Tag: fiction

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Meet the Author: Beyond the Margin by Jo Jackson

Today we’re traveling to rural Shropshire in central England to chat with Jo Jackson about how an orphanage in Egypt, views of Wenlock Edge, a large wildlife pond, the Israeli secret police, Wembley Stadium, and spending the night in the Gaza strip come together as part of Jo’s past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Jo Jackson. I am the author of two books, ‘Too Loud a Silence’ published in 2016 and ‘Beyond the Margin’ published in 2019. Originally from Birmingham U.K., I now live in rural Shropshire with my husband and dog. Our three children are grown up, married with families and careers of their own. My own career was as a nurse, a midwife and ultimately as a family psychotherapist.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Even as a child I enjoyed writing and English was a favourite lesson. My first book was typed, illustrated and bound by my junior school and put in the school library. I read it out in the school assembly as a very proud ten year old.

Fast- forward twenty years and inspiration was ignited when I returned to England after living in Egypt for two years with my family. Events there – abandoned twin girls, an orphanage, and a situation that for me was never resolved became the inspiration for my first novel. I still have the handwritten manuscript that I wrote at the time but career and family took over and it lay unfinished.

On retirement I joined a writing group and the story that had lain dormant for thirty-seven years was rewritten and became ‘Too Loud a Silence’. I set it in Egypt with a backdrop of the Arab Spring with a backstory based thirty years earlier. It was a story I needed to write for those little orphaned girls and for me. I then went on to write ‘Beyond the Margin’, three years later.

What is your favourite writing place?

I am lucky to live in a house in rural Shropshire with stunning views of Wenlock Edge from every window. My favourite writing place, in summertime is sitting with my laptop beside a large wildlife pond in the garden. I share the space with birdsong, mallards, moorhens and their chicks all busy foraging among the reeds. In winter you’ll find me in the conservatory or curled up beside the log burner. I love nature and it inspires description in my writing. My best time to write is early morning and I witness many beautiful sunrises.

Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

– Driving home from Egypt in a car with Egyptian number plates we were stopped and made to get out while the car was searched by the Israeli secret police. They thought my husband, myself and our 3 blonde haired children, aged 4 – 11 may be Lebanese terrorists!

– We were once marooned on a small island off the coast of Taiwan for 5 days because of a storm. Eventually we were taken back to the mainland by boat, through mountainous seas – and survived to tell the tale!

– I have stood on the seats of Wembley Stadium singing ‘We are the champions’, after watching my son lift the FA cup with Everton in 1995.

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

My most recent book, ‘Beyond the Margin’ arose out of two short stories I had written. Within my work as a family psychotherapist I was privileged to meet many people whose lives were lived on the edge of society. The novel is a tribute to their courage and resourcefulness. I used the setting of a timber yard because I walk above one almost every day with the dog. The ordered rows of tree trunks and the quiet of the place in the evening when work has ceased inspired me. I began to write the novel when I was in Ireland for a month and the wild scenery in the west seemed the perfect backdrop to the story.

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

I have a wonderful life! I paint, I study philosophy, I read, I garden, I walk and travel in both the UK and distant places in the world, Africa and India being particular favourites. We have lots of friends and seven grandchildren all of them a joy.

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

That I have the ability to deeply touch people emotionally through my characters and writing.

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

Spending a night in the Gaza strip, with my family, in the home of a very kind taxi driver who generously made the offer when we found ourselves stranded at the border. We have the fondest memories of him and his family and the wonderful Palestinian hospitality showed to us that night.

What do you miss most about being a kid?

Playing out in the street until it was dusk.
Lying in bed, reading a book until lunchtime on a Sunday morning.

A penguin knocks on your door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he there?

‘”I know I look ridiculous but climate change is real. Don’t let anyone pretend it’s not.”

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

My brother and I were always told, ‘if you start something, you finish it’. This message has stayed with me and fuels my determination. The other thing is I am always positive. I like people and see the best, not the worst, in them.

Describe your perfect solo date.

Somewhere in the tropics where I could walk through the rainforest and enjoy the songs of the birds and hear the call of the monkeys.

Tell us about your most recent book.

