Getting To Know...Susan Moody

Today on Getting To Know... I'm very excited to be asking questions of Susan Moody, creator of Penny Wanawake the first black female protagonist in a crime novel!

You created Penny Wanawake, the first black female protagonist in crime fiction, what was your inspiration behind creating this character?

A strong sense of injustice! I lived in East Tennessee in the 1960s and witnessed the most blatant racial segregation I'd ever seen or even thought of. Coming from the much more liberal UK, I was shocked and appalled at the way black people were treated. We joined the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and became heavily involved in the civil rights movement, despite threats which went as far as having a cross burned on our lawn. When I returned to England, I wanted to create a black girl who was not intimidated by white folks, who saw herself as equal to any white person.

Most of your published works are crime related, what is it in particular that draws you to this genre?

I grew up in Oxford, among a lot of dons. At the time, they all read – or wrote – crime novels, so I seemed to spend most of my time lying on the floor behind a sofa devouring one green-back Penguin after another, while they argued about such esoteric subjects as how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, or whether Shakespeare really wrote Shakespeare. Crime seemed to be my natural home when I finally began to produce fiction.

How did it come about that your wrote Love Over Gold and why did you choose to use a pseudonym for this particular work?

I was approached by my then agents and asked if I would like to earn £20,000 for six weeks' work.   Naturally my first question was: Who do I have to sleep with? That might come later, Susan, they said, but for now the Nescafe Gold Blend people want 90,000 words about the Gold Blend Couple, who appeared in a series of catchy ads on TV. We think you're the best person for the job. And by the way, you've got six weeks to do it in. So on the grounds that I would regret it for six weeks if I agreed to do it, and regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't, I took it on.    

As for the name-change, I felt at the time that with a fairly lightweight work like Love Over Gold, it would be better to hide behind a pseudonym, since I intended to produce more 'serious' work.  

You have taught writing around the world, is there one bit of advice that you have given to all aspiring authors?

I give two absolutely fundamental pieces of advice to aspiring writers. One is, Read, read, read.   The more you read, the more you learn about the process of writing. The second is: Persevere. Never give up. Just because you have one rejection doesn't mean that the next place you send your work won't love it. Or if not them, then the one after that. Same thing with short stories, if one magazine doesn't like something you offer them, then alter it to suit the requirements of another and send it in again. Always remember J K Rowling was rejected by twelve publishers – and look at her now!

The Penny Wanawake series has recently been re-issued, will we see any more books being added to the series in the future?

My dynamic new publishers, Williams & Whiting, are also about to issue my second series, which features Cassandra Swann, a professional bridge player who worries about her weight and never steps on the scales without plucking her eyebrows and trimming her toe-nails in the hope that might make a bit of difference!    

Do you have a favourite character that you have written so far?

I guess I would have to nominate Penny Wanawake. She's very much based on me – not that I'm tall, black, rich or beautiful.  But she and I are sisters under the skin.  

When you're not writing what would we find you doing?

We spend half the year in France, where we have a big garden. So when I'm not writing, I read, or cook (French ingredients seem to taste better than English ones). I pull weeds and clip hedges, or sit on the terrasse, admiring the green garden and the view of trees and fields and hills, doing a spot of wine-tasting while the sun goes down.  

In England, we have no garden but I like to walk or look out at the sea over the ramparts of a 16th century castle which is literally across the road. And, of course, read.  

Can you write anywhere or do you have a writing nook that you have all your writing equipment?   

In France, I have a tastefully converted pig-sty, known as Chez Suzanne, which is where I work, surrounded by necessities such as dictionaries, reference books and tea-making equipment – not forgetting a biscuit barrel full of Rich Tea Biscuits and an extremely comfortable leather chair with matching footstool (left behind by the previous owners) in which it's extremely hard not to doze off.  

In England, I have a corner of our fairly large bedroom. But from time to time, I work in different rooms: I find the move from one place to another can sometimes be stimulating. The best place is my bed, especially in winter when it's cold and grey outside. My own fictional world seems all the brighter and more accessible then.

You have lived in a variety of countries over the years, do you have a favourite place that you have lived?  

