Getting To Know... Tina Hartas Of TripFiction

Today I am really excited to welcome Tina Hartas of the wonderful website, TripFiction, to answer questions for Getting To Know...

Your website, TripFiction, is designed so that you can find books set in pretty much whichever location in the world you can think of. What inspired you to set this up?

A good question! I have always tended to choose books that are set in the country to which I am travelling. It was never really a conscious thing until I went to Bangkok, where I happened by chance to choose a novel set in the city. Contrasting the book and the city made for an amazing experience.

Then on to Vienna and the only book I could actually find, which was set there, was The Fig Eater by Jody Shields. That was an excellent choice, very atmospheric of the city at the turn of the 20th Century, it gave a feel of past history and I found it still resonated today, lending insight and understanding into the multitude of historical buildings around the city, as well as the city layout. On my return, I did a little research and found that actually there are many books set there but it was hit and miss whether they were easy to find. And bingo, one day a few weeks later, over a glass of wine naturally (and it was Austrian wine we had brought back!) TripFiction started to become a reality.

We were aiming for a site where books could be collated, reviewed, and all were strong on location, we wanted to build a resource for both actual and armchair travellers. It was spurred on by a vision of a community where like-minded people could come together to share books, indeed add books and reviews, and suggest some of the ace titles that perhaps aren’t so widely known that will transport you to a given place – via a good storyline, of course.

Have you always been a big reader or is it something that has come about as you became an adult?

I have always read. We were a household of books. My best friend’s mother was a writer – Kamala Markandaya - who firmly set her novels in her own culture and country of India, and perhaps it was through reading her novels that my subconscious interest in learning about cultures, people, customs and places first started.

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

The admin side of TripFiction is growing apace, so that takes up a lot of time. We often burn the midnight oil. Mastering Social Media is proving to be a real challenge, though a rewarding one – for the most part! Researching new books to add takes time but people are now adding books to the site (anyone is welcome to suggest titles and add reviews)… and so it goes on. But otherwise I work as a couple counselor and psychosexual therapist. And travel is a great joy in my life, which probably doesn’t come as a surprise!

Do you have a favourite place that you have visited?

That is a very hard question. I guess I am drawn to Asia, I like the culture and cuisine. Southern India is next on the list, because we had such a great trip last year to Rajasthan. I really enjoy travelling to Europe, which is so much more accessible thanks to carriers like EasyJet. My next European trip will be to Berlin and Warsaw and I would also like to see Dresden.

This year TripFiction has started it's own YouTube channel, have you enjoyed using a different medium to discuss location in books?

It is a service we like to offer to authors. If an author has a video where s/he talks about the setting of their book, then we love for people to add their videos. I have stuck my toe in the water, but it is going to take a lot more practice and courage!

Bookmark, random piece of paper or dog ear?

I am a neat reader, without a doubt. I am definitely a bookmark kind of person, always. I can’t bear to see tattered books, all crinkly with water damage. I trained as a paper conservator way back, so I feel drawn to paper and its preservation. I can find myself recoiling when I see cracked spines, dog-eared pages and water-damaged covers….

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

I never set a goal. That would turn something that is a pleasure into a chore. At the moment we can combine work and pleasure, how often do you hear people say that?. When I see all the reading challenges on sites like Good Reads I really do wonder why people do it, there is more than enough pressure in everyday life without adding to it!

I have come to realize that I am still quite a slow reader. I enjoy seeing how an author puts a book together, so I don’t like to skim read too often. But there is a time and place for a bit of super fast reading and I can do it when I have to… but it’s not my natural style.

Do you have any advice about location for anyone writing a novel?

I can only speak from the perspective of a reader and someone who enjoys experiencing a location through literature. I recently read a book set in Dubai, which I thought evoked the city quite well. I passed it to a friend who lives there, who spotted the inaccuracies and found that quite frustrating.

