A pleasure to
welcome Ruby Speechley to the Cocktail Lounge. Before becoming a full-time
writer Ruby’s career spanned HM Land Registry PR and marketing then journalism.
She has had two psychological thrillers published by Hera Books: Someone Else’s Baby (July 2019) and Every Little Secret (April 2020).
Ruby how lovely
to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
R: A glass of
Prosecco please!
I’ll join you. So where did we first meet in real life?
R: I think I
first met you at a Vanguard evening in Peckham, although I’m sure we knew each
other before that on Twitter.
We did and it
was so lovely to meet you IRL. I was delighted when you came over to me and
were so friendly. What were your first impressions?
R: You gave me
such a warm welcome when we first met, as though we’d known each other for
years!
So we must have
a few points in common.
R: We both
enjoy crime fiction and know lots of other writers: Angela Clarke, Amanda Saint (Retreat West) and Richard
Skinner (Faber Academy), to name a few.
I’ve read and enjoyed Someone Else’s Baby so tell me about your latest book?
R: My second psychological thriller, Every Little Secret came out on 23 April this year. Maddy and Max Saunders are devastated by the death of their five-year-old daughter, Chloe. Maddy is trying to keep the family together for the sake of their other daughter, Emily but then Max goes missing and the fallout following his apparent suicide reveals he had told her lie after lie. His web of betrayal forces her to examine their life together to uncover the truth of his secret life…
Sounds right up
my street. What are you working on now?
R: I’m working
on the edits for my third as yet untitled novel with Hera Books, which is due
out this November. Book four is planned out and I have a solid idea for book
five.
You’re being
amazingly productive. What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject,
fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
R: I’d liked to
be at one of those old informal late-night TV chat shows with guests drinking
and smoking and not being at all guarded about what they say. Daphne du
Maurier, Patricia Highsmith and Agatha Christie discussing their writing craft
would be interesting clash of the titans.
That would be
an amazing array of writers. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown
is finally lifted?
R: Spending
more time with my new grandson! He was born a month ago and I’ve only seen him once.
I’ve not seen my parents for six months either due to them shielding (even
before lockdown) so I would love to see them too.
Is there anything lockdown has made you
think about/want to do?
R: Family, friends and my health have always been important to me and lockdown has emphasised this. It has also proved to me the importance of creativity in all its forms, writing, reading, cooking, films, TV dramas, art and music.
I’d agree with all that Ruby. Thank you so
much for joining me and I’m looking forward to seeing you when we can. In the
meantime, may I refresh your drink?
You can find out more about Ruby Speechley and her books here and follow her on Twitter @rubyspeechley
I’ve missed seeing Bernie Steadman at our usual get-together at CrimeFest this year so am delighted to welcome her here. Bernie is the author of The West Country Crime Mysteries (Bloodhound Books), a trilogy set in the city of Exeter and the surrounding Devon towns, coast and countryside.
Hi how lovely
to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
B: It’s very
nice to be invited, thank you. I’ll have a dry gin with Fevertree tonic, much
ice and a slice of lime. Under no circumstance must there be vegetables in my
gin. Shall I bring two?
One of my own
favourites so yes please! Where did we first meet in real life?
B: We met at
Bristol CrimeFest, several years ago. Actually, we met in the bar at CrimeFest
I seem to remember.
Always a good
place to meet! First impressions?
B:I thought you
were warm and welcoming, as I knew very few people, but you gave me your time,
which was kind. Now, you’re a mate. You took me along to dinner one evening,
and now we have a regular “girls’ night out” on the Friday of CrimeFest where
seven or eight of us go for something to eat and a good old natter.
A highlight of
the weekend. Points in common?
B: We both
started writing a little later than some of our contemporaries, but have
refused to be judged by that paltry detail! We both lean to the left of
politics, love animals, and our families, and are determined to do what we want
to do, when and how we want do it.
Sounds about
right. Tell me about your latest book?
B: My last published
book was Death on the Coast (Bloodhound
Books), the last of a trilogy of police procedural crime books set in and
around the Devon coast and Exeter. It deals with issues of revenge and
betrayal, and rounded off the series, at least for now!
