Author Interview: Erika

Hello Erika, thankyou for appearing on my blog. Please tell us something about yourself and your background as an author.

Hi Sucheta, first of all my heartfelt thank you for offering me this interview. It was an unexpected surprise and I appreciate it a lot. You want to know something about me? Actually there is not a lot to tell. I am a bored housewife started writing in order to bring some meaning into her life…hahaha… just kidding! I am a mother of three wonderful kids (13, 16, 20). I worked as chief-secretary until my first child was born and then part time. Meanwhile I am running a Practice for Aromatherapy and Self-Development. I am certified in Aromatherapy, Emmett-Technique, Matrix-Transformation, Tarot Card-Reading, Spiritual Healing, and the 2^nd grad of Reiki. I was born in Austria (Vienna) but I am living in the Principality of Liechtenstein for 36 years.

I am a trained professional singer. Besides concerts, weddings, and church events I participated in 2 contests and won both. Meanwhile I am producing my own songs which you can listen to on my blog –https://erikakind.wordpress.com/songs/my-own-productions/.

How did I come to writing? My best friend often told me to write a book. I was laughing and said: “Yes, sure, chocolate has no calories and Erika is going to write a book.” Who would ever want to read what I, the unimportant and uninformed Erika, says. I was too scared to ever say something about what I feel or think. People might laugh about me, question me, and criticize me. But when I had my breakthrough experience I realized that this all was a big lieI told myself all lifelong. I am free at every moment. Free, to be who I am and to go for who I am. That was the moment I thought about writing about this huge insight.

Every writer has some inspiration. Who or what is your inspiration?

That answer is easy: Life! From the age of 9 on I started to develop fears and self-doubts due to humiliation, being bullied, being expected to develop into someone I was not. I was given the feeling that I am only worthwhile when I achieve something. And of course that something was defined by others. My fears grew and never being enough made my self-doubts growing as well. I tried to be a person the meets the expectations of others in order to receive respect, acceptance, and love. But of course that never works. Therefore I forgot more and more who I really was. But the voice within me was never silenced completely and the flame of my being never went out. I started to discover myself again. I went through the jungle of misunderstandings and distortion until I saw that first glimpse of my own light again. That was the moment when things started falling into place, when people, signposts, books appeared and made me see clearer and clearer. I changed my way of thinking and my life changed. And one day – standing at a beach in Southern California – it hit me like thunder: “No one can ever harm me, no one is able to know what’s best for me, and no one can make me think or feel anything I don’t want. It were never the others – it was always me.I don’t need to fear anything or anyone. I am me – the only me in this universe – and that makes me special.” That was the moment when I decided to write I’m Free – Awareness Of Who You Are by Discovering Who You Are Not!”.But the German edition. That was in 2009 – 30 years later.

How difficult/easy was it for you to get published?

 The German version was my second book after a little poem book. I did not want to spend money again and tried to find a publisher which wants my book for what it is. I asked a publisher of spiritual books in my country and they wanted excerpts. My heart was beating so heavily that I was sure they heard it over the phone. After I sent the excerpts I was waiting for about 5 months. When I came back from my summer vacation and opened my inbox I found a very excited acceptance. I was dancing and screaming for 10 minutes. The English edition of I’m Freewas published by Balboa Press (a division of Hay House). Therefore I had to spend money. But due to the distance and me wanting to reach out as far as possible it was worth it. I experienced a great and most professional support. The social media campaign led me to my blog which opened another new universe for me I had never expected in its unfolding

You are based in Germany? Which are some of your favourite books written in German/ based in Germany?

Just in order to clarify a misunderstanding. I am neither based in Germany nor am I German. I am Austrian and I live in the Principality of Liechtenstein which is a small country between Austria and Switzerland. As in those two countries also over here we speak German.

My favorite book of a German Author is The Power of Now– by Eckhart Tolle. It was one of the life changing books next to The Secret, The Law of Attraction and most of all Wayne Dyer’s Your Sacred Self (next to many others of his books). They were life changing because I started to understand on one hand. But most of all because I developed the courage to apply what I understood into my life which only made it change.

How do you select the names for your characters? How close are they to real life?

Since my book is not fiction all characters are real. I take examples most of all from my own life but also what I experienced through my clients, friends, and any other encounters. I’m Free is a book drawn from life itself.

If there is one genre of writing that you would like to stick to for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?

The one I started with and which I also plan or not leaving: Self-development / Spirituality

What is the craziest incidence that you have had while writing your books?

That is a wonderful question. When I started writing on a chapter I basically knew what to write about. I had my experiences and insights. But while I was writing on that chapter things happened in my life which made that chapter come alive. I went through situations or witnessed others which were exactly what I was writing about. Therefore I was writing live from life. And this happened with each and every chapter every time I worked through it. That was amazing – not always comfortable… haha – but it helped making the book most authentic.

What are your pet peeves as a writer?

When I am in the flow of writing and someone drops in asking me something…. Yes, that definitely is a huge pet peeve.

If given a chance to choose a pen name, what would you call yourself?

Honestly, I would never ever write under a pen name. The books I write are making me myself an open book. Authenticity is most important. I have no fear anymore to show who I am. And I want to do it in order to inspire others to let go of their fears and accepting and loving themselves the way they are, no matter what the rest of the world thinks about it.

Btw. Kind is my real sure name. When I married I had never thought how much of a blessing that name once might become. At that time I was far away from any thinking of writing books and even publishing one in English. I’ve come a long way.

On a side note: In German the word “Kind” means “child”.

A typical day in your life would be?

 I am a mother of three big kids and therefore have a lot of time back to myself. The morning starts like everywhere with preparing breakfast. When everybody is gone I am doing the household, working on my blog, having clients in my practice, getting family stuff organized, working in my garden, and working on my songs… I am never bored. My youngest son still comes home for lunch so there is a break between. In the evening I am doing my daily workout unless I am giving a meditation or having a late client. After dinner and getting some things done I basically go back to my blog sphere again where I remain mostly the rest of the evening since then there is the most “traffic”… haha.

Any tips from your experiences that you would want to share with our readers?

Feel your heart. Listen to its voice and don’t be scared what it might tell you. It never hurts you, it never lies at you, it never tricks you, and it never ever harms you. The voice of you heart is the voice of your truth – of YOUR truth. It is your life and your path. You are the only you in this world. Everybody has a unique history, unique experiences, certain skills, things they like and don’t like, certain dreams and goals. This all defines the way they look at the world, at life, and at themselves. This all makes this individual. Therefore no one is ever able to know what is best for you. The only person who knows what is best for you is you yourself – even when you are in doubts. Because it is your personal way out of those doubts.

Whatever decision you make don’t do it because others told you. Do it because it feels right. Sometimes it can even feel right to take the difficult way. Walk your way, walk it with your chin up high and have faith that whatever path you choose will lead you to a better place. The road can be bumpy but it may be necessary in order to get the necessary balance. It is your life, your dreams and whatever you do or don’t do, in the end the consequences are yours to deal with. Live your dream in order to never look back and regret that you didn’t. You don’t need to know the path to your goals, you just need to make the first step in their direction. Make a step today and see what follows…

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It was a real delight interviewing Erika. She is the most amazing person and anyway, aren’t all the people related to books and reading, amazing? 🙂

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