Wordy Wednesday with Daniel M Bensen

Welcome again to Wordy Wednesday, a (semi) regular blog interview series with authors from around the world and with variously themed books, writers for all age ranges and tastes can be found here. Today it's the turn of Daniel M Bensen, an American fantasy writer. Daniel was born in Chicago and has since lived in Maine, California, Montana, Japan, and Boston. He currently lives with his wife, daughters, and in-laws in Sofia Bulgaria, where he teaches English as a second language.

Daniel has written a book called The Kingdoms of Evil,  amongst other things. The Kingdoms of Evil is a fantasy satire with some horrific elements. It's about Freetrick Feend, a more or less normal college student in a more or less normal fantasy country, who learns that he is actually Feerborg, the lost heir to the Skull Throne of the Kingdoms of Evil (which is right over those mountains over there). As Ultimate Fiend of the Kingdoms of Evil, Freetrick inherits command over a population of twisted monsters, a family of scheming nobles, a murderous fiance, and the enmity of every one of his country's non-evil neighbours. The biggest problem, though, is that in a land where the sun never shines and the river run with lava, what are the monsters supposed to eat? 

And so I quizzed Daniel, from afar, and this is how it went:

When and why did you start writing?
I tried to write stories way back in 4th grade, but I didn't go about it seriously until after I graduated from college. The extremely un-serious Kingdoms of Evil was the result. I'm now in the middle of my seventh novel. You can find information about all of my books on my website, as well as links to the short stories and the novella that I've actually gotten published.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing? Other than my kindle's note-taking function and my laptop, I need nothing but a cup of mocha, a chair, and access to the playlist I've made for the book I'm working on.

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 every weekday between classes (I teach English as a second language). I work best when it's on a schedule.

Who is your favourite fictional character (that you've written) and why?
The Kaimeera. It's a monster from the kingdoms of evil that assumes the personality of the last person it ate. Ha! Love this idea.

Is writing your main source of income? 
No, I make much more per hour teaching, so talking about writing as my main "job" would be ridiculous. There are novelists who do support themselves by writing novels - but that seems to become possible only after at least three successful releases. Maybe someday. In the mean time, I'm glad to be able to write as a hobby.

What are your favourite biscuits? 
Milanos

Where do you do most of your writing?
Either in my office, in a cafe near my office, or typing into my kindle in a park, bus, or subway car.

What book are you reading at the moment? 
A couple of good ones! What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong and The Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Both are very helpful in the hospital. (I hope you have recovered from your op by the time this post is live!)

Is truth really stranger than fiction? 
Of course. Fiction is constrained by the limits of the human brain, which is far from the strangest thing out there.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why?
I'm currently keen on a cauliflower/caterpillar, a cauli-pillar, a bumpy white caterpillar affair that would be nice with cheese...
That's a hard act to follow. I submit the land urchin. They walk very slowly along the forest floor and taste like cactus. nice

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead? 
Flee to a different (and less doomed) country. Failing that, I suppose I'd have to join The Resistance.This has been a popular response, so I fully expect that a writers resistance would be a thing

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? 

I'm only allowed to have tea with them? Not start a new religion or revolutionize anthropology? Charles Darwin. He spoke English and we could have a fun conversation. I could catch him up on biology and show him this excellent video: 

Massive thanks, Daniel for taking part.  Thank you. It was a lot of fun.

By now you will be desperate to know more so why not follow Daniel 

On Twitter

On Deviant Art

On Goodreads

On Tumblr

And check out his website The Kingdoms of Evil

Wordy Wednesday with Lucy Brazier

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday this week with Lucy Brazier author of the Portergirl Novels.

Welcome to the comfy interview chair Lucy, tell us a little about yourself.
I am in my mid 30s and live in Cambridge. Although I have enjoyed writing since I was small, I only really started to take it seriously when I was inspired to start a blog based on my bizarre experiences as the first female Deputy Head Porter at an eminent Cambridge College. The blog has now become a book series; PorterGirl - First Lady Of The Keys was released in 2016 and the follow up, The Vanishing Lord, was just published on 10th June 2017.

