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 - 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 Emily Cross

Wordy Wednesday today with Emily Cross. Emily is a rather exciting author as by day, she is an unnamed mild-mannered if not neurotic PhD student. But by night, she is "Emily Cross" (a secret pseudonym) , a blog hopping chocoholic with delusions of literary grandeur, who procrastinates her time through tweeting, (don't we all!) she can also be found blogging and posting random thoughts across the blogosphere at The Chronicles of Emily Cross.

I asked Emily about her writing : "My book is currently in progress, but I hope to have it polished and ready to submit this summer. It is a YA (young adult)  urban fantasy. I'm a huge fan of Joss Whedon, and grew up with Buffy as a teen - I definitely am aiming for "buffyesque" type story with strong female characters." Sounds good! So I turned the lamp full into Emily's face and began questioning in earnest...

Emily Cross (or is it?)

When did you start writing? And why?

I don't exactly know when I started writing. I know I used to write poetry and short stories when I was quite young, and have religiously kept a journal from about 10 on wards. I think I had so many stories in my mind, and ideas that I had to write them down in some form. My family are avid readers so it seemed natural to try and write my own stories.


What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?

A quiet space, a cup of tea and sometimes (but not always) some music in the background. In my first book, I have a particular song which I always associate with the villain - which helps me write those darker scenes.


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 think if I waited for the mood to strike me, I would never write. I give myself 500 word goal a day which I always exceed - which makes me feel like I've accomplished something - and makes me feel excited to continue the next day. If I don't do this, I think too much about writing (with apprehension and self-criticism) when I should be just writing.

What's the worst question anyone has asked you ever?

It was more of a question than a statement. I was in a writing group and when I mentioned that I was writing a YA urban fantasy, I was told "oh thats a good idea, there's lots of money in that. Is it like twilight?" I can't even remember what I said because I was so annoyed. All my stories, even those written for school have a had a supernatural side to them, so its not something I just do because it is popular at the moment.

What are your favourite biscuits?

Hobnobs! Love them!! Although I'm more into chocolate than biscuits :)


Tea or Coffee?

Tea 100% - nice and strong with a dash of milk

Where do you do most of your writing?

In my bed, to be honest. Only place I have to myself at the moment.

What book are you reading at the moment?

The Amelia Peabody series (17 books in total). Apart from Paranormal/Fantasy books, I like historical fiction. Amelia Peabody is based in late 19th Century in Egypt. I love anything to do with Egypt and am really enjoying the series, which is a bit like Agatha Christie.


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 have a facebook page (which is a bit of a chore and I use rarely), I recently joined instagram, but I think I'll be abandoning it as well as it's not "me". I have fallen in love with pinterest, but use this for my own research/interests rather than engaging with anyone. I usually use twitter - and for me this is fun, as I love seeing discussions on it and find out really interesting tips and news on there. I also enjoy the hastag groups like #yachatie or #yachatuk where I can discuss writing or reading with similar passionate minds :)


If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking Kangaroo Leek for the inevitable hilarity of shouting "I've sprung a leak!" when you flush one out of the undergrowth in the outback.

Wow. I don't know. I keep thinking of chocolate - which is neither fruit nor vegetable. . . and my dog a Cavalier King Charles, who is cute enough to eat ;) - chocolate dogs are fast becoming a theme, I think it tells  us a lot about authors!

If money was no object what would you buy your favourite person as a gift?
I would buy my parents an apartment in some nice holiday resort like Spain so they can get sunshine during the winter - nice, and I am guessing you would hope they ask you to visit!

I have no book to plug here on Emily's behalf, so I shall just suggest you keep your eyes peeled, and follow her blog for updates. Thank you for answering Emily. Good Luck

Until next week, keep writing (and reading. And as always if you have comments I'd love to hear them over on Facebook or Twitter

Wordy Wednesday with Brian Rathbone

Welcome one and all to the first Wordy Wednesday in April. No April fool though as I introduce the writer Brian Rathbone to you all. Brian Rathbone is a bit of an odd duck. After starting life as a professional horse trainer working on the farm with four generations of his family, he made the logical jump to technology guru and epic fantasy writer. Now, he spends a little too much time telling questionable dragon jokes on Twitter.