I guess you would need to visit your chosen locale to get an accurate geographical sense, but there is so much more to it than that – the sense of place and people is something you can only experience when you are there, talking to locals, observing street life, seein how people talk to each other, it’s not something you can make up from the comfort of your desk. And converting that ethereal “feel” for any given place is surely key (it’s surely also an excuse to travel!)

Do you have a favourite author?

I always find this a difficult question. I tend to have a rolling list of authors and will often add new ones to the list and re-connect with past favourites. I have recently picked up with the work of Rose Tremain, through her most recent novel “The Gustav Sonata” (shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards, one of my favourite reads of 2016). I got back into reading Lesley Downer, who, writes books set in Japan, and I took one of her earlier works on a trip to Japan several years ago (way before TripFiction) – her current book The Shogun’s Queen reignited my pleasure. Gill Paul is always an interesting writer and has used Rome, Turkey and most recently Russia as settings for her novels. I am very much looking forward to reading Dinah Jefferies new book Before the Rains, set in Rajasthan and it will no doubt transport me back to the trip we made there last year.  On the TBR pile I am particularly looking forward to trying Guinevere Glasfurd’s The Words in my Hand set in 17th Century Amsterdam and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. And many more novels sitting on my desk just to my left as I write… there are so many good novels that simply never get the accolades they deserve, so we are committed to doing our very small bit to help get them out there.

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

That’s a big question! TripFiction/Movies is something that keeps popping up, but for that we would need to find major funding; just think, though, of the range of films that wonderfully transport you to a given location!

I guess our main aim for the foreseeable future is to have the community drive the site – we researched the first 5000 books, added individually all the books we could find that were strong on locale, and we need our followers now to flag and add new books as they come along that they think are strong on locale and worth shouting about.

More author chats, location features and a bit more travel-oriented features. Watch this space!  

Thank you so much to Tina for answering my questions and joining me today, I look forward to more from TripFiction!

To Connect With Tina Hartas

Website - http://www.tripfiction.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TripFiction.literarywanderlust/?fref=ts
Twitter - @TripFiction

A Look Back Over My Bookish 2016

Today is my blog's second anniversary (woohoo!) and I thought it would be interesting to look back at my 2016 in books and to look forward to what will come in 2017. 

In 2016 I read 134 books and this included

11 Classics

6  Children's Books

34 Adult Books

5 Short Story Collections

35 Graphic Novels and TPBs

25 YA Books

3 Non Fiction Books

14 Mangas

1 Poetry Book

Of these

11 were library books

10 were books lent to me

63 were physical books

and 50 were ebooks

I made some really good choices as my ratings were overall very high with an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars

66 were 5 star reads

39 were 4 star reads

18 were 3 star reads

10 were 2 star reads

and only 1 was a 1 star read

I widened my reading horizons this year and I read a lot of books I wouldn't have done thanks entirely to my buddy reader F. I also discovered some amazing new authors and book bloggers through The Book Connectors which is just such a wonderful group of people. I also changed up the formats I choose to read and have introduced short stories and I even tried an audio book. Overall I'm pleased with my book choices over the year. 

I also started my feature Getting To Know... which has luckily been really popular and I have really enjoyed bringing that each week as well as meeting new people along the way. 

I did go to one bookish even this year which was all the way back in June (though I've been super naughty and not blogged about it) and I went to the Enid Blyton Exhibition which was absolutely lovely. 

Onto 2017

Going forward I have decided on a few goals - not challenges or resolutions - just goals that I'd like to aim for if possible. 

• Read 100 books 
• Continue to read more classics
• Improve my total of non fiction books and read at least 5 in 2017
• Learn to say no to reviews as there are only so many hours in the day
• Always write my review no later than the day after finishing a book unless there's a REALLY good reason
• Go to a bookish event
• Complete more of my outstanding series
• Read more of the books I already own
• Allow myself to not finish a book if I'm just not enjoying it

I'm looking forward to continuing Getting To Know... which comes back on the 3rd of January and I have some more features planned that I think will be really exciting as long as I can pull them off. 

There will be a few changes coming to my blog too as I'd really like to incorporate more blog posts about comics and snail mail and possibly even my journey learning to cook. But we'll see how things go, just the thought is exciting though. 

So a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has joined me over the past two years, it makes me so happy every time a single person reads a blog post or leaves a comment. It really means a lot so thank you. 

Have you made any goals or resolutions for 2017? Let me know what you've got planned! 

Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas - Day 2

Day two of Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas and I'm moving onto my stand out book from February.

Day 2 - February Book - Sinking by Sarah Armstrong-Garner

Jocelyn washes up on the shore of eighteenth century Ireland, alone, naked, and missing all of her memories. Taken in by a lonely old woman full of plots and schemes for the lovely yet enigmatic creature, Jocelyn knows only one thing. She longs for the sea with every ounce of her being. Yet it tried to kill her.

Aidan Boyd loves two things. His ship and the sea. When Jocelyn is thrust upon his vessel in the midst of his superstitious crew, he finds himself intoxicated by her--willing to give up everything for her. He soon finds he cannot live without her.

But something holds Jocelyn back. The whisper of another's love. The embrace of water. Does she belong to this world? Or could Jocelyn possibly be from the sea?

My Thoughts

Sinking has stayed with me for a few reasons, the main one being the characters, Jocelyn was such a good character, even with having amnesia, she stayed strong and she tried to keep what little identity she had. Aidan I think is still one of my favourite leading men, thinking about him while writing this makes me smile. He's the traditional rugged hero with manners and morals and is a bit like a throw back to characters from classics. 

Another reason I still love this book and am still eagerly awaiting book two, Drifting, is I think the take on mermaids is so very different to anything I've experienced before and I just wanted to learn more about the way they live and their culture. 

The writing is beautiful and I know I mentioned the cover yesterday, but honestly just how stunning is the cover to Sinking? I honestly think it's absolutely stunning and would have probably picked the book up just on aesthetics alone. 

If you want to read my full review of Sinking I did a blog post on the date of the launch party back in February and you can see it here.

Do you have a favourite mermaid book?  Can you remember what you read back in February? 

Tomorrow I will be back with day three and my stand out March book. 

About The Author

I actually interviewed Sarah in February as part of the blog tour I was a part of, so for more personalised information about her, check out my blog post here.

So, you want to know a little about me. Well I am a mother, a wife, and (now here is the crazy part) author and screenwriter. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I have lived a hundred lives creating stories and have seen thousands of characters lift off of a page to argue with me over a line of dialogue.

At the moment, I am working on my second novel, Drifting. 

You can learn more about me by following me on Facebook and Twitter to get faster updates on my novels, screenplays, and projects.

Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington - Blog Tour Review and Guest Post

Today is Life Of A Nerdish Mum's spot on the paperback release blog tour for Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington. (Released on the 15th of December by Avon Books UK). I'm really excited to be bringing my review as well as a really interesting  guest post from the author on which comes first, the plot or the characters?

Saving Sophie 

A teenage girl is missing. Is your daughter involved, or is she next?

Your daughter is in danger. But can you trust her?

When Karen Finch’s seventeen-year-old daughter Sophie arrives home after a night out, drunk and accompanied by police officers, no one is smiling the morning after. But Sophie remembers nothing about how she got into such a state.

Twelve hours later, Sophie’s friend Amy has still not returned home. Then the body of a young woman is found.

Karen is sure that Sophie knows more than she is letting on. But Karen has her own demons to fight. She struggles to go beyond her own door without a panic attack.

As she becomes convinced that Sophie is not only involved but also in danger, Karen must confront her own anxieties to stop whoever killed one young girl moving on to another – Sophie.

A taut psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and I Let You Go. 