What are you
working on now?
B: My next
book, The Man She Couldn’t Trust is a
standalone thriller set in Crete. It was a book shouting to be written, and the
research was fun, too. No cover to reveal as yet, until edits are completed,
but there will be more to follow over the summer, which is exciting! It will be
published by Bloodhound Books in November 2020
B: Following that I have started a slightly “cosier” crime series which will be set in Lyme Regis, near where I live, and feature two women who run an art gallery and uncover fraud and other poor behaviour amongst the local populace. Lyme is a beautiful place, and will be almost a character in the books.
I shall look
forward to that, as Lyme is one of my favourite places. We’ve missed book
events under lockdown so what would be your dream panel (at any event) –
subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love
to meet?
B: My dream panel would be at CrimeFest, with Kevin Wignall as moderator. He’s hilarious, and I like to have a laugh to conquer the old nerves. It would be around a sense of place in novels. Kate Atkinson with her “Jackson Brodie” hat on, mainly so I can bow a lot, Stuart McBride because his Scottish characters leap off the page and beat you round the head, Jane Harper because the sense of place in “The Dry” was handled superbly, and finally, Peter May, because I have read everything he has written and you cannot beat the Lewis Trilogy for bringing the Scottish Islands to life. I’d just sit there, that would be enough.
Sounds a
perfect panel. What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally
lifted?
B: Well, I had
to miss a holiday to Crete, so that could come back. It will be wonderful to
see and cuddle my family again. I’ve missed them.
One thing lockdown has made you think about/want
to do?
B: Write a Will. Also, to do the things I
really want to do, because we genuinely have no idea what’s coming next. Don’t
put stuff off, do it!
B: Well that was thirsty work. Thank you so
much for inviting me to the Cocktail Lounge, mine’s a large one!
A pleasure to see you here, Bernie –
cheers!
You can follow Bernie on Twitter @BernieSteadman and find out more about her and her books here
Today I’m delighted to welcome Ian Patrick who, before becoming an author, spent 27 years in the Metropolitan Police. Rubicon, his debut novel currently in development with the BBC for a six part TV series, was followed by Stoned Love and he has just published How the Wired Weep. Ian is also an ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Scotland where he lives dividing his time between family, writing, reading and photography.
Hi Ian how
lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
I: I’m so happy
to be here, thank you. I don’t drink alcohol so I’ll have a mocktail please.
So where did we
first meet in real life?
I: I believe it was at a book launch in London for Louise Voss and Mark Edwards. Jane Isaac brought me her guest and it was a great evening with a room full of writers. Many I then followed on Twitter. The energy in the room was addictive. It reinforced my belief that I was on the right path with my own writing.
Well, I’ll have
to dispute that, Ian. We first met at BeaconLit when Jane was one of the
panelists. However what were your first impressions?
I: You were
very approachable, kind, and enthusiastic about my writing. I’d just started
out and you agreed to read a draft of a novel that I’d written. I think it’s
important to mention how that feedback went! Needless to say it was a bitter
pill to swallow but as a result of your honesty, I wrote Rubicon. Criticism is hard to take but if you can’t take it and
adapt then you will never know your best self. It was a valuable lesson and one
I will never forget.
I must admit when I read Rubicon, I was amazed at how much your writing had improved and if my criticism helped in some small way to achieve that, I’m delighted! Points in common?
I: I know
there’s a theory about six degrees of separation and this was evident when it
transpired you are friends with family on my wife’s side. You also have an
excellent series set in the 90s, when I was policing, so that was an enjoyable
thing for me to help with advice for the first in the series.
Not just the
first book, Ian and I really appreciate how quickly you respond to a query.Tell me about your latest book.
I: How the Wired Weep follows the paths of
a detective called Ed and a Covert Human Intelligence Source (informant) called
Ben. This book is very much a baby of mine. It’s taken two years for me to get
it right and I’m very pleased with the result. It’s a fast paced dose of urban
contemporary fiction. If your readers enjoyed the TV series The Wire or have read Richard Price’s Clockers, then they will enjoy How the Wired Weep. I like to get into
the minds of both the detectives and the criminal when I write, as each brings
a different perspective to the table.
