1) So, who are you & what have you written?
I’m the new kid on the block of psychological thrillers, but in the past I have written worthy historical fiction that no one wanted to read.
2) Why do you write crime fiction?
Are you looking for an answer less shallow than ‘because it sells’?
3) What informs your crime writing?
Real life dramas are interesting to me, but I am far more concerned with the psychology of the characters and what causes the crime than I am with the details of the crime itself. I am writing my second crime novel at the moment and, like my first, the driving force will be the lives and interactions of the characters, rather than a detective solving a crime. I like to take people – usually damged people – and put them in situations that take them to the extreme edges of their personalities and see how they behave there.
4) What’s your usual writing routine?
I usually take my children to school, then come home and start writing by about 9.30. When I wrote Exquisite, my son was only three and still at playgroup, so I had less than three hours to bash out as many words as I could. I wrote 1,000 words in the morning, then picked up my son and lived my life, then once both children were in bed at 7.30, I would write another 1,000 words. I did this for six weeks and the novel was finished. I will probably never write anything that quickly again!
This time, I am still in the early stages, so happy with 500 words a day. I will gradually aim to increase this to 1,000 words. Both my children are in school now, so I have a lot more time, but I don’t seem to get any more done than when I only had a couple of hours here and there. I think this is partly because we have just moved and now we own chickens – they are a very amusing distraction from work.
5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?
I love Erin Kelly’s novel He Said/She Said. The writing is beautiful.
BY THE WAY!!!
I’m DELIGHTED to be sharing the stage with Sarah on July 5th for our joint launch at Waterstones, Piccadilly, courtesy of Orenda Books!! If you’re reading this, CONSIDER YOURSELF INVITED!!!
I lovedlovedloved Exquisite, so if you click on any of the top pics in this article you’ll find my five star review. BUY IT! And see you on July 5th!!!