And so to the questions:

Why did you start writing?
Ever since I discovered speculative fiction, I knew I would someday write my own stories. I thought about my world, characters, and plots for more than 20 years before I finally started writing. On my way home from a conference in 2005, I knew my technology career was coming to an end—I had simply lost the desire to continue. While sitting in the Atlanta Airport on a 2-hour layover, I started writing Call of the Herald. I've never looked back.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
First, I try to set aside entire days for writing, if not weeks or months. I do better when I can concentrate and not have to shift gears between multiple thought processes. Secondly, I take a walk and gather my thoughts. Once I have a scene playing smoothly in my head, I sit down and write it as quickly as I can. A cup of tea is never far from my grasp.

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?
Now that I write full time, I aim to write a chapter a day five days a week, or roughly 4,000 words a day. I tend to do my best writing between 2pm and 8pm. My other best time to write is when there is no one else around. Sometimes we have to take whatever opportunities present themselves. When I had a full-time job, I used to write nights, weekends, sick days, and vacation days. It wasn't always easy.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Since I live in the southeastern United States, the word 'biscuit' likely has a different meaning than elsewhere in the world. Here biscuits are floury, bread-like concoctions, and they never really were my favorite things. On the sweet side, what we call 'cookies', I was always a fan of my mother's molasses cookies. For the sake of my blood sugar, I pretend such things no longer exist. (American biscuits and gravy is one thing that I think looks terrible! So yes, cookies...mmmm molasses)

Where do you do most of your writing?
I live in a log home in the mountains, and my recliner looks out on the best view from my property. It's an inspirational spot for me. : This sounds amazing, I'm often envious of writers' spaces, they sound so lovely

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I'm currently reading and editing Onin by Jack McCarthy. It is one of the first books in my fantasy series written by another writer. Morgen Rich's Ascension is on deck. There's nothing quite like reading stories about my characters and world for the first time—magic.

Have you had a good or bad 2015?
The fact that 2015 was my first full-year as a full-time writer made it a pretty good year. The loss of my father also made it one of my toughest. My latest novel, Dragon Airways, will be dedicated to his memory. He is sorely missed. He was a life-long professional horse trainer but could no longer do what he loved. In spite of being terrified of computers, I trained him to help me with my social media outreach efforts. In the last year of his life, he introduced me to more than 75,000 potential readers. I am very proud of what we accomplished together. : I'm very sorry for your loss, though it sounds as if your father left a great legacy.

Do you have writing plans for 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
I'll be writing the fourth and final trilogy in the World of Godsland fantasy series. I can hardly believe it. Such an accomplishment seemed like an impossible dream for much of my life. It gives me goosebumps.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a baboon blueberry...I think you can see where that is going...
I love Maine Coon cats. My wife and I had two boys who were like our kids. Losing them was tough. Through some trick of fate, two Maine Coon cats showed up out of the woods in desperate need of help over a two year period. It took me a year to touch one of them, but now he is my best buddy. Since Sir Thomas is an orange Maine Coon cat, I feel like I have already done this and couldn't be happier with the result. He's a good boy, as is his 'brother' Mr. Fancy Pants. (I guess he gets squeezed a lot?!)

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
First, I would fight the ban…but in the spirit of your question, I would likely spend much of my time experimenting with alternative energy solutions, which has long been a passion of mine. I also love classic cars and plan to restore a 1971 z28 Camaro split bumper.

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?
A nice cup of tea with Raistlin Majere at the Inn of the Last Home would suit me just fine—and maybe some spiced potatoes. We'd likely have to walk there, since the kender has my keys…and my car…and my wallet. I hope Raist doesn't mind footing the bill.

I confess to being a dragon obsessive, so I shall be adding Brian's books to my 'to read' pile. The 9-book Godsland bundle is available free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and represents his first decade of writing, it is £6.52 to purchase.

