NK Chats To….
Our Author Interviews and Guest Posts.
NK Chats To… Kathleen Jeffrey
Hi Kathleen. Thank you so much for joining us today and for bringing the blog tour for Katie’s Really Bad Day: A Story About Test Anxiety to Novel Kicks. What’s a detail, theme, or clue in your book that most readers might miss on the first read—but you secretly hope someone notices?
Empathetic, concerned faces of Katie’s teacher, Mom & Dad, and her classmates when Katie is upset. No one is making fun of her.
When did this story or idea “click” into place for you—was there a single moment you knew you had to write it?
During critique group sessions with a long manuscript, I discovered I actually had two books to write. The first became Katie’s Really Bad Day: A Story About Test Anxiety, to identify Katie’s character with school & test anxiety, which is based on my personal story I had to tell for authenticity. The second book will feature Katie once again and will be illustrated sometime this year.
Which character or real-life person surprised you the most while writing this book, and why?
Katie’s sidekick Finn turned out to be quite the entertaining cut up as well a very concerned and empathetic friend.
If your book had a soundtrack, what three songs would be on it and what scenes or moments would they pair with?
“Inside Out” by Michael Giacchino, (From joyful school yard to Katie’s sudden test anxiety.)
“When I Breathe” by Stephanie Leavell (Learning belly breathing with Miss Julie and later with the class.)
“When I’m Nervous” (A song for kids about overcoming anxiety.) Overall story wrap up. Would play at the end of the book.
What’s one belief, question, or emotional truth you hope readers carry with them long after they finish your book?
by 
A Moment With… Elaine Spires
We are saying hello to Wednesday and welcoming Elaine Spires as she brings the blog tour for her book, A Body in the Banjo to Novel Kicks.
It’s November 1958 and Dagenham is excitedly awaiting Bonfire Night. Cissie Partridge isn’t too keen on fireworks but she generously donates to the local children doing Penny for the guy. Cissie is content with her lot. She loves her husband Harold.
She shops, she cooks, she reads at every opportunity and she volunteers at the Dockland Settlement. Observant and sharp, she gets on with all her neighbours.
Then, one morning, she finds a body…
To tell us about more about The Body in the Banjo’s main character, Cissie, it’s over to you, Elaine.
Mrs Cissie Partridge
As a writer I have often struggled to classify my novels. Romance? Well… there is romance in them but they certainly don’t fall into the typical enemies-to-lovers or friends-to-lovers formats of most romantic novels. Contemporary Fiction? Some are. Sagas? Sort of. Women’s Fiction? Getting warmer! All of my books feature strong women. But all the years I have been writing there was one genre that I’d always wanted to attempt: cozy mysteries.
When I went to live in Spain as a 19-year-old holiday rep — or courier as we were known in those days — clients would often offer me their paperbacks when they were leaving. I’ve always been a voracious reader and I was extremely grateful for their generosity. Thus I discovered so many authors, Jackie Collins, Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon, Mario Puzo, Alistair Maclean to mention just a few. However, there was one author’s name I was always delighted to see on my gifted books: Agatha Christie.
I devoured her books and fell into every trap, followed every red herring as the Queen of Whodunnits totally blindsided me. I never once guessed who the murderer was. I’ve also watched all the TV Miss Marples over the years, my favourite being Geraldine McEwan and I must have seen every episode of David Suchet as Poirot a dozen times. From time to time over the years I would ask myself “Can I write a murder mystery?”
by NK Chats To… Caroline James
Hi Caroline. Thank you so much for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour!
Thank you so much for inviting me to join you and your wonderful followers on your lovely blog. I do hope that you all enjoy my new novel, The Arctic Cruise.
Can you tell us about The Arctic Cruise and what inspired it?
I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, so when the chance arose to take a winter cruise to Norway, it felt like the perfect opportunity—and irresistible research for a new story. The fjords were breathtaking, with snow-capped mountains rising above icy waters, and the atmosphere was completely magical. As we sailed beyond the Arctic Circle, the idea for The Arctic Cruise began to take shape: a story about two people drawn together aboard the ship, while the lives of other passengers subtly and unexpectedly intertwine with theirs, shaping a journey none of them will ever forget.
What were the best and most challenging parts of writing this novel?
The most rewarding part was exploring the emotional connection between Henry and Joy as their chemistry grew and obstacles intensified. Portraying those vulnerable moments—where attraction, doubt, and hope collide—was satisfying. The biggest challenge was ensuring those emotions resonate with readers and keep them invested in the characters and story, which demands honesty and careful crafting.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I start each day with coffee, then answer correspondence and check social media before working on my novel. My target is 2,000 words a day; reaching that gives me a strong sense of accomplishment.
How do you approach the planning, writing, and editing processes?
I tackle planning, writing, and editing with discipline. I honour my publishing deadlines and treat writing as both a profession and a passion by refining my work to its best and marketing it effectively.
What comes first for you, plot or characters?
Plot comes first. I visualise and research the setting, then add characters to fit the story.
What kind of scene do you find the hardest to write?
Emotional scenes at a character’s most vulnerable moments are the hardest, requiring complete honesty and authenticity on the page. Achieving this is a challenge I strive to meet every time.
What are you currently working on?
by NK Chats To… Thomas Roehlk
Hello Thomas. Thank you so much for joining me today. What sets your book, Fire Feud, apart from others in your genre?
I consider my genre as thriller, with the sub-genre of legal thriller. I have much respect for women in the corporate law world, and I believe my work shines a light on this type of character in the crowded world of thrillers.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
My favorite was from a review I received on my first book, Red Deuce. It was “Red Deuce shows the author’s behind-the-scenes understanding of how corporations work, making it seem all too credible. The plot keeps you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, he throws another curveball that leaves you eagerly flipping pages to uncover the truth.”
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
Choosing Chicago as a setting provides an amazing city with amazing history, and therefore amazing opportunities to build stories. My protagonist is a study in contrasts. She finds herself unable to poke the beast until it reveals its web of intrigue and illegality, and the story of intermingled crime and espionage allows the protagonist to push herself into solving the mystery.
Which author(s) most inspired you?
by NK Chats To… Elliott Ajai-Ajagbe Daley
Hi Elliott, thank you so much for joining me today as we shine a light on your book, Winter Solstice: Precipice of a Dream. Can you tell us a bit about your journey as a young Black author. How did writing begin for you?
When I was little, I really struggled to read. I remember proudly spelling “is”, “I-Z” in class — and everyone laughing at me. In that moment I promised myself I’d crack the literacy code and write a book of my own some day. Soon after, I was put in a reading recovery programme, and thanks to them, I quickly caught up. From there, I became obsessed with reading — I couldn’t stop and teachers had to keep taking me to the library to get more books.
Who inspired that love of reading?
My mum. She was an actress, clown, and children’s entertainer — she filled our home with stories and imagination. She used to play these videos with a catchy tune that went, “YOU CAN READ!” to encourage me. After I finally learned, I fell completely in love with books. She also got me and my brother into circus skills training — I even dreamt of joining the circus at one point!
What inspired Winter Solstice: Precipice of a Dream?
It started with my childhood belief in Santa. We didn’t have much money growing up, and I remember one year, when we were living at a shelter, Santa came to visit. When I saw he was Black, I said to him the same thing society had said me to me my whole life: “Santa isn’t black”.
Then I pulled off his beard to prove it — turns out it was my mum’s godfather just trying to bring the kids some Christmas joy. That moment really made me question what Christmas meant to me. All the media told me Santa couldn’t be black, but the only real Santa is the one that shows up and mine was a loving member of my black family. Did anything else matter?
As I got older, I started to see Christmas as both magical and difficult — a time of love for some, and pressure for others. One Christmas, an image popped into my head and to me it perfectly sums up what Christmas has become: a corporate Santa with a cigar in a gothic sleigh. He had armoured reindeer and elves pointing guns at the humans who were on their knees in the snow, holding up piles of cash, as every time you see Santa, it’s time to pay. He is the ultimate symbol of capitalism. That image blossomed into a world and that world inspired this story..
That’s a bold take on Christmas! How do you see your story reflecting today’s world?
by NK Chats To… Jodie Morgan
Hi Jodie. Thank you for joining me today. Can you tell me about Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival and what inspired it?
Thank you so much for having me, Laura! I’m really excited to be here.
Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival follows Laura Evans, who’s traded her high-stress Boston restaurant career for the charm of small-town Vermont.
She thinks she’s found peace as the new café manager at the Silver Springs General Store, but when a body turns up after a pre-festival cheese tasting…her boss Maggie becomes the prime suspect. With the festival just two weeks away and the store’s reputation on the line, Laura can’t just stand by and watch her new life crumble!
With the help of her observant landlady, Evelyn Chan, she discovers beneath Silver Springs’ picture-perfect surface lies a web of rivalries, secrets, and scandals.
The inspiration came from so many parts of my life coming together.
My background in hospitality (studying it at university and working long hours in restaurants and cafés) taught me the skills you need for excellent hospitality work are the same an amateur sleuth would need: observation, empathy, and reading the room.
Then there was my love of fall colors, mountains, and all the gorgeous produce of that season: apples, late summer berries, maple syrup, and my favorite, cheese! When I pictured where all this would happen, I immediately thought of Vermont with its stunning fall foliage, beautiful mountains, and those amazing annual cheese festivals.
And I had to include the crafting community. My maternal grandmother, Mama, taught me to knit and crochet, and after nine years as a knitting and crochet blogger, I knew that world had to be part of this story. The crafting community is so generous and kind!
What are the challenges of writing a book in a series? What things do you need to consider?
I knew I wanted to write a series, because the books I enjoy the most are part of a series! If you look at my Goodreads, you’ll see many Poirot and Miss Marple novels!
A series lets the reader become part of the community. You watch people grow, make mistakes, repair relationships, and discover things about themselves. I want readers to feel like they’re returning to a welcoming place when they pick up the next book.
The challenge is keeping track of all the details!
You need to remember what happened in previous books, what secrets have been revealed, and what relationships have developed. I keep detailed notes about every character, location, and item within Silver Springs and the series’ wider world.
You also need to balance making each book satisfying on its own while still moving the series forward. New readers should be able to pick up any book and enjoy it, but long-time readers deserve those lovely little callbacks and character growth moments.
I suppose it’d be like juggling, and I’ll do my best to get it right as the series progresses.
How do you approach the planning, writing, and editing processes and how long does it take you before you complete the book?
by NK Chats To… Dr. Brent Bradley
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Dr. Brent Bradley to Novel Kicks and thank you for inviting us onto your blog tour. How did you research your book, Frantic?
I did a lot of research! I went deep into AI magazine articles, online articles, and research articles. I also watched a lot of Youtube videos on AI, especially interviews with leading engineers in the field of AI.
What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
The toughest scenes for me were the romantic ones from a female perspective. For me as a male, it’s not easy to authentically write what a female character is feeling when it comes to romance and attraction. However, I’ve done couples therapy for 25 years so I have a LOT to pull from!
Where do you get your ideas?
I tend to get ideas from areas that I am already interested in, and ones that I think others are too. They MUST provide a context for juicy relationship dynamics, which is my specialty. I let ideas simmer for quite a while before writing anything. Other ideas start flowing during these “simmer” times too. I do a lot of research, so ideas come from the research findings as well.
What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
by NK Chats To… Darryl Barkwill
Hi Darryl, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us about your latest book, FC Farce and what inspired the idea?
Thanks Laura. FC Farce follows the mis-adventures of a lower league English football team. Initially known as Henlon Wanderers, the team is reluctantly inherited by Graham Farce.
After a series of mishaps, the club is forced to reform as FC Farce, which sets the tone for what lies ahead. Their debut season turns out to be a hilarious, ridiculous chaotic whirlwind, packing in just about everything that can go wrong at a football club. And at the centre of all the chaos is Graham, who is forced to try to restore the club’s reputation and ultimately save it from relegation.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals like needing silence, coffee etc?
With two young kids, I was often writing FC Farce quite late at night, it was the only time I could get peace and quiet. No huge rituals, but at times, when I was struggling for motivation, I would open a beer and try to let my mind open up a bit! Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t…
What’s your favourite word and why?
Win. Because all wins are good. Football team ‘wins’. Quick ‘wins’. Massive ‘wins’.
How do you approach the planning, research, writing and editing processes?
Planning wise, I tried to get a strong ending first and work towards that. The ending is what the reader will remember, so it has to be strong. In FC Farce’s case, the research mainly came from my own experiences of being a football fan. The events were unique but inspired by events I’ve found amusing.
I aimed to write around 500 words a day, enough to see progress but not make it too heavy. With the editing, being a new author, I sent the first draft to a beta reader to get some professional feedback. That gave me great tips on how to elevate my writing.
