Tag: author interview

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Meet the Author: Deadly Secrets by H.R. Kemp

Today we travel to a beachside suburb of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, to chat with H.R. Kemp about how a sheep farm, picking cherries, being a Statistician, the Adelaide Writers’ festival, sunburst diagrams, a messy desk, and collecting newspaper clippings fit into her current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m an Australian author and I live in a beachside suburb of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. We have great beaches, wonderful wine regions and a great arts community, and I take full advantage of having them close and within easy reach. I grew up in a country area just outside Melbourne and my family moved a lot; hence I lived on a variety of different properties: a horse farm, a dairy farm, and a sheep farm before we finally settled on a small acreage with goats, loganberries and fruit trees. My school holidays were spent picking fruit, mostly cherries, for pocket money (although I didn’t earn much, I tended to eat more than I put in the basket resulting in many tummy aches.)

My first degree was a Bachelor of Science, Chemistry and a few years later I gained a Graduate Diploma in Education. Besides the usual casual jobs, I spent most of my working life as a public servant working in several different government departments and my career spanned roles as diverse as Management Trainer, Team Facilitator, Statistician and Laboratory Assistant.

In 2011, I got serious and successfully completed a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing at Adelaide University. I’ve completed many short courses at Writers SA and WEA (and still do). Recently, several of my short stories have been published, most notably one was included in the anthology, When Stars Will Shine. Two others were published in The Writers’ and Readers’ Magazine, Jan 2020 & Oct 2019 and another was previously published in the anthology, Fledglings, by Birdcatcher Books, July 2016.

Besides writing, my passion for travelling and discovering new places means I have visited many fabulous countries and cities around the world. I’m an avid theatre-goer, enjoy art exhibitions and galleries, and of course, I love to read. In March each year, I take full advantage of the Adelaide Writers’ festival to discover new authors and to hear my favourites.

In which genre do you write?

My novel, Deadly Secrets, is a socio-political thriller, with suspense and mystery. It is a multi-layered thriller and the plot weaves together several threads. My protagonists are ordinary people who are stretched by extraordinary issues. They’re not government agents, spies or professional advocates nor are they gun-toting police officers but everyday people who become embroiled in a powerful conspiracy and need to make choices.

My short stories, however, are more focused on the human dilemma and relationship issues and don’t have the thriller element.

How many published books do you have?

Just one, although, I have a second novel at the first draft stage.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I’m not sure there was a single time or moment that I can identify. I’ve been an avid reader all my life. When I was young, I wrote mystery stories for my little brother’s entertainment. As a teenager and young adult, I wrote (bad) poetry and (equally bad) short stories. I’ve scribbled snippets of stories and scenes all my life but they rarely ended up in any coherent piece of work (it was fascinating cleaning out the desk drawer when I retired). It wasn’t until I retired that I had the time, brain-space and determination to take it seriously.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

I used sunburst diagrams as a tool for facilitating groups. They look pretty, but they’re also functional. I now use them when I first plan my novel to identify different plot threads, sub-plots, who, what, where, and the connections and overlaps.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

Not at all like my desk. I often write while sitting in my local café, it involves coffee, background chatter and soft music and works well for me. I dream of going on a writing retreat to somewhere exotic: France, Spain, a tropical Island; but I fear I wouldn’t actually get much writing done. My rather messy desk (I’m normally a tidy person but piles of notes, newspaper cuttings and notebooks overflow my writing space) will have to do.

What are you currently reading?

I have an entire tall bookcase of books to be read. I keep promising that I won’t buy any more, but it’s a promise I find much too hard to keep. I have just begun Lock by Andrew Barret, and The Secret Pilgrim by John Le Carré.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

I collect newspaper clippings, non-fiction books on a range of topics and I often wake in the early hours with ideas or character profiles. (Luckily I keep a notebook and pen by the side of my bed to capture these, although reading what I wrote in the dark is a challenge.) Deadly Secrets grew from my ‘what if’ musings about the world’s political landscape leading up to 2009. Issues like asylum seekers, climate change and corporate misconduct, all feed into the plot.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I pick up grandchildren from school a couple of times a week and my time with them is precious. Spending time with family and friends is a big part of my life; it made the pandemic social-distancing hard. I love walks on the beach, day trips to wine districts, going to the theatre or art exhibitions, and doing the newspaper Sudoku/crossword/9 letter word puzzles.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

Although I love to talk and write, I have such clear visual images of scenes and characters in my head. When I’m writing, I can see the setting, the people and hear the dialogue.

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing?

The helpfulness and support of the writing community has amazed me. I’ve made friends from around the globe, connecting through our love of writing and our willingness to share, help each other, and offer critiques and advice.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done or experienced to help create a scene?

For research, I sat in on a court trial of four bikie gang members, charged with kidnapping, assault and belonging to an illegal organisation. It was fascinating to watch the process from beginning to end (although I didn’t go every day) and to observe the jury, judge, the accused, their family members, and barristers in action. I chatted to other observers (often law students) and some of the police officers who were following the trial. I filled an entire notebook with notes.

Do you journal write or keep a personal diary? Has this helped with your published writings? If so, how?

I only write a diary when I travel. Every day, I fill pages with detail, impressions and thoughts. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the thousands of photos I take. Some might call it obsessive, but my travels are the one thing I get nostalgic about. I also draw on the details to write scenes. In Deadly Secrets, besides Adelaide and Sydney, there are scenes set in Paris, Normandy, Nice and Barcelona.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

– I have difficulty selecting a favourite in anything. Even my crockery is a collection of oddments. I like all the different patterns and I don’t have to pick only one.

– I love languages. I speak some French and German and have done short introductory language courses in Italian, Spanish and Greek.

– I lived in France for 6 months in 2009. It was a long-term dream come true.

What are you currently working on?

I am editing and rewriting the first draft of a second political thriller, another stand-alone story set in 2006.

Tell us about your most recent book.

Deadly Secrets, a socio-political thriller, was released end of March and is available in both paperback and ebook. This novel has mystery, drama, and suspense. It’s a story of fighting the odds to do what’s right.

Shelley and her friends uncover an extraordinary conspiracy. Their choice is; stay silent and condone unspeakable injustice, or speak up and risk everything. It’s more than principles, it’s about lives.

Can ordinary people thwart a powerful conspiracy?

Shelley Ormond’s life is about to change forever. Her friend, a young refugee, dies suddenly and the federal police have shrouded her case in secrecy. Shelley has never been bold, but she will have to break the rules and jeopardise her safe, public service career to learn the truth.

Her new friend Adrian, a medical researcher, is studying a mysterious illness in outback communities. Young children are falling fatally ill, but there’s no obvious cause although suspicious mining activity in the area is worth investigating.

Shelley delves deeper and is drawn into a sinister world of police cover-ups, organised crime, corporate greed, and government corruption. If she obeys the law, the powerful will continue to break it.

The stakes are high and the treacherous schemers will do anything to keep their deadly secrets. Lives don’t matter, not even hers.

Can they expose the plot before more lives are lost?

Will the formidable and ruthless forces behind the conspiracy stop them?

