Tag: fiction

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Meet the Author: The Runaway by Linda Huber

Today we travel to Lake Constance in N.E. Switzerland to chat with Linda Huber about how being a physiotherapist, the Brownie Guide Book, a 1940’s drowning, the magic of childhood, cutting her own hair, and Agatha Christie play roles in Linda’s past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Scotland, but came to Switzerland over half a lifetime ago intending to stay for a year – and here I still am. After working as a physiotherapist and then retraining as an English teacher after a back injury, I was lucky enough to be able to transform my hobby of the past thirty-odd years – writing – into my ‘job’. I’m hybrid published, with both traditionally and self-published books – nine psychological suspense novels as Linda Huber, all set in the UK, and five feel-good novellas set right here in Switzerland under my pen name Melinda Huber. Nowadays, I live on the banks of beautiful Lake Constance in N.E. Switzerland, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

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

I can tell you that exactly: I was seven years old and in the Brownies, looking through the Brownie Guide Handbook for a first badge to do. I decided on the Writer’s Badge, wrote the required little story and thought, ‘Wow. This is cool. This is what I want to do.’ Long story short, I’ve never stopped.

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

If I tell you that I’ll be giving away the entire plot, so I’ll tell you about an older book, The Cold Cold Sea.

One day back in the late nineties, I started to research my family tree. This was before the internet was helpful with things like that, so first of all I wrote to various relatives asking for info. One of them, an elderly distant cousin, sent diagrams of several families on her branch of the tree. One showed a mother and father with three children. The first two children had names and dates, but the third name, Agnes, had one word beside it: drowned. I was dumbstruck. In the 1940s, a little girl in my family had died, and I’d never known she’d existed. Then I started to wonder… how do parents cope with a loss like that? How do they react, what do they tell the other children, how can their world carry on? Then I thought: what if they don’t cope? And that was the beginning of the idea for The Cold Cold Sea. (I found out later that Agnes had drowned at a swimming pool, aged eleven. Isn’t that tragic?)

What are you currently reading?

Ninety-nine per cent of the books I read are some form of crime fiction. However, at the moment I’m reading Helen Pryke’s Innocenti Saga, a trilogy about the fictional Innocenti family, all the way from the Great Plague to the modern day. It’s set in Italy and the UK, and it’s mesmerising.

What do you miss about being a kid?

The magic. The feeling that the world’s in front of you and anything is possible. The endless summer days with freedom to play. Knowing my parents would always take care of me. Santa Claus. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go back, just for a day?

List three interesting facts about yourself.

1. I cut my own hair. (I bought a Flow-Bee decades ago to cut my kids’ hair. Neither would let me anywhere near them with it, but I started doing my own, and I haven’t been to a hairdresser for over twenty years now.)
2. I write my shopping list in a mixture of English and German, depending on what I’m thinking and who I’m with at the time.
3. I collect pottery sheep.

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?

I would choose Agatha Christie, and I’d ask her how she came up with plots for the dozens of books she wrote. She must have been a phenomenally imaginitive woman; I’d love to be able to think like that!

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

Yesterday I watched an Agatha Christie film on TV, which is probably why I immediately thought about her for the last question. It was Evil Under The Sun, with Peter Ustinov. I’ve seen it already and think I watched it again for the distraction; at the time of writing we’re in week 3 of Corona lockdown here in Switzerland, and the world isn’t a happy place.

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

Our Shiva is sadly no longer here, but I would have LOVED to ask:
1. How come you’re always hungry?
2. Why is rolling in something totally disgusting the best idea ever?
3. What do we have to do to make you sleep an hour or so longer in the morning?

Tell us about your most recent book.

It’s The Runaway (psychological suspense). Nicola, her husband Ed and their fifteen-year-old daughter Kelly move from London to the seaside town of St Ives. It’s supposed to be a fresh start for the family, but things don’t go as Nicola had hoped…

It was lovely to have you on MTA, Linda. I also miss the magic of childhood. What a lovely thought. Wishing you all the best, and take care during these strange times! – Camilla

Blurb for The Runaway:

Keep your secrets close to home…

Bad things happen in threes – or so it seems to Nicola. The death of her mother-in-law coincides with husband Ed losing his job and daughter Kelly getting into trouble with the police. Time to abandon their London lifestyle and start again by the sea in far-away Cornwall.

It should be the answer to everything – a new home, a new job for Ed and a smaller, more personal school for fifteen-year-old Kelly. But the teenager hates her new life, and it doesn’t take long before events spiral out of control and the second set of bad things starts for Nicola.

Some secrets can’t be buried.

Or… can they?

Where to find the book:

At the moment it’s an ebook on Amazon, with the paperback coming later in the year. (NB – my books are all written in British English)

Connect with Linda:

Amazon Author page: viewAuthor.at/LindaHuber
Website: https://lindahuber.net/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorlindahuber/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaHuber19
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/linda.huberch/

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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: The Third Sun – Daughter of the Phoenix by Victoria J. Price

Today we travel to the south of England to chat with Victoria J. Price about how car journeys, border collies, the West side of Highgate Cemetery, swims in the sea, The Last Unicorn, punctured tires, and Puzzlewood in the Forest come together as part of Victoria’s past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in the south of England, not too far from Heathrow airport and Windsor Castle. I’ve always loved writing—more specifically I’ve always loved telling stories in words and pictures and was always coming up with a story from a young age. Car journeys to visit family were often spent hastily creating a newspaper or magazine with my recent news to gift to family on arrival.

