For about six years or so, I worked with children as a volunteer. I helped run a Brownie pack at the local church for Girl Guiding UK. It was the most fun time of my life. Working with kids is a real blessing. This is without doubt one of the biggest inspirations for writing children’s books.
How long did it take you to
write Truth Teller?
I started writing this series about eight years ago. There are three
books in the series so far. On average, it took me about two years to write
each novel. But when I started, I knew absolutely nothing about writing. I
couldn’t even read very well. So, I had to start from the very bottom and learn
how to write properly, then edit my stories to a publishable standard. It was a
mighty challenge.
What are some of your
favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired
you?
My mum introduced me to fantasy stories when I first became interested
in reading. I used to struggle to read them though, not being the best reader
in the world. But one author really captured my attention, Terry Brooks, with
his Sword of Shannara series. I fell in love with fantasy. I would say he was
my biggest inspiration.
Where did you come up with
the characters Charlotte and Middleton?
That’s an interesting question. My main character, Charlotte, was based
on a real life person. With no experience of writing, I thought if I based my
character on someone real whom I knew very well, it would be easy to know how
they would react and what they would say in any given situation. Middleton is a
completely made up character, as are all the other characters in the story.
Well, I am already friends with my main character, Charlotte, but if I
had to choose one of my fictional characters, I think it would have to be
Elderfield. He’s a young elf with a sense of morals that you would love to
think everyone had in the real world. Any parent would be proud to have him as
a son.
Where do you like to write? Do you listen to music while you are writing?
I wrote most of my stories sitting in my car during my tea breaks at
work. Just me and my thermos flask of tea (I’m English) and my sandwiches. I
work on a building site as a carpenter for my day job. I like solitude and
complete silence when I write. I can never get this at home in my crazy
household.
If you could live anywhere
in the world, where would it be? Why?
That’s an easy question. I would love to live in Devon, south England.
Preferably beside the sea. I fell in love with a town called Teignmouth, the
oldest seaside town in England, by all accounts. It’s such a beautiful part of
the world.
There is definitely a bad
guy or two in Truth Teller. Who is your favorite villain (from a book or
movie)?
Would I sound like an egomaniac if I said it was a character from my
own series? In Truth Teller, you get to briefly meet a horrid little dwarf
called Blaine. He only plays a small part in the first book, but he makes an
appearance in all three books. In book two, The Wrath of Siren, he plays a much
bigger part. He’s one of my favourite characters in the story. He makes me
laugh. I really enjoyed creating him. He’s one of these people you love to
hate.
Where can we purchase your books?
Truth Teller in Paperback:
Truth Teller in Kindle:
Smashwords ☞ Amazon US ☞ Amazon UK ☞ Barnes & Noble
☞ As Truth Teller is now released in paperback, I’m doing a special promotion to celebrate this and would like to offer all the readers of this post a chance to download a free copy of my story in e-book format.
*To download a free copy, please visit: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119775
Enter this coupon code for your free copy: QB92WConnect with this author:
☞ Author site ☞ Blog ☞ Twitter
Read the reviews!
Congratulations on the release of Truth Teller! The storyline sounds interesting and intriguing!
ReplyDeleteIt's always lovely to read an authors writing process, thanks for sharing!
Nas- Truth Teller is a great read! It is a story that draws you in. I enjoy reading about how different writers write, too. :) ~Stephanie
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