A Celebration! Party Party :)

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

IT’S PARTY TIME!!!!!

Oh my…..I’ve been nominated, ummmm, a few times recently lol

By Hunter at Hunters Writings for A Beautiful Blogger and/or the Very Inspiring Blogger awards.

By Laura over at Quill Wielder for The Kreativ Blogger award.

By Silverfox over at Special Spice for The Inspiring Blog Award

By Stuart at Born Story Teller for the One Lovely Blog Award

By Jennifer at News Of The Times for the Versatile Blogger Award.

By Robin Coyle for the Reader Appreciation Award.

By Pam at Rough Wighting for the Readers Appreciation Award

By Ms Nine for the Versatile Blogger award.

By Paula at Paula Acton for the Day Dreamer Award.

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH YOU GUYS! I AM HONOURED AND OVERWHELMED BY YOUR KIND WORDS 🙂

I still get a buzz from each and every one I receive…..and I know I’m rule breaking…..

But….there always seems to be a but doesn’t there lol….. As I’ve had so many awards recently (and I’m not complaining!) as you can see, I’ve had to do them all in one post. I hate to have you waiting weeks for me to acknowledge the award, that’s just not fair now is it 😦

The rules are all slightly similar for these things, and as I’ve recently given you all so much boring information about myself, I’ll pass on listing things about me, i’d probably end up duplicating something anyway lol.

Sooooo, in honour of all the awards I’ve received and to celebrate my 200th follower (I am feeling blessed) and the 11,000+ views on my 214 posts, i have created my own little awards thingy lol. It’s nothing special, just a photo of a piece of artwork i created for my daughter. And to show my appreciation to all my followers, it is my gift to all of you! Because you are all so wonderful, and I really haven’t got a clue how else to show my thanks, and the sheer joy I feel at having you all as part of my Blogging life 🙂 You guys keep me going, do you know that 🙂

Thank you to everyone who has made my first 6 months of blogging the great experience it has been. I feel so at home here and have made some fantastic Bloggy friends 🙂 I have thoroughly loved every minute of it, and you guys, the ones who comment, and read my ramblings, are what makes it all worth while 🙂

So, please feel free to consider that, if you’re reading this and you’re a follower (or I follow you) you have been nominated for any of the awards above or accept my Very Special Blogger Award with much love from me 🙂 Take your pick!

And now, I think it’s time (and long overdue actually) for me to do a BlogRoll on my side bar. To acknowledge the fantastic bloggers who have supported me along my journey 🙂 please take a moment to visit their blogs, you won’t be disappointed 🙂

So, as we’re in party mood, and you’re all invited, tell me, What tipple (alcoholic beverage) will you be arriving at my front door with?

Writing Prompts…..How Do You Eat Yours?

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Apologies to my non UK readers who don’t recognise the title of this post. It’s in reference to the TV ads we have here in the UK for Cadburys Cream Eggs. Every different advert asks at the end, “How Do You Eat Yours?” as everyone eats their Cadburys Egg differently….apparently lol.

Anyway, back to the post lol

Writing prompts…..I love them, but I know some people don’t. I know that if I’m struggling, I can always rely on a prompt to get those creative juices flowing. Many of my followers will know that I’ve been doing a prompt a day since the 1st January, and it has turned me into a bit of a preacher lol. I cant help it, it’s something I’m quite passionate about. Even when I’m really not feeling it (regarding my WIP) I still write every day…..and it’s the prompts that have kept me going. Without them, when I’m feeling really down on myself, I could quite easily go weeks without writing a word 😦

Way back in February, I wrote a post Prompts, Good or Bad? because I was beginning to get the distinct impression that most people don’t like them. almost like, if you use them, well, you obviously can’t think for yourself.

So, as I’m a bit anal *coughs* I find myself collecting ideas to use as writing prompts. I recently stumbled across this idea from Amanda Webster on her Write On The World blog. Wow, that’s a goooood one. I’m really loving that idea.

