Interview with Jordan Bell

Welcome to Jordan Bell's interview.

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

I write nonfiction books about science for kids in the 7-11 yr age bracket - the so-called “middle grades”. These are the kind of books that have short chapters and illustrations, but still deal with complex ideas. Putting “grown up science” in a story format means the ideas are easier for kids to take in and remember. 

What made you choose that genre?

I deeply believe that we need a scientifically aware and well educated citizenry to face the challenges of the future. I want to make sure that parents have the tools to help their children learn about important aspects of science, and that curious kids can self-educate in these areas if they are drawn to this field. 

How long does it take you to write a book?

I think in terms of actual writing, I am quite efficient, in that I can turn out 500-1000 words in a two-hour writing session; but because I’m balancing writing with a full-time job and parenting, I don’t get to spend as many hours writing as I’d like to! 

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I tend to take a couple of hours in the afternoon on the weekend; I’ll review where I left off and then start my next section. I’m a plotter, not a “pantser” so most of my next steps are pretty well mapped out. Although sometimes, something I think I can write about in one chapter, will end up taking me three chapters to accomplish! So my current work in progress draft is numbered Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3a, 3b, 3c, Chapter 4, Chapter 5a, 5b, Chapter 6, Chapter 7. I’ll fix these up in the next draft of course! 

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

I periodically take up a visual art or craft form - in the past it’s been painting, papercraft, sewing, and my current hobby is embroidery. It’s a great form of relaxation to have something practical to focus on, and I love creating something tangible when most of my creative expression is otherwise so cerebral. I’ve gone slightly down the rabbit hole of modern cross-stitch lately, and there are some really great patterns out there. I’m currently cross-stitching a Stag head in silhouette, to donate to a charity auction raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. 

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

As a child I loved to write and illustrate my own stories into little books. And I’ve written a lot of short stories and poetry through my life. 

But my first real book, Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution, was initially drafted in 2011-12, and then spent a long time hanging out on my hard drive after my daughter was born in 2013. Then in 2018 when my daughter started school, I got serious about doing something with it, and went through a crowd-funding and self-publishing journey to bring it to the world. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love music (lately I’ve been obsessed with the Hamilton musical); I enjoy going walking in the fields near my house; and I used to love meeting friends in cafés, but COVID has put a bit of a stop to that lately! 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

In researching my current work in progress, I was really shocked by how many powerful carbon dioxide mitigation strategies already exist and are ready to be rolled out at scale. We could be doing so much more than we are. 

How many books have you written?

I published the first in my series of children’s books about STEM topics, Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution in September last year. I’m currently working on the sequel, Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Climate Change. 

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

Weirdly, I share my name not just with a pro basketballer but also with another author (who writes “curvy romance” - quite different from my genre of children’s STEM!) If you google just my name it’s wall-to-wall basketball, but if you add “writer”, I come up as the fourth result, with a very nice article about my book in the main city newspaper from my state. So mostly, if I google myself it’s not too bad. 

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

I loved writing and baking, so I could never decide between being an author and a chef. Adults used to suggest I split the difference and write recipe books, which I found really annoying at the time! 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

Just my current work-in-progress, which is 75% done, and the outlines for the next two books in the series. 

Bio and links:

Jordan Bell is a psychologist and educator with a passion for helping children and parents learn about science. As a parent to a curious primary-schooler who always wants to understand the “why?” of life, Jordan balances her knowledge of children’s developmental capabilities, with a practical lived experience of putting “grown up science” into words that little brains can understand.

Aunt Jodie's Guide to Evolution clearly outlines the science of evolution, in a child-friendly way. It makes an excellent gift option for adults wanting to help inspire a love of science in children aged 7-11yrs.

Not just another boring bedtime story, this science adventure into the ancient past makes learning about the basics of evolution fun and engaging, and uses words and concepts that are right for kids in middle and upper primary school. For anyone new to science, Aunt Jodie's Guides also include an easy-to-read glossary, explaining the scientific terms used in the book and how to pronounce them.

Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution is available at www.gumroad.com/jordanbell 

 

Website: www.auntjodiesguide.com

Twitter: @AuntJodiesGuide

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuntJodiesGuides

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Interview with Karen Winters Schwartz

Today I am delighted to host Karen Winters Schwartz answering questions on her writing life.