‘Beyond the Margin’

‘Its strength lies in its authenticity. A gritty bitter-sweet narrative that kept me turning the pages’. ‘Emotionally raw and brutally honest’. ‘A stunning piece of writing – and one of my books of the year’. These are just a few of the phrases used by reviewers of my most recent book. My thanks go to all of them for their encouraging words.

It was incredibly interesting learning more about you and your writing, Jo. I immensely enjoyed our interview.  You have had some amazing and wild adventures. Wishing you all the best! –Camilla

Blurb: Beyond the Margin

Is living on the edge of society a choice? Or is choice a luxury of the fortunate?
Joe, fighting drug addiction, runs until the sea halts his progress.

His is a faltering search for meaningful relationships.
‘Let luck be a friend,’ Nuala is told but it had never felt that way.

Abandoned at five years old, survival means learning not to care. Her only hope is to take control of her own destiny.

The intertwining of their lives makes a compelling story of darkness and light, trauma, loss and second chances.

Where to find the books:

Both books are available from: https://www.Amazon.co.uk in paperback or kindle

Stepping into Books on Amazon

Direct from Jo’s website https://www.jojacksonwriter.com and

Shropshire bookshops, libraries and Waterstones

Connect with Jo:

Facebook: Jojacksonauthor

Twitter: @jojackson589

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Meet the Author: The Piccadilly Street Series: Mrs. Murray’s Ghost by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Today we travel to North Gower, part of the greater Ottawa area in Canada, to chat with Emily-Jane Hills Orford about how country life, an antique spinet desk, playing the piano, needle-art, journal writing, Barbie dolls, being a dreamer, haunted houses, and ghosts come together to haunt Emily-Jane’s past and present life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a retired music and creative writing teacher. Ten years ago, my better half and my muse (my dog, Duke) moved to the country in a little town called North Gower. It’s actually part of the greater Ottawa area (Ottawa being the capital city of Canada). I love country life. I have an antique spinet desk sitting in front of a large picture window that looks out onto our wooded front yard and my birdfeeders. I enjoy watching the wildlife while I sit at my writing desk, feeling a little like Jane Austen (although Jane Austen wouldn’t have used a laptop, even if she did write on a spinet desk like I do). In the spring, summer and fall, after my daily writing ritual, you’ll find me outside, walking Duke or having Duke help me putter around the yard, taking care of my gardens. I’m always involved in something creative, whether it’s writing, playing the piano or composing music or working on my needleart and collage paintings. When I’m not writing, however, I’m thinking about writing, plotting new stories in my head.

In which genre do you write?

Several genres, actually. I started my writing career writing creative nonfiction and memoir and I still enjoy writing a few short memoir stories. More recently, I’ve written raw, real-people drama (“Gerlinda”), historical fiction/fantasy (“Queen Mary’s Daughter” winner of the 2019 N.N. Light Book Award) and “King Henry’s Choice”), cozy mysteries (“Spring”, “Summer”, “Autumn”, and “Winter”), and Middle Grade fantasy (The Piccadilly Street Series: “Mrs. Murray’s Ghost” (finalist in the 2019 N.N. Light Book Awards), “Mrs. Murray’s Hidden Treasure” and “Mrs. Murray’s Home”), which not surprisingly includes a lot of memoir and creative nonfiction narrative.

How many published books do you have?

25

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

As soon as I could hold a pencil in hand and write a few words. I come from a long line of storytellers, but as the youngest, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. So, I wrote.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

I have a lovely antique spinet desk that I’ve positioned in front of a large picture window overlooking our forested front yard. I feel a little like Jane Austen when I sit at the desk to write, the only difference being Jane Austen would have used a quill and ink at her spinet desk, while I use a laptop.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished reading John Grisham’s “The Guardians” – I love his masterful storytelling narratives and I’ve started reading Tricia Mingerink’s “Midnight’s Curse” – a charming fantasy re-writing the fairy tales of old.

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

“The Piccadilly Street Series” is part memoir (memories of growing up in a haunted house) and part fantasy (dreams and imaginings of a young girl). I have fond memories of a certain old Victorian mansion and the ghost that continues to haunt it. As a ten-year-old girl, moving into a haunted house was terrifying at first, and then fascinating, as the ghost turned out to be quite friendly.