Catrin Volker dreams of a peaceful life training horses. It's not to be. Comets appear in the night skies, announcing the return of a goddess. While trying to save her friend from bullies, Catrin unknowingly triggers powerful, ancient magic, and fulfills a prophecy that says she will destroy entire nations. Her quest for peace captures the imagination with fantastical landscapes, magic and dragons.

Thank you again for coming to read and as always thank you to our featured author.

And if you've enjoyed this post please visit and like my facebook page, where you can add comments about the blog or just have a chat. Or follow my ramblings on twitter. You can find Brian on twitter too .

Wordy Wednesday with Annette Goeres

This week for Wordy Wednesday I present a long time Twitter friend and author Annette Goeres. We have chatted online for a while so I wondered how much more I had to learn about her, it turns out that the answer was 'quite a lot'. The trouble with chatting to so many authors on social media is that you often don't get time to read the actual books they write!

So I asked Annette about her books and she said 

"Right now, the only books I have self-published are all about the same group of people (not a series, mind; they are the group I have written about the most). It is a spy sort of thing, with a group of agents who are sent out on top-secret missions that always seem to go wrong somehow. Gosh darn how that keeps happening. Anyway, they have to use their ingenuity and rely on each other to get out. I like all the characters, and it is fun to drop things on them and see how they will react. Mason Briggs is the lead, and his core group is usually comprised of  the same people. I had my son stand beside me and list names until I got some that I liked. I hate naming characters. The government often contacts Mason and he is given money and specific instructions, and he assembles and deploys the team as he thinks best.

Obviously, these are not high literature. They are supposed to be fun, but then, I think sitting around debating philosophy is fun, so go figure. There are lots of conversations in my books because I like to reveal character through how they act and interact, rather than just telling the reader things. My books also tend to be very sweary, or at least this group is. My characters are not saints and they are rather given to using blue language pretty much at the drop of a hat."

Intriguing..and now we know about Annette's book let us find out more about her. After settling us down with virtual tea and crumpets, I began the questioning...

Why did you start writing?

Mostly, I like writing. I don't write to have anything read, which is a little crazy. I fully admit to being a little strange. It is just something I do, and I suppose there is a massive amount of satisfaction in writing something. Because I self-publish, I know that my reach (i.e., the number of people who will actually read anything I write) is very low. Somehow, that does not deter me. (I can't help thinking this really is the best reason to write! none of the pressure and all of the fun!)

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?

A good day's writing... Well, let's see. I have five kids, so I really need some time that is both quiet and away from constant needs. I think that counts as two things. Other than that, I really like to have access to music. I love my music.

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 would love to write everyday. In fact, the more often i can do that, the easier it is to write. However, reality strikes and I pretty much write whenever I can.

What are your favourite biscuits?

There are no favorites. There can be no debate about this. I will consume any/all. (spoken like a true author!)

Where do you do most of your writing?

The public library is a popular option, and my old desktop is my other place of happiness. I really should invest in a laptop, so I can take it with me. In fact, let me look into that right now....

What memorable books or blogs have you read in 2015?

2015 is over as I write this, but I have already read several memorable books in 2016. I think I have been accused often of reading too much.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson, Death Comes for the Deconstructionist by Daniel Taylor, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. There are probably tons more, but those are a good start.

Do you have any thoughts on whether the suggested extra characters on twitter (up to 10,000) would be a good or bad thing for writing and writers?

One of the fun things about Twitter, in my opinion, is the character limit currently forces people to reword and resuse ideas in new and exciting ways (such as an extended story that is covered in a long series of tweets), so I don't think a longer limit would necessarily be a good thing. I think that more people would resort to the Facebook thing of long, windy posts that could have been interesting...had they been much shorter.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a robin pepper, suitably red, would fly away if it fell from the plant.
A Mango and a snake, a mangoa constrictor... (hmm as it squeezed you to death it's juice would run up your arm..)

Have you any new writing planned for 2016?

Funny you should ask! I am trying to wrap up my latest, which takes forever, and I have another, completely different style of book, waiting to be finished.

Do ideas pop into your head unexpectedly or do you sit and plan them?

