Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was sixty-eight when I published my first book. I was caring for my elderly parents so didn’t take my writing too seriously until after they both passed away in 2012. They both lived well into their nineties.
It tore me apart to have to put them in a nursing home for the last two years of their lives, but my husband’s heart wouldn’t have stood the stress of having them at home with us. He had a serious heart attack at the age of forty three but, despite this, we happily celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary last year.
My greatest writing achievements were publishing my first book a couple of years ago, and a second, co-authored book last December.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, co-authored, is ‘Your Last Breath’. It came about quite unexpectedly when another budding writer saw one of my short stories I’d posted on my website.
This writer, Doug Lafuze, was inspired to write the same story from another of my character’s point of view. I was impressed with Doug’s interpretation of my story and felt we might work well together. so I suggested we should co-author a book based on that short story. ‘Your Last Breath’ was the culmination of that enterprise.
We were both surprised that the first draft took only eight weeks to write. Although we had all we needed for the plot, the work was disjointed and repetitive, with us both describing the same scenes from different points of view.
It took another ten months, often working ten to twelve hours a day, to discard much of it and re-write a more cohesive, tighter story. As Doug had a full-time job and I did not, I took on the editing and rewriting, trying to keep as much of Doug’s scenes in as possible.
Looking back, it was no mean feat writing this together as Doug lives in Nebraska ,USA, and I live in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. We’ve never met, but this joint effort was made easier by modern technology which allowed our emails to fly back and forth in the blink of an eye. The other thing that made our particular co-authoring a success, was that our plot enabled our cultural differences to be embraced.
Doug wrote in first person about an American serial killer, Raymond Lang. Fleeing from capture he settled in England. I wrote in third person about all the other English characters and events. The differences in grammar between America and England are deliberately left in as it adds credibility to the characters.
Bouncing our ideas off another writer was a great experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. I feel this book is a perfect example of co-authorship and hope you enjoy it. In five months it has attracted nine reviews, seven of them ‘five stars’.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I don’t think so. I always work out a plot first, making notes of visual descriptions of the characters, as well as their habits or traits, their beliefs, their lifestyle , and anything else I think of.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a lot of Agatha Christie books but there’s no way I could have as many characters as she uses. My books are only similar to hers in the way I use ordinary people experiencing extraordinary, horrific events. I try to be original in my writing rather than emulate another author I admire.
What are you working on now?
I have another stand-alone book on the go about the unfortunate life of an abandoned baby. Her traumatic experiences of various foster homes and her inevitable search to find her birth family. If you read my first book ‘Tissue of Lies’ you’ll know her birth family aren’t all they seem to be.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I place my books on as many promotion websites as possible including my other author friends’ websites, then tweet until I’ve exhausted Twitter and my 3,500 followers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My first advice would be not to spend all your time writing. Build up an audience on your website, on Twitter , on Instagram and anywhere you can be seen by others. You’ll need this audience when you publish.
My second advice would be not to rush to get it published. Make sure it’s as good as it can be. So many of us publish, then continually re-edit it after negative comments. Don’t set a date for publishing. It should be published when it’s right and not before.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Help other authors promote their books instead of constantly bleating, ‘Buy my book!” You’ll get noticed sooner, and others will rush to help you when it’s your turn. The message to buy your book is much stronger when it comes from someone else.
What are you reading now?
I have so many books on my reading list, but I know the next one I want to read is ‘Riddle’ by Elizabeth Horton Newton.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently pushing my co-authored book ‘Your Last Breath’ on a free five day promotion but after that, I intend getting stuck into completing my third book. All this promoting leaves little time for writing.
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 Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
Bleak House, Charles Dickens
1984 George Orwell
One of my own.
Author Websites and Profiles
Carole Parkes Website
Carole Parkes Amazon Profile
Carole Parkes’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account