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

In the spring, summer and fall, I’m in my garden, in the winter I’m writing about my garden. I also enjoy walking my dog, reading, playing the piano or composing music and working on various needle-art projects. I always have something on the go.

Do you journal write or keep a personal diary?

Yes, I journal. Every morning, first thing, before life gets complicated, I sit at my antique spinet desk and write (cursive, long hand in a quaint little book with its own title on the spine: Diary) what happened the previous day, who I saw, what thoughts I have on various current topics in my life or in the news. I’ve chosen first thing in the morning to journal because if I leave it till the end of the day, I usually make the excuse of being too tired to write anything.

What do you miss about being a kid?

I miss my childhood home and the time I could spend creating my own little fantasies and acting them out with my Barbie dolls. My Piccadilly Street Series has the main character, Mary (who was really me as a child) frequently playing with her Barbie dolls. It may surprise some people today, but in the 1960s when I was 10 (and the setting era of this series) girls played with Barbie dolls until they went to High School – I know I did. It was tragic to pack away my dolls that last summer before starting High School. Today, it seems, girls give up playing with dolls about the age of 8.

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

Mary, the main character in the Piccadilly Street Series. She was, after all, me as a child. So, to become Mary would be like stepping back into my own childhood and living again in the grand old Victorian house with its bats and the ghost and my many dreams and fantasies.

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

Definitely. I believe ghosts visit me for a reason. The ghost of my childhood connected with me, but not the others in the family. Whenever a loved one passed away, they always visited me at least once more before moving on. It’s sometimes scary, but also reassuring. After Dad passed away, he came to me in a dream and gave me a smile and a wave before walking into a large building. He was reassuring me that all was well. When my heart dog, Misty, passed away, he came back one night when I was asleep, I could hear him sniffing around the bed as he always did. He was just reassuring me that he was okay and he was still with me.

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

I’m a dreamer with what my grandmother always described as a vivid imagination. It’s those dreams and the imagination to go with it that has helped me pursue my writing.

What are you currently working on?

A cozy mystery set in the prairies, following the mystery of an unrecorded piece of music in the original hand of none other than Johann Sebastian Bach.

Tell us about your most recent book.

The Piccadilly Street Series consists of 4 books: 2 have been published; book 3 is set to be released February 2020, all loosely based on my experiences growing up in a haunted house with a real ghost and a lot of dreams accompanied by a vivid imagination.

It was incredibly interesting learning more about you, your writing style, and the story behind The Piccadilly Street Series. Wishing you much success, Emily-Jane! Thank you for being a part of MTA! –Camilla

Book Blurbs:

Mrs. Murray’s Ghost: The Piccadilly Street Series Book 1 –

Mary’s family has moved into a huge Victorian mansion. She loves her gigantic new house, especially her room. But then she begins to meet the house’s other residents. Mrs. Murray was murdered in Mary’s new house. At first she tries to scare the new residents away, but there seems to be a force connecting the ghost to Mary. Even the stranded Brownies, the little people who live between the walls, feel that connection. When Mary becomes deathly ill, the Brownies and the ghost team up to try to rescue her, only to encounter a witch and her evil minions. Time is running out. They must rescue Mary from a fever-induced dream world before she is trapped there forever. As well as being a fun read for young readers, the story gives an historical perspective to childhood, as it dates to the 1960s. It also deals with some very current issues, specifically bullying.

Mrs. Murray’s Hidden Treasure: The Piccadilly Street Series Book 2 –

There is a hidden treasure in the grand old mansion on Piccadilly Street, in a place called London, but not the real London of English fame. There’s also a lot of mystery and a murder that’s been unsolved for decades. But it’s the treasure that captures Mary’s interest. Mary lives in this house along with her family, her Brownie friends and a ghost. When the ghost reveals her secret about the hidden treasure, there’s no stopping Mary, her Brownie friends, or her enemies from searching for this treasure. Why the intrigue? Apparently there’s a little bit of magic connected to this treasure. And so the adventure begins. Who will find the treasure first?