I am betting that different writers plan and know what they are writing about. I have a general idea of where I want the story to go, but how it gets there is always an exciting adventure because I have no idea how the characters will get there. Sometimes, they never do and I have found myself somewhere else entirely. It's an adventure!

If you could meet any living author - who would you pick and why?

Ooooooh, this is a tough one! I would love to meet Stephen King. He is a phenomenal writer. But I doubt he's available, so I would go with Jenny Lawson, just because she is awesome. Her name rhymes with awesome, even. That is proof enough for me.

Thank you so much for taking part in Wordy Wednesday - I hope that a few of you reading this will be interested enough to pop over to Amazon and check out a book or two. Or why not follow Annette on Twitter?

Comments? I switched them off here - but I'd love to know what you think on my FaceBook page, or on Twitter.

Stay in touch. Until next week, thanks for reading.

Wordy Wednesday - The Round Up Edition

So it's Wordy Wednesday and I've been treating you to author interviews since May 2015 when I first thought of it. I started it in a silly response to Wordless Wednesday posts, and because I am an author groupie and it seemed like a cunning way to meet authors, even if only online. Along the way I have met some fabulous new friends, been gifted some lovely books (real, audio and Kindle) and shared some fun questions.

Today is a round up of the fun we've had so far but this is far from the end of a series, and more author interviews will be coming soon. If you are an author or know one that would like to be featured - do get in touch.

The whole thing kicked off with an interview of Miranda Dickinson, and author with an appropriate twitter handle both for herself and for my feature!

Next I interviewed my own baby brother, now a writer of historical (and somewhat bloody) fiction, Matthew Harffy.

An interview with one of my favourite children's authors, Andy Stanton, followed. He of Mr Gum fame, a fine and funny chap (Andy, not Mr Gum, Mr Gum is a horror and a lazer)

Aimee Horton gracefully agreed to answer my silly questions in May 2015 too.

Joanne Harris, author of, among other things, the delicious Chocolat, kindly invited me to her virtual shed and agreed to chat over tea and biscuits at the beginning of June.

Ed Kendrick, newly self published author, father of lots and a good friend followed Joanne in the interview chair.

Things took an intellectual turn next when I interviewed Dr Sara Read.

I discovered a wonderful murderous and dreamy new book as well as making the acquaintance of its writer in June when I quizzed Marion Grace Woolley.

Joanne Mallon was a change from fiction writers, and she shared social media lessons with us all.

Greg Jenner also kept us on the factual path, though in a light hearted way, and managed to add his book to many Christmas lists when I interviewed him and featured his book in July.

Stephie Chapman kept us amused with a summer romance read.

Zaro Weil put up with my questions and even sent me a copy of her eco-themed childrens book.

Mary Kendrick (lovely wife of Ed) shared her answers as she continues to write and move toward her goal of being a published author.

Mike Russell shared strange answers to be strange questions ans sent me a copy of his strange book in August.

And Elaine Spires tried (and failed) not to make me jealous of her second home when she answered my questions the following week.

Rob Grimes dared to bare all (metaphorically speaking) when it was his turn in the hot seat.

The lovely and snuggly Amanda Jennings also agreed to be quizzed - her dark books are far from her lovely friendly sunny nature! It's amazing how these authors have such awesome imaginations.

Dave Turner - who is quite funny if you pay him enough, also deigned to be a featured writer at the start of September.

Laura Clay was seeking a publisher when I interrogated her in the Autumn, I wonder if she has found one yet.

Autumn continued with an interview with Michael Wombat and his 'sexy, funny and bloody' tale.

And just before Halloween I talked to Adele Yeomans about her ghostly books.

Malerie Page increased the heat of my blog with her steamy sex stories in October.

And Sam Coleman shared his neurotic parenting woes and how he dealt with them through writing.

Lauren James also had a turn in the mastermind chair, answering questions on important life questions such as "Tea or Coffee?", and adding another book to the list of books I think my daughter would enjoy.

Josh Sutton carried us into November with promises of camping and delicious food. A change for me to interview a food writer and gourmet!

