USA Today Bestselling Fantasy author
March is a busy month! Not only March hares bouncing around with endless energy, there are lots of book giveaways and bookswag competitions.
Bookmark my competitions page to keep up to date with the latest opportunity to win books and bookish swag. This month:
Today, I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Ceara Nobles, about her novel Sparks and Shadows which releases today!!! Congratulations Ceara! Sparks and Shadows is the first book in the Rising Elements series.
Helen: Welcome Ceara! To start us off, tell us about your new novel.
Ceara: Sparks and Shadow is the first book in the Rising Elements series, a modern, action-packed YA portal fantasy featuring Fae mythology, magic, and slow-burn romance.
Seattle is full of monsters, and I’m the only one who can see them.
I’ve spent the last 17 years (AKA my whole life) pretending I can’t see the monsters who disguise themselves as humans. I may not have a place to live and my best friend may be moments away from getting in too deep with the city’s most dangerous drug lord, but I’m rolling with the status quo.
That is, until I save my arch enemy’s stupid life and find myself in a warehouse full of monsters.
Next thing I know, I’m in Monster Land (AKA not Seattle) and up to my ears in monsters, magic, and inevitable mayhem. If I want to get home, I have to join a band of revolutionaries and stay alive long enough to get back through the portal before war breaks out.
This’ll be a cinch.
Helen: Congratulations on the release of your novel! Such a special feeling! This is such a lovely cover! Can you tell us how you came up with the design?
Ceara: This cover was so fun to make! You’ll see Everly, my main character, on the cover. Elements are a huge part of the series, and Everly’s magical element is fire, so we chose warm colors to go along with that. Most of the story is set in the mystical land of Thios, a city built into a massive forest in Faery, so we had to incorporate trees onto the cover. I wanted the cover to match current cover trends but also be meaningful to my story.
Helen: Is there a story behind the title?
Ceara: Funny story about the title. Originally, I had chosen the title SPARK OF FATE. I loved the title, researched the heck out of it to make sure there were no other books using it, and commissioned the cover from my designer. I even announced it and did a cover reveal on my Instagram page. Then I realized another author had published a book IN MY GENRE with the exact same title a few weeks before I announced mine. I was heartbroken! But I knew it would cause too much confusion to have two books with the same title in the same genre, so I brainstormed some other options and came up with SPARKS AND SHADOW. I have fallen in love with it, and I think it fits the series much better than my first one!
Helen: Oh, what a shame and how frustrating after all that work! I am so glad you found another title you love just as much and I think it works just as well if not better! What made you write this book?
Ceara: This book was born from my love of Ireland. We went on a family vacation there a few years ago, and I fell in love with the moss-covered forests and fae mythology. I also have a deep love for the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Seattle area. I combined the two, and SPARKS AND SHADOW was born!
Helen: Sounds like the best inspiration! Is YA fantasy your favourite genre to write?
Ceara: I write YA fantasy, and I love it! SPARKS AND SHADOW is a portal fantasy, and I love the idea of marrying the real world and a fantasy world. It makes my job really fun, and I get to combine the best of both worlds. I love imagining the possibilities of a fantastical world, creating new magic systems and societies and species.
Helen: I agree, part of the joy of writing fantasy is the creative freedom to make up whatever you want. How does writing fit into your everyday life?
Ceara: I have a 2-year-old, so writing whenever I want just isn’t going to happen. She’s in preschool 2 days a week (soon to be 3, and I can’t wait!), so I head to a local coffee shop on those days and work there for the day. Something about the change in location really gets me into the headspace to work! A good iced chai always helps too. 😉 My husband also takes her two evenings a week and gives me three solid hours to work. Overall, I’m able to work about 20 hours a week.
Helen: How wonderful, supportive hubby’s are the best! Do you have time to fit in any hobbies?
Ceara: I love traveling! Between my hubby and I, we have family in three states, and we spend a lot of time traveling between them. I also love visiting new places, so we usually take at least a few trips per year. Besides that, I love long hot baths with a good book and thrifting!
Helen: You are very busy! Is there anything anecdotal you would like to share with your readers?
