. I love a book that has an unpredictable plot, strong characters, plenty of action, suspense, and a good balance of humour.
I’m not a fan of romance, I prefer either period drama or modern-day settings, and I like light-hearted science fiction. I enjoy reading Maeve Binchy, Leane Moriarty, Gillian Wells, and a host of Indie authors such as Mason Bushell, David P Perlmutter, Stephen Ainley, Richard Griffith, just to name a few.
Q. How long have you been writing?
A. I started writing creatively in 2011. In that time, to date, I have written and published three novels and a travel memoir/story. I am currently working on a new project; a compelling story, and continue to send in short stories and poetry for Book 3 of A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry.
Q. Can you tell me a bit about the Rose City Writers’ Group? How can people get involved?
A. RCW is a wonderful group of local folk who have a passion for creative writing. Some of us in the group are published, but we all strive to be the best we can be. We meet at 1 pm on the third Saturday of each month at St Mark Church Hall, opposite the CWA building in Grafton Street. Being mindful of Covid, in case our meetings are cancelled, we go month-to-month with planning competitions and writing events, as well as guest speakers. We have a lot of fun, inspire and support each other and bring a shared afternoon tea. We welcome new members. We have a Facebook page for further inquiries: facebook.com/groups/rosecitywriterswarwick