Here are some of my recently used prompts:

From Judy Reeves
The colour of midnight
“That night I was happy”
It shimmers in the distance
What waits at the top of the stairs

I tend to mainly use photos (that I’ve taken or that I’ve stumbled across in magazines) and specific writing prompts. But, I’m interested to hear……tell me what method of writing prompts do you use? That is, if you use them….and if you don’t, to settle my nosey streak, why not?

By the way…..how would you feel about me posting some of my prompts?

Life on a 5 Mile Island

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Thank you to everyone who commented on my whiney Insecure blog post yesterday. It is much appreciated 🙂

Today’s guest post is from Ayesha Schroeder who has a weekly post that lists agents Tweets. That’s how I stumbled across her great blog, after all, we all want to know what agents are Tweeting 😉 You can find my post of My Night with Chris Baty over on Ayesha’s blog.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I knew I wanted to be a writer early on in life. It was what I was good at, however, I didn’t truly embrace writing as a career path until I was living on a 5 square mile island. That was where I completed two manuscripts and began blogging as a sort of therapy. It was lonely and I needed a way to communicate with those back home. Living on that island was when my story really took off.

What genre do you write in?
My genre is what I have coined “fictional slice of life,” meaning telling realistic stories. My stories don’t always have a happy ending, but they tend to carry morals and/or raise questions regarding society’s mores.

Do you have a writing schedule, your normal writing day?
Typically I’m up by 7am and out of the house by 8am. I write web copy for a living and do social media, so I’m always forced to be creative. Sometimes I’ll blog or add to my MS/WIP during my lunch or do it between 5 and 7pm, which is when my husband gets home from work. I try to balance life and work and sometimes do sacrifice writing time for cuddle time.

What’s the best writing environment for you – where you write?
When I write I like to have my husband and cats around me. Seen, but not heard. Haha. Right now, I write at the kitchen table or on the floor. We don’t have a bed or furniture (long story), so really the whole house is my writing space. On another note all of my ideas tend to come to me while eating or in the restroom. Go figure…

Who inspires you?
God, first and foremost. I’m inspired by His creation and the many paths that we all walk. Life and nature. Really everything I see fuels my writing. I love to go to the airport far ahead of the suggested 90-minute arrival window just to people watch. I wonder where they’re going, what they’re doing. People are weird and life is crazy so why not write about it and enlighten others?

If you were to be compared to another author, who’s work would yours most resemble?
I’d love to say Jhumpa Lahiri, because she is one of my favorites, however, I do have my own style, which may be characterized as darkly humorous and starkly realistic.

Tell us about your current WIP?
I’ve got two finished manuscripts that I am having a killer time editing. I’m too close to them and am thinking of hiring a freelance editor to look over them. Currently I’m writing a novel that looks at a prisoner’s life. He killed someone and is locked up. Like many in prison he found religion, but is struggling with the idea of being forgiven. The question really is whether he can forgive himself and believe that he is changed and what he does with his conclusion.

Thanks Ayesha 🙂

Don’t forget to nip over to Ayesha’s Blog to read my review of the night I met Chris Baty! 🙂

Ayesha’s favourite author is Jhumpa Lahiri, who, I must admit, I’ve never heard of. I’m always on the look out for great authors who I’ve never read before. So my question today is, dear reader. Tell me one of your favourite authors, one you think I might not have heard of? I just know I’m gunna regret asking that as my Amazon wishlist will now probably go off the scale lol.

By the way, one of my favourite authors you may not have heard of is Linda Gillard who’s book Emotional Geology is one of my all time favourites 🙂

Insecure Writers Support Day

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Sorry, two posts today, but only because it’s Insecure Writers Day 🙂

I’ve not had a great month to be honest. I decided to stop writing short stories so that I could concentrate on my novel. A good plan at the time, no, it’s still a good plan, I’m fed up with spreading myself so thinly lol. But, it’s not really worked out as I thought it would. The goal setting every week has been working well, to help me focus, but so far, I don’t think there’s been one week where I actually met them all. So this week, no goals…am I putting too much pressure on myself?

