Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Jasper Kent

Today on Wordy Wednesday I'm chatting to Jasper Kent about his book Late Whitsun. So hello, Jasper, sit down, make yourself at home on my blog and tell us a little about yourself and your new book.

This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of my moving to Brighton and/or Hove. 2016 is also the year of the publication of my first novel to be set in Brighton and Hove, Late Whitsun. More than one person has said to me of my previous series, The Danilov Quintet, set in tsarist Russia, that the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg almost become characters in their own right. I hope I can achieve something similar for Brighton and Hove in the Charlie Woolf Mysteries. The challenge is for me not to be too familiar. Moscow and Petersburg are cities that I’ve only visited a couple of times and have mostly learned about from books; I have to be careful not to overdo things with my home town.

1938 …
Charlie ‘Big Bad’ Woolf thought it would be easy money, and there’s precious little of that for a private detective in a seaside town. It was just a trip up to London to hand over an envelope – a favour for his old partner, Alan O’Connor. But Woolf couldn’t resist taking a peek inside.
The pictures were unadulterated smut; a man and a girl in a hotel room. Blackmail, pure and simple – right up O’Connor’s street. Woolf was happy to be rid of them, handing them over to a masked man in a London park.
When he gets home, O’Connor’s waiting for him, which is a surprise. The bigger surprise is that he’s dead; a bullet through the eye. Woolf is the prime suspect, but when he discovers that the man in the photographs is a German diplomat and the blackmail is being run by MI5, things get more complicated.
It seems obvious who killed O’Connor, but Woolf soon realizes that he’s the only one who cares. With war looming, the good of the country counts for more than the arrest of a murderer. If he’s to see the killer caught, Charlie Woolf must prove that the crime has little to do with the world of espionage …

As usual my authors are asked a few questions so that we can get to know them, and probe a little bit below the surface. And so with Jasper, let us begin;

What is the saddest story you've ever read?
That’s a surprisingly tricky question. It may be just my outlook on life, but even when I read something like Les Misérables, where sadness is ingrained into the very title, I find enough that is positive for me not to think of it as essentially a sad book. Possibly something by D.H. Lawrence? But then I hate D.H. Lawrence. If I have to go with one it will be The End of the Affair by Grahame Greene, though it’s been a while since I read it. My cynical older self might find it laughable now.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
My dog, my rats and Frasier.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
It has to be Iuda, the main villain of The Danilov Quintet. His real name is Richard Llywelyn Cain, and he picked up the alias of the Russian form of Judas when he was working with a group of vampiric mercenaries named after the twelve apostles. I pictured a scene a bit like the one in Reservoir Dogs, where everyone is trying to avoid being Mr Pink, except here everyone was hoping to be Judas.
The thing I like about Iuda is not so much that he has a desire for evil, but that he is merely unrestrained by any need for goodness. His prime motivation in life is not power or cruelty, but merely curiosity – he’s a scientist, a Fellow of the Royal Society, no less (admitted thanks to his paper on the natural history of the scolopendra in the Crimean Peninsula). He is as happy to carry out vile experiments on vampires as he is on humans – more so, in fact, since vampires are of greater scientific interest.
A scene that sums him up is the first time he flies in an aeroplane. He’s on a desperate mission to either save or destroy the Romanov dynasty (he hasn’t quite decided which at this point) and yet he takes the time to marvel at the new technology and to take in the spectacular novelty of Moscow viewed from above. I’m not sure that classic supervillains are so easily distracted from their goals. He’s a little more ‘human’ in that way.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Anything with ginger.

Tea or Coffee?
Wine. (ooh a maverick, I like your style)

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate)
A cow with a grapevine (see above).

I'm looking forward to reading Late Whitsun, particularly as Brighton is so close to me, it's nice to feel you know the places where a story is set. Jasper's blog tour continues. See below

You can win a signed copy of Late Whitsun (using the RaffleCopter thingy below) or if you just can't wait then you can buy it here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Jasper Kent on Twitter and share what you think of his books on Goodreads.

Wordy Wednesday with Rob Tamplin

Good morning Wordy Wednesday fans and random travellers that have stumbled into this wood panel walled room of words and the faint whiff of desperation, yes that's writing you can smell! (or maybe writers, who knows) anyway today I have the pleasure to introduce the fabulous Rob Tamplin! I know, you are beside yourselves, calm down, grab a cushion, sit nearer the fire, mind the cat, and let us begin

Rob, tell us about yourself and your books, what genre do you write?
Hi! I’m Rob, I’m 33, and live in London.
I’m currently writing a young adult thriller called Cats of War. It’s about Shanti, who is conscripted as a cat trainer to help fight the Great Bird War of 2023.
Before this I wrote a mystery novel in my twenties. It was rewarding and frustrating in equal measure, but the book didn’t end up going anywhere. So I’m taking every lesson I learned from writing that book wrong and using it to write this book right.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?

Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Oliver Clarke

Good day Wordy Wednesday fans. Another Wednesday another author to quiz, another brain to poke about in. Today it's rather a joy as I've known this author (via the medium of twitter) for quite some time and I've read a fair bit of his writing, so I know something you might not, he is a great write with a very dark, warped view of things, a creepy, disconcerting view of the world, but I'm leaping ahead, allow me to introduce Oliver Clarke, and let us ask him to tell us about himself and his books

I'm in my early 40s (just) and am married with a young son. We live in Sussex with and an overweight cat. At night, when a story grips me, I write. Genre is a tough one for me to pin down, but most of my work has an element of crime or horror in it. I've published 2 novels to date, the first 'Sunliner' is a mix of 50s noir and sci fi, the second 'One Night' is a more traditional romantic thriller about a young woman who meets a bad boy on the run.