"Set in the fictional Old College, the PorterGirl series is described as 'Brit-Lit' and is in the style of classic British farce and has been compared to Evelyn Waugh and Terry Pratchett. There features some of the politest murders ever committed and a decent cup of tea is never far away. But it is the eclectic and eccentric characters that populate this unusual and hitherto little-known world of the academic elite that really bring the action to life."

 "Porters are not the carriers of bags, they are the keepers of keys!’ As one of the most ancient and esteemed establishments of the academic elite, Old College is in for something of a shock when it appoints its very first female Deputy Head Porter."

Why did you start writing?
It has never occurred to me not to write!

List 3 things that are guaranteed to make you smile.
Food
Music
Nudity (I like your thinking)

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
It's always a tricky question, this - but it has to be Oscar Wilde. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but when I read Wilde I knew I wanted to be a great writer. There's no way I can compare myself to dear Oscar, but I would like to think that his effortless use of purple prose has influenced my own work.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
None - I never read when I am writing.

Which three cities would you most like to visit and why?
Rome and Athens - because of my great love of the Classics - and Venice, because I fancy a go in a gondola. They look like flash punts.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
My favourite character is The Dean of College. He is highly unpredictable and can do or say pretty much anything, so is enormous fun to write.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Got to be a chocolate digestive.

In the film of your life who would play you?
It would be Rik Mayall, if he wasn't a man and dead. He could capture my slightly unhinged nature quite perfectly.

Would you go to Mars if it was a one way ticket? If not - who would you send instead!?
I don't fancy Mars, it looks rather hot. I suppose I would send someone who likes a warm climate and has shares in a suncream company!

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of asparagus and a giraffe...tender neck
Maybe a lamb and a carrot - I could just chuck it straight in the slow cooker and have a top notch meal with minimum effort.

Grab a copy of Lucy's book at Amazon UK -  PorterGirl: First Lady Of The Keys  or Amazon US

Read her blog at  - www.portergirl.com

Follow Lucy on Twitter - @portergirl100

And 'like' her page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lucybrazierauthor/ 

Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Tony Burns

It's Wednesday and we all know what that means! Yes it's time for more reading, and chatting to authors, this week I'm talking to Tony Burns. I'll let Tony introduce himself to you.

I’m a father of two and grandfather of three and live in Manchester. I retired from full time paid work just over three years ago. I worked in a large Government Department as a Programme and Project Manager. It was a job I loved, but my wife and I always planned to leave full time work early and so I quit when I was 55, I left simply because I could and because I wanted to do different things.
I’m a keen football fan (Manchester City season ticket holder), ride motorbikes whenever I can, I’ve currently got four in the garage, although I’m planning on selling one of those this year.
I’ve written a couple of books (travelogues), both in the Travel genre and I expect to write at least a couple more.

Welcome to the blog Tony, with summer approaching it's rather nice to have a Travel Writer onboard. 
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?
I do have another job, and it’s a part time thing. I work at a local school as an exam invigilator, which is pretty relaxed, quite enjoyable but would fall short in the James Bond world.(It could be the perfect cover...)

When did you start writing?
That’s a good question. Formally and in terms of books then I suppose that was pretty recent and was really only the middle of last year. But I have always kept notes and journals when I have travelled. (ooh I keep travel journals too - great to look back on. You've reminded me to blog my Egypt trip!) One of my passions is motorbikes, it has been for most of my life and I have travelled pretty extensively in Europe. I think I’ve done maybe about 16 European road trips and always wrote updates home, and kept pretty detailed notes, along with many thousands of photographs, so it sort of made sense to get some of these written up now that I have a little more time.

As my books are Travelogues, there really isn’t a main character, my journeys and travel are recounted through my eyes – so both books have the underlying theme of if there is something you want to do, then just do it rather than sitting about putting things off.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
Any day when Manchester City win and Manchester Utd lose will always make me smile.
My Grandchildren make me smile, laugh and appreciate life almost every day of the week.
Watching Come Dine With Me is always good for a chuckle.

Do you have any pets?
No, we used to have two Bengal cats, but the last (Jack) passed away last year and we have not found a place in our hearts to replace him. If they were still with us then they would be a total hindrance to any creative process!