Ned Alexander took time away from fighting fires to tell me (and you ) about his secret biscuit choices, as well as his books.

Rachel Ward’s first book, Numbers, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and it was fun to talk to her about that, and sillier issues, such as genetic animal/vegetable crosses...

We then chatted to Anna Vaught who is writing while being a mum to small boys, sounds like a task and a half!

It has been great fun talking to all these authors and sharing the interviews. I look forward to the next batch! I hope you have enjoyed them too - please support authors by reading and reviewing their books and if there are any interviews you missed over the year, do pop back and have a read. I think I may need to re visit some of these authors next year to see where a year has taken them!

Wordy Wednesday with Marion Grace Woolley

This week I am thrilled to introduce Marion Grace Woolley, I have only just discovered her writing and have been given a copy of her most recent book as an audio book. It's simply blissful! So I'm really excited to read her replies to my interview questions, and learn a little more about her.

Marion Grace Woolley is the author of three previous novels and a collection of short stories. In 2009, she was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary for New Writers. She balances her creative impulses with a career in International Development; she has worked and travelled across Africa, Australia, Armenia, and a few other places beginning with 'A'. She is an associate member of the Society of Authors, and is currently at work on her fifth novel.

And so, to the questions:


What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good day’s writing?

1) Isolation. I find it incredibly difficult to write when there’s anyone else in the house. I need to be free to wander around in my PJs, talking to myself in funny voices, or simply to sit there and let my mind wander without anyone interrupting.

2) Internet Connection. I fully accept that this is a double-edged sword. If you have internet, you also have social media, and I think we can all agree that’s usually the death knell to a good day’s writing. On the other hand, you also have Wikipedia, YouTube tutorials, Google’s ‘define’ function, Etymology Online and a half-hundred other fabulous websites that lend rich authenticity to your work.

3) Movies, books and music – I know, that’s three things, so let’s just call it ‘Art’. Sometimes the magic just doesn’t flow. Often, it’s to do with emotion. To write emotion convincingly, it helps to feel it. It’s hard to write about love when you’ve just spent half-an-hour on hold to customer (dis)services, or to reduce your readers to tears when your head is still down the pub with your best mate the night before, making fart jokes and eating Monstermunch.

When you’re not in the mood, you need to get in the mood. Sometimes all it takes is a song, or a scene from a good film.

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! Can you survive on book writing alone?
if not, what else do you do?

I read a recent article saying one in ten writers make a full-time living from it. Considering how many writers there are on social media, I actually thought that was pretty good odds.

No, writing isn’t my main source of income. I’m an international development consultant.

Earlier in the year I also took over the country directorship for a human rights organisation in Rwanda, which is my second home. I first came here in 2007 as a volunteer sign language researcher with VSO, to develop Rwanda’s first dictionary of sign language.

I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit. It’s a slightly crazy life, but always eventful. I doubt many people can say they spent Christmas in Sierra Leone for a rest.

Even so, I work to buy the time to write. I’m just lucky that the type of work I do affords plenty of material.

What are your favourite biscuits?

Without hesitation: Bakers Romany Creams.

Chunky, chocolatey, coconutty goodness.

Where do you do most of your writing?

At the moment, on the couch. There’s an arse-shaped imprint when I go to get coffee.


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 do enjoy social media, I must admit. Though I’m still sore that Twitter took away its Discover button. My Twitter feed is clogged with ‘Buy me!’ book ads. The Discover channel was my only escape, where I’d do most of my retweeting.

I’m an avid blogger. As a kid, I always wanted to keep a diary, but my handwriting is shocking. Completely illegible. The moment they invented diaries you could type, there was no stopping me. I have several of them.

I also inherited a writing page on Facebook a couple of years back and it now has around sixty thousand likes. I put together a team of volunteers to help me run it. Although I try not to use social media for continuous self-promotion, I must admit to posting one or two links to my stuff on there. Sixty thousand – who wouldn’t?

As to whether it helps sales, I really don’t know. You’d probably be better asking my publishers. I just know that I enjoy it. I’ve certainly found a couple of new authors I like via conversations online, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility someone has found me.

