Annalisa Crawford – Author Q&A

Annalisa and Artoo

Annalisa and Artoo

Annalisa Crawford lives in south east Cornwall and shares her home with her husband, and canine writing companion, Artoo. She writes dark contemporary fiction with a hint of paranormal.

Her first book, Cat & The Dreamer, was published in 2012 and became the catalyst for longer works and eventually novels: Grace & Serenity (2020), Small Forgotten Moments (2021), and One Tuesday, Early (2024). Her short stories have appeared in Writers’ Forum, The New Writers, Flash Fiction Magazine, Fictive Dream, and Reflex Fiction, and many others.

Small Forgotten Moments won Silver Medal in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and her short story collection, The Clock in My Mother’s House, was shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award.

Annalisa can be found at:
Website: annalisacrawford.com
Facebook: @annalisacrawford.author
BlueSky: @annalisacrawford.bsky.social

Tell me what inspired you to write your novel?

My latest novel, One Tuesday, Early, is my third novel (and 8th book overall). It was originally a short story inspired by actual events. The novel is about a woman who wakes up one morning and her entire town is completely deserted. I live in a small town and occasionally, there is total silence as I walk around it. One particular morning a very long time ago, not only did I walk to school through a completely empty street, but the entire school was also deserted as well. (And no, I didn’t accidentally go in on a Sunday – there was a fire drill and everyone was in the playground!)

One Tuesday, Early

One Tuesday, Early

The short story didn’t really go anywhere, but the idea percolated and collided with another one to become the novel.

What came first the characters or the world?

It’s always the characters first for me. They are the heart of any story.

How long did it take to write?

I’m such a slow writer! One Tuesday, Early took me around four years to write. I don’t tend to sit and focus on one book though. While writing that, I was editing something else and writing a few short stories as well. I don’t plan my novels, so when I hit a block, I stop for a while and move to something else.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

Each project requires different music, although I always come back around to Crowded House – they’ve accompanied me through a novel and a novella trilogy.

How many publishers turned you down?

Lots. And before I started submitting novels, I got rejected by a lot of literary journals for my short stories too. Back when I started out, I got a fair few personalised letters while I’ve kept in a box in the attic.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

I read a review where the reader had stayed up to 3am reading it because they couldn’t put it down. I’ve done that with books myself, so I that review made me smile.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I haven’t fully figured out what my genre is. My tagline is: Dark, contemporary fiction with a hint of paranormal. But sometimes the hint is stronger than others and I wouldn’t call myself a paranormal author. I like breaking rules too much to fit neatly into certain genres – in a story I wrote about serial killer, they get away with it; in a love story, they split up in the end.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I’ve always been a writer. I was submitting stories when I was sixteen, and had my first one published at twenty. Since then, I’ve worked in libraries, and then did a major left turn and now I’m a gym instructor, which I love.

Which author(s) inspire you?

I’m more inspired by specific books rather than authors. I never thought I’d write anything other than short stories because my ideas didn’t feel complex enough to create anything longer. I would buy books simply because they were slim volumes. Two that I remember today are Darker Days Than Usual by Suzannah Dunn and Snake by Kate Jennings. Having said that, I adore the range of Margaret Atwood, and I will always buy Alison Moore’s adult fiction.

Which genres do you read yourself?

I tend to veer slightly towards the literary end of the spectrum, although I read almost anything my author friends write, and they write in the full gamut of genres.

What will always distract you?

Sadly, social media. I use it to keep in touch with my readers and promote my work, and I tell myself I’ll do fifteen minutes of reading/posting/commenting. But then I’m still there an hour later. I’ve tried alarms and turning off the Wi-Fi, but haven’t found the thing that works for me.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I didn’t have much room for books at home, but I loved my local library. We often visited family in Manchester – travelling from Cornwall – and I’d read one book up and another on the way back.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I read Mallory Towers over and over, until the pages started to come out. I also loved Heidi – I had a tiny edition that had tissue-paper thin pages, which felt very special when I was eight.

What books can you not resist buying?

Books with amazing covers or intriguing titles. I often buy books on those criteria alone, without even checking the blurb.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Because I don’t plan, I have what I call Draft Zero, which is just messing around with words and seeing which ideas stick. I will always write this draft by hand with a fountain pen I was given for my twenty-first birthday. I also need a constant supply of tea.

