Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Scotland, worked in finance in the City of London for many years, and then had a complete change of career on retirement to write. I have (so far) written one original novel, but I have written fanfiction for some years, where the comments I received and friends I’ve made really helped me to improve. I’m grateful to all of them.
I’m currently working on a second original novel as a follow up to my first one.
I have also written a thriller screenplay which was filmed and shown.
When I’m not writing I force myself to the gym, very reluctantly, where I can be found wheezing at the back of the room. I travel a lot, and enjoy it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death in Focus was inspired by years of watching cop shows and similar, and reading every murder mystery I could get my hands on at the local library: from the great Queens of Crime (Christie, Sayers, Marsh, Allingham) to some rather more obscure ones; and more modern writers – at the top of the list, JD Robb.
I had written a fair amount of cop show fanfiction, and one day I thought I’d try to write something with my own characters, not someone else’s.
The murder plot was inspired by my background in both chemistry and finance.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sadly not. I just sit at my laptop and write – and procrastinate.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Everything I’ve read has influenced me one way or another, but the biggest influence has to have been the Queens of Crime for their different, but compelling, styles, and JD Robb’s In Death series, for its keep-turning-the-page pacing.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a second book continuing with the team from Death in Focus. I still write fanfiction, too.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m pretty new at this. I use my Twitter account, and am just waking up to the ways of promoting books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Even if you don’t want to, try to write a little as often as you can. Read everything – different genres, different styles, different authors. I have read everything from Gothic horror to Harlequin romance, classics to pulp fiction, and while I didn’t like some of it, everything expanded my horizons and vocabulary.
Practically – use a good spellchecker and make sure you know your basic grammar! Great plots aren’t much good if you can’t express them well.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Put your manuscript down when you think you’re done, then re-read a week later. It’s amazing how many little errors need to be corrected even with spellcheck.
What are you reading now?
In the last week, I’ve read sci-fi, romance, and mystery novels. (I still read a lot.)
What’s next for you as a writer?
The second book in this series, and then… who knows!
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?
I’d take JD Robb’s Naked in Death, DL Sayers’ Gaudy Night, Lois McMaster Bujold’s Curse of Chalion, and CJ Cherryh’s Foreigner.
But I’d actually really like simply to take my Kindle!
Author Websites and Profiles
SR Garrae Amazon Profile
SR Garrae’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account