Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. By day I am a PhD student, researching what motivates people to purchase environmentally friendly products. My new book, The Forgotten Sister, is my first published novel, but hopefully not the last!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Forgotten Sister. It’s an Arthurian fantasy, and it was primarily inspired by my love of the legends. The main character is Elaine, King Arthur’s sister. I chose her for the POV character because I really wanted a female protagonist. Originally, I had chosen Morgan Le Fay, the villain, but I found her too unsympathetic to write. Then I realised Arthur had a third sister no one really ever wrote about, and that was a great opportunity to create an original character.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that are unusual, I hope, but I seem to write best very late a night on my smartphone. Wearing pyjamas seems to help!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me – JK Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Mary Stewart. They all write fantasy and magical novels, and the way they treat those themes are just spectacular. Growing up, I read their books with awe, and always hoped I could write something similar.
What are you working on now?
At the minute, I am working on a Gothic novella entitled Mists Over Newbroke. It’s a Regency, period type thing, about a governess who goes to work in a little coastal town with some strange goings on. I’m hoping to have that released by the end of the summer.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Tumbler, definitely. There’s a very large following there for Arthurian related things.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Something – it can be a chapter of your book or it can just be an email. Your writing is like a chef’s knife, it needs to be kept sharp or it loses its edge. Flash fiction is a great way to go. Little two or three hundred word stories, great for practice.
Proofreaders are your friend. Find a good one, and your writing is set for life.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you want to read. I think it’s the creed all writers should live by. Too many writers are trying to write the next bestseller, without actually trying to write a story. If you write something you would read yourself, your passion and enthusiasm really shines through. It also means you’ll never get bored or blocked writing it.
What are you reading now?
At the minute, I’m on a book-to-move kick. I’m switching back and forth between The Martian and The Revenant.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully a transition to full-time writing. As I said, I hope to have my novella out at the end of the summer, and another novel out this time next year.
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?
Easy one! I would take Sabriel by Garth Nix and Thornyhold by Mary Stewart. I wouldn’t need anymore, though I’d probably take some of the Harry Potters too. The best way to describe those books is to compare them to lakes. You can really dive into them, and they have endless depth. The characters and the worlds, the magic, they all seem so three dimensional. You could play in their worlds forever. If you’re stuck on a desert island, that sort of escapist fiction would be exactly what you would need. Apart from Surviving on Desert Islands for Dummies, that could probably come in handy.
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