A believer that life is all about the great stories we live to share, Vanessa Zian loves helping people find the heart and ah-ha moments in their own tales.
Her two passions are romance novels and tapping into underlying emotions, and she writes a genre hybrid of women's fiction and contemporary romance.
When she’s not writing or reading, Vanessa works as a therapist, helping clients heal through the powers of introspection. She writes with the same goals in mind—to find value in the conflict and strength of character in beautiful stories, and to celebrate our happy endings.
Vanessa lives in Delaware with her childhood crush-turned-husband, their four kids, and their rescue pup Mikka. And lots of high heels.
Meet Vanessa Zian!
If you could be friends with one character in your debut novel, who would it be? Why?
Oh easy...I'd be friends with Joey, my main character's boyfriend at the start of the book. He's the lovable guy everyone wants in his corner, he's all about grand gestures, and he has a permanent grin on his face (with dimples!).
He has a gift for making everyone feel special, and let's be honest, we all wanna be special, right? Plus, Joey's easy on the eyes I seriously wish he was real.
What is your favorite food? Lifesaver wild berry gummies. Does candy count as food?
Do you have any inspirational quotes you live by?
I'm a therapist, and I love the honor of hearing my clients' stories, no matter the trauma or what they've been through. Our experiences and how we survive them shape us into incredible beings when we've done the work to move through and heal, so I'm a firm believer in the following quote: "Your story is yours and it's beautiful. You hold the power to make it so."
What was the first piece you ever wrote? (if you’re comfortable feel free to tell us a little about it).
My name means "butterfly," so I've always loved them. As a kid I wrote a story about a little girl named Butter, and she loved to frolic through fields and smell the flowers. She comes across an old woman who is tattered and hungry, and Butter shares with her the picnic basket of food she had brought along on her excursion. The woman turns out to be a (good) witch and grants her one wish. Butter asks for wings so she could smell all the flowers in the world. And that's how the butterfly got her wings. I think I was eight when I wrote that one!
What are some helpful tips you would give a fellow writer who’s having a hard time plotting, developing, etc.?
A great story comes from characters you truly care about and just have to know how things turn out for them. So, get to know your characters. When I'm starting a new book, I journal through the lens of each of the main characters. It helps me get to know them in and out, what they're afraid of, what they want, how they move through the world. It's key to creating three-dimensional people that feel real and relatable.
When you successfully know your characters, they tell you the story, it's wild.
Do you swear? If so, what’s your favorite curse word? If not, what’s your go-to exclamation when you’re mad/happy?
Oh, I swear. I'm a classic kinda gal, just gimme a "fuck" and I'm convinced that conveys everything
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Have a question you'd like to ask Vanessa Zian?
Leave a comment below and I'll make sure it gets to her!
Want to learn more about Vanessa? Connect with her on:
Instagram: instagram.com/vanessa_zian
TikTok: tiktok.com/@vanessazian
Want a free read? Join Vanessa's newsletter to receive your copy of her book Mine After October. Visit vanessazian.com
Email: Vanessa@vanessazian.com
Her debut novel, Midnight to December, is available on Amazon and KU.
What would you like to learn about from other authors? I'd love to know your questions! I have more authors signing up for Meet an Author Monday series every day.
Are you an author or writer? Would you like to be part of the Meet an Author Spotlight? Let me know, I'll send you some questions and we can get started.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
All the best,
Kara
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