Rochelle Maroon
Rochelle Maroon is a New Zealand author, artist, former journalist, and book editor of many award-winning YA and children’s books. Her first picture book, I know about babies (as Rochelle Neale – pub. Mallinson Rendel) was written while living on the Kāpiti Coast with her two young sons. She later completed a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Design and began illustrating and exhibiting her artwork. She works as a communications consultant and lives in the Wellington region.
What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
I don’t think I really read any fiction work by authors I dislike.
Do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers what they want?
Both. I try to be true to my ideas but also keep the reader in mind.
How do you select the names of your characters?
From people I know or admire or places.
What was the first book that made you cry?
Black Beauty
Have you Googled yourself? Did you find out anything interesting?
Information on the web never seems to die!
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Quite a few.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
Getting inside the heads of boys.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Yes. Everyone has an opinion and some things you take on board as learning and some you don’t.