Perhaps I just don’t believe in my novel enough. Perhaps I don’t really believe in myself and that’s the problem?

I went to a Nano event last week, where I met Chris Baty (you can read all about that on Ayesha’s Blog ) and although I really thoroughly enjoyed the event (Chris was lovely) I kind of looked around the room and thought “Is this me? Am I really cut out for this? Am I just kidding myself?”

Last week I lost 20 pages of editing. They just didn’t save on my Netbook and I don’t know why. When I’m editing I usually hit ‘save as’ (and check the file name) every 2 or 3 pages. I did that, then the following day I did the same for the next 20 pages. So imagine my horror when I next opened the file to discover that the second lot had completely saved, but the first lot had disappeared! 😦 I just wanted to cry, and I haven’t touched it since. I’m too scared to. Or is that just an excuse?

Sooooo, there we have it, my insecurities lol. Is being a writer really me? How long do I go on doing this? Shall I just go out and get a ‘proper’ job? Lol. These are the questions going round in my head at the moment *sighs*

I hope all my fellow Insecure Writers are having a better month 🙂 Will pop in and see as many of you as I can over the next 24 hours.

Edited to add: I managed to visit 95 fellow IWSG Blogs (pleased with that) 🙂

So what are you feeling insecure about this month?

Following Your Destiny

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today’s Blog Swap is with eBook author Wendy Steele who is also a dancer and a healer. Check out Wendy’s blog to see my interview.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do but it’s hard to envisage a time when I didn’t write. My first piece was a poem aged 10, after visiting the Tutankhamen exhibition in London and, ever since, I’ve come home from new adventures and committed my thoughts and experiences to paper. My first piece of published (and paid!) writing was an article for the Dancing Times, after attending my first day of belly dance workshops in London, eight years ago.
As a child, I read and wrote stories, losing myself in the lives of the characters, while in my early twenties, I wrote children’s stories and short stories but it was on a two day writing course, nine years ago, that I believed I could be a writer. I liked the character I created on the course and, over the following three years, proceeded to write my first novel between school runs, children’s clubs, family domesticity, cleaning other people’s houses and stacking shelves in a supermarket.
After attending Swanwick Writers Summer School for the second time last year, (Vikki-Where I met Wendy in the smoking tent lol) and receiving great advice and help, I made the decision to take time away from teaching dance and complete the current novel I was working on and, since then, have felt like a writer.

Writing is a harmonious accompaniment to my dancing, forcing me to sit and expand my mind while allowing my body to rest.

What genre do you write in?
My work was described by an agent as ‘contemporary romantic speculative fiction’ and, yes, my characters are of the moment, they form relationships but they do so in this world while the majority of ‘speculative fiction’ I’ve found is set in the future, another world or planet and the characters are often not completely human.
My writing is also magical. One reviewer wrote about ‘Destiny of Angels’ – ‘ A revenge/redemption story with a spiritual twist, where the mundane and the mystical intertwine.’

Do you have a writing schedule?
I do plan my writing time but often find myself juggling to include the demands of the indie writer within the plan. I used to write two days each week, actually writing new words but now plan to write for three days per week, while allocating two half days for promotion and paperwork.

What’s the best writing environment for you – where do you write?
Before we redecorated to sell our house, propped up in bed was my favourite spot but this has since been usurped by the summerhouse in the garden. It’s quiet, save for the occasional bee, and the cats like to join me, which is lovely.

When do you write?
Most of my writing is done between 6am and 6pm, as family and dance take over my evenings. If I find myself alone in the house at the weekend though, I will write!

Who inspires you?
The natural world gives me the biggest buzz. I can be carried along for a week by an hours saunter through a bluebell embellished wood but the person who inspires me is Mr Terry Pratchett. Two pages from any of his books is enough to way lay my angst and focus me on the task of attempting to write words as beautiful as his.