Aside from the novels I've written a bunch of short stories, including 5 about a plucky cat. That series ('A Cat Called Hope') started life as a bit of a joke, because people kept telling me I never wrote anything nice, but has ended up being my most successful work by far. I've sold more copies of those than everything else but together (a few times over) and the first book in the series is now available in French too ('Un Chat Nomme Espoir'!)

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?
My "real" job is very dull, I'm a project manager for a big high street bank, specialising in telephony based projects. Most of the time I like it, I work with some great people and delivering something new is always satisfying.

When did you start writing?
As a child, I still remember the first short story I wrote for a school project when I was about 10 - it was a sci fi tale of an astronaut who crash lands on a planet inhabited by vicious robots. Through my teens, twenties and thirties I kept at it but never really managed to finish anything. My new year's resolution at the start of 2012 (the year I turned 39) was to stop pissing about and make it happen. The result was Sunliner, which I wrote in about 6 weeks and published in the February.


What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?

My son telling me about the latest crazy invention he's dreamed up

That thing where you take photos of 2 people who look alike but reverse the name captions underneath - a fan of Private Eye no doubt then!

Early Adam Sandler films


Do you have any pets? If yes, what, and do they help or hinder the writing process?

We have a cat, Venus, who is fairly saggy and lazy. I don't think she either helps or hinders my writing, but she is good company and very chatty.


Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?

Stephen King, without hesitation. I've struggled a bit with his more recent stuff, but I LOVED his books as a teenager and he has been a massive influence on me.Oh I totally agree, weirdly for an author I think his early stuff was better, proper fear inducing stories.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?

I generally have a few books on the go and flit between them - at the moment those are 'A Princess of Mars' by Edgar Rice Burrough, 'Shogun' by James Clavell and 'Alone in Berlin' by Hans Fallada


Where do you do most of your writing?

Anywhere I can! I used Google Drive which gives me real flexibility. Most of 'Sunliner' was written on my phone whilst walking to work and then edited at the dining room table in the evening. Writing books on your phone, what a world we live in


Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!

Tough choice, as there are a few I really like. The most popular with readers is Marx, the feline protagonist of the 'Cat Called Hope' books, who I think of as being a bit like a moggy version of Jack Bauer (he does the right thing no matter how hard it is).

My own fave is probably JJ, the villain in Sunliner. Writing someone utterly evil is great fun and really cathartic!


What is your favourite biscuit?

Custard Cream, no competition


Tea or Coffee?

Tea. I like coffee but only drink one cup a day compared to about 5 or 6 cups of tea


In the film of your life who would play you? (why)

I'd like to say Bradley Cooper, but that's probably wishful thinking. I genuinely don't know!

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate)

My cat crossed with any vegetable would be lazier (trust me).

How about an onion crossed with a 3 legged puppy for when you need a good cry?


Here's the link to Oliver's Amazon UK page

It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that there is someone else called Oliver Clarke who publishes on Amazon. He writes dirty books and is not me! (I'm sensible enough to publish my dirty books under a pseudonym ;)) This made me laugh!


And here's a link to One Night, which is probably my most accessible book (and is only 99p at the moment!)

Massive thanks to Olly, and do check out his books, they are ...well good is the wrong word...fascinating maybe, creepy definitely and if you read Camera Phone v1 don't do it alone ...oh same for Doorbell, actually maybe read them all in a friendly spot ....

Do follow Olly on twitter, (I'm on Twitter too you know!) and pop over to Facebook to like my page and have a natter.

Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Alec McQuay

Hello Wordy Wednesday fans, another Wednesday and another author, this week Alec McQuay

Hello Alec, let's get to know you, tell us a little about yourself and your writing,

Hi, and thanks for the invite to come have a natter. Other than work and writing I’m a (rubbish and too heavy) martial artist (less Sammo Hung, more Kung Fu Panda) and a powerlifter, which makes me strong and healthy but allows me to eat a lot and call it “training.” Writing wise I don’t tend to stick very rigidly to any particular genre (I’m a bit chaotic (annoying) in my approach) but I’m mostly a sci-fi and action fan, so my writing tends to look to bleak futures and can be a little violent. My debut novel Emily Nation is a post-apocalyptic cyber-punk western about an assassin, whose arrogance almost destroys everything she cares about. I’ve toyed with horror in the past and I can’t wait to go back and sink my teeth into it. oooh I like the sound of this!


Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?

Oh dear… I’m an Architectural Ironmonger. I make sure all the hardware on building projects is specified correctly so it’s safe and up to legal requirements. It can be interesting work to do, but to people outside the industry it’s generally like conversational cyanide. hahaha a man of railings...



When did you start writing?

I’ve written on and off for as long as I can remember but I started taking it seriously about six years ago when my eldest son was a baby. Can’t always get back to sleep after those night feeds so it’s good to have a quiet hobby!



What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?

My sons, new achievements at the gym and bunnies. If bunnies don’t make you smile there’s something up.


Do you have any pets? If yes, what, and do they help or hinder the writing process?

I’m up to my neck in pets. I have a collie / lab cross called Piran, three cats (Betty, Honey and Mordred) and a Siamese fighting fish called Thanos. We also have a pond full of Koi Carp with Disney names… Writing wise they’re mostly pretty neutral as Piran would rather be in front of the fire and two of the cats are elderly and just want somewhere quiet to snuggle down, but Mordred… he was taken from his mum too early and he’s a strange mixture of lethality and neurosis. He’ll sneak up and start licking me if he wants attention and he won’t. Ever. Stop…

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?

Terry Pratchett without a doubt. His work and mine are nothing alike but from what I know of the man, some of our motivations are similar - alongside the love he had for the world and its people there was a great deal of anger about some of what there is to see out there. If I’m ever half the world builder he was, or if I were to ever receive an unprompted comparison to him in any way, I’d be delighted.  He was indeed a fine fine chap who I had the pleasure to meet several times, a sad loss to the world of writing when he died, but what an amazing legacy to leave, a whole world!


Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?

I’ve got a few open at the moment. The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche and Brian Blessed’s autobiography “Absolute Pandemonium.” I try and read from as broad a spectrum as possible to keep my brain churning away but I have to block out time to do nothing but read or none of them ever get finished. As needs must I’ll go a while without getting to read much, then I’ll binge until my eyes hurt.

Where do you do most of your writing?

Most of it is done either at work during my lunch break or late at night in my front room. When I can I sit up late with music on, a glass (or several) of JD and Coke and write until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. Or I can’t see the keyboard… I thrive on sleep deprivation. It’s a good job too because it’s not like I have much choice! Probably a throwback to when the boys were first born.


Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!

Naturally Emily Nation is about its titular character but one of the side characters, Jemima Clayton, is my favourite. She’s a confident, foul mouthed girl who takes absolutely no crap from anybody and in many ways is probably the best adjusted of the whole cast. All characters have their own history and sometimes that’s pretty damn dark, but Jemima owns her past better than any of my other characters do and doesn’t let anyone else determine how she should feel about it.

What is your favourite biscuit?

Dark chocolate Hobnobs!


Tea or Coffee?

TEA!

In the film of your life who would play you? (why)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be a good fit – there aren’t many people who could pull off my special mixture of antisocial awkwardness and mad fighting skills. I’d love to say Henry Rollins but damn it I’m just not sexy enough.


If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate)

An excellent question worthy of considerable thought… I’d cross a rabbit with a carrot because I kinda want to see what would happen. We’d either end up up to our necks in tiny little chantenay bunnies or it’d be a very quick, very sad little massacre.

Thanks for taking part in my blog series Alec, and dear reader, if you are inspired to know more why not download a copy of Emily nation for your Kindle or even treat yourself to a paperback

This is my debut novel Emily Nation, to which I am currently writing a sequel. There are buy links to get the book cheaper but they’re a big shower of lying gits. They don’t have stock and can’t get it because the paperback is print on demand and I hope all their shoes catch fire. Sadly, these entirely pointless seller links have been a bit of a pain in the butt as they promise delivery of an item that will never turn up.

Alec's Twitter wotsit is @VampiricChicken – He doesn't use Facebook at the moment.


I use Facebook though! Come and give my page a like at Tattooed Mummy's Randoms and follow me on Twitter at @Tattooed Mummy

Wordy Wednesday with Jonathan Ward

Good morning Wordy Wednesday Fans! This week I would like to introduce Jonathan Ward, a writer of...well let's ask Jonathan to tell us what he writes ...

I write in three different genres: science-fiction, horror and fantasy. Of the three science-fiction has to be my main love, but fantasy is growing on me and I think I sneak enough horror into my stories that sometimes the genres blend together!

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?
Unfortunately I’m not a full-time author as yet, though I hope to be some day. At the moment I’m in a job about as far from writing as you can get: the thrilling world of accountancy. It’s not bad as jobs go, although it’s not always the most exciting career! though a spy would say that ...so ...

Fairly sure our author is the one in the glasses, probably a spy thing

When did you start writing?
Around the age of eight. I remember filling up notebooks with stories, most of which were horrendous rip-offs of anything I had watched or read recently. Quite often they featured main characters called Jonathan. *coughs* Thankfully my writing has improved significantly since then! haha that made me laugh, the megalomania of childhood!

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
In no particular order:
My daughter
A nice cup of tea
Liverpool winning a game without making it difficult for themselves!

Do you have any pets?
Unfortunately I don’t have any pets at the moment. I’d love a dog one day though.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
I never know how to answer this; I couldn’t pick a favourite. Some I enjoy are Arthur C Clarke, Neal Asher, China Mieville, Peter F Hamilton, the late Iain M Banks and Terry Pratchett. All authors who have inspired me immensely.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
The Traitor’s Hand by Sandy Mitchell. It’s set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and brings some humour to what is a very grim and dark setting.

Where do you do most of your writing?
Mostly at home. I get a fair bit done at work in my lunch hour though, which is actually where I’m writing these answers!

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
Hmm, a tough one. The first one that came to mind is Brin, a character in a published short story of mine called “The Last Rushani”. He’s got a good sense of humour despite the things he has been through and the difficult choices he has had to make. Hopefully the world hasn’t seen the last of him yet!

Winter Tales edited by the lovely Margrét Helgadóttir I see

What is your favourite biscuit?
Bourbon, without a doubt. a good choice, I'm so glad you didn't say Jaffa cakes - no one needs that debate again

Tea or Coffee?
Tea, definitely. I’m an absolute fiend for the stuff. Can’t stand coffee!

In the film of your life who would play you?
Now there’s a film that not a lot of people would watch! I’ll go with Jesse Eisenberg, because he’s thin and kind of annoying, just like me. (we'll put it on BBC2 late at night)

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate)
An onion and a tortoise… it’s as close as I can think of to making a Bulbasaur.

Stalk follow Jonathan on twitter: Writtenward
Check him out on his amazon page: Joanathan Ward

Once again, thank you for reading, and big thanks to Jonathan for answering the questions. Until next week, pop over and like my Facebook page (I need the love) and follow me on Twitter.

Wordy Wednesday with Anna McKerrow

Good Morning Wordy Wednesday Fans - Today I introduce you to Anna McKerrow, she is a new author to me so I popped over to her website to find out a bit more about her.

Anna McKerrow works on arts projects for the reading charity Book Trust, which is where she became interested in Young Adult fiction. (It wasn’t around when she was 15; she went straight from Judy Blume to Jackie Collins). She has also published four volumes of poetry and taught creative writing in adult education for 7 years. She also provides school workshop and book event consultancy to writers and publishers.

Anna is a Pagan, reads the tarot, is a Reiki practitioner, and is a little bit obsessed with stone circles. She believes passionately, like Alan Moore, that creative activities such as writing are a kind of magic in themselves.

Anna sounds pretty fascinating and very experienced in writing, let's see what she answered to my odd questions.

When did you start writing?
As a young child. My first story at about 5 or 6 was a plagiarised story about a giant that “turned purple with rage”, I remember my teacher asking me, Anna, did you really think of that on your own? And like a true writer, I lied and said yes. As an adult I realise that borrowing ideas from other people is essential as a writer, and in fact showed that I was taking in and thinking about what I read. I stand by my theft.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Coffee, pastries, peace and quiet / being left alone.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
At the moment I write on Thursdays and Fridays while my son is at school; in practice, often life stuff gets in the way and I don’t do two full days. If you’re at home apparently sitting about, it’s easy to get asked to run errands. Plus I don’t write nonstop for all that time. There’s a fair amount of staring at the wall, trying to work out a knot in the plot or a motivation, like why the hell would a person do what I’ve said they do, or how do I get this person from this point to the next point and how does all that fit together. With a trilogy (which Crow Moon is the first and Red Witch is the second of) there’s lots of this kind of organisational thinking. Plotting-wise I’m pretty basic and draw it out in a felt tip diagram then make incomprehensible notes on top of it as I go along. Hence a lot of staring at the wall.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Could you survive on book writing alone?
It’s my secondary source of income. I am, unlike many writers, extremely lucky to get paid at all, but it’s definitely not enough to live on. I work part time at a reading charity 3 days a week which is nice because it means I’m around children’s books all the time and keeping up to date with all the new writers and books.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Clearly, this is an important question. Chocolate biscuits, obviously. I don’t buy them because then I’d eat them. But you can’t go wrong with a Viscount or an Orange Club. ooh posh individually wrapped biscuits, I'll pop round later!

Where do you do most of your writing?
Sitting at the dining table or on my bed with my laptop, but that’s a bad posture position so at the table is better and feels more workmanlike. Then I write in my journal at night in longhand. I like to write at the kitchen table as it's closer to the biscuits

What book are you reading at the moment?
Get Into Trouble by Kelly Link, a new collection of her short stories. She’s an awesome American writer whose stories fall between horror, gothic, humour and literary fiction. My TBR pile like anyone bookish is massive. Next I have Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Overture to read, which is the prequel to his Sandman graphic novel.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a turnip elephant, though I suspect it would be hard to get into a saucepan with that trunk waving about.
I want to say a cucumber snake, which is in my mind because my friend told me that cats have a primal aversion instinct for snakes, and if you leave a cucumber near to them they go crazy. I keep meaning to do it with my cat. And film it for Facebook, obvs. obviously

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
Protest the totalitarian regime that had banned it? Draw an acerbic political cartoon with no words and poster it all over the neighbourhood, bemoaning the lack of linguistic expression. That’s what I like to think I would do. Also perhaps I’d spend more time playing music. Perhaps I’d take up revolutionary pottery and make subversive nudes. I adore all of these ideas!

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
Lets say Janis Joplin. She had a fascinating life at the heart of the San Francisco flower power scene, was a crazily talented woman, and a bit of a sad soul I think. Janis would be cool.

Thank you to Anna for taking part. She has a book currently available and a new one published 10th March. So if you are quick you'll have chance to read one before the other comes out.

CROW MOON: out now:

Danny is a fun-loving 16-year-old looking for a father figure and falling in love with a different girl every day. He certainly doesn't want to follow in his mum's witchy footsteps.
Just as his community is being threatened by gangs intent on finding a lucrative power source to sell to the world, Danny discovers he is stunningly powerful. And when he falls for Saba, a gorgeous but capricious girl sorceress, he thinks maybe the witch thing might not be such a bad idea...
But what cost will Danny pay as, with his community on the brink of war, he finds that love and sorcery are more dangerous than he ever imagined?
Wickedness and passion combine in this coming-of-age adventure.

RED WITCH: Out March 10th 2016
Seventeen, heartbroken, powerful; Melz has run away from home, run away from the safety of the Greenworld. In the cities of the Redworld, Melz discovers she's special, desired. And not just for her magical talents. When Melz meets the young but influential Bran, their attraction is instant and electric. In the Redworld, with Bran by her side, unrestrained by the customs of her former life, Melz knows she can reach her true potential. But the world Bran wants to give Melz is ravaged by war and violence. Oil is running out, and people will do anything to gain control of the remaining resources. Melz may be more powerful than ever, but even great power can be a curse when used against you.

 

Wordy Wednesday with David Southwell

This weeks Wordy Wednesday is with the author David Southwell. He has written several books on conspiracy theories and true crime under his own name. Of which he claims only two Secrets and Lies, and The Kennedy Assassination, are any good. He has also ghost-written several biographies.

"For my sins, I have been a regular pundit on both American and European television, featuring as both a commentator and consultant on shows as diverse at National Geographic documentaries to BBC consumer programmes. A few years back, I took a ride in a BBC car with J.G. Ballard and I now try to make amends for my crimes against dead trees by taking the advice given he gave me to: ‘concentrate on place, nothing without a sense of it is ever any good.’ This means I am now more known as a landscape punk, photographer and folklorist who is mad enough to stand up and give talks at festivals and galleries."

What a fascinating chap David sounds, I was as intrigued (as no doubt you are) to find out more about his writing and his thoughts on life, biscuits and vegetable animals.

When did you start writing? And why?
The earliest piece of writing comes from the age of six. A short story about Superman. In many ways, I've never stopped writing since then. I think that first story came as response to being able to wander through a world of wonder in the pages of a comic. Later, I went into journalism as it was the only arena where I could earn a living while indulging my curiosity about people and the stories they tell and an obsession with language. Now I am back to wandering in landscapes and worlds that raise wonder in me.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Copious amounts of tea, an absence of intrusive sound from neighbours and outside, a decent film soundtrack.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
If I am commissioned/on deadline with a book, I will usually work 8am-1am, six days a week with 90 minutes for lunch and dinner. This is how you deliver 100,000 words, which only need rewrites due to the lawyers, in three months. At other points, without a specific project to deliver, I try to write a minimum of 500 words per day just to keep the muscles in shape.

What's the worst question anyone has asked you ever? And did you answer?
"Are you a vagrant?" and yes, I answered because it is unwise to try and ignore the Garda. I feel a longer story here, I might have to follow this up via twitter

What are your favourite biscuits?
This is a great time to live in England - the incredible biscuit choice you can find in your average Turkish grocer is a source of deep joy. My favourite biscuits are currently the sort that would deeply upset UKIP supporters - the are the Polish chocolate-hazelnut Hit biscuits. A chocolate-nut biscuit that you know Nigel Farage would hate is a wonderful thing. Political biscuits, not a new idea but a fine one, - see also Garibaldi

Tea or Coffee?
Tea. This is not to say that coffee is absent from my life, but tea is balm for the soul. I once met Douglas Adams and asked, as you do when you are a young, shallow want-to-be-writer, what his advice to writers was. His answer: "Hot water, taken internally and externally, will solve most problems you will face as a writer." He has proven right. A bath helps with the pain twisting through your neck when you've written for 10 hours straight and tea - the ritual act of taking a break to make it, removing your eyes from half-done sentence that won't come right while giving you a few minutes to think - fixes most blocks.

Where do you do most of your writing?
Like most people trying to write full-time, I live in a hovel. There is no separate writing sanctum, there is just an old table in the lounge. As a child I ate tea with my grandparents on it, now I scratch out words on it. I know the feeling, she says as she blogs at the kitchen table....

What book are you reading at the moment?
Kay Boyle's '30 Stories' and if you don't know about the amazing life of Kay Boyle, go look her up, the Folk Horror Revival anthology and Iain Sinclair's London Overground. I like to have three books on the go. One for when I am travelling, one for tea breaks and one by the bed.

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I use Twitter and I try to be very strict about not selling myself or others - the key word in social media should be social, shilling your book is like running into a party and screaming look at me!

However, I am transitioning from being an author published by large publishers to an author being published by small publishers who care, so I am aware just how vital social media is. If as a writer social media is just a sales tool, I suspect you are more of a marketeer than an author.

I try to use Twitter to allow people to have x-rays of work in progress, to be inspired by the creative community around me online and to engage with people who like what I do. I've written books which have been translated into half-a-dozen languages, sold 50,000-plus copies and had three responses from their readers. Write a decent sentence on Twitter, and you get a dozen instant response. Tell me a writer who doesn't find that somewhat gratifying and I'll show you a misguided liar.

My approach to social media is make it something creative, make it something fun for yourself and others - make it something worth reading and something worth writing - and let it look after you in terms of creating a profile for you and your work.

A timeline of a thousand tweets all saying buy my book is the thing least likely to convince anyone that your work is actually going to be worth reading. Too right, see also automated Direct Messages full of links!

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a cucumber crocodile just because I saw a picture of something similar on twitter!
The Pear Wasp. If we could turn the useless wasp into something that tastes of pears when spread on toast, the would be a mighty chimera. A perfect solution to late summer woes!

If money was no object what would you buy your favourite person for Christmas?
The Egyptian House in Penzance. (I googled and I can see why!)

Egyption House By LondonRoad on Flickr

Unusually for an author ;-) David doesn't want to specifically advertise anything, but if anyone wants to check out his fictional universe they can do so @HooklandGuide on Twitter which is where he spends most of his time or they can say hello @cultauthor, also on Twitter.

Thanks for some great answers David.

Wordy Wednesday with Stephen A Adams

Today on Wordy Wednesday I am chatting with Stephen A Adams. I'm going to keep the introduction very brief as more is revealed in the answers to my questions, Stephen has written several children's stories that are the start of a series.

‘Special Susie and the Mystery of the Wooden Hut’ and ‘Special Susie and the Mystery of the Missing Books’ by Stephen A. Adams are the first two in a charming yet enthralling new series about a young inquisitive girl who isn’t afraid to investigate suspicious occurrences in her life. The books pay homage to the childhood of Sue Adams – the author’s wife who recently lost her battle with cancer. Critics have hailed the series as “wonderful, well-written books of charm and generosity of spirit, telling the stories of a curious, feisty and delightful young heroine”.

So let's make ourselves comfortable and begin. Stephen, Tell us more about when you started writing?
I found a photo of my wife Sue when she was about 8. She used to tell me that when she was that age,she would play at an old hut where they had scooters, skates etc. Then one day I dropped off my grandson at a new stay n play, and it happened it to be the same place - 50 years on !
A big dollop of imagination and ....... Special Susie and the Mystery of the Wooden Hut.

And about the books?
Special Susie and the Mystery of the Wooden Hut - is where I imagined my Sue aged 8 in her childhood play times.
While I was waiting for its illustrations, I thought I'd catch up on a bit of reading. I couldn't find what I wanted to read, so :
Special Susie and the Mystery of the Missing Books - it starts with a library - places that I've always loved.
After the first two books, I realised that something was missing, and that something was me, so :
Special Susie and the Mystery of the Shy Boy - Susie meets a shy boy called Stephen and although different, they come to realise that they like , and can help, each other. (and yes, he is 3 years older, just like me in real life).

And the reason that Susie is special? (not that we are not all special in our own way!)
When Sue grew up there were 6 or 7 Susans in her class. To avoid confusion, the teacher gave them all nicknames. Whenever Sue told me this, she always looked sad. So I would say : "Don't worry darling, you'll always be my Special Susie"

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I usually write in the mornings so : a good night's sleep ; a nice breakfast ; NO DISTRACTIONS !

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
If I'm doing research or brainstorming, then it's when I feel like it. But when actually writing, I tend to grab laptop, and tap away roughly 10am until I feel that's it. And after editing, it's usually approx 500 words a day.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Milk choc digestives, jam sandwich creams, custard creams, fruit shortcake, bourbons. ooh a proper Peek Frean assortment!

Where do you do most of your writing?
Living room, in armchair, laptop on cushions, so I'm nice and comfy. : braver than me, I'd doze off, even if it was before 10am!

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
Body Language 101 by Vanessa Edwards - my next book will be a rather interesting novel.

What was your favourite subject at school?
Mathematics and English (Lang and Lit)

Do you have writing plans for 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
Actually yes. On Christmas Day I had a rather strange dream. I dreamt that Sue and I travelled all over the world, solving little mysteries as we went. (We both liked whodunits etc - I grew up
reading Agatha Christie) and that's why I'm doing research on things like Body Language, facial Micro Expressions, coz they are universal. I'm going to try to combine travel, mystery, and of course ROMANCE. : nice!

If you could have any job in the world except being an author, what would you choose and why?
A teacher - I've always wanted to help people, especially children (I have 2 grandchildren) to grow and be the total people that they can be. And what better way than through development,  encouragement, and knowledge.
 : What a great answer, I hope you'll get a chance to visit schools with your books, kids are such fun!

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a potato dog, loyal, tasty and versatile, also would roast itself if it lay in front of the fire.
Well, a bit different here - I'm going for chocolate and a westie - chocolate that comes to me when I call it. : better not let it lay by the fire with my labra-potato!

If you could take any fictional character out for lunch, who would you choose and why? And where do you think you'd go to eat?
Tuppence Beresford - the Savoy of course for tea. I'd make her forget about Tommy for a few hours.

Thank you Stephen for playing along with Wordy Wednesday. Wishing you much success in 2016 and beyond.

For those intrigued by his work you can grab copies of his books on Amazon

Or find him on Goodreads

Wordy Wednesday with Adam Dreece

This week's Wordy Wednesday is with Adam Dreece, a writer of the genre which seems to be top of everyone's list of reading material these, days, YA (Young Adult) many people (including me - and I'm far from young, and many would say far from adult...) love this style of writing as it seems easy to read whilst challenging those little grey cells! So Adam, tell us about you :

Dyslexia, chronic pain, severe asthma, a lengthy technology career that spanned Silicon Valley and Microsoft, three awesome kids and a loving wife, and 25 years of writing short stories that I did nothing with... these were all ingredients that in 2014, brought about the hit young adult series, The Yellow Hoods.

Adam's unique world brings not only a new take on steampunk inventiveness, but also brings fairy tales to life as real world events and people. In a world where there is a secret society named The Tub (lead by a butcher, baker and candle-stick maker), they are about to invent the first steam engine.

Adam's built a reputation for having immersive worlds and deep rich characters, and strong female characters in particular. He has a science fiction book due in April 2016, The Man of Cloud 9 so I await that and its reviews, with interest!

Adam, why did you start writing?
I started writing as a way to explore the worlds I had in my mind. I loved playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends, but while I was almost always the dungeon master (the one running the story), sometimes I didn't get to explore the worlds the ways that I wanted. Also, it allowed me to explore worlds that I just couldn't create a gaming scenario around. That lead to writing short stories off and on for 25 years. : another D&D fan! what's not to love

In 2014, I started writing and publishing my own novels. This started because I decided I wasn't going to hope to be an author one day, I was going to start executing a five year plan. On January 4th I started writing my first of those novels, Along Came a Wolf (The Yellow Hoods #1), and in April I released it. I haven't looked back.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Tea, music and a good place to write. If my sons are running around screaming, there are only certain things I can write. But if I have the house to myself, or if I'm at the coffee shop, then I'm able to immerse myself in my own worlds a lot better.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I have a different perspective, and I have to. As of January, 2016, life's a lot different. I'm taking care of getting my daughter (the eldest) off to school, getting my elder on off to kindergarten two days a week, and my littlest guy off to pre-school for 2 hours every day. I can write episodes of The Wizard Killer when they're home, but I can't write something like The Yellow Hoods or The Man of Cloud 9, so I have to use my evenings. : Sounds a lot like how I fit my blogging in!

My perspective is that every day has to advance the cause, the cause being my author career. I write some evenings, on weekends when I'm not doing book-signings, I'll take off for an hour or two to write. Almost every day I find I write something, whether that's for a novel, my serial or a blog entry. I've watched my ability to produce words increase over the past two years, but I've also become a lot more cognoscente that you can't just go flat out year after year after year, or else you'll be burnt out and have no marriage left, never mind no relationship with your kids.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Having to be dairy and egg-free, almost anything that meets those requirements. However ginger-snaps are a long time favourite.

Where do you do most of your writing?
Probably more at the coffee shop than anywhere else, though the kitchen table is a close second. : and few biscuit temptations at a coffee shop no doubt,  or do you sneak in your own nibbles?

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
Being a dyslexic, I don't read fiction that much. However, I've been making time for my friend Luther Siler's book, Skylights. I'm enjoying it.

Have you had a good or bad 2015 and why do you think it was good (or bad) ?
The year was very good to me. I went full-time as an author back in January 2015, got two novels and a novelette out, won a battle with depression (the war never ends). I sold a lot of books and saw my fanbase increase significantly.

At the end of 2015, I feel like I finally found my 'full-time author' footing. I started my free online serial, The Wizard Killer, I wrote my second book from start to finish as a full timer, etc. So it was easily a good year.

Do you have writing plans for 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
The Man of Cloud 9 comes out in April 2016, which is my first science fiction novel. Whereas the Yellow Hoods are targeted for kids aged 9-15 and adults (it's a layered series), The Man of Cloud 9 is that classic science fiction audience. The story's about a Steve Jobs/Elon Musk type of character in the not-too-distant-future who invents a new generation of nano technology that takes possibly too far, can he bring us back before it's too late?

In October 2016, I'll be bringing out Book 5 of The Yellow Hoods. This will resolve the Pieman storyline that started in book 2. But will it be the end of The Yellow Hoods series, or is there more before I jump 10 years and write the sequel series?

The Wizard Killer Season 1 will be released, compiling all of the individual episodes in a nice compact format. Look for that around May.

And you'd think that'd be enough, wouldn't you? Well, keep your eyes open for The Man of Cloud 0, the prequel novelette and maybe, just maybe, a Yellow Hoods companion story.

If you could genetically cross an animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a bushbaby kiwi fruit, hard to find in the trees, and too cute to eat when you did.
Um... hmm. I'm finding myself now in Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, thinking of the waterm-elephant, and the PBandJellyfish and the susheep...

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
Act and put on improved plays. The stories would still get out, one way or the other. :great idea, it seems authors agree that the story cannot be contained!

If you could take any fictional character out for lunch, who would you choose and why? And where do you think you'd go to eat?
I'd take Marcus Pieman out for dinner, he's one of my key characters. He's in his seventies and brilliant on many levels. We'd need to go somewhere quiet with fine cuisine and a good wine list. :cunning, now anyone who hasn't read your books will have to buy a copy or 4.

And if you do need to grab a book, they are available on Amazon, Kobo and iBooks 
His books are also on Goodreads.com. Signed copies available at TheYellowHoods.com/Store

Why not stalk keep in touch with Adam via one of the following:
Adam's Blog: AdamDreece.com
Twitter: @AdamDreece
Facebook: AdamDreeceAuthor

Thank you to Adam for answering all my questions and sharing his 2016 news too! Do let him know if you like his books, and make sure you pop reviews on Goodreads etc.

Wordy Wednesday with Stephenie Siviter

Some time ago I fell in love with a blog. The blog and the blogger were new at the time, but with time comes experience and now I'm happy to share her writing with you for Wordy Wednesday.

The writer I'm talking about is Stephanie Siviter, and you can read what I thought of her blog in 2013, here. But fast forward to today, let's see what's changed.

So Stephanie, when did you start writing?
I can't remember a time I didn't write, from awful diaries, to teen angst poetry, to ridiculously long group emails (before blogs existed) to about 67 half started novels. So as soon as I could hold a pen I think.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing? Inspiration, a few minutes peace from the kids, tea.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I can't write to a schedule. I can't write if someone tells me to (or read). I only write when I get a spark of inspiration. I only write when I HAVE to write.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Plain digestives. Mcvities and no other brand will do.

Where do you do most of your writing?
in bed on my laptop while the house sleeps.

What memorable books or blogs have you read in 2015?
Lots of fellow mum blogs - particularly the ones on Mumsnet frontpage. I haven't read a book all the way through for about three years due to attention span and having babies. haha I know the feeling, though I blame twitter

Have you had a good or bad 2015 and why do you think it was good (or bad) ?
2015 has been hectic. I had my second baby (last baby) and finally married their daddy. I'll look back on it as one of the best - but I have been so busy and stressed probably not stopped to appreciate it enough. oh a baby and a wedding, no wonder it was hectic, though it sounds lovely as well.

If you could genetically cross an animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a poppy seed ant, it could sprinkle itself over your loaf.
I don't understand this question. And however much I try all I can see are spider sprouts - if it's ok I'll leave this one. Still shuddering at the idea of ants on my bread. I'm leaving this in purely because it made me laugh so much! hahahahahah

Have you any new books planned for 2016? Do book ideas pop into your head unexpectedly or do you sit and plan them?
I have had an idea for a book for over a year now and hope to finally start it next year. It's about the dark reality and dark comedy of motherhood and being a stay at home mum ... with a big twist. ooh a teaser, sounds intriguing.

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
It would be my teaching mentor from when I started teaching in 2004. I was on a year out to Australia when he was diagnosed with cancer and he died within such a short amount of time I never got to say goodbye. I also never got to tell him how much he meant to me. I joked many times about how annoyed I would be by his helpful suggestions during teaching. But the truth was he was a bit of a father figure and I loved him very much. Not a day of teaching passes without me thinking about him and I wish I had got to tell him how thankful I was. He always called me Bridget because of my single status and I'd love to tell him about my two babies and husband. When you get older you realise who are truly good souls - and I wish I could have told him what an amazing man he was. He was called Pete.

You can read my poetry and honest take on being a parent at http://www.mummyswritingdarling.co.uk/

You can buy Stephanie's books on Amazon, from 80p! you'd be a fool not to.


Thank you to Stephanie for taking part. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your new book.

Should I give a book a bad review?

What to do with a ‘bad’ book. 
Sometimes I read a book that I really think is not great. I’m not talking about a story that’s just not for (though that can be hard to differentiate – more on that later) but a book that is just badly written. Maybe the plot has obvious gaping holes, maybe there are huge factual inaccuracies or there has been no editing, leaving many tiny grammatical and spelling errors, but whatever the reason, you feel the book really is bad. And then what?

I see authors on social media daily begging for reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and numerous other sales and review sites. I understand that reviews are vital, it shows the book is being read and assuming the reviews are good it will encourage new readers. On some sites just having reviews can increase the chances of the book being promoted on the site as it looks ‘popular’, and promotion leads to sales and authors need sales (because like most humans – they need to eat, pay rent, wear clothes etc – it might be art darlings, but even artists die if not fed and watered)

So I’ve read a book and I really hated it. What now? First off remember I said it can be hard to know why you hated a book? Maybe you love crime drama and that’s what you thought the book would be, but it turned into a fantasy story with dragons, or a romance with kissing; in those cases the book might not be bad, you might just not have liked it. It is fine to not like a book. You can still review a book while being clear it wasn’t your thing, you can explain, without spoilers, why you think other readers might like the bits you didn’t. Maybe the dragons were beautifully described or the kissing stuff was written with great care and excellent use of language (unlike most of this blog post), so you can comment on that. It’s OK to give the book lower than 5 stars too – but I wouldn’t give lower than average just because I didn’t like it – unless the star rating specifically separates into how well written the book was and whether you liked it. I might also mention that I don't read many books like it so my review will not be based on much background knowledge.

Once you have decided that the book really was ‘bad’, then what? You have a few options.

• Don’t review the book. Ignore it altogether, spare the author your painful critique and just move on. This only works if you bought the book yourself and were not asked to review it, and if you haven’t told all and sundry (including the author) that you are reading it.
• Give the book low stars and a terrible moany review. I frown on this approach. It is mean spirited and unhelpful. It will hurt the author while offering no insights into the problems.
• Privately contact the author, point out the issues you have with the book (politely) and ask them if they still want you to review it. This is a risky approach as the author may still be hurt. But it gives them a chance to respond and maybe even address the issues, perhaps they can correct things (particularly in an electronic book) or at least be aware of them for future writing.
• Give a low star review and list the reasons politely and with ways they could have been improved. You are now setting yourself up for replies and criticism, but as long as you are not rude and remain honest, this seems fair. You do not have to write a long review and can keep it brief. Try the old ‘shit’ sandwich approach too. Start with a nice thing about the book, follow with some issues and how you would have liked them to have been sorted, followed by a positive ending.
• Lastly, you could lie. Give the book five stars, be really vague and tell everyone it was great and they should read it. The author will be happy and anyone who reads the book and hates it will think you are an idiot. Other people may lie too and, like the Emporer's New Clothes, it could be years before some brave soul points out that the book is actually terrible.

I don’t know what you do when you read a book you think was bad, I think I use a mixture of the methods I’ve outlined above (all authors I’ve ever reviewed and given 5 stars to will now panic and wonder if I secretly hated their books). I asked authors on twitter for their thoughts and the vast majority said that while they hate a bad review it keeps reviews real, and constructive criticism can be useful. Luckily, reading a book I think is poor doesn’t happen very often. I seem to either be good at judging a book by its cover or I have a low threshold for ‘poor’. I read a variety of books and styles and usually enjoy them.

@tattooed_mummy A review is, hopefully, an honest response. We can't expect only good reviews.

— Louis Barfe (@LFBarfe) January 6, 2016

I shall continue to read and review books whenever I can. I hope you do too. And share what you read on social media too, spread the word.

Happy reading …and don’t forget – authors love reviews. Some authors even love bad ones.

@tattooed_mummy It hurts when someone kicks your baby, but yes as long as the criticisms are valid and thoughtful.

— Wombat (@wombat37) January 6, 2016

@tattooed_mummy sure, if it's genuinely constructive. I had one really helpful review for my first book that influenced some stuff I wrote

— Girl on the Net (@girlonthenet) January 6, 2016

@tattooed_mummy constructive criticism is the key

— Dee (@Deewritenow) January 6, 2016

Wordy Wednesday with Richard Wall

The first Wordy Wednesday of 2016. Happy New year to you all and a big Wordy Wednesday welcome this week to Richard Wall. Richard was born in England in 1962, grew up in a small market town in rural Herefordshire before joining the Royal Navy. Having travelled extensively, Richard now lives in Worcestershire where he works as a freelance Technical Author.

And as usual we grab a cup of our favourite tipple, pass around the fairy cakes, and begin...

When did you start writing?
 At school about 100 years ago :-) In 2003 I joined a local Writers' Group and that's when I began to think seriously about creative writing.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing? 
1. A good book to read beforehand that is still fresh in my memory
2. Blues music playlist
3. Headphones

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I write for a few hours at least a couple of days a week, and every chance I get

Is writing your main source of income, if not, what else do you do?
I can't survive on creative writing (yet). By day I'm a freelance Technical Writer, currently contracted to the automotive industry.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Ginger nuts...

Where do you do most of your writing?
Anywhere I can sit with my laptop

What book are you reading at the moment?
I've just finished Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon and just started American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Have you had a good or bad 2015 and why do you think it was good (or bad) ?
2015 was good to me. I was healthy and employed throughout. My philosophy is that if you wake up to see a new day then everything else is a bonus.


If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
I would create a book in my head, memorising each paragraph as I went along and then reading it to myself before going to sleep.

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?

Charley Patton, a bluesman from Mississippi who died in 1934. I would ask him to tell me what it was really like to live that life, in that place, at that time.

Richard Wall's book Fat Man Blues is available from Amazon.

"Hobo John" is blues enthusiast on a pilgrimage from England to present-day Mississippi. One night in Clarksdale he meets the mysterious Fat Man, who offers him the chance to see the real blues of the 1930s. Unable to refuse, Hobo John embarks on a journey through the afterlife in the company of Travellin' Man, an old blues guitarist who shows him the sights, sounds and everyday life in the Mississippi Delta. Along the way, the Englishman discovers the harsh realities of Delta life, and the true price of the deal that he has made.

Thank you Richard for joining in Wordy Wednesday, I hope 2016 continues in as postitive a way as 2015 finished.