I’m looking
forward to reading this, Ian. What are you working on now?
I: At the
moment I’m spinning plates! I have two novels in development both based in
Scotland. One is very much a personal based drama story and the other more
speculative fiction along the lines of The
Hunger Games. I’m also developing a script for a short film.
A busy time.
We’re all missing book events, so what would be your dream panel (at any event)
– subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would
love to meet?
I: I was very
close to a dream panel at Newcastle Noir this year but sadly it was cancelled.
To get an invite to appear at any festival is a privilege and I was very disappointed
to miss this opportunity. As a wheelchair-user, festivals that promote
inclusivity are very important to me. Newcastle Noir and Bloody Scotland are
two inclusive festivals. I was at Bloody Scotland in 2018 on the main stage
with Val McDermid and Denis Mina. Reading from Rubicon and the memory of that
event, in front of 800 people, will always stay with me.
I: I would love
to be on a Q&A panel with Margaret Attwood and Chuck Palahniuk chaired by
Joe Rogan. It would be great to just sit and explore the craft of writing with
these people and hear their take on the world.
That’s a panel to aspire to! What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?
I: This is a
very interesting question because for me not a lot will change. I’ve been
shielding for the entire time. I’m also listening to the science more than the
government. I’m fortunate because we live in a very remote area of Scotland so
live a pretty isolated lifestyle anyway but when tourism opens up again it will
be interesting for me to see how things are and whether the R rate goes up.
One thing lockdown has made you think about/want
to do?
I: I’m a thinker; always have been. I like
to be introspective and this period has been both a cathartic and challenging
time. I have an incurable muscle condition but if you met me you’d never think
I was vulnerable. I don’t consider myself so but nevertheless it wouldn’t do me
any good to be laid up in bed as my muscle wouldn’t repair in the same way as
most people’s.
I: It’s made me more aware of how precious
life is and that we don’t have long to live a life of value. I write so people
like myself who have times of struggle get a break from reality and can enter
another world. I want to write more and support people in this way. Life really
is what we make it and it’s very easy to lament what we don’t have rather than
embrace and develop where we can and add value to others’ lives.
I: Thank you so much for having me here and
for all your support over the years. It’s very much appreciated. Ian x
Fabulous to catch up and good luck with all
your projects, Ian.
You can find out more about Ian’s books here and follow him on Twitter @ipatrickauthor
My guest today is Beverley Harvey who, like me, grew up on Enid Blyton. Her career has spanned working as a receptionist, a PA, a PR, a media consultant, a copywriter and a dog walker – all roles which helped inspire her first two novels, Seeking Eden (2017) and Eden Interrupted (2019) published by Urbane Publications. Born in Yorkshire, but raised in Kent, Beverley has spent her adult life in London and the South East – until recently, when she and her partner moved to Chichester.
Hi Bev how
lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
B: Thank you,
Anne. That’s very kind. I often love a vodka martini but as the weather’s so
glorious I’ll take a chilled Sauvignon Blanc Blush, please. Will you join me?
I certainly
will. So where did we first meet in real life?
B: At an Urbane drinks party in November
2016 at the Phoenix Arts Club, and happily a couple of times since then. I met
so many wonderful Urbane authors that night and was completely awestruck to be
surrounded by such talent.
That was a
wonderful party. First impressions?
B: Big cheeky
smile, deep, musical voice and lots of quite naughty laughter. I thought: there’s a girl who knows how to
enjoy herself! You were very welcoming to a then unpublished author. You and
several others were so kind to me that night and it meant a great deal.
Naughty
laughter? I wonder if that was a point in common?
B: There are
others. In addition to both being published by Urbane and our mutual love of
books, two words: South London! Before I “moved out” in 2007, I’d lived there
most of my adult life. We also share a love of animals and have both been scarred
by losing dogs we adored.
Yes we have but
you have an adorable terrier now. I haven’t taken the plunge to adopt another
canine friend. Unlike you I haven’t included a dog as a character in my books. How’s
life on the book front in these strange times?