What is your current or latest read?

I’ve had a spate of books I couldn’t get into or finish, recently, but the last one I finished and really enjoyed with Lifeform Three by Roz Morris, a speculative science fiction story set in the near-future.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

I have a novel that I’m working on, on and off, but the story isn’t quite right, so I’m in thinking mode for that one. I’m enjoying writing short stories again at the moment – some to submit to journals, and some which will be the basis of a new collection.


Bottom Ko-Fi

Share this:

Katie Munnik – Author Q&A

Katie Munnik

Katie Munnik

Katie Munnik is a poet and novelist living in Wales. Her poems have been featured by Poetry Wales, the Cardiff Review and Bywords and longlisted for Nine Arches Primer and the CBC Poetry Prize. Her debut novel The Heart Beats in Secret was a USA Today Bestseller, and her most-recent novel, The Aerialists was Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month. Katie is represented by Evan Brown at Transatlantic Agency.

Katie can be found at:
Website: www.katiemunnik.com
Instagram: @KatieMunnik
Twitter: @messy_table
Facebook: facebook.com/katie.munnik/

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

The Heart Beats in Secret

The Heart Beats in Secret

My readers tell me they enjoy how I describe place, and I’m thrilled about that as landscapes are vital to me in how I approach storytelling. I want to know where my characters are and how the land makes them feel. To hear that readers feel immersed in these places through my writing is wonderfully encouraging. That’s a moment when storytelling works.

I also have readers who respond to my work by offering their own fantastic stories. After reading The Heart Beats in Secret, one woman got in touch to tell me about her mother’s pet – a paralysed pigeon – who used to go on family camping trips. An amazing detail, isn’t it? Story-worthy, to be sure.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

I was once offered a pair of bloomers at a reading. The real deal, Victoria bloomers with buttons and lace detailing. (I said yes.) Admittedly, the offer was in context and appropriate. I had just read a passage from The Aerialists in which my central character climbs across a rooftop in search of lost undergarments.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

I wrote my first book during a mentorship through the Humber School for Writers in Toronto. When I was finished and happy with it (or rather, ready to stop editing it for a while), I spent about a year sending it out to agents, getting silence, then getting feedback, trying rewrites and trying again. Then I spotted a post on Twitter about an open submission contest for unagented writers that the Borough Press was running. So, I entered and was delighted to win. The result was a book deal and representation from a topflight agent. It felt a bit like an arranged marriage after a long spell of dating, to be honest, but worked out well as the Borough Press went on to also publish my second novel.

What can you tell us about your next book?

I’ll simply say briefly that it is about early 20th C expat women artists living in Paris. And parrots.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

The Aerialists

The Aerialists

With my first novel, I officially had a vote, but in actual fact, it was in the hands of my publisher. Which was fine. As a writer, you think you know what your book should look like, but it’s important to remember you are a writer, not a book designer. There are professionals who know about these things.

I did have more influence with my second novel, which was lovely. I wanted to include some of the Victorian newspaper illustrations I found in the archive, and the designer incorporated them beautifully. We had a good back and forth about that cover. One version ended up being quite Monty Python steampunk, which I loved, but it really didn’t fit the literary novel I had written. What we settled on is absolutely perfect for the story. I’m thrilled with it.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I’m honestly not sure I had any other personality. Always had a book under my arm or my pillow. And it could be pretty much anything. Adventure stories, classics, fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, murder mysteries. I spent one summer inseparable from the complete libretti of Gilbert and Sullivan. (I am a middle child…)

Do you have a favourite bookshop?

As a child, it was a small shop called the Bookery in downtown Ottawa. An exclusively for-children shop. I’d timetravel there now, if I could.

For second-hand books, I’d need to say all of Hay-on-Wye. A charming book town on the Welsh border, rabbit-warrened with bookshops. It would be easy to spend a year lost there and utterly happy.

But I’m also a sucker for a huge North American big box bookstore. Last summer, I was particularly impressed with the well-organised poetry section at Chapters Indigo in Toronto’s the Eaton Centre. A hard place to leave emptyhanded. (I didn’t.)

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

I’ve been saving Anne Michaels’ Held until I hit my next deadline. I can hear it waiting for me.