If you were compiling a playlist for FC Farce, which songs would you include?
by NK Chats To… Robert Whanslaw
Hi Robert, thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your book, Dark Orchid Affair and what inspired it?
It was an idea I’d had in my head for over ten years—how one event can change your life. I always knew I’d write it; it was just a question of when. I love understanding how people work: the psychology behind why a person is driven to do the things they do. The most interesting of those people are the ones with flaws in their character. We all have flaws, so my focus in my writing is on characters with major flaws.
What are the challenges of this genre. Also, what do to find the most fun about it?
Knowing the boundaries. Noir is dark, but you need a little bit of light in any story, so getting the mix right—and the importance of getting that balance—is something I worry about, and hope I get right. The fun parts are just that: pushing the boundaries.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any rituals?
It depends where I am in the writing. I am a big planner. This is what I would call my creative stage, and there’s no routine to this. I can wake in the middle of the night and think of an idea. I tend to wander around the world in a daze during this time. When I have the concept of the book in place, I write intensely, but I will break every thirty minutes for five to regenerate my energy.
What’s your favourite word and why?
I bought a book a few years ago about ‘words everybody should know’. I came across the word callipygian, which means well-shaped buttocks, and thought, “That is a word I am going to have to use one day.” The Dark Orchid Affair provided that opportunity when Ben watches Maxine get up from the table and head to the exit.
In your opinion, what are the most common mistakes people make when writing a novel for the first time?
by NK Chats To…Susanne Dunlap
Hi Susanne, thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for The Falconer’s Lost Baron. Can you tell us a little about it?
This book is #4 in my Double-Dilemma romance series, and features a few characters from the previous book—although not as protagonists. Unlike the others, The Falconer’s Lost Baron takes place in Cornwall rather than London, and not during the height of the season. The story begins on December 1, 1814 and goes through Christmas, although it’s not really a holiday romance.
In it “twin” sisters, Antonella and Belinda, discover right at the beginning that they are not, in fact, twins—or even sisters. This propels the story as Belinda tries to right a wrong and discover the mystery behind Antonella’s birth, and Antonella has to grapple with losing the identity she’s had for 18 years. Also damaged in a profound way is Lord Atherleigh, who has returned to his estate following the loss of his left hand in the battle of Nivelle and undergoing months of painful surgeries. His friend, Hector Gainesworth, tries to get him to rejoin the world—especially after he meets Belinda at a dress party during the Little Season and discovers she is a neighbor of Atherleigh in Cornwall.
Antonella’s love of birds and fascination with falconry is threaded throughout.
The Falconer’s Lost Baron is book four in the Double-Dilemma series. What are the challenges when writing a series, even when each book stands alone?
I think for me the biggest challenge has been deciding on the timing. If they’re consecutive, how do the characters in one age out of the picture? And what exactly is it that ties the books together as a series? I’ve chosen to have characters reappear, which means I have to write the possibility of those reappearances in the books that precede them. Which means, too, creating enough of a secondary character in the earlier book to make them a believable protagonist in the next book.
What’s your writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I have no set writing day pattern. I work full time for myself as an editor and book coach, so I generally try to do all that work first so it’s not weighing on me before I sit down at my laptop and write. Because I’m trying to get these books out in a certain time frame, I’ve lately sacrificed what used to be my leisure reading time—the hour before bed—to writing. That means the books I read have to be consumed as audiobooks for when I’m walking, cooking, ironing, etc.
If your book featured a playlist with modern day songs, which songs would you include?
by A Moment With…Tucker May
I’m excited to be welcoming Tucker May to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for Death of a Billionaire.
Ever dream of killing your boss? Alan Benning knows how you feel.
The problem: his billionaire boss actually winds up murdered. And the whole world thinks he did it.
When globetrotting tech billionaire Barron Fisk is found dead on the floor of his swanky Silicon Valley office, all evidence points to Alan.
Alan must venture into the glitzy, treacherous world of tech billionaires to clear his name by sorting through a long list of suspects with motive aplenty. If he can’t find the real culprit, Alan’s going down. The clock is ticking.
Who killed Barron Fisk? The truth will shock— and change— the entire world.
Fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, Carl Hiaasen’s tales of high-stakes hijinx, or Ruth Ware’s page-turning mysteries will love Death of a Billionaire.
It’s over to Tucker as he talks to us about Silly Mysteries from World History.
Hi there! My name is Tucker May and I’m the author of the comedic murder mystery novel Death of a Billionaire. It’s a lighthearted, fun read with a truly puzzling mystery at the center. I take a lot of inspiration for stories from real-world events, so I thought it would be enjoyable to take a look at some mysterious events from history that remain unsolved, but are a bit goofy or off-the-wall. Let’s dive in!
A Whole Lot of Holes
Off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada lies the diminutive Oak Island, which has been rumored since the late 1700s to be the home of buried treasure.
by A Moment With…Ian McFadyen
Please join me in welcoming Ian McFadyen to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, The Corpse Bell.
The last thing Penny Carmichael expected when she joined the local bellringing group was for her debut to be thwarted by the discovery of a body just yards from the belfry door. As her husband and his loyal team painstakingly sift through the evidence and delve deep into the dead man’s past, it’s clear that solving Peter Mackenzie’s murder may prove a challenge, even for someone with DCI Carmichael’s renowned detective prowess.
What was a man who’d lived for decades in North London doing in Moulton Bank? Was his chequered past a factor?
And what about the other members of Penny’s bellringing group. Did any of them have a reason to do Peter harm?
As the case unfolds, DCI Carmicheal and his trusty team seek answers to a complex puzzle which leads them along various paths and, at times, way outside the comfort zone of their rural Lancashire surroundings.
This fast-paced, cleverly crafted whodunit is the eleventh murder mystery in the gripping Carmichael series from the pen of Ian McFadyen.
To celebrate the release of The Corpse Bell, it’s over to Ian as he talks about ‘Blind Alleys’ and ‘Red Herrings’.
In my opinion, blind alleys and red herrings are crucial elements in any worthwhile murder mystery.
There’s nothing that gives me more satisfaction as a writer than injecting false trails with the aim of leading the reader off course. Whether it’s the introduction of a possible suspect with a not so plainly obvious reason to be the killer, or a tiny mention of something or other that the reader thinks they’ve picked-up on and is key to cracking the crime, these ploys are essential in creating mayhem for the reader when trying to solve the conundrum.
Even more pleasing for me is when I’m able to add to the reader’s frustration by making the person they have at the top of their suspects list, due to a subtly injected red herring, the next victim of the real killer.
by NK Chats To…Leon Mitchell
Hi Leon, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your book, Felicity Fire: And The Forever Key and what inspired it?
Growing up I enjoyed getting lost in classic fiction like “The Never Ending Story” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” I was able to lose myself, use my imagination without boundaries and be inspired creativity. As an author, I wanted to create a new modern novel with current and relevant characters, but infused with a sense of nostalgia and magic from my childhood. I wanted to share that sense of wonder with a new audience where they feel like they are the main character in the book.
What are the challenges when writing a book in this genre and for a younger audience? What are the most important aspects to consider?
For me, I write with no fear and I generally don’t follow any kind of industry blueprint. I often tap into childhood memories and try to put myself back in that frame of mind and look at the world from that viewpoint. Children have the wonderful ability to be innocent in the world, and stories don’t have to make perfect sense. When i’m in that space I can normally create new ideas and let them flow. I think not trying to be perfect is important and it’s ok to be brave in your writing. Professionally the most important factors for me are to just keep going, keep writing, even if it’s a little bit each day.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any rituals like needing coffee? Silence? What do you do to stay motivated?
I am very disciplined with my creativity. I believe a lot of this comes from my time serving in the British Army, where my grit and determination was pushed out of my comfort zone. Many of the qualities I developed in that chapter of my life still stay with me today. So I have the ability to simply just keep going and keep writing.
I do like writing in creative spaces, with a good coffee too!
What’s your route to publication and what advice do you have for someone considering a similar path?
by A Moment With… Fiona Embers About Loving Love
I’m pleased to be welcoming Fiona Embers to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Soft Rebound
The first hookup after a long relationship is always meaningless. Right?
Still reeling from his divorce two years ago, Joe Larson sleepwalks through life until a chance encounter with Liz Jensen jolts him awake. Their sexual chemistry is undeniable, but Liz is fresh off a broken engagement and has no intention of letting anyone get close. Joe must overcome his fear of being hurt again if he is to convince Liz that love does not mean being powerless and that their rebound fling is actually their happily ever after.
To chat about Loving Love, it’s over to Fiona Embers.
Loving Love: Romance Author Fiona Embers Shares Her Favorites
Romance is a bestselling genre with many subgenres and flavors. Whether you like your heroes to be “cinnamon rolls” (sweet and supportive of their love interest) or ruthless mafiosos or billionaires or perhaps monsters or aliens, whether you like your romance with a lot of “spice” (on-page intimacy) or prefer fade to black, whether you want your romance set on Earth in modern times or in the past or perhaps on another planet, whether want your romance tightly focused on the main pair or prefer it blended with mystery or thriller or urban fantasy, there is something out there for the enjoyment of every reader.
You will sometimes hear discussions about tropes, which are recognizable story elements that readers often rely on to decide whether they might find a story enjoyable. Think of tropes as strong spices in cooking. Some people love cinnamon in anything, be it sweet or savory (it’s me; I am those people), while others prefer to avoid it altogether, but in any case cinnamon is far from the whole dish. Tropes are a little like that.
by NK Chats To… Helga Jensen
Hi Helga. Thank you so much for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for A New Life in Amsterdam. What’s your writing process like? Do you plan much?
Firstly, I think of a fabulous location and then work from there. For example, my latest book is set in Amsterdam. From there I will think of all the things that the place offers and work out a story. Naturally, A New Life in Amsterdam just had to be about a canal boat as I pictured what life would be like living on the canals of Amsterdam. Then I usually think about the characters and jot down the pivotal moments on a huge poster. From there, I just start writing. I am definitely not a planner as I start off with a seed of an idea and I literally let my characters take me on their journey as I write. I love working this way as I think if I planned anything I would be too focused on keeping to that story and it wouldn’t be natural.
Out of all the books you’ve read, which have had the most impact on you?
Oh, that’s a really good question. I always remember reading two books by Jane Green back in the early 90s. Mr Maybe and Jemima J. They appealed to me at that age and made me want to write something similar. I grew up with Jane Green and Sophie Kinsella books and I can safely say that both writers made a huge impact on me as I dreamed of being just like them.
Do you have any writing rituals? Do you prefer to work in silence?
I need complete silence. I can’t even take a laptop to a coffee shop somewhere. I have to be in my study, door closed, and nothing but silence. Any disturbance will send me off track and I will lose that line in my head. I love the idea that writers can work with music and churn out a best-seller but, for me, silence is golden!
by NK Chats To…Michael Wendroff
Hello Michael. Thank you for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell us about What Goes Around and what inspired it?
What Goes Around is my debut thriller. It is about mysterious shootings in a small town, and two detectives, one male and one female, are assigned to the case. They hate each other, and have to find the killer before they kill each other. On the pursuit they encounter secret groups-Incels, Boogaloo Boys, supremacists. Torn in the middle is a naive boy. The ending twist is out of this world.
I was inspired by what my mother said to me the second I was born. Or so I’m told. I was put on her chest, she looked me deeply in the eyes, and said, “Oh! How nice to see you, again!” It was that “again” that always intrigued me, and I always wanted to write something about it, but life and working in business got in the way.
It was actually the Covid pandemic that got me to write my novel–there was that period when you couldn’t do anything, couldn’t go to movies, restaurants, couldn’t even go to the beach! So, I had no more excuses. Had to write it, and thankfully, got very lucky, and What Goes Around was born.
I was also “inspired” by events I didn’t understand–like the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia a few years ago. I needed to research that, to understand what was behind some of the crazy thinking, so that’s how I got into the secret world of Incels and Supremacists. Scary stuff!
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals and a favourite place to write?
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I usually write in the mornings, when I’m freshest. Water really inspires me, and I’m very fortunate that I have two places near water. In the winter months I’m in Florida, so I can sit at a beach and think up plots and scenes, and I also get to sit on my lanai and look out on a pond behind my house. Though I do sometimes get distracted by the alligators running around.
Michael’s Writing Space – Lake Garda.
In the summer months when Florida just gets too hot and humid, I head to Italy. I love Northern Italy, and get to write from a terrace overlooking Lake Garda (when I’m not eating the amazing Italian food).
I love writing, and my process is plot, research, write, and edit.