Ceara: I have to shout out to my husband! We have dubbed him my “creative director,” and he’s actually the inspiration behind my publishing company’s name: Riverside Press. When the idea for Sparks and Shadow first came to fruition, it was on a solo camping trip with my hubby and I. We spent an entire afternoon sitting in folding chairs by the river, plotting and brainstorming the first version of my story. He’s always there to support me, whether by brainstorming ideas with me or taking our toddler for the day so I can catch up on my deadlines. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him!
Helen: That sounds perfect! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. As we reach the end of our time together is there any advice you would share with new writers?
Ceara: It sounds cliche, but my best advice is this: you CAN do hard things. Writing stories and sharing them with the world is terrifying and difficult, but it is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. As for the publishing process? It’s not as hard as it sounds. Just learn as much as you can and keep failing until you figure it out!
About the Author:
Ceara Nobles is a Utah-based author of romantic suspense and fantasy novels. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2016 with a B.A. in Computer Animation, then realized she hated it. So she decided to pursue her true love of writing instead. She spends her days writing sales copy as a copywriter… and her evenings writing exciting stories as an author. And she loves both! When she’s not busy writing, you can find her snuggling her new baby girl, road tripping with her hubby, or shooing her cats off her laptop.
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my books which are available in eBook, paperback or hardcover: Book One: Sentinals Awaken. Book Two: Sentinals Rising. Book Three: Sentinals Justice. Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next book releases.
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Some gorgeous covers have been revealed over the last few weeks for the Realm of Darkness Anthology. I am delighted to share KC Freeman’s Renegade Angel
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
Have you preordered your copy yet for the insane price of 99c/99p? I can’t wait to read these wonderful books. See all the covers revealed so far here.
Renegade Angel by KV Freeman
A warrior for good. A soldier for heaven. A heart of gold. A body for sin.
Jasper Moreau has served as a guardian angel for centuries. He battles the demons and monsters in the dark so humanity can pretend they don’t exist. But being a Guardian Angel isn’t all divine love and light. Sometimes the human side of his nature needs to feed his own lustful appetites.
Savannah only wants to ride horses and be aprt of a family-her rodeo family. The rodeo was the one place she was finally able to escape her dark past and hide from her supernatural abilities. She seems destined to remain the comical rodeo clown, but Fate has a mind of its own. And Fate means to stir up trouble.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/99p!
You can read my Book Review of KC’s fantasy Rekindled Prophecy the first book in the Greylyn the Guardian Angel Series.
About the Author:
KC Freeman, paranormal romance/mystery author and winner of the 2021 Firebird Book Awards for Paranormal Fiction.
After leaving the corporate world to raise her five rambunctious children with her husband in North Carolina, KC Freeman eventually found her way back to her lifelong desire to write fiction. First, she dipped her toes in the writing world by ghostwriting cozy mysteries and romance novels.
She struck out on her own to write urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel Series Book 1 was originally published by Zimbell House Publishing November 2019; however, due to the publisher closing their business, KC has chosen to relaunch the first book in the Greylyn series. Additionally, she contributed a paranormal romance short story to the Autumn/Winter 2017 anthology The Bowman’s Inn; as well as another paranormal romance short story released March 21, 2019 with the After Dark anthology where readers will be introduced to an upcoming character in the Greylyn saga.
KC writes mostly fantasy and paranormal romance novels, especially angels and demons.
When she is not writing, KC is running her children to practices, football games, swim meets, wrestling tournaments, and generally all over town. In her spare time…who are we kidding? She doesn’t have any of that.
Reviewed: March 1st, 2022
Released: October 1st, 2020
Genre: MM Fantasy Romance
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Cameron wants to make it clear that he did not go into the festival to find a dragon mate.
Germany is supposed to be an escape. With a new mechanical engineering degree, a new job looming, and a whole life planned out that isn’t his, Germany seems like the best place to find himself.
So, how does he end up discovering his lost magic heritage, running from bad guys with a secret agenda, and being adopted by the not-so-extinct Fire Dragon clan?
