Featured Interview With Renae Lucas-Hall
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an Australian-born British novelist and writer and the author of “Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories” and “Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story”. I spent years studying French, Italian and Japanese because I love languages and I always wanted to be an interpreter, a teacher or a writer. I later graduated from university with a degree in Japanese language and culture. After this, I went on to live in Tokyo for two years, where I taught English. I have continued to work with the Japanese for many years. Ten years ago, I also completed an Advanced Diploma of Business. Over the past twenty years, I have enjoyed visiting Japan many times for work or as a tourist. These days, I continue to love reading and writing anything and everything about Japan. I currently live in Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom with my husband. You can read more about me, my books and my writing at http://www.cherryblossomstories.com.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always reading as a child. I spent most of my spare time with my head in a book. I loved reading all the books on the curriculum at school and this was when my love of the classics began. I had a very good English teacher when I was twelve years old. She asked the class to write short stories and submit them for evaluation. I really enjoyed creating exciting characters and interesting plots for these stories. I have fond memories of this time in my life when I couldn’t wait to get feedback from my teacher. Luckily, my English teacher really liked all of my short stories and I developed a love for writing.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are Charles Dickens, John Steinbeck, Jane Austen, John Wyndham, F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell. My favourite genre is the classics. When I have writer’s block, I just read a few chapters from a book like “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens and this inspires me to create and write my own stories.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called “Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories”. In this book, readers can also enjoy lots of gorgeous illustrations by the award-winning illustrator Yoshimi Ohtani. There are fifteen magical stories in total in “Tokyo Tales” including a hellish home-stay, ghosts, school bullying, a marriage arrangement and the kawaii culture. You’ll love this book if you’re interested in Japan, the Japanese culture and the mind-set of the Japanese people.
The illustrator and I spent two years creating this book. We made a lot of changes to the images as well as the plots and the characters before Yoshimi and I were happy with the result. I really enjoyed writing short stories again after spending so long writing and publishing my first novel called “Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story”. I’m sure my readers will enjoy my books, which are mainly set in Tokyo, even if they have never been to Japan.
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