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

I like to say my books are character-driven fiction that defy classification. If I had to be more specific, they would fall into the genre of Literary Fiction. The publisher of my newest novel, Legend of the Lost Ass, has also classified it as Action & Adventure and Historical Fiction.

What made you choose that genre?

I don’t really choose genres. My novels always start out with a basic idea; I start writing and the characters take over. For instance The Chocolate Debacle was an idea that I pilfered when I was at a book signing for Where Are the Cocoa Puffs?. As I signed a book for one of my readers, she said, “I've always wanted to write a book about parents whose son is arrested for murder. They become their own detectives, try to clear their son and find the real murderer.” 

I suggested we write it together, but she never followed up on my emails. So I wrote The Chocolate Debacle that turned out to be a Cozy Mystery.

For Legend of the Lost Ass the story idea came to me when I randomly wondered one day: Could a missent text change someone’s life? That basic concept led to throwing a group of engaging—but slightly off-beat—characters into crazy circumstances and a novel that spans nearly 70 years and four countries was born.

How long does it take you to write a book?

As I’ve matured as a writer it has taken me longer and longer to finish writing a book. Part of this is due to the fact that once you get a book published there’s a certain amount of writing time that gets sucked up with marketing. The first draft of my first published novel Where Are the Cocoa Puffs? took me only six months to complete. My present manuscript, about a young girl growing up on a dairy farm in the late 70s, is only about one third complete and I’ve been working on it for over two years!  

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I write a sentence before getting up for more coffee. After returning to the computer, I reread prior sentence only to realize the bathroom is calling to me. Once back at my computer, rather than rereading prior sentence, I answer a few texts and emails, followed by checking all my social media sites. I write another sentence (maybe) before noticing my coffee needs reheating in the microwave. With hot coffee nearby, I start to write another sentence but come to find it needs a little research. The next hour is sucked up with googling something like “hair ties in the 60s.” At the end of the day—filled up on coffee and Google wisdom—I’m very happy if I’ve written 500 excellent words!

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

I used to raise poison dart frogs in those little plastic drawer units. Each drawer had the potential frogs at various stages of development. I made over $1000 selling froglets to a local pet store in Syracuse, NY.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I wrote my first book while I was in my late thirties. It was inspired by a dream. I woke up and thought, Wow. That was intense. I need to write that story! That dream eventually became my second published novel, Reis’s Pieces: Love, Loss, and Schizophrenia.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to garden. We’ve recently moved from Central New York to southern AZ. I’m learning a whole new way to garden, 365 days of the year! When COVID began, I was determined to live off the land. Turned out not to be so easy unless I’m willing to eat kale, kale and more kale! Riding my two rescue horses in the desert is amazing, as well as hiking. I also greatly enjoy traveling but that’s on hold with the way things are right now.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

I think the most surprising thing is that I do not have total control over the story, or even which characters turn out to be main players. If I write a bit of dialogue or a scene that my characters don’t care for, they let me know! Character-driven fiction is magical in that sense.

How many books have you written?

I’ve completed six novels. Four of them have been published. One should never make it out of my closet. The other completed manuscript is a beautiful, poignant story set in Belize that I hope will be next up for publication. 

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

Sure I do! What affected me the most is that old picture of me where my hair is cut super short. Who cut it that short and why?

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

When I was  about seven I helped myself to a batch of lemonade my mother had in the kitchen while hosting bridge club. I then went out on my bike and had a wonderful time. My mom freaked because it turned out it wasn’t lemonade. It was a batch of margarita! So for a long time, I wanted to be an alcoholic when I grew up.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

Hmm. Four, I think, if you include the one that I wrote so long ago that it’s literally hand-written on a dusty stack of paper in a closet somewhere.

Social media links: 

Website: http://www.karenwintersschwartz.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenwintersschwartz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorKWS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4400841 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Winters-Schwartz/e/B00470X8YY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-winters-schwartz

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaws57/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kaws_/?hl=en

BIO:

Karen Winters Schwartz wrote her first truly good story at age seven. Her second-grade teacher, publicly and falsely accused her of plagiarism. She did not write again for forty years.