B: I’ve just celebrated the first birthday of Eden Interrupted, my second in a series that takes a wry look at family life on a prosperous, modern housing estate.
B: Plus I recently signed a two-book contract with Bookouture so I’m currently working across two psychological thrillers – editing one, whilst writing the other from scratch. It is a new experience for me, but I’m getting there. The first of these will publish in November 2020.
Congratulations.
Looking forward to when we can enjoy festivals again, what would be your dream
panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you
have met or would love to meet?
B: I would love
to be in a room with Louise Beech, Louise Candlish, Cara Hunter and Gillian
Flynn to talk thrillers and the art of suspense and scaring people. I adore
these authors and could learn so much from them.
Fabulous
choice. And what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally
lifted?
B: Ah, that’s a
no-brainer, Anne. Hugging my brother and sister. I haven’t seen either since
early March and we’re a close family.
Hugs are so important aren’t they? I have
just been able to join my daughter and her family in a “bubble” and the joy of
being able to be with them is overwhelming. Is there anything lockdown has made
you think about/want to do?
B: I’ve realised just how much I enjoy my
partner’s company and I marvel that we never run out of things to talk about. Friends
and family are everything – the rest is just set dressing and easy to suspend
for a while.
That’s lovely to hear, Bev.
B: Gosh, Anne, so lovely to chat over a drink, but we made short work of those. Must be my round. Same again?
Thank you, and thank you so much for
joining me in the Cocktail Lounge.
You can find out more about Beverley Harvey here and follow her on Twitter @BevHarvey_
Today my guest is Lesley Lodge, prize-winning short story writer and author of Lights, Camera, Gallop which combines her love of film and horses. Her first crime book, Wayland’s Revenge, is a historical novel set during the Siege of Colchester.
Lesley, welcome to my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
L: Let me think… I’ll have a Dark and Stormy please. Cheers!
So where did we first meet in
real life?
L: In real life we met in the 1990s in East Dulwich, South London – so in both the time and the place of your Hannah Weybridge novels. I hope I haven’t inspired you in any criminal way…
That would be telling. What were your first impressions?
L: I thought what a welcoming person! I watched you take command of a meeting and realised you were someone who could judge characters well. I was soon to catch on to your creative side too.
We’ve known each other a long time so we must have quite a lot in common?
L: We had kids of the same age and journalism. I’d been a journalist for a Middle Eastern business magazine and at that time was cracking out articles on, well, housing regeneration. Actually, there is a very real connection between poor housing, Peckham and gangs. You were freelancing for all kinds of magazines and publications. We both had ambitions to write THE great novel, if only the kids would settle quietly…
What are you most looking
forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?
L: Well what I’ve missed most so far, in the writing world, is the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Hopefully it will be revived in 2021.
I think you’ve been to Harrogate every year. I’ve never got there but we did both make it to CrimesFest which was fun. What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
L: I’d love to get Don Winslow, Stephen King and Val McDermid together on a panel. They’re all fabulously enthralling writers – and they’ve all been clear [if I may be just a tiny bit political here] about the leaders who’ve not led us well on Coronavirus on either side of the Atlantic.
Oh be as political as you like and have another drink as you tell us about your latest book.
L: So Wayland’s Revenge is set in 1648, a time of bitter civil wars in England. Wayland, the village blacksmith, returns from army service to find his wife, Rebecca, murdered and his son traumatised. Wayland’s overpowering desire for revenge is thwarted by the collapse of laws and a dearth of clues to her sadistic killer. Wayland sets out on a perilous journey to find the killer, taking with him his son Jonathan and Alun, a canny Welsh baker. But just as they find their first suspect, they are trapped in the brutal Siege of Colchester, facing ever more dangerous challenges. Wayland, Alun and Jonathan must draw on all their strengths, devise new strategies and make agonising decisions, if they are to stay alive and find the real killer before he strikes again. It’s out in paperback, kindle and audiobook.
I don’t read many historicals but I must say I was totally gripped by Wayland’s Revenge. What are you working on now?
