Interview with Chantel Guertin + Win 3 Books

Photography is one of my passions. That’s why I constantly seek books that feature photography. I can’t get enough of them, so I was really excited when I learnt about the Pippa Greene series. The Rule of Thirds was a delightful book, which I reviewed a while back. Then the opportunity arose to interview the author, Chantel Guertin, so let’s welcome her here on Word Revel today!

About Chantel Guertin

Talking about Writing, Pippa Greene and Photography

Why did you decide to write books?

You know how when you go to the movies you just know you’re going to get popcorn or candy? Well, it’s like that for me. Writing is my popcorn. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do—always.

How long does it generally take you to write a book?

About six months.

What’s your writing process like?

I think about the book while I’m swimming, walking, running or grocery shopping. I work a lot of it out in my head. Then I write an outline of what the book is going to be about. Then I sit down and write–I try to write mostly in order but sometimes I get inspired to write a scene and I don’t know where it will fit in until later. When I have about 2/3 of the book written I spend time getting all the scenes in order and then filling in what’s missing to flesh out the story and characters.

Are there any tips you could share with aspiring writers?

Write! Every day. You have to make it a habit just like brushing your teeth. Then when you miss a day you’ll feel guilty and make sure you don’t miss the next day.

What inspired you to write the Pippa Greene series?

I wanted to write about two teens who like each other but are afraid to share the truth which each other. When my publisher bought the book they asked if I wanted to make it a series so then I imagined where the story would go after the first book ends.

Why did you choose photography to be Pippa’s passion?

A few years ago I was feeling like I needed another creative outlet besides writing, to inspire me, so for my birthday I bought a camera and took photography lessons. I started to see the world through the lens and that inspired me to write the book that became the first in the Pippa Greene series.

Do you have any favourite photographers?

Does David Westerly, Pippa’s mentor, count? I feel like I spend so much time thinking, What would David do?, that he’s practically like a real live photographer to me!

How does photography feature in your life?

I have a 1.5-year-old son, so I spend a lot of time capturing him on film! Seriously, I must take at least 50 pictures of him a day, it’s a real problem! But also, I research a lot of techniques for the Pippa books and then find myself trying to apply those techniques with my own camera. So it’s made me a better photographer, for sure!

Would you like to share a little about your own passions?

I recently became obsessed with tennis — and not just because the outfits are so cute! I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a character in one of my next books who plays tennis, just so I can justify all my tennis breaks from writing during the day! I also spend so much time typing that I am addicted to CND Shellac manicures. It’s a small indulgence that makes me feel good about myself, even if I haven’t brushed my hair in three days.

Contest: Win the first 3 Pippa Greene books

The first three books in the Pippa Greene series are up for grabs, sponsored by ECW Press. All you have to do is enter the following photo contest.

The Details

1. Take a photo using the rule of thirds. (Here’s an explanation of it and some examples.)
2. Post your photo on your blog, Tumblr, Facebook or Instagram. Make sure it is publicly accessible.
   
   → For posts on blogs, link to https://wordrevel.com/interview-chantel-guertin
   
   → For posts on Tumblr, link to https://wordrevel.com/interview-chantel-guertin and mention the username wordrevel
   
   → For posts on Facebook, link to https://wordrevel.com/interview-chantel-guertin and use the hashtag #WordRevel3rds
   
   → For posts on Instagram, mention @wordrevel in the caption and use the hashtag #WordRevel3rds
3. Fill up the form below and submit the link to your photo.

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1. This contest is open internationally.
2. Posts not linked to through the submission form will not be considered for the contest.
3. One winner will be chosen based on creativity, composition and visual appeal.
4. The chosen winner will receive one paperback edition of each of these books by Chantel Guertin: The Rule of Thirds, Depth of Field and Leading Lines.
5. Each participant may submit up to three entries.
6. Photo submissions that do not comply by the submission guidlines based on the respective platform of choice (blog, Tumblr, Facebook of Instagram) will be disqualified.
7. Photo(s) must be taken by the participant. Photos containing copyrighted material will be disqualified.
8. Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent, other objectionable or inappropriate content will be disqualified.
9. The contest commences on November 19, 2015 and ends on December 6, 2015 at 11.59 p.m. GMT+8.
10. The winner will be notified via email on December 7, 2015. The winner must respond within 48 hours to claim the prize.
11. In order to join this contest, the participants is prepared to disclose their mailing address to the organiser if they win.
12. The organiser agrees not to sell, trade, rent, or in any way distribute the winner’s personal information.
13. The prize will be sent via registered airmail through Singapore Post Limited if the winner is located outside of the Republic of Singapore. If the winner is located in Singapore, the prize will be sent via local ordinary mail through Singapore Post Limited.
14. The organiser will not be liable if the prize sustains damage or goes missing in transit.
15. The organiser’s decisions are final.

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Submission Form

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