Mrs. Murray’s Home: The Piccadilly Street Series Book 3 –

Home is where the heart is, or so they say. It’s also been said that a home is a person’s castle. But home is also with family and friends. Mrs. Murray longs for home, the family home, a castle an ocean away. The Brownies also crave for home, the same castle Mrs. Murray considers home. And Granny? Mary’s Granny hasn’t been home since she was Mary’s age. It’s time to visit the homeland, Scotland. Mary’s excited to tag along with Granny, Mrs. Murray and the Brownies. And then there’s the witch. The one they thought they’d killed. And the treasure. The one they had found. And it all ties together, for better or for worse. Join the adventure in book 3 of the popular “Piccadilly Street Series”.

Where to find the books:

Available online and in bookstores:

 

Connect with Emily-Jane:

https://emilyjanebooks.ca

https://www.facebook.com/realpeoplestories

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1732544.Emily_Jane_Hills_Orford

https://twitter.com/ejhomusic

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Meet the Author: A Very Important Teapot by Steve Sheppard

Today we’re traveling to Bampton in west Oxfordshire to chat with Steve Sheppard about how bingo, prison, Yackandandah, and cricket come together as part of Steve’s past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and brought up in Guildford in the heart of the Surrey stockbroker belt but, having failed to meet any stockbrokers, I moved to west Oxfordshire 23 years ago, where I now live with my wife, Anabel and the latest in a long series of recalcitrant cats in a quintessentially quirky, not-quite-Cotswold village called Bampton. This is of course the UK we’re talking about as nowhere else in the world can legally describe itself as not-quite-Cotswold. There used to be a son living here too, but apparently he moved out three months ago.

I have been many things in my time, including Bingo Manager, Estate Agent and Prison Officer, not forgetting many years selling unwanted goods and services to uninterested buyers. I now sit in the corner of an office four days a week making lots of coffee and trying to explain how offices used to function with just a Gestetner printer and one phone between ten people. I spend hours answering questions along the lines of: Was the whole world in black and white or was that just television? To which the answer is of course Yes.

I’m also on course to be the world’s oldest active cricketer, although active is an entirely relative term.

In which genre do you write?

Comedy fiction; in particular, as I have so far written just the one book, comedy spy thrillers, although I hope to branch out once I’ve written a couple more books in a series that has begun with A Very Important Teapot. The first draft of Book 2, as yet unnamed, although with a working title of Bored to Death in the Baltic, is almost finished. There may be some serious editing to go through, although hopefully I won’t have to knock 20% (20,000 words) off it like I did with Teapot.

How many published books do you have?

One, A Very Important Teapot, published by Claret Press, London in October 2019. Despite being older than Methuselah, I sincerely hope it won’t be the last (see above). I’d like to spend my life writing full-time but my bank manager does not currently think that is possible. Hopefully though, not too far hence.

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

I’ve always been a writer (probably inspired by my older brother) but it has taken me 45 years to actually turn that into an actual book. I had some poems published in an anthology back in 1972 but stopped writing poetry for good in my early 20s, advisedly as none of them were particularly good. Some weren’t awful though. My collected poetical works disappeared during a house move in the mid-nineties and the world is not a poorer place for their loss. Since then I have written short comic pieces, trivia, tomorrow’s fish and chip paper, for captive audiences (work mags, cricket clubs, drama groups, unfortunates like that). Over the years I’ve started several books that were intended to become full-length but always ended up 15 pages long. Good at starts, it’s the middles and ends that defeated me.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

It would look nothing like what it actually looks like, which is currently a small corner of the dining room with a wonderful view of a shed and the kitchen cooker. However, my son’s ex-room is being turned into a writing and music den. Somehow the room is smaller than it used to be, but at least I’ll have a bigger desk and a proper chair (and a view of the roof of the aforesaid shed).

What are you currently reading?

I only have about 20 books currently in my to-read pile. Mainly I’m reading Mick Herron. I only discovered him late last summer, so my research must be atrocious. I pride myself on my snappy dialogue but I am absolutely an amateur in that respect compared to Mick.

