Q&A with MJ Mallon

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog...MJ Mallon

Bio:

My alter ego is MJ - Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!

On the 17th of November I was born, in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit.) My early childhood was spent in Hong Kong. During my teen years, my parents returned to my father’s birthplace, Edinburgh, where I spent many happy years. As a teenager, I travelled to many far-flung destinations. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six-foot hunk of a Rock God husband. My two enchanted daughters have almost flown the nest, but often return with a cheery smile to greet me.

During the day, I work in an international sixth form with students from around the world. I’m the meet and greet lady who welcomes them to their new college and issues them with late slips when they don’t get to their lessons on time!

I write YA fantasy, paranormal, horror/supernatural short stories, flash fiction and short form poetry. More recently, I have produced and compiled an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown.

I’ve been blogging for many moons at my blog home Kyrosmagica, which means Crystal Magic. From time to time I write articles celebrating the spiritual realm, inspiration and my love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.

My eclectic blog shares my three loves: reading, writing, and creativity. I adore reading and have written over 150 reviews on my blog: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

My favourite childhood author was C. S. Lewis.  I adored The Chronicles of Narnia, and to this day I adore reading and writing about fantastical and magical worlds. I also had a fondness for comic books such as Tintin, Asterix The Gaul and a lesser known Scottish comic strip Oor Willie! 

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 

I’m drawn to three inspirational forces: art, clocks, and nature. The structural artworks that inspired me to write The Curse of Time are situated in two different capital cities that I love: Anya Gallacio’s crystal grotto in Juniper Artland, Wilkieston, Edinburgh and the Corpus Christi Chronophage clock in Cambridge - King’s parade.

I’m also inspired by the beauty and mindfulness of nature with frequent wanders in the botanical gardens in Cambridge -  these feature in my poetry, prose and photography collection: Mr. Sagittarius.

I have a day job which restricts my writing time and am easily distracted! My writing journey has been long and eventful. I started blogging and writing about six years ago.

 3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 

Creative chaos! That sums me up. I have to be organised in my day job, but at home I am the complete opposite.

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 

The easiest and most fun part is the writing. The hardest part is editing and formatting. I hate editing the most; it frustrates me so much.

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?

Philip Pullman, Jay Kristoff, Victoria Schwab

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?

It’s reading wonderful reviews and selling copies, both here and abroad. I’m a contented person, so I am happy to continue growing and gaining new readers. I think I would shy away from fame and fortune!

7.      How do you select the names of your characters?

My youngest daughter Georgina insists she chose my characters’ names in The Curse of Time! With Mr. Sagittarius, I decided to write about a mythical zodiac character, Mr. Sagittarius. The names of the three siblings, the identical twins: Harold, William and their sister Annette just seemed to fit.

8.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

No, maybe I should? I’ve never tried this. I once wrote about a boss that really annoyed me in a horror short I wrote. It was quite therapeutic.  

9.      If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role? 

For The Curse of Time - Candice King would play the main female character, Amelina. The male antagonis - Ryder  - maybe Bill Skarsgard.Ryder is more difficult to cast!

For Mr. Sagittarius - Perhaps someone quirky like Jim Parsons

10.   What do you hope your readers take away from your book?

With, the Curse of Time, I’d like my readers to be immersed in the fantasy setting and to be curious to find out what happens to poor Amelina and her family who have fallen prey to a dreadful curse.

In Mr. Sagittarius, the emphasis is very different. This is a light-hearted, magical, whimsical, and humorous read. The underlying themes are the circle of life, family, love and magic!

My latest release, This Is Lockdown, is a collection and anthology set during Lockdown. This anthology/memoir shares my diaries, poetry, photos and flash fiction during this time, and the thoughts, fears, and hopes in poetry, writing and flash fiction from international writers, bloggers and creatives. 

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? 

 
Oh, you left the most difficult question to last. I love to bake. I’d choose a home made slice of lemon drizzle cake, which I made during lockdown. It was very tasty!

Published Books:

The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone (YA Fantasy)

Mr. Sagittarius - Poetry/ Prose and Photography

This Is Lockdown - My personal diaries, contributions from international authors on the subject of lockdown in poetry and writings, plus my poetry, flash fiction and photography.

I am also a contributor to various anthologies which are all available via my

Author Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/M-J-Mallon/e/B074CGNK4L/

The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone

A unique, imaginative mystery full of crystal magic-wielding, and dark elements.

Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl Esme who’s imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house. When an unexpected message arrives inviting Amelina to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden pathway where she encounters Ryder, a charismatic, but perplexing stranger. With the help of a magical paint set, and some crystal wizard stones, she discovers the truth about a shocking curse that has destroyed her family’s happiness. A magical YA/paranormal fantasy with dark elements set in Cambridge, England.

Mr. Sagittarius

Twin brothers Harold and William love the magic of the natural world.

When Harold dies he leaves a simple memorial request.

Will his brother William and his sister Annette honour it?

Or, will the garden work its magic to ensure that they do.

This Is Lockdown

This anthology and compilation is for everyone wherever you live in the world. We are all experiencing the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown. As writers, bloggers and creatives we express our thoughts and opinions in writing: in heartfelt poetry, pieces on isolation and the impact of COVID-19 and the ‘new normal.’ There are twenty-eight talented contributors, including the creative NHS Mask Making Fundraising Team of Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago Val. The contributors come from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA and Zimbabwe, or closer to my current home in England - in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.

It is as Willow Willers, a contributor, said, ‘A piece of living history.’

Social Media:

Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com

Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook #ABRSC:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1829166787333493

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-mallon 

Published Articles:

Feature and Excerpt for The Curse of Time: https://issuu.com/electricpress/docs/epnovember2020

Feature for This Is Lockdown: https://lightboxoriginals.com/difficult-times/

Feature for Mr. Sagittarius: https://lightboxoriginals.com/lollipop-leaves/

Poetry: https://spillwords.com/the-magic-of-the-dragonfly/

Feature about Prologues: https://sachablack.co.uk/2018/04/08/prologues/ 

Q&A with Leonie Mack

Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog.... Leonie Mack, author of 'My Christmas Number One.'

About Leonie:

Leonie Mack is an author of fun contemporary romance with engaging characters, sparky dialogue and settings that will whisk you away to new places. She loves a happy ending and shares that love in every book she writes!

Leonie is a journalism graduate, a language nut and loves to travel, particularly on foot, by bike and by train. After growing up in Australia and living most of her adult life in London, she now lives in Germany, among the vineyards along the Main river.

1.    What was your favourite childhood book/author? 
The book I read the most times as a child was The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. I loved all the characters and the endless adventures at the top of a magical tree.

2.    What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?
I have always written stories—as soon as I learned to write, I started writing stories. I wrote for myself, as a hobby, for years before I got serious about learning to plot a novel, about three years ago. I wrote My Christmas Number One last year. It was the third book I’ve tried to get published and the first one that’s made it!

3.    Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 
My writing space has typically been wherever I manage to set up. I have small children, so no space for a dedicated office. I wrote most of My Christmas Number One at the dining table! But now I have a desk in the living room

4.    What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process?
I love writing romances. Crafting the story is the best job in the world. I love getting deep inside the characters and winding up the emotional (and sexual!) tension. The most difficult part is the hard slog of endlessly proofreading! That, and waiting for Christmas, in the case of this book!

5.    Which other authors are you influenced by?
 I am a romance nut and my early writing influences were the American authors Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Now I enjoy reading romcoms by lots of fabulous British authors like Portia Macintosh and Lucy Keeling.

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?
My goal is to keep writing. My books need to do well enough that I can keep bringing out books! I was fortunate to get a contract for two books, so my second will be out next year and hopefully by then I’ll be on a path to more books!

7.    How do you select the names of your characters?

           Some characters are really easy to name. In My Christmas Number One, Cara’s name was just hers, right from the beginning. It just worked well for her. Other times, I’ve had to change a character’s name partway through (which is a nightmare of Find and Replace). I use lists and naming statistics and name origin websites to make sure the name is appropriate. For secondary characters, I often look for similar people in real life. For example, the character of Susana in My Christmas Number One has the middle name of famous Mexican singer Paulina Rubio.

8.    Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand?
There aren’t any secret messages per se, but there are a lot of song lyrics that made their way into the book—not quotes or exact wording, but paraphrased. There are several songs in Spanish I was listening to while writing that have references to cupid’s arrow and bullets of love, ‘getting lost’ together, being addicted to someone and even the Colombian saying that is part of Javi’s character arc (‘You don’t have to drink the water; let it run’) is actually in a song. The character of Javi came directly out of these love songs in Spanish, although he becomes a lot more than that as the story goes on.

9.    If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role?
I would love to see this story come alive on screen with all the music and drama! I didn’t have any celebrities in mind when I was writing, but one reader suggested Emily Blunt for Cara and I love that. That reader suggested the American actor Benjamin Bratt for Javi, which I also quite like. Another suggestion I’ve had from a reviewer was Gael Garcia Bernal for Javi and I like that idea, too. He would bring the appropriate brooding under the surface.

10.  What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
I want the readers to have a complete escape. I want readers to feel the heart-pounding chemistry of falling in love. With this book, I also want readers to see that everyone, no matter what haunts them from the past or what struggles they have in the present, can fall in love and learn to enjoy Christmas again.

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? 

My Christmas Number One is best enjoyed with a mojito and some Christmas pudding! 

My Christmas Number One
Available HERE

There’s nothing quite like a Christmas love story, to get you in the mood for celebrating…

Cara doesn’t do sexy and she only does ‘Happy Christmas’ under duress. She is, after all, a serious musician, and her stubborn streak is born from her struggle to recover from a serious injury.

Javi lives for escapist fun - in his music, and in his life - especially since he’s always failed at life’s more serious challenges, including marriage and fatherhood.

Javi and Cara are forced to record a Christmas single together, but neither of them have plans to spend any more time with each other than they absolutely have to. With Christmas traditions that couldn’t be more different, and outlooks on life that are worlds apart, the chemistry just shouldn’t work. But the magic of Christmas can bring even opposites together…

From the snowy beauty of London at Christmas, to the candle-lit magic of Javi’s traditional family celebrations, let Leonie Mack whisk you away on a memorable festive adventure. Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Mandy Baggot and Holly Martin.

Q&A with Christina Courtenay

    Welcome to The Comfy Chair blog... Christina Courtenay, author of 'The Runes of Destiny.'

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014).  The Runes of Destiny (time travel published by Headline 10^th December 2020) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author?
The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton – I read all 21 of them and wished there were more! (Loved all her other stories too).

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?
I started writing when my first child was born because I needed a job I could do from home so I could be a stay-at-home mum. It wasn’t as easy as I thought though and I didn’t get published until the week after she left home aged 21! But by the time I realised how difficult it was going to be, I’d been bitten by the writing bug and haven’t stopped since.

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos?
That depends – I usually work in ordered chaos, but I have occasional tidying up sprees when I get fed up with the mess and I do like order in general.

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 
The easiest part is the writing – just letting your imagination flow. I’m always really excited when I start a new project and I love writing the first draft. The hardest part is self-promotion and balancing the time spent on writing with that taken up by social media.

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?
All my fellow timeslip/time travel authors, particularly Barbara Erskine, Susanna Kearsley and Nicola Cornick. They are all mistresses of their genre and write wonderful books! Early on I was also influenced by Johanna Lindsey because she had a way of leaving her readers feeling massively satisfied, and she was great at creating literary families readers want to return to over and over again.

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?
I suppose all authors want to be bestsellers and I’m no different, but the best thing is when readers truly enjoy your stories and tell you so. And when you hear that you have cheered someone up or helped them over a difficult period in their lives perhaps.

7.      How do you select the names of your characters?
I keep a list of great names and whenever I hear one I like I add it to that. I also scour the internet for suitable names and can spend ages looking for the right one. As I’m writing Viking stories at the moment, I have a list of Old Norse names and I’m always happy to be able to add more.

8.      If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role?
Chris Hemsworth would make a great Viking hero (as he does in his role as Thor) but I take inspiration for my characters from random photos on the internet who “become” my hero/heroine and mostly those people aren’t actors or actresses so can’t play those roles. If my books were to be made into a film I think it would be great to cast unknown actors/actresses from Iceland or Scandinavia. I’d love to be allowed to help choose them!

9.   What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
Entertainment and a feeling that all is right with the world, that good always triumphs over evil and that love is stronger than anything else.

 

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? 

 

I’m a chocoholic so a bar of Bourneville or some Ferrero Rocher chocolates would be my preferred option. Swedish cinnamon buns could also work! (I have a great recipe if anyone wants :-D)

The Runes of Destiny
Release date: - 10^th December 2020

Separated by time. Brought together by fate. When helping out at an archaeological dig, Linnea uncovers an exquisite brooch, but blacks out after reading the runic inscription. She wakes up surrounded by men in Viking costume, who seem to take re-enactment very seriously. Lost and confused, she finds herself in the power of Hrafn, a Viking warrior who claims her as his thrall and takes her on a journey across the seas to sell her for profit. Setting sail, she confronts the unthinkable: she has travelled back to the 9^th century. Linnea is determined to find a way back to her own time, but there’s a connection forming with Hrafn. Can she resist the call of the runes and accept her destiny lies here …

Buy Links:-

Amazon UK 
Amazon US

Social Media:-

http://www.christinacourtenay.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/

Q&A with Mary Grand

   Welcome to The Comfy Chair blog... Mary Grand, author of 'The House Party.' 

About Mary:

I live on the Isle of Wight with my family. Before coming to the Island, I worked as a teacher of Deaf children in Hastings and Croydon.  I grew up in Wales and speak a smattering of Welsh, my first few novels are set in Wales.  After several happy years of self-publishing I am now very excited to be working with Boldwood Books.  

What was your favourite childhood book/author?

I grew up with Enid Blyton books, mostly reading stories about children with very different lives to my own. My favourite series was called ‘The Naughtiest Girl in the School’.  Generally, I appear to have liked reading about children (and cats!) that liked breaking the rules, who were a bit rebellious. As an extremely conforming child I guess reading for me was a safe way to escape the mundane, to know the thrill of going to new places and discovering different ways of living.

 

What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?

I only started writing about seven years ago. I had been unwell and went on a creative writing course one evening a week.  The teacher was really inspiring, and I discovered a whole new world.  I self-published my first three novels, the first of which was ‘Free to Be Tegan’. This was inspired by my experiences growing up in a strict religious sect. Earlier this year I was very excited to sign a 3-book deal with Boldwood Books for a series of standalone   thrillers /whodunnits set on the Isle of Wight. My first book with them, ‘The House Party’, was published last July.  I am busy working on the next!

 

Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos?
My thinking space tends to be outdoors; quiet, solitary places and my favourite is Mottistone Down here on the Isle of Wight.

My actual writing space is curled up on the sofa with my laptop. I have a coffee table in front of me with notebooks and lists.

I have tried to create more orderly spaces with a desk and pin board but it’s never worked for me. I think I need to be close to coffee and biscuits!

 

What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process?

The easiest part is thinking up the ideas, the characters, the plots and I enjoy creating my world and the people who live in it. Some days however I feel overwhelmed by doubt or the task of completing the whole novel.  The most helpful thing for me at this point is to remember that saying by Anne Lamott...take it ‘bird by bird.’..one step at a time.

 

Which other authors are you influenced by? 
I love a wide range of writers of Women’s fiction and also crime and thrillers. Some writers who have influenced me are Barbara Copperthwaite, Cara Hunter, Daphne Du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Lucy Foley, Louise Candlish...the list goes on!

 

What does literary success “look” like to you?

One of the best feelings in the world is when you hear from a reader how much they have enjoyed your book, how it might have helped them through a difficult patch.  A really exciting moment for me was seeing ‘The House Party’ in book shops sitting along writers I have admired for years.

 

How do you select the names of your characters?

I love choosing the names of my characters!  I often research the meaning of a name but sometimes the name will just come to me and be right for that person. I come from Wales and the main characters in my first four novels all have beautiful Welsh names. On a practical note I try not to have two characters with names starting with the same initial as it can be confusing.

Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand?

Each of my novels has a cocker spaniel in it and their names are chosen very carefully. Since I started writing I have also been a member of a group for owners of cocker spaniels. I choose the names of one of their dogs each time as a way of saying thank you for all their love and support.

 

What do you hope your readers take away from your books?

Thrillers and whodunnits are naturally tense, suspenseful stories. My aim is for the reader to get lost in the story, to escape. My main characters go on difficult journeys with lots if twists and turns. However ultimately things are resolved, loose ends tied up and I hope my readers leave the book feeling surprised, satisfied, and with a hint of ‘of course, I should have seen that coming!’

 

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?
I think I would choose welsh cakes. Like Beth in ‘The House Party’ welsh cakes were something my mum made a lot when I was growing up in Wales.

The House Party

At the intimate house-warming party for her glorious ‘grand design’, Kathleen confides in her best friend Beth that she is terrified of one of their close friends, but daren’t reveal which one. The guests are a tight-knit group, but Kathleen is convinced one of them is dangerous.