If you were to be compared to another author, who’s work would yours most resemble?
I have yet to find an author who writes like me! My friend Peter thinks some of my characters are glamorous, rich and powerful like those in a Jackie Collins novel but the only other author I know who wrote contemporary fiction in a magical context is Dion Fortune. She, however, was using fiction as a way to get a message across, where non-fiction would have been unpublishable at the time she was writing, while my writing is always about telling a stonking good story.

Tell us about your current WIP/recently published book?
‘Destiny of Angels – First book in the Lilith Trilogy’ was released on 21st April 2012.

Two years ago, at a time when I was feeling angry and uncertain about my life, the storyline for Destiny came to me….what if the powers from other dimensions could be channelled, used to offer choices and the chance of redemption in this level of consciousness?

Angel Parsons and her lover, Aidan Quinn, were my first two characters. Beautiful, intelligent, yet humanly flawed, they were exciting and fun to write with….and the rest of the cast soon followed.

Angel and Aidan and the rest of the cast depart for their first foray into the world of the Door Keeper Thoth, Ra the Sun God in his Temple at Tiphereth and Lilith, the Dark Goddess.

‘Destiny of Angels’ is available to download on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/B007OX5J8O/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link
and for US readers
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OX5J8O/?tag=kttus-20

The second book in the Trilogy ‘Wrath of Angels’ is begun as is ‘Wendy Woo’s Year – A pocketful of smiles’, a non-fiction book I hope to have ready for September to be released around the same time as the paperback of ‘Destiny of Angels’. Do stop by my blog at http://www.wendysteele.com and join me for a cup of tea and a piece of home-made cake.

This whole idea of a trilogy fascinates me…..is it something I could do? Think about, with my own work? I’m not completely sure lol. Have you thought about writing a series, or have you started one? What are the pro’s and con’s?

She Lay Down Deep Beneath The Sea

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Remember the picture prompt on Sunday?……well, of course my characters have to come with some backstory. I didn’t bother doing any description because you already know what they look like lol

Ellie & James

Ellie and James have recently moved in together. The situation being forced on them when Ellie’s stepfather threw her out for not being able to pay rent (and hence depriving him of beer money). James managed to find a pokey bedsit over the top of a Kebab shop in their local high street.

Ellie is 20, streetwise, able to look after herself, she’s had to. Since her father left when she was 8 she’s had many step fathers, most of which have only hung around for a few months. Loud and often offensive, she finds it hard to show her true emotions and suffers from low self esteem. She finds it hard to trust and comes across as a very angry young woman, her childhood has been hard. She loves James to bits, but can’t bring herself to tell him exactly how she feels. She can be cold, and often callous towards him, but can’t seem to stop herself.

James is 19, softly spoken, but cheeky and charming. His parents were horrified when he quit college to get a job so that he could move in with Ellie. He is a talented guitar player and at college was doing a course in Electronic Engineering, which would have led to a University place. He met Ellie in a pub 9 months ago and was immediately smitten. He loved how out going she was, and was drawn to how different she was from the normal girls he’d dated. All of James’ friends think he’s mad moving in with Ellie. They predict disaster and have warned James he’ll end up getting hurt. James believes he can rescue Ellie, show her love, and that he can make up for all the hurt she feels.

Today, Ellie has made James some lunch. He’s on his break from the local cafe, where he spends most of the day serving greasy fry ups to truck drivers. They argued last night, about Ellie’s lack of interest in getting a job. So today, she’s tidied the flat and actually got dressed (albeit in yesterday’s clothes) to show James she is making an effort. He’s pleased to see her dressed and believes her promises of spending the afternoon job hunting. But James has failed to realise the significance of the bottle of Vodka on the table.

When he returns from work this evening he will find her passed out on the couch, the empty bottle on the floor. He’ll fall into bed exhausted and wondering whether he’s made a big mistake.