I've lived in Paris, Tennessee, Tasmania, Sweden, California, Denmark. About seven years ago, one of my dreams came true when I bought an old house in France (as mentioned above). I've enjoyed all the other places, of course, but France remains my favourite.   

What can we look forward to from you in the future?  

I've just begun a new series about a feisty ex-police officer called Alexandra Quick.  Quick and the Dead has already been published.  Quick Off the Mark comes out on September 30th 2016, and I'm currently working on Quick On The Draw, due to appear early in 2017.

Thank you so much to Susan for joining me on my blog and answering my questions.

Penny Black synopsis

Meet PENNY WANAWAKE, philanthropist, free-thinker, part-time sleuth. Very tall, very classy, very black, a beautiful tigress in tigress's clothing. And her lover and friend, BARNABY, cool, witty, high-class thief, dedicated low-life. Stand by as Penny meets KIMBELL, black American detective, and blows his mind. Thrill as between them they track down the brutal killer of Penny's wacky friend MARFA, and exact poetic justice among banks of orchids

Panterra:The Machinist - Gary L Ward

I was lucky enough to receive an e-book copy of Panterra: The Machinist direct from the author Gary L. Ward in exchange for an honest review. 

Panterra follows Arlington Moore, one of the scattered crew from RTS Selkirk. Their ship crash landed and to save resources, the ship spreads the crew across the land where they crash. We start the story four years after the crash with Arlington living in a community of cat like humanoids, he has recovered from the crash and has helped the community with technology and has been accepted as one of their own. 

Panterra is excellently written, the world building is some of the best I've read recently and I really felt that the author shows rather than tells, which is definitely a bonus in fantasy where you can get bogged down in the details. I also think that the characterisation is very well done and each character is very clearly defined with their own traits and personality.

The story is well paced and well thought out. I'm trying to not spoil anything from the story as I really feel this book needs to be read to be appreciated as the synopsis does not do it justice. 

The only thing that I struggled with in the book was the internal dialogue (Arlington accidently created an AI called Alex who moved from the ships "brain" to the chip in Arlington) as it was not always very clear who was actually talking so some scenes became slightly confused for me and I had to read them more than once. It didn't take away the enjoyment of the story, but it did make reading it frustrating at times. 

Overall an excellent book and one I will be recommending. 

I started this book on the 29th of August 2016 and finished it on the 7th of September 2016

I gave this book 4 stars

Getting To Know...Denise Erguler

Today on Getting To Know... I have the pleasure of asking Denise Erguler, author of The Adventures Of Shifting Jack (which I was lucky enough to review back in July), questions.

Your first book was an adult read, but The Adventures of Shifting Jack you've gone for a children's book. What inspired you to make the transition from adult to children's fiction?

When I was writing The Essence, my adult novel, my son asked what I was writing about. I read him some excerpts from it, his eyes lit up when I started talking about the Shapeshifters and it occurred to me that this could be a subject for a children’s book, so I started Shifting Jack.

Jack and Lily in Shifting Jack have a really strong sibling bond. Were you lucky enough to have this kind of relationship if you have siblings and is it something you'd really like for your children?

I have three older brothers and I have great memories of us all playing and messing about together, even though they are four, six and eight years older than me. And we are all still close. It’s not quite the same story with my own children, now seven and ten, they fight like cat and dog. I was hoping the protectiveness Jack shows to his sister might rub off on my son. He does seem to have picked up on it a little bit!

The Adventures of Shifting Jack centres around shape shifters. What draws you to shape shifters and why birds instead of the usual cat or wolf?

I love the idea of shape-shifters. I would love to be able to shape-shift, who wouldn’t! Shape-shifters are loyal, honest, good people, all the characteristics I admire. Physically they are tall, muscular and good looking. They also have the advantage of regeneration, they live longer and heal quickly, all qualities which I’m sure appeal to us all.  My husband is quite heavily involved in the protection of birds here in Cyprus, so it seemed appropriate to have Jack shifting into a bird. Future books will feature other types of shifter, the one I’m working on now involves wolves.

When you're writing, do you have a set routine that you have to follow?

No real routine, but usually I wait for when the kids are in bed, then I put on some classical music and start writing.

When you're not writing, what would we find you doing?

