Interrogating Anna Faversham

Anna Faversham prefers living in the past with smugglers and highwaymen.

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I write what I’d like to read myself. There’s a quotation with over 12,000 likes on Goodreads and it is “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison.

‘One Dark Night’ fell into my head one sleepless night and I began what has now become an absorbing hobby. I joined an online writing site and I received the discipline of criticism. That soon made me aware that I needed to pay attention to other readers unless I just wanted piles of papers stacked away in a cupboard or a rarely opened laptop folder labelled ‘books I have written’!

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I’m one of those people who is interested in more than my head can carry and therefore I’m not sure I can stick to one genre. I love the idea of time travel. The very thought of being able to go back and see how people really lived appeals, as does the concept of what might have happened if just a few actions were changed. So ‘Hide in Time’ was the second book I wrote but the first I published. I was not very interested in history at school but now I love it.

I reckon that love, in its many forms, drives so much of what goes on in the world so romance is, thus far, my main genre.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I started writing many years ago, long before I seriously thought of publishing a book, and so I have an entire drawer of a big filing cabinet stuffed with folders for such things as plot ideas and characters. If I live and write until I am one hundred, I’ll not be able to use them all.

I remember driving along the shoreline and seeing a huge moon. My husband was doing the driving so I was free to grab a notebook and scribble down a description of one of the most fabulous moons I’ve ever seen. I was writing ‘One Dark Night’ at the time and so the post-it note was plonked into the A4 book I keep for each book and now it appears in the book as “A paper-lace moon, the size of a dinner plate, hung in the pink-flecked eastern sky.” The description doesn’t do it justice.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

Plot bunnies breed so mine are stuffed in a cage at the bottom of whatever I’m writing and occasionally I get around to taking a look at them if I’m wondering how to shape the next chapter. Then the poor leftover bunnies get transferred to that big filing cabinet – just in case!

How much of you is in your characters?

Some of my characters are inspired by real people, often historical characters. I refer to them as the coathangers! I wrap them in colourful coats and then they probably hardly resemble the original person at all. One of the reasons is because bits of me, or the me I would be in certain situations, creep into characters. Not telling you which bits!

Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with?

Fortunately, I’m happy being myself, so that is not a problem and quite frankly, I’m not at all sure I’d like to live in the nineteenth century. But your question about who I would like to be with is going to set me thinking for years to come. My initial answer has to be that I quite like my heroes and my heroines would be good company too. I could more easily answer a question of who I would not like to be with.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

I have so much going on in my life that writing has to be compartmentalised. I’m definitely me when my husband is around otherwise he’d start taking notes for a visit to the doctor.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I enjoy a good crime thriller and a historical crime thriller is often top of the list for me. I had thought that I couldn’t write anything other than romance but the sequel to ‘One Dark Night’ is currently more crime thriller than romance.

I’m not sure I know enough about modern day crime to write in that genre – practical research could prove unwise.

What is on your near horizon?

I’m a third of the way through the first draft of a sequel to ‘One Dark Night’. Then I want to write another time travel story which is sitting patiently waiting. Then I want to write about the… better stop there as I have a long queue. If anyone could donate some time to me, I’d use it for writing.

Where can we find you for more information?

There’s a little bit more info on www.annafaversham.com There’s also a contact page where you can email me.

Interrogating Will Once

This week I get to interview Will Once. I've just discovered his writing (thanks Patti) and am now a big fan.  Who knew zombies could have a gentle side?

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

For me the reader is king.

I see writing as a contract between the reader and the author. The author says: "Cross my palm with silver and give me some of your time, and in return I'll take you on an adventure."

The deal is a success if the reader feels that that their money and time has been well spent. Did they get the adventure they were promised? Was it an emotional roller coaster ride where they were thrilled, scared, elated, saddened?

But in order to tell a good story, the author needs to write about something that he is interested in, or the writing will come across as fake. The best writing has a good deal of passion in it. The author grabs you by the lapels and just has to tell you this story that is boiling inside him. The author might explode if he can't get that story out.

Authors also need to give readers something new, something they haven’t seen or experienced before. And that means that the author has to put a big chunk of themselves into the book. Because the new stuff isn't going to come from anywhere else.