I try to make time for writing every day, amongst work and other day to day responsibilities. When I’m not writing you’ll find me walking my two border collies or making jewellery at my bench.

In which genre do you write?

I write young adult fantasy but I have lots of ideas bubbling away for other genres, including some nonfiction ideas, too.

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

Not so much strange, more spectacular—I visited the West side of Highgate Cemetery, in London, to research the opening of The Third Sun: Daughter of the Phoenix Book One (it also crosses over with the end of The Angel’s Calling: Daughter of the Phoenix Prequel.)

The cemetery is accessible by guided tour only and features some incredible Victorian architecture and above ground catacombs. Much of the cemetery is completely overgrown with ferns and ivy and bushes and it has the most wonderful atmosphere. I’m so glad I went to experience just how breathtaking it is.

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

It definitely wasn’t amusing at the time but looking back it’s completely ridiculous: getting a puncture on the beach on Fraser Island, Australia, in a 4×4 that we couldn’t figure out how to release the spare wheel from.

They brief you on several things before you’re allowed to take a 4×4 across the island: 1. That you have to get off the beach before the tide comes in or you will be stranded. 2. If you see a wild dingo, get back in your vehicle, because they are dangerous. 3. Avoid the landing strip on the beach at all times. 4. Forget being able to use your mobile phone, because there’s no signal anywhere on the island.

So you can guess where this is going…we got a puncture, on the landing strip, amongst a pack of dingoes, in the pouring rain, with no phone signal, and hundreds of vehicles flying by at 80kmph because no one had time to stop and help! Safe to say…my husband saved the day!

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

Without a doubt it would be in Peter S Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (after the unicorns are freed, of course). If you’ve seen the animated film you’ll understand why—it’s beautifully painted and the unicorns are everything you’d expect from a majestic, magical creature.

Regular cartoon shows that I loved were Care Bears, the original My Little Pony and Star Bright, who I think all had cross overs at various points. They all shared a similar art style and all had a little sprinkle of magic.

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

An easy question! I’d be the Lady Noor. Noor is a witch from the parallel world of Ohinyan. She can fight, she can fly a glider, she can create incredible illusions, and she’s an excellent spy. I can’t wait to give Noor her own book, she deserves it.

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

I have two border collies, Jessie and Blue. They’re both very affectionate, both have very unique characters and both obsessed with toys and food. I’d ask Jessie if her little brother bugs her, I’d ask Blue if he could stop responding to “woof” and actually respond to “speak” like we’ve practiced, and I’d ask them both what their perfect day would be. Although I’m pretty certain I know: all the walks, all the food, all the toys, and all the cuddles. They’re not bad writing buddies, either!

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

Ooh, far too many to choose from. The UK is absolutely stunning. Cardigan Bay in Wales is wonderful, as is the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean, Durdle Door in Dorest…we really are spoilt for choice here.

I love to swim in the sea, and Autumn evenings at sunset can sometimes be the best time to do that on the south coast – glorious sunsets, calm waters, and a quiet beach, perfect!

What are you currently working on?

Right now I’m working on book two of the Daughter of the Phoenix series. The Eternal Dusk continues Fia’s (from Earth) and Alexander’s (an angel from Ohinyan) story, and like book one is told from three points of view. Only the third POV character is different between books one and two! It’s YA fantasy, and you can expect witches, shapeshifters, elemental magic, an epic fantasy world, and lots of witchy activities in London, too.

Tell us about your most recent book and where we can find it.

The Third Sun: Daughter of the Phoenix Book One is my first published book. It’s a YA fantasy.

Thank you for featuring me!

It was wonderful having you be a part of MTA and great to learn more about you! Wishing your all the best, Victoria! – Camilla

Blurb:

The sun is dying, the windows to Earth are closing. Time is running out.

After the death of her sister, eighteen-year-old Fia Aldridge knows one thing for certain: she doesn’t belong anywhere. But then she tumbles into the parallel world of Ohinyan—a world where angels and witches walk amongst mankind.

An ancient darkness is taking advantage of the dying sun, and Ohinyan needs Fia’s help. She soon learns that her arrival is not entirely by accident and that Alexander, leader of angels, is not the guardian she thought he was.

Torn between their feelings and their duties, together they must find a way to return Fia to London before the darkness consumes her and she is trapped in Ohinyan forever.

A richly woven tale drawing on ancient myths and legends, bursting with adventure, elemental magic, angels, witches, shapeshifters and slow burn romance. Fans of Brigid Kemmerer, Laini Taylor and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials will devour The Third Sun: Daughter of the Phoenix Book One.

