Her heroines are strong and vulnerable women, men mysterious, and the end always disarms the readers: The author of the book "My man" reveals the secret of her stories (PHOTO)
Many say that the love is an invisible force that moves the world. When we are in love, we see the world through different eyes and we always try to see what is good in people. It takes a lot of effort to build a relationship with another person, but also to allow someone to get to know you the way you really are. It's not easy to strip down the soul, to reveal our flaws and virtues, but when we reach the phase when we know that we are loved and respected, it seems that there is nothing prettier than that. This is precisely what the famous British writer Jodi Ellen Malpas is writing about.
She was born in England and she lives in Midlands, in the city of Northampton with two sons. She used to work in her father's construction company, but her idea of writing was so strong that she could no longer resist it. She hasn't stopped writing since she achieved success with her first book in 2012 when her characters won the hearts of the readers all over the world.
Creating love stories and striking characters with which readers can identify with became her great passion and need, and the love she gets from her readers gives her the strength for new work victories.
Jodi Ellen Malpas spoke with Telegraf about her work, writing, and what inspires her to create such distinct works. She stressed that he tries to amaze her readers over and over again, who she adores and she is grateful for her support that they give her.
- Where do you find inspiration for your novels and are some of them inspired by true events?
Inspiration comes from anywhere, and sometimes at really inappropriate times. I could be in the supermarket, or even just wake up in the middle of the night and have an idea. Which is why I carry my journal everywhere, just in case. Of course, many things are based on personal experiences, but I adapt them or tweak them to make them fit my stories or characters.
- The themes of your stories are always love, family, friendship, stories where leading heroes get to know themselves and find happiness at the end. Do you see your books as modern fairy tales, because the leading heroes go through all hardships to be happy at the end?
Most definitely. The journey of the heroes is key to the story. I enjoy creating complex men, many of which have very dark or troubled pasts. I love watching as the heroine peels back the layers of their personalities, getting to the core of who they are and why they are the way they are. Ultimately, it all leads to acceptance of both sides of the relationship, and the happy ever after my readers and I want for them.
- How would you describe love in your own words and what's the craziest thing you've ever done for love?
Love is the most wonderful thing in the world to experience. It is almost the most painful thing. It makes you crazy, too, and I have done some crazy things for love. But I’m afraid I keep those stories to myself.
- Do we as a society miss romance nowadays?
I don’t think we miss it nowadays. In fact, I would say we’re more in tune with our romantic sides. With growing social media, we see more and more grand gestures that are shared online – things like romantic proposals and surprises. We see them and swoon, maybe even hope that one day someone will do something so thoughtful and romantic for us.
- In your novels, you present the audience very strong and descriptive sex scenes. How much is that important in your writing and do you find it as one of your stronger sides in your work?
I always try to make my sex scenes significant rather than the characters having sex for the sake of it. These moments are an opportunity to strip the characters, not only of clothes but of their protective shields too, showing their vulnerability. I always strive to deliver each scene in vivid detail so the reader can truly appreciate what the characters are feeling.
- Your female characters are strong women, with a few problems from the past. Some of them also have a bad relationship with their family, they were hurt, but they believe that they will be happy one day. They also have a lot of charm, they are very independent and female readers can relate to them. How much is that pattern important in your writing? Is feminism important part of your writing, too?
I think it’s incredibly important to shine my heroines in the strongest light. All are strong, independent women, though they show their vulnerability where the heroes are concerned. Because, of course, falling in love can expose all of your weaknesses.
- You also create strong alpha male characters that female readers love. Are they a right match for independent women or is that something that can exist in books? For example Camila and Jake in your new book "The Protector"?
I think sometimes people make the mistake that if a man is an alpha, he would naturally attract a weak female. Both in romance stories and in real life. It’s quite the opposite, I think. Women can be super independent but still want a strong, dominant man in their life. Strong men need strong women to take them on.
- You are the master of twists, and also your endings are always on some level unexpected. How do you manage to create such powerful ending?
This makes me smile because it’s what I always hope to achieve. I like to make an impact, and I want my readers to get to the end of the book and feel completely fulfilled. I never want to be predictable. When I come up with an idea for a story, I always have the ending planned, so when I start writing one of my focuses is to weave the plot to achieve the biggest impact.
- You worked in you fathers construction company, but you decided to pursue writing. Have you always believed in yourself or was there a time that you were thinking of giving up your writing? How does your writing process look like?
I never dared believe that I could be successful as a writer. When I wrote This Man, I kind of did it for myself, maybe just to prove that I could. And the characters were so strong in my mind, I simply couldn’t not write about them. I only really thought seriously about sharing the words when a friend read it and pushed me to publish it.
Unlike many other authors, I didn’t write for years and years. I never received knockbacks, so I never thought about giving up writing. My mindset was…if 100 people read it and love it, then great. I had nothing to lose by publishing. It was the best thing I ever did.
- Your books make strong reactions around the world, and women can relate to those strong emotions that your stories provide. Do you enjoy your popularity, what do you think about your readers and how do they react to your books? What kind of book should we expect next from you?
Everything has happened so fast that I still have to sit back every now and then and try to process where I am and how I got here. It all kind of feels like it happened by accident. Right place, right time, maybe. Regardless, I’m constantly overwhelmed by the love for my stories.
Knowing I am making a difference to so many women across the world is an amazing feeling. I could spend all day on social media reading messages, comments, and posts. Each one is a reminder of why I love my job so much. I love making my readers happy with my words.
- You are very popular in Serbia. Do you plan to come to our country and to hang out with your readers?
Absolutely! I would love to! We should totally make that happen in the near future. I love visiting new countries, and Serbia is up there at the top of my list. My readers there are so encouraging and full of love.
(Telegraf.co.uk / A. Taskovic - a.taskovic@telegraf.rs)
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