So I try to write stories that excite both me and the reader. And if in doubt, I always default to trying to give the reader what I think they want.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in?

I tend to skip around the genres quite a lot. My first published novel was "Love, Death and Tea" – a comedy fantasy.

I followed that with "Global Domination" – a comedy spy spoof.

Then "Hero" – a comedy science-fiction story about a superhero.

I'm currently working on a non-comedy which is somewhere between fantasy and science fiction.

And the next novel on the list is a cross between science fiction and a political farce.

A common theme for me is exploring the difference between a good character and a villain. All of my books have main characters who aren't quite sure if they are good or bad. A pacifist zombie. A megalomaniac who wants to take over the world because he wants to fix it. A superhero who casually breaks the law while he is fighting crime.

I get bored with cartoon stereotypes of good and bad - the too-good to be true hero and the boo-hiss baddie. I get really excited when the readers don't know whether a character is on the side of the saints or the sinners, and maybe it's a bit of both.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

Nothing so organised! But I do have a head that is stuffed full of ideas, half remembered stories and plans. And at least half a dozen novels on my to do list.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I shoot them. They're very good when pan fried with some shallots and a jus made from red wine and garlic.

Actually, that's not quite true. Plot bunnies can be useful when you are writing comedy. You can take a situation and then make it a little more absurd. Just when the reader thinks it can't get any sillier, you stretch it out a bit more. And then a bit more. Plot bunnies tend to breed more plot bunnies.

I did this in Love, Death and Tea. I started to wonder why only humans turn into zombies. What is the silliest thing I can turn into a zombie? How about a herd of cows?

Having invented a herd of cows, I had to think of something to do with them. So I wrote quite possibly the world's slowest ever car chase. A herd of zombie cows slowly shuffling after a VW camper van which was being pulled by a zombie.

What's the next silly thing that could be zombified? How about birds? Would zombie birds be able to fly? And that became the next challenge to throw at our hero.

Apart from that, I try to keep the plot bunnies under control. I tend to file them away as ideas for a future book.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

There is a little bit of me in all my main characters. I think that's true of most authors.

The character I would most like to be with is Lump. My second book "Global Domination for Beginners" tells the James Bond story from the perspective of the baddie. The main character is the Blofeld style megalomaniac who wants to take over the world. I wanted to make the point that no-one can achieve something massive without the help of their friends.

This meant that I had to surround my main character with supporters, colleagues, co-workers, friends. My main character's best friend from school becomes his personal bodyguard. He is known only as Lump, or when the story gets into top speed, OddLump. He is not very bright, but is very direct and unquestionably loyal. A real friend.

He would be a brilliant person to go to the pub with.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

Sometimes.

The biggest issue for my wife is that she doesn't read the sort of genres that I write. She doesn't like fantasy or science fiction stories.  For her, everything has to be set in the real world, either now or in history. It helps if there is a dashing Mr Darcy climbing out of a lake in a wet shirt.

And that can get a bit tricky because she is also my proof reader … and very good at it, she is too. I'm not just saying that because she will be proof-reading this!

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I don't read as much as I would like. I am trying to balance a day job, my writing and being  a husband and a father. I have a fairly broad tastes when I do get time to read.

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

Probably not enough.

I don't much care for the marketing side of writing. I can't rush up to someone and say "You must read my book! You must! It's brilliant!".

Instead I'm far more likely to be the shy one standing in the corner, coughing politely. What I would really like is for my readers to recommend the books to their friends.

So I don't do anywhere near as much marketing as I should. I focus on just writing the best books I can, and let's see what happens from there.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Enormously grateful.

As a reader I hate spelling mistakes in books. They jar you out of the fictional world. They remind you that these characters aren't real. They were made up by an author sitting at a computer.

As a writer you know that those mistakes do creep in, no matter how hard you try. It is a constant battle to find them and correct them. I love it when someone points out a mistake.

It’s always good to receive feedback. It is by far the best way to learn.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/GR/forums?

When I first came to Goodreads I thought it would be a way to sell my books. I didn't realise it would be such a place to make friends.

I have managed to do some book marketing on Goodreads, but I tend to keep it fairly low key. I don't like it when people ram their books down my throat, and so I won't do that myself.