Share this:

Laurie Ann Thompson – Author Q&A

Laurie Ann Thomas

Laurie Ann Thomas

A former software engineer, Laurie Ann Thompson now writes for young people to help them understand the world we live in so they can help make it a better place for all. She strives to write nonfiction that encourages imagination and fiction that reflects universal truths, as seen in Emmanuel’s Dream, a picture book biography of a man who changed his country’s perceptions of disability (winner of the ALA Schneider Family Book Award, an ALA Notable Book, a CCBC Choice, and a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, among dozens of other accolades); Be a Changemaker, an inspiring how-to guide for teens who want to change the world; and the Meet Your World series (illustrated by Jay Fleck), which encourages young readers to learn about a familiar animal by pretending to be one. She lives near Seattle, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Learn more at lauriethompson.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriethompsonauthor/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/LaurieThompson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurieannthompson/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lauriethompson.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurieThompsonAuthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauriethompson1/

What kinds of things do you like to write?

I mostly write nonfiction for kids, everything from board books for the littlest readers to a young-adult how-to guide. Anything that catches my interest is fair game, but lately I’m feeling especially drawn to STEM and social-emotional learning (SEL) topics.

What inspired you to write the genre you do?

I am super curious and love learning new things! And if I’m going to take the time to learn about something, I might as well share that knowledge, right?

You Are A Garter Snake!

You Are A Garter Snake!

Tell us about your current book.

My newest book is You Are a Garter Snake! It’s the fourth book in the Meet Your World series, which encourages very young readers to learn—through gentle interactivity and pretend play—about the animals who share their world. It was a real challenge to get inside the mind—and body—of a snake, especially since I’ve been irrationally terrified of them my whole life! But it was a great learning experience. My hope is that kids when kids see how much we all have in common, they’ll be inspired to care for and protect not only garter snakes, but the environment and each other, as well.

You Are A Garter Snake!

You Are A Garter Snake!

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I have a degree in applied mathematics and was a software engineer before starting my second career as an author. I took some time off work to raise my children, and while reading to them I rediscovered how much I love children’s books. It took a lot of hard work and patience, but I eventually found a path to publication… and I haven’t looked back! Most people are surprised to hear about my analytical background, but I feel like coding and writing are very similar processes for me. They both involve breaking an idea down into manageable parts, putting those parts in the right order, and then using language to achieve the desired outcome. Plus, rarely is either endeavor right on the first try, with both taking multiple iterations to perfect. Both feel like puzzles to me, and I love solving puzzles!

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I read literally everything I could get my hands on! My parents were very supportive, and they let me read whatever I wanted, so I was exposed to a bit of everything.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I spent a LOT of time just browsing through our set of encyclopedias. I was fascinated with the idea of trying to take all of the knowledge in the world and condense it all in one place. Of course, that’s impossible, but growing up in the pre-Internet days, the encyclopedia was an absolute treasure trove. My all-time favorite story book, however, was Judith Kerr’s Mog the Forgetful Cat. I felt a lot like Mog, always making mistakes and not quite sure why the people around her weren’t pleased with her behavior.

Which genres do you read yourself?

It’s probably no surprise that I read a lot of nonfiction on a wide range of subjects. And, of course, I read a lot of children’s books. But my favorite escape has always been fantasy novels! Lately, I’m really enjoying the “new” sub-genre of cozy fantasy, such as Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Yes, I’m actually working on a middle-grade fantasy novel! Writing long-form fiction is a very different process from writing picture books or nonfiction. I loved the drafting phase, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around how to approach a revision.

What will always distract you?

The crow that lives in my backyard. Whenever it sees me working, it comes and sits right outside my window and stares at me until I deliver peanuts.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

I think you mean how many shelves full of books are in my physical TBR pile. More than a few, that’s for sure!

What is your current or latest read?

Right now I’m reading Starter Villain by John Scalzi and The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions by Peter Brannen. Both are very good!

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

Let the Light In

Let the Light In

I’m really excited about my next picture book, Let the Light In, which comes out in September. It’s a social-emotional learning (SEL) tool full of examples of how we can take care of ourselves when we’re experiencing sadness, grief, or depression. I’ve heard from so many people—young and old alike—who are struggling right now, and I hope this ode to the many forms of self-care can be a balm to those who need it. I’m also putting the finishing touches on an informational picture book about Newton’s Laws Paws, inspired by my cat, who was clearly a physicist in a previous life. I’m working on two different picture book manuscripts about climate change for very young readers. And, I’m researching a more serious middle-grade nonfiction about the Earth’s past—and present—mass extinction events. So, lots of different projects in various stages of development… just the way I like it!