Cameron blames tall, dark, and sexy Alric, King of the Fire Dragons. His fated mate. Because of course he is, and mates are meant to take the blame, right?
It may take a hot second, but as Cameron learns more about the scarred Alric and the life he’s landed in, Cameron realizes that perhaps this is where he’s meant to be, magic and mates and kidnapping and all.
Turns out coming to Germany wasn’t an escape but his awakening. Read My thoughts…
Reviewed: February 28th, 2022
Released: May 21st, 2021
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
In this second book of the Door to Door Paranormal Mystery Series: relationships tested, friendships built, secrets revealed, and sacrifices made…
Salesman Emily Swift is back – and so is Templeton! After learning about her supernatural abilities and finding the Crimson Stone, thirty-year-old Emily Swift returns home to Kincaid to rebuild a normal life with her boyfriend. As she struggles to get a handle on her “door traveling” energy, a strange warning squawks from her car radio: a rogue, terrorist group called the Fringe is still watching her.
Before she can figure out if the message is from a friend or foe, Emily’s quirky mother, Lydia, goes missing – and resurfaces in the Empire! As Lydia travels from city to city in this peculiar world, a wake of chaos is created. Add the murder of a hated art critic and a kidnapping into the mix, and things go from bad to worse. The Fringe believes Emily knows where the magical Crimson Stone is hidden, and they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
Friends Tara and Rabbit join Emily as they race against the Fringe to catch up with Emily’s wandering mother. Will Emily’s nemesis, the mysterious Templeton, join her in rescuing Lydia? What will it cost her? Is the price too high? Read My thoughts…
Today, I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, CK Sorens, about her latest novel Afflicted; the second installment of the Trimarked series which releases on March 1st, 2022 and is currently available on preorder- keep reading to check out the preorder thank you gift Carrie has lined up for you!
Helen: Welcome Carrie! To start us off, tell us about your latest book.
Carrie: Afflicted is the second book in the Trimarked Series and follows Ember, whose powers have grown in the five weeks since the end of the first book, Trimarked. Nicu, her Fae guardian, has kept her secret from the Fae to protect her from imprisonment, but his loyalties are torn. So far, her unintentional bursts of power have been minor, and ignored. But as a powerful Witch upsets the fragile allyship between human, Fae, and Witch, Ember considers consciously using her chaotic abilities. If she chooses to access her powers, will Nicu keep his promise, or will he side with his kind? When the choice is to protect her friends or save herself, Ember may discover the answer.
Helen: That sounds amazing! You have such a vibrant cover. What was the inspiration behind the cover design?
Carrie: My cover was designed by the talented Natalie, the driving force behind Original Book Cover Designs. It shows Ember on Witch lands. One of the taglines for this book is “Fighting is her best feature,” and we wanted to show she’s ready for the fight to come with the clenched fists and red sweater. The red is also to show that this girl is ready to be bold, to fight for what’s important to her, once she figures out what that is.
Helen: This is the second book in your Trimarked series, how did you come up with the name of the book?
Carrie: Afflicted’s title came, in part, from one of my antagonists. The Queen can spread her over-large soul across the bodies of other people, effectively turning them into mind-controlled drones. When they’re under her control, they’re afflicted.
Afflicted has a second meaning, though, from astrology. When planets are afflicted, they’re in opposition to each other, two bodies on opposite sides. In this novel, so many chess pieces move around. Everyone seems in opposition with the other until they’re not. They are constantly shifting.
Helen: Oh, I love the dual meaning behind the title. That is so interesting and makes your series even more intriguing. Do you typically write fantasy?
Carrie: I write YA fantasy because fantasy is what got me through middle and high school. I enjoy reading and writing stories where young people are coming into their own. All their lives they’ve been told what to do for their own good, and now it’s time for them to figure out which parts of that they want to take with them, which they want to experiment with, and what they want to throw away. In fiction, YA characters are thrown into incredible situations without any experience to back them up in their decision making process. It’s not so different from real life. Sometimes, that pile of college applications is just as scary as facing down dragons. YA fantasy is not only a great escape, but also validation that hard things can be done through perseverance, faith, and a little bit of help, whether it’s from authority figured or magic.
