Interview With Author Samantha Mattocks
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Norfolk and apart from three years at university on the gorgeous Yorkshire coast, I have lived here all my life. In 2004, I began The Arabian Magazine, an international publication all about the Arabian horse, and in 2021, I began nourish magazine, a food and drink magazine for East Anglia.
That sums up my passions, really – horses and food. I appeared on MasterChef in 2019, I have my own foodie website, The Delicate Diner, and we have bred Arabian horses for most of my life. Just add in cats and a good book, and you have me in a perfectly-shaped non-pigeon pigeon hole!
I have self-published two books. The first was a collection of poetry, progress, published in 2009. It contains poetry written from teens to early 20s but I matched them with photography taken around the world with The Arabian Magazine. progress sold out within six hours of publishing, and has been reprinted many times and can be found in homes around the world.
Sandstorm is my first novel, and my second published book.
At university, I wrote a collection of short stories, and in my 20s, a couple of novellas – one I keep wondering about publishing. At school, I wrote plays that were performed. I have just always been a writer – it is impossible for me not to.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sandstorm. It is inspired by the magical world I found myself in – travelling around the globe, writing about the Arabian horse. It is a somewhat satirical look at that world – and any equestrian world, to be honest. One reviewer in Dublin said it reminded her of the polo circuit.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still love to write by hand. I think there is something so organic about that, and it always amazes me how people stare at me when I produce a pen and start to fill a page with handwritten words rather than typing them out. I also use music as a tool to tap into my characters and locations.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jilly Cooper! I think any racy book set in the horse world will naturally draw that comparison, but I like to think I have my own voice.
What are you working on now?
Firestorm, the sequel to Sandstorm. I have also written the first in a children’s book series, and am about to start on the second.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still trying to figure that out; I’ll see how Awesome Gang goes and let you know!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Even when you have nothing to write, write. And read – lots.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you love your characters, then other will love them too.
What are you reading now?
World Without End by Ken Follett. I love his writing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Surely, the sky is the limit? I have so much more to write, and so much to share. Whenever I receive a positive review, or kind words about my characters, it inspires me to write more.
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?
Rivals by Jilly Cooper; The Kingsbridge Series by Ken Follett – that counts as one, right? Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and a blank notebook so I can fill it with words.
Author Websites and Profiles
Samantha Mattocks Amazon Profile
Samantha Mattocks’s Social Media Links