10 Facts About Me

Headline over a faded out photo of the Golden Gate Bridge

In an embarrassing case of the cobbler’s kids not having any shoes, I recently took the time to examine my website and found several pages where there was far too much information. Despite always advising my author clients that less is more, over the years, I have added bits and pieces to my site without doing the corresponding work of culling.

For any writer, cutting precious words (killing our darlings, as they say) can be tough. And while every one of these 10 things about me is still true, I’m not convinced they need to live on my bio page.

Instead, I’m doing what I often recommend to clients: repurposing information to serve as a blog post, or behind-the-scenes glimpse.

None of these trivia bits, on their own, will make much of a difference in whether you choose to partner with me to create and launch your new author website. But some of this will explain my unique accent, and why I show up for most Zoom calls with a mug of freshly made tea at my side!

  1. I lived in Cambridge, Aberdeen, and London, before crossing the Pond to the San Francisco Bay Area. I now hold both a British and American passport.

  2. The last consonant I learned to pronounce was “W”. These days, you’ll find me indecisive about British versus American punctuation.

  3. I’ve flown in Concorde to New York, a hot-air balloon in Vermont, and a seaplane in the Maldives.

  4. My favorite color is dark purple, more specifically eggplant (if you’re American) or aubergine (if not).

  5. My husband taught me the basics of windsurfing. I got good enough to fall off a windsurfing board in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, plus the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas.

  6. If you made me choose between alcohol and tea, Earl Grey would win: British afternoon tea is my favorite treat. For the scones, I prefer to add the cream first, then the jam.

  7. I’m a slow but determined runner. My second marathon in Reykjavik, Iceland, was probably my last!

  8. My Olympic sport would be afternoon napping, and I adore jigsaw puzzles.

  9. Leaving my family in England and shipping everything I owned a distance of 5,000 miles was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

  10. When I’m sick, my go-to movies are Bridget Jones’s Diary and Pride & Prejudice. You might also catch me enjoying a repeat viewing of Season 2 of Bridgerton.

If we have something in common, that will make our project together truly delightful, but there are other strong reasons that you might choose to work with me.

Are you ready to sell more books?

If you want an author website that delights your readers and sets you up for business results, let’s design, build, and launch your online home in just 2-3 weeks. Learn more, and then schedule a complimentary chat with me.

 

Pauline Wiles

After writing and publishing 6 of my own books, I became a full-time website designer for other authors. I create modern, professional websites to help you grow your audience and make more impact with your work. British born, I’m now happily settled in California.

Next
Next

How to Embed Your Substack Feed in Your Squarespace Author Website