Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I can remember when I was eight, writing that I wanted to be an author, because the teacher crossed it out and put ‘authoress’. However, life got in the way and I didn’t write my first book until after I retired. I was spending the winter in Portugal and my husband was ill, it was raining and I’d read every book in the place – so I thought the obvious thing to do was to write one!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘Death at Brambles’. I wanted to write another book about Rosie, who appears in my first book. Rosie’s the sort who’s always getting mixed up in causes – in this case, trying to stop a beauty spot being destroyed by new housing. I’d just been involved in a similar campaign in my own village, and I thought it would be a good background to a murder mystery.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do quite a lot of writing in Portugal, where I spend my winters.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a literature degree so I was brought up on the classics, but as I’ve grown older I like books to be well written but light and entertaining, so I’ve read a lot of English murders – I like Stephen Booth who writes about where I live – but I also like Sue Grattan. A big influence, though, was reading the serials in ‘Women’s Weekly’ when I visited my grandparents on a Sunday afternoon – they whiled away some dull moments when the adults were talking, and left me with a soft spot for the romantic novel, though these days I can hardly bear to read them! But it did influence me when I wrote my first book, ‘Mind, Body and Rosie’.
What are you working on now?
The next one will be another murder mystery and Rosie will be in it again.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a newcomer. Until now I’ve used a combination of Kindle Select and Facebook – this is the first time I’ve used Awesomegang and I’m hoping to reach new readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be very determined and don’t be put off.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be discouraged by criticism – you can’t please everyone. However bad you feel, do ask yourself if there’s any justice in the criticism – it will help you to be a better writer.
What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading ‘The case of the Poisoned Partridge’ by Diane Janes. This is about an unsolved murder case in the 1930s, and it’s fascinating because of the light it sheds on the crime novels at the time. I always thought writers like Agatha Christie were using a bit of artistic licence, but it turns out detection really was like that at the time.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am just happy to think that my books can pass a few hours enjoyably for some one.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would certainly take one or two of the classics I read as a child and gave me my love of literature – ‘Pride and Prejudice’ ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Wuthering Heights.’ And I also like ‘Dostoevsky’s ‘The Devils.’ I’m fond of A.J.Cronin’s ‘The Citadel’, because it was the first book I read that made me realise a novel didn’t need to be a thriller or a romance – it could just be about life! I also like Dorothy Sayers, and the short stories of Dorothy Whipple. A mixed bag, really.
Author Websites and Profiles
Pauline Wharton Website