Bottom Ko-Fi

Share this:

Juliet McKenna – Author Q&A

Juliet McKenna

Juliet McKenna

Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far.

Her debut, The Thief’s Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man’s Heir was her first modern fantasy rooted in British folklore, followed by The Green Man’s Foe, The Green Man’s Silence, The Green Man’s Challenge and The Green Man’s Gift.

There will be more books in this series for as long as Juliet has new ideas, and readers are enjoying them. Her shorter stories include forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. As well as reviewing for various magazines, she promotes SF&Fantasy by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing.

Her Arthurian novel The Cleaving will be published in April 2023.

Juliet can be found at:
Website: www.julietemckenna.com
Twitter: @JulietEMcKenna
Facebook: facebook.com/jemck
Mastodon: @JulietEMcKenna@wandering.shop

Tell me what inspired you to write your debut novel?

Back in the early 1990s, I’d read rather too much disappointingly generic secondary world fantasy fiction. I decided I should see if I could do better myself. My debut novel The Thief’s Gamble was the result in 1999, after I had discovered that this writing lark is nowhere near as easy as I had naively imagined.

What came first the characters or the world?

The world, in that the world of Einarinn was the setting for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign I was running. The first of a great many lessons I had to learn was what makes a good tabletop scenario and what makes a decent fantasy novel are very different things.

How hard was it to get your first book published?

The very first hopelessly derivative brick-thick fantasy that I wrote went the rounds of more agents and publishers than I can recall, and they all said thanks but no thanks. With the benefit of hindsight, I am intensely grateful for that, as well as for the occasional scribbled notes on rejection slips highlighting things I was doing right. When I stopped tinkering with that non-starter and started fresh with a blank page and a new idea, I wrote The Thief’s Gamble, and that was picked up within a few months.

How long did it take to write?

About six months for the first draft, and then another six months to substantially improve it with invaluable editorial input.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

I don’t ever write to music, unless there’s something like roadworks going on outside and I need a less jarring noise to ignore. So no playlists, sorry.

How many publishers turned you down?

Thinking about my most recent experience, which was looking for a publisher for The Green Man’s Heir, I stopped looking fairly soon. The responses were all ‘This is urban fantasy so your epic fantasy fans won’t read it. Since you’re an epic fantasy writer, urban fantasy fans won’t pick it up.’ So I offered the novel to Wizard’s Tower Press, the small independent publisher who had been putting out my backlist as ebooks. The rest is history and nearly 20,000 copies sold since 2018.

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

As far as The Green Man’s Heir and its sequels are concerned, it turns out most SF and fantasy fans are happy to read widely across all variations of the genre. Readers particularly like the way these books gender-flip the urban fantasy template – the human caught up in supernatural goings-on is a man and the scary supernatural figures are mostly female. Of course, that’s been the pattern in the British folklore I’m drawing on since the way back when. The woodcutter’s third son goes on a quest and meets the witch in the woods…

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

‘Honestly, Dan’s such a bloke!’ That’s Daniel Mackmain, the central character the Green Man books, and the reader was referring to – sorry, spoilers. Anyway, that made me laugh out loud, and it was also very reassuring to know I was writing a young 6’4” male carpenter’s point of view so convincingly, when I am obviously none of those things.

What can you tell us about your next book?

This is something different again. I’ve written a feminist take on the Camelot myths, looking at Uther, Arthur, Merlin and the rest from the viewpoint of the women in these legends. The Cleaving will be published by Angry Robot in April 2023.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

I always take a look at them because it can be useful to see reactions to aspects of a book that hadn’t occurred to me. I don’t fret if a book of mine hasn’t worked for a particular reader. It’s a shame and I wish them enjoyable reading elsewhere, but I accepted a long time ago that not every book works for everyone. I’ve had good friends recommend books that have left me cold and got ‘meh’ responses from them to books I have loved.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I’ve written three murder mysteries set in ancient Greece as JM Alvey. Unfortunately, internal reorganisations at the original publisher saw the books lose two editors inside six months and they abandoned the series six weeks before the second book was published. Canelo picked up the ebook rights and we’ve added a third story I had planned, but we have a long way to go before those sales justify me writing the next one I have outlined. Some day, who knows? I live in hope.