Working in my family’s shop in North Cyprus. We sell furniture and material and offer a reupholstering service. When I’m not doing that, I’m being a mum… a chauffeur, cook, helping with homework…

What is your favourite part about being an author?

I get to live in the world I’ve created and the joy of seeing other people reading and enjoying something I have written.

Did you always know that you wanted to be an author or was there something else you wanted to do growing up?

As a kid, I wanted to be a wacky inventor.

Do you have a favourite author?

I have quite a few favourite authors, S E Smith, Eva Langlais, Lauren Dohner, M K Eidem, Jennifer Estep and Maria V Snyder.

If you could give your younger self any advice about your writing career, what would it be?

Make more notes, character notes, I didn’t for Shifting Jack and now I need to go back and make them!

What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future and when can we expect the sequel to The Adventures of Shifting Jack?

I am now working on a sequel for Shifting Jack, not sure yet when it will be ready to publish and I’m also looking to bring the first book out in hard copy as I’ve had lots of requests for a physical copy.

Thank you so much to Denise for joining me on my blog and answering my questions!

To connect with Denise

Twitter @Denise_Jack16

Denise's Facebook author page

To pick up a copy of The Adventures Of Shifting Jack click here

If you want to also check out my review of Shifting Jack, you'll find it here. 

The Adventures Of Shifting Jack synopsis

Jack has always known that he and his little sister, Lily, are different to other children, but he doesn’t know why – until the family moves to North Cyprus. 
Jack thinks he’s going to like it here; school is okay, he makes new friends, and Lily is happy too. Then one afternoon, Jack and Lily are involved in an earthquake and their world is turned upside down. Jack not only finds out his dad isn’t exactly his dad, but that none of his family is exactly human either… 
The whole family is thrown into danger, and Jack knows it’s his job to protect Lily, whatever that takes. In pursuit of illegal animal hunters, a strange school teacher, and the truth, Jack does his best – but he is only nine years old, will his best be good enough? 

Getting To Know...Claire Morley

Today on Getting To Know... I have Claire Morley, author of Tindog Tacloban and owner of My ePublish Book. 

You've recently launched your business www.myepublishbook.com which helps authors get their work epublished and marketed. What inspired you to set this up?

Last year I wrote my own novel, Tindog Tacloban and of course like most authors, I hoped to find an agent and a publisher for it. Despite my attempts, it didn’t happen, so I turned to self-publishing. I took courses, did masses of research and learned all I could about the process before taking the leap into the self-publishing world. Having gone through the whole procedure for myself and having gained so much knowledge, I thought I could help others who don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves and My ePublish Book was the result.

You wrote your book, Tindog Tacloban, following your experiences while helping people in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, can you tell me more about what happened and why you decided to write a book?

My initial idea when I volunteered in the Philippines was to write articles about my experiences there and how the typhoon had affected the lives of the people who lived through it. I was very fortunate to be able to interview survivors, volunteers and aid workers while I was there and amassed a huge amount of information. When I returned to Cyprus, my partner suggested I write a fictional novel as it would reach more people. So I did. I wanted people to understand that the effects of a natural disaster like this are far-reaching and long-lasting, not just for the few days it features in the news. And I also wanted to highlight how human traffickers will take advantage of situations like this to recruit vulnerable people and children.

Will we see more books written by you in the future?

I do have some ideas, but so far haven’t committed anything to paper. I have quite a lot of other projects going on at the moment and I think the knowledge of how much time and effort is involved in writing a novel means the next novel will have a wait for now.

Do you have a favourite author?

That’s a difficult one. I really enjoyed the Steig Larsson books, Patricia Cornwall and Katie Atkinson have always been favourites, and I’ve read a lot of Robert Ludlum, Dean Koontz and Jack Higgins, hard to choose just one!

You're originally from the UK but you relocated to Cyprus a good few years ago, what made you decide to move and what was the experience like?

I visited North Cyprus on holiday for Christmas 2001 and just loved it, there’s something magical which you can’t explain to people, but when they visit, they get it. I felt it was somewhere I could live, so moved here initially for three months to see what it was like. I remember thinking halfway through that I wouldn’t be going back to the UK after the three months. Fourteen years later, I’m still here!