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

I was on holiday in south eastern Australia in March 2017. Literally on the flight home, I said OK, I‘m going to write from now until the end of the year and see where I get to. Don’t worry about an A to Z plot (I always managed to convince myself I couldn’t come up with a full-length plot), just do it and see. The result was A Very Important Teapot and, surprise surprise, it is very largely set in south eastern Australia. I even went to Yackandandah (yes, it’s a real place) and its folk festival, which feature heavily.

Do you journal write or keep a personal diary? 

No, although I did for many years through my 20s and into my my 30s. Think how many potential books those millions of wasted words equate to.

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 wouldn’t listen to a song. I’d go to the toilet a lot instead.

How do you prepare yourself to discuss your book?

I’ll let you know. I have a library event coming up in Carterton, Oxfordshire on 24 July.

What do you miss about being a kid?

Not having to answer the phone. Who the heck had a phone back then? And I mean a landline. In a house. It was a novelty when we had one installed. All my mates came round to marvel at it.

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

I already have. Dawson is me, well for the first few chapters anyway. Except that he has more hair.

A giraffe knocks on your door and is wearing a bowler hat. What does he say and why is he there?

Well, clearly he’s a wrong delivery from a company called Animazon. In case that’s a confusing answer, you may wish to read https://stevesheppardauthor.com/short-stories/giraffe …. And actually, he doesn’t say anything but he does eat some toothpaste.

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

1. How the heck do you manage to sleep so much?

2. How the heck do you manage to sleep so much?

3. How the heck do you manage to sleep so much?

What are you currently working on?

I am currently desperately working on a title for Book 2. I set the titular bar pretty high with A Very Important Teapot. I need to find one before it gets published. I never expected this to be a thing. I’d come up with A Very Important Teapot almost before the metaphorical ink was dry on the first page.

It was such fun learning more about you, Steve. Love your sense of humor and the fabulous short story you wrote about the giraffe. Wishing you all the best, with much success on this book and future books! –Camilla

Where to find the book:

A Very Important Teapot is available everywhere. Obviously on Mr Amazon (.co.uk and .com) and all other online retailers in the UK, including Waterstones, Foyles, WH Smith etc, as well as many abroad (that’s abroad from where I’m sitting, obviously). Any bookshop can get it for you although only those in my immediate part of Oxfordshire will actually have it siting on their shelves. You can get it, signed if you want a damaged copy, from me via www.stevesheppardauthor.com.

Amazon UK:

US:

Kindle too!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46690093-a-very-important-teapot

Publisher: https://www.claretpress.com/idk

Blurb

Dawson is going nowhere. Out of work and nearly out of money, he is forlornly pursuing the love of Rachel Whyte. But Rachel is engaged to Pat Bootle, an apparently successful local solicitor who has appeared from nowhere.

Then, out of the blue, Dawson receives a job offer from his best friend, Alan Flannery, which involves him jumping on a plane to Australia to “await further instructions”. But instructions about what?

This is the start of a frantic chase around south eastern Australia with half the local underworld, the police and the intelligence agencies of three countries trying to catch up with Dawson.

What is Flannery’s game?

Why has Pat Bootle turned up in Australia?

Who is the beautiful but mysterious Lucy Smith?

What is the teapot’s secret?

What has folk music got to do with anything?

And how do guns actually work?

Dawson’s life will never be the same again.

Connect with Steve:

https://stevesheppardauthor.com/

Twitter: @stevesheppard2

Facebook: @AVeryImportantTeapot

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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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Latest News: A Break from Author Interviews

I’m late with posting this. However, I’ll be taking the month of December and beginning of January off from posting author interviews. Since the website launched in May 2019, we’ve shared two to four interviews per week.

2020 will see many more author interviews, along with the addition of book blogger interviews. I’m quite excited  about adding this new feature of interviewing book bloggers.

Stay tuned for an announcement as to when the contact form opens for book bloggers and authors to submit for interviewing.

Until then, I’ll be busy launching and marketing my latest book, ‘Words of Alchemy’. This beautiful book has just been published, with the official launch happening in mid January 2020. Here are a few fun photos of myself and the proof book.

Please let me know if you would like to help spread the word about the book or if you are aware of any bloggers who would like to host a guest post, interview, excerpt, or has time to review the book. Go here to learn more about the book …

Words of Alchemy

I deeply thank you for supporting this website and the authors interviewed! Here’s to a wonderful, successful, prosperous, and joyful 2020!! –Camilla

 

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Latest News: November 2019 – Meet the Author Interviews with Most Views

Meet the Author Interview with Most Views for November 2019:

#1: Butterflies by Lily Hayden

Meet the Author Interview with Second Most Views for November 2019:

#2: Stella’s Christmas Wish by Kate Blackadder

Meet the Author Interview with Third (Tie) Most Views for November 2019:

#3 The Magic Carpet by Jessica Norrie

Meet the Author Interview with Third (Tie) Most Views for November 2019:

#3 Rogue’s Holiday by Regan Walker

Top Three Countries With the Most Traffic to Meeting the Authors in November 2019:

Thank you for taking the time to read more about these authors and sharing the interviews on this website. A great deal of work goes into these interviews by the authors and by me. Deep gratitude! –Camilla, Founder & Host

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Latest News: Support the Authors Interviewed and Meeting the Authors

Meeting the Authors has had an incredibly successful beginning. The website launched in May 2019 with interviews from the get go. It has been a pleasure to meet such a wide and diverse group of authors from around the world.

Thank you for being a part of the MTA launch and thank you to those who have asked how you can help. Here’s to many more fun and quirky interviews in 2020! – Camilla


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Book Shelf: Aunt Dimity’s Good Deed by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity’s Good Deed by Nancy Atherton

It’s clear I’m in for the long haul with this series. I have much catching up to do as this was published in 1996 and Nancy Atherton is still writing this series! I’ll be reading them for a while! HA!

Since this is still near the beginning of the series, more characters were introduced and it was great getting to know them. I loved the mystery to be solved, yet, this has been my least favorite so far. I still very much enjoyed it and enjoyed learning about the history of Lori’s husbands family.

US Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OD0VXA

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Meet the Author: Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer

 

Today we travel to Melbourne to chat with Rebecca Bowyer. She and I discuss how Alice in Wonderland, being a parenting blogger, the feeling of certainty, and Netflix sci-fi shows come together as part of Rebecca’s past and current life. 

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I’m an Australian writer of speculative fiction with a parenting focus – think Margaret Atwood meets Liane Moriarty. I started out my writing career in 2013 as a parenting blogger and have moved into book blogging and fiction writing. 

I live in Melbourne with my husband and two gorgeous sons, aged 7 and 9.

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

Alice in Wonderland! I really enjoy the delightful nonsense which also seems somehow insightful and prophetic. As an adult I’ve loved Jasper Fforde’s books which make me feel like I’ve plunged back into a similar sort of world.

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

When I took time out from the professional workforce to be a stay-at-home mum I was disheartened by how invisible I’d become. It felt like the role of parenting wasn’t really valued by society. It was just a “break” until I could return and start earning money again. 

I wanted to see what our society would look like if we suddenly decided that parenting was a truly valuable role. In a capitalist society, that would mean that it was a highly paid, valued profession requiring a college degree. 

Of course, the darker side was that, in Maternal Instinct, you don’t get to raise your own child. At 6 months of age they’re handed over to the professional parents, the Maters and the Paters. 

My novel focuses on the story of 19-year-old Monica, who never wanted a baby but, now that she has one, doesn’t want to give him up. 

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

I’d turn into Monica. She’s 19 years old, she’s fearless and she knows exactly what she wants. I would enjoy moving in her skin and reliving the feeling of certainty. That feeling evaporates all too quickly with the knocks and bruises of adult life.

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

“Baby Mine,” as sung by Bette Midler in Beaches. It always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, in a good way.

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

I think younger me would tell me to slow down, there’s plenty of time! As I get older time seems to speed up, especially since I had kids, so it’s easy to start thinking that time must be running out. However, Margaret Atwood has just released a novel at the age of 82 – I’m not even half that age, so I still have many decades left to write more books (I hope!).

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

I Am Mother, on Netflix. I didn’t actually choose it – I watched it because my husband turned it on (we share a mutual love of Netflix sci-fi). It was a really interesting movie and a great example of the rise in science fiction which focuses on women and reproduction.

What are you currently reading?

The Fragments, by Toni Jordan. It’s an historical fiction novel about a book, thought to be lost to fire apart from a few fragments, and the clues which may lead to its rediscovery.

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

We have a gorgeous fluffy black 4-year-old schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle cross) named George. I’d ask him: 

  1. Why do you bark at other dogs walking by but lick every single strange human that gets near you?

  2. Do you get lonely when nobody is home, or do you enjoy the peace and quiet?

  3. What bargain can we strike that would stop you chewing the tops off every watering can we’ve ever owned?

What do you miss about being a kid?

I spent most of my childhood waiting to grow up, so – not much! I enjoy the autonomy that comes with being an adult.

I do, however, miss the vast tracts of empty time I had as a kid. I remember glorious entire days spent in front of the heater in winter, just reading.

What are you currently working on? 

I’ve just finished the first draft of my next novel, working title Time Thief. It’s based on the premise of what if, as a parent, you could literally buy time? How nice would that be?!

I’ll let that sit in the digital drawer and simmer for a month or two before I return to it.

Tell us about your most recent book. 

Maternal Instinct is set in a near-future world where parenting is a highly valued, paid profession. Every child is safe and no child lives in poverty. From the age of 6 months, children are raised by professional parents – the Maters and the Paters. 

For some women this works really well. 19-year-old Monica, however, will do whatever it takes to stop her infant son being taken from her. When she turns to her biological mother, Alice, for help, Alice must face her own dark past and make impossible decisions.

It was great to learn more about you, your history and how your book came to be. Deeply interesting. Thank you for being a part of MTA, Rebecca. All the best to you! – Camilla

Book blurb:

Australia 2040. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe. But at what cost?

19-year-old Monica never wanted a baby but the laws require her to give birth twice before she can move on with her life.

Now that her first son, Oscar, has arrived she’s not so sure she wants to hand him over to be raised by professional parents: the Maters and Paters.

When Monica turns to her birth mother, Alice, for help, she triggers a series of events that force Alice to confront her own dark past. Alice must decide – help her daughter break the law, or persuade her to accept her fate and do what’s best for the nation’s children?

Where to find the book:

Maternal Instinct is available for purchase at bookstores in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia. Head to Story Addict Publishing for a list of retailers near you.

Connect with Rebecca:

Website: https://www.storyaddict.com.au

Social media:

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: Stella’s Christmas Wish by Kate Blackadder

Today we travel to Edinburgh to chat with Kate Blackadder. Kate and I discuss how twins, sorting books in a charity shop, numbered index cards, red plaits, and a Viking expedition come together as part of Kate’s past and present life.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

My name is Kate Blackadder. I was born in Inverness shire in the Scottish Highlands but now live in Edinburgh with a view of the Castle from my front window. I’ve always work with books in some capacity – firstly in the production department of a large London publisher, and then in various roles for publishers in Edinburgh and as a freelance editor.

In which genre do you write? 

I write mostly short stories (around 60 published) and magazine serials, one novel to date. Broadly speaking, these are in the women’s fiction genre but lately I have some success with short stories for a Scottish newspaper called The Weekly News which have to appeal to men as well as women. It was an interesting challenge.

How many published books do you have? 

My novel Stella’s Christmas Wish was published by Black & White in 2016. I have had three serials published in The People’s Friend (weekly readership of 400,000) and have released these myself on Amazon Kindle. They are also available in large print from libraries. I’ve produced on Kindle three collections of previously published/prize winning short stories.

Three other writers based in Edinburgh and I have formed a group called Capital Writers. We give readings around the city and have produced two e-anthologies of short stories (one from each of us) with another two in the pipeline.

So – nine so far!

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

I was always a reader so that was my inspiration. I first tried to write when I was about ten – books for girls, very (very) derivative of my favourite titles. Over the years I wrote poetry off and on but took up writing fiction (for grown-up girls) again sixteen years ago after joining a brilliant local creative writing class.

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

There are no twins/multiple births in my family but for some reason they crop up rather often in my stories. It took a writing friend to point that out to me; now I have to exercise family planning more carefully …

What does your ideal writing space look like? 

Luckily, exactly like the space I have! My son’s former bedroom, now my study, painted leaf green, lots of shelves. In the evening I like to shut the shutters so that the room is dark, and write under the pool of light from the angle poise lamp.

What are you currently reading? 

I usually have at least one novel and a non-fiction book on the go. Currently, it’s Clock Dance by Anne Tyler, one of my very favourite authors; and A Tunnel Through Time: A New Route for an Old London Journey by Gillian Tindall, an original way of looking at the history of London.

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

I work two days a week in a museum’s publishing department; volunteer a few hours a week sorting books in a charity shop (Shelter); read; bake; go to the cinema.

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

The mere thought of speaking up in a crowd used to make me nervous but gradually, through having to read aloud at writing classes etc, I got more confident and now even standing up and speaking/reading to a large audience doesn’t faze me at all (as long as I know in advance and have time to practise, see below!). So I suppose I’ve learned the only thing to fear is fear itself (now I must try and apply that to driving on the motorway … ).

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

Not particularly strange but – we have a car but I got the bus from Edinburgh down the coast to North Berwick in East Lothian (about 30 miles away) as that’s how one of my characters travelled. I wanted to see the journey through her eyes.

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

I type what I want to say in full and print it out then I pick out the salient points and put them on numbered index cards. I practise over and over giving the talk with only the cards as prompts. It means I can keep my head up and engage with the audience most of the time rather than looking down. I also read my chosen passage aloud several times at home so that I know where the pauses should come and which words to emphasise.

What do you miss about being a kid? 

My red plaits. And having been brought up in a rural location with no school friends nearby, I had weekends when I read from morning to night; I’d love to be able to do that again.

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

We didn’t have television until I was fifteen and were a hundred miles from the nearest cinema. Don’t regret any of that for a minute!

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

I’d be Cathryn Fenton in The Family at Farrshore ( myBook.to/Farrshore ) because she’s an archaeologist involved in a Viking excavation in the north of Scotland. Uncovering a long-ago settlement would be fascinating – plus there’s a handsome Canadian film director around the place …

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

The documentary Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love – because I’m a long-time Leonard Cohen fan. I was lucky enough to see him in concert many years ago in Edinburgh.

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

I don’t have a pet now but I used to have a cat I adored called McTavish. I would ask him:

Why do you sit on the cold wall rather than beside the warm fire?

Where did you go last night?

What are you thinking about when you stare, unblinking, at me with your big golden eyes?

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

I love the grandeur of the scenery of north-west Scotland. A few years ago I would have said I loved the loneliness of it too but it’s a wee bit crowded up there now thanks to the success of the North Coast 500 route.

Describe the perfect solo date you’d take yourself on … where, time of day, weather, place, etc. 

I had a holiday in New Zealand last year and absolutely loved it. So, on a dry, 70F, day with no wind, I would explore Dunedin – mostly on foot but taking the bus up the steepest streets, visit the museums and the bookshops and stop for (excellent) coffee and a warm date scone at The Good Oil café in George Street.

Tell us about your most recent book. 

Stella’s Christmas Wish is a contemporary romance/family secrets story, published by Black & White Publishing.

Six days before Christmas a family crisis brings Stella back from London to the Scottish Borders – and to Ross, the man she left fifteen months earlier.

One reviewer said: ‘I fell in love with the characters and actually wished they were real.’

It was wonderful to learn more about you, Kate. Your writing group sounds brilliant! I visited Edinburgh in the year 2001 and found it to be incredibly breathtaking. Adored the bookshops! All the best to you! – Camilla

Where to find the book:

It’s available (digital only) on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/2dYQOrY

Connect with Kate:

Blog +website:

https://katewritesandreads.blogspot.com/

https://capitalwriterscouk.wordpress.com/

Social media links

https://www.facebook.com/KateBlackadderAuthor/

@k_blackadder

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