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
I can’t really say I have a favourite author. I pretty much read anything that comes my way. I ought really to have more time than ever to read but somehow seem to have less time than ever, I quick glance at my book shelf in the spare room shows that most of the books that I hang onto are either related to travel; autobiographies of motorcycle racers or motorcycle related books.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I’ve got three on the go at the moment: Guy Martins Worms to Catch, Back Roads of Spain, a travel book from the DK Eyewitness Series and Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps by John Hermann.

Where do you do most of your writing?
In the ‘spare room’ where I have a decent desk set up with my PC and with space to throw my rubbish drafts into the bin (it’s a big bin).

What is your favourite biscuit?
Now that is a tough question, I suppose if I was to get off the fence then I would probably go for a Jammy Dodger, but a decent Bourbon or anything covered with plain chocolate would do the trick.

Tea or Coffee?
Coffee – every time

In the film of your life who would play you?
Hmm … I suppose Ewan McGregor, mainly because he seems a straightforward sort of guy, not full of bullsh*t, which is how I would describe myself (although others might not agree).

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why?
A cat and a carrot – I sort of like the idea of a bright orange cat wandering around the house.

Tony's books are
What if You Don’t Break Down
Superbike Across Europe
Both are available in Kindle and paperback through the Amazon store.

Thanks Tony for the answers to my often daft questions. Good luck on the travels in the future.

Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Non Pratt

Hello Wordy Wednesday fans! A treat for you all today as I interview Non Pratt, fabulous fun person, author of books my teen adores and general all round nice person.

First I asked Non to introduce herself, for the benefit of those who don't know her work (do catch up though!)

So Non, who do you write for? What do you write about?
I write books for teen-minded humans. My novels Trouble, Remix and Truth or Dare (coming out June 1st) and novella Unboxed, all have a contemporary setting and tend to involve quite a lot of friendship drama and a little bit of sexytimes because these are the things I was most interested in as a teenager… and as a thirty-something adult.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?)
I am one of those rare beasts: a full-time author. My job before this was as an editor in children’s publishing, so I’m pretty much a one-profession pony. No international spying for me.

When did you start writing? 
I’ve been writing since I was fourteen – about a lot of the things I’m still writing about now. When I started, there weren’t that many books catering to teen interests and I was desperate to read about teenagers that were a bit like me (but doing cooler, edgier stuff, like hanging out in the park, drinking, getting into fights and having sex). My first novel was about a group of people who really liked the rain – called The Rain Gods – and I finished it in the middle of the night in a flood of tears when I was about nineteen.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile? 
A grown cat chasing its tail in an empty bath tub. Anyone paying me a compliment on my hair. (nice hair, Non) Walking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.

Do you have any pets? 
We used to have two cats – Remy and Fenix. Fenix was my cat and he would come and sprawl over the paper on my desk and purr at me. He died earlier this year, but Remy seems to have been observing the Fenix’s behaviour and now comes to see me at 2pm every day to trip over stuff on my desk and try and climb on the back of my office chair while I type. It is not helpful, but it is sweet.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write? 
My favourite author is Patrick Ness. We actually have the same editor at Walker (in fact, my love of his books is the reason I submitted my novel to Walker in the first place). His books are very different to (and much better than) mine, but I recently realised that I’d never tried writing into the first person present tense until after I read The Knife of Never Letting Go – and that was the first time I found my voice as a writer. So, Patrick’s been pretty bloody influential as it turns out!

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment? 
I’ve got my sticky little mitts on The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which comes out in April in the UK. It’s about Starr, who is witness to a police officer shooting her friend. The book was inspire by the Black Lives Matter movement and you’ll hear a lot of people saying why this book is so important (it is) and timely (it is), but despite tackling some very serious and under-addressed questions, it’s written in such a deft manner that one moment you’ll be gasping in horror at the truth of what it must be like to constantly have to watch out for others’ dangerous prejudices and careless microaggressions, and the next you’ll be grinning at some of Starr’s wryly observant one-liners and the A++ flirting that goes on. This is a book that is rich and varied and worthy of the hype you’ve been hearing.

Where do you do most of your writing? 
Staring out of the window on a long train journey, or sitting in my office at home. I have my grandad’s old desk where I plot stuff out or hand-write when I get a bit stuffed up and at right-angles to that I have a sit/stand desk where I type stuff up on my PC.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers! 
My favourite character is still Neville from Trouble. He’s a cantankerous old bastard and he’s brilliant.

