Hello. I am Rebecca Scarberry, author of MESSAGES FROM HENRY and Scarberryfields on Twitter. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I was going to take a long break from posting interviews here until I published my second book, RAG DOLL, but I have decided to do one or two more. I have interviewed a very talented author, Lesley Fletcher. I have read her book and love it! Enjoy!

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Lesley Fletcher: I am a child of British immigrants, born in Montreal and raised in London Ontario, so that makes me a first generation Canadian. The grass seemed greener back in Montreal so I moved back and found that it is in fact greener in my eyes.

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a novel, do you miss the characters?

Lesley Fletcher: I haven’t written any novels yet, but I certainly missed my Prom Girls (first book) and find myself still asking people about their own experience leaving high school.

As for my latest release, I am still working with the ‘gypsy’ in other ways (songs, stage play) so she is never very far from my thoughts!

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., where do you turn?

Lesley Fletcher: I plow ahead and then send my work to my copy editor. I honestly don’t remember all the rules of proper grammar and wouldn’t want the added task of those kinds of corrections.

Scarberryfields: Does writing benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Lesley Fletcher:  Writing is a therapy the same as art for me. I am in the process of taking a play writing course where we are encouraged to free write within certain parameters. With perhaps a ten to twelve minute timeframe to work in that pencil flies into places I didn’t realize existed. That is the benefit, right there. Tapping into your own realm of creativity.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Lesley Fletcher: Absolutely. It is imperative to have no distractions.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking as a marketing tool, is beneficial?

Lesley Fletcher: Ah… Yes, I do but I need to qualify that answer. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and know-how to use social marketing properly and realize the benefits. It is not a 3 month or even a six month process. I think it is more like a one to two year process unless you have a huge budget and hire the necessary expertise.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Lesley Fletcher: My latest book is titled 5 Pillars of the Gypsy, which is a mix of my own art, approximately 40 pieces (mostly abstract) and poetry/prose.

 I was advised, of course that it would not do well because of the genre but I have found otherwise and have been pleasantly surprised by its heartfelt reception. I think it has been accepted so well because while it is written in verse, it also tells a story through accessible poetry. What I mean by accessible is that anyone can read and understand it without having to look up words or wonder what the poem is trying to say. Each person who has provided me with feedback or reviews mentions that they personally relate to what I have to say and have found both comfort (that they are not alone) and a sense of spirituality.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your book?  

Lesley Fletcher: I have recently released it in e-book format at Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210857 

And it is available at Amazon in print and Kindle format

http://www.amazon.com/5-Pillars-Gypsy-Lesley-Fletcher/dp/0986533246 

You can find me here:

WordPress    http://inspirationimport.wordpress.com

My Website  http://www.lesleyfletcher.com

And on Twitter @gypsyles