My daily ritual is to sit at my pc to get the words out, just get the story going. I don’t worry about things like grammar or even the specific words used, I just want to get the writing flowing. The next morning I will reread what I’d written, and try to make it real writing. Make sure every word is the right word and fits with the others in the sentence, make sure each sentence fits with the others in the paragraph. Add the analogies and metaphors. After that’s done, I’ll start scribbling out the next part of the story on my pc, which will be rewritten the next day. That process of write then rewrite continues everyday, until I can write my favorite two words: The End
But before I actually start the writing itself, comes the plotting. There are actually two types of writers-plotters and pantsers. Pantsers simply sit in front of their computers and write by the seat of their pants. They have no idea where the story is going. That’s not me. I have to know everything upfront, so after ideating I write a detailed plot outline. I need to know not only what the ending will be, but where I’ll plant the red herrings, and where I’ll put the twists and turns.
And it’s not like things won’t change. Once I became really attached to one of my characters, and the plot called for the character to die, but I couldn’t do it. I had to change the plot. Another time I did kill off a character I loved, but my wife yelled at me because I was walking around for a week in depression. She said “They’re not real!!” But to an author, they are real!
If you were putting together a playlist for What Goes Around, which songs would you pick?
by NK Chats To… Evie Jacobs
Hi Evie, thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your book, Dangerous Decisions and what inspired it?
Thanks for having me! Dangerous Decisions is the story of Nate Hughes, a pilot who shares a business with his siblings, and Angie Liu, a CIA agent who is investigating an informant’s death. The two meet at a casino in Miami and have a one-night stand. Everything is great–until Angie realizes Nate is actually the son of the man whose death she is investigating.
Dangerous Decisions is an interconnected standalone, meaning that while it is technically the second book in the Dangerous Skies Adventure series, it does not have to be read after or with the first book.
I couldn’t tell you exactly what inspired this story, but while I was writing Dangerous Descent, I always knew that Nate would investigate his father’s death in the second. Thinking back, it seems like Angie’s character came easily as well. I wrote a good chunk of this book during COVID and wasn’t happy with the result. It wasn’t until I published Dangerous Descent that I decided to revisit Dangerous Decisions and turn it into something I was proud of.
What was your route to publication?
Evie’s Main Writing Office
I queried my first book, Dangerous Descent, with no luck, and was about to shove it in the metaphorical drawer when I decided to try a few small publishers. I wasn’t expecting much, but one publisher responded within a week asking for the full manuscript. After that, things moved pretty quickly, and I had a publishing contract by the end of the month. The experience of publishing through a small press was invaluable. I learned a ton, but more importantly, the validation that someone wanted to publish my book gave me the confidence to stick with it. Despite all the positives, I also wished I’d had more control over the final product. For the second book, I went it on my own.
What elements do you feel make up a good thriller?
Tension, danger, high stakes, momentum, immediacy, and characters you care about.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals? A favourite place to write?
by NK Chats To…Esther Knight
Hi Esther, thank you so much for joining me and for inviting me onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your book, Death At the School of Translators?
Of course! Death at the School of Translators is the first full-length novel in my Rebecca de Toledo mysteries. It’s set in 1193, when Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine recruits Rebecca, a Jewish healer from Toledo, and pairs her with Sir John of Hampstead, a returned crusader with a murky past, to investigate the murder of her spy. The trail leads them into the heart of Toledo’s famed School of Translators (a real institution), where scholars were translating Arabic and Hebrew into Latin—and where secrets lie buried deep within the manuscripts.
What were the challenges you found when writing a novel with historical elements and what advice would you give to someone wanting to write a novel in this genre?
The biggest challenge is balance. You want to be accurate without overwhelming the reader. I love research (sometimes too much!), from medieval medicine to Jewish customs to the exact layout of Toledo’s streets. But at the end of the day, the story has to come first. My advice: choose one or two historical details that matter to your characters and let those shine. Don’t feel you need to include every fascinating fact you uncover. Save some for your author’s notes or your newsletter.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
The one constant in my writing life is my daily Zoom group of writers. We meet Monday to Friday at 10:00 a.m. my time and chat for an hour about our stories, marketing, newsletters, Instagram techniques, webinars we watched, etc. Then, from 11:00 a.m. until about 1:30 p.m., we go silent and work—cameras on, microphones muted. Just knowing others are there, writing alongside me, creates accountability and keeps me focused.
What’s your writing space like?
On the right of my desk there’s a door opening onto a balcony, where I can see my neighbor’s house and a tall green “Christmas” tree. I keep things simple: a big monitor for my manuscript, a laptop for my daily Zoom writing group, and a mug of water within reach. A few framed artworks hang on the wall. One of them, El Yuntero, reminds me of my years in Argentina. It’s a light-filled, practical space that keeps me focused and inspired.
What’s your favorite word and why?
by NK Chats To…Heidi Field
Hello Heidi, thank you so much for joining me today and inviting me onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about The Other Boy?
Hey Laura. Thank you for having me. I wrote The Other Boy after watching a documentary about Dean Corl, the Candyman serial killer, who raped, mutilated and murdered over twenty teenage boys and young men. I didn’t want to write from the POV of a victim or their family, or the detectives or even the killer, there was another story, in the shadows, that I wanted to tell. The Other Boy is about parents whose child makes a choice they could never have imagined. A terrible choice. A fatal choice. An unforgivable one.
What are the challenges of writing a psychological thriller and what advice would you give to someone wanting to write in this genre?
I have taken a master’s in creative writing and spent many hours watching master classes from Jericho Writers, and a comparison between mysteries and thrillers was a lightbulb moment for me. A mystery is about solving a crime; a thriller is about surviving it. The survival can be physical, or, as in psychological thrillers, it can be mental and emotional. The advice I would give to someone writing in this genre is not to be afraid of how far you push your protagonist, be brave, be bold, be ruthless. However bad the situation, it is how the character claws their way back to life, sanity and freedom that is exciting. The further they sink, the greater the battle back up to the surface, and the more satisfying it is for the reader. The challenge is having the courage to go the darkest places; my advice is to go further.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I do love routine, and planning my time, it makes me more productive and makes my days feel more worthwhile. I walk early with my Great Dane, which puts me in a good frame of mind for my day. I have all the early morning school prep madness to do and then the school drop off. I come home and run or lift weights. I am terrified of aging and I LOVE exercising, it gives me an adrenaline buzz, and I listen to all my favourite tunes and sing along. Then I am in my office at my desk, clearing emails, doing the household or children related chores, clubs, appointments, you know the drill, then I write. Ideally I write for about three hours, if I’m lucky, four days a week. There’s always an appointment to fill one of the afternoons, and I take my mum swimming every Thursday. My goal is to write three chapters per week. I’m writing a book every six months since the release of The Other Boy.
From idea to finished draft, how long did it take you to write The Other Boy? How did you approach the research and editing process?
The Other Boy was a LONG process. It began at university, the opening chapters serving as my dissertation. The first, very messy draft, took a year. I paid for an editor, and that was another six months of back and forth and many changes. I also used beta readers for a different perspective. I lost characters, whole chapters, started four chapters earlier, then lost the lot and started several chapters later. I added and binned tens of thousands of words. It was a lot of work, and a huge amount of learning. I loved it all.The editing is my favourite part, finding what isn’t working and making it better, knowing that I can change anything and everything until I am happy with it. I had written another book by the time I was approached by Tule Publishing, and a year after I had put the Other Boy aside, I was back with the manuscript making changes for my editor at Tule. The second book, The Other Mother, has been a far smoother experience.
If you were compiling a playlist for this novel, which songs would you include?
by NK Chats To…Jane Harvey
Hello Jane. Happy Birthday to your book, The Landlord of Hummingbird House. Can you tell us a bit about it and what inspired it?
The Landlord of Hummingbird House is book one of a series, and it focuses on April, whose relationship has failed, and she is forced to start again. She moves into the house, where there are a number of tenants in her building from all walks of life – but who are also loyal friends. The book explores how easy it is to make inaccurate judgments about people. April’s first impressions (and the reader’s) are slowly unravelled, and a secret comes to light. It’s quite an easy-read book that touches on some dark themes, but ultimately focuses on the power of friendships.
If you could pick a new house and city to move to, where would you go and why?
I’m an island girl and I love sunny weather and sea-swimming – though the warmer and clearer the sea, the better!
If I could move without hassle and consequence, I think I’d go to a Greek island and live alone, with peace and quiet – but close enough to the beach for my swims and to a town for occasional sustenance and socialisation, on the rare occasions I might need these!
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals? For example, do you need silence? Are you a morning, afternoon or evening writer? Need caffeine?
When I first came back to writing, I had a strict structure and routine, but now writing is so embedded into my life that it has slithered into all the nooks and crannies and gaps in my life, and I don’t have a routine – except at times of impending deadlines!
I do, however, have high expectations of work count and what I can achieve. I create a calendar for the year and work to deadlines and personal expectations for what I will publish. So I don’t allow myself the luxury of only writing when I feel inspired. If I did, I’d be far less productive. I have to grab ideas and hold onto them, or even chase them, when they do appear. Stories often come to me when I have a moment to let my mind drift. Driving a regular route, doing the dishes, etc. Sometimes it’s the setting, sometimes the twist, but often the character that comes first.
From first draft to final publication, how long does it take you to complete a novel? Also, do you have advice when approaching research and editing? When do you know you’ve done enough of both?
by NK Chats To…Liz Mistry
Hello Liz. Thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, Deadly Reckoning?
The short answer is: A body, a missing child, and a vengeful sister dash detective’s Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen must race against the clock to stop a killer with a personal grudge. This one is all about coming to terms with her Jazzy’s relationship with her sister and her brother there’s a lot of twists and a lot of turns in it themes are all about nature versus nurture mental health coping with PTSD and with all of that going on struggling to catch a killer who’s quite diabolically clever
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
I’ve just been looking at some songs that might relate to Deadly Reckoning and one that springs to mind has got to be a Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads.
I played it a few times whilst I was writing to get me in the mood for writing about Jazzy’s sister, Mhairi, who is the antagonist in Deadly Reckoning.
Another one I listened to, will probably seem a strange choice, but those of you have read the book will understand. It is Wild Mountain Thyme and there’s two versions that I really like one is by The Silencers and the other is by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers not Peppers but Pipers and both Scottish bands.
Another song that appealed to me whilst I was writing it was Tainted Love by Soft Cell – an all time favourite and quite appropriate for Deadly Reckoning
What are the challenges and advantages when writing a book that’s part of a series?
The advantages are of writing a series are that as an author you get to know your characters more and more as the series goes on and, in each book, you can reveal a little more about each of the characters. I’ve got two main characters in Jazzy and Queenie and their stories tend to be front and foremost but I’ve also got stories in my mind about the rest of the Jazz Queens and that’s Fenton (Haggis) and Geordie 
(Misty Thistle) so the advantages are that you you get into their lives they become real characters to you. The disadvantages are that you become too attached to them and sometimes you don’t want to put them through the mill and I have to say we’re writing crime fiction so, yeah, we need to put them through the mill.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t have a typical writing day because I’m a bit of a procrastinator but when I’m writing I do have I’ve got some multi-coloured fairy lights lit in my room – when you’re writing dark fiction you can’t have too much light in your life. I have my candle on – I like to have a multi-sensory environment. If I’m editing or doing social media I tend to have a musical accompaniment of some description – usually from my playlist, but other than that no I don’t really have any rituals… I mean I don’t wear my knickers on back to front or anything like that although I’ve heard that some authors do.
by NK Chats To…Catherine Yaffe
Hello Catherine. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your latest book, The Shadow Killer?
The Shadow Killer is a psychological crime thriller where we know from the outset who the killer is. When the police can’t get the answers they need to find a missing girl they turn to renown psychologist Dr Evelyn Shaw. Despite her extensive experience and skills, it seems to DI Ziggy Thornes that The Shadow Killer is manipulating her – and Ziggy doesn’t why. In a gripping finale, Evelyn and Hawthorne each face their own disturbing past while Ziggy pulls all the threads together to bring a secure conviction.
What are the challenges when writing a series of books such as the DI ‘Ziggy’ Thornes Series?
You have to have a great memory (or keep excellent records!) when it comes to character names, their traits in previous books and stay consistent with their personalities. I have an excellent editor who keeps track, and I use copious amounts of old-school record cards to stay on top of everything.
What are you currently working on?
I started the outline for Book 6 in March so I’m currently plotting the timeline. I’m not sure yet if it will be another Ziggy book or a standalone!
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t really have a typical day during the Summer as I take a few months off but then come September I’m usually in the Shed early and write from 9 – 12pm, take an hour and depending on how I feel I’ll either write until 4pm or call it a day and read or do some research. I also have 4 cats, 3 chickens and go horse riding regularly as well as a large garden so I’m a bit rubbish as sitting down!
From idea to final draft, how long does it take you to complete a book?