The next day Kathleen’s body is found at the foot of a cliff and Beth must face the sickening truth that she may have been killed by one of their trusted friends. With little help from the police, Beth’s decides to seek answers.

All the friends have secrets they are desperate to hide, but only one of them is ready to kill to keep theirs safe... Available HERE

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Mary-Grand-1584393925166154
Twitter: @authormaryg
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Email:   marygrand90@yahoo.co.uk
Website: marygrand.net 

Q&A with Sandy Barker

  Welcome to The Comfy Chair blog... Sandy Barker, author of 'The Christmas Swap.' 

About Sandy:

I call myself a hopeful romantic. I’m also a lifelong traveller, self-confessed coffee snob, and devourer of cooking shows, especially The Great British Bakeoff.

For more visit: https://sandybarker.com/

1.      What did you read as a child? 

I was obsessed with reading as a child and at ten or eleven, I precociously devoured Mills & Boon books. By the time I was twelve, I’d move onto Shirley Conran and Jackie Collins. But I also had more ‘age appropriate’ tastes and loved the Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley High books too.

 

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 

I started writing a travel biography in 2001 about my year spent as a Contiki Tour Manager. I tried to fictionalise it in 2012-2013. An agent, who liked my pitch, read it and said, ‘It’s not your first novel. Too many characters, multi narratives. You’re not Liane Moriarty (yet). Go away and write a simple, linear story.”

 

And I did. I wrote what became One Summer in Santorini. I self-published that and (what is now) A Sunset in Sydney, and wrote (what is now) That Night in Paris. Before I could self-publish my third book, I heard from Avon Books and they wanted to publish me! That was early 2019 and I have had four books published since then (I’m now with One More Chapter, another imprint of HarperCollins UK).

 

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 

I’m a neat freak and I have also been working from home for nine months, so my writing space is dual purpose, and everything is in its place. I do the official ‘switch over’ twice a day. I write in the mornings, then ‘go to work’, then switch back to author mode in the evenings – different laptops, different notebooks…

 

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 

The easiest part is when I am in the flow of a story and it is pouring out of me. The ideas are coming fast and thick (I only plan a loose outline and character arcs) and I end up writing whole chapters in a single sitting – I love that.

 

Copy edits are the hardest because it is not just about tweaking small sections. You then need to go back through the whole manuscript to make sure you haven’t ‘upset’ the rest of the story – or even its flow – with the edits.

 

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?

I read widely in my genre, and there are some incredible authors out there writing the most clever/beautiful/hilarious stories. But the author whose career I most aspire to emulate is Lindsey Kelk. She is so brilliantly funny and her characters live and breathe in your mind. She’s also written two series as well as standalones and I am planning to do the same. I’ve already written the next in the Holiday Romance series and I am now writing book 6, a standalone, which may become a series!

 

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?

When I can stop working in a ‘day job’ and just write fulltime. I have SO MANY stories inside me – most romantic comedies, some darker contemporary fiction, a thriller, a fairy tale. I just want to write fulltime.

 

7.      How do you select the names of your characters?

Maybe this is the hardest part of writing. I have a list of names I like, and I’ll draw from that, or I (lazily) borrow from friends and family. If I am writing the antagonist, I’ll go to my other list – names I don’t like, or I think of people who have irked me. And I use Google! ‘Popular girls’ names from 1990’ – searches of that nature are very helpful. But a name has to fit the character and sometimes, my characters get renamed as I write.

 

8.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

Not so much messages, but I will give my close friends ‘cameos’ where I’ve named a minor character after them. I also have ‘stolen’ a few travel stories/anecdotes that some people will recognise.

 

9.      If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role? 

I typically do an ‘inspiration image search’ when I am writing something new, so I usually know what my characters look like and often their appearance is based on specific actors. For Lucy in The Christmas Swap, I’d love Eleanor Tomlinson – she’d be perfect – and for her love interest, Will, Ansel Elgort.

 

10.  What do you hope your readers take away from your book?

That you can choose your family – those lifelong friends we have – they are our family as much as our parents, siblings, cousins, etc. Family is love, acceptance, honesty, generosity, and support.

 

 

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? 

 

Christmas cake (drowning in sherry), hot chocolate, bubbly – anything that you associate with Christmas.

The Christmas Swap

Ebook is out now on all platforms, and the print book will be available from the end of November.

Christmas is coming and best friends Chloe, Jules, and Lucy are needing change… so swapping homes for the holidays could be the perfect present for all of them! Join them in snowy Colorado, sunny Melbourne and cosy Oxfordshire for love, laughter, friendship and romance.

Amazon:

AU https://amzn.to/3kx7xEO
US https://amzn.to/2PBrtbH
UK https://amzn.to/2RrbmhP
CA https://amzn.to/2HzrUCk

Apple: https://apple.co/3cCVRgy

GooglePlay: https://bit.ly/3cAJhhI

 

Sandy Barker's Social media:

https://twitter.com/sandybarker

https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor

https://sandybarker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/

Q&A with Liz Hinds

  Welcome to The Comfy Chair blog... Liz Hinds, author of upcoming release, 'This Year Maybe.' 

My name’s Liz Hinds, I live in Wales, on the edge of the beautiful Gower Peninsula – the first Area of Outstanding Natural beauty to be designated as such in Britain – with Husband and George. You’ll hear plenty about them – and it won’t necessarily be complimentary – if you read my blog! (http://lizhinds.online/)

I love reading, writing, walking with George, fun socks, and ice cream, but not as much as I adore my grandchildren

1.  What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

Little Women was my absolute favourite but before that I have fond memories of a book about Pookie. I can’t even remember if Pookie was a bear or a creature, or what he got up to, but I just have this little spot in my heart labelled, ‘Pookie’.

As for Little Women, of course I wanted to be Jo, even though I didn’t think seriously about that for a long time. Still haven’t forgiven her for not marrying Laurie though.

2.   What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 

Although I was good at writing essays, through school and university I took the science route. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that the church I was part of set up a local newspaper and I got involved with that, and, as they say, it just went on from there.

3.  Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 

No question, creative chaos. I have the habit of jotting things I think are important or want to remember down on scraps of paper, which then litter themselves – nothing to do with me – across my desk. I am trying to be more organised and write everything in a notebook but, well. My desk is also home to stones painted by grandchildren, and another notebook of Welsh – I started learning online during lockdown. At the moment there’s also a t-towel that I brought in to mop up the water I spilled.

4.   What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 

Having ideas is easy. Facing the fear when it comes to putting them on paper terrified that they’ll not live up to the promise in my head is hard. Letting the characters write their own stories is easy. Writing it for them and making it fill enough pages – I am by nature a short writer, if you understand me – is hard. But nothing is as hard as marketing and promoting. Although I’m now on my third published novel I’m only just beginning to realise that books don’t sell themselves. (Just look at my sales figures …) So I’m doing courses, watching videos, learning new things, going from excited enthusiasm to mind-boggled misery in the course of a few hours each day.

5.  Which other authors are you influenced by?

Katie Fforde is my favourite of that genre (whatever that would be) and I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. And I adore the style of Fredrik Backman though I have yet to emulate him.

6.   What does literary success “look” like to you?

Lots of people reading and loving your books.

7.  How do you select the names of your characters?

Do you know I don’t have a clue? I’ve tried to think before about why I decided to call this person Alison and that person Trisha, for example, but it must be a magical process that just happens.

8.  Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

So deep are they buried that no-one has ever found one. Or maybe I’ve not even thought about a secret message. Hm, now, what would I want to impart to those in the know?

9.  If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role? 
When I wrote my first novel – many years ago – I cast the now late Alan Rickman as the male lead. He was the only one I’ve ever seen so clearly and that was mainly a case of heard, as in the male character, David, has a sexy voice. I shall have to think about casting for my new novel.

10. What do you hope your readers take away from your book?

A smile, a warm feeling – or from my first and newly-released novels, that ‘At least I’m not as dopey as Alison.’

 

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 Welshcake or three.

This Year Maybe (sequel to This Time Next Year)

Release date: 25^th November 2020

Alison and David have been engaged for so long that even Alison’s mother has given up asking when, but it’s second time around for both of them and they’re not in any particular hurry. That said, Alison is beginning to wonder if living with her has put David off the idea of marriage so when he suggests they set a date she is delighted. But that date is six months’ away and a lot can happen in six months – especially if you’re Alison!

‘My son’s been arrested, Great-aunt Millie's fallen in love, my best friend suspects her husband of having an affair, and I still need to lose weight. How on earth can I think about getting married?’

Available to pre-order HERE

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