Helen: Tell us about your protagonist and why you wrote her/him?
Carrie: In Afflicted, the main character is Ember Lee. She wasn’t just born in the wrong neighborhood (Fae), she also has a Witch for a dad and a human for a mother. A human with magical capabilities is unheard of, as they don’t have the ability to sense or use magic. The mages see Ember as a ticking time bomb. The humans see her as a reminder that magic has invaded their space, which had been ‘normal’ before they were forced to coexist.
I wrote Ember because she’s struggling in many of the same ways I struggled. I had more friends and a greater support system growing up, but many of my choices were ones I made because of those very systems. When the consequences of those choices weren’t what I wanted, I got out. That burned a lot of bridges for me and caused a lot of tension within that support system. So, at the time I began writing this story a decade or so ago, I truly felt on my own. Her experiences came from a dark part of my life, and I’m finding through conversations and reviews that it’s one many people can relate to, bringing me community once again. It’s a full circle, and I have the experience of creating and sharing Ember to thank for that.
Helen: I think that makes Ember even more engaging as she faces circumstances which drive difficult choices. If I asked Ember why we should read your book. What would she say?
Carrie: Oh, I love this question. Honestly, Ember would say:
“Don’t. Like I need one more person in my life watching me.”
Because of her status, she has a regular, though not constant, Fae guard, Nicu. The Witches give her more space as long as she keeps her weekly meeting with Devi to be checked up on. The humans, at least, steer clear of her for the most part, but they’re also the ones more likely to bully her. There’s another group of mixed-race kids and runaways called the Halfers. She should fit in with them because of her mixed parentage, but they think she brings in too much attention, and they hate the fact that her mother didn’t abandon her like their parents abandoned them. They put up with her because their leader trades with her, but that’s the extent of their patience.
But we as readers don’t have to listen to her, do we? 😉
Helen: LOL! Love it. Like me, you are a Realm of Darkness participating author. What made you write a novel for an paranormal fantasy anthology?
Carrie: The next book I have coming out is going to be in the anthology, Realm of Darkness, a collection of 40 paranormal and fantasy romance novels at all different steam levels. Even though this would take me out of my current series, which is not a romance, I joined for the opportunity to learn and to get to know more indies. Being in the set has fulfilled both of my hopes, and I’m really excited to take these lessons forward, and to be able to grow my indie tribe with these talented authors.
Helen: I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only in October. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/99p! You can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun getting to know you more, Carrie. As we reach the end of our time together is there anything you would like to add?
Carrie: Afflicted is up for pre-order now, and will be live on March 1st, 2022! If you pre-order, I have a couple gifts lined up for you. If you pre-order an ebook, I’ll send you a character art bookmark collection and a Trimarked temporary tattoo and sticker. If you pre-order a paperback, you’ll receive the same gift, PLUS a ebook copy of Afflicted so you can get started right away. The details are outlined on my here.
About the Author:
C.K. Sorens started reading and writing young, carrying the love of the written word with her through college and beyond. Trying out a few professions, she always came back to her love of writing.
C.K. lives with her husband, their three sons, and their dog, Pippin. She enjoys warm days at the beach, day hikes, and sitting on the patio with a small fire.
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my books which are available in eBook, paperback or hardcover: Book One: Sentinals Awaken. Book Two: Sentinals Rising. Book Three: Sentinals Justice. Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next book releases.
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Some gorgeous covers have been revealed over the last few weeks for the Realm of Darkness Anthology. I am delighted to share Rosalyn Briar’s The Mermaid and the Pearl.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
Have you preordered your copy yet for the insane price of 99c/99p? I can’t wait to read these wonderful books. See all the covers revealed so far here.
The Mermaid and the Pearl by Rosalyn Briar
As a performer in the underwater Cirque du Mer, Muriel charms skeletons to dance using her voice and magic pearls. When the circus travels to the Crescent Reef, Muriel is eager to take part in the Sacrifice. She desires to sink the ships of humans, the vile creatures who had once enslaved her.
