Part #3 of our chat with New Zealand author Stephanie Ruth! LUV: How would you describe your voice, style or brand to new readers? Stephanie: Kiwi, through and through! LUV: Congratulations, OTAGO WATERS has won nine RWNZ awards and ribbons. Can you explain how you win so many awards and tell us about the series? Is there anything special for you writing about NZ? Stephanie: Thank you, I’m so stoked about the awards! The idea for Otago Waters came to me when I was visiting my sister in Ōtepoti, Dunedin. I stood on the esplanade at St Claire watching the surfers brave the southern swell and thought, “Only in Aotearoa.” This place means the world to me. Whenua, wai, moana, maunga, tāngata… The land, the water, the sea, the mountains, and the people. It’s what I know, and it’s what I love ☺ Initially, I was encouraged by more experienced writers to enter competitions as a way to hone craft and get honest critique and reader feedback. What can I say. I guess that became a bit of an obsession too!

Posted by LUV Team at 2023-06-07 19:00:11 UTC