Today I have a book on traveling called "The Twists and Turns of a Traveler: Life Lessons, Adventures and Everything in Between" by Tessa Sillifant. I also have her author interview. Take a look and get your copy today.
Product details
- ASIN: B08Q9WDZQJ
- Publisher: Independently published (December 11, 2020)
- Language: English
- Paperback: 96 pages
- ISBN-13: 979-8579894915
- Item Weight: 7 ounces
- Dimensions: 6 x 0.22 x 9 inches
Tell your readers a little
about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school
etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I grew up on a farm in Cornwall (the South
West of England). It was such a rural part of the country to live in; I used to
walk through fields to visit friends. In the mornings, my brother and I would
jump on our pushbikes and ride along the narrow road to collect the milk which
was delivered to a wooden box nestled in the grass, a mile or so up the road!
After school, I used to come home and watch Australian TV programmes like Home
and Away and Neighbours and always wondered what it would be like to
visit a country the other side of the world! Although I visited Australia, I
now live in New Zealand after falling in love with the natural beauty all
around me; and of course, after being drawn to the adrenalin-fueled adventures
available to me!
What inspired you to
author this book?
I have been fortunate to have been able to
visit and explore some amazing places around the world, and along the way, I
have learnt many lessons. After speaking with some new travelers a few years
ago, I listened to their stories and heard similar themes that no-one talks
about when you set off on your adventures to explore. I wanted to capture the
stories I had, turn them into reflective “morals of the story” to help people
who were new to travel understand and be prepared for travel life. I also
wanted to share my funny stories in a light-hearted way so that they became
memorable as photos posted on social media don’t always capture the full story
and can sometimes be deceptive.
Where did you get the
inspiration for your book’s cover?
The cover was down to a wonderful graphic
designer who goes under the name of Pro_graphics360!
Who has been the most
significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
It’s hard to pinpoint this to one person as I
have had some overwhelming support from friends, family, colleagues, and
strangers who have read my writing. However, my mum has been my biggest
cheerleader, and I am eternally grateful for all of her encouragement and
support, along with all the support I have received from my dad, step mum,
brother, stepbrother, stepsister and best friend, Hayley.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
I started writing this book in 2018 and gave
up on it, to later bring it back to life this year during New Zealand’s
lock-down. In between, I had my heartbroken, completed an intense two-year
master’s programme in 11 months, and had two career changes! Writing is such a
personal act, and during the process, you question yourself so much. However,
there will always be obstacles along the way, but I think the greatest comfort
is the pleasure I get from writing.
The Twists and Turns of a Traveller: Life
Lessons, Adventures and Everything in Between is a book about the highs and lows of travel
life. It talks about the journey it took for me to be able to afford to go to
the other side of the world and covers topics such as my very first trip to
Wales as a teenager to a random trip to Egypt, to cultural differences and
social responsibility. Each chapter provides a moral of the story offering
information on the big lessons I’ve learnt in life. There’s lots of
light-hearted stories that are aimed to be informative, but fun and the book,
of course, is sprinkled with a dash of naivety!
Who is your target
audience, and why?
The book offers insightful tips and advice
that can help those new to travel understand and think about travel life before
they head out and explore. The book is also aimed to be an easy arm-chair read
for those seasoned travellers, as there are many opportunities for the reader
to reminisce over their own travel adventures whilst they laugh out loud at
mine!
What do you consider your
greatest success in life?
I think I’d have to say my greatest success
is still being able to be true to myself, come from a good place, and carry an
open mind and kind heart even after all of life’s trials and tribulations. I
feel it’s important that we contribute to the world in an uplifting and
positive way and we view and treat others the same way because life is to be
celebrated and appreciated and is actually hard enough already without living
life any other way!
