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how did you first come to write?
From a very early age I loved
writing. I’d create stories and read them to my friends. By the time I was ten,
I began writing a book about a girl, her pony and the adventures they had
together. I guess you can say that was the birth of my writing career, although
it took a good few more years to actually get into print ….
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What genre do you write in?
I’m a romantic novelist. That is,
of course, quite a broad banner with many different interpretations. Mine link
with drama. My novels deal with relationships and conflict and I also have a
signature female antagonist who gives my central characters a lot of problems.
Tell
us a little about your current work in progress.
Watercolours in the Rain is the sequel to my current novel Summer Moved On
We catch up with the
three central characters six years after the end of the first book. There have
been a lot of changes in each of their lives, some quite radical. Quite by
chance they are brought together again with some interesting outcomes.
When I began plotting this book,
my editor thought it might be interesting if it was written from each of the
central characters’ viewpoints. I have written from the first person Point of
View in the past so wasn’t sure whether I could work with three characters in
that way. Well, I’m pleased to say that I have managed it and it’s been an
interesting journey so far, getting inside those three minds.
Do
you have a dedicated writing space?
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| Jo's orderly writing space |
Ideally, I would love my own
space – a lovely summerhouse (fully heated for the winter, of course) where I
could sit and write. At the moment, I have an office which is our third
bedroom. It’s very much a shared space, although my husband prefers to use to
use the laptop downstairs.
I
know you do reviews of other writers’ books. Do you have a particular genre
that you prefer to review? Are there any books that have stood out for you in
the past year?
I’m pretty flexible with my
review reads but prefer not to get involved with Dystopia, YA or Chick Lit. As
for memorable reads – The Rest of My
Life by Sheryl Browne, The Girl in
the Ice by Robert Bryndza and The
Ghost Bird by Carole Lovekin are titles that come to mind. All different
but totally amazing. My current book – a pre-publication review read – is When I Lost You by Kelly Rimmer which
will definitely be joining that special list.
What
sort of books do you read for pleasure? Do you have any favourite authors?
As a reviewer and a writer, I
very rarely get an opportunity to browse and download something for myself.
Being a romance writer, I do like a good love story but crime and mystery are
also on the agenda. I’m quite flexible really and it’s all about whether the
blurb entices me in rather than the genre.
Back in the 1990s, I read a lot
of Wilbur Smith. I know he’s thought of as a man’s author but his earlier
novels involved a lot of South African history which I found really
interesting. I’ve always loved Philippa Gregory too – her Tudor and Plantagenet
novels are brilliant. And what you probably might think of as a quite
unexpected choice – George RR Martin. There had been so much publicity about
Game o Thrones – a Song of Ice and Fire when it was first published that I
simply had to read it – and found myself totally hooked.
Thanks for inviting me Anne.
It’s
been a pleasure, Jo. Incidentally, I too am a Wilbur Smith fan, particularly of
the South African novels. Although they’re all adventure novels, there’s always
some romance in them. As for Game of Thrones, my husband bought me the boxed
set of the first four TV series last Christmas. So far, I’ve watched three episodes but I’m reserving judgement ….
Another
chocolate before you go?