What is your favourite biscuit? 
McVites plain chocolate digestive. Eaten at least three in a row, all dunked in hot tea.

Tea or Coffee? 
Tea. (Preferably accompanied by some chocolate digestives…)

In the film of your life who would play you? 
Bex Taylor-Klaus who plays Audrey in the Scream Netflix series could play a Young Non. She’s basically my style icon (in character and out) and I think she’s fab. No idea who could play me as Old Non. Alison Janney? Just because Alison Janney is amazing? We look and sound nothing alike though!

Who wouldn't want to be this cool?

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) I would cross a snake with an aubergine. Aubergines have the loveliest skin – imagine that on a snake.

This is Non Pratt’s Hive Page Go buy books!

You can also follow Non on twitter.

Thanks so much for taking part Non! 

I can confirm that (gay) teen girls love her books, and I know that DD will be keen to read the new one, Truth or Dare

Wordy Wednesday - Interview with Avril Joy

Good Morning (or afternoon if you are late to the party) Wordy Wednesday Readers, today I'm introducing you to Avril Joy, author of  'Sometimes a Riversong' . I will let her introduce herself in her own words..

"I'm a writer on the loose after twenty five years in prison. It's true, and I really do still appreciate my days without bars and gates and keys. I'm also a mother of two grown ups, a failed artist, a Francophile, a southern girl living in exile in the frozen but beautiful North.
My novel Sometimes a River Song, is set in 1930s Arkansas and it’s the story of a young girl, Aiyana Weir, and her struggle to learn to read and to escape the brutal, masculine world of the river community in which she lives. The story is told in her voice and it has it origins in Eating Words, a short story I wrote which was shortlisted for the Manchester Prize for Fiction.
I write what is generally described as literary fiction, both short stories and novels. I'm interested in: landscape, the place we come from and how it shapes us, our dark past, life on the margins, childhood, women's struggle, the desire to escape. Whether I like it or not my books are always full of water - I grew up on a tidal creek in the Somerset Levels - and full of the women I met in prison."

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (surgeon? Chicken sexer?) what is it and do you like it?
I'm a full time author now but in my previous incarnation I worked in a women's prison in County Durham, first of all as a teacher, later as a senior manager.

Why did you start writing?
I started writing because a writer in residence, Wendy Robertson, was appointed to the prison and she worked a lot in my classroom. We hit it off instantly. She persuaded me to join a writing workshop she'd started for the staff, and that was the beginning. Until then I’d never thought of being a writer, although looking back I see how I was always writing as a child and reading, sometimes two books a day. Wendy told me she thought I was a writer. I didn't think too much about it at the time but a seed

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
The three things that make me smile are: my kids, a rainy day and a box set.
I'm currently watching House of Cards on Netflix but my favourite is probably Breaking Bad or the Sopranos. And last but nowhere near least, people watching on a market day in the Languedoc : cafe, notebook, glass of cold, cold, white and sun, all the way. I'm thinking that's more than 3 but I'll let it pass...

Do you have a secret never published (and never will be published) novel hidden somewhere?
If I did and it was a secret I wouldn't tell you would I? I'm thinking that's a yes then, though members of the jury, you should disregard this evidence.

Do you have any pets? If yes, what, and do they help or hinder the writing process?
No pets. We used to have a family cat, called Daisy. She was a rescue cat, the best cat ever and totally irreplaceable.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
There are just too many authors I love to single one out. But authors I love or have loved include (straight from the bookshelf behind me) : Thomas Hardy, Martin Amis, Helen Dunmore, Alice Munroe, Alice Hoffman, T C Boyle, Simone de Beauvoir, Michele Roberts, Bob Dylan, Ken Kesey, Rose Tremain, Ian McEwan, Bruce Chatwin, Raymond Carver, Siri Hustvedt, Lawrence Durrell, Robert Hass, Esther Morgan, Kathleen Jamie, Sharon Olds... (As you can tell from this list my bookshelves are totally disorganised - likewise my Kindle)

I think all these writers and many more influence what I write and the way I write it. Reading seeps in. You have to love reading to write. Since I started writing whenever I read anything I love I'm always asking how did she/he do that? How can I do that?