Hmmmmm, ok, I think I was influenced with this, big time lol. I went to Margate yesterday, to the Turner Contemporary to see the Tracey Emin exhibition.

I always find Tracey’s work, not exactly depressing, but full of pain and so emotionally charged. I guess that’s because I know her background, what she’s been through. So by the time I got home and wrote about Ellie & James I was feeling, I dunno, reflective?

I think this is the painting that influenced James & Ella’s story:

But there were lots of others such as:
Never Forget Me
Just to say Awake & Alive I thank you (painting of a woman laying on a couch)
I did not say I can never love you. I said I could never love

I could go on and on lol

On the wall at the entrance of the exhibition, there was a write up on what had influenced Tracey to do this collection. How an idea of trees in an olive grove when her father died had turned into how she felt, like being beneath the sea. Aren’t ideas brilliant? The way we can go from one to another to another and get to a point that is so detached from the original, but makes perfect sense.

Have you written anything recently that you can say was totally inspired by something specific? Would love to hear what you’ve been inspired by lately 🙂

On A Hot August Afternoon

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Yes, yes, I know it’s not August, but I can pretend cant I? Lol

Today’s “Blog Swap” is with author Bridget Straub who knew she wanted to be a writer when she was a child.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have been entertaining my younger sister with stories ever since we were little and shared a room, so writing became a natural extension. By eight I was writing anti-war poems that had my mother worrying that I was depressed. There was just never any doubt that this was what I wanted to do.

What genre do you write in?
i always end up saying Chicklit for lack of a better word but I think just as with Romance that can make it sound like a manufactured bit of fluff. My books are insights to a particular time in the characters’ lives.

Do you have a writing schedule, your normal writing day?
I write off and on throughout the day. I have kids, so there are constant interruptions and scheduling conflicts to be juggled.

What’s the best writing environment for you – where you write?
I generally write on my bed listening to some music to block out surrounding noise. Of course sometimes if it’s a new favorite CD it’s hard to let it work as a buffer and I end up singing along and being totally distracted, lol.

Who inspires you?
Musicians. I love music and the ability to tell a story or paint a scene in just a few minutes. Also movies, again because I’m very visual, which leads to art. Of course my twelve yr. old is in here telling me it’s my kids that inspire me and they do too!

If you were to be compared to another author, who’s work would yours most resemble?
That’s tough. Bits of Jane Green or Jennifer Crusie maybe?

Tell us about your current WIP/recently published book?
I published my first novel “Searching for My Wand” in December as an ebook. My next book, “On a Hot August Afternoon” is coming out this month and is being released in both kindle form and paperback.
“Searching for My Wand” is about a woman struggling to repair past mistakes she has made. She was named (incorrectly) after Glinda the Good Witch and has spent most of her life trying to live up to that fictionalized image.

On a Hot August Afternoon” is about marriage, trust, family and the warped perceptions that fame can bring.

I love Bridget’s drawing 🙂 And it made me ask myself the question….. If you’re a writer, and hence, creative, does that mean you have other creative talents? I used to do collages (check out my Flickr page if you want to have a look) and I’ve seen quite a few writers, showcasing their ‘art’ on their blogs.

So my question to you today dear reader, is…..Do you do any other ‘creative’ activities on top of writing?

Nip on over to Bridget’s Blog to see my post for today 🙂

Breakfast or Lunch?

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today’s picture is another drawing by Martin Karlsson, currently on display outside The Tate Modern. I’m not sure what this one is called, sorry, but I love it. He’s caught the action so well 🙂

As I’m a huge fan of characters, rather than do a story for this one I’m going to do 2 characterisations….will share tomorrow 🙂

What story would you come up with for this pair? Would love to hear your ideas!

