What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published? My latest release is Treacherous is the Night, the second novel in my Verity Kent Mystery series. It is my tenth published book.
How did you develop your character and choose your location?
My heroine, Verity Kent, developed from my desire to write about the amazing women who worked for the British Secret Service during the First World War. WWI has long interested me, and the role of women who served in various roles, often with little acknowledgement, throughout the conflict.
What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening?
Totally glamorous. Not really. I’m also the mother of two girls under the age of five, so my day revolves around them more than anything. My mother babysits for several hours a day several days a week, and my husband and I split the other work hours evenly. We both work from home, making that possible. I aim to write a certain number of words per week, and usually prefer to write in the morning. But I often write in the evening after the girls are in bed as well, especially when a deadline is looming.
Do you belong to a writers group or are you in touch with other writers? How does that help your writing?
I have a number of writing friends who write in various genres, so I sometimes bounce ideas off of them, or simply chat with them to vent. It helps to have friends who understand exactly what it means to be a working writer when most people have false perceptions of what that really means. We all help support each other with promotional efforts.
Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
I never model my characters off of someone I know. My imagination simply doesn’t work that way. But I do sometimes use quirks or mannerisms, or specific physical attributes from the people around me to help give my characters added depth.
If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
I always have trouble casting my heroines. Maybe because I write in first person, so I’m in their heads and don’t view them from the outside. My heroes are a little easier. I imagine Sebastian Gage (from the Lady Darby series) looking a bit like a cross between Rupert Penry-Jones and Simon Baker. In the Verity Kent series, Max is a bit like Tom Hiddleston, and Sidney is a bit like Aidan Turner.
Who is your favorite author?
My all-time favorite author is Mary Stewart. I adore her romantic suspense novels.
How do you keep track of character details from book to book so they are consistent? I keep a series notebook where I note down character details – physical descriptions, birth dates, relationships, hobbies, traits, even statements they’ve made in the past.
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
My degree is in Music, so probably something in that field. I also almost went back to school a few years ago to get my Masters in Speech and Language Pathology, so that’s another possibility.
1 comment:
A series notebook is a great idea!
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