Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Writing poetry and making up stories since she was a child, Ann only began to write for publication when her children left home. Her ambition was to write science fiction, but, fascinated by Swansea Castle and distracted by a major stroke she researched local history, an interest that culminated in the publication of her first book Alina, The White Lady of Oystermouth at Easter 2012. Early retirement gave her more time to concentrate on her writing. The sales of over 300 copies of Alina in local shops and museums, and at speaking engagements, led to a second local history book, Broken Reed: The Lords of Gower and King John in September 2013, and then to The Magna Carta Story at Easter 2015. During her stroke recovery she wrote poetry, which she published as My Stroke of Inspiration in August 2015. She is still writing science fiction, a series called Flight of the Kestrel, and the first book Intruders is published on 17 April 2016.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am a great fan of science fiction, particularly the classics, like Azimov. I am also a fan of the older TV science fiction. Star Trek of course, Blake’s 7, and Babylon 5, for example. During my teens, when I was trying to get to sleep at night, I used to make up stories about my favourite shows.
I would imagine myself on the Enterprise with Captain Kirk, for example. How would an ordinary person like me end up on the Enterprise? Was I from a less developed society, so I wasn’t familiar with the technology (saved me from having to make it up)? Was I, perhaps, from a different time all together – got there through some sort of time warp? Was I hiding from someone? Was I a victim of some ‘bad guy’?
As I tossed ideas around in my head, my cares would fade away, and I would relax, and at some point I would fall asleep. The following night I would try to remember where I had got to, and elaborate on it. Sometimes I would work out some more details, sometimes take the story further on. Some nights, I would be inspired to take the story in a completely new direction.
Night after night I would go over the story again and again, until eventually I would tire of it and start a new one. Many years later, when my children were grown, I decided I enjoyed these stories so much that I would write them down. I soon realised that having myself in every story was not a good idea – there are only so many damsels in distress you can take! My first story had a damsel in distress, which I thought was an acceptable place to start, but later stories managed to have other key characters.
Also, it was a huge cheat to use other people’s settings and characters. I didn’t want to write fan fiction, so I invented my own ship and crew. It took me ages – ready-made scenarios are so much easier. Enter the Kestrel, a fast-response ship with a crew of 11, working for PACT (the Planetary Alliance for Cooperation and Trade), a sort of interplanetary United Nations force.
I am writing a series called Flight of the Kestrel, and the first book is Intruders.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but I do type with one hand, since I lost the use of my right arm to a stroke in 2010. But My stroke enabled me to give up work and gave me the time to write, so it was a blessing too. I also take a lot of notes on my phone, using an app that syncs with my laptop.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Isaac Azimov especially, but I love the classic science fiction writers, like Heinlein, E E Doc Smith, Frank Herbert etc. I also love David Baboulene’s book The Story Book which is the best book on writing I have ever read.
What are you working on now?
I already have the start of three more books in the Flight of the Kestrel series, so I’m working on book 2 which is called Adept at the moment, but might be called Secret Weapon. It is a new story about the Kestrel and her crew.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have only had my popular history books to promote, and the best way there was giving talks on local history and selling my books afterwards, but I do need a stock of print books for that, so I have to watch the costs. Science fiction is a whole different thing, so I’m just learning. I do have an author website, a Facebook page for history and one for science fiction, and a Twitter account. I have learned to automate some of the posting to make it much easier to keep them up to date with less effort.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. Write the best book you can.
2. Save up for a professional edit, and find some good beta readers.
3. Get a really good cover design, pay for it if you have to.
4. Never pay for advertising.
5. Self publish.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
David Baboulene says that the plot is about the way the characters respond to events, so plot and character are really the same, and both important.
What are you reading now?
Patty Jansen’s Ambassador books, the Alien Invasion series by Sean Platt and Johnny B Truant and lots of Christian books, like Lost God in a Lost World by Melvin Tinker. I am a voracious reader and read all sorts of books – 56 books last year according to GoodReads.
What’s next for you as a writer?
There is lots more work in my Flight of the Kestrel series, but I am also thinking about writing a Christian book (non fiction) and a book of stroke advice.
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?
The Bible, The Drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the biblical story
by Craig G. Bartholomew, Lord of the Rings, the whole set of Dune if I’m allowed
Author Websites and Profiles
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