You have worked as a journalist, is there a completely different way to go about writing a novel compared to an article?

There is a huge difference between the two styles. I remember writing the first few pages of Tindog and giving it to my partner to read. Afterwards he said: ‘Well it’s okay, but it needs more detail, it’s more like an article.’ Those few pages turned into about three chapters. In journalism, you’re presenting the facts short and sharp, a novel you need the reader to see, feel, touch, smell, even taste what you are showing them.

Did you always know that you wanted to work with books or become an author?

I have always loved reading, as a teenager I would read a book a day, often with a torch under the duvet and I love words. Looking up a word in a dictionary can lead to an hour being lost as I find new words! But I had never really thought of writing a book until the experience in Tacloban.

When you're not reading or writing what would we find you doing?

I love sport, these days it’s mainly golf and swimming, when it gets a bit cooler I might start playing tennis again. I love to cook and hold dinner parties and I am usually involved with some form of voluntary work. I was a marketing and event manager in my previous life, so often get asked to help organise events for charities. I also organise weddings for people in the UK wanting to get married in Cyprus.

Do you own a lot of books yourself? If you do, how do you organise your bookshelves?

Sadly, a lot of the books I brought with me from the UK got ruined by a freak rain storm while in storage a few years ago, so I don’t have so many now. I don’t have access to much in the way of hard copy books here, so I rely heavily on my Kindle these days, so not much to organise on my bookshelves, but what I do have is fiction all lumped together in no specific order and then travel books, a lot of travel related books, I love to travel!

What can we look forward to from My ePublish Book in the future?

I am now looking at how to offer hard copy publishing through Amazon, I’m using Tindog as a test project so I can then advise others on how to get their books physically printed.

I would like to thank Helen very much for this opportunity to talk about my new business My ePublish Book, which helps authors to self-publish and promote their books and to introduce one of my clients, whose children’s/YA book has just become available on Amazon.

Thank you so much to Claire for joining me and answering my questions. It's been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to more coming through My ePublish Book!

To connect with Claire

Twittter @clairemorley15
Facebook author page
My Epublish Book Facebook page

To check out Tindog Tacloban it is available for download here

Visit www.myepublishbook.com for more information on the services Claire provides

Tindog Tacloban synopsis

In the aftermath of the fiercest typhoon on record to hit land, banners bearing the words Tindog Tacloban started to appear all over the city. Meaning Rise Up Tacloban, they were a testament to the determination and resilience of the Filipino people as they tried to rebuild their shattered lives. 
For many, things would never be the same: 
Izel Sombilon watched in horror as two of his children were ripped from his arms and swept away by the huge storm waves 
Eleven year old Lika Faye was plunged into the sordid underworld of Webcam Child Sex Tourism. 
For Helen Gable volunteering in the typhoon ravaged area was a chance for her to come to terms with her own personal tragedy. 

Monster Joke Month 2016 Snail Mail Project

I can't believe it's this time of year again already and I'm here to announce that I will be hosting Monster Joke Month for its second year this October!

If you're new to the idea, see my original announcement post here from last year. But the general idea is that for every bit of post that you send in the month of October, you put a monster joke on the envelope and then when you send or receive a piece of post with a monster joke on, you use the hashtag #MonsterJokeMonth and/or #MJM2K16 to post it on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook etc. At the end of October I will then do a new post collating my favourite from throughout the month!

It was popular last year, but I'd really like to see loads more people join in this year! Even if you don't normally send snail mail, find a reason to send a friend a post card or write to someone you haven't seen in a while. (You could even sign up to somewhere like IGGPPC and get a pen pal and introduce yourself with a joke!).

As another idea, last year I made Halloween cards and sent them out to my penpals and this year I'm hoping to do something similar, just to more people!

The cheesier the better for your jokes. I've included some pictures of ones I used last year to show how hilariously bad some of them were. I also included bonus jokes on the inside of the cards too, so feel free to put your jokes wherever you prefer!

So get writing and posting between the 1st and the 31st of October and lets have some monsterish fun!

Don't forget to let me know if your are participating and as long as you use one of the hashtags, I should be able to see all your lovely photos.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what people come up with this year!

