Would you like to learn more about the famous german author Uwe Krauser? Check out this interview and have fun!
Where do you get your positive attitude from? You always seem to be happy and in a good mood. How is that possible?
I’m one of those people whose glass is always at least half full. I try to fight bad moods and bad spirits as best I can, which is not always easy, but I usually manage quite well.
There is so much shit happening on our beautiful planet at the moment, so I just try to give out some positive energy…
You have experienced a lot in your life. Born in Cologne, you became an educator, then moved to
Spain, then back to Germany, you’ve been a hotel owner in Bodenmais for 15 years and you’ve
been an author for a few years now. Have you now arrived with your hotel and as an author? And do all these experiences help you with your stories?
When I read it like that, it seems that I really have experienced a lot.
All in all, I’ve really enjoyed every stage of my life. I loved my work as an educator, I enjoyed my wild time in Cologne to the fullest and my years in Spain were so extraordinary that I even wrote a book
about them ;–)
I am now over 50 and very happy with my life as a hotel manager and writer. This combination is not at all bad, as I get to experience a lot of things every day, some of which I can include in my books.
So, to answer your question, I would say that I have arrived.
How did you come to immortalise your two dogs, Phoebe and Layla, in books?
Anyone who knows Phoebe and Layla knows that someone had to write a book about these two extraordinary dogs. Phoebe in particular is a very special dog. She is intelligent, fun–loving and up to
mischief all day long. Considering where my two strays came from, it is wonderful to see what has become of these traumatised creatures. Originally, I just wanted to write down a few particularly
funny incidents, but once I started, the words just poured out. That’s how my first novel “Phoebe – A Street Dog Checks In” came to be, followed by two more volumes.
How do you manage it all? Hotel, husband, two dogs and being a writer?
I am very lucky that my husband Oliver is 100% behind me and my ‘second’ life as a writer and gives me a helping hand when I need it. Being a hotelier is my day job, of course, but I love writing and immersing myself in other worlds. The readings, for which I am now regularly booked, are also an incredible pleasure. Together we have found a very good way of balancing my two jobs. Of course, our two strays, Phoebe and Layla, don’t miss out either, because I could never forgive myself for that.
You have a very big and active online community. How did you build it up? Do you have any secrets?
My online community is indeed very active and growing, which makes me very proud.
How I have managed to build this community is no big secret. I consider it an absolute privilege that my books now have so many fans and I am happy about every message and comment I get to read.
I reply to every message personally and I am very active on Facebook and Instagram to keep in touch with my community.
It’s about appreciation and it’s also a lot of fun. Of course, all this takes up a lot of time, but as I said, I have a partner at my side who always has my back when I need that time.
After three dog novels and a children’s book about animals, the next book will be, shall we say, a slightly naughty cookbook called “Tunten–Toast”. What can we expect?
My latest book tells the chaotic story of two men who, with no money and no brains, open a different kind of hotel in sunny Spain and find the most unbelievable things happening to them.
You’ve probably already guessed that I was one of them ;–)
At the end of each experience is a recipe that I have tried myself and that even the last “Küchentrottel” (odd… there is no female form… or is it “Trottelini”?) should be able to follow.
After my Phoebe series and the children’s book about the plucky firecracker Rosalie, “Tunten–Toast” is certainly not what my readers expected next. But I’m always good for a surprise.
In recent years, there has been a movement in the book industry, and authors are increasingly
daring to give their stories protagonists from the LGBTQI+ scene. What do you think of this movement?
You always hear that it doesn’t always go down well with publishers.
The fact alone that you have to ask me this question makes me very pensive and shows me that apparently we haven’t yet reached where we should be. I also continue to hear and read about publishers and even booksellers who would prefer to ignore the LGBTQ issue altogether, but fortunately this is the exception rather than the rule (or so I hope).
Being, as I said, a bit older (how did that happen?), I have already lived through some different times in my life: The first gay kiss on TV – yuck, bah, yuck!
A report about the CSD in Cologne – is that really necessary?
A lesbian presenter openly presenting her partner – an unbelievable scandal! Fortunately, times have changed a lot and I am optimistic that one day even the last person will understand that we do no harm.
I am very grateful to be able to publish my “Tunten–Toast” with Kampenwand Verlag. As soon as I presented my basic idea, the publishing team was immediately enthusiastic – which is anything but a matter of course.
Will we be able to read more books about Phoebe and Layla?
I know that many Phoebe & Layla fans are eagerly awaiting the continuation of my novel series, and there will certainly be a fourth book at some point.
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) I am a person who writes with my heart, not my head. There are so many stories floating around in my head that need to be written down, and I just have to trust my gut.
Sure, I could continue my Phoebe series on the spot for purely commercial reasons, but my readers would definitely be able to read that motivation between the lines.
For me, writing a book means diving deep into a story, investing countless emotions and reaching people on different emotional levels with the result … and that just doesn’t work for me on command.
But there is one small consolation:
In my next book, which will be published in the first quarter of 2023, a little dog will play the main
role again ;–)
