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 Novel Kicks Book Club: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanna Collins
Hello May. It’s lovely to see you again.
If, like me, you live in the UK, we’ve recently been experiencing proper sunshine. When this happens, we come out of our houses to look up in awe at the bright yellow thing in the sky. We dust off the garden furniture, fire up the BBQ and make the most of the time we can spend in any outside space.
I don’t know about you but there is something so relaxing about sitting in the sun with a good novel.
I am hoping you’re as excited about this month’s book pick as I am. I believe it’s perfect for the warm days. A comfortable sofa inside also works incredibly well. Haha. I have been looking forward to reading this novel since it was announced. When I was reading the original series, the backstory of the character featured in this book intrigued me.
If you’ve not guessed by now, this month’s book is Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins.
How do you take part in our book club I hear you ask? It’s easy. You can join us at any point in the month, whether you’re reading the book for the first time or excited to share your views having already finished it. The best part, you don’t have to even leave your house.
I’ve posted a question below to kickstart the discussion. I look forward to discussing this book with you.
About Sunrise on the Reaping –
by Book Review: The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Jenni Keer back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The House of Lost Whispers.
On 15th April 1912, RMS Titanic sank and 1500 people lost their lives. But what if it had stayed afloat?
When the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic leaves thirteen-year-old Olivia Davenport orphaned, she’s sent to live with her guardians, the Fairchilds, in their huge Jacobean mansion – Merriford Manor. But the Fairchilds have more to worry about than a grieving young girl – with war in Europe imminent and four sons to protect.
Olivia feels alone and friendless. That is, until she hears a voice from behind the wall in her tower bedroom. A voice from a man called Seth. At first she thinks he’s a ghost. But it soon becomes clear that he lives in an overlapping world that is just a shudder in time away from her own. A world where the Titanic never sank… And everything since has been just slightly… different.
All Olivia wants is to find a way into his reality. And not just to see the faces of her beloved parents once again. But also to meet Seth. Who might just be the love of her life…
An utterly unforgettable reading group historical novel, that is part romance, part gripping mystery, and part completely heartbreaking First World War historical fiction. Perfect for fans of Titanic, In Memoriam and Lucinda Riley.
*****
The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 is an event known to the world… but what if it didn’t sink?
When Olivia Davenport loses her parents, she is sent to live with her Godfather and his family. Her life’s path goes a certain way.
However, when she begins to hear a voice through the wall of her bedroom, she starts to question everything she knows.
Although I’ve had the pleasure of hosting Jenni Keer on Novel Kicks in the past, this is the first opportunity I’ve had to review one of her novels. I am fascinated by the history surrounding the Titanic so the premise for this book intrigued me a lot. I couldn’t wait to get started.
by Book Review: The Basel Killings by Hansjörg Schneider
It is the end of October, the northern Swiss city of Basel is grey and wet. It could be December.
It is just after midnight when Hunkeler, on his way home and slightly worse for wear, spots old man Hardy sitting on a bench under a streetlight. He wants to smoke a cigarette with him, but the usually very loquacious Hardy is silent – his throat a gaping wound. Turns out he was first strangled, then his left earlobe slit, his diamond stud stolen.
The media and the police come quickly to the same conclusion: Hardy’s murder was the work of a gang of Albanian drug smugglers.
But for Hunkeler that seems too obvious. Hardy’s murder has much in common with the case of Barbara Amsler, a prostitute also found killed with an ear slit, and her pearl stud missing.
He follows his own intuition and the trail leads him deep into a dark world of bars, bordellos and strip clubs, but also into the corrupt core of some of Basel’s political and industrial elite. More ominously, he will soon discover the consequences of certain events in recent Swiss history that those in power would prefer to keep far from the public eye.
*****
When Detective Peter Hunkeler finds a dead body, he is soon pulled into a murder investigation that has a similarity to another unsolved case. Can he find the killer before someone else gets hurt?
I do love a good crime novel and so was pleased to be sent a review copy of The Basel Killings by Hansjörg Schneider, translated by Mike Mitchell.. I am unfamiliar with this author’s novels so this was a chance to discover something new.
This book is the first novel in the Inspector Hunkeler series and therefore does spend some time introducing the main character. However, this doesn’t get in the way of the action. The reader is immediately thrown into the story and it’s not long before a crime is committed.
by Book Club
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