During the Sacrifice, though, Muriel comes upon a different type of human—a woman. Instead of feeding the woman to the Moon Priestess’ kraken, Muriel saves her. Soon, she learns that Yara is a princess and, despite being human and mer, they have much in common. A romance blossoms between the pair, until Yara’s rescue ship arrives.
When the depressed Muriel learns that Yara has died in another shipwreck, she rushes to the Moon Priestess for help. Muriel gives up her voice as payment, and the Moon Priestess turns Yara into an undead mermaid. Muriel has three days to make Yara fall in love and find her soul’s pearl—all the while performing in the circus.
Can love conquer death?
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset.
You can find out more about Rosalyn from her Author Interview, or my Book Review of her fairytale retelling: A Sea of Pearls and Leaves.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/99p!
On your marks…. Get set ….claim that free copy of Sentinals Awaken!!
Celebrating the forthcoming launch of Sentinals Across Time (available on preorder for $2.99) – chance to win one of 100 ebook copies of the first book in the Sentinals series.
From today (Feb 25th!) you can enter the Goodreads Giveaway. Sorry only open to US readers! Runs until March 10th, 2022.
Enter here. While you’re there follow me and add my books to your tbr shelf! Enjoy!!
I hope you start the adventure and stay for the journey!
Sentinals Awaken is the first book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.
As a three thousand-year-old threat reemerges, only one man has the power to awaken the world’s greatest protectors and restore order to the realm. He just doesn’t know it yet. When Jerrol Haven, a captain in the King’s Rangers, discovers treason at the highest level, he knows immediately that the knowledge puts his life at risk. And indeed, though he expected the ailing King to shield him, the ambitious Crown Prince sentences Jerrol to death.
What hold does the Prince have over his weakened father, and who or what is he protecting?
With signs that the veil is weakening and the Ascendants are creeping back into power, Lady Leyandrii has returned and is in dire need of Jerrol’s help. For though he doesn’t know it, Jerrol possesses a rare gift: By chance, he touches a revered Sentinal tree and awakens Birlerion, one of the Lady’s personal guard who have been sleeping in the strange, tall trees since they were last called to battle. Aided by Birlerion, Jerrol flees and begins his journey to help Lady Leyandrii save Remargaren once more.
But time is running out: Jerrol must unravel the mystery of the Ascendants’ return, stop the sinister force that is dividing good families through bloodshed and betrayal, and rescue the King—and his troubles are only just beginning.
Ideal for lovers of The Witcher, Tad William’s Shadowmarch or David Eddings’ Belgarion series.
Reviewed: February 25th, 2022
Released: December 10th, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Narrator: Marcus Rothenberg
“My name is Buckhunter Dornley, and I am dead.”
This isn’t your average fairy tale, and Sir Buckhunter Dornley isn’t your average knight. He’ll tell you that himself. Winning tournaments, fighting cyclopes, and slaying dragons? All in a day’s work for the mightiest knight in the empire, but that knight is about to meet his match in Mercy, the charming and outrageous princess of Merris. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and Buck falls hard. What he doesn’t know is Mercy lives under an ancient, terrible curse. When he finds out, Buck swears he’ll do anything to break it.
There’s just one little problem. He’s dead. For there to be any chance of happily ever after, the knight determined to rescue the princess may need the princess to rescue him too.
A fairy tale fantasy perfect for those who love traditional fairy tales with a twist. Read my thoughts …
Today I am chatting with Women’s fiction author, Angela Cairns, about her latest novel Touch, which is an inspiring story of self-discovery, wounded heroes, and second-chance love
Helen: Welcome Angela! To start us off, tell us about your latest book.
Angela: My current book is titled Touch – it’s the first in the uplifting Ellie Rose women’s fiction series. If you like inspiring stories of self-discovery, wounded heroes, and second-chance love, you’ll adore this story, with romantic leanings and a hint of medical memoir. Books two and three are queued up and ready to be released called Dilemma and Bloom, and there is a prequel novella already released, called Paradise, which charts Ellie’s early life and love for Brett in Australia.
