How do you create characters for a novel?
M.P. Tonnesen: I draw my inspiration from lots of different people I have come across in real life or in fiction; TV series, films, friends, family, celebrities, random people in the street, restaurant or when travelling. I often exaggerate certain personality traits to make the characters stand out more and for dramatic effect. I keep an overview of my cast of characters to ensure they don’t suddenly change eye colour or other key information throughout the story. I like my characters’ names to have a symbolic meaning, like Liv and Chaim in “Desert Skies, Rebel Souls” whose names both mean “life”, so I am quite meticulous when researching and choosing names. I create roles for each character, so they have a significance in driving the story. The obvious ones are Protagonist, Antagonist, Love Interest, Mentor/Helper and Sidekick/Deuteragonist. I also try to ensure that they are not too one-dimensional by giving them a backstory and some character flaws.

What do you enjoy/hate about the writing process?
MPT:  Well, as most authors will probably say, the editing and proofreading are the least enjoyable phases for me too. Creating something from nothing in the first draft is more gratifying 😉

 
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
MPT:  Ooh, that’s a great question! So many wonderful places to choose from – and so hard to pick one when you’re a wandering soul like me. Australia has always been on my bucket list, and I think I could easily spend a year exploring this fascinating country.
 
Picture this: You feel uninspired and you’ve sat at the computer for an hour without conquering any words. How do you get your creativity flowing?
MPT: I step away from the computer for sure. Changing my physical setting and position helps stimulate my brain waves. It could be to do anything else from taking a shower or doing the laundry to less mundane things like meeting up with or calling a friend, watch a movie or read a book. Eating some nice food or snacks also helps to energise me!
 
How do you think being a writer has helped you as a person?
MPT: It has developed my sense of empathy even further and helped me grow thicker skin. I have been fortunate to receive some fantastic reviews, but there are a few trolls out there hiding behind their screens who have tried to get me down but will never succeed.
 
What is your favorite word, and why?
MPT: I was born a word lover and there are many words in different languages which are my favourites – either because of their meaning or because of the way they sound or roll off the tongue. In English, it would be words like discombobulated or flabbergasted which always crack me up.
 
If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?
MPT: Snacks and drinks for sure! I work best in complete silence, so unless I need a particular piece of music for a scene (you may have noticed quite a few music references in my novels, and I have even made playlists for both of them), then I would happily say goodbye to the music whilst I am writing. For research and inspiration, it’s another matter.
 
Do you feel like it’s most important to have a) epic settings b) strong characters or c) mind-blowing plot twists?
MPT: For me, the geographical settings play a huge role, but the characters drive the story in both my books, so it would be a tough choice between the two.
 
What is your motivation to write?
MPT: I love this quote by Toni Morrison: “If there is a book you want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” It really inspired me to write both my books – the fact that I had a story inside me waiting to burst out.

What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
MPT: I generally flex between contemporary fiction (literary or romance) and timeless classics. The former because there are so many great new stories being told and especially ones where love is the driver of action or conflict. The latter, because we can learn so much from past writers such as Austen or Hemingway.

What are two of your favorite book covers of all time?
MPT: I would have to be very biased and say my own 😉 I had a great collaboration with the artist Bruno Cavellec on both my covers, and I still find them so beautiful, expressive and eye-catching.

I'd love to (write a name):
a) have lunch or coffee with... Audrey Hepburn or Coco Chanel!
b) have a drink with... Jamie Fraser from Outlander!
c) write a novel/short story with... Nora Ephron or Elizabeth Gilbert!
d) to talk with... Barack Obama!

 
Favorite song of all time... Hard choice between "Mr Jones" by Counting Crows and "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader. Always get me singing and on the dance floor!
Favorite book of all time... Such a difficult question! "The Sense of An Ending" by Julian Barnes is the one I have read the most times.
What I miss from my childhood... Some of the great children programmes which were televised in Scandinavia in the 1980s.
Something you didn't know about me... I was a competitive gymnast for 10 years when I was younger.
Something I can't live without... My family
Things that inspire me... Travelling and any kind of art (paintings, theatre, films, music…)
Where I want to go one day... My travel bucket list is endless! Japan for sure.
Character you wish you could be... Wonder Woman 😉




 M.P. Tonnesen is an award-winning writer and businesswoman. Author of: The Cosmopolitan Islander (2015) and Desert Skies, Rebel Souls (2017).

More informations: official page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads.

The Cosmopolitan Islander

Desert Skies, Rebel Souls

The Cosmopolitan Islander

    What if life as you know it was turned upside down? Would you still be the same person?
  When Chloe is forced to leave behind her cosmopolitan life in London to move to a small island in the Irish Sea, she is faced with a myriad of challenges.
  How will she and her family adapt to island life? Will she find new friends? What about her career? Most importantly, will the love of Chloe and her husband survive their amorous adventures?
  Join Chloe on her journey through her past and her present to make sense of her life, herself, her hopes, and dreams amid her personal upheaval.

   The Cosmopolitan Islander is a thrilling novel about female roles and identity in the 21st century – and about how the journey of life can change your destination in the most unexpected way. It takes the reader from the Isle of Man and around the world, traversing the timeless themes of love, desire, family, friendship, power, and ambition.

   The Cosmopolitan Islander is a must read for the modern woman - and man; for expats and others in cultural encounters; for islanders and globetrotters; and for anyone in-between.



Review: Desert Skies, Rebel Souls