Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m old enough to know better, and share a home with two young adults, and three dogs. Outside there’s a parcel of eccentric neighbours and a large and loving family.
My Books:
THE CELTIC COUSINS’ ADVENTURE SERIES:
“A Raucous Time” – perma free on Amazon.com. Book 1 in the CCA. The boys discover an ancient diary, leading to a legendary treasure trove.
“A Ripple in Time” Book 2 in the CCA. The Cousins must turn back time and ensure the Titanic meets her fate, in order to restore our world’s history.
“An Explosive Time” Book 3 in the CCA. DI Crombie of the Metropolitan police is hot on the trial of a disappearing elephant. No surprise that his investigations lead him to the door of the Celtic Cousins, who to his mind, are intent on making a career of being the bane of his life.
“The Griffin Cryer”. Book 1 in The Griffin Rider Chronicles. A teenager discovers she has a most unusual talent when she accidentally summons a griffin, and his rider from another dimension.
“The Griffin’s Boy”. Book 2 in The Griffin Rider Chronicles. In an alternative universe Britain remains an island of mists, populated by Celtic tribes and governed by feudal hierarchy. Evolution has taken a different path and mythical beasts exist. Only noblemen’s sons are recruited into an elite troop known as the Griffin Riders. The best a nameless nobody like Neb can hope for is to become the equivalent of a stable lad.
Various short stories, including Crombie’s Christmas, currently free to download on Smashwords: DI Crombie finds himself spending Christmas in the Italian equivalent of the House of Usher.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Griffin’s Boy”, inspired by – “The Griffin Cryer”. Surprisingly, the mysterious rider from TGC acquired a fan base, in spite of his superior attitude. Readers wanted to know more about him, and how his fate became entwined with the mischievous Balkind. “The Griffin’s Boy” is his story, and is published this Sunday, 15th December.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write the first draft on lavender scented paper. This ensures the story is sweet as from the get-go. My favourite gizmo is my phone. When walking, an idea will suddenly hit, or a particular character’s appearance or dialogue will come together. I snap the voice recorder, and dictate as I’m walking the dogs – so long as no-one else is in ear-shot.
Can you imagine coming across someone seeming to have a phone conversation and saying something like ‘Yes, he killed Benny, chucked the body into the meat grinder, then fed it to the pigs.’
What authors, or books have influenced you?
C S Lewis.
Madeleine L’Engle,
Tennyson
Arthur Quiller Couch
Harper Lee
Dennis Lehane
Stephen Spencer
Kate Atkinson
Diana Norman
Simon Singh
J Heller
What are you working on now?
Book 3, Griffin Riders’ Chronicles.
There’s another DI Crombie in the pipeline too – the fat old copper hasn’t finished having adventures yet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The Awesome Gang of course:)
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Write, write, write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above.
What are you reading now?
Cleaver Square, by Dan and Sean Campbell.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The release of “The Griffin’s Boy” in ebook format. Publication of “An Explosive Time” in paperback.
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?
Definitely Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”
Simon Singh’s “The Code Book” – both these guys have a gift for explaining complicated ideas simply.
Diana Norman’s “The Morning Gift”
T S Eliot’s “Book of Cats”.
Author Websites and Profiles
Julia Hughes Website
Julia Hughes’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account