Escaping To The Country

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Todays Blog Swap is with author, Patsy Collins, who’s blog can be found here

Patsy has recently published her first novel, Escape to the Country which, I’ve read, and thoroughly enjoyed 🙂

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I didn’t really. A creative writing class was something I started almost by accident. It wasn’t until the term ended I realised I was hooked and signed on again. That was ten years ago.

What genre do you write in?
I suppose it could be classed as ‘women’s fiction’. I write short stories for magazines and romantic novels. Mostly.

Do you have a writing schedule, your normal writing day?
I don’t have a schedule, but I try to do something writing related every day. I write more in the winter – then it’s most evenings after I get in from the day job. In summer the garden, allotment and campervan are big distractions.

What’s the best writing environment for you – where you write?
At home I have a nice office that I share with Gary (my beloved husband to be). This is my half (specially tidied up for the photo!) Two screens are handy for editing and research, so when Gary decided his wasn’t good enough for his photography, I snaffled it.

Although it’s nice to have the office and comfy leather chair these things don’t improve my writing. It has improved since I started with a biro and stack of paper in the gloomy dining room of my previous home, but that’s because I’ve practised and learned a lot since then, not because I no longer have to get a friend to print out my submissions after I’ve typed them up on the work computer. I’d like to say the availability of a computer and printer has speeded things up, but now I have the internet …

I also do quite a lot of writing in our campervan. There’s far less space there, but once I get into a story I don’t notice my surroundings much. I could, and would, write anywhere.

Who inspires you?
Gary, my family, friends, the author of any piece of writing I’ve enjoyed reading.

If you were to be compared to another author, who’s work would yours most resemble?
I don’t know! My novel writing style has been compared with Katie Fforde – do you think there are similarities? (Vikki – Definitely!)

Tell us about your current WIP/recently published book?
Escape to the Country was published earlier this year after I won a novel writing competition. It’s a romantic crime story, set mostly on a farm in Kent. There’s food, mud, herbal potions, intrigue, bovine midwifery and love.

I’ve had some great feedback as you can see from the Amazon customer reviews I’m doing a series of radio interviews and a book signing to help promote it. Details can be found here

I’ve just finished the edits of A Year and a Day. This is another light hearted romance and I’m currently writing a third. That sounds like I knock out a novel every couple of months – I don’t! I tend to write a draft, leave it and write something else, then edit, then write something else, so there are often several projects on the go at a time.

Dont forget to nip on over to Patsy’s Blog to see what i have to say today. I’ll be talking about my interest in other writers work spaces.

As I said, I’ve read Patsy’s novel and thought it was great….I reviewed it on Amazon. So my question today dear readers, is Do you review books you read on Amazon? I have to say, I don’t review big name authors, but I feel it’s important to support the new authors 🙂

Inspirational Brief Encounters

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today’s post is from Virginia, a lovely writer who blogs at poeta officium Please do go and check out her great pages 🙂

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
There was never a revelation; I have always had the desire to write. I started creative writing classes at school when I was around 8 and shortly after, I began writing at home for fun. This was when I realised there was every possibility I could actually take it seriously. My mother and grandma, who was also a writer, always encouraged me to write as did my school teachers. It always came naturally to me and while the other kids mucked around during this lesson, I lapped it up and even got to read my stories to the class. This really lit a fire within. I literally did not look back.

What genre do you write in?
I love writing psychological thrillers. This is the genre that takes over my bookshelf! I also try and throw in a little family history in the mix as I am a genealogist. Genea-psycho thrillers? Is this a bona fide genre?? I guess it is now!

Do you have a writing schedule?
I try to. I really do! However with young kids it is very easy to lose precious time. I do have a schedule that I stick to on the good weeks; writing every night for a couple of hours – whether its for research or character development. When I’m on a roll, I don’t stop and I find I am writing till after midnight. On the nights that it doesn’t come so easy those 2 hours are put to good use but I know that switching my mind off will be much more beneficial in the long run. As long as I’m getting some writing and reading done every night I’m a happy bunny.