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
My Kindle is my best friend. A whole library in my pocket! I’m still amazed by that.

But let’s get this straight – that doesn’t mean that I love paperbacks any less.

I’ve never understood this either-or schism. It isn’t the paper or the electrons that we’re in love with – it’s the story, the characters. Anything that gets people reading has got to be a good thing, right?

Yes, I have a Kindle. Yes, I have a bookshelf. No, I wouldn’t part with either.

In some cases, e-readers are revolutionary.

Let me give you an example. In my secret life as a development consultant, I recently worked with an incredible organisation in Rwanda called Isaro Foundation. Their main aim is to encourage a literary culture, and to get people reading and writing for pleasure.

They recently set up the country’s first ever e-library. They managed to get forty Kindles donated to a school, and a PC full of donated and free-to-download books. They trained teachers how to use the Kindles, and within a few months they recorded a 70% increase in young people reading for pleasure. It was a combination of traditional books being very expensive to obtain, and the fact the kids just loved playing with the technology.

How could anyone turn up their nose and say e-readers are inferior?

Do you dream in colour?

Multi-colour surround sound. I have been so fascinated with dreams in the past that the first novel I ever wrote was called Lucid. It’s published by Netherworld Books. They marketed it as horror, but it’s more about the link between dreaming and shamanism, the dream juices in our heads and those found in the world around us: in plants, in foods and entheogenic drugs.

Many of the dreams the characters have in that book were drawn from my own.

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?

Very little, I suspect.

I’d probably be a lot more ignorant, and a lot less empathetic.

Though I suppose it would depend on whether our oral storytelling culture had flourished in the absence of a written one. If so, then perhaps not all would be lost. Though being told a story, and being allowed to read it, is always a little different. In the first instance, the story belongs to the storyteller. In the second, it belongs to you.

It’s more likely I would have accidentally topped myself, there being no labels in the medicine cabinet.

What is your ideal holiday?

Funny you should ask that. Right now I am longing to head back to Blighty. I’ve been away from the UK for a year now, eight months of which I didn’t have a hot shower. I’ve been on a road trip through Laos which filled me with excitement, I’ve been to refugee camps in Congo which filled me with rage, and I’ve been to an elephant orphanage in Kenya that was so cute I was filled with fuzziness.

Now, I want to go home, see my family, take a hot bath and enjoy a nice, flat pint of beer.

Right now, I can think of no holiday finer.

Huge thanks to Marion for her thoughtful and interesting answers! Her latest book, Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is available now.

A young woman confronts her own dark desires, and finds her match in a masked conjurer turned assassin.

Inspired by Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, Marion Grace Woolley takes us on forbidden adventures through a time that has been written out of history books.
  
"...beneath the mists of time. I was the first, you see. The very first daughter. There would be many like me to come. Svelte little figures, each with saffron skin and wide, dark eyes. Every one possessing a voice like honey, able to twist the santur strings of our father’s heart."

It begins with a rumour, an exciting whisper. Anything to break the tedium of the harem for the Shah’s eldest daughter. People speak of a man with a face so vile it would make a hangman faint, but a voice as sweet as an angel’s kiss. A master of illusion and stealth. A masked performer, known only as Vachon.

For once, the truth will outshine the tales.
On her birthday, the Shah gifts his eldest daughter Afsar a circus. With it comes a man who will change everything.
Note: Mature subject matter

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Wordy Wednesday with Dr Sara Read

Today's Wordy Wednesday is a high culture affair, with none other than Dr Sara Read, who cunningly lured me into her historical literary works with promises of information about menstruation through the ages. Who wouldn't leap at the chance, well maybe you, but not me because I love that kind of weird detail of lives gone by. So with out further ado I present an interview with Sara...

When did you start writing?
I didn't write anything of any length until I went to university as a mature student in my early 30s

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Quiet (in a busy family and work life, this is sometime hard to find).
Good weather - this might sound strange but everything comes more easily to me when the sun is shining.
Coffee and biscuits.