Where to buy:

The Third Sun universal Amazon link: https://mybook.To/TheThirdSun

More on the prequel:

The Angel’s Calling free download: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/kk08lsshrb

The Angel’s Calling free four part audio drama: https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/3057214-the-angel-s-calling-part-1

Connect with Victoria: 

Website: https://victoriajprice.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoria_jprice

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorvictoriajprice/

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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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Book Shelf: The Full Monty

The Full Monty by Wendy Holden

Absolutely not my typical genre of choice. Yet, I interviewed the author, Wendy Holden, and have been making my way through books she’s written.

I very much enjoyed the story and am looking forward to seeing the movie now. I had a wonderful time getting to know the characters and being a part of the transformation for each of them. Loved it! –Camilla

US Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JMT8n7

Go here if you’d like to read Wendy’s interview …

Meet the Author: One Hundred Miracles by Wendy Holden

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

(The above are amazon affiliate links.)

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Meet the Author: heckler by Jason Graff

Today we travel to Richardson, Texas to chat with Jason Graff about how bewilderment, poetry, being a cat person, talking less, and listening more are a part of Jason’s past and present life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Richardson, Texas with my very supportive wife, somewhat less supportive 4 year-old son and completely indifferent cat. I have published poetry, essays and short stories in a number of different genres in journals around the world.

Like most writers, I find people endlessly fascinating. I’ve always been interested in why people do what they do. Sometimes, inspiration comes from bewilderment at my own behaviors and reactions to situations. I believe that for the most part, any good story is partially a mystery in which the writer reveals the reasons for why characters are the way they are and by extension, tries to offer humanity some sort of explanation for our existence. I suppose that sounds kind of lofty and naïve but then, I make up things for a living, so my thinking isn’t exactly what you’d call totally clear-headed.

In which genre do you write?

I primarily write literary fiction but dabble in a bit of everything. I find genre labels limiting as an artist and really just want to tell great stories.

How many published books do you have?

I have three. Two lit-fic, heckler and Stray Our Pieces and a dark fantasy romance, In the Service of the Boyar (Kindle title The White Wolf’s Secret.)

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

I started writing poems in high school when I was supposed to be doing my school work. Back then, I was writing to get the attention of the girls I had crushes on, sometimes with disastrous effects. (One girl, whom I will not name, had a boyfriend who punched me for my efforts. Everyone’s a critic was a lesson I learned early on.) So, I think I was a writer before I even thought of it as a career path. I just was one.

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

I’m a cat person, so I have to go with a cat. They’re not made happy that easily and can be difficult to deal with for no apparent reason, and I think that pretty well describes my relationship to my work.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

My couch has a chaise lounge. I am perfectly happy stretching out on that with my computer propped on a lap desk.

What are you currently reading?

The Largesse of the Sea Maiden by Denis Johnson

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

heckler started off as a short story about a boy flipping through the pages of his family’s hotel registry and trying to guess who his father was. He traced his fingers over the names, tried to remember their faces, tried to remember if they looked like him. A generating scene that I don’t think made it as far as the second draft.

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

Talk less and listen more. You’re not as funny or insightful as you think are.

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

Why do you eat plastic?

Are you interested in at least trying to learn to use the toilet?

Did we know each other in a past life?

What are you currently working on?

I am working on a story about a romancing conman who gets older women to fall in love with him, then takes their jewelry. It’s told not just from his prospective but that of his current quarry, his wife and other members of his family. I saw an episode of Unsolved Mysteries about one such figure years ago and have always been kind of fascinated by the psychology that would lead to such a life.

Tell us about your most recent book and where we can find it.

heckler takes place in a rundown family hotel in a made up town somewhere in the American Rust Belt. The chapters alternate over a two year period that traces the life of the family who owns the place and a couple of the lodgers that come to stay there. Everyone in the story searches for a way to make their life their own, so the narrative draws much of its tension from the tendency people have for self-sabotage.

It was wonderful to have you on MTA, Jason. My cat, who has long ago crossed the rainbow bridge, used to eat plastic too! In addition, she ate all my house plants, which I replaced with fake plants. She ate those, too. She was interesting, to say the least. Wishing you all the best!! –Camilla

Back cover copy:

“…you’ll learn as you get older that time goes by quickly, especially for adults,” Ray Davis writes in a letter to his son that he hopes will explain why he’s been away for so long. In the two years since he last saw his father, Bruno, who once yearned to be entrusted with manning the desk of the family hotel on his own, has grown to resent every moment he’s forced oversee its empty lobby.

His mother dreams that he’ll take over the business one day, but Bruno has more immediate concerns. Adjusting to the changes his teenage body is going through is complicated by the attraction he feels to both sexes. His only escape is to the movie theater across the street, where he loses himself in the black and white world of Hollywood’s Golden Age. After being turned away from a showing of Psycho, he runs into his former tutor, Rick French. While the academic substance of those sessions largely has faded, Bruno never forgot how Rick had first awakened feelings that he’d been too young to understand. As they renew their relationship, Bruno begins to glimpse the man he can become. Though he’d like to act on his desires, he cannot help but still feel like a callow pupil in Rick’s presence. Stuck somewhere between maturity and childhood, Bruno strives to avoid the lonely future of a hotelier.