Depends. I have Chronic Fatigue so I have to balance that with everything – most days I can write 2k words a day and I have been known to write and publish in 3 months but that was a fluke and probably won’t happen again!
Do you have any advice for the research and editing processes? How do you know when you’ve done enough?
by NK Chats To…Kay Seeley
Hello Kay. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your latest book, Troubled Times for Tilly and what inspired it?
Troubled Times for Tilly is a follow up to my first book, The Water Gypsy. Lots of readers asked me what happened to the little boy, Joey, and I wanted to know what happened to him too, so that was the beginning of Troubled Times for Tilly. It’s about Joey growing up straddled between two different worlds and not belonging in either of them.
Troubled Times for Tilly is part of The Water Gypsy Books. What are the challenges of writing a novel when it is part of a series?
The main problem is deciding how much of the first book to include. Obviously, the characters are the same, so their backstory is important, but I don’t want to include any spoilers for people who haven’t read the first book, nor do I want it to feel repetitive for readers who have. It’s a fine balance.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t write every day. I tend to write in the morning and draft the next part of the novel in the afternoon. I often draft by hand and type up the next day. I don’t have a typical writing day.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Insight – the reorganisation of perceptions so that what was once seen as separate elements are suddenly seen as connected and relating to one another to form a whole. To my mind that’s what storytelling is all about – giving people insight into things they never considered to be connected.
From idea to finished final draft, how long does a writing project usually take you?
I write slowly so each book takes a year. I only write one book a year.
How do you approach the research and editing stages? When do you know when you’ve done enough of both?
I love research and finding out about things, so I probably do too much. For example, in Troubled Times for Tilly Joey is a Naval Cadet so I visited The Royal Naval College in Greenwich (part of which is now Greenwich University) to get a fee of the atmosphere of the place. I learned snippets of information that go into the book. As for editing – it’s never enough.
If you could witness an historical event, where would you go?
by NK Chats To… Jon Rance
Hi Jon. Happy publication day. Thank you so much for joining me and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me a little about your latest novel, Not Moving Out and what inspired it?
Hello, and thank you so much for having me on Novel Kicks! It’s a real pleasure to be here. My new novel, Not Moving Out, comes out on May 15th and I am very excited about it. Set in Brighton, it’s the story of Freya, Joe and their daughter Dolly. Freya and Joe have decided that after twenty years, their marriage is over. The problem is that Dolly still needs to live at home for another six months before she leaves for university, and they can’t afford for either of them to move out. So for six months, they are all forced to live together. The question is, will living together but separated make them both realise things about themselves and their relationship that might save their marriage? There are also various other plotlines that keep things ticking along with the most prominent one being Joe, a once successful but now failed comedy writer, using their new living situation as the basis for a sitcom – without telling Freya about it, of course.
I was inspired to write this book after reading a few articles about couples that wanted to separate, but for financial reasons had to keep living under the same roof. I thought it would be a really interesting dynamic for a romantic comedy.
Which songs would feature on a playlist for this book?
A great question. If you read my previous book, One Hundred Moments Of Us, you’ll know that it had a very strong playlist. I even created a playlist for it on Spotify! There are two Snow Patrol songs in this book. Chasing Cars, which is one of my favourite songs of all time and, You Could Be Happy. Also mentioned in the book are ABBA, so let’s go with Take A Chance On Me because it’s a great song and also the title fits into the theme of the book. In Not Moving Out, Joe is really into 90s Britpop music and so that would feature heavily. Perhaps some Oasis, Blur, Supergrass, and Pulp! The book has that perfect blend of humour, drama, pathos and joy, and I think that would be reflected in the song choices.
What’s your typical writing day like and do you have any writing rituals? How much has this changed since writing your first novel?
I do have a writing routine and it has definitely changed so much since writing my first book. My life when I was writing my first novel, This Thirtysomething Life was very different. I was working full-time, we’d just had our first baby, and writing was something I did when I got a spare five minutes. Which is why it took about 18 months to write that first book! Now I write full-time and my children are teenagers!
by NK Chats To…Hywela Lyn (Plus Giveaway To Win A Copy Of The Matchmaker’s Mare)
Hi Hywela. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us a little about your latest book, The Matchmaker’s Mare and what inspired it?
Thank you so much for being part of my blog tour, Laura. To answer your question, I usually manage to get a horse somewhere in my stories, even the Science fiction Romances, so it was natural that I should think about writing a novel with horses as a large part of the plot. I had written short stories about horses, and one, written many years ago, was about a witch’s pony. I’d been thinking about writing a ghost story, and the witch became a matchmaking spirit. I set it in my native Wales and gradually the other characters developed and, of course, it became a romance -I am an unashamed romantic! Neither the pony or the ghosts in the story are scary, in fact one of them is quite mischievous and the matchmaker has her hands full keeping him in check while trying to get the two main characters to realise they are meant for each other!
What’s your favourite and least favourite words and why?
Favourite – Romance. Naturally since I’m a romance writer. The world needs more romance!
Least favourite – Literally. It’s used far too much and often incorrectly. I heard someone on the radio the other day say they were ‘literally on another planet’. Wow – I’m surprised that didn’t make headline news! 😊
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing Rituals?
I don’t really have a typical writing day and I actually write better at night! I’ve always been something of a night owl. I like to have a clear head when I write and not have to worry about jobs I haven’t done, so it’s usually quite late when I start writing, and then I get so absorbed I lose all track of time! I don’t think I actually have any rituals, except I like to have music on low in the background.
From idea to finished novel, how long does the process take you? How do you know when you’ve done enough research and editing?
At least a year. I am not a fast writer. I mull it over in my mind for a long time before I start writing. I usually get the first draft done fairly quickly, after researching and making a lot of notes. I like to do the research before I start writing, so as not to interrupt ‘the flow’. Then I write and rewrite before I feel it’s fit to send to beta readers. Then I rewrite again, taking on board all the comments I feel are relevant. Then I give it a few more polishes before I feel I can submit it to my publisher. I find it very hard to know when to stop and never really feel it’s good enough.
Do you have any advice to combat writers block?
LOL – I could say a long ride on a horse works wonders! Of course not every writer is fortunate enough to be able to do that, but a long walk is just as good. Anything to clear one’s mind. Gardening perhaps, or even reading something not connected with what you’re writing at the time. I usually find that when I stop trying to work out the problem that’s causing the block, the solution will pop into my head when I stop thinking about it!
In your opinion, what are the most common mistakes new writers make?
by NK Chats To… Jason Powell
Hi Jason, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your book, No Man’s Ghost and what inspired it?
Hi Laura. Thank you for the invite. No Man’s Ghost is the story of two strangers. The first, Charles Davids: a probationary firefighter, starting his first week in his firehouse after graduating the academy. Charles is excited to be a firefighter but is worried that he may not be completely prepared. Sure, he passed the academy, but he was never really in danger there. What if he can’t cut it in real life?
The second is Alan Johnson, a poor excuse for a husband who gets kicked out of his home by his wife and her best friend for being a poor excuse for a husband. He decides to get revenge by calling in false alarms for fire in his now former apartment every night just to disturb her. If he can’t sleep there, why the hell should she? Alan’s path crosses with Charles’s when eventually he decides that fake fires aren’t enough.
Being a firefighter yourself (which is amazing by the way), did this help you with the themes and subject matter of the novel or did it add additional pressure/level of responsibly to the narrative?
Yes, and Yes. There’s a saying in the fire service that goes, “Let no man’s ghost return to say my training let me down.” When a firefighter is on probation, a lot of pressure is put on them to train and learn and work towards proficiency on the job, because once a call comes in, they’re an important part of the team.
Whatever function they’ll perform on that call is their responsibility alone. That can be an intimidating truth when you’re new. Members with time on the job know that, and it’s a balance trying to show the probie that, yes, you need to take your job seriously because the community and our own families need you to be good at your job, but also, you’re not doing any of this alone. There’s always a team to help you. I think the core of that lesson can be true for life as well.
I wanted to do the fire service justice by showing how important and serious a career it is, but I also wanted to make the story relatable. I think readers will find a lot of themselves and their loved ones in Charles and the other characters. Even Alan.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
Don’t have one. I work 24-hour shifts at the firehouse that either start at 9am on one day and end at 9am the next; or it starts at 6pm the first day and ends at 6 the next. The days of the week that I work aren’t the same each week, either. If the 24 is busy, when it’s done, I’ll go home and go to bed for a few hours.
There are days when all my morning hours are on the truck and I don’t get time to write until the afternoon. Then there are days when I start my morning at home, and I’ll write until I go to work. On my days off, I write when I’m not tired. I try and devote a minimum of an hour to writing every day, but I don’t decide which hour that will be until the time comes.
From idea to finished book, how long did it take you to complete this novel?
No Man’s Ghost took 9 months of actual writing time. Unfortunately, I lost a good friend of mine at a fire we were fighting in Harlem during that time. For a few months I didn’t do anything productive. But after a while writing, felt like a path to peace, and it served as an enjoyable distraction. So, I started then stopped then finished. The time it took, not including the stop, was nine months.
What was your approach to the research and editing processes? How do you know when you’ve done enough?
by NK Chats To…Susan Ekins
Hello Susan. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your book, HoodWink! What inspired it?
Where to start? Probably seriously in Norwich in 2018. My husband’s family are very much into get-togethers, and in 2018 all five siblings and their partners gathered there to celebrate various anniversaries and birthdays. In order to keep people’s noses out of their mobile ‘phones, I had produced a little guide book in which one of the characters mentioned was Saint William of Norwich. Except that he wasn’t a saint. I knew a little about him, because Benjamin Britten had set a ballad, entitled Little Sir William, to music. My singing teacher was quite right when she said it was a terrible song. Nevertheless, that had not stopped us performing it in recitals.
Why was it so terrible? For two reasons: one, the child is killed at Easter by the school wife with a little penknife. Worse, in the original story, set around 8oo years earlier, it was all blamed on the Jewish Community, who were said to have killed him in a ritual murder. The child was then declared a martyr. The man who had really stoked the flames was a certain Thomas of Monmouth, who wrote a book on the sufferings and miracles of St William. Later – but much too late to stop the hatred – they received orders to cancel the cult.
To this day, nobody knows who killed the little boy, but it certainly wasn’t the Jews. But I did become angry at all the fantasy and deceit, and this gave birth to the book. If Thomas of Monmouth could write a book, then so could I. There is a murderer, and at the end of the book the reader, having carefully followed the clues, finds out who it is. But unlike Thomas, I do not claim my book is the truth, but my way of showing how a community can be destroyed by lies, ignorance, and hatred.
What are the challenges when writing a book with historical and fictional elements combined? What do writers need to consider when writing a book like Hoodwink!?
Firstly, I would say do your research. Sadly there is not a lot of information on William, and most of that seems to have been invented by Thomas. Some of the characters in my book did exist, and are documented – though not in much detail. Make sure you have your background correct. In my case it was to reinforce or double check what I knew about the Monastic Hours, the seasons of the year, medicinal cures, food, even the flowers that grew here in that time. In other words, you have to live there and experience it.
From first idea to finished book, how long did this book take you to write? Do you have any advice about the research and editing process – like, when do you know when you’ve done enough?
It took about eight months, but that is not to say I sat at my computer every single day. It may be a strange thing to say, but when I sat down to write, it was almost as if I suddenly felt the urge to pay a visit to Brother Anselm, to Sheriff John, to Brother Dunstan. It was rather like dropping in on friends. I never forced it, although the book was carefully planned, with a time line. I finished it the day before Hamas invaded Israel. The research I have already mentioned above. To this one might add the Popes of the time and their fates; the second crusade, modes of travel. All dates were carefully checked, even to the dates of Easter for any particular year.
If you were putting together a playlist for this book, which modern songs would you include?
by NK Chats To…Stephanie Wood
Hello Stephanie. Thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell us about your new book, Adorable April Afternoons and what inspired it?
Hello, and thanks for inviting me!
I have already written a series of holiday reads set in Greece, but that focuses more on the usual beach and party atmosphere of the popular resorts and I wanted to show what the smaller, less undeveloped islands also have to offer.
Adorable April Afternoons is the first in the GREEK RETREAT trilogy following Jessica, as she attempts to discover the kind of happy ever after which she hopes will create a successful future. She believes she needs the seclusion to make it happen, but the Greek hospitality and rich cultural heritage play a huge part in her search.
What were the challenges in writing this book considering it’s the first in a new series?
The main challenge in creating a new series is to be able to describe the location with some detail, without dumping all the information on the reader at once. In order to explain what the characters are doing and why they behave in certain ways, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of their current neighbourhood, but it can be tempting to reveal too much too quickly.
What’s your typical writing day like, do you have a favourite writing spot and any writing rituals?
