Interviewing myself about Spooking

This went out of print last month. I’ve reedited it and I’m now going to self-publish it, both as a Kindle edition and a hard copy.

Here I interview myself about the novel.

1)      What is Spooking about?

It might be described as a paranormal romance. In fact, it has been described as such. However, there isn’t a vampire to be seen. The supernatural elements are quite gentle. Arguably it also a story about grief and mourning. It does have a reasonably upbeat ending, however.      

2)      Did you start with the story or with the characters?

In some senses one always starts with the characters. Story always comes from the tension between the players. Having said that, I normally have a two-line version of the whole story in my head. I then flesh that out into a full story arc and eventually produce a chapter break down. As I write, however, I find I need additional or different chapters and the characters start to take on a life of their own. Spooking was no different.   

    
3) What led you to write it?

The idea came, as they do, out of the blue. I always have two or three ideas for other novels whilst I’m working on the current one. I dread the day I run out of ideas. So far so good.  

4)      What real-life events or people inspired events or characters in this book?

The novel is set in two real places – the south coast in Hampshire and Bangor in north Wales. We used to live in Hampshire and I studied for my PhD in Bangor. The little blue car that crashes into the river is based on the car that my son and daughter used to drive.  It was a blue Ford Fiesta. It was a super little car. It too was called Binky. I now own another Ford Fiesta – a bright red modern one. Both of them have been very nice to drive and very reliable.

The actual story is completely fictitious.

     
5) What authors or stories inspire you as a writer? (i.e., who are the authors or stories that, if I like their stories, I will probably also like your stories?)

There are so many. Here are a few:

Michael Morpurgo

Philip Pulllman

Maeve Binchy

Neil Gaiman

Aiden Chambers

Charles Dickens

Monika Feth

Kate Atkinson

Gustave Flaubert

Emile Zola

Heinrich Böll

If you asked me again tomorrow I’d probably come up with a slightly different list.    

 

Find your copy of the book here  

 

A Day at Bangor University

It was like going home in some ways. I can’t believe I used to do this drive - and some – every week. This time, I drove into the setting sun and though I’ve been this way hundreds of times before, those mountains which come down to the sea never fail to take my breath away – especially now as Snowdon is still covered in snow.
I spent a pleasant evening and a productive working morning with a friend and then headed into town a little early for lunch in order to visit the Red Cross shop and show them the only hard copy in the public of 100 Stories for Haiti. They loved it and thought it would be a good idea to sell it in all shops. We should contact Head Office.
I the met Lyle Skains, the colleague from Bangor who had invited me, in the Blue Sky Café for lunch. The lunch was great. The food was bound to be. The café belongs to my cousin’s wife. The atmosphere is great, too. It is, after all, an example of what I call a Creative Café. There’s a whole list of activities on the wall. They’re all within keeping of what a Creative Café should do. And of course, Lyle’s company was great, too. We’re facing the same issues in our teaching and research and her experience of doing a Ph D sounds very familiar.
We struggled up the hill. I haven’t entirely lost my fitness. And I really did need to admire the view. Whatever made me think I could leave that view?
NIECI looks so different to what the old JP Hall used to look like. As we arrived at the top of the stairs I reminded myself that it was up here I had my Ph D viva almost three years ago. That long ago? In this space?
Eventually after a few more minutes’ catch-up with Lyle and Simon Holloway, another former colleague, I met the students. They were just like ours, really. I talked a lot. I always surprise myself about how much I know. I’m even more surprised when they start taking notes. Apparently what I’ve said sounds important.
We completed a creative writing exercise. This was one of my favourites – about finding the right voice for a piece. They seemed to really get into this. It was almost a shame to stop them.
Then – questions time. This brought me round to mainly talking about publishing and networking opportunities.
In then end, I really had to hurry, though – my car had parking on it until 4.05. I dashed down the hill, arriving a few minutes late. No problems – except my sat nav decided to take me out of town the pretty way. Up towards Bangor Mountain, along some frighteningly narrow country roads. Around a sudden corner to be faced with a heart-stopping view of Snowdon. Is my car trying to tell me something? Maybe it’s telling me I should come home more often.

Fabulous Weekend

What a weekend! I’m still buzzing.
First of all, there was the drive to North Wales. What a fantastic drive anyway, one that I always love. The way you follow the coast and then the drama the mountains coming down to the sea. I did my usual trick of allowing an extra half hour for every hour I had to travel. The journey went well and I arrived an hour before I needed to be there.
I went in search of my cousin. Well, actually, she’s the wife of my second cousin. But she ahs bought and renovated a café in the middle of Bangor. Blue Sky. It’s gorgeous. We had a chat. And it’s already running along the lines of the Creative Café. They’ve had a Poetry Wales meeting there. And the novel-writers group meet there for breakfast.
I then met up with the others who were in the Fat Cat, excited as can be. I’ve edited and published the book, Making Changes, in which three writers form North Wales feature: Debz Hobbs-Wyatt, Jean Lyons and Phil Thomas.
We made our way to the Museum and Art Gallery. It is really a nice space for a book launch or reading. The lighting is great. There’s a good atmosphere with all that art work around.
I somehow managed to end up being the one who sold the books. The entire stock went and I’ve had to order another 17 to fulfil preorders. The curator counted 53 people arriving and then was distracted. I think it may have been about 65. Two of my former colleagues for NIECI and it was good to chat to them.
The readings went well and those who hadn’t bought a book on the way in, certainly bought one on the way out. We hooked them. The readings were great, but I’ve a few ideas about how to make them even greater.
The catering worked well. The three writers paid £15.00 each and that bought wine and nibbles and various members of their writing group brought along home made cake. Delicicous!
Debz and I then went back to her place, taking one of the four bottles of wine left over – there had been twelve altogether. We chatted into the small hours and drank the wine.
The next day, we were back at the Blue Sky café. Novelist’s critique breakfast – in my cousin’s café. This is really living the dream. It was good to chat about their work and writing in general.
I had to go home eventually, but only so that I could go out again to get to the evening session at the NAWE conference in Manchester. Interesting journey through the middle of town on a Saturday night and then along the crowded Oxford Road and the Curry Mile. Then the place was hard to find. No matter, though. The speaker had the same problem. But it was all good in the end. It was good to catch up with some old friends, not least of all my former PH D supervisor, Graeme Harper.
Sunday was a choir day. We, the Ordsall Singers, an a cappella group, sang in the Salford museum where a lot of local groups were exhibiting. I found a writing group and chatted to the people from the Imperial War Museum North. But the singing. I think we did well. It was such fun. Well, it normally is. But we sang in the part of the museum which has been made into an old street. Such an atmosphere. I think we did well. Well, we have a good MD and a few good singers. And we sang three lots of twenty minutes. That felt great, but I had a sore throat afterwards.
What a wonderful weekend!

Getting “Making Changes” out there

This is getting quite exciting and quite scary at the same time. Money is rolling in for the London party / launch and for author copies. I now have to start the heavy marketing. I love writing and editing the books. I cringe at the marketing because it’s really facing rejection all over again. Yet it has to be done.
Just think of this, though.
Everyone knows 250 people. Would it be possible to see all 250 of them a copy of our wonderful little book? And isn’t it so good that those 250 would recommend it to the 250 they know? This is the theory that we are just six handshakes away from everyone in the world. Can we start the ball rolling on this one?
We are beginning to roll. There is a book launch arranged in Bangor and in London. I’m about to set one up in Salford. Some people are contacting their local press and radio stations. I want to find a radio station who will broadcast readings of the stories. I’m sending out review copies.
What more can I do? Will it work?