My Review

Omgoodness! This book is just so good. If I could have I would have read it all in one sitting as when I had to put it down due to having to be an adult I was driving myself mad thinking about what was going on and what would happen next when I could pick it back up again. 

Karen was an extremely interesting character, I don't think I've ever read a book that deals with agoraphobia. I thought it was covered really well and every time Karen considered leaving the house I could feel the anxiety and panic myself as she tried to conquer her fear. It also gave an interesting dynamic in the sense of relationships between Karen and her family and her best friend who really needs her but it isn't that easy. It was hard as a reader as I was frustrated that Karen couldn't just pull herself together for the sake of someone so important to her, but on the other hand I could see how much even the thought of leaving the house affected her. Though the book is called Saving Sophie I really feel this book is about Karen. 

Sophie was a really well written teenager, I felt she read exactly how I'd imagine a teenager would talk and think (I was one once but I don't really remember). She made some questionable decisions throughout the story and didn't seem to realise the implications of some of them, but she is still in the age range where she'd want to avoid getting in trouble with her mum and dad, never mind the police. 

The story is really well written and there are twists and turns throughout and I was kept guessing for a long time. My only "complaint" is that I wanted to know more! I wanted to hear what happened to several different people and I didn't get that, but that also leaves it open to make my own opinion about how people dealt with everything that had happened throughout the story. 

Overall a really exciting read and one that I have been recommending and will continue to do so!

I gave Saving Sophie 5 stars.

What comes first – plot or the characters?

By Sam Carrington

Both plot and characters are obviously essential for a novel, but which comes first in the writing process?

I have read various posts and articles where writers discuss what comes first for them. The majority seem to have their character first – a main character that has been slowly forming in their heads for however long before they decide to put pen to paper, fingertips to keyboard. You can’t have a plot without characters of course, however, I did have the idea for the plot first with SAVING SOPHIE.

From a personal incident, one which was highly emotive at the time, lots of ‘what if?’ questions arose. It’s these questions that formed the basic plot. Only then did I begin to build my main characters, thinking about who I wanted to put through this traumatic journey.

What surprised me when I’d got about halfway through writing the novel was that the characters had begun altering the planned plot! I’d read interviews with authors who said their characters ‘took over’ and I hadn’t understood how that could happen. After all – they are the writers, what lands on the page comes from their imaginations. I’d be a bit worried if the characters in my head began controlling things! But actually, they kind of do. I found that I’d get to the end of a chapter and the plot had taken an unexpected turn – one that was character-led. Things happened in the story that I didn’t even know I was thinking about. It’s a weird phenomenon, but one that is hugely satisfying.

Although the plot came first with SAVING SOPHIE, my next novel came about the other way around. My main character for book two had been wandering around in my head for a few weeks, and I then built her character and back story before throwing her into a situation. I also wrote the prologue first, without any thought to the ongoing plot. In the prologue, I have two characters who are witnessing a terrible scene and I knew that this was in the past – but I had no idea where I was going to take it from there. The plot was second to the characters this time.

I enjoyed both ways of coming up with my stories and it’s really fascinating how I feel I’m growing as an author by experimenting with different approaches. Now, book three is already forming in my head – am I starting with the plot or the characters this time?

About The Author

Sam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband and three children. She worked for the NHS for fifteen years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a Psychology degree she worked for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist. Before beginning her first novel, Sam wrote a number of short stories, several of which were published in popular women’s magazines. Other short stories were included in two charity anthologies.
Sam moved quickly on to novel writing and completed her first project within six months. Although this novel attracted attention from agents, it was her next that opened up opportunities. She entered this novel, with the working title Portrayal, into the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award in 2015 and was delighted when it was long-listed.
Being placed in such a prestigious competition was instrumental in her success securing a literary agent. When completed, this novel became SAVING SOPHIE, a psychological thriller which was published by Maze, Harper Collins as an ebook in August. The paperback and audio editions are publishing on 15th December.