Interview With Author Jill Todd
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since I was a child, and finished my first novel (never published) at twenty-one. I had a historical novel published while working full-time, but consigned three more efforts to the loft while juggling work and family commitments with writing. My first thriller, ‘Echo of Bells’, was published in 2016.
Since retiring in 2023, I’ve been able to write full-time. The central characters in my latest thriller, ‘Avalon Sky’, are Kit Pevensey and his wife, Lissa, who first appeared in ‘Echo of Bells’. Kit’s career as a TV historian gave me the idea of letting him front a series about (fictional) cold cases. This will provide the material for a series of books, each focusing on a different case.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest thriller is called ‘Avalon Sky’, partly because it’s set mainly on the Somerset Levels in South-West England. This area is often identified with the mythical Isle, or Vale, of Avalon, a place of healing magic in Arthurian legend.
The association seemed fitting. Kit and Lissa go there for respite as well as to research a village history, following the loss of their first baby.
Although the characters and plot are invented, one aspect of ‘Avalon Sky’ is drawn from real life. Twenty-five years ago, my husband and four friends won a microlight aircraft kit in a competition. The Jabiru took three years to build and my husband still flies it today – although, unlike its fictional twin, ours has never played a part in solving a crime. We hope to keep it that way!
I like to set my stories in atmospheric UK landscapes, so couldn’t resist using Lundy Island – one of my favourite places – for the climax to my story. The island is only ten miles off the coast of North Devon, the county next to Somerset, but seems almost untouched by the modern world. With its poor phone signal, precipitous cliffs and small population (easy for a criminal to avoid potential witnesses!), it provided the perfect location.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before starting to write a new book, I know the main characters, relationships and back-story, but I only plan the first few chapters of actual plot – so I often get stuck, with no clue what will happen next. Sometimes, Kit will do his own thing and get himself (and me) out of a hole, but if that doesn’t work I go for a walk that incorporates a cosy coffee stop. Being away from the house, and the computer, seems to clear my head and allow fresh ideas to surface.
I’m constantly editing and re-editing my manuscripts, to an almost neurotic degree. After a book is published, I’m half afraid to look inside, for fear of seeing a comma that I wish I’d removed, or a paragraph that could have been split to improve the pace.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading adventure novels, ghost stories, historical fiction and Romantic poetry, as well as more Shakespeare than school required. I then became an avid fan of Mary Stewart and Dick Francis – so their books are probably what gave me the urge to write thrillers myself.
Unlike those two writers, however, I tend to include ambiguous hints of the supernatural in my novels. That’s probably a leftover from my teenage obsession with ghosts and dead poets. I pinned sketches of Keats and Byron to my bedroom wall instead of real-life teen idols, so I was probably a closet Goth.
In ‘Avalon Sky’, readers can choose either to believe that my troubled hero is influenced, and sometimes comforted, by the presence of a young woman who died there years earlier – or that he and Lissa are simply staying in a draughty old cottage with creaky floors.
What are you working on now?
I’m well into the first draft of my next novel – working title, ‘Sunken Ground’. This one has Kit teaming up with a retired DCI to investigate the unsolved disappearance of two sisters, for his TV show about cold cases.
Without giving any spoilers, there is also a link to the plot of ‘Avalon Sky’. Readers won’t need to be familiar with that book in order to enjoy the new one, but of course I’ll be very happy if they want to read both.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Until this year (2025), I’d never really looked into the possibilities of websites and social media. With my earlier book, ‘Echo of Bells’, I had foolishly relied on physical sales, occasional signings, and sharing updates with about 30 friends on Facebook. ‘Echo’ therefore had most success as a local interest book, sold in the relevant branch of a national bookshop chain.
For ‘Avalon Sky’, I’m trying to drag myself into the 21st century – and obviously I’m very pleased to have found Awesome Gang! I also did an interview recently for the popular US podcast, ‘The Authors Show’. That should be broadcast in December or January.
I now have a website, as well as new Facebook and Instagram (jilltoddauthor) profiles. Links are below if you’d like to check them out.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day if you can, even if you only have a few minutes to spare. In the past, I’ve fallen into the trap of leaving a story until I had time to give it proper attention – then wasted weeks or even months, trying to rediscover my main character’s voice and remember half-formed plotlines that have evaporated forever.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘How do I know what I think until I see what I say?’
This quote from E M Forster might look like nonsense at first glance, but it’s so true. if you’re staring at a blank page with no idea how to start, just write anything, even if it feels like a pointless exercise. The odds are, a usable idea will be in there somewhere.
What are you reading now?
‘Unburied’ by Heather Critchlow. I discovered this author very recently, when I bought the first book in the series, ‘Unsolved’, at a literary festival. Her protagonist is very relatable and I love the wild Scottish locations. I read it in two days and immediately ordered the sequel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
‘Sunken Ground’ should be ready for publication next summer (2026). After that, I’ll aim to complete a book every year – or eighteen months, when life is hectic.
I also plan to do some signings (UK only) next year. I’ll flag up those and any other events on my website and social media.
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?
‘Once Upon A River’ by Diane Setterfield, a beautifully written historical mystery with a subtle supernatural element.
‘Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain’. A big, fat, lavishly illustrated hardback, published by Reader’s Digest in the 1970s.
‘The Silver Pigs’ by Lyndsey Davies. Her Falco novels are my ‘go-to’ books if I need humour as well as thrills.
‘John Keats’ Collected Poems’ – because maybe I’m still a closet Goth at heart.
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Jill Todd’s Social Media Links
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