What’s the best writing environment for you – where you write?
Lately Ive been writing in bed. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m trying to kill 2 birds with one stone – rest and work – but laying back on my comfy pillows gives me the ‘ahh’ feeling which opens my mind. Especially when it is pitch black around me save for the laptop light. This makes me feel that nothing else exists in the world apart from me and my words. It is a very exclusive feeling.

I also write at my desk or at the dining table. I find my best work comes when I’m comfortable, warm and within reach of a fully boiled kettle. I’ve started frequenting a gorgeous coffee house down the road – which makes THE best mocha’s I’ve ever tasted – so good infact I almost tweeted it! Anyway, I have a quaint corner booth under the stairs which is always empty when I get there. I sit, I drink, I get inspired. I love it.

When do you write?
I normally write at night. I’m not sure if it’s because of the whole kid routine thing but I find I am most inspired late at night. Or, early morning. I love the stillness of pre-dawn although getting up at 4 am isn’t necessarily appealing right now. We are just coming into our winter and the sudden freezing temperatures always encourages one to keep pressing the snooze button.

Who inspires you?
It’s not so much one person as it is a random moment with a person. I love having conversations with people I have never met before and will possibly never see again. I think every single person on this earth has an interesting story to tell; everyone has a fairy tale, a nightmare, a thriller, a happy ending. I am inspired by the way someone will tell their story. I have met many people in my life who I have exchanged deep conversations with; whether it was on the street, on the train, in a library – infact, this happened a couple of weeks ago at an Apple store. We started chatting about something completely unrelated to any Apple product. He probably thought I was a journalist because I kept asking him question after question. But he was so interesting! I was loving it. I spent all of 10 minutes talking to an intelligent, lively, elderly man; this memory will be with me for the rest of my life. This is what inspires me. It is priceless.

If you were to be compared to another author, who’s work would yours most resemble?
Ooh. This is tricky. I guess my style might resemble a selection of my favourite authors. With the exception of Ernest Hemingway. His writing style makes me cry – in a good, moving way. And I will never compare myself to that man. It would be a sin to!

I read a lot of Kathy Reichs. She is probably my most recent influence. I grew up reading Michael Connelly, so I’d say it’s a combination of both. I do also love Stephen King’s style, his matter-of-factness; I can relate to that. When I am telling a story, I like to get to the point quickly without using too many ‘romantic’ words or phrases. So to answer the question, I guess it’s an amalgamation of the above mentioned authors and my own style thrown in for luck!

Tell us about your current WIP/recently published book?
Ahh, my current WIP. My baby. My heartache. My frustration. What keeps me up at night. What keeps my thoughts going around and around in circles during the day. Just when I think I have it worked out, I rehash. Change names. Change places. I love my WIP, I really do. But it has taken many different forms to be where it is now. I have rehashed the plot so much it is now red raw which I think is a good thing seeing as my main character is pretty much an open wound.

Emma is tired, waiting to tell her sick story. She is mentally ill with very serious abandonment issues. She is living in what she thinks is a daydream, telling her story from a psychiatric cell. She tells us about her trophies, her conquests – the men she loved who are now dead. She tells us that she has killed them because she feared they would leave her. But has she in fact killed them? Is she that sick that she cannot draw the line between reality and make believe? Or is she telling us the truth? Some say it’s a desperate cry for help. Is anybody actually listening?

I’m finding this story frustrating to tell because I want the readers to feel sorry for her – yet she could be a horrific serial killer. How do the 2 fit together? I’m loving the challenge.

Thanks Virginia, for answering my questions (you can see why she’s a writer can’t you?) 🙂

I found it interesting that Virginia says she enjoys chatting to total strangers, for inspiration. That’s a great idea. But I find a lot of people nowadays are in such a rush to get everywhere and do everything, no one has time to stop and chat. Have you ever had a conversation with a stranger that’s inspired some writing? I haven’t, but it’s something I’ll definitely be more aware off now, if I can find anyone who will talk to me lol 😦