Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... Helen Edwards
Originally
from North Wales, Helen currently lives in Shropshire with her husband and
their dog. Helen worked for many years in the public sector and has an
administrative background. She writes both fiction* and non-fiction. As well as
being an indie author, Helen is a self-publishing assistant, offering
editorial, self-publishing, and writing services. To find out more, please go
to: www.helen-edwards.co.uk
*The novelettes are written under the name Helen Libby
1.
What was your favourite
childhood book/author?
That
would have to be Enid Blyton for The Magic Faraway Tree collection, as
well as Malory Towers and The Twins at St. Clare’s.
2.
What inspired you to start
writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?
Ever
since I was a young child, I have enjoyed writing stories. As an adult I’ve
written on and off for years. I first self-published in 2015. That was a
novelette; more novelettes followed as writing shorter length fiction became my
niche.
When
I became a puppy parent in 2016, and after being overwhelmed with anxiety
during those early weeks with my new furry friend, I decided to write a book
about my experiences with him in a bid to help other new puppy parents. The
book was published in 2018.
The
book proved helpful to other people judging by all the comments and reviews I
received. I loved writing about Archie and so I wrote a sequel, which was
released in 2019. In both books I included some comments from my dog, Archie.
People told me they loved hearing from him, which sparked the idea for a fictional
diary.
The Secret Diary of Archie the Zuchon is based on
all the places we’ve taken Archie. Whenever we go anywhere, I try to pick out something
of note, something humorous. I love writing as Archie!
3.
Describe your writing space -
neat and ordered or creative chaos?
Creative
chaos. Every now and then I’ll have a blitz and my desk is neat, but it doesn’t
take long to get messy again, mostly because of all the writing pads and notes
I have scattered around.
4.
What is the easiest and
hardest part of the writing process?
The
easiest part for me is writing the first draft, when I can just go with the
flow. It doesn’t matter if it’s a load of rubbish, because it can be
re-written/edited. The hardest part for me is editing because it requires more
concentration.
5.
Which other authors do you
admire?
I
take my hat off to authors like Trisha Ashley, Juliet Ashton, Lucy Dillon, Ali
McNamara, and Sue Moorcroft to name but a few. I could never write like that in
a million years.
6.
Do you hide any secret
‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand?
Not
a message as such, but in my collection of novelettes, which I released last
year, I linked the stories (albeit very loosely), by repeating certain lines. A
robin appeared in every story.
7.
What do you hope your readers
take away from your book, The Secret Diary of Archie the Zuchon?
I
hope they will feel uplifted. I hope Archie’s stories raise a smile or two. I
think the stories will resonate with dog owners, but you don’t have to have a
dog to enjoy this book. It’s a gentle read, one which is suitable for people
who love dogs.
Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to
enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake
or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book?
A chocolate brownie. I love them. During the
first lockdown I started baking them myself, which is no doubt fatal for my
waistline!
The Secret
Diary of Archie the Zuchon
Welcome to the secret diary of
Archie the Zuchon.
What are
Zuchons?
Zuchons are
very special dogs, as you’ll find out.
Read about
Archie’s ad-ven-tures and get a dog’s perspective on the world.
A must-read
for all dog lovers.
Social media links:
Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @helibedw
Archie has his own Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArchietheZuchon
Book extract:
Mum posted her parcel and I ate my treat, but on the way out I
disgraced myself.
We passed a sack of potatoes, you see, and there was a lovely
smell by it. I had to stop and in-ves-ti-gate. It was a message from a fellow
dog (I can’t tell you what it said – we dogs are allowed some secrets), and
well, it would have been rude of me not to leave a reply. I cocked my leg
before Mum could stop me.
She was mortified. She went up to the lady and told her what I’d
done, apologising far too many times in my opinion, and offered to clean up
after me.
And do you know what? The lady just laughed and told Mum another
dog had done the same thing. You see? That’s the only reason I did it, because
you know, I’m a good boy.
She had it cleaned up in a jiffy and wouldn’t hear of Mum helping.
Thankfully, I hadn’t wet the sack of potatoes, just the floor nearby. Phew!
Mum joked that I’d be banned from the shop, and the lady said
they’d put up a “wanted” poster. Well, really!
I haven’t been banned and Mum’s taken me in there since then, but
she held me in her arms the whole time. She’s not convinced I won’t do it again.
I’ll try not to, Mum, but if someone leaves a message, you have to
leave an RSVP, don’t you? Ha ha.