It was wonderful to have you be a part of MTA! If a sunburst diagram is anything like a mind map, I’ve used those for years. I’ve found them to be quite helpful. Wishing you all the best, with many more travels in your future! – Camilla

Where to find the book:

Amazon (eBook & Paperback):

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=9780648766308&ref=nb_sb_noss

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=9780648766322&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

USA: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9780648766322&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&ref=nb_sb_noss

eBooks only:

Draft2Digital UBL https://books2read.com/u/bzoZVZ (for Digital Stores: Apple, Barnes and Noble (Nook), Tolino; Subscription services: Scribd & 24 Symbols; Library Services: Overdrive, Baker and Taylor, Bibliotheca, and Hoopla)

Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/deadly-secrets-66

Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-secrets-h-r-kemp/1136661961?ean=9780648766308

Connect with H.R. Kemp:

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/hrkemp01

Website: https://www.hrkempauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrkempwriting/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/hrkemp

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19757948.H_R_Kemp

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Meet the Author: You Can Change The World by Margaret Rooke

Today we travel to London to chat with Margaret Rooke about how dyslexia, a byline in the newspaper, working with charities, a view of the sea, a full English breakfast, failure to ‘Mind the Gap’, mental health problems for teenagers, ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac, and Scooby Doo come together as part of Margaret’s current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a kitchen-table writer of nonfiction books, based in London. My life is so much easier since my husband finished his Christmas jigsaw in the middle of April. In his defence, it was a tough one. There’s a lot more space to work now.

How many published books do you have?

I’ve had three books published over the past few years. The first two were about dyslexia. We found out that our daughter was dyslexic when she was 13 and this was a big shock to us. At primary school she seemed to be taking learning in her stride, but at secondary school she came to a standstill. I was determined that, whatever label she was given, she would still achieve whatever she wanted in life and wrote books to inspire her and others in her situation. The first was called ‘Creative, Successful, Dyslexic’: a book of interviews with successful people with dyslexia, from Dame Darcey Bussell, to David Bailey, Zoe Wanamaker, Mollie King, Marcus Brigstocke and many others. The second was ‘Dyslexia is my Superpower (Most of the Time)’: a book of interviews with children and teenagers with dyslexia about the advantages and difficulties they face.

Then I decided to write about something else – this time a book about inspiring teenagers called ‘You can Change the World!’ What links these three books is a strong sense of positivity. There’s an underlying message that we can achieve what we want to achieve if we have the right support, focus and drive.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I was sitting having breakfast when I was around ten and I noticed a byline on a newspaper that had been delivered to our house, Mind blown. I asked my mum, ‘Is that a job – writing things and getting your name on them?’ When she said yes, that was it. I trained to be a journalist, then worked for charities helping with communications, now I’m back to writing again.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

I love being able to see out of a window when I’m working. Write, pause, look out of window, write, pause, window… It seems to help me put what I’m about to write in perspective.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

My ideal writing space would have a great view of the sea, with a window or door that could be opened to see and hear the waves crashing against the rocks. There would also be a kettle and teabags in easy reach and somewhere to go for a full English breakfast close by. Perfect.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

I was single for seven years before meeting my husband.
I find it hard to forgive myself when I get things wrong.
Two years ago I failed to ‘Mind the Gap’ on the London Underground and broke my leg which was trapped between the tube and the platform. This was terrifying, especially when the doors began to close. I was rescued by a London Transport worker called George who flapped his arms round like a windmill to attract the driver’s attention. My hero always.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

I was hearing so much about mental health problems for teenagers, some of this in my local community. I knew that teenagers listen to other teens more than anyone else so thought a book of interviews with young people who make good decisions benefiting themselves and others: campaigners; volunteers; fundraisers and other role models; might be of great benefit. The book’s called ‘You can Change the World! Everyday Teen Heroes Making a Difference Everywhere.’ I knew this book might not be the answer for teenagers who were seriously depressed, but I thought this could work well for children and young people who feel a bit stuck.

The teenagers in the book are amazing. They have stopped supermarkets selling eggs from caged hens, fought period poverty, raised money for charities, found ways to help beat online bullying, worked to save the environment and help the homeless… So many great achievements from a generation we often overlook and misunderstand.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

For three days a week I work for a fantastic charity for older people, Independent Age. I interview the people the charity helps, their families and volunteers to help with all areas of its work.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking?

I don’t listen to music before speaking, but when I was much younger I was depressed for a long time and music really helped me then. I remember ‘Only Yesterday’ by The Carpenters and ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac in particular were often on my mind. I still like really positive songs like Take That’s ‘Let it Shine’. However I’m a big Bruce Springsteen fan and I like his gritty songs as well as the joyous stuff.

What do you miss about being a kid?

Maybe the sweets, but the truth is the older I get the happier I get. I really recommend ageing, though good health is paramount.

At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?

All that anxiety and fear and worry you went through and things turned out well. Who’d have guessed? Maybe you could still tune the worrying down a bit when it takes over.

If you were trapped in a cartoon world from your childhood, which one would you choose and why?

I think it would be great to be one of the Dream Machine gang in Scooby Doo. They seem to get on well, have a good laugh and have a 100% success rate in what they do. A win, win, win.

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

Fourteenish years ago I worked for Fairtrade and specifically with Harry Hill on a brand of Fairtrade nuts called ‘Harry’s Nuts!’ Harry watched the film Juno when we were flying back from meeting peanut farmers in Malawi and told me he thought I’d like it. For some reason I never forgot him saying that and I watched it last week. I thought it was brilliant. Such great characters, so well written and well acted. Harry was right!

Tell us about your most recent book.

‘You can Change the World! Everyday Teen Heroes Making a Difference Everywhere’ is an award-winning book of interviews with teenagers from many countries who talk about how they make the planet a better place. Some are campaigning to improve the environment and to deal with bullying, others are supporting Black Lives Matter, educating about LGBTQ rights, keeping teens from joining gangs,  or are simply great role models refusing to take no for an answer despite their own difficulties or disabilities. This is a book to encourage and inspire children and teenagers; to help them see that they can help to make changes in their own lives and in the world around them.

Recent research has shown that adults tend to view teenagers harshly, viewing them as ‘lazy’, ‘selfish’ and ‘antisocial’. Read this book and change your mind!

It was wonderful having you on MTA, Margaret. I love to be able to see out of a window when I’m writing, too. Lovely. I just had to include a link for “Don’t Stop” as I adore this song! Wishing you all the best. – Camilla

Where to find the book.

It’s available at Waterstones, local bookshops and online.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Can-Change-World-Difference/dp/1785925024

https://www.jkp.com/uk/you-can-change-the-world.html

Connect with Margaret:

Website: http://www.margaretrooke.com

Twitter @margsrooke

Instagram @margsrooke

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/margaret-rooke-3b45848

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To support this website and the author’s interviewed, visit Support MTA for suggestions. Thank you! – Camilla, Founder and Host

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Meet the Author: Still Water by Catherine Marshall

Today we travel to Rawtenstall, a small town in Lancashire, England, to chat with Catherine Marshall about how Jackie magazine, visiting the south of France and southern Africa, being bored as a child, the idea of revenge, teaching creative writing, procrastination, freedom, and St Ives in Cornwall come together as part of Catherine’s current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Rawtenstall, a small town in Lancashire, England with my husband. I’m originally from Longbridge, on the Birmingham/Worcestershire borders, and left when I was eighteen to do a degree in Literature and Theatre Studies. I began writing for Jackie magazine when I was a teenager, and went on to contribute many short stories and serials to various women’s magazines. I sold two romantic novels and had some deluded idea that my career as a writer had begun. Since then, I’ve had several agents, written and published a few more novels, and worked mostly in education.

In which genre do you write?