Physiotherapist, Ellie Rose who is devastated by the tragic loss of her soulmate. Unable to endure the stifling sympathy of friends and family she leaves for the quiet countyside of Essex where she knows no one. After suffering too long in an awful job, she decides to establish her own holistic health clinic. She finds solace in healing others and in her wonderful dogs, but wonders if she’ll ever reclaim her own happiness.
Ellie can’t release the pain lingering in her soul. Until a new neighbour with his own grief opens the door to loving again. Can she find the courage to let go of the past and live life with passion again?
Helen: This does sound like an amazing journey as well as a bit of a heart-wrencher. What was the inspiration behind the cover design?
Angela: The cover to Touch has been through several transformations and I love working with my American cover designer Shannon Kuzmich. We finally settled on a watercolour style of a reflective girl walking on a beach. It suits the mood of the book and is one of the scenes from the story. I love the colours and the mood. I’ve had some beautiful bookmarks made by artist Carolyn Carlin, who has used the floral design from the girl’s dress and picked out the main colours in the bookmark ribbons.
Helen: It’s a lovely cover and the idea behind the bookmarks sounds amazing! How did you come up with the title?
Angela: The back story to the title is linked to the main character’s profession as a physio and her beliefs that touch therapies are important in healing and well-being. As a physio myself, this reflects my own beliefs. But it also alludes to the loss of her soulmate and his touch and learning to trust again.
Helen: What a lovely story behind the title. It’s so nice when then is real meaning behind the title. Why did you write this book?
Angela: I’ve always written stories and done a lot of non-fiction professional writing. My first published stories were a series of audio relaxation visualisations called Play, Pause, Unwind with original soundtracks from composer Simon Ramet. Then came my anthology of short stories Seasonal Produce. I began writing Touch because the idea for the story had been nagging in my brain for a while and I also wanted to explore some of my beliefs about wellbeing and recovering from loss in a fiction form. I also write hundred word stories as part of a writing team, for a local radio station, which are then produced and narrated by actors as part of a show.
I’d love to help people journey with hope through the ups and downs of life.
Helen: That must be amazing to have your work narrated on the radio. Do you typically write Women’s fiction? What are you currnetly working on?
Angela: I write Women’s fiction which is mostly set in a contemporary world. The Ellie Rose series will span through from 1986 to current times. Initially a three-part series, I’ve fallen in love with my characters and their world, so it is destined to become a saga. My latest project is my first historical novel set in 1910. It was inspired by my grandmother’s photo archives and in part her stories about growing up that I listened to as a child. It’s a fascinating time for women as the suffragist and suffragette movements are gaining strength and I wanted to link her experiences as a dressmaker’s apprentice and her love of music into the story. It’s set in Portsmouth UK where she lived for over a hundred years.
Helen: How wonderful that you have such a close connection and can use personal memories in your book. It sounds a really interesting premise. What inspired you to start writing?
Angela: I was inspired to write by my love of reading. As a child I inhabited amazing worlds and met wonderful people inside the covers of books. I had a head full of stories I wanted to write down and I think it is a wonderful privilege to be able to walk alongside readers and see your books take life in their enjoyment. As a child, The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh and any horse book I could find, Black beauty, Flambards (the site of which, I coincidentally live near now and actually exists.) you name it I read it. As an adult, I love reading Joanne Harris, Anita Shreve, Susan Howatch, Marion Keyes and indie author Julia Blake. I also love crime fiction and forensic crime, P.D James, Kathy Reichs, Ian Rankin and indie writers, Stella Oni and Caroline Noe.
My writer’s group with The Writers Company and their imaginative and creative courses continue to be my anchor and my compass.
Helen: Gosh, I can really relate, I used to love the Flambards! If your Main Character could speak, why would she tell us to read your book?
Angela: Why would my main character Ellie Rose say you should read my book? Well because life can be tough and sometimes you just need to put everything down at the door, get comfortable and let someone else soothe away the aches and pains.
Helen: Let’s chat a little about your writing process. Are you a pantser or a planner? Do you write free form, or do you have a framework you stick to?