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I've just finished reading We Are Called to Rise, by Laura McBride. Wow! It's fabulous and I wish I'd written it for all kinds of reasons which I've posted about on my blog. I'm also reading a raft of books on Georgian England. I've got a feeling my next novel might be set in London 1756 - but we'll see.

Where do you do most of your writing?
I write anywhere, everywhere: in my room, cafes, hotels, hospitals, waiting rooms etc. But I guess all the serious work is done in my writing room which is on the second floor of the house, it has open views of gardens and trees and the hills beyond. I like to write in the light by a window. Windows are really important to me, probably because in the prison all the windows, including those in the offices, had small cloudy panes of toughened glass and, of course, bars. There was never enough light or fresh air.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
My favourite character is Isa, Millie's sister in my Costa winning short story Millie and Bird. She's sixteen and life is tough, even though she's just fallen in love. She's a child carer of sorts. I know her very well.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Favourite biscuits - Rich Tea. Once upon a time it would have been Custard Creams but I had to wean myself off them, too many calories. hmm sounds like are lying to yourself, calories or not I'm taking custard creams as your favourite, rich tea may just be what you eat most!

Tea or Coffee?
Mostly tea but I'm useless without my morning coffee hit. aren't we all 

Could you survive in a technology-free world?
My instinct is to say yes, I sometimes dream of escaping to the wilds, and I think there's a me that could survive there, but then I'm really thinking more about what technology carries with it eg social media - this! I sometimes wish it would all go away. Others I love it. I think we all have something of a love hate relationship with it, or maybe not, maybe it's me. I don't do Facebook - I can't bear to live my life out like that but I love the Internet and I can't see me living without it. I love blogging, quite enjoy my phone and my ipad. Although I write in a notebook first then transcribe, there is no way I could write novels without technology.

What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is that something bad happens to my children.

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a cranberry hummingbird - glistening red as it juicily buzzes among the flowers
As mangoes are the only fruit I would have to go for - a mangocat curled up in the sun under a bodie tree.

Avril Joy’s novel Sometimes A River Song is published by Linen Press

It is also available on Kindle

She blogs about writing and books at www.avriljoy.com

You can sign up for her weekly newsletter here http://www.avriljoy.com/newsletter/

Thank you so much Avril for taking part in Wordy Wednesday - as always readers are encouraged to join in chat on my twitter (hashtag #wordywednesday ) or on Facebook

Wordy Wednesday with H G Sansostri

It's half term where I live, so a topical choice of authors today, in that he will be off school! Today's Wordy Wednesday is an interview with H.G. Sansostri author of ‘The Little Dudes Skool Survival Guide’. Harri was only 11 when he wrote The little Dudes Skool Survival guide! And he's still very young. Not content with being published before he left school he is also an actor! So it was quite fun to ask him to answer my silly questions, and see how a teen author's mind works. Is it all sweets and comics? Untidy rooms and late homework? Or is there more ... let's see ...



You are young writer. Do you think that makes it more or less difficult to get your books noticed? Or do you think age doesn't matter?
Yes, age does matter a lot, adult writers have it easier than child authors. People tend to think ‘He’s just a kid, what’s he got to offer?’ Though, at the same time, lots of adults have really appreciated that I’m a kid with something to offer.
I also think that people tend to think age and experience affect the quality of the book, that’s not necessarily right.

Do your school friends know you write and if so, what do they think about it?
Not all of them, my close friends do and they think it’s a cool thing to do.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate your writing?
A wonderful, comfy writing zone all of my own, with lots of bookshelves, lots of books, and cosy leather sofas with cushions and blankets, then lots of chocolate bars. (ah ha! Chocolate - though to be fair most of the adults I've interviewed have included similar - it seems that Cadburys should consider sponsoring authors)

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?
As and when the mood strikes, as by forcing myself to write, I wouldn’t be as creative.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Chocolate cream bourbons (an excellent choice)

Where do you do most of your writing? 
On the big leather sofa in the living room or in my room at my desk.

What book are you reading at the moment? 
‘The Rest Of Us Just Live Here’ by Patrick Ness

Do you plan to continue writing and if so what plans have you for 2016? Any new books already lurking in your head or will you need time to plan in 2016? 
Yes I do. My plans are to get my new book out and marketed (with my Mums help of course.) It is called ‘The Chronicles of Derek Dunstable’ at the moment it’s in edit and I’m deciding on book jackets with my illustrator Adam J. Pickering.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking hamster peach, cute and fuzzy.
A Yorkie/Potato called a ‘Yotato’. Now that would be funny!  I have two yorkies called Jake-Teddy and Toto-Jon.