August 2016 Bookish Wrap Up

Wow what a busy month August has been! My new feature, Getting To Know... has been a huge success and I'm so happy as I am very proud of the work that has gone into it so far! There's more Getting To Know... to come all through September and I am now booking in authors and bloggers for slots from November onwards! So definitely keep your eye out for all that excitement. If you missed any of my interviews this month, here is the list of people I've been lucky enough to have on Life Of A Nerdish Mum

Marie Campbell - author of "Baby"
Kate Moloney - Bibliophile Book Club
Tara Lyons - author of "In The Shadows"
Jo Hollywood - author of "An Unextraordinary Life"
Noelle Holten - Crime Book Junkie
Tracey Sinclair - author of The Cassandra Bick Chronicles
Abigail Osborne - author of The Puppet Master

I really hope everyone has been enjoying reading the interviews as much as I have in doing them!

I've also taken part in some awesome blog tours and I have more planned in the coming months which as usual is awesome and I really enjoy taking part.

My reading has been a lot slower this month and I've even had to renew my library books which I never normally have to do! I'm really hoping to reading a lot more in September and I'm definitely feeling more in the mood to start devouring some books, so that's a good sign. The books I did get around to reading in August are:

1. Imperium Omni: Captain's Edition by Matthew S. Thomas - 4 Stars
2. Tridea's Children by Kevin Peake - 2 Stars
3. Beetlebrow by Ben Parker - 4 Stars
4. Broken Samurai: A Combat Marine's Journey From Hero To Hitman - 4 Stars
5. The Joker: The Clown Prince Of Crime by Dennis O'Neil - 2 Stars
6. Stop Press Murder by Peter Bartram - 5 Stars

In august I also received exciting news that I had joined #thebteam which means that I am now part of the Bookollective family of bloggers. I'll have more information about that at a later date, but I'm super excited about joining!

For September I am participating in a bookstagram challenge created by The Geeky Yogi to get me back in the habit of posting daily again, so if you like looking at bookish and nerdish photos, come take a look at my instagram @nerdishmum and say hi!

I've got more plans in the pipeline for Life Of A Nerdish Mum in the future and I'm really excited about sharing them soon hopefully!

What have you been reading this month? Have you read anything that I've read, what did you think?

Getting To Know...Claire Knight

Claire Knight with the fab author C.L. Taylor

Today on Getting To Know... I am asking my questions of Claire Knight, reviewer on the fabulous blog Crime Book Junkie.

You review books on Crime Book Junkie, has crime fiction always been your favourite genre or do you love other genres too?

I have read crime fiction on and off for as long as I can remember; I grew up reading The Famous Five, Secret Seven and then progressed onto Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.  I developed a love for the real crime novels reading about the moors murders and taking an interest in the post mortem process reading Michael Baden’s Unnatural Death over and over again. I had a brief obsession with chick lit but then fell back in love with crime fiction when Mark Billingham released Sleepyhead.  I still do read other genres but crime is possibly my joint favourite with psychological thrillers.

Do you have a favourite author?

That’s like asking if I have a favourite child!! There are so many to choose from that I could be here till Christmas making a decision as I’d keep changing my mind.

Do you have a particular way that you organise your bookshelves or is it a free for all (like mine are right now)?

My bookshelves are a mess.  Two years ago when I found out I was pregnant, I had to have a clear out of my books because our spare room aka my library was to become the new nursery.  But since then, I’ve won books or been sent them by lovely authors or publishers.  I was at this year’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate and each day, I came back with a stack of books….so there are now piles of books scattered around the house that need to be homed!

A toughie for a reader - e-books, paperbacks or hardbacks?

I am a covert to the e-books.  Before my husband bought me a kindle, I was a staunch physical copy reader preferring paperbacks to hardbacks (they’re lighter after all).  But having a kindle has introduced me to so many new authors such as Mel Sherratt, Caroline Mitchell, Mel (M A) Comley.  These authors are one you probably wouldn’t find browsing in Waterstones so it’s a whole new set of authors that I’m exposed to and I love discovering new authors

Other than reading, do you have any other hobbies?

With two children, working four days a week and a house to look after, I don’t have much time.  I do like to watch TV and go shopping with friends.  

