Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gaby Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gaby, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

I’d have to pick my dad as my hero since South of Happily was written in his memory. He shaped who I am today, my business ethic, and the way I treat others. I would never claim he was perfect, but he was incredibly intelligent, a problem solver with a wicked sense of humor, and a personality that drew everyone in. He was a loyal friend, and someone who respected you not because of who you were, but because of your strength of character. Are you a good person? Do you want to make the world a better place? These are the things that truly matter.
He taught me to work hard, to keep my promises, and to treat people well. My dad created a successful company, and knew every person who worked for him. He knew their names, their stories, and their families. In fact, I think most of them were invited to my wedding! From him, I learned to respect others on a deeper level. Everyone has a story, everyone is interesting. When you accept this, treating others well comes naturally.

Gaby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My husband calls me a Renaissance Woman with mad-skills. I’ve lived in many different places and worked in many different fields. I have a business degree from the University of Denver, so I’m good at management, organization, accounting (though I failed Finance 2.5 times. The last .5 was a mercy, “Please get out of my classroom”, pass.) Like both my parents, I’m stubborn, so I don’t give up. In fact, some of my clients call me Agent 99, because they know I’ll solve any problem they throw my way.
I’ve worked in the commercial tour and travel industry, private aviation as a flight coordinator, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and since about 2013, as a business consultant for behavioral health providers. That means I help providers with their private practice, fight with insurance companies, and help patients understand their benefits.
I’m proud of my reputation. My clients know I won’t back down. They trust me to fight for them. I’m an idealist. Things should be fair and everyone should be “nice”. This idealism bleeds through in my writing, as does my heritage. I wrote a short essay, Queen of the Hungarian Mafia. It references how I grew up among WWII survivors in Montreal, Quebec. South of Happily is an extension of that time, the humor, and the love I felt in the midst of incredibly resilient people.
I didn’t set out to write a book, but when my dad died, I needed a way to keep him close. Writing about him helped. But as I healed, my writing changed. The result is a layered story that begins with a young woman getting a divorce. It’s the vehicle that takes the reader through the book. The second layer is about relationships. Family, close friends, good therapy, and the secrets some immigrant families keep from their children. The third layer is the emotion the protagonist, Katy Kiss, brings to the book. I like to say that I’ve cracked her head open, and the reader gets to wade through the goopy mess inside. And it is a mess, but readers get attached to her, and have occasionally said they need more Katy, or they need to go out and get drunk with her.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The entire writing journey has been rewarding. Joining a critique group has taught me how to write better, and created a network of friends who are like family. I would highly recommend that every writer joins a group, even if it’s online. It will change your life. There is not a chance that South of Happily would exist as it does today without the support of the Atlanta Writers Club, The Wild Women Who Write podcast, or my critique group. Since South of Happily was published, the most rewarding aspect has been going to book clubs. This is where I get direct feedback about South of Happily, and it is astonishing and educational. Readers are digging in, fighting about which character is their favorite, and telling me how touched or moved they are by different parts of the story. Most people know a debut novel isn’t about getting rich. It’s about touching lives.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Regarding the publishing journey. I could show you my Excel sheet with the details of how many agents I queried before the book was published. I believe it’s close to 80. Some agents had incredible feedback, and that kept me going, but many didn’t even respond to my submissions. This process, day after day, month after month, is the hardest part. It made me cry, often, and question my work. When you get a “pass”, you want to give up because there are a thousand other things that need to be done. But you have to understand the industry, how the agents think, and then realize that every reader is different. If your book is good, well edited, and structurally sound, it will touch someone, somewhere, and that’s what keeps me going. Just don’t give up!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anderson-author.com
• Instagram: gaby_anderson_author
• Facebook: Gaby Anderson-Author
• Twitter: G.A. Anderson
• Other: Wild Women Who Write Take Flight. Podcast supporting women who write. https://open.spotify.com/show/5aKisYepeDIOYWBLL7yGZ7

Image Credits
These are all my pictures.