Angela: All my ideas are hand-written in notebooks, although the text itself is typed. I’ve tried all kinds of writing software but at the end of the day I fare best with word files for each chapter, a main text document and a gorgeous notebook and pen. All my friends buy me amazing notebooks which I open with reverence – there is nothing better than a virgin page and a fountain pen!
Helen: Do you listen to music when you write, if so, what do you listen to and why?
Angela: Sometimes I listen to music, but mainly I write in quiet in a spare bedroom that used to be my son’s room. It is light and airy, with a view of my neighbours gardens and the sky. If I need music, it’s when I take a break to have a wild dance around the kitchen. Dancing music of choice; Santana, Samba Pa Ti; Black Box Ride on Time; Chumbawumba, Tubthumpin’. I also love belly dancing, so anything by Shakira or some of the traditional Raq Sharqui music.
I do a lot of my thinking out on walks with the dogs, I have Gordon Setters, or on long drives. A lot of my characters names are constructed from interesting place names I see when I’m driving.
Helen: I think every writer is a great reader! What is your favourite book and what do you love about it?
Angela: Virtually impossible to choose a favourite book, but if I was going to be marooned on an island with only two books I’d take Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. It’s an inspirational piece of spiritual poetry prose that looks at the very nub of life itself. I’ve bought it at least seven or eight times, because every time I lend it, it never comes back. Then it would have to be Joanne Harris’s Chocolat – I love the world, because it reminds me so vividly of when I lived in France, the characters are colourful and fascinating and there is just that hint of magical realism that she does so well. I could escape into that world and be endlessly happy.
Helen: Great choices! What books have you recently read that you would recommend?
Angela: Recent books I would recommend are from the indie publishing world, because I’ve been delving into that recently to support my colleagues. Ezekial Factor by Caroline Noe. Cracking dystopian crime novel with a snarky detective, a feisty terrier and an AI colleague who ends up teaching the main character a lot about being human. Anything by Julia Blake, but I love The Book of Eve that had a modern-day Great Gatsby vibe to it. I also loved the retro /paranormal/romance series by Mckenna Dean which starts with Bishop takes Knight and I’ve binge read all of Helen Starbucks mystery/crime novels- she writes the best male leads and feisty heroines.
Helen: Ooh nice, I’ll have to check them out! What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Angela: The most useful piece of writing advice I received came from DBC Pierre who wrote Vernon God Little – “Write in a reckless fever, re-write in a cardigan.” And that’s me, I’m neither a plotter nor a fly by the seat of my pants writer (pantser). I start with a story arc and a basic idea of where I’m going. Then I research the time period, thoroughly, I try to find real characters/events to influence my fictitious ones and make them authentic and relatable.
I quite like the notion that I’m a gardener, i.e. I start with a seed, water and tend it, then see what grows!
Helen: A lovely idea! It’s been such fun getting to know you, Angela, as we reach the end of our time together could you tell us something anecdotal about yourself.
Angela: Something anecdotal – hmmm, just a saying that I’ve found helps to keep me sane … “Don’t push the river – it flows by itself.” A healthy amount of planning and goal setting is great, but so is a healthy amount of good humoured acceptance and flexibility. I’m an acupuncturist as well as a physio and I practice T’ai Chi and Yoga, so I’m all about striving for balance.
Helen: Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I wish you all the best with your next book. Just to close, what advice would you give new writers?
Angela: Every first draft needs rewriting to tighten up the pace of the story and deepen the character portraits. When I have done the best I can, I have a lovely team of beta readers who generously read the fledgling story and pick up any flaws they see. Then it’s off to a professional editor, for more tidying up and polishing. You must love the process, if you’re going to produce good work.
About the Author:
Still a working clinician – Physiotherapist/Acupuncturist I began writing with a collection of relaxation stories set to original sound-tracks called Play Pause Unwind https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=play+Pause+Unwind. I felt we were long overdue a physiotherapist heroine to join the ranks of fictional doctors, nurses and psychologists and so I wrote Ellie Rose – clever, compassionate and determined, a heroine to take to your heart…
I live in Essex, in the UK with my husband. I have two grown-up sons and a clan of Gordon Setter dogs.
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Helen Garraway 