Her widely praised novels include WHERE ARE THE COCOA PUFFS?, 2010; REIS’S PIECES, 2012; and THE CHOCOLATE DEBACLE, 2014 (Goodman Beck Publishing). Her new novel, LEGEND OF THE LOST ASS, was released by Red Adept Publishing on July 21, 2020.

Educated at The Ohio State University, Karen and her husband moved to the Central New York Finger Lakes region where they raised two daughters and shared a career in optometry. She now splits her time between Arizona, a small village in Belize, and traveling the earth in search of the many creatures with whom she has the honor of sharing this world. This is her second year as a Rising Star judge.

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Interview with Patricia M Osborne

Today I am delighted to post an interview with Patricia M Osborne

Hi Lorraine, thank you for inviting me on to your blog.

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

My novels are family saga but can also come under historical and literary fiction.

What made you choose that genre?

I was inspired to write family sagas having enjoyed reading them since I was around sixteen and I love watching period dramas.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Normally around a year but with House of Grace and The Coal Miner’s Son I left them to hang around on my PC while working on my Creative Writing MA.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Mornings are for marketing, blog entries, and editing or marking other writers’ work, thus giving me afternoons and evenings to work on my own stuff. However, it doesn’t always pan out that way and more often than not, work for others often takes over – I’m trying hard to claw back time and stick to a routine. For instance, recently I made a pact to have weekends off except for my own writing.  

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was around 8 or 9 years old as I never had one. One day we’d gone over to visit relatives in Chester, my cousin was playing out on his bike and he encouraged me to have a ride. I got on, was a bit wobbly, but then managed to cycle around the block.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I wrote my first book when I was 58 but I was 62 before I finally got around to having it published.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I enjoy walking around National Trust property venues and like to take photographs as inspiration in my storytelling. I love swimming, reading, and playing my piano.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

How my characters become real, not only to me but to my readers.

How many books have you written?

I have written and published two books to date. House of Grace and The Coal Miner’s Son. I’m hoping ‘The Granville Legacy’ (my work in progress) will join them by Spring 2021.

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

I have googled myself and I would say mostly ‘good’ but not so good when I discovered a Patricia M Osborne listed under ‘Find a grave’.

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

As a young child I longed to be a ballerina. I never did ballet classes as I came from a large family and my parents were too poor to pay the fees. I used to tune in to classical music on our old wireless and dance around the living room.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

I have two finished and published, one half-finished and two others, a few chapters in.

Thank you for inviting me, Lorraine. Your questions were fun to answer.

About Patricia M Osborne

Patricia M Osborne is married with grown-up children and grandchildren. She was born in Liverpool but now lives in West Sussex. In 2019 she graduated with an MA in Creative Writing (University of Brighton).

Patricia writes novels, poetry and short fiction, and has been published in various literary magazines and anthologies. She has two published novels, House of Grace and The Coal Miner’s Son and her debut poetry pamphlet ‘Taxus Baccata’ was published by Hedgehog Poetry Press in July 2020.

She has a successful blog at Whitewings.com where she features other writers and poets. When Patricia isn’t working on her own writing, she enjoys sharing her knowledge, acting as a mentor to fellow writers and as an online poetry tutor with Writers’ Bureau.

Links to Social Media

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Linked-In

Instagram

Links to Books

http://mybook.to/HouseofGrace

http://mybook.to/Thecoalminerson

Signed Paperbacks

https://whitewingsbooks.com/shop/

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Interview with Rebecca L. Marsh

Today I am delighted to feature an interview with Rebecca L. Marsh.

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

They best fit into the category of women’s fiction or contemporary fiction. The first one, however, (When the Storm Ends) has a psychological aspect and could loosely fit in crime fiction since there is a murder. I sometimes call it a psychological drama with a mystery angle, but instead of a ‘who done it,’ it’s a ‘why did she do it.’

My second novel (The Rift Between Us), as well as the third one (soon to be released) both have a romance side (the sweet kind), but it is not the over-reaching story in either.

What made you choose that genre?

While I enjoy reading (and watching on TV) many different kinds of stories, the emotional ones, the ones that make me feel deeply) are the ones that really stick with me. And that is what I want to do, write stories that make people feel something.

How long does it take you to write a book?