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead? 
I’d take my creativity into the filming industry. As I’m also a child actor and have done quite a bit of work.

Who do you currently most admire and why?
Jeff Kinney, because of how he became successful.  He wasn’t a clever kid but he loved to sketch, he sketched a lot before he came up with ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ as his sketches inspired him to write. I went to a seminar on this author once and his story was amazing.


Big thanks to Harri for taking part - if you are a young author you can follow him on twitter and ask him any burning questions that I have missed. And of course you can buy his books and have a read for yourselves.

Until next time, have a fab Wordy Wednesday - and don't forget to read up on all the past interviews on the blog if you've missed any.

Wordy Wednesday with Lu Hersey

This week we welcome Lu Hersey to the blog for Wordy Wednesday Quizzing and biscuits.

Lu Hersey is a bit like the Buena Vista Social Club of children’s writing. She may be (a bit) old for a debut writer, but that doesn’t mean she’s no good.
Her speciality is writing myth-based thrillers in a kitchen sink paranormal style. Her first novel, Deep Water, was published by Usborne in July 2015. She is @LuWrites on twitter and blogs at Lu Writes

And so without further ado, we pull up chairs, wrap blankets around our knees and begin...

Lu Hersey

Why did you start writing?
When I was about 8, we had to make puppets for a puppet show at school. The story was Rumplestiltskin. We were supposed to create the whole thing - sets, puppets and script - ourselves. Anyway, it turned out the only one who was able to write a script was me. The nuns were really pissed off (it was a convent school), as they generally hate children, especially ones that can do something. My newfound ability was a total surprise to me, as up to that point, my only skill seemed to be committing mortal sins like laughing in church. I realized for the first time that I found something really easy which some other people found difficult, and decided I wanted to be a writer. It just took an awful lot longer to get round to it…

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Coffee, chocolate and heavy rain outside. Oh that does sound lovely!

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 work in a library, so have to fit writing around my workdays – and that’s not always the days I feel like writing. It’s really frustrating. My ambition is to give up the day job and write full time one day.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Balsen dark chocolate biscuits. Or maybe those stem ginger Duchy Originals that are covered in chocolate. (The ones you have to remortgage the house to buy!) I think I've found my soulmate - we should sit and eat these biscuits together, sitting by a real fire, in an old house with shutters, and rain lashing the clap-board shingles...

Where do you do most of your writing?
I have a tiny box room, recently made into a study. I love it. It has a bed squashed in it as well for when everyone’s at home (I have 4 kids – but they’re big and don’t all live at home any more), but mostly it’s my study. Luxury, huh?

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
Liz de Jager’s Judged, and Longbow Girl by Linda Davies. (Started reading Longbow Girl first, but stupidly left it at a friend’s house – picking it up later!) My TBR pile is the size of a mountain. (mine is too!)

What was your favourite school subject? and was it the one you were best at?
Art. And no, I was useless. I was best at English. Which probably proves it’s good to play to your strengths!

Have you had a good or bad 2015 and why do you think it was good (or bad) ?
It was very good in parts – the launch of my debut novel, Deep Water, in July was really exciting! It had downsides too, mostly to do with some sad and difficult family stuff.

Do you have writing plans for 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
Yes of course! Have nearly finished my next book, Broken Ground – but will be holding my breath until my publisher decides whether they like it or not…and if they don’t, guess I’ll be writing a different book as fast as I can…

If you could have any job in the world except being an author, what would you choose and why?
A wildlife photographer. The opportunities for travel and seeing the world would be amazing. As it is, I just read National Geographic and watch David Attenborough on TV…

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of satsuma gazelles, roaming the African plains elegantly and with a lovely orangey smell.
Hmmm, that’s difficult. Probably dogs with peaches, so you’d get the loveliness of dogs with peach scented dogbreath …

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?
Severus Snape. Head table at Hogwarts. Who wouldn’t?

Excellent answers, thanks so much to Lu for taking part. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did. Until next week...

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