Where to find the books:

heckler https://www.unsolicitedpress.com/store/p219/hecklergraff.html

Stray Our Pieces https://www.waldorfpublishing.com/products/stray-our-pieces

In the Service of the Boyar https://www.amazon.com/Service-Boyar-Jason-Graff/dp/0692738959 aka The White Wolf’s Secret https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BDDDQDL/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasongraff.wordpress.com/

Facebook: Author Jason Graff

Twitter: JasonGraff1

Instagram: photograffing

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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 Book Blogger: Kayleigh Whittle of Cooking the Books Review

Welcome to this new series! We’re shaking things up at Meeting the Authors. Once or twice per month, MTA is turning the tables to feature Book Bloggers. A huge and hearty welcome to the second book blogger to take the Turning the Tables Plunge!

Today we travel to South Yorkshire to chat with Kayleigh Whittle of Cooking the Books about how guinea pigs, chocolate, becoming a teaching assistant, coffee, the smell of a paperback, and Indie authors come together as part of Kayleigh’s life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in the UK originally from Norfolk. I now live in South Yorkshire with my two boys, 9 and 5, who keep me on my toes! Our two Guinea pigs and my partner of 14 years. A long term sufferer of anxiety, reading is my escape. I am your typical stay at home mum our family dynamic has meant that I have stayed at home whilst Daddy goes to work.

Reading is my main hobby and the past two years almost is when I have really gone at it and found some pretty fabulous authors. Now that my youngest son is at school full time I am pursuing a career as a teaching assistant, something I have wanted to do for a long time. Whilst reading I love to snack! Probably not the best idea when reading a paperback! My favourite things to eat are, chocolate, nuts and crisps and of course coffee. Although I have to drink decaf because it plays havoc with my anxiety, sorry coffee lovers! That’s me.

Why did you choose to be a book blogger or how did you come to be a book blogger? How long have you been bookblogging?

I became a book blogger purely because of the fantastic Indie authors I have discovered over the past 18 months. They get little or no recognition and I wanted to change that. They need and deserve to be seen. I have been book blogging since around May last year so almost a year. I do love it, especially when it’s a book or an author I really love. I love to be able to share such great books.

Are you accepting requests at the moment? How do you prefer to be contacted?

I do accept requests and have had authors email me after finding me on Book Connectors facebook group.

What information do you want to receive with the request?

When they contact me I found almost all of the time they ask if I would like to review, what genre the book is and a blurb and most of the time a purchase link. This is perfect for me I don’t really need any other information apart from that.

What types of book blog posts do you offer? Reviews, interviews, book spotlight, guest posts, etc.

I offer reviews, reviews for blog tours and I offer Indie author spotlights once a month which can be anything that the author wants me to blog ie a review, Q&A or an extract from a new book or one that needs more exposure.

What is your preferred book format to read? If digital, what digital file do you prefer?

I love a paperback! The feel, the smell, the fact it’s yet another book filling my bookshelf I mean what’s not to love? I do have a few hardcovers but I don’t typically buy those. I do read digitally via the kindle app on my fire 7 and prefer a Mobi or epub file. But I much prefer a paperback.

Do you only participate in official blog tours or do you accept requests from authors? Do you accept request from indie authors, or indie publishers? Would you like to share a few of your favorite blog tour operators?

I typically only take part in official blog tours organised by blog tour operators. I mainly do blog tours with Rachel from https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/. She is fantastic at what she does its always a breeze and I have never had any issues. She gets some great books for tours. I have and always will jump at the chance to read for review for an Indie author or Indie publisher. #iheartindieauthors they are my absolute favourite authors. That is not to say I don’t love trad pub authors because I have some great interactions with them and a lot of them are genuinely lovely people.

What is your preferred genre? Do you read nonfiction, memoirs, or any style of poetry? What genres do you NOT read?

I am pretty eclectic when it comes to reading and will read most genres. Now I am going to contradict myself a little bit here. Non-fiction is something that I rarely read if at all if I am honest. I read to escape. To get lost in a make-believe world or a new place with a fun story. My favourite genres are Rom-com, Historical Fiction especially world war 2 based although I am partial for to historical fiction that has a fantasy element, for example, Helen Pryke’s The Innocenti Saga. YA fantasy, horror, sci-fi and contemporary fiction. So quite a few genres.

Do you write a review if you did not like the book? Do you use a star rating system for reviews you write?

Never, never, never. No, absolutely not. If I really dislike a book, and it’s a rarity then that is my opinion and one I keep to myself. I find it pointless to publically slam and slate an author and rip apart their hard work. Who is it really helping? It’s a no-no for me. Yes, I do use a star rating 3 being a minimum but again that is very rare.

Once contacted, when can the author or blog tour operator expect to hear from you?

When a blog tour organiser or an author asks me to review or be on a blog tour I try my best to reply to their email the same day. I always try to get back to everyone sometimes a few here and there might slip through.

What is your favorite aspect of bookblogging?

My favourite aspect of book blogging is showcasing the talents of Indie authors. They are very much underrated in my opinion. They give so much yet receive so little. The attitudes surrounding them as authors are poor in some book circles, I personally happen to think they are brilliant. So anything I can do to shine a light on the fantastic stories they write and to give them much needed exposure I will do.