When I first started writing more than twenty years ago, I had a PC on a desk overlooking my back garden and would always write in the afternoon. More recently, I frequently suffer from episodes of chronic fatigue syndrome, so I now have a laptop and just write in whatever space I feel comfortable at whatever time my body allows.
If you were creating a playlist for Adorable April Afternoons, which songs would you include?
by NK Chats To… David Anderson
Hi David. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your book, The Drowners and what inspired it?
It’s my pleasure, Laura. Thank you for having me. The book is about that mezzanine between childhood and adulthood. Sixteen. When you are allowed to drive but can’t afford a car. When you are classified as a young adult, yet older people still treat you as a kid. Forget about pubs and nightclubs, you aren’t old enough to watch Basic Instinct in the cinema. It feels like you are walking through an aquarium, separated from this exotic wonderful world by a thick, impenetrable glass. Everyone else is having sex, except you. You’ll lose your marbles quicker than your virginity. And above all else, you want to fit in. You need to fit in. Your life depends on it.
Sixteen. It’s a scary time. It’s also a thrilling time. You discover books and music that speak to you. Go to your first concert. Get high. Fall in love. Every week brings fresh adventures. Everything is new and exciting. Your small circle of friends are your life. But behind the knock-off Aviators and smiley face tee-shirts lie dark secrets. Are any of you ready to take that next step? To leave the past behind, and become the people you want to be.
The Drowners is semi-autobiographical. It’s the one period of my life I thought I’d never write about, which appealed to the challenge seeker in me. I have conflicting emotions about that whole time which helped keep me honest; Who wants to read some guy’s rose-tinted vision of his youth? I wanted The Drowners to tell the good, the bad, and the mortifyingly awkward.
From idea to finished draft, how long does the writing process usually take you?
Years. Typically, I get an idea that won’t quit. It buzzes inside my brain like a hungry mosquito, periodically biting me. This could go on for months, even years. Finally, after I have a vague storyline mapped out, I’ll jot down 15-20 one-line ‘scenes.’ Once I have that framework in place, I’m ready to begin the first draft. Eight months later, I’ve got something that resembles a novel. Usually, it requires three more drafts before I am anywhere near satisfied.
What advice do you have when approaching the research and editing processes?
If you have ever listened to a demo version of a song, you’ll know the importance of editing. It’s not simply about polishing and fixing, it’s about amplifying and enhancing. It’s adding those fine details that make your story sparkle. That elevate your novel from an enjoyable experience to an unforgettable one.
Research is key. Everything needs to add up or you will lose your reader. Stories are illusions, and for illusions to work they must appear real. The moment the reader spots a glitch in the matrix is the moment the spell is broken.
What’s your typical writing day like? Any writing rituals?
by NK Chats To… The Creator Of The Caitlin Podcast
Hello. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your audiobook series, Caitlin and what inspired it?
Caitlin celebrates contentment in solitude. The tone is meditative and philosophical with hypnotic ambient music and soundscape. Told in snapshots of normality, the everyday poignant observations become epic, revelling in specific human details, celebrating the life of a serene and detached woman with a mindful focus on her life.
Caitlin is narrated by me in the third person as free indirect discourse but the social observations of the people around her will be very familiar to all. Caitlin is late 30s, living alone, but never lonely. Her contentment is lived and breathed, not uploaded. Frozen pizzas and cross-stitch for company. Saturday evenings become a Wham sing-along before falling asleep smelling of Tiger Balm. She’s a completely self-sufficient ecosystem, but her isolation is unusual. People say “Oh poor Caitlin…it’s so sad…” But it’s far from it.
What are the challenges when writing for this format alone rather than in novel form? What made you choose audio over written prose?
I was inspired by the idea of an introspective character living at peace with a Zen mindset becoming intimate and attached to an audience through audio. The pace and tone in which she experiences the world lends itself to audio in particular. People can enjoy it on a dog walk, drifting off to sleep or escaping the stress of a commute. I began producing this idea as a writing experiment with a new character but have been overwhelmed at the positive reaction. It’s reached quite a cult following now. The solitary life of such a modern hermit seems perfect for the intimate experience audio provides. It requires the right conditions to experience it however. I loved the idea of it being an episodic journey into the everyday minute occurrences but also an existential overview into humanity as a whole.
When you began, did you have a plan for many episodes, or do you approach each one as you go along? From idea to final draft, how long does the process take you?
Every week a new episode comes to me almost as soon as I have uploaded that week’s one. It’s like a new plant emerges to replace the old. It is almost always inspired by something I have done or seen that week, or a piece of music or aspect of the news or culture I want to weave into Caitlin’s life. I don’t have an overall plan for more than a week at a time. I have always written very quickly so I tend to write a first draft of an episode (usually 1000 words) in a couple of hours and then I refine it throughout the week until I record it on a Monday morning.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
by NK Chats To… Abbey Hicks
Hi Abbey, thank you so much for joining me and for inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me a little about your latest book, Candlelight Dreams in Cosy Cove and what inspired it?
Candlelight Dreams in Cosy Cove is a heartwarming novella, book 1 in the Cosy Cove series, set in the enchanting seaside town of Cosy Cove and its charming residents. The story centres around Beth Williams, a lively and kind-hearted local who runs an artisan candle shop, ‘Harbour Lights,’ and Jacob Lawson, a charismatic and adventurous travel journalist visiting the town to write a feature for a popular travel magazine.
The inspiration for Cosy Cove came from the beautiful coastal towns and beaches near where I live on the south coast of England. I wanted to create a ‘perfect’ seaside retreat—somewhere I’d love to visit (or even live!)—so I took little details from my favourite places and wove them together to create this idyllic, fictional town. The result? A picturesque setting filled with golden sands, a cosy café, quaint shops, and a welcoming community that I hope readers will fall in love with as much as I have.
From first draft to final, how long does the process of writing a novel take you. Also, how do you approach the research and editing processes and how do you know when you’ve done enough?
Every book I write is different. Some stories flow effortlessly, and I can plan, outline and write a 25k novella in two to three weeks, while others take many, many months to complete. It really depends on the story, the characters, and how cooperative they decide to be!
When it comes to research, my stories are completely fictitious. However, I do love adding authentic details to bring the world to life—whether that’s researching traditional seaside festivals, learning about different crafts like candle making or floristry, or even checking what flowers bloom in which season, which is surprisingly easy to get wrong! Or maybe that should be unsurprisingly since I am absolutely hopeless at gardening!
Editing is where the real magic happens, but I’ll be honest—I NEVER truly feel like I’m done! I could tweak and adjust forever, but at some point, I have to step back and trust the story.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
by NK Chats To…Jacqueline Bacci
Hello Jacqueline, thank you so much for joining me today and inviting me onto your blog tour. Can you tell us about After Paris and what inspired it?
Hi. Thank you for inviting me. ‘After Paris’ is my debut novel. It is the first in a series of three. After Paris is Alyssa and Xavier’s story. The novel is set between Paris and London, but they meet in Paris outside a cafe and an instant connection forms between them as they chat. But journalist and writer Alyssa is recovering from a broken relationship and banker Xavier is an obvious player and the last person she needs at this time in her life. She walks away.
However, fate plays a hand in the relationship when they meet again under a cloak of mystery in a place that neither of them should have ever been. Back in London, Alyssa is asked to do a story for the magazine where she is a freelancer, and the story is about none other than Xavier Montgomery, who has returned to his London office.
I would say that the story then unfolds as a romantic, steamy journey as both attempt to let go of their past lives to be together. I have always been inspired by the alpha male who is adamant that no woman can ever change their lives, and the women who just by being themselves, do just that.
They are the men that profess to have no time for love in their lives but somehow find they cannot get a certain woman out of their mind. The inspiration behind this story (and the two others that follow) is love always conquers all. The steamy scenes and the glamorous settings are just the icing on the cake.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Serendipity. I just love that word and all of the connotations it can conjure up. Dictionary definition: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. I think lots of romance stories are based on this concept which makes them entertaining and dreamy. Also, I have always been a firm believer that fate has a hand in what happens to us, especially in love.
What’s your typical writing day? Do you have any writing rituals?
by A Moment With…Hazel Hitchins
I’m so excited to be welcoming Hazel Hitchins to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Babs & Aggie: The Good, The Bad and The Vegan.
Aggie has reached that “certain age” – in her case, a thousand years or so, give or take a decade.
After centuries of bringing kings to their knees, running a small-town cafe isn’t how she imagined her life would pan out. Now, thanks to the machinations of the false vegan from across the road, she risks losing even that. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, along comes her old friend, Babs, in her House-on-chicken-legs, ready to ruffle some feathers with her unique blend of borscht, tough love and alcohol.
But everybody has a secret – the grocer who hides his loneliness behind a cheery smile, the neighbour crippled by debt and grief, and the young woman who jumps at her shadow – and before Aggie can help anyone else, she has demons of her own to lay to rest.
Can she confront her past to save her future? What is the ‘Vegan’ really hiding? Will Babs ever let her have the last word?
Raucous, rowdy, and heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measures, Babs and Aggie is a magical tale of love, loss and the comfort of a friendship forged through food, laughter and a LOT of slivovica.
*****
To celebrate the release of her new novel, Hazel is going to talk about why she writes about women of a certain age. Over to you Hazel.
The Invisible Woman:
Why I Write About Women of a Certain Age
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll know that I often write about the pitfalls of being a “Woman Of a Certain Age”, such as never taking a chance on a sneeze and the feeling you get some days that you’re little more than a hot mess (sometimes literally) of hormones and HRT. It’s all very light-hearted and we laugh at these things because, frankly, it’s absurd. And normally, these ridiculous changes we go through are offset by experience and a greater understanding of how the world works, what’s worth getting worked up about and what we can let slide, so it’s all swings and roundabouts.
by NK Chats To: Susan Buchanan (Plus A Chance To Win A Copy Of The Leap Year Proposal)
Hello Susan. Thank you so much for joining me again and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your latest book, The Leap Year Proposal and what inspired it?
Sure, thanks for having me again. Well, The Leap Year Proposal is the story of three women who meet at a mutual friend’s hen weekend and when the karaoke has abated and they’re all doing a quiz from a women’s magazine, the subject of leap year proposals comes up.
That prompts a would you/wouldn’t you discussion and the upshot is that the three protagonists, who happen to be sitting next to each other during the quiz, despite not knowing each other, get involved in a bit of a debate about it, with one professing she’d already made up her mind to propose.
The women’s friendship develops once they return from the Isle of Arran to the mainland as ‘the proposer’ starts making plans for how to propose, along with her sidekicks. And as for the inspiration, well, I proposed, quite unexpectedly, to my (now) husband on 29 February 2016! Our story has no bearing on this one, but it did give me the idea for the book!
I thought it would be fun to suggest a writing prompt – are you able to give us a starting line?
You’re out walking in the countryside and are confronted by a bear. What would you do and why? Sorry, that is the first thing that popped into my head!
Which fictional place would you like to visit and why?
I think it has to be Hogwarts! I’m a big Harry Potter fan.
Which book (that’s not one of yours,) would you like to forget just so you could read and rediscover it again?
by NK Chats To…Kiley Dunbar
Hi Kiley, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us about your latest novel, A New Chapter at the Borrow a Bookshop (loving this title) and what inspired it?
A New Chapter at the Borrow a Bookshop is number 5 in the series and dare I say it, possibly the last? I wanted to do the series justice and end on huge high. I chose my favourite romance trope ‘Friends to Lovers’ for this one and had a blast writing all the attraction and withholding; masses of fun for an author!
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals like needing coffee a lot, writing in a favourite spot? Writing in silence?
I’ve got into a new routine recently of writing 1000-1400 words in a session, and I tend to go to a café in town where I’ll sit with my coffee and my headphones and type away happily. If I try to write at home I get distracted by all the jobs there is to do there.
From idea to finished draft, how long does it take you to write a novel, and how do you know when you’ve done enough research and editing?
It can take me a couple of years to go from pitch to published, but once I’ve got a contract signed, it takes me about 4 or 5 months to fully plan out and write the first draft. I’ll give that draft a quick read through and a tidy before sending it to my editor. I tend to write about things I know a little bit about then do some scant research, enough to sound like I’m a pair of safe hands. Then I get structural edits sent back to me which can take a few weeks to action, then there’s another round of edits (line edits – looking for wee fiddly things to fix), then I am sent the proofs to read (and even at that stage I make little tweaks).
What themes are explored in this novel and what’s the main thing you want readers to take away from it?
by A Moment With…Florence Wetzel
I’m pleased to be welcoming Florence Wetzel to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Dashiki: A Cozy Mystery.
A cozy mystery with a dash of romance set in the vibrant world of jazz.
During an interview with reclusive jazz singer Betty Brown, journalist Virginia Farrell is shown priceless tapes from the iconic 1957 Thelonious Monk-John Coltrane gig at the Five Spot. When Betty is found murdered, Virginia is determined to recover the tapes and uncover the truth behind Betty’s death.
In the spirit of Nancy Drew, Virginia teams up with her six-foot blonde roommate to investigate the various suspects. Detective Robert Smith from the Hoboken Police Department joins the case, quickly becoming absorbed by an unsolved murder possibly linked to Betty Brown’s death, as well as an undeniable attraction to Virginia.
Dashiki is a cozy mystery laced with romance, immersing readers in the captivating world of jazz, where musicians, journalists, scholars, and enthusiasts intersect in an entertaining whodunit.
The author of Dashiki has joined us today to talk about The Healing Power of Reading and Writing Cozy Mysteries. Over to you, Florence.
While at Barnard College in the 1980s, I studied English literature and creative writing. From that time on, I devoted myself to reading literature with a capital L, including authors such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Doris Lessing, Albert Camus, and Virginia Woolf. The more challenging the book, the more I enjoyed it. I had also decided to become a writer myself, and those were the kind of books I aspired to create.
by NK Chats To…Louise Davidson
Hi Louise. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond and what inspired it? Have you always had a fascination with Gothic and Tarot?
Hi, so excited for this Q&A! So, The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is my first novel. Set in 1890, it tells the story of Julia Pearlie, a young woman who is hired to act as an etiquette coach for the mysterious Olivia Richmond. She discovers Olivia has a witchy reputation and Olivia’s father, Doctor Richmond, would like Julia to convince his daughter that her ‘powers’ are not real, but the more Julia gets to know Olivia, the more she begins to wonder if they really are…
Story ideas always come to me like a movie trailer playing in my head and when I came up with this one, I had an image of a young woman in white, standing at a set of French windows staring out over an overgrown lawn towards dark woods beyond and there was something waiting for her in the trees. I took that and ran with it.
I have always really enjoyed creepy psychological tales. I first encountered tarot through my aunt who used to read them and as I studied literature more – and began to teach it – I was really interested in gothic as a genre because of how it explored individuals and society so the interest went from there.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have a favourite place to write? Prefer noise or silence? Any other writing rituals?
I’m a full-time teacher so writing days tend to be during holidays and weekends and it happens wherever it can – there’s very little aesthetic going on! I wrote ‘Fortunes…’ either sitting at the kitchen table with my laptop or getting up early on a Saturday morning with my stepson and writing on the sofa while he watched Pokemon or Beyblade.
I do have a home office set up now though so when I can, I’ll make a cup of tea, light a scented candle (ambience. Very important.) and play some music that I feel reflects the mood I want to create or the scene that I’m writing. For instance, I listened to lots of Victorian waltzes when writing the party scenes in ‘Fortunes…’
If I’m writing a scary scene, I’ll try to write it at night in silence. That way, if I get nervous or scared, I know it will scare other people!
What were the challenges you found when writing your novel?
Plotting versus just writing and overcomplicating things for myself.
Technically a gothic novel is three books in one because they’re a ghost story, a mystery and (if you want to make your life difficult like me) a romance and so having a clear plan feels important. It’s easy to get stuck on the plotting and feel like you’re making headway, but plotting isn’t writing, and books are wily creatures. You’ll have everything mapped out and planned, and then you’ll start writing and realise that, in practice, that plan doesn’t work, or the characters take the wheel and start driving you in a different direction.
It’s easy to feel frustrated and like you’ve ‘wasted time’ plotting or try to force the book into the shape you’ve planned for it and in either situation, you can (like me) come up with over complicated ‘fixes’ when really the important thing is to just enjoy writing and let the story be what it is. It’s meant to be fun – let the process do its thing.
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you? Any advice on research, starting and editing?
by NK Chats To…Soulla Christodoulou
Hello Soulla. Thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your book, The Magic of Miramare.
Aww, thanks so much. I appreciate you taking the time to chat to me like this.
What’s your typical writing day like and do you have any writing rituals – like a favourite place to write? Silence or noise?
Definitely silence and it’s what prompted my partner to build my own little haven away from the house. I’m now lucky enough to have a beautiful writing room tucked into the corner of my garden. It has lighting and heating and internet access so I can hide away all day writing—I usually start early, sometimes as early as 7am—and do my researching and planning for my books, social media campaigns and client edits. I can keep going for hours and sometimes even forget to stop for lunch. The back wall of my space is covered in pictures from magazines to inspire me and the other has shelves which house most of my books; all organised by colour. It really is a special place and during the pandemic I wrote Alexander and Maria in there in just a few short weeks.
What were the challenges when writing a novel from the point of view of three characters and what’s the most important thing to remember when doing so?
My second novel, The Summer Will Come was written from the POV of four different characters and each POV started with a new chapter. I have done the something similar with The Magic of Miramare. I like the use of multi viewpoints in that it brings the reader closer to the character and their thought processes and helps them to understand the characters’ motivations and behaviours better.
What’s your favourite word and why?
My favourite word is serendipity, not only is it such a beautiful sounding word but it brings so much magic to our everyday, ordinary lives. I have found that so many of my happiest moments and opportunities have arrived just by chance, as if by magic, and the feeling of being in the right place at just the right time, not a moment too early or too late, for me, speaks volumes about how amazing the power of God, and the Universe, are.
If you could visit a fictional world for a day, where would you go and why?
by NK Chats To…Susan Buchanan (Plus a Giveaway To Win A Copy Of A Little Christmas Spirit)
Hello Susan, thank you so much for joining me and for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your book, A Little Christmas Spirit. Could you tell us a little about your latest novel, A Little Christmas Spirit and what inspired it?
Hi, thanks for having me. Well, it’s the third in the series, and the main character, Lara, who pulls everyone together in this story, is now 9 years old. It has been a long time since the last Christmas Spirit book (2015) so I specifically ensured Lara was the right age for everything to happen organically. We’re back at the Sugar and Spice café, now owned by her mum Tabitha and her uncle Jacob. Because of Lara’s age, and her key role in the novel, a great part of the book is set in her school, with all the Christmas events that throws up.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your novel?
This is a tough one, as I’ve never really thought about it. How about ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey. ‘Merry Christmas, Everyone’ by Shakin’ Stevens. ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ by Paul McCartney. You’ve got me on a roll here, now! ‘Step Into Christmas’ by Elton John, and ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham.
What’s your typical writing day like and do you have any writing rituals, for example, writing in silence, needing coffee?
I don’t have a typical writing day as every one is different and I don’t write every day. When I do write, sometimes I write a lot, like 12,000 words, to finish a book. As I also edit other authors’ books, sometimes it depends on my workload, and in the run-up to launch of a new book, I have a lot of business things that need doing: admin, processes. However, with regards to the actual writing, yes, I need silence and lots of coffee. Apart from that, I just lose myself in my world!
From idea to finished book, what’s your process like? How do you approach editing and when do you know when you’ve done enough preparation/research prior to starting?
by NK Chats To… Ian McFadyen
Hi Ian, thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your latest book. Can you tell me about your novel, Blood Matters and what inspired it?
Blood Matters is the tenth book in my Carmichael whodunit series. It’s set in rural Lancashire (as they all are) and starts with the discovery of a body down a dark unlit road. The murder victim is not from the area but is known to some of the residents of the small hamlet where he’s discovered. It quickly becomes apparent that the deceased was seen by the young man who found him and countless other people, less than 30 minutes earlier in the local pub, having a heated argument with one of the village residents.
The book was inspired by a twist I thought of when I was driving about 18 months ago.
What were the challenges you found when writing your novel, especially when it’s part of a series?
The main challenge when writing murder mysteries in a series is to come up with ideas for a plot, characters and a twist that are not just different from anything else in previous books in the series but that aren’t similar to whodunits written by other authors.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
I’d go for tracks from the 80’s or 90’s.
From idea, to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?
It’s remarkably haphazard in that I write ferociously at times, but I can also not put finger to keyboard for a week or two if I’m mulling over how to tackle something I find tricky that’s coming up soon. I only write in the mornings and rarely write more than 1000 words a day (usually more like 500). Despite my seemingly chaotic approach I generally take about 1 year to write the first draft then 6 months recrafting parts to make them ready to share with my copy editor.
What’s your favourite word and why?
by NK Chats With… Alana Oxford
Hi Alana, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol and what inspired it?
Thank you so much!
My book is about a frazzled wife/mother who is fast approaching burnout for the holiday season.
I am part of the “sandwich generation” myself, meaning I’m caught in the middle of helping aging parents, but I still have my own children at home to care for as well. I’ve had a lot of powerful conversations with friends and colleagues about navigating this challenging time of life and I drew upon our collective experiences, embellished and fabricated, to explore those feelings under the added pressure of holiday expectations.
I thought this stressed wife/mother character would make a fantastic modern day Scrooge and went from there.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you like to write in a particular spot? Silence or noise? Any other writing rituals?
I don’t like to be around other people when I write, so depending on who’s home, I’ll either write with my laptop on the dining room table, or closed up in my office.
I prefer to have music playing when I write. I also create a playlist for every book I write. Certain songs act as theme songs for different characters, or they get me in the right frame of mind for certain scenes I’m writing. If I have to step away from writing for a few days due to life, the music will put me right back in the world I’m creating.
What were the challenges you found when writing your novel especially when A Christmas Carol is so well known?
I wanted it to harken back to the original, but not too much. Scrooge himself makes a brief appearance in my book, but I really enjoyed playing with the idea of an overtaxed woman who’s lost her Christmas cheer but is expected to make holiday magic for everyone in her family.
To give myself more direction, I wanted to keep the length of my book to about the length of Dickens’ classic. His is a little more than 30,000 words. Mine came in around 37,000.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by NK Chats To… Minnie Lewis
Hi Minnie, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, Beyond the Smiles and what inspired it?
I wanted to write a book about a strong, young, independent woman who appears to have everything going for her but doesn’t realise that the people she’s close to aren’t what they seem. Laura became that character and it just went from there.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have a favourite place to write and any writing rituals?
I didn’t adopt a strict routine. I wrote some days and not others; but I thought about the book almost all the time. I’m a morning person so most of my writing was done by mid-afternoon.
What were the challenges you found when writing your novel?
The main challenge was to keep the reader engrossed even when a situation is being revisited through new eyes. I hope I achieved that.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
It would be a mixture of old and new – but they’d all have to be upbeat tracks.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
Dr Who – as I’d like to travel back into the past.
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you? How do you approach editing?
My time was divided roughly into three – thinking time, writing time the editing / proof reading. I probably spent 70% thinking about the characters and plot, 15% writing the book and 15% editing.
Which comes first for you, plot, or characters?
by NK Chats To… L A Johnston
Hello. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us a little about your novel, Manhattan Melodies Azorean Dreams and what inspired it?
Manhattan Melodies Azorean Dreams is deeply personal, as it draws from my own experiences from a trip I have taken to the island of Sao Miguel. The novel follows two individuals in different stages of their lives, who find each other when they need each other the most, despite being from vastly different worlds.
The inspiration came during a visit I made to the Azores, a place that holds a special significance for me. Walking through the lush landscapes with my fiancée, the Atlantic stretching endlessly on the horizon, I couldn’t help but reflect on how different life felt there compared to the city. The reason I selected Manhattan as the home location for the protagonist Olivia, I had anticipated getting engaged there, but alas the Covid virus vetoed my plans. That contrast—between the hectic, concrete jungle and the tranquil, almost timeless feel of the islands—sparked the idea of a character caught between these two places.
Through the novel, I explore themes of identity, cultural heritage, and belonging. Like my protagonist, I’ve often felt the pull between these two worlds, trying to navigate the fast-paced city life while being deeply connected to the quieter, introspective rhythms of the Azores. The novel became a way for me to reconcile those feelings and celebrate both the rush of the city and the profound beauty of the islands.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals like writing in silence, a favorite place to write, coffee or tea?
I start writing usually in the evenings, usually with a bucket sized cup of tea perched on the arm of my sofa. I prefer writing in silence, though sometimes instrumental jazz or classical music sets the mood. I write for several hours, aiming for a balance between disciplined output and creative flow.
Were there any challenges when writing your novel?
One of the main challenges was capturing the essence of two vastly different places—New York and the Azores—while making them feel interconnected. Balancing the pacing was tricky as well; I had to ensure that the slower, reflective moments of island life didn’t drag down the story’s momentum, while also letting the hustle of Manhattan breathe naturally into the plot.
