Since November 2009Author Article: Me & My Novels by Sharon Owens
Posted on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 by Leah
After enjoying her latest book, The Seven Secrets of Happiness, we were told that Sharon Owens would like to write an author article for the site where she discusses what it’s like not to conform to your typical author-ly stereotype. Enjoy!
People sometimes say they are very surprised when they meet me for the first time because they’ve been expecting a more mature lady with bouffant hair, kitten heels and a floral jacket. And they’ve also been expecting a very maternal sort of character with bags of advice on love and relationships, and cookery tips.
And then I turn up in my Dr Martens boots, Morrissey T-shirt, skinny jeans and poker-straight hair, and order a pint of lager. What can I say? I’m 41 but my greatest passion in life is rock, Punk and indie music. I love listening to German rockers Rammstein at full volume and I love the super-kooky Yeah Yeah Yeahs though my heart will always belong to Morrissey. The sound of his singing calms my soul. I’m not a foodie either, preferring a plain old cheddar sandwich to most gourmet food, and I wouldn’t know a good bottle of wine from a bottle of Sarson’s vinegar. I am a confirmed romantic though and I’ve been in love with my husband Dermot since 1984. As for the relationship advice: if it doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t.
I was born in Northern Ireland in 1968 and grew up in the small market town of Omagh during the worst years of the Troubles but luckily my rebellious nature saved me from becoming too obsessed with it all. To this day I refuse to be told how to vote, where to live, where to worship and who I should socialise with. I take people as I find them, regardless of their status or background, and hopefully they do the same for me. I like being an individual and it annoys me when I hear people talking about “two communities living side-by-side”. We’re all just one great big human community, aren’t we?
I suppose I’m a bit wary of national culture generally. I much prefer the international cultures of art, sculpture, printmaking, poetry, literature, music and fashion. Those are the mediums that unite people. I believe absolutely in freedom of speech; there are so many means of self-expression that aggression of any kind is simply unnecessary in my book. As for my novels, well, I do enjoy a gentle love story. Yes, I love loud rock music but I don’t like horror films, gratuitously gory thrillers or tedious 1,000-page whodunits. I like a bit of escapism when I curl up in bed with a book. I like a bit of life experience, a saucy scene or two, plenty of laughs and a happy ending. So those are the sort of books I write.
I don’t feel embarrassed about being described as a chick-lit author. The rebel in me rather enjoys being a chick-lit author who owns original vinyl records by The Clash and XTC. My style icons are Morrissey, Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, and grown-up Goth couple Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter. My favourite author is Janet McNeill. I write every book to the best of my ability and then I send them out into the world, like butterflies. Writing isn’t just therapy for me; I write for the enjoyment of readers, romantics, rebels and bookworms everywhere.
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