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

If I could have a fantasy coffee, always coffee, with any author, and it will be a reality one day, it would be my beautiful Indie author friends Helen Pryke and Sarah Northwood. I know I’ve cheated and picked two but these two lovely Indie authors have given me so much. They are an inspiration to me. We are very close even though we have never met. We have shared similar journies in life, we get each other and we support each other in whatever it is we are doing. I would be lost without them.

It was wonderful having you on MTA! I very much enjoyed learning more about you Kayleigh, and I know MTA readers will enjoy it, too! – Camilla

Connect with Kayleigh

Blog https://cookingthebooksreview.home.blog/

Twitter is https://twitter.com/kayleighw851

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

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Meet the Author: Amanda Cadabra by Holly Bell

Today we travel to London to chat with Holly Bell about how photography, chocolate, videography, cats, going with the flow, celebrating holidays, flowers, Georgette Heyer, and Julia Cameron are seeds in the flower garden of Holly’s life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Holly Bell, and I’m writing from London in the UK. Less than two years ago, I started publishing novels. I have written reams of non-fiction over the years, although I did attempt a science fiction book at the age of 19! But 2018 marked a new horizon. Photography and videography are also things I do and have done professionally and for pleasure. I love chocolate and cats. And rainbows seem to show themselves to me.

In which genre do you write?

Cozy paranormal mystery.

How many published books do you have?

Four in the series so far.

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

I first realised I wanted to be a fiction writer once I began writing Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was to become Book 1 in the Amanda Cadabra series of British humorous cozy mysteries.

One day, in the winter of 2017, a friend, the novelist TJ Brown, whose second novel in his Unhappy Medium series I’d edited, phoned me. Had I heard of cozy mysteries? he asked. It was new to us both. Somehow within half an hour, he’d persuaded me that it was right up my street and I could write one.

Looking for the name of our heroine, the pair of us poured over thesaurus and googled away in search of inspiration. Suddenly Tim said, ‘Amanda Cadabra?’ She was born. Tim helped me to create the bones of a plot. I was off. The spark was kindled. I was soon in flow with the new book, and I knew I was a fantasy mystery writer.

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

I go with the flow. No schedule, no words per day. I just wait for the creative wave and surf it. Once I’m in writing mode I go there, in editing mode, I surf there, marketing, doing something else, with that. It’s an exhilarating way to produce books and to live.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

I always buy myself flowers. Second, I love high days and holidays of all kinds: Christmas, Easter, Halloween, the equinoxes and solstices, any reason to celebrate and make a special day or evening. That’s why one always features in each book I write. Third … pecan nuts are my favourite snack.

I mention these three because I’ve learned over the years how important it is to treat yourself even in small ways. You don’t need someone else to do that for you. Of course, it’s a pleasure if they do. Still, you can buy yourself wine, chocolate, flowers, light candles, put on your favourite songs, dance around, walk somewhere green and beautiful, admire the night sky. Celebrate life at every opportunity.

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

Georgette Heyer. I’ve read all of her novels at least three times. She was a historical novelist and mystery writer. Her books are very well researched and wonderfully humorous. She is one of my greatest inspirations. I do extensive research for each of my books, especially as each one involves going back in time in some way at some point. So I’d ask Ms Heyer, ‘Could you please tell me about your sources for historical research?’ There was no Google back in her time in the last century. I might pick up tips!

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

People, surprisingly. My editor, fellow authors, the people at Books Go Social who help me promote my books, my beta readers, my new friends among them. Also the Cornish language community (Parts of the books are set in Cornwall, and all of the main characters are Cornish, you see) that I’ve come into contact with thorough learning Cornish) All of these have … well, swept me off my feet!

The encouragement, support, and appreciation have been absolutely heart-warming. Tim Brown told me it would happen, but I had to experience it for myself. So many wonderful people are assisting me in various ways. The appreciative emails and reviews that I receive move me so intently that I often have to go and repair my makeup!

I had thought that producing novels would be about writing editing marketing and sales. But it has turned out to be quite different. It has turned out to be about love. Because I go with the flow, I love creating the books, honing and polishing them. I love that, through my books, I can change someone’s day, afternoon, moment for the better, make them laugh, smile, feel enthusiastic, engaged, moved, hopeful. All from something that came out of my mind, my experience. It’s a joy and a privilege. I love the people who support me, I love my readers. I love my life. I am living the dream. And it wouldn’t be the dream it is without all of those individuals.

Do you journal write? Has this helped with your published writings? If so, how?

Yes, I’ve kept a journal for many years. It’s a stream of consciousness process. Often ideas and whole chapters even whole books flow out in the process of writing it. Anyone who has even the tiniest of creative seed within them, I’d say do it.

Years ago a doctor, actually it was, encouraged me to read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s a life-changing book. One of the key recommendations she makes is to write your ‘morning papers’ stream-of-consciousness style. If there are any readers who’d say, ‘I’d love to do what you do’ or ‘I’d love to be an artist but ….’ this book is for you!