With my homeplace being situated up a single-track country road, that in places is only marginally wider than a patio door, and being constantly surrounded by birdsong, painting a vivid landscape of the island of Sao Miguel using appropriate diction to keep the reader invested is second nature to me, almost to the extent wherein the Sao Miguel itself almost becomes a character However, I have my doubts that I have been able to pull this off in the Manhattan landscape where the early chapters of the novel is set.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
The playlist would be comprised exclusively of long songs. Top three songs would include:
by Novel Kicks Chats To… Nova García
Hello Nova, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, Not That Kind of Call Girl and what inspired it?
Not That Kind of Call Girl is in many ways, my personal story. It’s about a young newspaper call center manager with post-partum depression juggling a colicky newborn, a meddling mother and a skirt-chasing boss while working, undercover, to untangle a vulnerable employee’s mysterious relationship with a Hollywood icon. Saving the employee part is the fiction, but the rest mirrors my life.
My mission in writing this novel was three-fold. (1) Tell a highly relatable & humorous story about a woman experiencing post-partum depression so those who’ve been through it know they’re not alone and open the gate for conversation. (2) Make the protagonist, Julia, a Latina. Latinos make up 19% of the U.S. population according to the 2023 U.S. Census, and yet, we aren’t featured much as primary characters in the literary industry. While the lack of representation is improving , there’s still a long way to go. (3) Shed light on an injustice most often inflicted on powerless women, that isn’t often in the public consciousness.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel?
When I first wrote the book, I loved it and couldn’t wait to find an agent to represent me. The trouble was, after more than a hundred tries, no one offered me a contract. Yes, more than a hundred! Dejected, I put the book away for three years then started up again. I felt connected to my lead character (probably because she and I are one and the same), so I kept her, deleted every chapter but one and started again. Luckily, The Wild Rose Press offered me a contract the second go around. So, what was the challenge? Staying motivated after a staggering number of no’s and no responses.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have a favourite writing spot and any daily writing rituals?
I really should follow a schedule, but I don’t. I write when the mood strikes. Sometimes, I’ll go a month or more between writing stints which gives my brain time to recoup. If my head’s not in the game, there’s no sense in sitting down and staring at my computer. I do my writing in a home office, but admittedly, our two little dogs distract me from time to time with their need for attention, which I happily oblige.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by NK Chats To… P. A. Sheldon
Hi Paul, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us a little about your book, Fireside Horror and what inspired it?
Hi Laura, thank you for inviting me to talk about my new book. Fireside Horror is a collection of 10 interconnected tales set in the fictional Edwardian town of Wendlelow. Each story is designed to be read individually, but when combined together gives a larger narrative which draws to a conclusion in the 10th and final tale. I was inspired by the works of M. R. James, the classic ghost story writer of the Victorian/Edwardian era, and by the Folklore of the British Isles, which I have always had a great interest in.
What were the challenges of writing 10 interconnecting stories and what was the hardest part of the writing process?
There were a great many challenges, firstly ensuring that each story was self-contained enough that it could be picked up and read without any prior knowledge of the other tales.
I always envisioned someone reading the book, and then being able to re-read it a second time and pick up little hints and clues that connect to the final tale, dropping these little biscuit crumbs, without giving away too much, was a challenge.
I suppose the hardest part of the writing process, at least for me, was coming up with the stories themselves, the threats and problems the characters face, the ways they attempt to resolve them.
What’s your typical writing day like – do you have any rituals and a particular place you like to write?
Being a working father with two boys, I really had to set aside time to write, I aimed to try to write for at least 3 hours a week, this would usually be when my family were in bed, I would write at the dining room table, though now my eldest son has gone to university I finally have a spare room to work in. As for rituals I don’t personally have any, but my little dog Lily does, she likes to lie on my feet while I’m writing. This is perfect in the winter months as it keeps my toes warm.
What’s your favourite word and why?
by NK Chats To… Donna Levin
Hi Donna. Thank you so much for joining me today to talk about your book, The Talking Stick. Can you tell me about this particular novel and what inspired you to write it?
Some years ago I was having coffee with a novelist friend, we talked about how we would both like to write a novel about a magical object. His idea was a device that would make people fall in love with him. Mine was about an object that would allow the possessor to read minds. We each went back writing our novels then in-progress.
Meanwhile, I was invited to join a new writing group in Marin. This was a group of women who’d been together a long time, and I’m cynical enough that I worried about what effect I’d have on their dynamic, but in fact it was a revelation. They made room for me. At this later stage in life, I discovered the healing power of women’s friendships. And by the way, they’re all sharp critics, too.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any particular writing rituals and a particular place you like to write?
Run to the neighborhood Starbucks and get the venti mocha. Home to semi-recline on the futon on the 3rdfloor with my laptop where it belongs — on my lap (hence the name). My children AT LAST are grown, and now I have two cats, Cabernet and Chardonnay, to keep me company. Alas, they shed so badly that I can only camp out on that futon after changing into some kind of “loungewear,” which is a euphemism for pajamas.
What were the challenges you found when you were writing your novel?
by NK Chats To… Janys Thornton
Hi Janys, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, Female Remedies and what inspired it?
I was part of a project to research into Women’s lives during WWI on the Isle of Sheppey where I live. I read all the local newspapers from 1914- 1919 but kept getting distracted by other stories – human interest stories. I thought there are tales to be told here and when I retired, just before lockdown, I had the time to write.
What’s your typical writing day like – do you have any writing rituals and a particular place you like to write?
I usually write in the afternoon as I like to be busy. In the morning I either go to aerobics, or my art class, or I volunteer as treasurer for the Sheppey Little Theatre and I write once I’ve freed up my time, in my study.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair. She is a modern woman living in Georgian times. She lives on her wits and makes her way in the world and she swims! She is so different to the usual fainting heroines of the time.
What elements make up a good historical story?
Good research which doesn’t intrude in the story, and of course a good story.
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you? How do you know when you’ve done enough research?
I make a plan, but don’t necessarily follow to it. I then start writing. I don’t stick to writing the beginning, then the middle, then the end. These can change as I write. I may find that something I want to say in the second half needs more explanation in the first, so I go back and write new scenes. Once I start editing, I look to flesh out characters, scenes and dialogue where needed. Once I’ve done this a few times I will get people to read my manuscript and see if it all works. The two novels I have completed have taken around a year each.
As I said earlier, the research for the main setting of WWI was done as part of a bigger project, but when I was writing, I constantly needed to check dates, check what food was available, and all sorts like school leaving age, cost of living and even train times from Michael Portillo’s friend – Bradshaws.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Nevertheless! Its three words in one. It’s a statement and its better than saying words like “anyway”.
What are you currently working on?
by NK Chats To… Amber Cooper
Hi Amber, thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your latest book. Can you tell me about your novel, A Cask of You and what inspired it?
A Cask of You is the first of a seven book series (eight if you count the free prequel) following siblings who come from a whisky distilling family on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland.
The story is about a down on her luck American romance author, Bea who travels to Edinburgh, Scotland to write her next book and find a Scotsman for inspiration. She meets aloof Cal Butler and gets a job in his bar. Cal has a lot on his mind: his father is terminally ill and his difficult ex is pregnant, possibly with his child. He tries to resist Bea, but their chemistry is too intense, so they agree to a three-month fling. Feelings develop on either side, and Bea struggles with Cal possibly being a father due to self-doubt her ex planted in her. The novel is passionate, sweet and steamy and if you enjoy being transported to Scotland and meeting hot Celtic heroes, you may very well love it.
In terms of inspiration, my memory is fuzzy as I began the book in 2019, but the idea came when I was doing a course in romance writing with the Professional Writing Academy, here in the UK. Fragments came to me each week as I wrote different elements of a romance novel – meet cute, sex scene, no way scene, etc. For example, Edinburgh was the setting, whisky would be a part of it, the FMC would be a romance writer, the MMC was from a big family. It all pieced together bit by bit until I realised I wanted to write a whole series. I wanted the vibe of the book to be evocative of Scotland. I am a bit obsessed with whisky, in that regard: its colours, its vibrancy, its integration with the land itself. That is why I made the whisky distillery the fulcrum for the whole Butler family. And I chose the Kintyre peninsula as I wanted them to be hardy Scottish surfers from a place where whisky is made
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals and a particular space you like to write in?
I dream of having a typical writing day, of getting up early with a cup of coffee and going to a lady shed at the bottom of the garden to write all day. But I live in a wee third floor flat so I find a space wherever I can. Because I have a chronic illness, I operate on the system of doing what I can when I can and taking time off if I need it. Some days, I have to accept that doing anything at all is an achievement. But when I work best is from around 7am, starting with a wee hot chocolate, until mid afternoon. The afternoon might be for lighter admin duties and small tasks that are easier to manage. I don’t have a desk but sitting up for long periods of time is difficult for anyway, so it’s usually the couch or bed. One day, I will have a lady shed with a chaise longue in it. #believe
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel especially as it’s book one in a series?
by Novel Kicks To… Kay Seeley
Hello Kay. Thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, A Heart Full of Hope and what inspired it?
The story was inspired by the character, Charity. She’s the daughter of a bishop and wants to do something worthwhile with her life. Charity’s family want her to make a good marriage but she’s more interested in helping a small, mute boy she meets in a home for waifs and strays. A chance meeting with Jack Carter, the hotel housekeeper’s disreputable brother intrigues her and promises a different, more exciting way of life. The story was inspired by the two different worlds in Edwardian London.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I usually begin with going through emails and getting the business side out of the way so I can concentrate on the creative side with free mind. I make a lot of notes about what I want to incorporate into the story. I don’t plot. I put my characters into difficult situations to see how they react. The story comes from the characters. I generally have a theme, but nothing concrete. It’s all very flexible. A lot of the story comes while I’m doing other things, like gardening, walking, or on the train into town. Then I work the ideas into the story.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel especially when it’s part of a series?
by NK Chats To… Eliza J Scott
Hello Eliza. Thank you so much for including Novel Kicks on the blog tour for your new novel. Can you tell me about Finding Love in Micklewick Bay and what inspired it?
Well, it’s book three in the Welcome to Micklewick Bay series and it tells Stella’s story. Living in the pretty seaside town of Micklewick Bay, successful barrister Stella Hutton is part of a fiercely loyal group of five friends who have stuck together through thick and thin. She’s never known her father; he left her mum when he found out she was expecting his child. From the moment Stella was born her mother instilled in her that she should be self-reliant, avoid relationships at all costs and, most importantly, keep men at arm’s length! Stella has followed this to the letter, until the tall, dark and extremely handsome Alex Bainbridge arrives in town and, much to her frustration, sets her heart fluttering in a way she’s never experienced before.
While she’s tackling these unfamiliar emotions, Stella becomes determined to find her long-lost father, but her discoveries quickly make her wish she’d left well alone.
What songs would make up a playlist for this book?
This really made me think! I’d say the following mix of songs that celebrate kick-ass women, friendship and love-at-first-sight would definitely make up part of a playlist:
Salute – Little Mix
Ain’t Your Mama – Jennifer Lopez
Independent Woman – Kelly Clarkson
Gift of a Friend – Demi Levato
Friends – Meghan Trainor
Love at First Sight – Kylie Minogue
You Had Me At Hello – Kenny Chesney
Which authors do you admire?
Ooh, this is a tricky one as there are so many wonderful authors out there. I’d have to start off with Milly Johnson, Cathy Bramley, Jessica Redland, Sharon Booth, Heidi Swain, Julie Caplin, Karen Swan, Veronica Henry and Daisy James. I’m also a fan of historical fiction and love Clare Marchant, Jenni Keer (I’ve just read The Legacy of Halesham Hall and it’s fabulous!), Callie Langridge, Hilary Mantel and Kate Mosse. Oh, goodness, I could go on forever but I’d better stop there!
Which book of yours is your favourite and why?
by A Moment With… Juliet Greenwood
I’m pleased to be welcoming Juliet Greenwood to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Secret Daughter of Venice.
The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.
England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.
Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…
A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge and The Nightingale.
There’s a chance to win a signed copy of The Secret Daughter of Venice below but first, Juliet talks to us about the inspiration behind her novel.
Finding Venice
The inspiration for The Secret Daughter of Venice came from my two visits to Venice. The first was when I was ten. It was part of a family holiday in an ancient VW campervan that had a habit of breaking down at inopportune moments, but managed to stagger to the campsite just outside the city without steam pouring ominously from the engine. It’s strange looking at those old photographs now. The memories of St Mark’s Square and travelling through the canals on a gondola are as vivid as if they were yesterday. That visit was just a few hours, but it always made me want to visit again.
by NK Chats To… Margaret Amatt
Hello Margaret. Thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn and what inspired it?
Hi! The Crafty Bee story was inspired by an evening when I was looking at books on Amazon – for a change! – and I noticed how popular books about beekeepers were. It was at the same time that a friend of mine was talking about The Sewing Bee. Somehow the two ideas blended in my head and I though up the name Crafty Bee Barn. I wanted to do something that blended beekeeping and crafts. And the story developed from there.
What are the challenges you found when writing Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn?
This book had quite a few challenges. Probably the biggest issue was Lilah’s backstory. She’s had a tough upbringing and I wanted that to come through in the story without making it too dark, but at the same time not trivialising it or brushing over it. Aidan was also a challenge. He’s quite a gruff character who’s annoyed with himself for his past mistakes but I still needed to make him loveable and relatable.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
I always find this question really hard. I think I’ll have to leave it to someone else to choose after they’ve read it because I really don’t have a clue!!
What’s your favourite word and why?
This will probably sound very strange to most people but I like the name Demeter. I honestly have no idea why but I just love the sound of it!
Any other advice for aspiring writers?
by NK Chats With… Fran Clark
Hello Fran. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, Holding Paradise and what inspired it?
Holding Paradise is women’s fiction novel seen from the viewpoint of both West Indian matriarch, Josephine, and her first generation daughter, Angelica. It’s a moving story of family, loss and deceit that explores identity, belonging and the resilience of the human spirit. It was inspired by stories that my mother used to tell us about her times spent in the West Indies and what it was like raising her family in 1950s London. I wanted to honour her memories so created characters who had stories of their own to tell based around that time in history.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
My writing day depends on the stage of the book I’m in. When it’s a new book I tend to devote the mornings to writing at my desk and spend the rest of my day thinking about the plot as I do the other things like answering emails etc. During editing I change desks and put my fold up table by the big French windows where I think I’m seeing the novel with fresh eyes just because I’ve set up in a different place. I know it sounds crazy but it works for me.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel?
First novels are always the ones that you write from the heart and mean everything to you. I had to try to make sure it wasn’t a rambling biography of pouring my heart out. That’s how it started off. I had to keep myself in check and put myself in the position of the reader. I needed to make it an interesting and entertaining read and after quite a few versions of this book, I think I finally got there. But the readers will be the judge, I guess.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
Can I pick more than one? If it’s in literature, then probably Jo March from Little Women. She’s just such an inspiring person and a writer who had to be so determined to become a writer in a time in history when it was so difficult for women. I’d hope that being around her might rub off on me and I could get some of her grit and determination. For on screen characters, I’d love to live in Stars Hollow with The Gilmore Girls. I’d love a coffee shop like Luke’s to hang out where I could catch up on the local gossip and and have a place to write.
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?
by NK Chats To… Angie Elita Newell
Hi Angie, thank you so much for joining me. Can you tell me about your novel, All I See is Violence and what inspired it?
Hello Laura! My novel is about the attempted cultural annihilation enacted against the indigenous North Americans by the United States government. This policy is very nuanced, and the people enacting it and experiencing it reacted in very personal and not necessarily typical ways, so I wove the timeline of 1876 and the coming-of-age experience of the female warrior Little Wolf against the seasoned military fighter Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and parallel that to her future relation Nancy Swiftfox in 1972 at the height of the American Indian Movement.
What’s your typical writing day like?
Each writing day is different. If I am working on the actual story, I spend more time thinking about the story and the characters and what their world was like versus actually writing.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel?
The challenge I found was finding a publisher, the more people I talk to in the writing industry the more seem to all experience this, so I am going to say it is a writing rite of passage.
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?
I think each story is unique but two years from start to finish seems to be my rhythm, I work with historical fiction and I am trained as a historian so there is an archival research component to my work that takes some time against the dreaming of it in my mind.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Amazing. I am continuously awestruck with beauty and appreciation for this life and this world, despite everything at its core it is pure love and amazing.
Which fictional world would you like to visit and why?
by NK Chats To… Lesley Cookman
Hi Lesley, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your latest novel, Murder by Christmas?
Thank you for inviting me! Murder by Christmas is the 25th in the Libby Sarjeant series. Libby is in the final throes of pantomime rehearsals, when she and her friend Fran become involved in the investigation into a local brewery. This involves visits to many pubs – naturally!
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I write as soon as I can get into the office – any time between 10 and 1pm and for as long as I can before the cats need feeding again.
What are the challenges you found when writing this novel and does writing a series present challenges?
The challenge of this one was the short time (3 months) in which I had to do it. And writing a series is definitely a challenge – trying to come up with different plots and not repeat myself.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by NK Chats To… Ryan Haidar from Your Paper Quest – A Self Published Book Subscription Service
Ryan
Hello Ryan. Thank you for joining me. How about we start by you introducing yourselves and telling us a bit about your fantastic sounding book subscription box, Your Paper Quest.
Where did the idea for this service come from and what makes your box unique?
The idea actually began during Covid. I had started a Bookstagram account and quickly realised that the Bookstagram community were all frequently posting about the same few books. I was always looking to include different voices from the mainstream and that’s when a few self-published authors had actually reached out to me about reading and featuring their stories. From there, an idea had formed, and I began brainstorming how to best connect these indie and self-published authors with curious readers, and Your Paper Quest was born!
YPQ is unique in that we’re the only subscription box that exclusively features self-published and indie stories. We also include notes from the authors that complement each story, as well as have a virtual book club where subscribers can discuss the stories with each other as well as ask our featured authors questions for the end of the month interviews that they participate in!
What challenges did you face setting it up?
Steve
There have been so many challenges along the way that it’s hard to choose. I would have to say that the hardest part was genuinely getting started. It felt like (and turned out to be) such an endeavour that most of the time I didn’t even know where to begin. Breaking everything up into baby-steps and taking it one day at a time made a massive difference though. Whether it was the packaging, the website, the contracts, there was so much that I had to learn throughout the process. The current, and constant, struggle is marketing, getting the word out about who we are and what we’re doing! That all being said, I’d easily do it all again, this has been such a rewarding experience and the positive response we’ve received from the community has been nothing short of amazing.
The service is for indie authors. How important do you think a service like this is to them?
by NK Chats To… Chris Wade
Hi Chris, thank you for joining me and welcome back to Novel Kicks. You’ve recently written a mystery thriller, Three Days in the Rain. Can you tell me about it and what inspired it?
Hi Laura. Well, one day I just started writing this scene that popped into my head. It involved a private investigator sitting in a man’s office. You could tell the man was rich, powerful, maybe a bit ruthless, and I had this image of the gentleman passing a photograph across the table to the investigator of a very beautiful woman. I remember that the story just came to me right there as I was doing that first chapter, the entire thing began to map out in my head. It sort of grew organically, but quickly. In short, it’s about this investigator who gets hired by a wealthy business man to follow his much younger girlfriend, who he is suspicious of. At first the detective thinks the old man is paranoid and actually a bit of a tyrant, a jealous man and control freak. As he starts to follow the girl though, he learns more and more about her, but hardly any of it is what it seems and as the story goes on, more and more mysteries are revealed. I had such fun writing it, presenting riddles and new twists and turns. It was one of the most enjoyable writing experiences I’ve ever had.
What was your writing process like for Three Days in the Rain, how long did it take you from idea to publication, how did you approach the planning process and has it changed much since you first started writing?
I honestly worked like a mad man on it, doing 12 to 15 hour days, maybe even more. The book is about 200 pages long but if I am honest it took a few weeks in all, including the edit. It was so smooth and fun, and it helped that all the story was just there waiting in my head, ready to come out on to the page. Nothing changed either, apart from a couple of tiny details at the very end. It was fully formed. I just kept following this very strong image of this beautiful dark haired woman who the main character becomes obsessed with, and it all just came out. I’d write a chapter a day and then I edited it all non-stop over and over for a couple of weeks. It was hard in a way, tiring too, but also extremely satisfying.
You’re also known for non fiction projects including works featuring James Woods and Oliver Stone. Does your writing process differ when writing fiction compared to non fiction?
Writing about films is just really fun. You obviously have to structure the film essays and make sure you ask decent questions when interviewing an actor or director, but you use a different kind of energy doing non-fiction, for sure. When I am writing fiction, the imagination is on overdrive, it’s basically running wild, and I am trying to keep myself in line and all the ideas in keeping with the story. It’s really liberating too. Writing these film books is just a treat, and they are actually a dream come true as well. As a kid in the 1990s I just loved films, and people like Sharon Stone, James Woods, Oliver Stone, and all those Hollywood legends were idols to me. Getting to work with them and interview them today as an adult just seems unreal. So the non-fiction and the fiction are totally different, and I love going from one to the other. That way I never get bored or even slightly frustrated.
What challenges did you face when approaching a fictional novel compared to the non-fiction books?
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: A Moment With… Monica Cafferky
Monica Cafferky is joining us with the blog tour for her novel, A Winter’s Sleep. She has made a living with words for over 30 years, first as a journalist and more recently with her supernatural thriller The Winter’s Sleep. Here, Monica shares her tips for making a start on your own novel – “stop thinking about it, just start writing.”
Tip 1: You need to read.
Before you put fingers to keyboard, or pen to paper, you need to know your genre. Read the kind of books you want to write.
If you love spooky stories, it’s Halloween after all, read the classics like Dracula by Bram Stoker and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Or, opt for more contemporary novels such as Thin Air by Michelle Paver or my own The Winter’s Sleep.
Or do you prefer historical fiction? Fill your boots with tales from writers Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick. If romance is your first love go for Sarah MacLean.
What’s important is that you READ. By reading, you will discover how to structure a story in your genre, how to construct a good plot, develop characters and layer in myth. Without these important elements there is no compelling story.
Tip 2: Start writing notes to yourself.
As the story starts to take shape in your mind you will have brilliant (I hope) insights, often when you least expect it – washing up, walking the dog, in the bath. It’s important not to lose these snippets of plot and character. You need to make a note of your ideas because, trust me, you won’t remember them later on.
Ideas are funny things, unless they’re fully formed, and repeated often, they slip away like a balloon in a strong breeze. Write these ideas down in your journal (that you use just for the novel) or create an audio note on your mobile, and then write it down later.
Let the foundation of the book take shape with these ideas, and collect these ideas together. You need to know what your book is about before you start the actual writing, otherwise you will find your story, and your sanity, unravelling around a quarter of the way through the plot.
Tip 3: What’s your character’s quest?
by NK Chats To… Margaret Amatt
Hi Margaret, thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, Highland Fling on the Whisky Trail and what inspired it?
Whisky production is a big thing in the area I live. There are two distilleries quite close to me and even more the further north you travel. I read an article about a family run distillery in the highlands and how they’d been forced to diversify and adapt to keep up with larger companies.
It sparked the idea but I didn’t initially see it as a story in itself. The first book in the Glenbriar series Stolen Kisses at the Loch View Hotel is where I first used the idea for the whisky business.
As that story developed, the idea for Highland Fling on the Whisky Trail developed too. The main characters have both appeared as side characters in previous books and they fitted perfectly into this story.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any rituals and from idea to final draft, how long does it take you to write a book?
My writing days are on Monday and Tuesday. I pretty much have to stick to that as I have another job the rest of the week. Once I get writing and get in the zone, I can become immersed for hours! I don’t have any rituals but I do follow a plan for each book.
Usually the better planned they are, the quicker I can write them. The fastest first draft I ever wrote was seventy thousand words in 6 days! But normally it’s nowhere near as quick. That was a very happy fluke. My first drafts usually take about two months to write and then I spend at least that again, sometimes more, on editing.
What research do you usually undertake and how do you know when you’ve done enough?
by NK Chats To… Helen Golden
Hi Helen. Thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, I Spy With My Little Die and what inspired it?
I Spy With My Little Die is the sixth book in the A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series and in it, not only do we have a couple of juicy murders for my main characters to get to the bottom of, but this book will tie up all the loose ends surrounding Lady Beatrice’s husband’s death in a car accident fifteen years ago. So it’s a mystery within a mystery. I’ve always liked reading books where there’s a meaty subplot that runs throughout the series. In this book the main plot and the series subplot meet head on.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals and from idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like (planning, research etc) and how long does it typically take you?
I don’t have a ‘typical day’ as such, I’m not a big fan of routine, but I do have a ‘to-do’ list that I work my way through each day. That list might include doing some research, finishing the next chapter in the work-in-progress I’m currently working on, arranging book promotions, creating and reviewing my adverts, plotting my next murder (fictional, of course!), and doing interviews. You may be surprised to know that only about half of what I do is actually writing. Research and planning are vital to enable me to keep me on track and to help me avoid hitting a road block when I’m actually writing, so I spend a lot of my time outlining my plot, especially the murder, before I put pen to paper. It normally takes about a month to research, plan, and outline my book but that could be spread out over a couple of months or even longer.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel especially as it’s part of a series?
I find it easier now that I’m on the sixth book in my series as I know and understand my characters so much better – they have their own voice. On the other hand, coming up with a murder method is getting more difficult – there are only so many ways you can kill someone!
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by Book Club
