Interview With Author Christine Pattle
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote my first book when I was ten years old. It wasn’t very long, and it wasn’t very good either. Since then, I’ve had a lot more practice! Not including that first book, I’ve written three thrillers: The Theft, a novella; Secrets Never Die; and The Fraud, which will be published in September. I love writing action-packed books with interesting characters, and great stories that make you want to read on.
When I’m not writing, I’m an accountant, with a passion for horses and cake-making.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Secrets Never Die is my first full-length novel. The inspiration came many years before I wrote it at a student party. Some weird guy started telling me how he was interested in black magic. I love fashion and glamour, so I thought adding a fashion model into the mix would be an interesting mixture.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I discuss tricky plot points with my horse. I guess that’s not normal, is it?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many authors have influenced me. I particularly love Liane Moriarty and Claire Macintosh. My guilty pleasure is Lee Child, although I could never be quite as violent as that in my own books. One book I read last year is Fatal Attraction by Kathy Lockheart. She put in so much emotion and builds up suspense throughout the book. Although it’s a slightly different genre, I learnt things from that which have helped my write my own books.
What are you working on now?
My current work-in-progress is called The Cover-Up. It’s a sequel to The Fraud, featuring the same main character. I’ve planned a whole series. It’s a thriller, set in a pharmaceutical company, which is developing a ground-breaking drug to treat cancer. I’m very excited by it so far.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My author newsletter is brilliant. And, of course, Awesome Gang is fantastic.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write, even if it’s a little at a time. It all adds up. Learn as much as possible about the craft so you can keep improving. And start learning about book marketing much sooner than you think you need to.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Start an author newsletter and build an email list.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just started Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Definitely get the rest of my series written. One of the characters in it is going to get their own spin-off series after that. And I have a million more ideas. I need to learn to write quicker.
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?
That’s a difficult question. I would probably pick Hostage by Claire Macintosh, Fatal Attraction by Kathy Lockheart, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans, and Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I’d also like a book about how to survive on a desert island.