What did you do before you became a writer?

I worked in recruitment and personnel management after university. Finding the right people for the right jobs and vice versa was fascinating and very satisfying. When my children were small, before I was first published, I worked part-time as a bookseller for Ottakar’s. That taught me many things about the book trade that are invaluable for an author.

Which author(s) inspire you?

I always find that an impossible question to answer. I could come up with a list of ten writers and tomorrow I’ll realise I left out someone crucial. Then someone will tell me they see something in my work that reminds them of an author I’ve forgotten I ever read – and they’ll be absolutely right. All I can say is, one way or another, I’m influenced by everything I read.

Which genres do you read yourself?

Crime, thrillers, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, non-fiction of all kinds. The only thing I definitely don’t read is horror. I appreciate the skills needed to write it well, but I simply don’t enjoy it. Each to their own.

What is your biggest motivator?

Deadlines. I plan ahead and I like to stay ahead. Yes, I used to do my homework on a Friday evening as soon as I got home from school. Habits like that stick.

What will always distract you?

Nothing short of an actual disaster. I’ve always been very good at focusing on the job in hand.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

In the UK and the US, I’ve been extremely fortunate from my first book onwards. I’ve been involved in early discussions and I’m often able to share visual references I’ve used, as well as answering any questions the artists might have. This sort of collaboration makes for great covers, as a glance at The Green Man’s Gift and at The Cleaving shows.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. I have a brother who’s two years older than me and when he went to school and learned to read aged five, so did I, aged three. I vividly recall sitting on the sofa with him and Mum and the Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme starring Peter and Jane. I was in the local library every week getting my full allocation of books, and borrowing any tickets my brother wasn’t using.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I went back to E Nesbit’s books time and time again, along with Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons stories. I adored a trilogy set in ancient Egypt by Rosemary Harris; The Moon in the Cloud, The Shadow on the Sun, and The Bright and Morning Star.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

Blackwell’s, Broad Street, Oxford. When I first went in there as an undergraduate, it was my idea of heaven. It’s still a magical place.

What books can you not resist buying?

Those labour-of-love, small-press books about local history and folklore on the gift shop shelves of castles and stately homes.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Not really. My routine is sit down, switch on the computer, read over yesterday’s writing to catch any obvious glitches and carry on typing.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

I have half a dozen research, non-fiction titles waiting. Don’t ask me about the ‘ooh, that looks interesting and it’s only 99p’ ebook stash…

What is your current or latest read?

Remember My Name by Sam Blake. A crime thriller set in Ireland. I’ve only just started it, but it’s looking very promising.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

I’m going to restrain myself and only pick one. Val McDermid is writing a new series of crime novels with a decade between each book. So far, we’ve had 1979 and 1989, and the blend of a gripping mystery with the historical detail of years I remember has enthralled me. I am really looking forward to 1999.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

I’m currently reading around the ideas for the next book in the Green Man series. I’m also working on a short story that I’ll be submitting to an anthology.

Any events in the near future?

It’s a while off yet, but I’ve got next year’s Eastercon in Birmingham in my 2023 diary. There’ll be more to come.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

When I decided to take everything I’d learned from writing the derivative fantasy non-starter, and from working for Ottakar’s, I was at home with two small children. I opted for epic fantasy rather than crime because I’d heard so many crime writers stress the importance of getting the real world details right, and there just weren’t the online resources we have today. I could create a fantasy world without leaving the house with one in a pushchair and one in a baby sling.


Bottom Ko-Fi

Share this:

Louise Walters – Author Q&A

Louise Walters

Louise Walters§

Louise Walters studied for a Literature degree with The Open University between 1998 and 2010. She took Creative Writing and Advanced Creative Writing courses during the final two years of the degree, and she says that writing her first novel, Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase, has been one of the most positive experiences of her life.

Louise can be found at:
Website: louisewaltersbooks.co.uk
Twitter: @LouiseWalters12
Instagram: @louisewalterswriter

Tell me what inspired you to write your novel?

