Twenty Questions with... Kathleen McGurl

I am delighted to welcome fellow Carina UK author Kathleen McGurl onto my blog today, author of The Emerald Comb, released a couple of weeks ago.

Grab a brew and make yourself comfortable for a round of twenty questions that features John O'Groats, Orinoco (yes, the Womble), and wise words from Joe Konrath.

ACT ONE – all about you…

Kathleen McGurl lives near the sea in Bournemouth, with her husband, sons and cats. She began her writing career creating short stories, and sold dozens to women’s magazines in the UK and Australia. Then she got side-tracked onto family history research – which led eventually to writing novels with genealogy themes. She has always been fascinated by the past, and the ways in which the past can influence the present., and enjoys exploring these links in her novels. 

When not writing or working at her full-time job in IT, she likes to go out running or sea-swimming, both of which she does rather slowly. She is definitely quicker at writing.

You can find out more at her website, http://kathleenmcgurl.com/, or follow her on Twitter @KathMcGurl.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

I was always going to be a writer, when I had the time! From a young age it was something I aspired to. During  my first maternity leave, before my son was born I started a novel. Then the baby came along, he wasn’t a sleeper and I found I hadn’t the time to write. Also, this was back in the mid-nineties and we had no computer. I’ve since found that I need to type a first draft for best results! It was about 10 years ago that I finally, properly started writing and since then I have not looked back.

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

Style-wise, I think I have two ‘voices’. There’s one I use on my womagwriter blog which is chatty and friendly, and worked well for my two ‘how to write’ books. Then there’s the voice I use for novel writing. 

Writing rituals – no. I have none. I just sit down on the sofa when I have time, and get on with it, trying not to be too distracted by social media!

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

I think writers are influenced to some extent by everything they read, and I have always read a wide and varied selection of books. I love timeslip or dual timeline novels, and those by Kate Morton and Katherine Webb are my favourites, so I guess I’ve been more influenced by those two authors than anyone else.

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

Yes. I think it was on Joe Konrath’s blog that I came across the quote -  There’s a word for a writer who never gives up: Published. 

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

Ooh! Right then, here goes:

1 – I once cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End, carrying camping gear on my bike panniers. It took 3 weeks and it rained every day.

2 – I love sewing and craft skills, and have reupholstered nearly every item of furniture in my house and my mum’s flat. I gave up doing upholstery when I began writing. Now the sofas are wearing out again – maybe I’ll need to go back to it!

3 – I have a full set of Womble pencil top figures, collected when I was 10. My favourite is Orinoco.

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

1 – My Kindle. Love it to bits.

2 – Moisturiser. Though it’s more of an essential than a luxury.

3 – My fit-flops. World’s most comfortable footwear.

4 – My laptop. Current one is a hand-me-down from my son. You know your kids have grown up when they start passing their electronics on to you rather than the other way round.

5 – My leather jacket. After coveting one for 25 years I finally bought it earlier this year and now I don’t understand how I managed without it.

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Some secrets are best left buried...

One afternoon, Katie takes a drive to visit Kingsley House, the family home of her ancestors, the St Clairs. She falls in love the minute she sees it. It may be old and in desperate need of modernisation, but it is her link to the past and, having researched her family tree extensively, she feels a sense of belonging to the crumbling old estate.

When it suddenly comes up for sale, she cannot resist persuading her family to sell up and buy it, never telling them the truth of their connection with it. But soon the past collides with the present, as the house begins to reveal the secrets it has hidden for generations. Does Katie really want to discover what she has come from?

7) Congratulations on your recent release of The Emerald Comb, what was your inspiration for writing Katie's story?

I’d researched my own family tree, and wrote a novella based on it (self-published as Mr Cavell’s Diamond). Then I started thinking, what if you dug up more than you bargained for? What if you discovered skeleton’s in your family history closet? And so The Emerald Comb was born.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

The historical section flowed well. The contemporary sections took more work as they had to fit around the historical story. If I get stuck on a scene I tend to leave it and push on with the next one. Chances are when I come back to it I’ll decide I don’t need the difficult scene anyway.

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

Hmm, let me think. I started writing it in March 2012. It was complete by the summer of 2013 and I submitted it to some agents around that time. But it was a year later in June 2014 that I sent it to Carina and was offered a two book deal on the back of it.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

What a great question! I think this bit, from the prologue, will do nicely:

Read this only after I am dead, after I am buried. Read this and understand why you must never sell Kingsley House. You must live in it until the end of your days, guarding its secrets, as I have.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about The Emerald Comb, to make us rush out and buy it?

There’s a lot of fascination with family history research. The TV programme Who Do You Think You Are has been very popular. My character Katie thinks she knows her ancestry but has she got it right? Her ancestors had dark secrets which they’ve buried deeply – can Katie ever uncover the truth?

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now? 

I’m working on another timeslip novel – this one is part 1944 and part contemporary, and has a supernatural element.

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Plotter. Mostly.

14) Digital books or print books?

Both. Print for keepers, digital for holidays/long journeys/reading in bed.

15) Tea or coffee?

Both! Tea first then coffee, and back to tea in the afternoon.

16) Extrovert or introvert?

Introvert.

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook. Though Twitter’s growing on me.

18) Christmas or birthday? 

Christmas. Definitely. 

19) Morning person or night owl?

Neither – middle of the day for me!

20) Sweet or savoury?

Savoury. Except chocolate, obviously.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Kath, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Kathleen McGurl, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Website     Facebook     Twitter

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

Release date: 22nd September 2014

ISBN: 9781474007504

Carina UK

Amazon UK ¦ US

Nook UK ¦ B&N

Kobo

Google Books

iBooks

Twenty Questions with... A.L. Michael

I am delighted to welcome fellow Carina UK chum, A.L. Michael, onto my blog today, author of The Last Word.

You can read even more about her and her London roots here.

ACT ONE – all about you…

A.L. Michael is a twenty something writer from London. She works as a creative facilitator, running workshops in creative writing, writing for wellbeing, and children's lessons. She has a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing, an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, and is working towards an MsC in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes. She is not at all reliant on her student discount card.

When she's not writing or talking about writing, she bakes, runs, plays with her puppy, and gets continually distracted by shiny things on Pinterest.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

Always, absolutely always. I decided at 11 that it was what I wanted to do, and I never wavered.

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

When I was younger I’d make a black coffee, have a cigarette and sit down to write. The only thing missing from the cliche was a beret and some bongos. Now I just sit and get on with it. Usually I do admin in the morning, and by early afternoon I’ve worked my way into it.

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

I think the books you read when you’re younger really influence you, and Sarra Manning always had a big effect. I read her column and her books through reading J17 Magazine as a kid, and just was absorbed. I still read her books now. It was the first time I thought ‘there are authors out there, who do this as their job, who are real people’. It was an exciting thought!

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

It’s my main one, and it’s sort of a pet peeve: if you’re talking about writing, you’re not writing. Don’t waste time telling people about your characters or that line in chapter 12 that’s just genius- WRITE! I feel like talking dilutes your story, and it stops it being about you. The writers I know who want to talk about their work all the time never seem to finish a book.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

I’m half Greek Cypriot.
I can only sing ‘How Much Is That Doggy In The Window’ backwards, because Mum thought it would be funny.
I am obsessed with Corgis.

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

My Mac! Do everything on it to the point where it may as well be attached.
My Iphone- ditto.
Benefit make-up, because it’s magical and the designs are all really cool.
Wine! That’s a luxury, right?
My Kindle- I’m a convert. Plus I have less back pain from lugging around books in my bag all the time.

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Tabby Riley’s online life was a roaring success. Her blog had hundreds of followers, and legions of young fans ardently awaited her every Tweet. Her real life was a bit more of a disappointment. Living in a shared flat in North London, scratching a living writing magazine articles on ‘How To Please Your Man in Bed’ wasn’t where she thought she’d be at twenty-six – especially when there was a serious lack of action in her own bedroom.

Although that might all be about to change when she’s offered a position at online newspaper The Type as a real journalist – and gains a sexy new editor, Harry Shulman, to work with. Harry’s confident, smooth talking, and completely aware that he drives Tabby mad. Which is fine, because Tabby’s dated an editor before, and it’s never happening again. Ever. But as her reputation at the paper grows, Tabby has to wonder: is it time to get out from behind the screen and live her life in the real world?

7) Congratulations on your recent release of The Last Word, what was your inspiration for writing Tabby’s story?

I felt a lot like Tabby at the time of writing it- I was mid-twenties, in a bit of a career slump, and nothing seemed to be changing. I wanted to write about what it felt like to be a graduate, in one of the greatest cities in the world, and feeling stagnant and irritated that these big dreams weren’t happening.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

It happened pretty naturally, but I think that’s because I was writing it just for me. I’d never planned to even show it to anybody!

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

I wrote it over a few months, maybe five or so? Then I left it until I saw Carina accepting submissions, did some editing, and sent it off. I think they got back about six weeks later. So in total it was just under a year from creation to being accepted.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

‘So, how are you, Tabby? Good weekend?’ 

Tabby thought back to the five am trip back on the nightbus, and how she’d narrowly avoided throwing up in a rubbish bin on the side of the road, ‘I’d call it a success. You?’

‘Oh, absolutely a success.’ How did he get his eyes to twinkle like that? And his voice had lowered to a deliciously dirty level. Her lips quirked up, and then she shook it off, trying to get back to professionalism. If there was anything she’d learnt since her journalistic fall from grace all those years ago, it was ‘Do not trust your editor’. And whilst Harry was cute, he was also an arsehole. An arsehole who was there to make money from her. So there was no point playing nice.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about The Last Word, to make us rush out and buy it?

There’s lots of snarky, sarcastic banter between the characters, lots of sexual tension and great friendships. I let me characters actually have the right comebacks at the right time, because I never do!

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?

My next novel, Without You To Hold, comes out in the autumn, and it’s Christmassy and lovely, and I’m really excited about it. After that a return to snarky, angry girls of London in The Young and Bitter Club, which will be out in the new year.

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Tiny bit of plotter, mostly pantser

14) Digital books or print books?

Both! Digital mostly, print for beautiful editions.

15) Tea or coffee?

Tea, unless I need a massive boost.

16) Extrovert or introvert?

Highly functioning introvert

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook

18) Christmas or birthday? 

Birthday

19) Morning person or night owl?

Morning

20) Sweet or savoury?

Sweet

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Andi, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about A.L. Michael, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Website     Twitter     Facebook

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781472095237
Release date: 27th May 2014

Carina UK / Mills & Boon
Amazon UK / US
iBooks
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
Google Play
Blinkbox (Tesco)

Twenty Questions with... Terri Nixon

I am delighted to welcome Terri Nixon onto my blog today, author of A Rose in Flanders Fields released last week by Carina (Harlequin UK).

Even better, you can snap up a copy for a bargain price in honour of the 100 year commemoration of WW1.

ACT ONE – all about you…

Terri was born in Plymouth, England in 1965. At the age of 9 she moved with her family to Cornwall, to a small village on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where she discovered a love of writing that has stayed with her ever since. She also discovered apple-scrumping, and how to jump out of a hayloft without breaking any bones, but no-one's ever offered to pay her for doing those.

Terri now lives in Plymouth with her youngest son, and works in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Plymouth University, where she is constantly baffled by the number of students who don't possess pens.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

I’ve written (mostly nonsense) for as long as I can remember; all through school I was the sad one who gave a secret fist-pump under the desk whenever the word ‘essay’ was mentioned.  I used to write stories for my friends, featuring boys they fancied – my first taste of “fan-fic!” 

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

This will sound odd, and probably counter-productive, but the first thing I do is open and play Bejeweled Blitz! It’s the best way to relax the mind, zone out of reality and into wherever/whenever I’m writing about. I play two or three games, thinking about the book, then I’m ready to go! I keep it open for when I hit snags, and while I play I talk – usually out loud –  about the problem, and the solutions nearly always appear. Plus, I get kick-ass scores because I’m not thinking about the game! ;)

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

The ‘Outlander’ series by Diana Gabaldon, which I’ve been reading and re-reading for more years than I can actually work out. Diana writes relationships and situations  of intense beauty and brutality, so real you can’t help but live the story instead of just reading it. Her writing is just superb, and her characters are faceted, flawed and vibrant, never black and white – I dream of writing with the same fire and flair. 

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

This is something I received in a handwritten note from Dean Koontz some time ago, after I wrote to him, and I look at it every day: 

“Good luck with your own writing. Do it always for the love of doing it, and in my experience the success will follow. Although also in my experience, perhaps slowly!”

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

Ooh-er. Okay, let’s think!

1. I was a founder member and chair of a motorcycle club. So I’m a bona fide, fully-licensed biker chick!

2. I did a solo (static line) parachute jump 2 weeks before I got married, back in the middle-ages.

3. I played “Ronnette” (one of the three singing girls) in a production of Little Shop of Horrors in the Barbican Theatre here in Plymouth. Also back in the mists of time. I’m very dull nowadays…

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

1. My laptop.

2. My phone.

3. My Kindle

4. Savoury snackage

5. Wine. Yes, I really am that shallow!

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Driving an ambulance through the mud in Flanders, aristocrat Evie Creswell is a long way from home. At Oaklands Manor all she had been expected to do was to look pretty and make a good marriage. But with the arrival of World War One everything changed…

And Evie, to the horror of her family, does not choose a husband from her blue-blooded set; instead she weds artist Will Davies, who works as a butcher’s apprentice. Soon she is struggling nightly to transport the wounded to hospital, avoiding the shells and gas attacks – her privileged home life, and her family’s disappointment at her marriage, a lifetime away. 

And while Evie drives an ambulance in Belgium, Will is in the trenches in France. He withdraws from her, the trauma of his experience taking hold. Evie has the courage to deal with her war work, but it breaks her heart to think she is losing Will’s love. Can their marriage survive this terrible war? That is, if they both get out alive…

7) Congratulations on your recent release of A Rose in Flanders Fields. what was your inspiration for writing Evie’s story?

Thank you so much! Evie was a character in the previous book, Maid of Oaklands Manor, although not the main character. She was, if you like, my main character’s main character! I liked the way she came through in Oaklands, she showed herself to be sparky and slightly rebellious, and I’d already decided I wanted to explore what she got up to during the war years, perhaps as a companion novella looking at some of the other characters, since Oaklands was told in the first person. Happily it turned into a full-length novel though. Again, it is written in the first person which hopefully brings the reader deeper into her mind during an extremely turbulent time.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

It’s a fairly complex storyline, so it took a lot of planning, and the research had to be as spot-on as I could make it, but each individual scene came very easily once I’d fixed in my mind where I wanted to go with it. Both books in this series, and now the third, which I’m working on now, have flowed very naturally and have been a joyful experience to write. I’ve loved every minute!

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

As I mentioned before, I’d had the initial idea while Oaklands was being written, so all-in-all it took about 2 years from conception to acceptance. But it was written very quickly once I got going!

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

It seems logical to give you the first sentence here! 

“The explosion was more than a noise, it was a pressure and a fist, and a scream that started in the pit of my stomach and flashed outward through every nerve.”

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about A Rose in Flanders Fields, to make us rush out and buy it?

At a time when the world is remembering the outbreak of the Great War, this book takes you through it in the company of a young woman of great determination and courage, who is faced with the grim reality that sometimes the only choices you have left are the wrong ones. Yet those choices must still be made. 

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now? 

The third book in the Oaklands Manor Trilogy, Daughter of Dark River Farm, tells the story of Kitty, Evie’s former companion in Flanders, now a Land Girl in Devon. Kitty’s experience at the Western Front forms a major part of the events in A Rose in Flanders Fields, and we continue it in book 3.

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Happy pantser, with a twist of obsessive plotter!

14) Digital books or print books?

Print. But I do love my Kindle!

15) Tea or coffee?

Coffee

16) Extrovert or introvert?

Is there such a thing as a painfully shy extrovert? That’s me.

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Both! Far too much!

18) Christmas or birthday? 

Christmas, all the way. I’m a big kid.

19) Morning person or night owl?

Morning person. Particularly for writing.

20) Sweet or savoury?

Savoury! (see ‘luxury item’ #4!)

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Terri, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Terri Nixon, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Facebook     Twitter     Website 

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

Released: 17th July 2014

ISBN: 9781472096470

Carina UK

Amazon UK / US

iBooks
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
Google Play

Blinkbox (Tesco)

Don't forget, you can snap it up for just 99p/99c for a limited time only!

Excerpt…

We’d arrived in the late autumn of 1914 and collected as much bedding as we could find, but the luxury of gathering equipment, setting up what we’d imagined would be our sweet little dressing station, with comfort and curtains, and hot drinks for the Tommies, was not to be. We were thrown into it right away, attached to the Unit a couple of miles away, and, with no field telephone, we quickly grew acccustomed to the shrill whistle of the runner on his bicycle as he summoned us to duty. Days blurred into long, cold nights, weeks into months while we battled extremes of boredom and terror, and we faithfully wrote our sunny, “gosh it’s exciting being in the thick of it!” letters home so our parents could boast about us to their friends. Heaven forbid they should find out what we actually did, night after night, I’m not certain Mother would have sat quietly at home if she’d known.

Our own tentative excitement had been bashed out of us after the first, awful night. With nothing of our own base ready, we’d volunteered our services at least and turned out to help the Red Cross, lining up with the other drivers at the railway station. The trains had come in; old, rattling things in these early days of the war, filled from end to end with wounded. Weeping men; silent men; angry, bewildered men; men numbed with misery and mute with horror … dear God, was Will in danger of becoming one of these?

We’d sat, still and shocked, while the orderlies loaded us up and barked our load: four stretchers, one sitter, and then driven, somehow, to the sergeant at the gate. ‘Four stretchers, one sitter,’ I repeated, stumbling over the impersonal words that were supposed to somehow explain the softly moaning, tangled mass of humanity I was carrying.

He consulted his clip-board. ‘Number Five.’ He waved us through, and we were on our way. Where was Number Five?  I was utterly lost, both mentally and geographically, but we found Number Five hospital mercifully quickly and were unloaded. Then it was back again; the train was still crammed with men awaiting their turn. Or their deaths. As dawn raked the sky with glorious pink rays that belied the tragedy beneath it, Boxy and I returned, in trembling silence, to our beds. Different women. Grown up in the space of a few horrific and nauseating hours.

Twenty Questions with... Incy Black

I am delighted to welcome Incy Black onto my blog today, debut author of Hard to Hold released on Monday by Entangled Publishing.

Thanks to the power of the internet I have known Incy for a few years now and I am so proud that her publishing journey is kicking off in style. If I had to describe Incy in one word, then 'inimitable' works, but if I was allowed two words then 'totally bonkers' or perhaps, 'absolute hoot' would work for me too.

Don't just take my word for it though, see for yourself in this week's round of #TwentyQuestions...

ACT ONE – all about you…

It took a swan dive from a roof to convince Incy (aged 5) she wasn’t an avenging fairy and that no, she most certainly couldn’t fly.  Bruised but undefeated she retreated deeper into her make-believe world populated with the brave and the poisonous. 

When not fighting injustice and righting wrongs on ‘Planet Incy’, she works as a Marketing Director. (Unfortunately, her law degree languishes unused, the distinction between good and evil proving too worrisome in real life.)

Her five children are well versed in what scares her (most things) and delight in pushing her neurotic buttons—at their peril.


1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

Fell from grace about 3 years ago, after hooking up with some childhood friends who reminded me I’d been voted: ‘Most likely to become a writer’.

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

Depends on which persona I wake up in (I’m overcrowded). There’s the Incy who chucks commas about like confetti, another Incy who deletes them. There’s Anglo-Saxon Incy of the blue tongue, there’s holy Incy full of grace, and many more who must remain locked up. But all of them demand that I lie in bed when I write—hence the buggered lower spine and repetitive stain injury in my left shoulder.

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

Just about every book I’ve ever read. As a kid, I used to re-write Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Hans Christian Anderson’s tales to read the way I prefer, with mouthy heroines, heroes that kicked ass, no witches—scared of witches. 

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

Life advice: fall down 7 times, stand up 8  (you don’t have to do it gracefully, but stand the F back up!)

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

I drive with absolute terror in my heart.

I shop with absolute terror in my wallet

I cook with absolutely no finesse, much to the terror of everyone

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

My phone (in case I need to call the emergency services)

My nexus (because without access to reading matter, I would need to call emergency services)

My huge shoulder bag in which to carry said phone and nexus

My house keys because son #4 no longer fits through the cat flap

My fake coin thing that gains me access to a sodding supermarket trolley! (so irritating)

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Anna Key Marshall is about to get what she’s always wanted: a baby. Granted, it’s through a sperm donor instead of her ex-husband, but you can’t have everything. She has no idea why someone wants her dead, but she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her unborn child—even if it means turning to her ex, the Black Ops specialist who broke her heart.

Five years ago, British Intelligence agent Nick Marshall slammed the door on the woman who betrayed him. But now Anna’s back in his life with a vengeance, pregnant and full of attitude. He’d like nothing better than to walk away, but with her life on the line, he has no choice but to do what he does best—protect her at all costs.

7) Congratulations on your recent release of Hard to Hold, what was your inspiration for writing Anna and Nick’s story?

Neurosis! I worry that I was given the wrong kids and someone will want them back. Women—mad women—scare me. I’m naturally paranoid, and I have an over-active imagination. Hard to Hold was a form of therapy. Still waiting for it to work.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

Draft 1 was a tsunami. Subsequent drafts? I had to kick, whip, bribe and seduce out of ‘not moving’ petulance. 

9) I see Hard to Hold is your debut, how long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

The initial writing went fast. Too fast. A month maybe. Then I sat on it for months, too afraid to sub it. Once contracted (took about 2 months), the reality of publishing schedules bit and added around another year.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

Ignoring the bead of sweat trickling his spine, Nick closed his ears to the muffled sound of cascading water. The image of Anna naked in the steam was killing him. Once he would have forced the lock she’d no doubt turned against him. Sex had always been the most effective way to deal with one of her strops, and he’d liked her stroppy. Hell, he’d been guilty of deliberately winding her up most of the time. His way of reaching out to her without the need for soft words. Little wonder their marriage had gone to hell in a handbasket, their friendship incinerating right along with it. She’d needed gentle; she’d needed kind. Things he didn’t know how to give. He just didn’t have it in him.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about Hard to Hold, to make us rush out and buy it?

It’s a tale of collision. Between Anna and Nick, both combative, their natural fall back (defensive) position against the hurt they each carry within. Between Anna and Nick, and external threats. Enter Antila, threat #1. But who’s threat #2? Will appeal to readers who enjoy a fast pace, characters with edge, and the occasional cut of dry British snark. It does have a HEA—promise.

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now? 

I’m working on Book 3 in the “Hard to…” series—Will Berwick’s story. Book 2 (Jack Ballentyne’s fall from bachelorhood) will be out in August 2014. He’s an even harder bastard than Nick in Hard to Hold—your have been cautioned. He shoots the love of his life!

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

I pant my way through the plot, in other words I don’t know, not for sure.

14) Digital books or print books?

Digi—I just cleared out over 1000 print books, none were hurt. Charity book bins are wonderful. 

15) Tea or coffee?

Both, sometimes at the same time. In the same mug if I haven’t rinsed out the dregs.

16) Extrovert or introvert?

Painful introvert in real time, extrovert all the time, in my head.

17) Facebook or Twitter?

PINTEREST.

18) Christmas or birthday? 

Weekends, they come round more frequently.

19) Morning person or night owl?

Morning (though don’t speak to me until noon)

20) Sweet or savoury?

Sweet (I really am)

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Incy, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Incy Black, and to keep up with her latest projects and crazy shenanigans, you can visit her at:

Facebook     Twitter     Blog/website

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781622665358
Released: 28th April 2014

Read the first chapter in full (plus buy links)

Twenty Questions with... Carys Jones

I am delighted to welcome Carys Jones onto my blog today, author of Prime Deception released earlier this week by Carina (Harlequin UK), for this weeks' round of Twenty Questions.

Since I have finally typed "the end" on Popping the Cherry #2 (now polishing ready to send to my Editor) and the Easter school holidays kick off today, I will be taking a couple of weeks off from my weekly #TwentyQuestions slot but please come back in May to get the lowdown on more fabulous guests.

ACT ONE – all about you…

Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion, Rollo. 

When she's not writing, Carys likes to indulge her inner geek by watching science- fiction films or playing video games. She lists John Green, Jodi Picoult and Virginia Andrews as her favorite authors and draws inspiration for her own work from anything and everything. 

To Carys, there is no greater feeling than when you lose yourself in a great story and it is that feeling of ultimate escapism which she tries to bring to her books.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

I’ve been writing since I was very young. I fell in love with the way reading a book could transport you out of your own world and I was desperate to try and recreate that magic through my own stories.

2 Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

I’d describe my writing style as militant! Lol. I work to a very rigid schedule and have extremely detailed plans about how my story is set to progress. The whole process sort of removes any element of romanticism from it all but it does ensure that I never get blighted by writer’s block.

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

John Green, Jodi Picoult and Virginia Andrews have been huge influences on me. I admire how their stories are so character driven. The impact upon characters is more important than events themselves and for me, that makes their stories all the more powerful. I like books that stay with me longer after I’ve finished that final sentence.

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

I had some advice from Jodi Picoult herself which was to just keep writing. Write because you love it, not because you see it as your meal ticket to a better life. If you write for money you lose the love within the process.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

Okay… I’m terrified of zombies. I flat out tremble if I see them on TV.

Some of my toes are double jointed thanks to my years dedicated to my second passion, ballet.

I’m destined to marry Leonardo DiCaprio one day. Just don’t tell my husband…

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

My bed. I could never sleep rough or go camping. I need a nice, comfortable bed, preferably with an abundance of pillows!

My PS3. I love playing games in my free time and it also acts as my TV as I use Netflicks

Nails Inc varnish. My nails are never, ever bare. I’d rather be naked than without nail varnish and Nails Inc is just amazing!

My giant Tinkerbell mug, in which I consume my daily quota of tea. I love tea! Whenever I finish writing I indulge in a nice cup in front of the TV!

My Louboutin Shoes. I literally own one pair of designer shoes, they were a gift from my Mum for my wedding but I’m too scared to even wear them but if my house caught on fire they’d be one of the first items I’d be looking to rescue!

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

When Lorna Thomas is found dead in her car everyone believes she killed herself. But the day after her death Lorna was set to sell a scandalous story to one of Britain’s biggest tabloid papers. For six months she had been the Deputy Prime Minister’s mistress.

Will Lorna’s secret die with her? While her family try to move on and come to terms with her death one person refuses to believe that Lorna killed herself. Her twin sister, Laurie is convinced that Lorna was murdered and she’ll stop at nothing to prove it, even if that means teaming up the very man her sister had been having an affair with…

7) Congratulations on your recent release of Prime Deception; what was your inspiration for writing this story?

The idea came to me around the time of the last general election. I don’t really follow politics, it doesn’t appeal to me. But I got thinking about what would make the world of politics more engaging to me and a good old fashioned scandal would do it and from that initial though, Prime Deception was eventually born.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

It flowed. With all my books, I feel like I’m just watching the movie of them play out in my head and desperately scrambling to record it all down for the reader so that they can experience it all too.

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

I finished writing Prime Deception a few years ago. It gathered dust as I focused on other projects but I thought I’d approach a few publishers with it, test the waters and Carina were interested in it.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

This is from the start of the book when we are first being introduced to the character of Charles;

Charles returned his attention to the task at hand; of shaving away the shadow which had formed over night. As a young man he had found shaving a chore. He’d longed to grow some stubble, even a beard, in his desire to be ‘edgy’, but he had always been warned against it. It wasn’t befitting of a man in his line of work. Now, he found shaving therapeutic. The act was familiar and predictable and he liked that about it. So few things in his life were familiar anymore, that he cherished those that were.

Dressed in one of his finest suits and his signature blue tie, Charles was at last ready to start the day. He fingered the tie dubiously as he regarded his reflection once more. He found it a rather crass addition to his ensemble, but his aides continued to assure him that it was vital. He missed being able to dress how he wanted to. Charles would have loved nothing more than to put on a pair of jeans and an old jumper but that would never do. He had an image to maintain, as everyone kept insisting to him.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about Prime Deception to make us rush out and buy it?

If you want a story that will not only grip you but tug on your heartstrings also then check out Prime Deception. It’s a tale of sex, betrayal and ultimately love. But not between lovers, it’s about the unbreakable love between two sisters that even death cannot destroy.

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?

Carina are re-releasing my first novel, Not All Stars Sparkle, along with the first publication of its sequel, Cradle to Grave. I’ve also signed up with an American YA publisher for a big trilogy which will probably be released in 2015.

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

So sorry, not sure what those mean. I’m not down the latest terms I’m afraid. I’m going to make a guess and say I’m a Plotter as I prepare all my stories in meticulous detail before I write them.

14) Digital books or print books?

Sorry Carina but print. Simply because I’m terrible for flicking to the last page to check if my favourite character survives! My Kindle robs me of that so I’m kept in suspense for longer! And I hate surprises!

15) Tea or coffee?

Tea! I adore tea!

16) Extrovert or introvert?

To most people, introvert, to my friends; excessive extrovert!

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook, Twitter confuses me…

18) Christmas or birthday?

Christmas as everyone gets presents!

19) Morning person or night owl?

Morning person, up and about walking my beloved dog bright and early.

20) Sweet or savoury?

Savoury. If a dessert menu has a cheese board I’m all over it!

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Carys, I wish you every success with your new release.

Thanks so much for having me, it’s been a lot of fun!

To discover even more about Carys Jones and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Facebook     Twitter     Website

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781472094728
Released: 7 April 2014

Carina UK
Amazon UK / US
iBooks
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
Google

Twenty Questions with... T.A. Williams

I am delighted to welcome T.A. (Trevor) Williams onto my blog today, author of Dirty Minds and his new book, The Room on the Second Floor.

Since I have a book to get finished and a new one to get started on straight after, let's get cracking with this week's round of #TwentyQuestions...

ACT ONE – all about you…

I was born and brought up in Devon (south west England). After university I spent ten years living abroad, mainly in Italy. I came back with a decent command of the language and, more importantly, my artist wife, Mariangela. Our daughter is a poet, so it must be something in the water down here. A few years ago I gave up my day job running a big English language school and have been concentrating on my writing ever since. 



1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

Ever since I first wrote The Lake Dwellers (shameless Swallows and Amazons ripoff) at the age of 14! And that’s a long time ago. I have been writing as a hobby all my life.

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

When I was working full time, I used to write in the evenings as relaxation. Now I “binge write”. I can go days, even weeks without writing and then, suddenly, I find myself fully immersed, to the exclusion of all else. I wrote Dirty Minds in a month.

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing? 

I love Tom Sharpe and I love JP Donleavy (but not so much The Ginger Man, more his other stuff).

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

Without any doubt: “Writing is the easy part. Finding a publisher is a hell of a lot more difficult.” Anon.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know? 

I have written three serious historical novels, set in the Middle Ages. I cycled from here to Santiago de Compostela in Spain a few years back. I was once vomited on by amazing singer, Joe Cocker.

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without? 

Bike, iPad, mulching lawnmower, corkscrew and, of course, my personal Italian chef!  

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Roger Dalby is a lucky man. He inherits a manor house in Devon and a huge fortune. But all he wants is to study medieval history and marry Linda, the love of his life. His problem is managing to find the courage to tell her how he feels about her. His friend Duggie, on the other hand, has less honourable intentions. A Royal decree from the Middle Ages means that the Manor is the only legally licensed house of ill repute in England. He decides to return it to its former glory. Unknown to Roger, the second floor of the manor is soon filled with a disreputable collection of people getting up to some very naughty antics. And as if that were not enough, somebody is trying to kill Roger. This is  a very English story, written with a very English sense of humour, set in very English surroundings.

7) Congratulations on your recent release of The Room on the Second Floor, what was your inspiration for writing the story? 

I really don’t know. Maybe it was just that after writing Dirty Minds, which is a funny book about people trying to write an erotic novel, I thought I should stick to the same slightly smutty, humorous subject matter. Although it is a love story (well, two to be precise) and a murder mystery, it is also about a guy trying to set up a brothel in an old manor house. I felt that ticked the humorous and smutty boxes quite well. 

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling? 

It flowed pretty well. In particular some of the weird and wacky characters popped out of nowhere quite remarkably easily.

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk? 

A remarkably short time. About four months.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with? 

As with my other books, there is always my trademark black dog in it. His job this time is to act as Cupid.

“He held her tighter and kissed her again. Jasper, satisfied by his matchmaking, strolled through to the bathroom and drank deeply and noisily out of the toilet bowl.”

That’s dogs for you.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about The Room on the Second Floor, to make us rush out and buy it?

It’s a book about love, some the good type and some the less noble type. And it’s also a murder mystery with a twist. I hope it will make you laugh most of the time. 

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?

My next book, due out in a few months time is called Danny. It’s less smut and more romance. Alice has just lost her job of 17 years and is looking for a complete change in her life.  She moves down to Devon. There’s a black Labrador, a handsome windsurfer, a damaged lord of the manor and a little baby. And they’re all called Danny… My next big project is going to be a (serious) book, set in 1919 about a shell-shocked war veteran. I have just come back from visiting the Somme to research it this week.  Although I love writing the humorous stuff (it cheers me up, too), my heart will always be in historical fiction.  

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Pantser. The story so often leads me off in unexpected directions. I love that feeling that the story has developed a life of its own and is leading me on.

14) Digital books or print books?

Digital is here to stay, but I must admit to still feeling nostalgic for paper.

15) Tea or coffee?

No question. Has to be tea, preferably with a chocolate hobnob.

16) Extrovert or introvert?

Probably more extrovert.

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook every time, though I’m still learning how to use it.

18) Christmas or birthday?

Definitely not Christmas. Specially when it starts in the shops in November… 

19) Morning person or night owl?

Morning.

20) Sweet or savoury?

Savoury

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Trevor, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Trevor Williams, and to keep up with his latest projects, you can visit him at:

Website     Twitter

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781472074508
Release date: 22 January 2014

Carina UK
Amazon UK / US
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
iBooks
Google

Excerpt…

‘How fascinating. It seems that it is dated July 13th 1131. And I was right in my assumption. The King did indeed sign it. Here, do you see his name?’ Duggie and Linda could see nothing but a blur, so they took his word for it. ‘King Henry of the House of Normandy. That would be Henri Beauclerc, one of the sons of William the Conqueror, if my memory serves me right.’

He concentrated on the Latin. He muttered to himself, as he followed the lines across and down the page, until he reached the end. Then he blinked, re-read the last lines and then roared with laughter. The others, dog included, looked at him curiously.

‘It says…’ He stopped to blow his nose and wipe his eyes, while his outburst of laugher subsided into a subdued chuckle. ‘It says, in recognition of the magnificent hospitality afforded to his Royal Highness by Arthur of Toplingham and his retinue, it is hereby decreed that this Manor shall henceforth and in perpetuity be licensed to carry on…’ He paused and looked across at the others in disbelief. ‘He uses the words ad praeclarum quaestum meretricium faciendum, which translates as something like, for the admirable purpose of making meretricious gain.’

Seeing the lack of comprehension on their faces, he explained. ‘Meretricious is the adjective that goes with the noun “prostitution”. I do believe this decree means that Toplingham Manor is a fully licensed house of ill repute. Licensed by Royal Decree, no less.’ The other two stared at him open-mouthed.

‘A knocking shop?’ Duggie couldn’t believe his ears.

‘A brothel. Just imagine that.’ Linda was equally shocked.

‘How amazing. I must write to the British Journal of Medieval Studies about this at once. How fascinating.’ He paused, deep in thought. ‘I wonder if it really was active in plying its trade in those days, and how long it went on for. I wonder whether, when Oliver Cromwell was going round closing down all those sorts of places in the seventeenth century, he might have missed this one. A Royal Decree in perpetuity is a pretty solid document. Who knows if it would really hold water today. It’s almost worth running across the legal bods at the university.’

As his voice tailed off, Linda gave him a disapproving look. She raised an eyebrow.

‘Were you thinking of going into business? Surrounding yourself with painted harlots perhaps?’

For one unforgettable moment, a graphic vision of Linda burst into Roger’s head. She was dressed in high heels, stockings and suspenders, a come-hither expression on her face. She was leaning provocatively in an open doorway, her lace-gloved arm stretching up above her head, her mouth…

‘Roger, are you all right?’ The concern in her voice cut into his reverie. He came up for air like a drowning man.

‘What? Me? Yes, I’m fine thanks.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I was just thinking about something.’ Mercifully she did not ask what.

See also...

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781472018182
Release date: 30 August 2013

Carina UK
Amazon UK / US
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
iBooks

Google

Tom, a widower and aspiring author (with a penchant for Hobnobs) is in need of a new start. Inspired by his therapist, the ‘Fifty Shades Phenomenon’, and his lack of literary success, he sets out to write an erotic novel – after all, how hard can it be?

But as writing erotica proves a challenge for a man more unsure than hardcore, Tom finds himself enlisting the help of an eclectic group of co-authors. Brought together by their authorial ambitions and fondness for innuendo, their project becomes a collaboration that will change lives, open minds … and prompt the purchase of an unfortunate PVC catsuit.

Twenty Questions with... Paul Gitsham

One of the things I love about Carina is the diversity of genres,; from romances to chick-lit to psychological thrillers and also crime fiction which leads me nicely onto today's guest.

In the #TwentyQuestions hotseat today is Paul Gitsham, author of The Last Straw: A DCI Warren Jones Novel released earlier this week by Carina (Harlequin UK), so please give him a warm welcome as we get underway...

ACT ONE – all about you…

I started my career as a biologist, pursuing my research in such exotic locales as Toronto and Manchester. Along the way I've also had jobs as a massively over-qualified receptionist in a sports centre and spent 6 months working for a major UK bank ensuring that global terrorists and other international ne'er do wells banned from holding UK bank accounts hadn't managed to circumvent global restrictions and open a Junior Savings Account. This was even less exciting than the job as a receptionist. 

Finally I saw the light and decided to pass on my hard-won laboratory skills, bad habits and wilful disregard for Health and Safety (*) to a new generation and retrained as a secondary school science teacher.  I now teach science to 11-18 year olds and creative writing to Sixth Form students.

(*) For legal reasons, I should point out that I take the Health and Well-being of my pupils extremely seriously and am proud to say that none of my pupils have ever suffered permanent disfigurement from one of my science lessons.

A keen writer from an early age, my year 6 report on leaving primary school said  "Keep up the writing and one day you'll be the next Roald Dahl". For the sake of balance, it should be pointed out that it also said, "you will never get anywhere in life if your hand-writing doesn't improve." 

Twenty five years later and my hand-writing has, if anything, deteriorated. On the plus side I am loved by millions of children around the world (*).

(*) This is a lie. Just ask any of the students I've taught.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

Writing stories was always the best part of any English lesson and I started writing at a very young age. My first memories involve me trying to write the screenplay to E.T., when I was 5 or 6 years old. I was gutted when Mum said I couldn’t because somebody had already written it!

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

I’m not a great “plotter” – I just “open the bull**** tap and let it pour!”. Because I don’t get to write as often as I’d like, I’m lucky enough to have a headful of scenes all clamouring for my attention, and so I rarely suffer from writer’s block – I typically find myself trying to get down the scene that’s shouting loudest first!

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

I love the spare, understated prose of Lee Child. He twists and turns with little warning and isn’t afraid to sit back in the middle of an action scene and let the anticipation build.

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

Join a writers’ circle. Writing is a solo pursuit, but that doesn’t mean it should be done in isolation. Feedback, good and bad, is essential if you ever want your work to be enjoyed by other people.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

I do almost all of my writing in public libraries and have a list of the opening times for all those within 20 miles of my house.

I lost my carefully crafted best-man’s speech 2 days before my mate’s wedding when my laptop died. I had to wing-it using a list of cryptic bullet-points… 

I am a proud geek! As a science teacher, it is entirely acceptable to wear a DNA helix tie, use Harry Potter to teach genetics (the wizarding allele is recessive) and slip references to Star Trek into A level biology lessons (Haemoglobin in human blood is red because it contains iron; Mr Spock’s blood is green because Vulcan haemoglobin contains copper).

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

My laptop – I hate writing long-hand

My smartphone – I use it to watch TV and surf the web more than my computer

My memory foam mattress cover! It’s soooo comfortable…

Cheese. ‘nuff said.

BBC Radio 4 – I measure the length of long car journeys by the number of times I hear the pips; and nothing sends me to sleep faster than streaming a documentary on the Bank of England’s strategy for Quantitative Easing using iPlayer!

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

A DCI Warren Jones novel - Book 1 

When Professor Alan Tunbridge is discovered in his office with his throat slashed, the suspects start queuing up. The brilliant but unpleasant microbiologist had a genius for making enemies.

For Warren Jones, newly appointed Detective Chief Inspector to the Middlesbury force, a high-profile murder is the ideal opportunity. He’s determined to run a thorough and professional investigation but political pressure to resolve the case quickly and tensions in the office and at home make life anything but easy.

Everything seems to point to one vengeful man but the financial potential of the professor’s pioneering research takes the inquiry in an intriguing and, for Jones and his team, dangerous direction.

7) Congratulations on your recent release of The Last Straw, what was your inspiration for writing DCI Warren Jones’ story?

Well first of all, I would just like to state categorically, for the record, so there can be no mistake… the story about murdering a university Professor, was not inspired by my own experience as a PhD student – my professor was lovely! That being said, during my years in academia I both witnessed and heard about some pretty shocking behaviour and so it perhaps isn’t entirely surprising that my first novel takes place in such an environment! Add to that the fact that I’d always dreamt of writing a mystery novel ever since I started reading Enid Blyton and The Hardy Boys as a young child and it was almost inevitable! 

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

The great thing about detective stories is you can write yourself into a corner and then spend ages banging your head against the wall trying to find a plausible way back out – to date I have yet to find a situation that I’ve had to give up on, but I’m sure it will happen!

9) I see The Last Straw is your debut, how long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

I started writing it Easter 2011. I finished the first draft November of that year. I then wrote another complete book in the series whilst I drafted and re-drafted book one, before taking the plunge. My best friend bought me the Artists & Writers’ Handbook for my birthday and I started submitting to agents – still no luck by the way, if anybody is interested… - finally CarinaUK picked me up in June 2013.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

Blood. 

Everywhere. Across the walls, over the desk, even splattered on the glowing laptop computer. The human heart is a powerful, muscular pump and a cut artery bleeds out in seconds, spraying red, freshly oxygenated blood across the room like a fire hose.

Tom Spencer removes his gloved hands from the dead man’s throat and rubs them down the front of his lab coat, leaving bloody trails across his chest. Hands shaking, he picks up the blood- covered telephone and presses 9 for an outside line, followed by another three 9s.

“You are through to the emergency services. Which service do you require?”

Spencer’s voice is shaky, his breathing rapid. “Police. There’s been a murder.”

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about The Last Straw, to make us rush out and buy it?

If you like a detective who is as human as the rest of us; who sometimes feels out of his depth and who favours bad 80s music over high-brow classical or existential jazz, then DCI Warren Jones is your man. If you like your mystery stories with a satisfyingly complex plot, interesting and quirky characters and procedural authenticity, then the DCI Warren Jones series will be for you. If you want an insight into the sexual jealousy, treachery and skulduggery that boils beneath the genteel surface of a university department, then The Last Straw is the book for you.

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now? 

The second title in the series is with the editors as we speak and number three is well under way. DCI Warren Jones has plenty more tales in him yet!

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Mostly Pantster

14) Digital books or print books?

Print mostly, but I am enjoying the convenience of my Kindle and the ability to sync to my phone for when I find myself with nothing to do and I’m too far away from my bedside table.

15) Tea or coffee?

Decaff coffee – milk no sugar, thanks. Any chance of a custard cream?

16) Extrovert or introvert?

*I* think I can be a bit of an introvert – anybody stuck in close proximity to me would probably disagree.

17) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook

18) Christmas or birthday? 

Christmas – everybody’s celebrating, not just you!

19) Morning person or night owl?

Night Owl – even though my alarm clock goes off at 5:30 and I have to leave for school at 6:30 L

20) Sweet or savoury?

Savoury

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Paul, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Paul Gitsham, and to keep up with his latest projects and shenanigans, you can visit him at: www.paulgitsham.com , follow him on twitter @dcijoneswriter or like his Facebook page www.facebook.com/dcijones

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 9781472094698
Release date: 24 March 2014

Carina UK
Amazon UK / US
Nook UK / B&N
Kobo
iBookstore
Google