My first published novels were romances, because I’d been to the south of France and southern Africa and I knew exotic settings were often a key feature of romantic novels. After a long break, I wrote Masquerade, which my agent said she was going to sell as a psychological thriller. It’s a genre I love to read, so I wrote two more, and they are all currently published by Sharpe Books. My latest novel is a family saga, because the characters have been in my head for years and I wanted to tell their stories.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

When I was a child. During the summer holidays between primary and secondary school, I complained about being bored and my mother suggested writing a story. The story became a book, called The Ravenscroft Family, which I also illustrated. I look back at it and cringe, but at the time it felt like such an achievement. After that, I wrote all the time, mostly for my own amusement, and dreamed of one day becoming an author. It has always been the only thing I’ve wanted to do.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley, which is a master-class in writing a page-turner.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

The idea for Still Water came from wondering how far someone might go if pushed, and what ‘being pushed’ might constitute. What extreme might someone go to due to rage and disappointment? How far would other factors (eg the character’s back story) make a difference, and how could I write about that so that the extreme act seems both shocking and psychologically true? I’m very interested in the idea of revenge, and what form that might take; it’s the theme of all three of my psychological thrillers.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I work, usually short-term and part-time, usually in education. I particularly enjoyed teaching creative writing and drama in primary schools. I also love crafts and interior design, though on a very amateur basis.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

That I am very good at procrastination! And that it’s ok (though perhaps this is more about the process than about me) because writing has to happen in your head before it can happen on the page or screen. Even when I’m procrastinating I’m thinking about the story. So that’s another surprising thing, that often it helps if you’re not sitting in front of a blank page. I had the best idea for one of my books whilst crossing a busy road. Luckily I didn’t stop for too long to think about it!

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing?

The freedom. Not only the freedom of being your own boss, but the freedom of being able to create worlds. Playing God with your characters. Of course, it’s only freedom up to a point, in terms of the insecurity that comes with being self-employed as well as needing to write something that someone will buy, but still. Freedom.

What do you miss about being a kid?

I miss: the sense of my whole life being in front of me, untrodden and full of promise; lying in bed hearing my parents’ voices downstairs and feeling utterly secure; spending time with my grandparents.

If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why, what would you do?

Laura in Glories, as her relationships with all the other main characters are so varied. Also, she’s ahead of her time in that she goes to a London art school while most of her contemporaries are becoming secretaries. If I were her, I would pay as much attention to the people around me as to my own ambition, but that might be because I know what happens!

Do you believe things happen for a reason? Do you have an example from your own life to share why you believe this?

I do, largely because I find it reassuring and it gives me hope. I did really badly in my English A level and couldn’t go to my university of choice. But I did get a place elsewhere, and met my husband there. He turned out to have applied to some of the same courses at the same universities I had, so we might have met anyway. It sort of felt like Fate.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

I’ve always been a good listener, and found it easy to see other people’s points of view. I think this is hugely important in the creation of characters, and everything I write is character-driven. I’ve found that listening to people helps to understand motivation, and to write believable dialogue.

What’s your favorite place to visit in your country and why?

St Ives in Cornwall. It is the most magical, inspiring place. I first went there on a family holiday when I was thirteen – so a very impressionable age! – and have returned many times since, more recently on an annual basis. It’s the setting for Still Water so I could be there in my head whilst sitting in my study in Lancashire.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a few different projects. The first is my family saga, Glories, which is intended to be a trilogy. The first book, set in the 1960s, is on query with a few agents. I’m very keen to write the second and third books, but want to wait to see whether there’s any uptake on the first. I’ve just adapted Masquerade as a stage play, primarily for a competition but also to see whether I could. And the third is a novel called Past Life, which is a ghost story.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent published book is Still Water. It’s a psychological thriller set in Cornwall. One of the characters is emerging from an emotional crisis and attempting to rebuild a normal life. For a short time it seems that she has been successful, indeed, her life becomes so much better than she had dared hope. And then it’s all taken away.

It was was wonderful to have you on MTA, Catherine. It sounds like you are working on some fun projects! Wishing you all the best with future books and your amazing projects. – Camilla

Blurbs:

Still Water

Every summer Gil Hunt escapes to the same small town on the Cornish coast. He rents a studio overlooking the bay from Cecily, who owns the café below, and spends his evenings at the bar on the pier or at beach parties with his surf dude friends. Every summer is relaxed and hedonistic and exactly the same – which is just the way Gil likes it.

Except this year, Cecily seems subdued and hankering after change for reasons she cannot or will not explain. Gil, mindful of her restlessness, is distracted by a series of chance encounters with Jemima Gregory, daughter of a local artist. As Cecily spirals away from him and Jem draws him ever closer, Gil’s own actions tie him into a web of other people’s secrets from which there is only the most violent and shocking escape.

Excluded

Stephen Lord is one of the good guys. He believes in justice, second chances and the power of redemption. He is also the headteacher of Rapton Community High School, where the pupils are running wild and the staff on the brink of mutiny.

Dean Bywater too is interested in justice. Fresh out of prison and seeking retribution for a tragedy rooted in his past, he returns to Rapton to find his fifteen year old nephew Callum poised between dreams of an army career and burgeoning criminality.

Meanwhile, A* student Todd is carrying a burden he cannot share even with ace teacher Finn Macallister or his sympathetic form tutor, new recruit Leigh Summers.

As the new school year begins, one small act of cruelty sets in motion a series of events which will have dreadful consequences for them all.

Masquerade

A week marooned among strangers seems to Anna to be the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself. Leaving behind the mess that her life has become to attend a Psychology summer school in Bath, she is hoping for some sense of perspective, perhaps even an escape.

But Anna comes to realise that she is not the only one searching for answers. Among her fellow students are Carys, who is being stalked by her abusive ex-husband, Michael, grieving for the loss of his wife, and Jack, enigmatic and nonchalant and hiding troubles of his own.

As the hottest week of the summer draws on, unsettling events spring from the shadows of their pasts. Reliving old passions and discovering new ones, Anna becomes aware of sinister undercurrents. And amid disappearances and death and the threat of violence, one of her new friends is guarding a terrible secret.

Where to find the books:

Still Water is published by Sharpe Books and is available in paperback and on Kindle from Amazon.

Links:

Connect with Catherine:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/catherinemarshallbooks/?eid=ARDZ5Nf5wTR8IYOODnbRjWpxP7YnwNjsNXUt501gTnBRH3VAWDH7pNpTrOclrt4Ml_Gs9A4WhdAmpmT4

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KateMacCormack

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To support this website and the author’s interviewed, visit Support MTA for suggestions. Thank you! – Camilla, Founder and Host

 

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Meet the Author: London Crime by Barry Faulkner

Today we travel to London to chat with Barry Faulkner about how sarcasm and humour, English Springer Spaniels, the River Wye, the Forest of the Dean, butterflies, Literary Festivals, gangs and geezers, Morley Academy of Dramatic Art, petty criminals, and the Richardson gang come together for the making of Barry and his writings.

In which genre do you write?

Crime, police procedural and factual.

How many published books do you have?

Eleven and one at the editors.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

When I was at secondary school and English Literature was my only interest, other than football! I won a London County Council writing competition and that was it, next stop the Booker Prize! 😃

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

Humour, readers comment on my DCS’s sarcasm and humour. The books may be about serial killings but I guarantee the reader will laugh out loud at least once! 😂

What would you choose as your mascot, and why?

English Springer Spaniel, I’ve got three and they are totally faithful and never give up.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

A crowded office at the top of Faulkner Towers overlooking the River Wye, PCs, lots of ideas on pieces of paper and reference books on English Law and UK criminals.

What are you currently reading?

I don’t read much, I’ve read all the authors I like as they issue and my last read was Robert Crais. A Dangerous Man, from the Elvis Pike series.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

I have no idea, I have been writing ideas and plots down for 30 years so have a plethora of notebooks to get the brain cells into overdrive. Ideas can strike an author at any time so I always carry a small notepad. ( usually forget the pencil)

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

Walk the dogs in the Forest of Dean where I live and vegetable and fruit gardening at Faulkner Towers. Her indoors does the flower gardens. 🙂

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

The human imagination is a wonderfully powerful instrument.