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?
Absolutely not. I have learned over the years not to panic if I can't write at a particular moment, in the confidence that when the time is right the words will flow and they will be all the better for not forcing the issue. I do something else and come back to it now.

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! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?
I write both academic books and articles and books and articles for a broader readership. The academic books are part of my job a lecturer in English at a university. As lecturers our time is divided between teaching and research and we have an obligation to publish this research. So, my main income is from my lecturing job. I have the best of both worlds in many ways as I am employed part-time which gives me the space to write the non-academic social history publications too.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Choc chip cookies - my daughter makes the most amazing wheat free ones for me

Where do you do most of your writing?
At the kitchen table.

What book are you reading at the moment?
I am reading the diary of a Derbyshire vicar/physician from the eighteenth century for research and am reading One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner for relaxation

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 for engagement. It is fun and definitely drives sales. I'm @floweringbodies on Twitter. The name is a reference to my previous research. The most common name for periods in the seventeenth century was 'the flowers' and my first academic book Menstruation and the Female Body in Early Modern England (Palgrave, 2013) is a study of attitudes to the female reproductive body and the blood loss associated with significant moments in a woman's reproductive life (menarche, menstruation, lochial bleeding, menopause).  
Twitter is great for those interested in social history too. There is large body of people using the 'twitterstorians' hashtag which links to all sorts of interesting facts from images to blogs.

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
I do own an e-reader but have only used it a handful of times. I like paper books.

Do you dream in colour?
yes!

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
garden more, listen to music more, walk the dog more.

What is your ideal holiday?
With my family, somewhere warm and sunny where I can have a mixture of interesting sight-seeing trips and relaxing, reading, pool days.

Dr Read's current book is Maids, Wives, Widows and is available for £15.99 via http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/

 Maids, Wives, Widows is a lively exploration of the everyday lives of women in early modern England, from 1540-1740. The book uncovers details of how women filled their days, what they liked to eat and drink, what jobs they held, and how they raised their children. With chapters devoted to beauty regimes, fashion, and literature, the book also examines the cultural as well as the domestic aspect of early modern women's lives. Further, the book answers questions such as how women understood and dealt with their monthly periods and what it was like to give birth in a time before modern obstetric care was available.
The book also highlights key moments in women's history such as the publication in 1671, of the first midwifery guide by an English woman, Jane Sharp. The turmoil caused by the Civil Wars of the 1640s gave rise to a number of religious sects in which women participated to a surprising extent and some of their stories are included in this book. Also scrutinised are cases of notorious criminals such as murderer Sarah Malcolm and confidence trickster Mary Toft who pretended to give birth to rabbits.<< probably worth reading for this alone tbh!
 
Overall the book describes the experiences of women over a two hundred year period noting the changes and continuities of daily life during this fascinating era.

Thank you to Dr Sara Read for answering my questions and for joining in Wordy Wednesday.

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Book review and a giveaway - Manga Shakespeare

Last year DD and I went to Wilderness Festival and in preparation for seeing As You Like It in the woods we decided we should familiarise ourselves with the plot so that we wouldn't become confused. Of course we were confused a bit - Shakespeare designs the play that way.

The play is a humorous look at love, marriage, deceit and confusion.

It is, as the manga version declares

 "the age old story : brothers quarrel, boy meets girl, boy becomes man; four weddings, two reconciliations - and a girl who dresses like a boy. Well each to their own, nobody's perfect, and ... as you like it"

As You Like It is part of Manga Shakespeare, a series of graphic novel adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays. If you want to get kids into reading then graphic novels can be a great way to start. This book was fun to read and the pictures are very cute, drawn by the Chie Kutsuwada. She is a London based award winning manga artist.

Whether you like manga or Shakespeare or both this book is a nice addition to a library. To avoid extra confusion there is a plot summary at the end of the book, along with a brief history of Shakespeare's life.

Now that we have seen the play (which was brilliant!) and read the book I'm offering it to another reader. It is in pristine condition, I read so carefully the spine is not even creased. Perfect to read or as a gift.

If you would like to own this book (and you live in the UK) use the Rafflecopter entry form below and I'll post it to the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway