family histories Archives - Page 16 of 33 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Interview with author, Cheryl Hollon (part 2)

Q. Do you have a new book coming out soon? If so tell us about it.

CH. The next book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries, ETCHED IN TEARS, releases on November 28, 2017. It’s available for pre-order now. Here’s the back-cover copy:

When a famous glass artist is found murdered at his own exhibit, deadly secrets are put on display, and it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb to

see through a killer’s cover. . . Celebrated glass artist Dennis Lansing is returning to St. Petersburg, Florida, for an exhibit at the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum. His unique style of embedding document images in his art is at the vanguard of contemporary glass-work. But as Savannah’s first boyfriend and a former apprentice to her father, Dennis’s return home has her reflecting on the past–a trip down memory lane that takes a dark turn when Dennis is found murdered at the museum with an old reference letter from her father in his pocket. A search through her father’s records sheds new light on Dennis’s history, but it seems his present life wasn’t so transparent either. Now, with a gallery of suspects to consider, it’s up to Savannah to figure out who fits the mold of a murderer.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

CH. The first step I took to establish writing as my new career was in April of 2005. I attended the Malice Domestic Conference. It is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. I found my tribe! The authors were friendly, sociable, and helpful to aspiring writers. I never looked back from that conference.

Q. How long after that were you published?

CH. My first book was released in September of 2015. A mere decade was all it took from my first writing attempts to holding my first book in my hands. I’m now on my second contract with Kensington Books and that means that there will be at least six books in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery Series.

Q. What makes a writer great?

CH. A great writer provides a great reading experience. I continuously aim to improve my writing skills by taking classes, workshops, and participating in critique groups.

Q. ……and the all important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?

CH. The first thing I decide is where the body will be found, who will find it and what is the cause of death. After that, I begin sketching out the main events that eventually expands into a synopsis of about 12-14 single-spaced pages. This gets submitted to my publisher as part of my contract. Next, I break up the synopsis into a scene-by-scene outline that I document in an Excel spreadsheet. Each scene is a chapter in my manuscript, so I spend some time noting the time that will pass, the location of the scene and the point of view character for each chapter.

At this point, I am usually itching to start the first draft. From this point on, I update the spreadsheet as I go. Even though I am a confirmed outliner, I leave creative room while I’m writing to take advantage of those flashes of inspiration that occur while I’m laying down that first draft. After I type ‘THE END’ and enjoy a glass of bubbly, I immediately start a revision pass from the notes I written during the first draft. Then I share the beginning chapters with my in-person critique group and start another round of revisions. Then I send the manuscript to my literary agent as well as an independent editor for a development edit.

When I’ve received their comments, I revise for at least three more passes and then it goes to my editor at Kensington. She will also have great suggestions for making the story stronger and I incorporate them. The next step is to work with a copy editor to make sure that there are no technical errors or plot inconsistencies. I’m forever leaving someone in the next room and then they magically appear in a conversation. The last step is when I received the hard copy galley images for a final check. This is where I use a ruler to check every single line of print in the book. There’s no turning back after that – in a few months I’ll be holding it in my hands.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

CH. The Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries are set in St. Petersburg, Florida. I’ve lived here since 1975 and am considered nearly-native. The arts are a big part of the culture of this city as well as outdoor cafés and magnificent museums. Many residents live, work and entertain themselves by walking the charming streets of the waterfront downtown area. I’ve also been working in the glass arts with my husband for over twenty years. He’s the craftsman. I am the designer. We have a small glass studio in a building behind our house. I have a workbench of my own for my jewelry making efforts. I’m also in the middle of creating a lampshade. These skills are the basis of my character’s teaching efforts in her shop.

Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?

CH. I’m working on a proposal for a historical novel series. In 1954, Harriet Buchanan graduates with a PhD in Physics from Georgia Tech. However, the only job she can get in her hometown of Marietta, GA is secretary for the Simulator Training department at Global Aircraft Corporation. She doesn’t merely type technical reports – she understands and corrects them. Christine uncovers a fatal flaw in an engine algorithm, but her boss doesn’t believe her. She pairs up with test pilot Andy Anderson to prove her theory to prevent a crash of the C-130 aircraft on its first flight. Hopefully, the series will find a publishing home soon – I can’t wait to write about Harriet’s challenges.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

CH. You can reach me at my website: www.cherylhollon.com also on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cherylhollonwriter

The best writing advice I’ve ever been given: Finish the book!

Did you miss Part 1 of this Interview?
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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Echoes in Death by JD Robb ~ A Review

5 out of 5 quills ~~ A Review

JD Robb, aka Nora Roberts, has been pumping out this series since 1995 and Echoes in Death is the latest in a long line of excellently crafted murder mysteries. When I began reading this series (22 years ago) with book #1, Naked in Death, the futuristic setting seemed far, far away. Today the vertical capability of vehicles, the stun guns, the ‘autochefs’ in her stories don’t seem very far fetched. While entertaining it never gets in the way of a solid cop versus killer story.

NYPD Lieutenant Eve Dallas, a veteran murder cop, and her billionaire husband, Roarke, stumble upon a naked, dazed woman wandering incoherently down a Manhattan street. After identifying her Dallas soon discovers her husband has fared much worse. A pattern soon evolves when similar cases begin to pop up. But what could connect these bizarre cases?

Most people know I’m all about the writing! I’m not fond of ‘spoilers’ (when reading or reviewing) and am very careful not to give my readers cliff notes on the whole story. Fans of JD Robb already know that this book will be just the latest in a saga of solid mysteries. Set in New York City, and woven with great characters that fill Dallas’ life and job, it’s a foregone conclusion that Echoes in Death is more like the ‘next chapter’ of the ‘.…in Death‘ BIG book. No question readers will find the plot intricate, the characters fascinating and growing with each book, and the story compelling. Each book/story stands alone but you must consider, after reading “Echoes…”, to start at the beginning. Highly recommended I give it five quills!

Here’s a bit of trivia for you: 27 Nora Roberts/JD Robb books have sold every minute of every day. We writers of lesser fame (tongue in cheek) can only dream of this kind of popularity. But it’s well deserved; this author has honed her craft to a razor sharp tool, especially for the “....in Death” series.

To purchase click here

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss? July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August Cheryl Hollon. September’s author will be Dylan Callens and October, Donna Kauffman.

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Think, Dog, Think! Guest Blogger (part 2)

(Continued. Part 2) A man and his canine partners.

……It was great no matter what job I was doing. Who or what I was keeping safe, it was always about working with my canine friends and training them to protect me. When your best friend is also your protector and your rock you develop quite a bond, and this book is my tribute to them, my homage if you will, to Hooch and the friends that led me to him. I found that writing with emotion is not the best way to structure a book but a great way to get it all down. It was a fulfilling process for me and my finished book was then circulated to friends and family. The feedback was the structure wasn’t great. So I then took up the challenge to edit and rewrite, structuring my emotion so readers could follow the story properly.

Once finished it took me eight months to send to the publisher. It was probably the hardest thing I had to do was to actually decide to send it, I started this journey with one goal. I wanted one copy of a book I had written on my bookshelf. That was all. The decision to publish was a hard one as it was never about money or success and in my head it was never really to be public. In a book like this you bare your soul to explain the feelings you have and the circumstances you are in. It was my family that convinced me, success or not it is an achievement that I am proud of. I really hope you enjoy it.

‘Poleybear’ (as seen in photo on right) Polar was a stray all of his life. As you can see from his coat he was a big fluffy German Shepard.

He inherited the name Polar, but my children started calling him Poleybear because he was like a teddy bear and lovely to cuddle for those that he would allow to cuddle him. I write a lot about him in the book because he was my biggest regret. He died as we were beginning to make headway with him and his issues. He was the tender age of three when he had to go. He had not developed well due to his lack of shelter and nutrition growing up and it was just too much for him.

Excerpt: “I balanced myself and as the baiter walked closer he crossed the boundary. Hooch reacted. His hackles came up, he started pulling harder, begging to be set free. His growling started, deep in his throat at first, a guttural warning. His mouth opened slightly just enough to let the sound out. “Watch him” I whispered in a sharp tone and the sound erupted from Hooch’s mouth. A deep powerful bark, he raised his lips to show his gleaming white K9’s to prove he was serious. Spittle came from his mouth and he started bouncing on his front feet which exaggerated his look of impatience. Every couple of barks he would throw me a look imploring me to let him go so he could do his job. The baiter gave me the signal by raising his arm, I waited for Hooch to shimmy back and knew he was on the cusp of surging forward. I unclipped his lead so he could follow through with his momentum. He surged forward. It was times like this I couldn’t help the smile on my face. Three or four years ago I couldn’t have done this and neither could Hooch.”

To Purchase:
Paperback book – UK
Paperback book – USA

E-books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/

Did you miss part I of this wonderful post? Click here
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

An Interview with Mystery Series Author ~Cheryl Hollon

TS. Cheryl Hollon writes a charming series entitled Webb’s Glass Shop mysteries. I particularly like her well-developed characters. Let’s follow her around in her writing processes in this entertaining interview.

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? (please provid

e a photo/s of your shed, room, closet, barn….) Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.

CH. I have a little writing shack behind the house. It’s an ordinary wooden storage shed that used to contain husband’s woodworking tools. He sacrificed that to my writing addiction by emptying it out, painting the inside white, and installing a lot of shelfs. Since we live in St. Petersburg, Florida, he also installed a small window air conditioner. It looks out over the bird feeder and is shaded by an old oak tree.

Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

CH. I have a well-established and reliable morning routine that gets me writing every day. My alarm goes off at 6:30 am and I get dressed, grab coffee, then walk out to my writing shed. I power up my laptop to post a Facebook comment by 7:00 am to a group of writers who start their day with a sprint. This focusing technique is hosted by Ramona DeFelice Long. In short, we each sign in and then write for an hour with no interruptions. She puts up the Sprint Thread every morning. It’s a way to get those fingers moving and ensures that I have accomplished a good bit of my writing target for the day.

Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?

CH. I spent a few years as a card-carrying Boy Scout Leader. First as a Den Mother, then as a Committee Chairman, and finally as a member of the Training Council. My husband was and still is basically allergic to nature, so I stepped up in his place when our two boys wanted to join the local troop. It was a terrific experience – I received the best leadership skills training I’ve ever experienced. It was simple, direct and actionable.

Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?

CH. In the early morning, the words just fly from my fingers onto the page like eager ducklings. After that, if I haven’t met my word target, I must hunt those words down, grab them by the scruff of the neck, then stab them to the page. I really try to finish my new words before eleven in the morning.

Q.What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

CH. I’m getting to be an expert in confronting and defeating procrastination. In fact, I’ll be presenting a workshop on that topic at SleuthFest 2018. I basically trick myself into working for little rewards during my writing sessions. One of my tricks is to use an hourglass to write for a continuous thirty minutes with no breaks for e-mail, social media or any breaks at all. I also line up a series of rewards for successfully achieving the sprint. The rewards are a combination of candy treats, on-line crossword puzzles, social media time and reading intervals.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

CH. When I have a need for a new character, a waiter for example, I’ll take several distinctive features from recent restaurant experiences and Frankenstein them together into one person. To make that character come alive, I free-write dialogue to discover their personality in how they use language. It’s a method that works for me – your mileage may vary.

Q. What first inspired you to write your stories?

CH. In my previous career as a project engineer and program manager for foreign military sales of flight simulators, there were many long-haul flights to Singapore, Taiwan and even India. I started scribbling ideas then as well as during the several months the team was on site for delivery and acceptance testing. Taking advantage of a corporate downsizing incentive, I left to write full time and haven’t regretted it for a second.

Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?

CH. The situation comes to me first. Since I write for a series, the characters are already known. First, I pick the site for the discovery of the victim. Then I concentrate on how someone could be driven to make a violent fatal choice as a reaction to difficult circumstances.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

CH. I get completely immersed in my writing world. I’m a visual writer and play the scenes in my head as if I’m watching a movie. I’ve also been told that my writing is heavy in dialogue. I like that – that’s how I hear what my characters are feeling and what they’re thinking about doing next.

Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?

CH. My muse is Lujoye Barnes who lives in a woodland cottage near Gainesville, Florida. We have been friends for more years than I care to count. We have always shared a love of books and especially mysteries. When I get stuck in a plot, I always ask myself, “What would Joye like to see happen next?” It works every time. She has been my number one inspiration since I first confessed to her that I would like to write.

Join us for Part II of this fascinating Interview on Aug. 25th
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months?

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Think Dog Think by James Offord (Guest Blogger)

TS. Those who know this blogger well know that I LOVE dogs! I rescue and adopt older dogs (only) as they have little chance of finding a fur-ever home. When this ‘guest blog’ opportunity came up, I jumped on it. What a wonderful and fascinating story!

Why “Think dog think”? by James Offord

This is my first ever blog, sat here with a cold one contemplating how to express myself in the alien world of the blog. To write a piece to explain enough to peak your interest but vague enough so you feel compelled to read my book. It came about from an enjoyment of working with dogs and I always wanted to write a book.

I was asked to do a presentation for work and I realised that the subject I know most about and talk most about was Hooch and my career as a Security Dog Handler and how the training and behaviours resembled our own. I have been asked many questions about Hooch and I realised that people would like to hear about our adventures.

So I put pen to paper to write the presentation. My love for dogs ignited a presentation but I was thoroughly enjoying writing the book. It became a very cleansing process for me, talking about my adventures and my grief became a way of processing memories.

I was lucky enough to have worked for some quite remarkable people, from Russian billionaires to well-known celebrities. The roles I had were interesting and varied. It came with highs of working on hundred acre golf courses to securing drying cement for a local council constructing a park. I worked Sikh festivals, Lord Mayor shows, secured an event for the Chinese ambassador and the Duke of York. I even looked after a statue of an Anchor once for a gentleman that I never met or even saw.

To Purchase:
Paperback book – UK
Paperback book – USA

E-books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/

“All of my dogs have been rescues, it is great work. In fact a friend of mine runs a rescue SSDR (Saint Sled Dog Rescue) Huskies and Malamutes and it is a thankless task. My dream would be if my book takes off to offer a percentage to them because they are always struggling.” ~~ JO
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On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service ~~ A Review

5 out of 5 quills
A REVIEW ~~ On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service

Delicious! House parties full of the aristocracy just as war rumblings begin again in Europe. Rhys Bowen’s series, A Royal Spyness Mystery delivers once again as Lady Georgiana is roped in by Her Majesty Queen Mary (Elizabeth’s mother) to spy on her son, the Prince of Wales and his oh-so-notorious lover, Wallis Simpson.

It seems that Darcy is always saying goodbye to our royal ‘Georgie’. Something always thwarts our lovers and separates them. Will they ever marry? In this very fine tale, Georgie is off to Italy and Darcy is called back to his mysterious job with the English government.

It’s a good story but if the writing falls short, it diminishes the storytelling. Rhys Bowen is a wonderful writer and one of my favorites. Her writing is crisp and her characters fully developed. The reader is fully engaged. While this is a series and I always tell my readers to begin at the beginning (for a fuller experience) all of Rhys’ stories stand on their own.

I give this book my highest rating and recommend it to you!

To Purchase click here

Did you miss my Interview with Rhys Bowen?
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The Tea Planter’s Daughter ~~ A Review

A REVIEW 5 out of 5 quills The Tea Planter’s Daughter

As I said in the introduction of my Interview with this talented writer, it’s as if she hand picks each word as she writes. Elegantly written prose, she scrapes the words down to their most beautiful meaning. She knows her characters and locations and wears them like a second skin. Janet Macleod Trotter is a meticulous researcher so before she ever begins writing a story she researches…for months. The result is great story-telling.

This book takes us to India and submerges us in the sights, sounds, smells, and history of the country. Mysterious, passionate, and spiritual.
Two sisters live an idyllic life on their father’s tea plantation until tragedy strikes. They are unceremoniously ripped from their beloved land and end up in the streets of Tyneside, England. A rough, industrial town steeped in poverty. The reader, fascinated by their life in south Asia, has settled in their chair expecting more of this exotic place. But, like the sisters, are ripped away, landing in the stinking, rainy streets of a town in England that doesn’t care if they survive or not.

Yes, this is a good story; I loved every minute of it. But what makes a good story? Great writing! Janet has such a flare, has such great instincts and weaves love, tragedy, adventure, and passion into her stories. I highly recommended this author and this book!

Where to buy it, click here.

Click here to read my interview with this author
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon. September: Dylan Callens

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!
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Interview with Janet Macleod Trotter (conclusion)

Q. What makes a writer great?

JT. I think that’s very subjective –we don’t all like the same books. But I suppose the writers I admire most are the ones who create a world so vivid that you remember the characters and places long afterwards – they can change the way you see the world. Books that have done this for me that spring to mind are, The Great Gatsby (Scott Fitzgerald), Passage to India (E.M. Forster), Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) and The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver).

Q. and the all important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?

JT. This can vary! I usually do about 6 months of research and gathering material before mapping out a storyline. Then I write a synopsis so I know where the story is going and how it will be resolved. This isn’t always strictly followed but it’s the blue-print for building the story, allowing for variations along the way. I write character profiles which are added to as I write the novel (these are really important when writing a series as I record their physical features, dates of significant events, relationships etc. that can be referred to when writing the follow-on books).

It takes about another 6 months to write the novel. My technique is to edit as I go along. Each day I begin by going over what I have written the day before and re-write it, before moving on to the next scene. When it’s all written, I’ll put it aside for a week or so and then go back to it and re-edit the whole manuscript. After this it will go to an editor and be given further edits as well as being copy edited and proofread. I make sure this happens for my independently published novels too – everything must be professionally done.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

JT. I hope it has enriched my writing. As a writer you may not use actual incidents from your own life but you certainly use your own emotional response to make a novel realistic. How else can you feel your way into the inner life of your characters? More directly, I have used the experience of my younger self going on the overland trail to India. I used the diary I kept as an 18-year-old for the background to my mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH. I was writing it 30 years after the event so wanted the setting to be authentic – I certainly wouldn’t have remembered half of it without the prompt of my diary!

The one big traumatic event that I did use in an early novel was my experience of a stillborn baby. I did so partly as therapy for me and partly to make others aware of how deeply it can affect people. At the time, 30 years ago, society tended not to acknowledge such losses or encourage bereft parents to talk about it. Now, things are handled much more sensitively. THE HUNGRY HILLS is dedicated to our firstborn son.

Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?

I have written a couple of mysteries which I greatly enjoyed, and I’ve also written a childhood memoirs. But my default setting is historical novels!

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Writing is a very solitary way of life and to produce anything a writer must put in hours and hours of work. So I just want readers to know that if you’ve ever taken the time and trouble to contact an author and let them know you’ve enjoyed their book, you have done a wonderful thing! I get giddy with gratitude if a complete stranger gets in touch and thanks me for giving them a good read. You have no idea how much pleasure that gives in return – and the inspiration to carry on!

Did you miss Part I and Part II of this wonderful Interview with Janet?

https://janetmacleodtrotter.wordpress.com/category/news/

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon. September: Dylan Callens

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

The Fallen by Ace Adkins ~~ A Review

A Review 5 quills out of 5

One of my favorite authors, Ace Atkins, takes us once again to the backwaters of ole’ Miss. Village names like Sugar Ditch, Jericho and Choctaw intrigue the reader and you want to turn to the next page. The series is replete with characters like the ex-Army Ranger, Quinn Colson, his sister Caddy, Boom, Lillie Virgil, Fannie Hatchcock, the villainess, and her sidekick, Mungo. All wrap the reader in the swampy hand of the deep south.

I could write another review praising this writer to the heavens: ‘Adkins delivers another scintillating mystery’, ‘Quinn Colson takes us on another riveting search for the murdering bank robbers’, ‘you won’t be able to put it down’, blah, blah, blah. And I refuse to write a spoiler, like some reviewers do, just to fill the page.

That’s why I mentioned the underpinnings: Ace’s stories are neck deep in the flavor of small town life in the old south. His fans already know they’re in for another great read. So I’m going a little off the oyster-shell road of a typical review by quoting Ace here in the Oxford Magazine:

Atkins. ‘The inspiration came together quick. I won’t tell you how quick, but something so personal comes from a long gestation and a brief pen to paper with a little whiskey. I scribbled out my families. The Colsons, with Quinn and sister Caddy as a nod to the master. But these two were solely my own, with Quinn taking shape from my love of 1970s drive-in heroes like Billy Jack and Buford Pusser from Walking Tall. Quinn is an Army vet, a seasoned Ranger who soon becomes sheriff. Caddy wasn’t altogether different from Faulkner’s, only walking straight out of gritty strip clubs in South Memphis to discover a serious and real faith. The other families—the Varners, the Bundrens—would be new and unique folks, descended from people in nearby Yoknapatawpha.’ More

I am a die-hard fan of John MacDonald and Robert B. Parker and mourn their passing; no more Travis McGee and Meyer, no more Spenser and Hawk. I looked, literally, for years to find a writer of their caliber. Finally!! Ace Adkins. Serendipitously for me, I found him writing for the Robert B. Parker series and wanted to read some of his own work. The Fallen (Release date July 19th) is highly recommended and while it stands on its own, I suggest that my readers start with book #1 of the Quinn Colson series. To order click here.

Did you miss my Interview with Ace Atkins??
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Interview with Janet Macleod Trotter (part 2)

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters? (continued) Did you miss Part I

JT. I once created a totally imaginary strong-willed heroine who was a suffragette called Maggie Beaton. Then speaking at a talk to a convention of Women’s Institutes, a woman told me that her great aunt had been called Maggie Beaton and she sounded just the same sort of person! I got a tingle down my spine at that!

Other characters have been inspired by people closer to home. My grandparents lived and worked in India for years, where my granddad was a forester. I have used their background and some of their experiences in my second India novel, THE TEA PLANTER’S BRIDE, to get a really authentic feel of 1920s Scotland and India. Three years ago, my husband and I did a trip back to India to trace where my grandparents had been, and also where my mother had been brought up for the first 8 years of her life. I had a thrilling moment in Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, when I managed to track down the old guest house where my family had lodged after trekking in the mountains in 1928. It still existed! Standing inside, I could almost see my mother toddling across the hallway. Shimla features in my third tea novel, THE GIRL FROM THE TEA GARDEN.

Q. What first inspired you to write your stories?

JT. I’ve been writing stories since I was a wee girl. I lived in a boys’ boarding school where my father was a history teacher and house master. The kind matron used to type up my stories so that, in my eyes, they looked like proper printed pages! My father was a great story teller of clan and family history, and my mother always read fiction aloud to us when we were young, so I grew up with a thirst for stories. Added to that was a love of history, so that it was natural for me to want to set my stories in the past.

Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?

JT. I think actually it is the setting! I start with a historical incident or momentous event (First World War, the Suffragettes, Miners’ Strike etc) and then read around the subject. First, I must have a sense of place. Once I’ve visualized the setting – the home, village, tea plantation, city slum, Hebridean island – then ideas for the plot and characters come.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

JT. On a good day yes! It’s thrilling to check the time and realize that I can’t remember the last hour – I’ve been off in some other place at a deeper level of concentration.

Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?

Janet & Friends dressed up as Suffragettes

JT. My mother! I’ve just begun writing another tea novel set at the end of WW2 and the time of Indian Independence with a heroine who returns to India after being ‘exiled’ in Britain during her schooling and the war years. She is the same age as my mother would have been, who was also in that situation – separated from her father in India because of the war. Though my mother never got back out to India, I am trying to imagine what she would have done if she had.

Q. Do you have a new book coming out soon? If so tell us about it.

JT. The next novel in the pipeline which has already been written is THE FAR PASHMINA MOUNTAINS and is set in Britain and India during the early 19^th century. It has a spirited Northumbrian heroine and a Scottish hero who joins the East India Company Army to seek his fortune. (One of my own MacLeod ancestors also did this a generation earlier in the 18^th century). India was an exciting and fascinating place for Europeans at this time, a place of exploration, romance and where fortunes could be made, but it was also fraught with dangers. In the novel this also includes the first ill-fated invasion of Afghanistan.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

At university in Edinburgh I wrote articles for the student newspaper but it was a couple of years later that I decided to take a correspondence course in writing. I wanted to have the discipline of writing to deadlines and trying out different forms of writing.

Q. How long after that were you published?

JT. I finished the course of twenty assignments and then offered my money back because I hadn’t been published by the time it was completed! Instead, I elected to take a further course, concentrating on fiction writing. Before this was finished I began getting short stories published in teenage comics – providing the storylines and the words in the bubbles! So I suppose that was after about two years of learning the craft. I continued to get short stories published in women’s magazines but the first break-through into novels was after about five years. I had a teenage novel, LOVE GAMES, published in the same year as my first Scottish historical novel, THE BELTANE FIRES. Three years after that, I had the first of my historical family sagas set in North-East England, THE HUNGRY HILLS, published. That was in 1992. I’ve been writing for over 30 years and produced 21 books.

Join us for the conclusion of this wonderful Interview July 21st

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