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing?

That’s an easy one…. friendship with readers and other writers and being involved in Lit Festivals.

What do you miss about being a kid?

Butterflies.

At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?

Start writing earlier.

What are you currently working on?

Book number 11 in the DCS Palmer Serial Murder Squad series.

Tell us about your most recent book.

‘London Crime’ My first factual book about the UK big criminals’, major heists and gangs from the Messina Brothers of the 1930s through to today’s top guns.

It was great to have you on MTA, Barry. Your background is so very interesting! Wishing you all the best! – Camilla

Where to find the book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/B.L.-Faulkner/e/B00ND8R6OO

Connect with Barry:

Website: geezers2016.wordpress.com

Biography:

An Amazon Best Selling Author of the DCS Palmer Detective books. 10 out, number 11 coming in April 2020.

Author of London Crime (March 2020) the only available factual book about the UK major robberies from 1930s to the present day, the gangs and geezers that planned and did them plus the aftermaths.

Faulkner was born into an extended family of petty criminals in Herne Hill, South London, his father, uncle and elder brothers and cousins running with the notorious Richardson gang in the 60s-90s, and at this point we must point out that he did not follow in that family tradition although the characters he met and their escapades he witnessed have added a certain authenticity to his books. He attended the first ever comprehensive school in the UK, William Penn in Peckham and East Dulwich, where he attained no academic qualifications other than GCE ‘O’ level in Art and English and a Prefect’s badge (though some say he stole all three!)

His mother was a fashion model and determined that her youngest son would not follow the family career path, she had great theatrical aspirations for young Faulkner and pushed him into auditioning for the Morley Academy of Dramatic Art at the Elephant and Castle, where he was accepted but only lasted three months before being asked to leave as no visible talent had surfaced. Mind you, during his time at the Academy he was called to audition for the National Youth Theatre by Trevor Nunn – fifty years later, he’s still waiting for the call back! After several sales jobs and sending advertising ideas to various agencies he was taken on as a copywriter with the major US advertising agency Erwin Wasey Ruthrauff & Ryan in Paddington during which time he got lucky with some light entertainment scripts sent to the BBC and Independent Television and became a script editor and writer on a freelance basis. He worked on most of the LE shows of the 1980-90s and as personal writer to Bob Monkhouse, Tom O’Connor and others. During that period, while living out of a suitcase in UK hotels for a lot of the time, he filled many notebooks with DCS Palmer case plots and in 2017 he finally found time to start putting them in order and into book form. Ten are finished and published so far, with number 11 at the editors.

Faulkner is a popular speaker and often to be found on Crime Panels at Literary Festivals which he embraces and supports wholeheartedly.
He has recently been seen on screen in the Channel 5 Narcos UK series, Episode 2 The London Gangs and his DCS Palmer book ‘I’m With The Band’ has just been serialised in 16 parts by BBC Radio Bristol. He has been a subject of Corinium Radio’s Writer’s Room programme, Manchester FM’s Hannah Kate Book show, Hawkesbury Upton Lit. Festival ‘Best of British’ panel, Evesham Festival of Words Crime Panel and Bristol Crime Fest Indie Crime Author Panel amongst others

Faulkner publishes a blog about the ‘geezers’ of his youth, the criminals and their heists. It goes in depth about the Krays, Brinks Mat, Hatton Garden , ‘Nipper’ Read and all the other major heists and who ‘dun ‘em’. Take a look at geezers2016.wordpress.com.

He also speaks about that era in illustrated talks for social clubs, WI and others.

As a crime writer Faulkner is quite particular about ‘getting it right’ and as well as his own Facebook page he publishes a page called ‘UK Crime Readers and Writers Page’ which has lots of information about the forensic crime detection methods, police procedurals and other facts of use to both reader and writer of crime and detective books.

Faulkner now lives in the glorious Forest of Dean with his wife and three dogs.

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Meet the Author: Lost Innocents by Jacquelynn Luben

Today we travel to Surrey, England to chat with Jacquelynn Luben about how a bungalow in a field, a mature garden, being a daydreamer, a theatrical agency, and a police car come together in the garden of Jacquelynn’s life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Having worked for my husband for many years, as his secretary/bookkeeper and general factotum, I am now, in theory, a free woman. (The saying – I married him for better or worse, but not for lunch – comes to mind.) I live in a country village near Guildford in Surrey, England, where, many years ago, we built our bungalow in a field, which was full of blighted apple trees. For the first six months of our life there, we had no laid-on gas or electricity because an awkward neighbour wouldn’t let us take pipe along a lane in front of our house.

During that time, we had to heat our water in saucepans on an old gas cooker, converted to bottled gas. We lit candles every evening, and had a log fire in one room of the house – our only source of heat. Now it is an idyllic spot and we have a lovely mature garden, which gives us both a great deal of pleasure. I try to have something flowering in every month of the year, from early bulbs – snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils to more exotic rhododendrons later on.

I am a daydreamer, and do not enjoy housework, but I am a reasonable cook. I go regularly to both a writing circle and a reading circle, and I also am part of a small independent publishing company run by three very different writers, including myself. I deal with the accounts, and also contribute to the editing of other books. Some years before forming this company, I self-published one book under my own imprint, and sold it to numerous bookshops. When my commissioned non-fiction book was published, I went on a publicity tour of many radio stations in the UK.

In which genre do you write?

I do not stick to one genre, but in my fiction, I prefer writing about the present time – give or take 20 years or so – whenever that happens to be. I don’t write fantasy, sci-fi or historical novels (though my genealogical novel does dip into the past). I have also written many short stories, which are about anything and everything. My most recent book is a crime novel, but with a strong human interest element. I like to write about human relationships with a definite plot, and there’s always a bit of romance thrown in. I don’t write what I would describe as ‘literary’ novels, and I will never win the Booker Prize. My first two books were non-fiction and and I’ve also written and published a few articles.

How many published books do you have?

Six.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I wanted to write when I was a child, but I had an optimistic view of a writer’s life. I envisaged sitting in an armchair, notebook in hand, while my children frolicked around me. Later on, on leaving school, I was discouraged from pursuing a career in journalism. Instead, I worked as office junior in a theatrical agency, and started a short story correspondence course, but my interest fizzled out.

Later on, after my marriage, my 8-week old daughter died as a cot death victim, and I was overwhelmed by the need to write about the experience. I wrote several articles, but this was not enough, and I went on to write an autobiographical book – The Fruit of the Tree. This book, inspired by my daughter’s death, covered five years of married life and included two early miscarriages and the births of my other children, but also other aspects of our family life. This is still in print and also published as an ebook by Untreed Reads.

What are you currently reading?

Just finished ‘Old Baggage’ by Lissa Evans. Just started ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

I was once on a BBC Radio Four programme, investigating ‘Vanity Publishing.’

For my degree, as a mature student, I wrote a dissertation on the four Harry Potter books written at that time, and compared them with other children’s books from the 20th century.

When I was a fairly new driver, I drove into the back of a police car.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

A news item on TV.

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing?

The pleasure of mixing with other writers of all age-groups through writing groups, etc. and giving talks to groups interested in books.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done or experienced to help create a scene or plot?

Writing a love scene in a scary thunderstorm.

Do you journal write or keep a personal diary? Has this helped with your published writings? If so, how?

I no longer keep a diary, but I used to. When writing my genealogical saga, Tainted Tree, I used it to remind myself of events and feelings in my teenage years, and put some entries into the mouth of one of my characters. (On the assassination of President Kennedy, for example.)

What do you miss about being a kid?

Having my whole life and opportunities in front of me.

At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?

Couldn’t you be a bit less sensible?

If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why? 

I would choose to be Adrienne Heron from Tainted Tree, my genealogical saga, because she was much more of a risk-taker than I am.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

I am logical and I think that the structure of the book is important and being logical has a role in creating a good structure.

What are you currently working on?

A sequel to my crime novel, Lost Innocents.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent book is Lost Innocents, a crime novel with a human interest thread running through it.

It was wonderful to have you on MTA, Jacquelynn! Your garden sounds amazing and beautiful! Wishing you all the best! – Camilla

Book Blurb:

Nick Delmar has left his well paid job in the City to write a novel and is enticed by an acquaintance to work on a local paper, in a suburban Surrey town. In this area where, normally, nothing much happens, a man is found dead on a local estate with an unconscious woman at his side. A few days later, a ten year old boy goes missing on the same estate. Nick gets involved in both stories and is drawn into the lives of the people involved, putting his career and life in jeopardy.

Where to find the book:

Lost Innocents (paperback) can be found at:

Goldenford Publishers Ltd.
http://www.goldenford.co.uk/ourshop/prod_6944456-LOST-INNOCENTS-by-Jacquelynn-Luben.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1911317067?pf_rd_r=ZSA07FYYJQMSATBJK4MV&pf_rd_p=e632fea2-678f-4848-9a97-bcecda59cb4e

Also available as an ebook from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Innocents-Jacquelynn-Luben/dp/1911317067

It can be ordered from Waterstones and other bookshops.

The Fruit of the Tree: https://www.untreedreads.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_107&products_id=508 or p.m. me for a paperback.

Connect with Jacquelynn:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jacquelynn-Luben/e/B0034P5MQ0?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1587639223&sr=1-1

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1247610.Jacquelynn_Luben

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.luben

Lost Innocents, FB page: https://www.facebook.com/lostinnocents/

Tainted Tree FB page: https://www.facebook.com/TaintedTreeJackieLuben/

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Meet the Author: Celeste Three is Missing by Chris Calder

Today we travel to Markfield, England to chat with Chris Callaghan about how sprinkling a bit of humor, becoming an accidental author, being hospitalized in France, learning shorthand and typing, being an aviation nut, Charles Dickens, Downs Syndrome, and India come together as part of Chris’s past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Chris Callaghan and I write as Chris Calder. I am probably the oldest author you will interview — put another way, I ‘m gifted with more Life Experience than most. I live in Markfield, a village close to Leicester, in England. Another fact: I really do not take myself too seriously.

In which genre do you write?

Usually light thrillers. “Light” because I don’t do gratuitous gore, also I like to sprinkle a bit of humor into my stories. And sometimes subtle (I hope) comments or observations. An example: In Celeste Three is Missing, there are two FBI agents who appear as agents Spencer and Marks. In the text they are referred to as Marks and Spencer. As a US citizen you may not have heard of them; Marks and Spencer is an upmarket store chain here.

How many published books do you have?

Four to date, three thrillers, the fourth not. It is called My Brother’s Keeper and is about a Catholic priest who has been ordered to help other priests with problems. But he has problems of his own.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I’ve always loved writing but became an author by accident. Already retired and living in France I was diagnosed with Cancer. After surgery I was recovering in hospital but because my French language skills were poor at the time, I was unable to communicate with the people around me. Frustrating! So I picked up a pen and drafted the bones of a story based loosely upon my experiences whilst owner of a small engineering business. It was called PAYBACK and was published a year later. There have been four more books since. No longer retired, I have just changed professions.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

The humor thing — perhaps gently teasing the reader who has to be ‘tuned in’ to spot it.

What would you choose as your mascot and why?

A very tame tiger. As a child at a hill school in India I was twice privileged to see tigers in the wild. Wonderful creatures, sadly they no longer inhabit that part of India. They were wiped out by poachers many years ago.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

A shambles. Desktop pc and keyboard in my bedroom. At age sixteen I was sent, kicking and screaming, to a place that taught shorthand and typing. My mother had to be obeyed! That was in 1954, many years before the internet was conceived. Thanks, Mum, you were right!

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

I have been an aviation nut all my life and had been following the progress of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic craft since its inception. It is likely that in the near future something similar will be taking wealthy joy-riders around the world. That thought led to a ‘what if’ moment. What if the space plane disappeared? How? Why? Who would be on board?

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

Writing (love it) and marketing (hate!) keep me from getting under the feet of my long-suffering wife. Now elderly, I am content to keep writing and to stay alive. She reads two or three books every week and is an invaluable, wonderful help to me in my writing. I like to say that we have a marriage made in heaven: she reads, I write; she cooks, I eat.

If you could have a fantasy tea or coffee date with an author from the past, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Charles Dickens, who through his writing did more to combat social injustice and child exploitation of his time than any philanthropist or politician. I would tell him what a mess the world is in now and ask how he would fix it, so that I could pass his wisdom on to our politicians.

What is the most inspiring thing that has ever happened to you?

Our youngest (of seven children) is called Christian. He was born with Downs Syndrome, dislocated hips and no right heel. All the fixable stuff was done early; he is one of five residents in a wonderful, well managed care home and he is always happy. Here’s the thing: Christian is now 33 and every time he has needed anything it appeared, somehow. Here’s just one example: when he was 17 and due to leave his special needs residential school, we were already too old to manage his daily needs. Unable to find him a suitable home, we had begun to despair. The only available places were in mixed mental and geriatric care homes — not suitable at all. Then we had a phone call, totally out of the blue, to tell us that our local authority was constructing a care facility suitable for five young adults just a few minutes’ walk from the house we lived in at the time. And that’s where he has lived happily ever since. We have never needed to wonder how his special needs will be met. As they say, “Go figure”.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? Or, what do you do to prepare yourself?

I know the story well enough to deal with any questions on the book. But now that you mention it, I would relax beforehand by listening to Faure’s Requiem, preferably the Sanctus. Divine, literally.

What do you miss about being a kid?

Unquestionably, the carefree life. Ironic that I appreciate now, something that at the time I did not realize I had. C’est la vie!

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

1.) I was born in India just before WW2, raised there in relative comfort and lived through the Partition of that country in 1947.

2.) I can still read and write Hindi passably well, a language based on Sanskrit.

3.) All my life I have had an almost telepathic relationship with my pet animals. Spooky, and inexplicable.

At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?

Write, dammit. Don’t wait until you are in your seventies; by then it’s almost too late.

Where can readers find an extract from the manuscript of your book?

If you are considering buying a book by an author whose work you are not familiar with, there is no better way to assess it than to read an actual extract from the manuscript, even if the book comes highly recommended. As an author who is also a reader I prefer always to do that if I can, to get a feel for the story and for the author’s style. You can find a short extract here, or visit my website, https://www.chriscalder.com.

Do you believe things happen for a reason? Do you have an example from your own life to share why you believe this?

Of course everything happens for a reason. The best example I can give you is my answer to your earlier question about the most inspiring thing that has ever happened to me. The moral: Learn to appreciate truly what you have been gifted. The secret of life is acceptance.

It was great to have you be a part of MTA, Chris. It certainly seems as if you’ve had an interesting life so far! I adore what you shared about your son. Just beautiful. Wishing you all the best and here’s to much success! – Camilla

Book blurb:

The sensational Celeste Three, the world’s first earth-orbit passenger-carrying plane, takes off with six passengers on a routine flight from its base in Arizona, the only place it can land on its return. The craft disappears without trace. On board is Viktor Karenkov, billionaire oil magnate who has used his wealth to evade prosecution for a murder he committed years earlier.

Gregory Topozian, the murdered man’s friend, has been waiting for a chance to bring Karenkov to justice. With dogged determination and considerable ingenuity, he conceives an audacious plan. Getting the craft down in total secrecy is key. And someone has to pay the huge costs involved.

Where to find the book:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celeste-Three-Missing-Chris-Calder-ebook/dp/B07VNKPYCM

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Celeste-Three-Missing-Chris-Calder-ebook/dp/B07VNKPYCM/

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://www.chriscalder.com

Twitter handle: @CalderAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chris.calder.549

Instagram: chriscalder80

Author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/chriscalder

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Meet the Author: Haven Wakes by Fi Phillips

Today we travel to North Wales to chat with Fi Phillips about how a new creative path, blue sky watching, being knocked down by a car, freelance copywriting, being a visual person, writing murder mystery play scripts, Mary Shelley, and Dungeons and Dragons come together as part of Fi’s current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m an author, playwright and copywriter living in North Wales, just over the border from Chester. For years I worked in an office environment until motherhood and my husband’s career moves tugged me into self-employment, dumped me onto a new creative path and turned my dream career into a reality.

I share my home with my husband, our two teenagers and a pooch called Bailey. We live in a green patch in the middle of nowhere where it’s easy to do a lot of blue sky watching.

In which genre do you write?

Fantasy. My current series is futuristic fantasy with lots of sci fi elements.

How many published books do you have?

At the moment just the one – Haven Wakes – which was published by Burning Chair Publishing in October 2019. It’s the first in a series so there are lots more books in the works.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I was knocked down by a car when I was eight years old and spent several months in hospital recovering. That was when I started to write stories for myself. When I returned home, I wrote more and by the time I had started high school and the teachers were talking about careers, I had decided that I wanted to be an author.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

I’m a visual person. Pictures inspire me much more than any of my other senses, especially vibrantly coloured pictures.

So when I’m writing a scene, I like to picture it happening in my mind and I often look for pictures online to inform my writing.

For instance, when I was writing Haven Wakes, I looked for pictures of old abandoned underground railways stations.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

It would have to be a room of my own with a beautiful view of trees, birds and sky.

My actual writing space ticks some of those boxes. I’ve commandeered the dining room for my study (unless we have an extended family get-together in which case my things are cleared away so we can use the dining table) and outside my window I can see our garden with trees and plenty of sky.

The décor in this room hasn’t been touched since we moved in though and is a little depressing (hence the need for the view outside of the window). Maybe I’ll decorate this room next.

What are you currently reading?

The Infernal Aether by fellow Burning Chair author, Peter Oxley. It’s the first in a gothic fantasy series set in Victorian times where an exiled demon attempts to create Hell on Earth using the ‘Aether’ in the title.

I’m about halfway through and it’s incredibly exciting and swashbuckling.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I’m a freelance copywriter, working with small to medium businesses and marketing agencies. I specialise in writing blog posts and web articles, but also offer a social media service. The magic of the internet means that even though I’m based in North Wales I can help businesses all over the UK and beyond.

In a previous life, I wrote murder mystery play scripts for small fundraising organisations such as theatre groups and schools. Although that business has been put to rest, I still write the occasional murder mystery play for returning clients.

If you could have a fantasy tea with an author or famous person from the past or present, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Could it be a tea party? I’d love to have afternoon tea with Mary Shelley, Aphra Behn and Stephen King.

I’d ask Mary and Aphra how they felt they fared as writers in an ostensibly male-centred world back then, and I’d ask Stephen how he manages to be so prolific.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? Or, what do you do to prepare yourself?

I actually did this last year at Chester Literature Festival. I don’t remember using music to get me in the right mind-frame. Instead, I prepared by reading the excerpt from my book out loud at home so I could get the right intonation and character voices, and to practice my breathing too.

At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?

You’ve achieved the first part of our dream (having a book published), so don’t waste the opportunity to make this into a career. I’m depending on you to make my future amazing.

If you were trapped in a cartoon world from your childhood, which one would you choose and why?

I’m torn between Scooby Doo and Dungeons and Dragons. The appeal of both cartoons is that here is a group of friends taking on the villains together but if I had to choose one, it would be Dungeons and Dragons. Fantasy is my genre after all.

If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why, what would you do?

It would have to be Hartley Keg. He’s not the best or most powerful magical in the world I’ve created but I would love to have his travelling magic.

I wouldn’t need to hop on a plane to visit all those holiday places I’ve visited and loved. I could open a door and be in Venice, or Crete, or Malta, and what is even better is that I could take my family with me too. Wouldn’t that be brilliant?

What are you currently working on?

My current work in progress is the follow up novel to Haven Wakes and Book 2 in the Haven Chronicles. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it takes the same group of friends from the first book and tosses them into a new adventure where they must face the consequences of their heroic acts from Haven Wakes.

Tell us about your most recent book.

Haven Wakes is a futuristic fantasy set in a world where robots are commonplace and nature has been largely pushed back in the name of technological progress. Underneath this sterile existence, however, lies a hidden world of magic.

The story is told through the eyes of two characters, a seemingly normal 12 year old school boy called Steve Haven and a dark fairy figure known only by the name of her race ‘darkling’.

They are joined in their adventure by a whole host of magical individuals and creatures, and their quest to keep a magical device out of the hands of the bad guys will show Steve exactly how strange and dangerous the world he lives in really is.

It was wonderful to have you be a part of MTA, Fi! Congratulations on your first published book. All the best to you! – Camilla

BLURB:

The year is 2110. Everyone has their own robot, and magical worlds are just behind the next door.

Steve Haven always thought he was just another ordinary twelve-year-old boy. Well, as ordinary as he can be given that he’s the nephew of Rex Haven, founder of the Haven Robotics Corporation.

But when Rex dies in mysterious circumstances and Steve is given a strange artefact known only as the Reactor, he finds out that the world he thought he knew is a lot stranger and more threatening than he ever imagined.

On the run from dangerous villains, Steve finds himself plunged into a hidden and dangerous magical world. With his parents missing and no one in the normal world he can trust, Steve must join with his new-found magical friends to discover the truth about the Reactor and his uncle’s death.

Haven Wakes is the debut novel by Fi Phillips and the first in The Haven Chronicles, an exciting and enthralling journey through new worlds, both futuristic and magical.

Where to find the book:

Haven Wakes is available through most well-known book retailers. You can find the full details by visiting http://fiphillipswriter.com/books/.

Connect with Fi:

http://fiphillipswriter.com/

https://www.instagram.com/fiphillipswriter/

https://www.facebook.com/FiPhillipsWriter

Links for mentions:

Burning Chair Publishing – https://burningchairpublishing.com/

The Infernal Aether – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infernal-Aether-Book-ebook/dp/B00QO5K8VQ

Peter Oxley – https://peteroxleyauthor.com/

Chester Literature Festival – https://www.storyhouse.com/literature

Scooby Doo – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo

Dungeons and Dragons – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_(TV_series)

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Meet the Author: Shadow of Justice by Jess Faraday

Today we travel to Edinburgh, Scotland to chat with Jess Faraday about how family time, outrageous stories, a standing desk, martial arts, a mohawk, Scooby Doo, being supernaturally patient, and monsters fit into the journey of Jess’s life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi Camilla! I’m a writer and editor living in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In which genre do you write?

I write historical mysteries, many of them with LGBTQ main characters and themes.

How many published books do you have?

I have four novels, two novellas, and a short story collection. I’m currently working on novel number five.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

Whenever my family gets together, we spend a lot of time cracking each other up with funny or outrageous stories, complete with different voices and getting up and acting out the different parts. It was only a matter of time before one of us started writing stories. Actually, Julian May (a distant cousin) beat me to it. But, like I said, it was only a matter of time.