Now it's mostly about making genuine friends and a lot less about the books.

What is on your near horizon?

I am about a month away from publishing a new novel. Unusually for me, it is not a comedy. It's a serious sci-fi/ fantasy story about a relatively small enclosed world. Around 100,000 people live in a medieval-ish landscape with a domed sky that walls them in. They don't question their world because they have known nothing else.

This world is governed by strict laws. The population can never exceed 100,000. The inhabitants are not allowed to go out at night or to travel to other parts of the world. They are not even allowed to be curious or to read and write.

Kori is a young girl with innate powers to know the truth. She senses that the world is starting to go wrong. She challenges the laws, but doesn't know whether she is making things better or worse.

If all goes to plan, this book should be published in March as the first of a series. It's currently written and is being edited and tested with a couple of utterly wonderful beta readers.

Where can we find you for more information?

Probably the best place is my blog:  Willonce.wordpress.com

Amazon author page Will-Once

Interrogating Matthew Drzymala

Next up is the man who discovered the little village of Bumpkinton.

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I have to be honest and say of the work I have released thusfar, I have written them for myself. Brainstorm, a short story about a clinical psychologist whose life is falling apart was written in a creative writing class I took in 2012/13. The main set piece was written in that class and I expanded it after I left. I wrote it solely for myself.

My Bumpkinton stories are again a product of that course and I write them for myself also. I have had a number of people asking me to write more about Amelia Goose. However, for me, she is a character purely there to irritate. Bittersweet, the first Bumpkinton novella had her as a main lead, but her elongated words can be grating and to base a lot of stories around her, for me, would be something I would get tired of.

However, saying that, I am currently working on a set of children's stories. I have definitely had to tailor those for the younger audience. Those are purely aimed at children and not myself. I find myself changing words to make sure I don't alienate a younger audience. I try to take the Roald Dahl and Harry Potter approach with those stories. It's best to write them so they don't talk down to children. Children are intelligent and there's no point patronising them. I have had to change some things they wouldn’t understand and describe more, but they are written in a way that an adult would enjoy too.

It's finding the right balance, so so far that is the only piece of work I've made compromises on.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I write mostly humorous fiction. I like to think I have a good sense of humour. Bumpkinton, for instance, is very light and can be read by anybody. There's no bad language and they are an easy read. Sometimes after I've read a heavy book, I like to then read something that's a bit fluffy and daft to rest my brain. I hope that people find this in my Bumpkinton Tales.

They are the least stressful pieces I've worked on either published or still in rough draft and I just find humorous fiction enjoyable to write. It's always interesting to see how people react. A one-liner I think is brilliant may not hit a note with some readers, where a weaker one-liner I've had feedback saying they 'loved that line'. Every reader is different and I enjoy hearing what people like and don't like.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I have a number of notebooks with random ideas scribbled into them. Mostly it's the start of stories and the odd bit of dialogue.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

In my Bumpkinton Tales series, I would say I am most like Father Whitworth O'Grady. He gets vexed quite easily, tries to be a good person and always does what he thinks is best. However, you know at some point something will go wrong when his plans seemingly look straight forward. Story of my life, really haha

I'd like to have a pint with him. I'd find him hilarious.

In Brainstorm, Michael Eriksson, is very much the me of my early 20's (even though he's much older in the story). He's suffering from depression and struggling to cope. That is a story very personal to me, not only with what Michael is going through but the psychologist session is very much what I went through. The coping techniques with his patients are what I had to do to help with my problems. The issues are changed so as not to bare all that I was going through, but the sessions are very much personal to me.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

I wish I had the time, actually, that sounds wrong. I don't write nearly as much as I wish I could. I have a number of other interests and they all fight for my time. I mostly write at weekends and the odd time during the week. Holding down a full time job as well as watching brilliant TV series and spending time with my partner, Elaine, means I don't neglect her for the sake of writing.

Maybe one day I'll write a lot more than I do, but I love spending time with Elaine and that is my first love before my writing.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I like to read Terry Pratchett's discworld novels, Sherlock Holmes and Jo Nesbo. To be honest, I'll give most things a go. I think I prefer reading thrillers if I had to choose. I take my hat off to anybody who can write so many plot twists. I have a thriller in mind, but I'm still working on how to throw in red herrings without babbling on. I'm sure I'll get there one day. 

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Annoyed at myself! However, I quickly resolve it and upload a new copy.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/GR/forums?

KUF really is the friendliest forum I have ever know. I know of nowhere else where so many people are so supportive. People can be so cut throat in this world and begrudge success, but when you see an indie either sell well or get a publisher everybody is right behind them. 

I don't frequent GR as much as I should. I try to when I can and find people are supportive but I find it hard to get noticed on there.

What is on your near horizon?

I have a Bumpkinton short story out on 12th December 2014 called Albert's Christmas. The novellas Bittersweet and The Bachelor are the main Bumpkinton stories, but I like to throw in a festive extra, hence this years release and 2013's Last Christmas.

I'm also working on next years Bumpkinton novella. I am hoping I can make it into a full length novel, but we'll see. I'll know better by around April how long it can be and if I have the story to last a novel.

As stated earlier, I'm also working on a set of children's stories. At time of writing I have written one around 10,000 words long and plan to do another four around the same length. They are all based around the same character. He's a character I used for NaNoWriMo in 2011 but the novel, so far, just doesn't sit right with me. So, in the meantime, I've decided to make him a few years younger and write some background that I think will then help me smooth out the novel.

Where can we find you for more information?

You can read more about me at the below links:

Website: www.matthewdrzymala.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com.mattdrzymalaauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mattdauthor

I am also running a launch day on Facebook for my short story, Albert's Christmas. I will be giving away a number of prizes including Bumpkinton pens, Amazon gift cards and signed books by fellow indie authors. People can join or be invited at the below link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1498307030419374/

Interrogating Mads Sorensen

Here's Mads Sorensen

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I write because I want people to read what I write, the more the better. While I don't write something my heart isn't in, I endeavour to write stories I would like to read when, say, relaxing on a train journey rather than something I would like to write. But I've never been one for the deep, dark, painful stuff (a bit odd, I know, hailing from Scandinavia), so there usually isn't a conflict.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

My chosen genres of thrillers and sci-fi provide plenty of opportunities for action, and yet, I'm not much of an all-out action person in my tastes of films and books. I'm more interested in exploring the limits of individual human ability and endurance. With a few exceptions, my characters are what you could call normal people, who are hurled into abnormal situations they have to get out of, not only for themselves but mankind to survive.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I do write things like that down, but apart from ideas for future stories, I don't have any systematic way of storing such information, though I probably ought to.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I don't think I have many of those, or rather, I don't recognise them as such at the time. Even though I'm better at planning than I used to be, my stories keep going off the rails and into cul-de-sacs. It's infuriating and part of the reason they take so long to write. On the positive side, it's a way of exploring possibilities I otherwise wouldn't have thought of, but in a manner resembling the trial-and-error tree of evolution rather than a deliberate, systematic approach.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

There isn't a lot of me, or anyone else I know, in my main characters, though I sometimes use a real person as a template for a minor character. I wouldn't mind spending some time with Sid, the contract killer turned saviour from 15000 Feet Below. She seems fun to be with, as long as you are not on her hit list. And I kind of fell in love with her as I wrote the story.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

Better not go there.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I read quite widely, including the genres I write in. I like literary fiction, too, even though I've never felt compelled to write a literary novel.

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

The cover and blurb are the first things prospective readers see, so that's where I put in the effort. I have yet to hear of anyone buying a book because the writer told them it was great. It has to come from readers. But the best way to promote a book is probably to write another.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Unless there are a lot, I don't feel much. I just correct them. I've stopped wondering why I can't get every word right. I just accept it.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/GR/forums?

The sense of community, sharing the joy and suffering of writing and reading.

What is on your near horizon?

The second book in a trilogy as yet without a name. It follows the characters from Echoes of The Kin in their bid to escape from the serfs. And who knows, perhaps they aren't the only humans left on Earth after all.

Where can we find you for more information?

On my website, madssorensen.com, though I have been neglecting it a bit lately. I plan an overhaul of the site when I get some time early in the new year.

Interrogating D.D. Chant

Meet the gorgeous DD who doesn't like to have favourites, she just loves everyone.

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I think that it’s really important for an author to write the sort of stories that they themselves would want to read. For me when I’m writing a story I’m excited to see were the plot is going to go, how the characters are going to grow and change throughout the story.

Hopefully anyone that reads my books can see my enthusiasm for my stories coming through and that it gives them extra enjoyment.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

King Soloman said that there was ‘nothing new under the sun’.

I think that’s the thing that I love most when I’m writing; the fact that, at its root, every problem and desire, every mistake, has been made a thousand times over. Nothing is new; the problems and dilemmas we face now are the same humans have always faced, they’re just wrapped differently. I find that intriguing.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I tend to keep a lot of ideas on the ‘notes’ of my iphone! Often I’m not in the house, or I haven’t a pen to hand, when I have an idea. So it all gets written into my phone.

Sometimes I’ll have a scene, or a plot twist, for months before I find a book to use it in!

I also have word.docs on my computer with synopses of books as yet unwritten!

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I stick ‘em in a word.doc on my computer. A high percentage of them get used in other books or further along in the story.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

It’s hard to answer this one.

Creating characters is difficult, your goodies have to be people that readers can respect but at the same time they have to challenge their idea of what ‘good’ is.

It’s one of the things that I really enjoy exploring when I’m writing the characters in my books: is this action by my hero only acceptable to me because he’s the hero? If the villain had done the same thing would I have condemned him as evil?

Tom in my Broken City series is very kind and gentle toward his family and the heroine, but at the same time he’s a soldier. He has killed people. He’s taken lives to protect the people he loves, regardless of the fact that the people that he has killed have loved ones too. Can he still be called a hero?

Kai in my Chronicles of Discord series has been brought up to put the good of the many over the good of the few. Yet is it always right to do so? He says that difficult decisions have to be made and he needs to be strong enough to make them. Yet isn’t that just an excuse for inhumane behaviour? Can he still be called a hero?

Leofric in my Lady Quill Chronicles series points out that he and his foster brothers are no different to the mercenaries they are chasing. They make war and plunder other peoples lands. Just because they are protecting their kingdom and their king, does that really make them any better? Can they still be called heroes?

I can’t really pick a favourite to be or be with.

I love Daegmund’s irreverence and the fact that he has his own moral code and doesn’t care if people agree with him.

I love Leofric’s determination to hide his own worries from his friends and not be a burden on them. He refuses to indulge in self-pity.

I love Shin’s fairness, his desire to do the right thing and his willingness to stand by his friends no matter what the cost.

I love Kai’s reasonableness, the fact that he can be calm and hold his temper in check no matter what the provocation.  His unwillingness to give in to his own loneliness.

I love Tom’s willingness to protect those who are weak and his love of his family.

I love Ryder’s loyalty to his brother.

I love Deeta’s innocence, Astra’s strength, Adele’s understanding and Esme’s open nature.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

I’m not married, in my case it’s my mum and sister. Apparently they haven’t seen me in two or three years…

They always know what kind of scene I’ve been writing because (so they say) I take on the mood of the bit I’m working on!!!

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I read anything with adventure and mystery to it, I also like a bit of romance but not a book that is *only* about romance. Thrillers, suspense, historical, dystopian… I’ll read everything but horror.

What lengths do you go to, to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

I usually bribe prospective readers with brownies and fluffy pillows!

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Thankful!

I have my books professionally proofread, but errors always creep in.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/GR/forums?

I love finding new authors and talking about books, bacon and chocolate! The online community of readers has been very welcoming to me and I’m very grateful to them!

What is on your near horizon?

I’ve just released Claire and the Big Bad Bunny, book three in my Claire series of short stories.

And later on in the month I’ll be releasing the 2^nd book in my Chronicles of Discord series.

I’m also working on Broken City 3!

Where can we find you for more information?

My Blog  http://ddchant.blogspot.co.uk/

My Goodreads page  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5200308.D_D_Chant

My facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002546605234

My twitter page  https://twitter.com/DD_Chant

Interrogating Barbara Silkstone

Here is Barbara Silkstone who lives in a slightly parallel universe

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I can only write what makes me happy. If I break out in giggles while writing, then I know I have hit a sweet spot that will make my fans laugh. For me writing is all about sharing my joy with others. I couldn’t bear the thought of causing my readers nightmares, suspense and thrills, yes. When I first started writing I took workshops with Stephen King and PD James. Back then I loved the idea of “putting worms down readers’ shirts” and watching them squirm in terror – not the worms, the readers. But as our world grew more hostile, I felt it would be kinder to spread giggles and not wiggles. I am, by nature, a kind person.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I write comedy mysteries and comedy adventures. In my imagination I am always writing for John Cleese, Cameron Diaz, and Debra Messing. I love creating heroines who despite having the best of intentions, cannot help but become involved with the barmiest villains. I like to think my stories would amuse Oscar Wilde and Lewis Carroll. 

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I am forever jotting down ideas and throwing them into a large plastic box. I once dated a Brit with a very upper-crust accent, purely for his witticisms. I was forever jotting down his Pythonesque expressions. Once my little notebook was full I ended the relationship. Besides he turned out to be a notorious international conman.

Often my ideas come flying in the window much like Harry Potter’s owl. They swoop low and drop a plopping good idea on my head.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

Plot bunnies are the parents of sequels. What does not fit it Book One might make a dandy adventure in Book Four.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

Alice in The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters is the closest to the real me. A terminal anglophile, she is gullible, good-hearted, and plots a wicked revenge.

Wendy Darlin - Tomb Raider and I often hang out together. She’s a Miami real estate broker who supplements her income by returning stolen antiquities. What she lacks in physical coordination, she makes up for in sheer determination.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

I am the opposite of a hoarder. I throw out anything I haven’t used in three months. That is what happened to my last husband. I now enjoy blessed peace and quiet as a singleton.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I love British comedy mysteries. I’m a big fan of Helen Smith’s books. I adore Elmore Leonard’s novels for their terse dialogue. Any book where I can imagine John Cleese as a main character is great fun. I recently re-discovered Pride and Prejudice. Cleese is a bit long in the tooth to be Darcy, but Colin Firth is a perfect substitute.

What lengths do you go to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

My humour either hits the reader straight off or goes over their heads. Humour is subjective. It’s like trying to convince someone to “get” Monty Python.  

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Typos are like fleas on a dog. They can happen to the best of hounds. I am blessed with a number of beta readers, a terrific scene editor, and a final editor. Admittedly crossing from Yank to Brit does cause some comments. My latest bug-a-boo is the word noddle. Noddle is not noodle. Noddle is a British word for head. Noodle is the American version.

What is on your near horizon?

I have happily entered the world of Pride and Prejudice variations. I love Jane Austen’s subtle humour and gentle sarcasm. I have just released my second book in my Mister Darcy series by Barbara Silkstone. I plan five books in the series, a contemporary spin on Austen’s timeless characters from Pride and Prejudice. Mister Darcy is a man of mystery. Dog psychologist Lizzie Bennet dreams of someday treating the corgis in Buckingham Palace.

I enjoy the delicious anticipation of the culmination of their relationship. It is the journey and not the destination that provides the fun.

Where can we find you for more information?

Barbara Silkstone is the best-selling author of the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider series that includes: Wendy and the Lost Boys, London Broil, Cairo Caper, Miami Mummies, Vulgarian Vamp, Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider Boxed Set. Her Romantic Suspense Fairy Tales series includes: The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters; Wendy and the Lost Boys; Zo White and the Seven Morphs. For a squirt of paranormal comedy try: Cold Case Morphs. True fiction fan? Try: The Adventures of a Love Investigator.

Pride and Prejudice contemporary variations:

Mister Darcy’s Dogs

amazon.com  :  amazon.co.uk

Mister Darcy’s Christmas

amazon.com  :  amazon.co.uk

Silkstone’s writing has been described as “perfectly paced and pitched – shades of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen – without seeming remotely derivative. Fast moving action that shoots from the hip with bullet-proof characterization.”

All books are available on Audible.com

Barbara Silkstone’s Amazon Author’s page

http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Silkstone/e/B0047L8A8W

Blog:

http://barbswire-ebooksandmore.blogspot.com