L: My longer-term project is to write a sequel for Wayland’s Revenge. I think this one will be set in the dark, dank Fens in the seventeenth century. Wayland might just get caught up as slave labour for Cromwell’s project to drain the fen. But in the meantime, I’m working on a memoir about my misadventures in the 1970s. I have a 320 page first draft of that so far.
Well editing that will keep you busy during lockdown! Is there anything this time of pandemic has made you think about or want to do?
L: Run outside waving my arms manically… And head for a train to London.
And I’ll be there to meet you for a real drink. Lesley, thank you for joining me today and please get on with the sequel to Wayland’s Revenge.
You can find out more about Lesley Lodge and her work hereand follow her on Twitter @LesleyLodge
My guest today, Paul Gitsham, a biologist who retrained as a science teacher, is the author of the DCI Warren Jones crime books, which began with The Last Straw in 2014. The latest in the series, A Price to Pay is released on 5 June by HQ Digital.
Hi Paul how
lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
P: Well, if
you’re buying… I will have a bottle of Nanny State and a glass of lemonade,
plus an empty pint glass. Yep, you read that right, an alcohol-free shandy. I
know how to party!
So do you remember where we first met in real life?
P: Tricky. We’re both stalwarts of First Monday Crime, but I suspect we were brushing shoulders before then at CrimeFest.
First
impressions? I was in awe of you as you seemed so confident.
P: I’m flattered. The only time anyone has
said they were in awe of me in recent times was after I downed a glass of fizzy
water, mixed with tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and whatever
the hell else year 8 had added to the beaker. I did it in 8.2 seconds and held
that record for most of a lunch-time, until an especially iron-stomached year 9
beat me by less than a second. In my defense, it was for charity.
P: As to my first impressions – like most writers I am constantly suffering from imposter syndrome, I recognised you and was delighted when you spoke to me. As always with the crime community, I found you to be a fun conversationalist and enjoyed chatting to you. You are one of the familiar faces I always keep an eye out for when entering a room for the first time.
What a lovely
thing to say. Points in common apart from a geographical connection to Harlow,
Essex where I lived and went to school.
P: Well our
time in Harlow hasn’t really overlapped, as I have only been here a couple of
years. However, as I mentioned before, we both really enjoy First Monday Crime
in London.
P: I know it’s a cliché, but that love of books from an early age is something that we have in common. I know that you were inspired to read by a teacher, who allowed you access to his office to choose books. As a child in primary school, I was a little slow to start reading, but when I did, I soon polished off everything the school had to offer. I too felt incredibly special when the teachers gave me a special dispensation to bring in my own books to read.
Thinking about
book events, what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow
panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
P: So many to choose from! I think if I
were to sit down and spend time with another author, it would be David
Baldacci. I am really in awe of him. The way he juggles so many different
series and consistently produces a couple of good page-turners a year is
inspiring. I’ve never seen him speak publicly, so a Q&A with him would be
fantastic. David, if you’re reading this…
Fingers
crossed! So what are you working on now?
P: I am
currently in the throes of next year’s DCI Warren Jones. It’ll be the seventh
full-length and the eleventh in the series. No title as yet, but my internet
history for the past weeks includes how long after death biometrics continue to
work and how one goes about leasing an allotment – so make what you will of
that. It should be published by the HQ imprint of HarperCollins in June 2021.
But your latest
book is just about to be published?
P: Yes, 5 June sees the release of the sixth full-length DCI Warren Jones, A Price to Pay. As the tenth entry in the series, it feels pretty special. It’s just a shame I won’t get a chance to talk about it at CrimeFest or show anyone the lovely new bookmarks I’ve had printed!
P: In this book, I decided to focus on the world of undocumented workers. After a brutal murder the investigation has lots of twists and turns and a pretty devastating conclusion. For long time readers of the series, it continues to deal with the fallout of previous novels.
What are you
most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?
P: I haven’t
seen my family for months. We have been having regular video-conferences on a
Sunday, and I phone my parents for a good chat a couple of times a week, but it
isn’t the same. My two toddler nephews are a little too young to understand
quite how Skype works and generally run around yelling rather than sitting in
front of the camera, so I am looking forward to having them on my knee again.
Is there anything lockdown has made you
think about/want to do?
P: To go out without a teatowel wrapped
around my face. We torture ourselves by planning what we are going to eat when
we finally get to go for a meal. The biggest disappointment is the need to
postpone our wedding and honeymoon. When it finally takes place, it is going to
be the party of a lifetime!
Thank you for joining me in my virtual Cocktail Lounge, Paul. I’m looking forward to meeting up the next time there’s a real event – you never know it might be the CWA Christmas party!
You can find out my about Paul Gitsham’s books on his website and follow him on Twitter @DCIJoneswriter
Today my guest is Dave Sivers, co-founder of BeaconLit and author of the popular crime series featuring the Aylesbury Vale detectives, DI Lizzie Archer and DS Dan Baines. Dave’s latest novel In Ink introducing DI Nathan Quarrel is just published.
Photo (c) Cliff Hide
Hi Dave what better way to celebrate In Ink’s launch than in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
Hi Anne, and thanks for having me. I think I’ll start
with a mojito, please.
So where did we first meet in real life?
D: It was at BeaconLit, the book festival in
Ivinghoe, Bucks that I co-founded. 2014, our second festival, and the first
full-day event after a half-day pilot the year before.
As long ago as that? I remember it was Lesley Lodge
who invited me. First impressions?
D: Well, we’d known each other on social media for a
couple of years by then. I can’t now remember who found who first online, or
whether it was Twitter or Facebook, but you’d come across as a friendly, bouncy
person who’s interested in what people have to say, and that was the person I
met in real life. Apart from that, maybe I noticed you weren’t particularly
tall.
Obviously not an attribute we have in common but we
do have some similar interests?
D: Well, we’re both interested in books, writing, and
crime fiction in particular, and I’d say we both like and care about people. We
like a glass of wine, too!
Very true and in the past we’ve enjoyed a glass or two at many a book launch. Sadly those have all been cancelled for the time being so tell me about In Ink.
D: In Ink, which has just come out, introduces DI Nathan Quarrel and is set in West Hertfordshire, in particular Hemel Hempstead and Tring. It’s a serial killer chiller and, after five Archer and Baines books, it’s been great fun creating and getting to know a whole new cast of characters and research a new area. I do know West Herts – I lived there for 15 years – but I enjoyed delving into some of the details to give my setting a bit of added depth.
Thinking about festivals, what would be your dream
panel – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or
would love to meet?
D: I’m going to moderate a panel on biographies, whether my panelists have actually written one or not – it’s my dream, so we’ll say they have. So I’m choosing Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare, Bruce Springsteen, Elizabeth I and Marilyn Monroe. It doesn’t matter that all except the Boss are dead, right?
That’s an amazing panel. In the meantime what are you
working on?
D: In between finalising and promoting In Ink, I’m working on the sixth in my
Archer and Baines crime series, set in Buckinghamshire’s Aylesbury Vale. I’m
hoping to release it in the first half of 2021. Hate crime is one of the
themes. I’m still wrestling with a title.
What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is
finally lifted?
D: Two things. The first is seeing my dad again. I
last saw him at the beginning of March and, although we speak on the phone
regularly, we miss actually seeing each other. The second is really trivial,
but I’ve reached a point where I’d (almost) kill to go out for a cappuccino and
a cinnamon bun in Costa. Although one positive to come out of all this is I’ve
got more into baking and have found I can knock up a pretty mean cinnamon bun
myself!
Is there anything
lockdown has made you think about or want to do?
D: I guess it’s
made me think about the duality of human nature quite a lot. Lockdown has
brought out some great good in people – neighbours looking out for each other,
more friendliness and consideration when you encounter other people, and the
wonderful, hard working people in the NHS, in supermarkets and other essential
shops, the posties and other delivery people, all of whom have kept things
going and done it with a smile. But then you see the stockpiling and groups of
people not social distancing. I try not to judge them without knowing the facts,
but even then you get the odd fool who really thinks the rules don’t apply to
them, and you read some awful stories.
D: I guess any
crisis can bring out the worst in people as well as the best. I was struck the
other week by a little story of a family who put a teddy bear display in their
front garden to cheer up their neighbours. They regularly changed the scene.
Then someone stole the lot. But you know what? Neighbours rallied round and
contributed cuddlies to new display. The best and worst of humanity in
microcosm.
D: The other
thing I’ve really become aware of, living in a fairly rural area, is how much
traffic and aircraft noise really obliterates the sounds of nature. We’ve been
for walks when all you can hear is birdsong and the buzz of insects, but the
silence is already becoming eroded now. It will be interesting to see what the
so-called New Normal looks like when we settle into it.
Dave thank you so
much for joining me. I look forward to raising a glass in real life in the not
too distant future.
Thanks for
inviting me to the Cocktail Lounge, Anne – it’s been great to chat. Another
mojito for the road, perhaps?
You can find out more about Dave’s books on his website as well as follow him on Twitter: @davesivers and Facebook: davesiversauthor1
Today it’s an enormous pleasure to welcome my fellow Urbane author, the irrepressible Gina Kirkham, creator of Mavis Upton who appears in Handcuffs, Truncheon & A Polyester Thong, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Blues, Twos & Baby Shoes.
How lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge,
Gina. What can I get you at the bar?
G: Hi
Anne, lovely to see you too, I’ve been excitedly waiting for us to have a catch
up for ages. I’d love a Gin & Tonic please with lots of ice… (the ice is only to dilute the gin so I don’t
fall over on the way out!)
I’ll join you
in a G&T as we mull over where we first met in real life.
G:
That was at The Phoenix Arts Club in London for the Urbane Authors Christmas Shindig
in 2016, although we had struck up a lovely friendship via social media
beforehand. I was so excited I skipped down Charing Cross Road like a child,
much to my hubby’s eternal embarrassment. I had only ever been to London once
before which was a “closed” visit to Downing Street, so I didn’t get to see
London in her full colours that time. We booked a hotel in Leicester Square for
this trip, so it was all bright lights, neon signs and theatres. I squealed
every time I saw someone I thought was famous.
That was a great party and I’d had my launch for Dancers in the Wind there so it had happy memories. First impressions?
G: Gosh,
after forgetting my glasses and mistaking a total stranger at the bar for Simon
Michael, forcing myself on him for a good old fashioned northern hug which sent
the poor guy scurrying for the exit to escape my clutches. I finally found you
sitting in the corner with Pete Adams. I remember your huge, friendly smile the
most and then Pete’s trademark hat. Within minutes of chatting, I felt as though
I had known you all my life. You are such a warm, funny and very welcoming
person and I loved your knowledge and enthusiasm for writing. I suppose being
so new to the book writing world I was a bit of a stalker, I so desperately
wanted to learn anything I could from you. Because I’d only just signed my
first book contract and it hadn’t been published yet, I didn’t consider myself
an author at all, so I was completely in awe of being in the company of a real
one!
I trust you’ve
learned to accept your author status now with three Mavis Upton books
published! I am in awe of all the talks you give! Points in common?
G: Our
mutual love of our respective grandchildren, books and writing, a good old
fashioned womanly camaraderie and our wicked sense of humour… and the fact we
can get on the phone for a “quick chat” and still be gabbing away 40 minutes
later!
So far we’ve never met up at a festival so I’d love
to know what your dream panel would be (at any event) – subject, fellow
panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
G: I’m
a huge Harry Potter fan, so I’d have to say my dream would be a Q&A with
J.K Rowling, I could listen to her for hours. Funnily enough it’s been the
magic of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts books and films that have got me
through some of the not so good days on lockdown. It’s pure escapism, oh what I wouldn’t do to
be young again and a pupil at Hogwarts! I’ve watched the films so many times my
hubby now knows the scripts word for word and delights in pre-empting every
scene. I’m currently listening to and
enjoying the readings that are being broadcast on Wizarding World Harry Potter
At Home as a serial. I’ve also had
several trips to the Harry Potter Studio tours, so we could discuss that and
what her input had been to the spin-offs from the books.
G: I’ll
never forget my first visit to the studios when the tour guide asked if anyone
had a birthday and would they like to open the doors to the Great Hall. The
doors are a truly breathtaking sight for any HP fan, so I rushed to the front waving
like an idiot whilst squealing “Me, me…” only to see I was surrounded by hordes
of kids and a clearly amused tour guide who kindly informed me that his offer was
for children only. I pouted and tried to explain that I wasn’t 59 for another
week so did that not count but it fell on deaf ears and a lot of laughter.
Only you Gina!
So what are you working on now?
G: I’m
having a little break from the Constable Mavis Upton series. I didn’t want her
to become boring and predictable for readers, so I thought now was a good time
to try something a little different.
Murder
at the Winterbottom WI (A Prunella Pearce Mystery) is my new work in progress
inspired by the lovely ladies I have met at my talks for The Women’s Institute
groups around the country. It’s still humour but with a twist and for the first
time in my writing career, I’m having to think of several ways to murder
someone. It’s not as easy as I first thought, crime writers definitely have my
undying admiration. My poor hubby who is
my research assistant has been shoved face first into a lemon drizzle cake to
measure how long it takes to suffocate and has hung from a coat peg under the
stairs to see if it would hold the weight of a body. I’m having so much fun writing it. I won’t spoil
the plot but the tagline of “What wouldn’t YOU do to be the next President…”
might give a hint.
It is
different to Mavis and her escapades but I’m becoming very fond of my new
protagonist, Prunella. She is a
survivor, sassy, funny, a little bit mischievous and a Librarian with a deep
love of books to boot – so what’s not to love.
So what have
you been reading lately?
G: Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes. I
met Elizabeth and Lisa Cutts when we did a panel together at the Rochester Lit
Festival last September. We had such a giggle doing it, they are both
fabulously talented, very funny and friendly ladies. Elizabeth had the audience
howling with laughter over her character Colin, so I just had to get the book. I
have also bought Lisa’s books too.
They’re fantastic, definite 5* reading and of course waiting in the
wings as my next read is the latest Hannah Weybridge book, Perditions Child written by a lovely lady I just happen to have the
pleasure of knowing!
Thank you, hope
you enjoy it. And we have to embrace the lockdown question – what are you most
looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?
G: Seeing
my grandchildren, definitely. Olivia 10, Annie 7 and baby Arthur have been on
FaceTime and WhatsApp most days but it’s the cuddles, holding their little
hands and our days out that I miss so much, it’s as you said in our last
message to each other, it’s an actual physical ache. I’m a real hands-on Nan as I’ve always looked
after them a few days a week whilst my daughter is at work, so it’s been a huge
wrench not seeing them or having them stay over. I feel so sad when I go into
their bedroom and see their empty beds, their toys and books but no children
and no laughter. Our first outing after lockdown will be a trip to our
favourite place, Chester Zoo with a picnic and a visit to the Bat House, which
is my favourite… although Olivia is not so enthusiastic as every time we go in
there a bat poops on her head sending her into an apoplectic fit as she wails
“Why is it always me Nanny?” I usually
can’t answer her because I’m laughing too much!
Is there anything
lockdown has made you think about/want to do?
G: It
has really made me appreciate what is truly important in life. I’ve quietly sat
thinking about all the things I thought I wanted to have or do and quickly
realised there were no possessions or places that could mean more to me than my
family and friends. I have thought a lot about nature and the impact we have on
our environment and the speed at which we live our lives and my own mortality. I’m considered high risk due to medication I
take which has a massive impact on my immune system, so it was quite scary to
realise that something unseen could so easily take my life.
G: I think
I will come out of lockdown a calmer, more appreciative person… who is at least
two stone plumper with a very heavy penchant for Parma Violet Gin!
Gina
it’s been such a pleasure catching up with you and I look forward to that spa
day we keep promising ourselves.
G: Thank you so much for the invite Anne, d’you fancy a bag of crisps before we call it a day? 😊
All Gina’s books are available from Hive with free delivery.
