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Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed author and Interiors Therapy expert Suzanne Roynon about her career, what inspired her to start writing, and the work that went into her new book; Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
I’m Suzanne Roynon, Interiors Therapy expert and author of Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship.
Interiors Therapy is an inspirational tool to help people and families understand how the art, sentimental items, clothes and homes full of possessions (not just clutter) can have a positive or, more often, negative impact on their relationships, lifestyle, health, wealth and success. It incorporates feng shui, de-cluttering, life-coaching, and my unique ‘Manifesto for Love™’ method.
Interiors Therapy clients cover a wide demographic, from their early 20s through to men and women in their late 80s. Some are single and don’t want to be. Others are married or have a long term partner, but their relationship is struggling or stagnating. Many are divorced and feel life is passing them by despite all their efforts.
Our work together is transformational and I love seeing light come back into their eyes when everything becomes clear for them.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
The book rather crept up on me! The inspiration came when Covid struck me hard in early 2020. My daughter, with whom I shared my home, was away working in the USA. Although I was too weak to leave my bed, I could still think and type. On some nights between coughing and trying to breathe, I believed I might not see the morning. It felt as though I was making a choice between death and life, so I sat up through the dark hours and wrote my Interiors Therapy method down – to reassure myself it wouldn’t be lost.
My daughter was brought up with Interiors Therapy and Feng Shui and it’s totally paid off throughout her life, but I hadn’t ‘taught’ her the skills I’d been using for over 20 years. She had thrived by living in a home which supported every part of her life but had never learned to create the positive energy herself. So when I began to write and explain how I work with my own home and those of clients, it was a way to gift my daughter the blueprint for her future homes and the secret sauce for happiness in case I wasn’t around to work the magic in person.
When did you take a step to start writing?
Early 2020
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
6 months from start to hitting Bestseller status.
What were your biggest challenges with writing Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship?
Not really understanding the process of writing a book… mainly because when I started I didn’t know I was writing a book!
What was your research process for Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship?
I went back through my case studies and client experiences and realised just how much knowledge there was to share. I was really keen to make it a friendly read, as though I was sitting beside the reader and guiding them through the process. Once the draft was written and we’d decided it was a book, I sent it to seven test readers who knew nothing about the subject and also an expert in Western Feng Shui to proof read my words. I incorporated their feedback before sending it to the publisher.
How did you plan the structure of Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship?
I took the process I use with my online Interiors Therapy course (The Interiors Therapy Masterclass), added in the draft written from my bed and converted it into the manuscript, adding in client stories, my own experiences and the insights I share when I work in person. I pictured my readers as real people looking for something missing in their lives so I could visualize their homes and what was going on for them.
I read afterwards I should have picked one ‘avatar’ as my ideal reader – but how could I do that when I work with people of all sexes, with a range of incomes, in all walks of life? I wasn’t about to exclude anyone because they didn’t fit a certain mould!
This process is universal and I wanted everyone to feel welcome to pick up the book and know it would give them something special.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship need?
Yes, once the decision was made to turn my ‘how to’ guide written with love for my daughter into a book, my publishers provided an excellent editor, Annie Hunt, to work with me. She received the finished article and my recollection is that the editing process was very quick, perhaps a week in total. There wasn’t much to change as far as she was concerned, just a little sentence construction here and there and my over dependence on commas and dot dot dot!
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a book?
Know what you want to say and define the purpose of the book before starting then write with your heart.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
I’ve been asked to write another book aimed specifically at single women and include some stories of the women who have met new partners and got married after following the Interiors Therapy process.
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
I love my book! I’m beyond thrilled when I hear so many people are leading lighter, brighter, happier lifestyles as a result of reading it, and how many of them now regard me as a friend (even though they’ve never met me!) Knowing ‘Welcome Home’ is making a difference around the world is special and very humbling.
The best bit? My daughter knows exactly what to do now and after completing the process, her relationship went to a new level – she was engaged and married soon afterwards and is setting up her Interiors Therapy home and lifestyle in the USA.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
Website: www.interiorstherapy.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/interiorstherapy
Instagram www.instagram.com/interiors_therapy
Twitter @SuzanneRoynon
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/suzanneroynon
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