It’s my fourth novel and the inspiration came from two things. One was an article in a local newspaper, years ago, which I cut out and kept. It was about a local hermit who used to go into town once a week to shop. Rumour had it that he had been betrayed in love by his own brother. The second inspiration was from even further back. As a teenager I stayed on an estate in Devon, in a holiday cottage. It was called Wiscombe Park and that is the inspiration for Rowan Park in the novel.

What came first the characters or the world?

The world, really. The action takes place on the fictional estate and in the nearby fictional seaside town, also based on a real town: Beer, in Devon. I thought about the characters for a long time… the novel has been on the needles for ten years or so.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

I only ever got my first novel trade published. The other three have been independently published at my indie press, Louise Walters Books. I sent The Hermit to twenty agents. Then I said to myself, enough is enough, and decided to bring it out at my indie press. A book deal would have been great financially. So it was worth a try.

How long did it take to write?

On and off, ten years or so. Mostly off, to be truthful! But it’s been around in my head, and on various laptops, for a decade.

How many publishers turned you down?

No publishers because I couldn’t get an agent! I tried one indie press, who rejected it with lots of encouragement, as did several of the agents.

What can you tell us about your next book?

I have 12k words so far and it’s the first in a planned saga, or series of novels, about the fortunes of a working-class family and their hangers-on, set over about thirty years. That’s the current plan. I have all the characters and the odd thing is I hardly had to think about them. I started writing it earlier this year, and there they were. Mainly inspired by my own families, on my mum’s side and my dad’s. I’ve sort of mashed them up into one big family.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

Yes and no. I don’t take them to heart. Or try not to. Everyone has an opinion and they are entitled to express it. I love the good reviews, of course!

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Yes, I think so. I’d love to have a go at a ghost story.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I’ve had a lot of jobs over the years! Currently I’m a freelance editor, providing manuscript reports and developmental edits for hoping-to-be-published writers. This is my day job, really.

Which author(s) inspire you?

Lots! I’m really enjoying Kate Atkinson’s work. Joyce Carol Oates is great, perhaps my biggest inspiration. And I love Taylor Jenkins Reid at the moment. Making my way through these writers’ work is a total reading joy.

Which genres do you read yourself?

Mostly literary fiction with a plot. Joyce and Kate do literary-fiction-with-plots really well! Taylor is a little more commercial, but I’m well aware of the work involved in writing good commercial ficiton. In some ways it’s much harder then writing literary fiction. I take my hat off to writers who can pull off good commercial novels.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

The Hermit

The Hermit

I have been working with the wonderful Jennie Rawlings since I started Louise Walters Books. I usually supply Jennie with a brief from me and the author, with our vague ideas of what the cover might look like… then Jennie does her own thing. Her ideas tend to be much better than mine or the author’s! I am however now turning to a single, generic, cover design for any books I may publish in the future. The Hermit is the first to carry this “brand” cover. I hope it will work out OK. I’ve had to completely re-think my publishing. DIY is the only way forward, realistically. It’s a constant financial struggle to run an indie press.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. I read all the time. It was a source of comfort, and still is. I can’t imagine life without reading.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I wasn’t really into fantasy like Roald Dahl, not much. I loved the Chalet School Books, Ballet Shoes, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women… realist and literary-ish stuff. Penelope Lively was a favourite as a child, and she is now too. Moon Tiger is my favourite novel.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

I used to work at the Old Hall Bookshop in Brackley, Northamptonshire. It was the inspiration for the bookshop in my debut novel, Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase. So that is my favourite bookshop. I also love Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London. It’s like a book cathedral. Blackwell’s in Oxford is always a great place to visit.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

No, none at all. I write when I can, and love it when I do. But no rituals. I’m quite workaday about my writing.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

Currently around a dozen. Usually is! I try not to overwhelm myself with too big a pile. With my publishing and editing work, reading-for-pleasure time is quite limited. How ironic is that?

What is your current or latest read?

Currently reading Big Sky by Kate Atkinson. I have a little literary crush on her private investigator, Jackson Brodie. Yeah, I know… ridiculous…!

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

I would love to complete a first draft of my new novel in 2023. That’s the goal. 12k words down, another 80k or so to go.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

My reading. I love literary, realist stories, with good plots and characters. Always have, always will.


Bottom Ko-Fi

Share this: