As we gear up for this amazing event, I’ll be bringing you author interviews so you can get to know the attending authors in more detail! There are lots and lots of authors for you to discover, not to mention, hundreds if not thousands of books! Why not grab a cuppa and sit back and relax! All while hearing more about our writers and their writing lives, inspirations – and maybe even a secret or two!
What is the first thing people should know about you?
That my writing has been likened to James Herbert, which is a huge honour for me.
Tell me which genre or trope you are most well-known for writing.
My BONDS series is dark paranormal and my TALES FROM A SCARYGIRL short stories are horror, both supernatural and real world. I’ve also written a supernatural children’s book which is aimed at teaching kids it’s okay to be themselves. I am venturing into the contemporary romance genre, though, with my latest novel, CHASING RAINBOWS.
What is one thing people don’t know about you?
I LOVE taking my kit off in front of the camera! I have done a couple of boudoir photoshoots and absolutely loved it. They have been an exercise in self-esteem and learning to see myself how others do, which I’m not good at, as I lack confidence. I shared the first lot of photos, and my story, on social media a few years ago and was surprised and pleased by the response. By sharing myself in that way, I actually helped people. This means the world to me.
What is your favourite book (not your own), and why?
I have two absolute favourites: Bram Stoker’s Dracula – the best love story ever told, and Jeffrey Archer’s Kane and Abel – an age-old rivalry that tugs at your heartstrings.
Are you one of those authors for whom music is EVERYTHING and without it you’d never write?
I wouldn’t say it is EVERYTHING, but it is certainly an important part of my creative process and my writing routine. The music is different depending on the genre I am writing. So, for the BONDS and TALES FROM A SCARYGIRL series, Meat Loaf and his Bat Out of Hell III album kept me company, the album covering every breadth of emotion possible. With CHASING RAINBOWS, it’s been Natalie Imbruglia’s White Lilies Island I tuned in to, the melancholy lament of the songs befitting the story.
Is your desk/writing space tidy or messy?
Most definitely tidy, although I am the post-it queen—and they are the best thing ever invented! As I’m writing, if a thought, idea, or simply a remembrance of something I may need to check on pops into my head, it gets put on a post-it; I’d never remember otherwise. I use post-its for everything… menopause brain! My most creative space in my home houses an antique writing bureau, which is only small, so there is no room for clutter, anyway.
Are you an introvert or extrovert? Or something else…?
Definitely an introvert. The idea of walking into a room, including doing author signings, fills me with absolute terror, but I force myself to do it. I struggle to socialise, though, which isn’t good, as people think I’m being rude; I’m not. I simply find it difficult to make the first move. If someone comes and talks to me, I’m like a limpet, and they run away screaming 😉.
The literary world moves fast, but what’s the one thing that never changes?
The love of a good story. Stories saved me as a child when my parents’ hands were full with my twin brother and sister, and stories are where I go when I am down, need company, or simply need to relax. Stories are my happy place, and I’m not the only one.
What is your advice to authors just starting out?
Get your story out of your head and on to the page, all of it, without stopping to worry about spelling and editing. If you keep stopping to edit what you’ve written, you will never finish. Get it out first, then go back and edit.
Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?
Italy. I adore the place and have been several times and want to go back… when I feel brave enough to face an airport and share a plane with strangers again. I recently completed a six-week taster course in Italian for this very purpose and am considering the longer language course starting in September.
Your favourite place to read and/or write?
I have several favourite places to read, depending on my mood and the time of day—my bed, my faux Chesterfield armchair in my living room, or my cosy chair in my conservatory. As for writing, well, that’s easy. There’s only one winner—the antique writing bureau my late aunt gave me. It’s been in the family for almost a hundred years, and I love to think about what it’s seen and experienced during that time. It’s battered, scratched and broken, and I love it!
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met?
This is a tough one, and I know I’ll remember the “actual” most famous person I’ve ever met after this interview, but, from a writing point of view, it would be James Patterson. I met him at Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Festival in Harrogate in 2019. I also met and had a chat with Sir Ian Rankin, who was lovely.
Ooooo, and I know not everyone may know who she is… unless they’re a Buffy fan! I met and had my picture taken with Juliet Landau a.k.a. Drusilla (pictured below) at Wales Comic Con in 2018. Which then leads me on to meeting Denis O’Hare, Mark Shepherd, Mark Addy and Eddie McClintock at the same event. Let’s just add that Juliet, Denis and Eddie all now have copies of BONDS!
What did you always want to be when you were growing up?
A banker (don’t ask). That dream lasted six weeks… six weeks of cleaning vomit off the cash machine on a Monday morning was enough for me to know working in a bank was NOT a dream job. I stayed for six years, though!
Thank you so much for your time, Marie! To find out more click her image above!
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