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

Frozen II. I loved Frozen I. It’s magical, it’s funny, light has dazzlingly beautiful graphics and, most importantly, a happy ending!

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 be my main character, Amanda Cadabra. We have a lot in common, and I’d have great fun doing levitation spells in her furniture restorer’s workshop. I’d relish spending time with her grandparents, her grumpy cat. I’d like to meet Inspector Trelawney, and his boss, former Chief Inspector Hogarth. How fascinating it would be to find out what the quaint English village of Sunken Madley looks and feels like, as I walked around it, as Amanda. It’s based on a real location you see, one I have often visited in what we like to think of as ‘the real world’!

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

‘Good afternoon, ma’am, I have what some may consider a tall story to relate. I think you may be interested in weaving it into one of your future books.’

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. I subscribe to the philosophy of the Law of Attraction: you get what you think about, what you focus upon. I have adopted the view that this world is filled with kindness and love, and I always look for and expect the best. As a result, everywhere I go, every interaction I have is a delight. Even when others say what a bad experience they have had with that person or place, mine are always good.

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

A natural inclination towards happiness and hopefulness. It has helped me to realise that everything is always working out for me, even when it seems like it’s not.

What are you currently working on?

Amanda Cadabra 5, preparing for my Cornish grade 1 exam and maintaining a weekly ‘letter to readers blog on my website. I find it’s the best way to keep in touch, even if it means the books come a little more leisurely rate.

Tell us about your most recent book.

The most recent is Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley, Book 4 in the series.

Finally, may I say thank you, Camilla, for interviewing me. It’s a marvellous opportunity. And what well-thought-out questions! Much appreciated.

It was wonderful to have you on MTA, Holly! I’m a go with the flow person and love Julia Cameron’s work. It’s wonderful to meet a fellow author with such similarities. Wishing you all the best, in every way! – Camilla

Book blurb:

‘Had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath as well as smiling and chuckling out loud.’

Asthmatic furniture restorer and covert witch Amanda Cadabra is a survivor. After all, her family’s bus went over a Cornish cliff. Now the presentable but irritating Inspector Trelawney is dogging her footsteps as he investigates the unexplained deaths. But that’s the least of her problems. Amanda has just got a furniture restoration job at the old English Manor of Sunken Madley with its murky past.

Armed only with a wand and Tempest, her grumpy reincarnated cat, she’s going in. A body, ghosts, hidden tunnels, chills and unexplained lights; can Amanda solve the mystery in time and save the village from the scandal of murder?

Where to find the book(s):

Links: Universal Book Link to all major online retailers for Book 1 of the series:

https://books2read.com/AmandaCadabraBook1

Book 1 trailer:

Book 4 trailer:

Connect with Holly

Website: https://amandacadabra.com/

Social Media links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hbamandacadabra/

Twitter @holly_b_author

Pinterest: hollybell2760

Instagram: @ hollybellac

Link to chapter 1 of Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth(Book 1 in the series)

The Books

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Book Shelf: The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane

“The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane” by C.M. Millen

**Throwback to 2016** – From the time Thomas and Lillian were born I read to them nightly before going to bed; leading to some time in 2017 when we all decided to discontinue doing so. Their tastes in what interested each of them had solidified by this point. We all continue to be heavy readers, reading daily.

Another book we really enjoyed. A wonderful fiction based on the monks of the Middle Ages from Ireland who established monasteries throughout much of Europe and parts of the Middle East. The monasteries were the place where books were made. The monks carefully translated and copied the great written works of antiquity. – Camilla

US Amazon – https://amzn.to/2wna0he

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(The above are amazon affiliate links.)

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Meet the Author: The Flowers of Time by A.L. Lester

Today we travel to rural Somerset in the UK to chat with A.L. Lester about how chickens, plotting, Kew Gardens, growing up on a horticultural nursery, making butter-lamps, Roobard and Custard, and an inability to quit come together as part of their past and current life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Ally and I write as A. L. Lester. I live in rural Somerset in the UK, on the edge of the Quantock Hills with Mr AL, our two children, a variety of chickens and animals and an unsuccessful permaculture vegetable garden.

In which genre do you write?

I write queer, paranormal, historical romance.

How many published books do you have?

Three, with a fourth coming out in April.

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

I’ve always written, but I didn’t hit my stride and find a publisher until 2017.

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

I’m not sure I have any interesting ones…I can never remember the difference between it’s/its and I loathe plotting. But they’re not interesting quirks, per se, more irritating ones, I’m sure my editor would say!

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

Dachshund. Morris the Emotional Support Dachshund is my real life mascot.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

Empty of people wanting me to brush their hair or find their socks or remember whether they’ve paid the gas bill.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading a really fab gay historical romance by Lillian Francis called Under the Radar. It’s set on a WW2 submarine and the details are amazing.

List 3 interesting facts about yourself.

· I can pluck a chicken in twenty minutes

· I have no sense of smell

· I used to run a farmer’s market stall selling eggs.

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

My most recent book is called The Flowers of Time and is a romance between a lady botanist and a non-binary explorer set in the Himalayas in the 1780s. The idea was jump-started by a picture of some 1920s plant-collectors from Kew Gardens. I grew up on a horticultural nursery, so I felt very drawn to the whole botanical thing.

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

I knit, I home educate my frighteningly articulate twelve year old, I care for my life-limited eleven year old.

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

Dorothy Dunnett. I’d want to ask her about her historical research for the Lymond series.

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

That I’m non-binary. The Flowers of Time is basically me working that through!

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

I’ve got a really nice circle of online friends from social media.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done or experienced to help create a scene or plot or to help you remember something if writing a memoir?

Erm. I made my own butter for the butter-lamps in The Flowers of Time. I separated the milk, made the butter, clarified it and then used it with a wick for light.

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

Be less bothered about what other people think about you – just crack on and be yourself.

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

Roobarb and Custard would probably be most realistic if I’m perfectly honest. Slapstick comedy and a dog and cat creating chaos.

https://youtu.be/ZZ6PDPwpJxg

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

Very much so. I believe very strongly in reincarnation and karma. Not karma in the ‘instant payback’ kind of way, but I believe that we get back what we put out, eventually, and that life is a series of learning experiences. If you don’t learn a lesson the first time the opportunity arises then you are presented with more opportunities to learn as you go through your life.

I think this is why I find questions like ‘what one thing would you change about your life if you could’ so hard. I wouldn’t change anything, really, not even the bad stuff, because it’s all shaped me in to the person I am and given me the life I have today.

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

· Why did you kill that chicken?

· Why do you keep digging a hole out of the corner of the garden and getting stuck down that badger hole?

· Why do you only jump on the bed when you’re muddy?

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

Probably my inability to quit, even when that would be the best thing to do. I just keep plodding on and a lot of the time it doesn’t occur to me that I could give up!

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

Rural places with lots of trees and streams. But I don’t mind too much where, so long as it’s in nature somewhere. I love Exmoor and the Quantocks, which is where I grew up. Similar places really resonate with me.

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

In the morning, sunny but not hot, somewhere I could sit outside in nature with a pot of coffee and write, without interruption.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a romance set in the 1970s between a disabled farmer and a disgraced stockbroker. I’m about ten thousand words in and I’m aiming to have it finished by the end of March.

Tell us about your most recent book.

The Flowers of Time is the third in my Lost in Time magical universe. It’s a paranormal-historical-romantic suspense set in England and the Himalayas in the 1780s. It’s a love story between Edie, a determined lady botanist and Jones, a non-binary explorer. They travel across the mountains searching for rare flowers and trying to work out what killed Jones’ father three years before. There are monsters and yaks and a dog and mysterious caves and kissing. You can find it on all the major ebook platforms!

It was great having you be a part of MTA, Ally! I listened to the clip of you reading a chapter, and what a lovely voice you have. Captivating! All the best to you! –Camilla

Blurb:

Jones is determined to find out what caused the unexpected death of her father whilst they were exploring ancient ruins in the Himalayas. She’s never been interested in the idea of the marriage bed, but along with a stack of books and coded journals he’s left her with the promise she’ll travel back to England for the first time since childhood and try being the lady she’s never been.

Edie and her brother are leaving soon on a journey to the Himalayas to document and collect plants for the new Kew Gardens when she befriends Miss Jones in London. She’s never left England before and is delighted to learn that the lady will be returning to the mountains she calls home at the same time they are planning their travels. When they meet again in Srinagar, Edie is surprised to find that here the Miss Jones of the London salons is ‘just Jones’ the explorer, clad in breeches and boots and unconcerned with the proprieties Edie has been brought up to respect.

A non-binary explorer and a determined lady botanist make the long journey over the high mountain passes to Little Tibet, collecting flowers and exploring ruins on the way. Will Jones discover the root of the mysterious deaths of her parents? Will she confide in Edie and allow her to help in the quest? It’s a trip fraught with perils for both of them, not least those of the heart.

Where to buy Flowers of Time: https://books2read.com/flowersoftime

The first book, Lost in Time,  is currently free for the next few days as part of a bundle the publisher has put together collectively for people stuck at home. They are mostly queer romance: https://www.jms-books.com/free-c-440/

Flowers of Time booktrailer:

A.L. Lester reading an excerpt of The Flowers of Time:

Social Links:

Website: https://allester.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CogentHippo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CogentHippo

Find books: https://allester.co.uk/lost-in-time/

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Latest News: February 2020 Meet the Author Interviews with Most Views

Meet the Author Interview with Most Views for February 2020:

#1: Mud and Glass by Laura Goodin

Meet the Author Interview with Second Most Views for February 2020:

#2: A Very Important Teapot by Steve Sheppard

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#3 Bowing to Elephants by Mag Dimond

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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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Meet the Author: The Twelve Man Bilbo Choir by Peter Staadecker

Today we travel to Toronto, Ontario, Canada to chat with Peter Staadecker about how Canada’s mountainous West Coast, mushroom picking, Cape Town, South Africa, vervet monkey thieves, being an unwilling soldier, and photography set the scenes of Peter’s past and current life.

Have you lived there in Toronto your entire life?

Not yet. I moved there in 1981 thinking it would be temporary because Toronto is flat and I missed the mountains. All these years later, it’s still flat, it’s still temporary. I’m still here.

Why are you still there?

Ask my wife. I would have liked Canada’s mountainous West Coast. My wife is from France. She says the West Coast is too far from her mother and family.

And you still believe Toronto is temporary?

Don’t trample on an old man’s dreams.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. Africa back then had (and still has) some very wild spots. One night four of us were camped in Botswana by the Chobe River under nothing but mosquito nets when a pride of hunting lions walked through the camp. We had thought our campfire would keep them away. It didn’t. Another night, vervet monkeys stole freshly baked bread right off our campfire. We had thought the fire would … I’m not even going to finish that sentence. One monkey also stole some crucial antibiotics out of our parked car. We had detoured three days from Botswana into what is now Zimbabwe to get those precious antibiotics for a sick friend. The monkey thief sat out of reach in a tree, calmly watched our tantrums far below, opened the childproof lid with ease, poured the pills onto the ground, and took off through the trees with the empty bottle, the childproof lid and an enamel mug.

There are also wonderful mountain ranges in Africa. Did I mention mountains?

I’ve had jobs as varied as mushroom picking, salvaging a sunken yacht, being an unwilling soldier, etc. I studied and became a mathematician, worked in business and am now retired with time to write.

What do you do when you’re not working on your books?

You mean aside from time for books, house, garden, wife, children, pets, etc.? It depends on the season. Right now it’s still winter, which is cross-country skiing time if I’m free. For those that don’t know cross-country skiing, if you do it right it’s like flying. Unfortunately, I often plummet. I recently put up a video clip of myself x-country skiing, here https://vimeo.com/393348449. It shows both the flying and the onset of the plummet stage. The clip also contains some of my photography—another hobby when I get time.

What have you been reading recently?

Last year, I was bowled over by J.L. Carr’s “A Month in the Country.” I’ve reread it three times to analyze it and to steal the secret sauce behind J.L. Carr’s magic.

And the secret is?

I don’t know. Each time I read it, I forget that my goal was industrial espionage; I become an entranced reader all over again. I’ve given up trying to analyze it.

Another thing that bowled me over recently was an award acceptance speech by the late poet/musician/singer Leonard Cohen. You can see a video version at

It’s a wonderful example of a poet using language to put a spell on his audience.

Did you like the movie version of A Month in the Country?

For me, the magic is in the book, not the movie.

Did you always write?

Not before the age of about five. But after that, yes. I tried to publish a magazine when I was about ten. I sold one copy. Since then I’ve written occasional journal or newspaper articles and published four books.

What genre?

My first book, and the one I’d like to focus on today, is called “The Twelve Man Bilbo Choir.” The closest genre it approximates is historical fiction. Specifically, it’s based on an actual historical event, but it fictionalizes the event and transports it into modern times.

How did you get the idea for it?

Toronto has no mountains—did I already mention that—so, I started sailing on Lake Ontario. As a sailor, I became aware of an 1884 sailing tragedy that set a legal precedent for much of the world. Three men and a cabin boy survived a shipwreck in the Atlantic. They were adrift in a lifeboat for 24 days. The digits 2 and 4 look so harmless in print, but think about it: twenty-four days. I won’t spoil the story by revealing the key events that took place during those 24 days. The survivors were rescued and returned to Britain. The British Home Secretary took an interest in the events. He decided to bring two of the men to trial in spite of the public support the men had received. Again, I won’t reveal details for fear of spoiling the story. What I will say is that I discussed the trial with my teenage boys. I told them why, although the case was controversial, I supported the judge’s ruling. I found to my surprise that my boys were totally opposed to the judge’s ruling.

Fair warning: do NOT EVER, ever, ever find yourself shipwrecked with my teenagers. They are savage little so-and-so’s. You have been warned.

Anyway, I couldn’t get the case out of my mind, so I wrote the book. I was delighted to find it shortlisted for the Kobo-Rakuten Emerging Authors prize. I’m also delighted that copies are held in the USA by library of The National Registry of Exonerations and by the Equal Justice Initiative.

What advice would your now-self give to your younger-self?

Don’t camp where lions hunt. That’s stupid.
If you like the smell of freshly-baked bread you’ll be at peace with all creatures.
If you like the taste of freshly-baked bread you’ll hate vervet monkeys.
Also, find out in advance where your future wife refuses to move to.

It was great having you be a part of MTA, Peter. I very much enjoyed your sense of humor and wish you all the best with your books! –Camilla

Where can readers find your books?

Two of the books, including “The Twelve Man Bilbo Choir”, can be found on kobo.com in epub format

All the books can be found on Amazon sites world-wide in Kindle format, and in paperback wherever Amazon sells paperbacks

Most bookshops can special-order the paperback versions

Some New Zealand and Oz readers use a paperback ordering service called https://www.bookdepository.com/

Connect with Peter:

My photography is at https://gallery.staadecker.com
My blog on photography, writing and random musings is at https://blog.staadecker.com
My publishing website is at https://publishing.staadecker.com
My author Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/staadecker.books/
On twitter I’m @PeterStaadecker

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