How did you figure out that it was what you should be doing?

At some point I realized that no matter which job I was doing — and I’ve had a lot of different jobs — I always hurried through my work so I’d have time to write stories at the end of the day before going home.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

I can’t sit still. I work at a standing desk, and work out all of my plot kinks while running or walking the dog.

What would you choose as your mascot, spirit animal, or avatar and why?

I have two mascots: my dog and cat, who curl up near my feet while I write, and hang out with me in the back yard while I run through my martial arts routines.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I’m a keen runner and martial artist. Before the pandemic, I ran 10K and half marathon races and was a member of my local taekwondo club. Now I do my taekwondo in the backyard. =)

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you?

Recently I decided I was bored with my hair. I had a very nice stacked, angled bob, but I’d had it for a while. So I went to my regular salon. The woman who usually cuts my hair had left, so they asked if I wouldn’t mind working with a newly-qualified stylist. He looked about 16, had sleeve tattoos and the sides and back of his head shaved. I was feeling adventurous, so I said “Sure!”

I explained to him what I wanted and showed pictures. “Oh, like mine?” He asked, pointing to his own hair. “No,” I said. “Nothing like yours.” I showed him the pictures again. He nodded and went off.

Suddenly there’s a buzzing noise, and before I know it, he’d mohawked me on my left side. We looked at each other, wide-eyed. Then he glanced over at his boss. He looked very worried.

“It’s all right,” I said. “It’s only hair. It’ll grow back. But perhaps you could leave a bit more on the other side so I’m not completely bald.”

In the end, it turned out to be one of the best haircuts I’ve ever had. I tipped generously.

If you were trapped in a cartoon world from your childhood, which one would you choose and why?

Oh, hands down the original Scooby Doo. It was in reruns by that time, but it’s still my most favorite kind of story: humorous ghost and monster tales that turn out to be greedy humans in the end.

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

I’m really enjoying How to Get Away with Murder right now. Viola Davis is incredible, and the storytelling is absolutely astounding.

Do you believe things happen for a reason? 

I believe that events have causes — usually complicated chains of interlocking events. Sometimes those chains of events make great stories.

But do I believe that there’s some Great Plan? No.

Things happen, people react to them, other people react to the reactions, and sometimes this creates unexpected results. Sometimes those results are serendipitous, and these are the chains of events that make great stories.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

I am almost supernaturally patient. This is really important when it comes to getting everything right. It can be maddening to go over and over the same story until everything is exactly right. But it’s one of the most important parts of the process.

What’s your favorite place to visit in your country and why?

All of Scotland is gorgeous, but I really, really love Edinburgh, with its rolling green hills, cobblestone streets, and centuries-old buildings.

I first saw Edinburgh years ago, while my husband and I were visiting his brother’s family in Aberdeen. At that time, I told my husband that if he ever had the opportunity to find work there, he wouldn’t even have to ask. My bags would be packed by the next morning.

It took many years, but it finally happened. We live here now, and I’ve never been happier.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on my first monster story with actual monsters in it! It’s a blast!

Unfortunately, it’s a different kind of story in every other way, as well, and it’s a bit of a challenge to bring it to heel. This story is actually teaching me how to write stories like that. The process is slow and there’s a lot of stopping and starting over, but…I’m patient and a good student. It’s going to be excellent.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent book is a short story collection called Shadow of Justice. It is eight interconnected novelettes featuring 19th century constable Simon Pearce. There’s also a personal/romantic arc that connects the stories.

It was wonderful to have you on MTA, Jess. I was fortunate to visit Edinburgh in November of 2000. I didn’t get near enough time there, yet, what I saw took my breath away. I’m adding your book to my list. Sounds really interesting and I love the cover. All the best to you! – Camilla

Where to find the book:

Shadow of Justice is available from all of your favorite e-tailers, and also in paperback.

You can find it here: https://books2read.com/u/meg6zY

Also, check out the other fantastic stories from Blind Eye Books!

Connect with Jess:

https://www.jessfaraday.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessfaraday/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jess.faraday

Twitter: @jessfaraday

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Meet the Author: The Girl on the Roof by Debra Moffitt

Today we travel to the French Alps to chat with Debra Moffitt about how spirituality, psychic abilities, deep yearnings, a hawk, high perspective, cozy spaces, vivid images, South Carolina, being in the flow, and intuition come together as part of Debra’s life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

​I’m an American author living in the French Alps and my books are very much influenced by my travels. My first books were non-fiction with a focus on spirituality, intuition, and self-awareness.

But my first love has always been fiction. As my psychic abilities expand, it has added a multidimensional experience to my writing which is visible in my first novel, The Girl on the Roof. I experience the world in a unique way, very much aware of the energies and beings around us, from angels to departed souls. Readers on a spiritual path really connect with The Girl on the Roof, even though they might not usually read a WWII book.

The scenes from local culture – like wrapping a shrouded body and placing it on the North side of the roof – are the kinds of things one learns from being in a place and hearing someone’s grandmother tell her stories. I love these kinds of inspirations. I also love that so many readers are telling me that “The Girl on the Roof” is a book that stays with them as they contemplate the many dimensions it touches on that reach beyond the visible one.

In addition to writing, I also mentor writers and do intuitive readings and workshops. My annual French Alps retreat has been really popular with writers for the last seven years.

In which genre do you write? ​

This is a fun question because I write different kinds of books – from non-fiction books on spiritual practices and intuition, to a book of short stories, and my first novel, The Girl on the Roof, was released in March. It’s set in WWII Annecy and is a blend of mystery and historical fiction. It has a very strong spiritual element that falls outside of categories.

How many published books do you have?​

So far I have four published books and I’ve also been published in an anthology. If the translations count, then you’d have to add my books that were translated into Spanish, French, Chinese, Lithuanian…and maybe some more languages.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?​

I can recall being very young – maybe 4 or 5, and simply knowing I’d be a writer. As a teenager I recall walking into a sort of New-Agey book store and I felt a really deep yearning to see my books on the shelves there too. It was fun to see my books on the shelves when there were more brick and mortar stores.

What would you choose as your mascot, spirit animal, or avatar and why?​

Oh this is an easy one – a hawk. I love the high perspective and the clear vision. When writing, I have amazing moments with perceptions that give this vast overview of a story, and then I have to bring it down to earth.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

​I love spaces that are cozy and cocoon-like, with a window. This doesn’t mean narrow or tight spaces, but spaces where I feel like I’m surrounded by beautiful things and music and images. I create these spaces when I write in different locations.

What are you currently reading? ​

I’m currently looking for some good books to read. It takes time to find authors I love and that feel good to me. Reading is very intimate and opening a book and allowing someone into my most intimate space, into the heart of me, is not something I take lightly. This is why I am very respectful of the energy and words I share with readers. Writing for me is like sharing an alchemical experience that creates sensations in the reader. When I write the images, colors, smells, and sounds are vivid and readers tell me they pick up this experience too.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from? ​

Writing The Girl on the Roof was a fascinating and unusual experience. I’d been working on a book set in Charleston, South Carolina, when I started to perceive images of WWII Annecy. I was living in the French Alps in an 1840’s farm house, so maybe that held some influence. As I paid attention to the images, I decided to move forward and write down what I was seeing. Then I would research the information and it was quite accurate. I’m convinced that many authors especially of historical fiction receive information this way. ​​

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books? ​

I love hiking, being in nature, biking, reading. Gosh there’s so much to do and to discover.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

​I discovered my psychic abilities! They just opened up! I was participating in a spiritual circle in Geneva, Switzerland just before The Girl on the Roof was born and one morning while sitting in meditation quite early I felt a presence come in and say my name. I knew from the spiritual circle that this was a departed soul. He knew that I could hear him, but it was a shock to me. It took me some time to adjust to that discovery and eventually with The Girl on the Roof, the girl who became Aurelie appeared and so did many of the Resistance fighters.

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing? ​

The flow. I love being in the flow of drafting a new book, a new scene. The edit process can also be intuitive, but different.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? What do you do to prepare yourself?​

At the moment I love to listen to Robert Haig Coxon’s channeled music. It’s amazing. And I will often just take a moment to move inward and align with my heart space and trust what wants to come through.

How do you prepare yourself to discuss your book?​

This is a tough question because after a book is written and edited, I often forget huge chunks of it. Of course when I go back and read it again I remember, but it’s just a part of my process.

What do you miss about being a kid? ​

Nothing!

List 3 interesting facts about yourself. ​

  1. I’m very private and don’t like to talk about myself.
  2. I’m highly intuitive and do intuitive readings, but don’t usually publicize it.
  3. I love to teach people how to also tap into their intuition as everyone has this ability.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?​

Intuition has to be number one. It warns me and also brings me a lot of information about good things to come. It can be a little daunting when I hear people’s thoughts though. I was leading a workshop and at lunch time we did a silent period with an outdoor space that had walking paths. On one path, one of the participants walked toward me in silence. She put her hands together and bowed. So I bowed back, thinking it was an odd behavior. When the woman bowed, I heard, “Screw you.” The words were spoken so strongly and clearly from her head that I straightened and my mouth dropped open. Her posture and behavior was completely contrary to her behavior and I was stunned.

Tell us about your most recent book.

​The Girl on the Roof begins when Aurelie watches her family and friends at a funeral during the period of the state of siege in WWII Annecy. It’s dead winter and the ground is frozen solid so her father and brother take the shrouded figure and put it on the North side of the roof awaiting the thaw for burial. People seem to treat Aurelia differently than what she is used to and she must discover who died, how and then prevent the same terrible fate from happening to her best friend.

Here are some pictures of the area where I am located. It’s also the setting of the WWII fiction mystery, The Girl on the Roof. It’s the lovely French Alps town of Annecy, which is also referred to as the “Venice of the North” because of its lovely canals and lake-side setting.

It was lovely to have you be a part of MTA, Debra. I feel similar about books that I read. I am very deliberate about choosing books. I listened to one of Robert Haig Coxon’s recordings, and loved it, so just had to include it for the readers. These are amazing photos. It looks incredibly beautiful! All the best to you Debra! – Camilla

Girl on the Roof

A WWII Mystery with a Supernatural Touch

As the people of Annecy in the French Alps meet the Gestapo’s brutality with surprising resistance, a teenaged girl cannot rest until she solves the mystery of a death in her family. Aurelie watches as her father places a shrouded body on the North side of the roof of the family home. It’s winter, under a Nazi-declared state of siege, and they must wait until the spring thaw for the burial. But who died? And why is no one speaking to her anymore? Aurelie cannot rest until she discovers the truth and fights to prevent the same terrible fate from happening to her best friend.

Rich with historical details and forgotten customs, The Girl on the Roof introduces both harsh and vulnerable characters that sear the imagination. Against every moment’s tension between life and death, the story blends the themes of deprivation, courage, trauma, sexual obsession, and unconditional love.

“A haunting, beautiful book.” – Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times Bestselling Author

Connect with Debra:

Website: https://debramoffitt.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebraMoffittAuthor/

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4719632.Debra_Moffitt

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Meet the Author: Being Greta by Maxine Sinclair

Today we travel to Norfolk County in England to chat with Maxine Sinclair about how sign language, Batman, table tennis, Cliff Richard, ballet, Hitler, being over-prepared, and having a sense of humour come together as part of Maxine’s current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Having moved around most of our married life, we came to Norfolk in 2005 and I love it here – I’m not moving. (Hubby misses hills, but I think they’re overrated.) I am a sign language interpreter by day and a women’s fiction novelist by night: a bit like Batman but without the outfit.

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I kept a diary in my youth and then wrote terrible angst poetry inspired by several cases of unrequited love. I then didn’t write for many years (busy with family life) until a few years ago when I took an online writing course. At the end of the course you had to plan out the first three chapters of a novel. And I didn’t stop.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

Haven’t flown in years and I don’t intend to through fear.
I have a bronze badge in table tennis and a grade two in violin.
When I was four I didn’t know if I wanted to marry Cliff Richard or be him.

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

My latest book, Being Greta, was inspired by over thirty years of being in and around the Deaf Community. Deaf people live in a world where people can hear and they constantly find themselves having to adapt to fit in. Greta’s story is about trying to make it in a hearing world, but ultimately hers is a love story.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I took up ballet at the age of forty-two and completely fell in love with it. I do two classes a week, plus pilates and yoga. I’m blessed with wonderful teachers.

If you could have a fantasy tea with a person from the past, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Hitler. I want him to talk me through his beliefs and convictions. My father was an Austrian Jewish refugee and his father was killed at Auschwitz, so it’s a part of my personal history.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? What do you do to prepare yourself?

I would listen to I Can See Clearly Now as that song oozes optimism. I’m one of those who enjoys public speaking and I’d have notes and will have rehearsed repeatedly in front of the mirror. Over-prepared is my middle name.

If you could ask your pet three questions, what would they be?

Penny-Dog – ‘Why won’t you let us put a collar on you?’
Winnie-Cat – Why do pat my face in the night when I’m asleep?
Turbo-Tortoise – Where are you?

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

Last night we wanted something comfortingly familiar so we chose…Kindergarten Cop. Don’t judge us.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

I think my sense of humour has served me well and I try to channel it into my writing. I’m also quite an optimistic person and that comes in handy when submitting manuscripts to publishers.

What are you currently working on?

I have just finished editing my latest novel, Summer Sparks. It is the story of a fifty-something woman who is living a colourless life until her long-time husband ups and leaves. She is heartbroken and in pieces until her bubbly best friend whisks her away on a life-changing summer working abroad.

Tell us about your most recently published book.

My most recently published book is Being Greta.

Greta is a young deaf woman in a hearing world. Trying to find happiness despite a controlling boyfriend, Olly, and a disapproving mother, she (drunkenly) applies to feature in a television disability arts documentary where her head is turned by the attractive sign language interpreter, Connor.

As filming continues, the cracks deepen in her relationship with Olly. Will she stay with him or succumb to Connor, a man who signs her own language?

And should she undergo a cochlear implant to be able to fit in with the people around her? Or should she embrace her deaf identity, follow her heart and determine her own future?

Whichever route she takes, it’s not always easy being Greta…

It was lovely to have you on MTA, Maxine. I am fascinated by the topic and characters of Being Greta. My daughter has a chromosome deletion (called 18p-), with some of her peers being deaf. She has partial loss of hearing in one ear, too. It sounds like you’ve touched on some hot topics! I also love the song, “I Can See Clearly Now”, it’s one of my favorites. Wishing you all the best! – Camilla

Where to find the book:

Being Greta is available at Amazon – www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1790608384

Also available are my first two novels that focus on the lives of a group of adult ballet dancers as they journey to win a local talent competition.
Dixbury Does Talent – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1520195214

Return to Dixbury – www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0779XM7ZZ

All books are available in ebook and paperback and are part of Kindle Unlimited.

Connect with Maxine:

Amazon author page – https://www.amazon.com/Maxine-Sinclair/e/B06XFXZNMC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Website – www.maxinesinclair.com

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To support this website and the author’s interviewed, visit Support MTA for suggestions. Thank you! – Camilla, Founder and Host