The first one took the longest—five years. My daughter was a small child and there wasn’t a lot of time for it. Then I spent a good deal of time fixing it up and learning about different roads to publishing. The second book was a little quicker, but still pretty slow. The third was faster (two years, maybe a little less), but it’s hard to say exactly because I actually started that one before the second and went back and forth a couple times.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I don’t keep a hard schedule, but I mostly write in the afternoon unless something comes to me that I need to get down right away.

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

You often hear people say that a writer writes what they know, but I have the hardest time writing about things I’ve actually experienced that were emotional.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I was about 29 when I started the first book and 34 when I finished it. But I started writing stories when I was 12 and did attempt the start of a novel in high school, but didn’t finish it.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Spend time with my family, read, watch TV, and give attention to my pets.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Formatting was hard the first time and I found out how little I knew about using MS Word.

How many books have you written?

I’ve completed three so far. Two are published (When the Storm Ends & The Rift Between Us) and the third (Where Hope is Found) is going to be published in October.

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

Not generally.

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

My desire to be a novelist began at 12. There were no huge aspirations before that.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

Two. One I’m working on to be the next book I publish and one I started quite a while ago and didn’t get very far with. I do plan to get back to it at some point.

Bio

Rebecca L. Marsh is an author of women's fiction and a member of the Paulding County Writer’s Guild. She grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and now lives in Dallas, Georgia, with her husband and daughter.

When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family (cats and dog included), watching movies, and reading a good book. Rebecca occasionally makes home-made candy and works on her scrapbooks (she is woefully behind).

Her novels, When the Storm Ends and The Rift Between Us, are available on Amazon in paperback and eBook form. Her third novel, Where Hope is Found, will be released in October.

Website: https://www.rebeccalmarsh.com/

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaLynnMarsh

Amazon author page: author.to/rebeccalmarshamazon

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18198824.Rebecca_L_Marsh

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An interview with Jessica Norrie

Today I am delighted to post an interview with Jessica Norrie …

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

Oh dear. Contemporary fiction. General fiction. Accessible literary fiction. Book group fiction. Women’s fiction. One acquisitions editor said my second novel “wouldn’t sell at Waitrose”, so that’s a classification of sorts. 

What made you choose that genre?

When I wrote my first novel I was just telling a story. I didn’t know genres were so important. I wish I could write to a strict genre because the books would be easier to market. But as a writer I just want a vehicle for exploring themes that appeal to me through compelling events in the lives of interesting characters. And I hope the way I combine those things attracts and entertains others.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I’m getting quicker! Five years for the first, three for the second, two for the one my agent’s currently submitting.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Erratic. When the book’s going well I write until my eyes and fingers are exhausted. When the narrative is stalling I may not touch it for weeks. I’ve had enough writing advice to know that’s exactly the opposite of how a disciplined writer should work.

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

My writing and lots of other ways I present my thoughts and opinions seem confident and clear, but inside I’m full of doubts.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I made books and magazines from early childhood, sometimes managing only the cover, the blurb and “about the author”. Sometimes I achieved several chapters. I co-published a textbook at 51 and my first novel at 56 so it’s never too late.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I stumble through Bach and Chopin on the piano. Before the pandemic I sang soprano with any choir that would have me. My guilty pleasures are snoozing through tennis matches and writing my Booker Prize winning speech in my head.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

The way the story continues always comes as I’m drifting off to sleep. If I don’t sit up and make a note of it, I’ll have forgotten in the morning.

How many books have you written?

I’ve published two novels, The Infinity Pool (2015) and The Magic Carpet (2019). My agent is currently submitting my third novel to publishers. I also co-authored a French textbook in 2009, have published magazine articles and blog fairly regularly about writing and books.

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

Years ago I found an American basketball player with the same name. My PE teachers would roll their eyes at the thought of me as a sports star. Googling myself today for this question was more gratifying because the first 4 pages of results were links to me as a writer. Then I found a veterinary assistant in a Canadian cats’ hospital, which is even odder than the basketball star as I’m allergic to cats.

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

Careers information for girls was incredibly limited in the 1960s and 70s: teacher, nurse, air hostess, ballerina, hairdresser. Eventually I did spend many years teaching, some good some bad. I’d have been worse at the others.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

That’s a lowdown question to ask an author! Maybe six short stories, two books for children, 15000 words of a stalled fourth novel, and 15000 words of another novel I tried to write to order when my agent passed on a scenario one publisher had said she was looking for. I suspect the moment for it has long passed. I’ve also started collating and editing my blog posts which I may republish as a book sometime.

May I add: thank you very much Lorraine for interviewing me on your blog. I do appreciate book bloggers and fellow writers who support each other very much indeed.

 

Bio and links:

Jessica Norrie was born in London and studied French Literature and Education at Sussex and Sheffield. She taught English, French and Spanish abroad and in the UK to ages 3-88, worked as a translator and published occasional journalism. She has two adult children, divides her time between London and Malvern, Worcestershire, and is wondering about a fourth novel.

Jessica blogs about writing, books and whatever else she feels like at https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wordsandfictions/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessica_norrie

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jessica-Norrie/e/B01CEUZF26%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/3270629.Jessica_Norrie

 

The Magic Carpet http://getbook.at/TheMagicCarpet

The Infinity Pool http://getbook.at/TheInfinityPool

The Infinity Pool is also available in German as Der Infinity-Pool and in French as Infinitude on the local Amazon sites.

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Tom Gillespie #interview #writerslife

A massive welcome to Tom Gillespie who is here to tell us about his writing life …

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

I would say my strange book bends genres- It is part psychological thriller, part Scottish Gothic mystery with a sprinkling of horror and magical realism.. So either a smorgasbord or a Bloomenthal bomb blast... you choose!

What made you choose that genre?

I’m allergic to rules

How long does it take you to write a book?

This is the second iteration of The Strange Book. I wasn’t happy with the first cut, and once I’d regained my fortitude and courage, I ventured back into Jacob’s weird world and completely reworked the novel, re-structuring , chopping and changing, and adding a completely new section. I thought if F. Scott. Fitzgerald can do it..then hey!  So all in all, it’s taken around 9 years, from initial teeny wee flash story to this, the final director’s cut, as it were.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

My method has changed recently. I used to scribble in notebooks and scraps of paper.. on anything I could find when inspiration struck.. Then I would end up with shoeboxes full of weird illegible hieroglyphics. Now I’m much more systematic and organised. I set aside a few hrs each day (usually early morning), and let my brain loose on the computer keyboard. When I’m in stream of consciousness mode, I lock my little editor gremlin up in a cupboard so that he can’t interrupt my flow. Then when I’m in editor mode, I do the same with the crazed, bohemian writer, who to be honest, complains a lot less about being shunned under the stairs.

Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

A few years ago, I shared a couple of drinks with Edna O’ Brian on a train from Bristol to Manchester. She was heading to the Hay on Wye festival but missed her stop (or was on the wrong train) and seemed delighted about it! She was hilariously inappropriate, and she gave me some sound advice. She said in this business, trust no one, especially yourself, adding ... with bloody train timetables.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

When I was wee, I created a picture book based on ghost stories my friends had told me or they swore they had experienced. I was about 46 😊

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I play guitar and write songs…when my wife and daughter are out...and read, read, read.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Typos and spelling mistakes are sentient beings

How many books have you written?

This is my second novel. I have a collection of short stories coming out in October.

Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

When I google myself I always land on a young champion Australian surfer.. and when anyone asks, I pretend to be him.

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

Lee Van Cleef.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

None... but I have a loft stuffed full of notebooks and shoeboxes!

Amazon link (universal)

https://mybook.to/StrangeBook

https://www.facebook.com/tomgillespiewriter

https://twitter.com/tom_gillespie

Web: tom-gillespie.com

Readings:

https://booksfromscotland.com/2020/07/the-strange-book-of-jacob-boyce/

Bio

Tom Gillespie is a novel and short fiction writer. His stories have been published worldwide in journals, e-zines and creative anthologies including East of the Web, Linden Literary Review, The Ogilvie. His work also features in The Federation of Writers, Scotland New Voices Anthology.

Glass Work Humans – A collaborative collection of Short Stories will be published in Autumn 2020.

The Strange Book of Jacob Boyce is the first of a trilogy of novels set in Tom’s hometown of Glasgow, published by Vine Leaves Press, and available to order now.

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Martin Jones #interview #writerslife

Today I am delighted to feature an interview with Martin Jones, author of Best Eight.

 

1. What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

 

Classification has always been a bit of a problem.  Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch, inspired my early efforts, except they organised biographical material around things like famous album tracks rather than football matches. My children’s novel, Secret Street, about a girl with a secret love of geology, could be called “coming of age”. Best Eight, published this month, is science fiction. It is true that an editor at Hachette did not agree.  But if I may...  Science fiction is a very diverse genre, covering the portrayal of science in the future, and often in the present and past as well, except where it doesn’t involve science at all, as in speculative fiction, alternate history, or in the related category of fantasy.  Writer Damon Knight has described sci-fi as “what we point to when we say it”. So setting out to write sci-fi only to have an editor suggest that the book does not fall into that category, seemed like a bizarre achievement,  You could say that science fiction is what we point to when we say it, except for that book Martin Jones wrote. But no, we can’t say that.  The book cannot claim to be so unique.  It’s science fiction.

 

2. What made you choose that genre?

 

Science fiction has always been a favourite of mine.  For me, it’s right up there with the novels of P.G. Wodehouse.  I once read the work of author Jack Vance after hearing he was a fan both of sci-fi and Wodehouse. Whilst enjoying Vance’s work, it was difficult to find much Wodehouse in it.  On some level, Best Eight was an attempt to fill this unfortunate gap.

 

3.  How long does it take you to write a book?

 

A long time is the short answer.  Best Eight took ten years, on and off.  Other novels did not take as long as that.  And the novel I am currently writing is shaping up after a year or so. 

 

4.  What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

 

Before March this year I would write for two hours in the morning, and then go to my day job in a pharmacy. Since the middle of March I have been on medical lock down, unable to leave the house.  So now, it’s chores in the morning, followed by forty minutes of exercise.  The rest of the day is free for writing.  The evening is for reading, relaxing and watching Grace and Frankie on Netflix.

 

5. Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

 

I am a trained sports massage therapist.  This was the answer I gave to the same question, asked at an interview for a Christmas job at Argos.  It seemed to work quite well on that occasion.  They offered me the job.

 

6. When did you write your first book and how old were you?

 

I actually started out trying to write stage plays at university - my first one imagined vast equipment at a high tech London show going wrong and turning the theatre upside down.  A motley group of actors, theatre staff and audience members had to escape to the bottom the theatre, like in the Poseidon Adventure.  I was eighteen then.  Those Nick Hornby inspired novels came a couple of years later, just after university.

 

7. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

 

Reading, obviously.  I have this scheme which alternates classic novel with new novel.  Music has always been a passion. Before lockdown, cycling the byways of Kent was my favourite form of exercise.

 

8. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

 

Hmmm.  Interesting.  Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned was the way confidence can exist alongside an equally profound level of doubt. Within candy floss clouds of diffidence, there is a small rock of determination - not so much a rock as a chunk of neutron star. It’s odd how these opposites can exist so naturally together.

 

9. How many books have you written?

 

It took me a minute to work that out.  There have been seven novels.  And one nonfiction book about the Sergeant Pepper album.

 

10. Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

 

I don’t Google myself, always assuming there’s nothing there.  Let’s have a go now... This is fun. Graham Norton does this sort of thing with his guests. Well, Jones is a common name so there are lots of Martin Jones.  My blog is listed, along with entries for a number of other Martin Jones authors, who seem to be doing very well with their writing.  There’s an archaeologist who has written ninety-seven books, his latest about why humans share food. What have I been doing with my time?  And there’s someone who writes horror stories.  So not much to see with regard to me personally.

 

11. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

 

At primary school it was astronaut, fireman, and very briefly glazier, after a man came to fix our school window and seemed happy in his work.  I thought about being a musician for a while - making some pocket money in my sixth form years playing the French horn in show bands.   But writing ambitions always lurked, and had completely taken over by the time I finished school.

 

12. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

 

On my computer there’s a novel about a pharmacy worker who takes part in drug trials seeking conscious control of dreams.  There are also three drafts of a “steam punk” novel where a nineteenth century London tosher gets himself involved with a secret society, which has developed the technology necessary to produce glam rock music.

 

All other unfinished or unpublished novels/plays/film scripts/poems are piles of paper in the attic.  

Thank you for the interview, Lorraine.  I really enjoyed answering your questions.

Author bio: Martin has been writing since he left university in the 1980s.  He has published two novels, run a website for historical visiting, and won prizes for his short stories.  He lives in Kent and is married with one daughter.

Blog link: https://martinjoneswriter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinjones63/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinLlJones1

Amazon Author page: https://amzn.to/3fQ97Pd

Link for Best Eight: https://amzn.to/2Z8AwoC

Link for Secret Street: https://amzn.to/3ewcQky

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R J Gould #interview #writerslife

Today I am delighted to post an interview with R J Gould.

1.     What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

While I recognise for marketing purposes the importance of genre, I think many authors would see themselves as writing across genres, myself included. Loosely, since I write about relationships, Women’s Contemporary Fiction, Romance and Romantic Comedy are the best fits.

2.     What made you choose that genre?

They chose me, or more accurately, my first publisher chose them for me. There was even a suggestion that I write under a female pseudonym for my predominantly female readership. I strongly resisted this, but ‘R J Gould’ as opposed to ‘Richard’ has been my cowardly compromise. Romance fiction is such a struggle for males to come to terms with, both as authors and as readers – I’m one of only 1% of the members of the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association who are male.

When commissioned to address this theme for Writing Magazine, I reached the conclusion that it’s the word itself and often the book covers chosen that put men off. It’s a pity because the genre is diverse with plenty of novels providing thought-provoking insights and top-rate humour. For ‘Jack & Jill Went Downhill’ I opted for a minimalist cover and this will be my style from now on.

3.     How long does it take you to write a book?

A distinction is needed between how long did it take and how long does it now take. Until about a year ago, I was working full time and to complete a book was taking approaching three years. Now, I’m looking to release one a year and I love having the opportunity to write daily.

4.     What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It’s hard to generalise; I certainly don’t have a time-driven schedule. With the release of my new novel this month (January 2020), I’m spending far more time on developing a promotion strategy than on writing. I decided to self-publish ‘Mid-life follies’ so there has been loads to do beyond writing the novel, mind you, even with (indie) publishers, the marketing is largely left to the author.

I’m back to writing now, taking a three-hour or so block during the day, splitting my time between editing a second draft of one novel and planning for a new one.

5.     Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.

 

The first novel I published was ‘A Street Café Named Desire.’ The male protagonist, David, has two aims in life, to start a relationship with Bridget and to open an arts café. I’ve slipped the café name into all the novels I’ve written since. Will I maintain this in-joke?

6.     When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Since childhood I’ve written short stories and poems. Writing a full novel is a massive commitment, sadly with a low chance of success. I greatly admire those with a calling to write irrespective of outcomes, but I put financial security first. So…I didn’t start writing novels until my late forties.

7.     What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I’m a trustee of Feeding Britain, a national charity tackling (the alarmingly high level of) food poverty. I play tennis, help my partner to develop her art business, watch films, and – not surprisingly – I read a lot.

8.     What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

I don’t plan in detail before starting to write and I limit my characters’ profiles to the basics. I recognise this has pitfalls, but I love the sense that the protagonists are growing as the story develops – at times, it’s as if they are driving the plot.

9.     How many books have you written?

I have four published, A Street Café Named Desire, The Engagement Party, Jack & Jill Went Downhill, and Mid-life follies.

10.  Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?

No!

11.  As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

It’s fair to say that I was clueless. I was on automatic pilot through school to university. My first job was a teacher, not at all on my radar when young.

12.  How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?

I have one novel very near to ready to publish. A second is complete and has been for quite some time, but I’m unsure what to do with it because the two sections have totally different genres. I have an idea for a third and have just started the planning.

Brief bio:

R J Gould is published by Endeavour Media and Headline Accent. He is a (rare male) member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Having been selected for the organisation’s New Writers Programme, his first novel was short-listed for the Joan Hessayon Award. ​​Ahead of writing full time, R J Gould led a national educational charity. He has published in a wide range of educational journals, national newspapers and magazines and is the co-author of a major work on educating able young people, all rewarding, but his passion is writing fiction. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Website:                                             http://www.rjgould.info

Twitter:                                               https://twitter.com/RJGould_author

Email:                                                 rjgould.author@gmail.com

Facebook:                                           https://www.facebook.com/richard.gould.14418

Link to ‘Mid-life follies’:                  http://myBook.to/midlifefollies

Link to ‘Jack & Jill went downhill’: http://myBook.to/JACKANDJILL

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