How many books do you read in a year? Do you set yourself an annual goal?

Last year I read 96 books but I did spend the first 8 months on maternity leave, In January I targeted 52 books (one a week) given I was going back to work so I couldn’t read as much as I did last year, but I’ve got a feeling I might hit that well before the end of the year as I’ve already hit 49.

What was your favourite book or series when you were growing up?

I think I read every Enid Blyton book going and then moved onto the likes of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Lois Duncan’s thrillers. But then is there any 80/90s girl who didn’t read Judy Blume or the Sweet Valley books – not so much crime but a rite of passage.

Do you have a favourite place to read?

Anywhere – in the car, on the sofa, in the garden, in bed…I’ve even been spotted reading at my desk or waiting for my husband outside of work particularly when the story has got me hook line and sinker and I’m desperate to finish it.

As you enjoy crime fiction, do you also enjoy watching crime series or crime documentaries on tv?

I prefer the crime drama series but I’m not averse to a documentary.  My recent favourite have been The Fall, Marcella, Death In Paradise, Sherlock, Daredevil.  I really want to find time to watch Making a Murderer

Have you been lucky enough to meet any authors?

Oh yes!! Apologies for the name drops but….. As I mentioned, I was at the Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival this year and I met a fair few authors such as Sarah Hilary, Clare Mackintosh, Mark Edwards, Jenny Blackhurst, Cally (C.L) Taylor and Tara Lyons to name but a few – in the signing tent, I met Mark Billingham, Ruth Ware, Beth Lewis and Dr Brooke Magnanti (aka Belle De Jour).  Also I am a member of THE Book Club on Facebook which organises regular get togethers in various locations around the UK; in February I was lucky enough to meet Steven Dunne, Graham Smith, Col Bury, Rita Brassington, Sarah Louise Jamson and David Videcette.  I’ve been to a few book signings, meeting Peter Robinson, Kimberley Chambers and Stuart MacBride. 

Thank you so much to Claire for answering my questions! 

To connect with Claire or check out her reviews

Twitter @ClaireK01959448
Crime Book Junkie website
Crime Book Junkie Facebook page

Broken Samurai: A Combat Marine's Journey From Hero To Hitman - Al Carlisle Ph.D.

I received an advanced e-book copy of Broken Samurai: A Combat Marine's Journey From Hero To Hitman by Al Carlisle Ph.D. direct from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I have read any non fiction and when I got the chance to read Broken Samurai I jumped at it as I know very little about PTSD and even less about the Vietnam War.

The book follows interviews between Al Carlisle and Danny, an ex marine who has ended up in a very bad place following his return home.

I feel the book is very clearly laid out and the interview progression is followed in chronological order of the events in Danny's life which lead him to where he was. The questions asked of him were very clear and Danny was a lot more articulate than I had first expected from the stories of his up bringing. There are a few times when I would have liked things followed up on or more information asked for from Danny, one example being when Danny talks about being part of the biker gang and doing anything he could profitable but when he talks about his belief in the code of Bushido, the code states it does not believe in material profiting. I would have liked to have asked him how he reconciled these two statements.

The story of Danny's life is an incredibly interesting, but very sad story from losing his dad at an early age, to joining the military and being part of the battle at Khe Sanh in Vietnam and then coming home feeling lost and ending up being a hitman as part of a biker gang. Though Danny does seem to have had some problems before Vietnam, there definitely does seem to be a huge shift in both his personality and his beliefs following the war. Though reading Danny's answers myself I feel a lot of his PTSD stems from when he believes he broke his code and killed an innocent, from there he seems to spiral even further out of control than ever before.

This is definitely an interesting look into an extreme account of PTSD and I think it's an important subject that does need a lot more exposure than it currently has. Reading this book has made me want to research further into PTSD and hear other accounts as well as finding out more about the Vietnam war,  as I feel lacking in not knowing much about either.

I would have liked more information about PTSD itself as part of the book for people like me who don't have the knowledge, maybe as an introduction.

Overall a well put together, interesting book and one I will be recommending.

I started reading this book on the 21st of August 2016 and finished it on the 25th of August 2016.
I gave this book 4 stars.

Broken Samurai is out today on Amazon!