Interview with historical romance author Danelle Harmon

Danelle Harmon writes historical romances. She's touring her de Montforte Brothers series of books and is here to give us the scoop. The four novels are: The Wild One, The Beloved One, The Defiant One, and The Wicked One.

She's also going to be awarding a digital copy of book two, The Beloved One to one randomly drawn commentor at EVERY stop and a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commentor during the tour. So, leave an e-mail address with a comment to be entered to win. And visit her other tour stops for more chances to win.

Bio:

Bestselling, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author Danelle Harmon is the author of ten books, previously published in print and distributed in many languages throughout the world. 

Though a Massachusetts native, she has lived in Great Britain and is married to an Englishman; she and her husband make their home in New England with their daughter Emma and numerous animals including four dogs, an Egyptian Arabian horse, and numerous pet chickens. Danelle welcomes e-mail from her readers and can be reached at danelle@danelleharmon.com.

Welcome Danelle. Please tell us about the de Montforte Brothers series.

The de Montforte Brothers series is set largely in Georgian England during the 1770s and follows the love stories and adventures of four gorgeous aristocratic brothers, headed by the eldest, Lucien, who is the fifth Duke of Blackheath. Each brother has been given a nickname by the locals which is also the title of his book: Lord Gareth, the ne'er do well black sheep of the family, is The Wild One; Lord Charles, the brave and noble soldier, is The Beloved One; Lord Andrew, the gifted, reclusive inventor, is The Defiant One; and the duke, who spends the series matchmaking and manipulating his brothers into marriage with cunning delight, finally gets his comeuppance in his tale, The Wicked One. Though each book can be read as a stand-alone, I think they are best enjoyed read in order in the series.

What inspired you to write this series?

I got the idea for the de Montforte brothers while my husband and I were still living in England. We were married in, and lived, in a little town named Abingdon-on-Thames, and it figured into the setting for The Wild One. At the time, I had just finshed another book for my publisher and was casting around for a new storyline, and the idea of a handsome quartet of brothers came to me. I went into this venture with some definite ideas -- indeed, one of the brothers was supposed to be, and remain dead, but he surprised me (much as he did some other members of his family) when that proved not to be the case at all! But isn't that half the fun, to be surprised?

What exciting story are you working on next?

During my long sabbatical from writing, I received many emails from readers who wanted to know if, and when, Lady Nerissa de Montforte (the youngest of the de Montforte siblings) was going to get her own book. When we last saw her and Perry, the earl of Brookhampton, it might have appeared that the two were going to have their happily-ever-after … but Perry's ordeal in The Wicked One has left him dark, dangerous — and damaged — and Nerissa's brother the duke no longer wants his little sister marrying this man. Will Perry's need for revenge against the duke overpower his abiding love for Nerissa? That's something even I have yet to find out! In the meantime, I'm in the process of re-releasing (with some light revisions and editing) my entire backlist of ten books for e-readers; look for a new title to be available every six weeks or so, with updates and news posted on my website and Facebook page.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Becoming an author was never, for me, an actual, focused intention -- I wanted to be a veterinarian. But I loved to write stories as a child and as a teen — horse stories, usually — and in my 20s I became fascinated with the local story of pirate Captain "Black Sam" Bellamy and his ship, Whydah, which went down in a storm off of Cape Cod in 1717. Bellamy died in the shipwreck, leaving his lady-love mourning him from the windswept cliffs that overlooked the wreck site, and the story haunted me … I ended up doing volunteer work for Barry Clifford, who found and is still salvaging the Whydah, and during that time, fulfilled Sam's and Maria's unrequited love story by writing my first "real" book, which was eventually published under the title Pirate in My Arms by Avon. It went on to be a national bestseller and I guess it was then that I actually first considered myself a "writer."

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I can write full time, but I don't, as I'm not a regimented person and have never been able to sit down and keep to a tight schedule of either page count or hours put in. Instead, I try to write something every day, and there are days where the words flow, and others … not so much. On the good days, I may write for hours on end, but even that is hard to do, as I'm also a full time mom and also have four dogs and a horse, so it can be hard to find solid blocks of uninterrupted time to "get in the zone" and write. Subsequently, I probably do my best (that is, most uninterrupted!) work late, late at night after the rest of the house (including the four dogs!) have gone to bed.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I'm not sure I have any, though I do find it fun to try and envision actors, both present and past, who might best play the role of each of my heroes if ever any of my books made it to film. But I don't usually share that information (though I have my own very definite ideas!) because part of the magic of reading is that it allows each person's imagination (whether that person is the author or the reader) to envision a character exactly as they wish to envision it. I may paint a word picture, but when it comes to hard visuals, it's probably best left to the reader's imagination!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I'm still waiting to grow up! But in my younger years, I wanted to be a veterinarian! I've always surrounded myself with animals, and love them dearly!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of you who have stopped by to visit me on this stop on my blog tour, who have taken the time to buy and read my books, and to let readers know that I love hearing from you! Don't forget to stop by my website or "like" me on Facebook to be kept up-to-date on news and new releases! Have a wonderful summer, and thank you, Lisa, for hosting me! It has been a pleasure and an honor!

It's been a pleasure, Danelle. Happy touring!

Readers, don't forget to leave your e-mail with a comment if you'd like to be entered for either of the giveaways!

The first book in the series, The Wild One is priced at $0.99 at all outlets. Here are the buy links:

For Kindle Users (Amazon.com)

For Nook users (B&N)

Included in list of Danelle Harmon books for Kobo readers
       

Interview with author Sarah Tate

Today's guest is author Sarah Tate, who has written two books based on her personal experience. The focus today is on her first book, Web of Lies – My Life with a Narcissist.

Bio:

Sarah Tate is a British single mother living and working in Switzerland. She arrived in Switzerland eleven years ago and apart from a brief stay in France, has remained ever since. Sarah has three young kids, who take up most of her time, but she still managed to find time to write her first book Web of Lies - My Life with a Narcissist. 

The book is an autobiographical novel which describes in graphic details, the ups and downs of life with a person who suffers from (amongst other things) Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Web of Lies gives a deep insight into what it's like to be sucked into the world of a disordered individual, and more importantly, how to escape with your sanity intact. Her second book, Renaissance - A Journal of Discovery is also now available. It describes the road to recovery from narcissistic abuse, and charts the progress of Sarah and her children as they rebuild their lives following the breakup of the family, and slowly come to terms with the devastation caused by Sarah's ex. Sarah is currently working on her third book.

Welcome, Sarah. Please tell us about your current release.

Web of Lies is an autobiographical novel, written in the first person. It begins with my arrival in Switzerland and tells the story of how I met (or thought I’d met) the love of my life. Marriage and children quickly follow, but the reader knows from the start that things just aren’t right.  The whole story unfolds for the reader as it happened for me, and I keep the reader with me through everything I felt and experienced during this extraordinary period of my life.

Narcissists and sociopaths live amongst us, yet because they are mostly undiagnosed many people don’t even recognize their character traits, and can be easily left distraught and confused thinking that they are the ones with the problem. 

By telling my story and sharing it with the world, I hope to help other women (and men) who have fallen for the seemingly endless (yet superficial) charms of one of these individuals. 

This is not a self-help book, but an honest and emotional account of what it feels like to be entangled in the world of a person whose reality is different to our own.  Leading psychologist, Dr. David Holmes, recommends the book to his psychology students as an extremely valuable case study. Apart from being a gripping read, it’s an important book for all those who have suffered in an unhappy relationship. 

What inspired you to write this book?

The book is an honest and open account of what happened to me in this relationship. It wasn’t until I was free of the relationship that I began to research it, and discovered how these personality traits manifest themselves. I wanted to write a true-life account to give ordinary people a chance to see how easy it is to get sucked into a situation like this, and to give them hope that it can be overcome. You can get away, and you can repair the damage that is done, but you need to fully understand what you’re dealing with. Web of Lies will enable many people to identify elements of their own situation, and hopefully help them to spot the red flags. It’s a useful tool for anybody who feels they may be in contact with a toxic personality, regardless of whether they are in a personal relationship with them or not.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have already published the sequel to Web of Lies. It’s called Renaissance – A Journal of Discovery, and it documents the road to recovery for my children and me. Most people who have read Web of Lies then go on to read Renaissance.

I’m currently working on my third book, which is a novel called The Middle Aged Twist.  It’s the story of two friends who got to know each other against the backdrop of the early nineties, when they were both young students. Times were wild back then, and both were drawn into a world of excessive drinking and recreational drug use.

Their lives subsequently take very different paths, but as a result of the experiences in their youth, they share a common affliction which affects a high percentage of the population today, namely, depression and addiction. The book is an account of how they both deal with their demons in completely contrasting ways. It’s a very contemporary book and I’ve spent a lot of time researching the subject matter. I’m looking forward to completing it and getting it published.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I first began to get critical recognition for Web of Lies.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Sadly not! I’m a typical ‘struggling’ Author. Not many of us are lucky enough to break into the big time. I work as a professional in the Aerospace industry in order to support my family. Writing is a hobby, and also a dream! I have ideas going around in my head all the time, but it’s difficult to find the time to actually sit down at the PC and put everything down on paper. As a single mum of three wonderful, vibrant children, I have to be incredibly disciplined about my writing. I mostly write in the evenings when they are settled, or I’ll snatch an hour here and there at the weekends when they are playing with friends. As any working mum knows, it’s a juggling game, but I enjoy writing and will continue to do it as long as I can find the energy!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I need silence. No TV, no radio, no music, and no people around me. The words won’t flow satisfactorily if there are any distractions (which is why I have to wait for the children to be asleep or out). I like to get completely submerged in each chapter as I write it. I tend to write quickly and therefore I need to set aside blocks of at least an hour at a time when I know I won’t be disturbed. I write a plan of what I want to achieve and I to stick to it.

Oh, and there’s usually caffeine involved as well!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was very small I always wanted to do something in creative arts such as acting or singing. As I grew I changed my minded and wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer. I ended up going in a totally different direction though!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thanks to everybody who has read my books so far.

I hope the readers all enjoy reading my books as much I enjoyed writing them. I welcome all kinds of constructive feedback and always try to reply to the readers who e-mail me personally to talk about their own situations. It may take a while, but I do my best!

Please feel free to join me on Facebook or my Blog to keep up to date with my writing career or ask any questions regarding the books.

Sarah, thank you so much for joining us today. Writing about such personal experiences must be so challenging.

New interview with historical fiction author Grace Elliot

I'm happy to welcome Grace Elliot back to Reviews and Interviews. We first met her in May when she stopped by to talk about her debut historical romance novel. Now with a new novel out, titled Eulogy's Secret, she's here to tell us some more.

Bio:
Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace works in a companion animal practice near London and is housekeeping staff to five moggies, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig. She turned to writing as an antidote to the stress of modern life and believes intelligent people have the greatest need to read romance!

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Grace. Please tell us about your newest release.
Set in regency London, Eulogy’s Secret is a story of greed, prejudice and a stolen identity.

In the four weeks since her guardians’ death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything. Penniless and alone she seeks the help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin throws Eulogy onto the streets and the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley. As Eulogy seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and artists, where her morals are challenged and all is deception.

Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures - and when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change forever. As his attraction to Eulogy grows, caught in a deadlock with both denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone seeks to silence Eulogy….forever.

What inspired you to write this book?
I’m a writing addict and always looking for inspiration for the next story. Eulogy’s Secret came about after seeing a poster on the London Underground for a memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall. One word on that poster stuck in my mind - “Eulogy” - and it struck me what an enigmatic name Eulogy would make for a character. I wondered what would lead a parent to call their child ‘Eulogy’ - perhaps the death of the mother in childbirth, or another and even more tragic circumstance….But to answer ‘why’ and find out what Eulogy’s secret is….you’ll have to read the book!

One of the themes explored in this book is that people are not always what they appear, and personal prejudice can blind you to the truth - be it good or bad. Although set in Georgian London with its strict social hierarchy, prejudice is alive and well in the 21st century and therefore a theme still pertinent today.

What’s the next writing project?
I’m hard at work at book two in The Huntley Trilogy (working title Hope’s Betrayal.) Each book features one of the three Huntley brothers and the hero in Hope’s Betrayal is the dashing naval captain, George Huntley. I know when the writing is going well when I dream about the characters - and even if I say so myself, Captain George Huntley is a humdinger of a man, whom I’m totally in love with. I can’t wait to finish writing this book so that I can unleash Captain Huntley on the world and spread the infatuation!

Hope’s Betrayal is going to be an action packed historical romance with smuggling skullduggery, treachery and of course….a love that brings Captain Huntley to his knees.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
The biggest challenge to me is easily - time! Finding time to write in amongst going to work, being a taxi driver to my two sons, cleaning, cooking, ironing, and the million other things that a woman has to do, can be challenging in the extreme! That said, lack of time does focus the mind wonderfully and can be a great motivator. I’ve noticed that I can be at my least productive when I have all day - something to do, I suspect, with procrastination being a default setting.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
Research is an organic process that involves constant growth. I always have a non-fiction (history) book on the go, alongside whatever novel I’m currently reading - this helps give me a broad sweep of knowledge for background, manners, etc.

The first draught of a novel involves writing at full pelt and underlining any passages that need checking for historical accuracy. I also have a special file for noting areas where research is needed, so as the second draught takes shape I know where the work has to be done. That said, I love research, and each novel has its own A4 notebook where I draw costumes and annotate them, sketch street plans for Georgian London and other such details that make the piece truly alive on the page.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
I write in a converted garage that is now our dining room. It’s a light and bright space with a window that takes up the width of the room. Beneath that window is an old leopard-print sofa which doubles as ‘my writing space.’

I work best here because it’s away from the distraction of TV and there’s plenty of room for Widget, one of my five cats, to snuggle against my leg. Widget helps my writing productivity no end because when I get up for a comfort break she will pinch the warm spot - so unless I want to risk one of her long suffering looks by moving her when I get back, it’s best to stay put for as long as possible.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
I read anything and everything, but my first love will always be historical romance. That said, having an ereader has broadened out my reading tastes because the price makes trying new authors less of a risk. I recently read The Hunger Games (because I’d heard good things…and they were cheap!) and loved them. I’m currently rediscovering some books I loved in the 80’s - the Poldark series by Winston Graham (anybody remember the TV series?) and I love discovering new and independent authors such as Rose Gordon (Regency romances) and Elizabeth Marshall (historical fantasy, reminiscent of Diane Gabaldon.)

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
Any of your readers who have visited my blog will recognize my fascination for historical trivia. This minor obsession has triggered a non-fiction book to be launched in December 2011.

Cat Pies is a compilation of light-hearted but interested articles about feline-related historical trivia - such as did the Victorian’s eat cat meat, who invented the cat flap, and what links cats to Jack the Ripper?

Well that’s me done. Thank you for reading and thanks especially to Lisa for hosting me today!

Buy links for my book include:
Smashwords
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble

Thanks for stopping by again, Grace. Keep on writing!

Interview with mystery author Carola Dunn

Today at Reviews and Interviews we have mystery author Carola Dunn.

Welcome, Carola. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and grew up in England. After graduating from Manchester University (Russian and French), I set out to travel around the world. I made it halfway, to Fiji, but then returned to the US to marry a Californian. If I'd foreseen the future, I'd have studied Spanish. After 20 years mostly in Southern California, I moved to Eugene, Oregon, where I now live, with my border collie, Trillian. I still visit California often, as my surfer/schoolteacher son and my grandkids are there. Though I've been in the US for over 40 years, I still sound thoroughly English (as if I stepped off the boat yesterday, people say) and most of my books are set there, giving me an excuse to go back to do research.

I wrote my first book, a Regency, in 1979, proceeding thereafter to produce 32 Regencies plus 4 novella anthologies (all now available as e-books). I was writing for two publishers when, within 6 months, both stopped publishing the genre. I switched to writing mysteries and have never regretted it. I now write two series, the Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries (1920s) and the Cornish Mysteries (1960s), both published by Minotaur.

Please tell us about your current release.
Anthem for Doomed Youth is the nineteenth of my Daisy Dalrymple mystery series, set in England in the 1920s. Daisy is a journalist and an accidental sleuth—she just can't seem to help getting involved in suspicious deaths. Since the ninth book, she has been married to Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. She now has toddler twins, as well as a teenage stepdaughter.

In Anthem for Doomed Youth, Alec is called in to investigate the discovery of three bodies buried on the outskirts of London. He's in a race to find out what links the three and to catch the killer before he strikes again.

This upsets his plans to attend his daughter's boarding school sports day. Instead, Daisy goes with friends who have girls at the same school. Exploring a maze in a public garden, the girls find the body of their least-favourite teacher. To protect the children from police interrogation at the hands of an incompetent and obnoxious detective, Daisy does her best to discover the murderer.

Then it seems that Alec's investigation is converging with Daisy's, that maybe one killer is responsible for all four deaths... And that the Law may clash with Daisy's idea of Justice!

What inspired you to write this book?
Too many news stories about soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from horrendous wounds, both physical and mental. Now we call the latter PTSD, a nice clean clinical acronym; it used to be known as shell-shock, then battle fatigue.

This came together with the First World War poem by Wilfred Owen, whose title I use for the book. (Owen was killed in action a week before the Armistice.) Though the general tone of the series is lighthearted, many of the books have characters damaged in one way or another by the war. Daisy herself lost her brother and her fiancé. In Anthem for Doomed Youth, I explore the theme more deeply, with the multiple murders all having their roots in the aftermath—the unhealed wounds—of war.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Gone West, the next Daisy book, is "in production" at my publishers. It's a much less serious story set in the Derbyshire Dales. I'm currently working on the third Cornish mystery, Valley of the Shadow. Like Anthem, it has a serious theme, though the treatment is quite light-hearted. I don't know what's come over me!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably 1982, when I sold my second and third books, so the first could no longer be regarded as sheer fluke.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I've been writing full-time since 1988. I work 6 days a week, about 6 hours at the computer, plus time for research. Not to mention that ideas pop up at 2 a.m. Or when I'm walking the dog. In a way, it's really a 24/7 job, especially if you include the promotion aspect.

Walking the dog, gardening, reading—that's pretty much what I do other than writing.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
An obsession with words. Until I find exactly the right word, I can't go on. I spend a lot of time checking words and phrases to make sure they were current at the period I'm writing about—one of the disadvantages of writing historical fiction.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Briefly, I wanted to be a pilot. Apart from that, I never did decide. It was when my (ex)husband said it was past time I chose a proper career that I sat down and wrote my first book, just to put off the evil moment.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Drop in to say hi on my blog/website or on Facebook.

Thanks for being here today, Carola. I didn't hear any UK accent at all. :)

Interview and blog stop with crime author Geraldine Evans

Today we get to meet crime author Geraldine Evans as just one of her many stops in a month-long blog tour. She's also giving away a few prizes to lucky commentors.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I've been writing since my 20s, though only began to actually finish novels when I hit 30. I have written the popular Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series; Casey & Catt, a second crime series; a published historical, Reluctant Queen, under the name Geraldine Hartnett, about the little sister of Henry VIII; a romance, Land of Dreams, set in the Canadian Arctic; and articles on a variety of subjects, including, Historical Biography, Writing, Astrology, Palmistry and other New Age subjects. I've also written a dramatization of Dead Before Morning, the first book in my Rafferty series.

I am a Londoner, but now live in Norfolk, England where I moved, with my husband George, in 2000.

Deadly Reunion is my 18th novel and 14th in the humorous Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series.

Please tell us about Deadly Reunion: A Rafferty & Llewellyn crime novel.
Detective Inspector Joe Rafferty is barely back from his honeymoon before he has two unpleasant surprises. Not only has he another murder investigation - a poisoning at a school reunion, he also has four new lodgers, courtesy of his Ma, Kitty Rafferty. Ma is organising her own reunion and since getting on the internet, the Rafferty and Kelly reunion attendees have grown, like Topsy. In his murder investigation, Rafferty has to go back in time to learn of all the likely motives of the victim's fellow reunees But it is only when he is reconciled to his unwanted lodgers, that Rafferty finds the answers to his most important questions.

What inspired you to write this book?
I suppose it was having attended my own school reunion, with all its remembered emotions and relationships.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I hope it’s exciting! It’s called Kith and Kill and is another Rafferty & Llewellyn crime story. It concerns the murder of Sophia Egerton on her 90th birthday, with all her family in the house. As the investigation gets under way, it’s clear that there are a number of festering emotions amongst the family both towards each other and towards the dead woman. Whilst the murder investigation is continuing, Rafferty has to somehow get his own family on his side about what to choose for a present for his Ma on the occasion of a triple anniversary. But then, once he’s got them to his point of view, he has to get them to change their minds back. But Ma has a mind of her own, as events remind him.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve always considered myself a writer, even if it was without being consciously aware of it and even though, as a child, it would never have occurred to me that that was what I was. Although I don’t come from a writerly family, I was always a real book-worm and got high marks for my stories at school. I started trying to write properly while I was in my twenties, but it wasn’t till I reached the milestone age of thirty that I knuckled under and actually finished a book. I wrote a book a year for six years, only the last of which was actually published. They were all romances. After my seventh effort at a romance was rejected, I felt like murdering someone. So I did. I turned to crime.

My first crime novel, Dead Before Morning, was plucked from MacMillan’s slush pile and published in hb and pb in both the UK and the US. I’ve just brought it out as an ebook on kindle, etc. It was the first in my Rafferty & Llewellyn series and I’m now writing number fifteen.

Please tell us a bit about Dead Before Morning: A Rafferty & Llewellyn crime novel.
Detective Inspector Joseph Rafferty is investigating his first murder since his promotion. What a shame the victim is a girl with no name, found in a place she had no business being – a private psychiatric hospital. With everyone denying knowing anything about the victim, Rafferty has his work cut out, so he could do without his Ma setting him another little problem: that of getting his cousin ‘Jailhouse Jack’ out of the cells. Although he has no shortage of suspects, proof is not so plentiful. It is only when he remembers his forgotten promise to get his cousin out of the cells that Rafferty gets the first glimmer that leads to the solution to the case.

Here's a link to the trailer for Dead Before Morning.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?
Yes, I write full-time now, though I probably shouldn’t. Alas, no one wants to employ me. I tend to start the day checking my emails, which now, because I’m a member of so many lists, takes half the day! Once I’ve the emails done, I’ll attend to whatever’s in the in-tray. In January, it was organizing and preparing for this Blog Tour. I’ve also been filling in forms and signing up for this and that. I’ve been preparing for my next talk. Once I’ve done all that, I try to find time for my writing. Lately, I find I have to practically make an appointment with myself to actually get on with the next novel.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write in the living room on my laptop with the TV blaring out daytime telly programmes (my husband’s retired and he only has summer hobbies (metal detecting and fishing). I keep trying to suggest other hobbies for him to do, but it’s no go. I used to work in my little office upstairs, but it’s far warmer in the living room and it’s nearer the kettle! I’m fortunate in that I can work whatever the conditions. I used to write in works’ restaurants and rooms where the staff would take their break during my lunch hours, with the noisy hubbub of my co-workers all around me. Just as well I’m starting to go deaf!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m not sure I can remember that far back! God! What did I want to do? As little as possible I think. Marry a rich man and retire, probably. I didn’t quite manage to get that Sugar Daddy, although I got the Daddy part as my (entirely sugarless) husband is nineteen years older than me. Perhaps if I’d been born a generation later I would have had a particular ambition. But women of my generation and class didn’t have careers, so had no reason to nurse ambitions unlikely to reach fulfilment. It was unlikely in the extreme, even though I was a keen reader and always got top marks for my stories at school, that I would become a writer. I still regard it as something akin to a miracle that I am one.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I think I might be the example your readers are seeking to encourage them to get started writing. I’m the major exam failure of working-class parents and grew up on a south London Council estate. I went to a State school for the less academically-inclined and left at sixteen. If there was anyone less likely to become a writer that person is me. So that’s your last excuse disposed of. If I can do it, so can you!

People can visit me at my site, or my blog.

I also have a couple of giveaways to commenters during my tour. Gifts include: a signed copy of Deadly Reunion, my latest hardback (Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series), a copy of the e-book Dead Before Morning , a copy of the e-book Down Among the Dead Men, and a subscription to my blog.


Geraldine, thank you so much for your time today. It sounds like you're on quite a writing roll, and I wish you all the best with future publications.