Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
You already know how dearly I *adore!* the novelists of ChocLitUK – therefore, it won’t surprise you to learn I’ve had my *eye!* on their latest endeavour: Ruby Fiction since it was a whispering in the wind! I even found the three authors who are debuting the imprint this year in the twitterverse!
One such lovely is Caroline James – my honoured guest today on Jorie Loves A Story, who has written a novel I am itching to *read!* as soon as it goes into another format of entry! In fact, I ought to have ‘caught’ the secret of the novel – the age of the characters featured within its chapters, as the clue of course is within the ‘title’ of the hotel! The reason I was so surprised I had missed it is because one of my parents (my Mum!) is part of the Boomer generation! Dad is in the generation ahead of it – ergo, sometimes it is quite oft true: you can miss the obvious! lol
The more I learnt about the premise behind the story (especially through this conversation!) the more giddy I was becoming to *soak inside!* the setting & the allure of venturing into the Boomerville Hotel! Mind you, I happen to love the college classes offered to retirees and the alternative ed. selections they can aspire to undertake as well – there is this wonderfully lovely door of creative blissitude & educational adventure lying in wait for me – I only have to turn *55!* in order to start enjoying the entry into this new dimension of joy!
The fact I’m nearly pushing a pence short of thirtyten is quite telling – as I’m not as ‘far off’ to those golden years as say I was twenty year ago! Laughs with mirth. No mind. I love every inch of life – each year is a new discovery & a new chance to curate experiences – wherever our adventures take us, lead to memories, personal growth & a renewing of interest for the unknown. I think this is also in-part what curated an interest in the topics of the novel – of realising there are others out there who *love!* self-learning experiences, continuing education & are self-directed learners – wherein, to seek what we become curious about is only half the journey! Sometimes the other half is being open-minded to the doors which open when we are only first glancing outside the window!
I hope you’ll appreciate this conversation as much as I had assembling the questions which inspired it! Perhaps we share a heap in common about seeking out the joys of new experiences & constantly finding new adventures to undertake! Let us all embrace the side of our lives where our curiosity is never fully quenched & where our imaginations soar on the dreamscapes of newly cast dreams wherein we expand our horizons seeking further enlightenment.
Here’s to the adventurer in all of us!
Remember, brew yourself your favourite cuppa & enjoy the convo!
An exciting *announcement!* at the very end of this lovely post celebrating Ruby Fiction – as pertaining to my #ChocLitSaturdays showcases & my chat #SatBookChat! As I am announcing what we’ll be discussing next!
I keep forgetting to mention : I’m on a green tea & lemongrass tea kick, lately!
Whilst my intake of coffee or decaf is at an all-time low – I’ve only had two cuppas in about two months – which is quite incredible, I think since I”ve spent the last month re-falling in love with TEA!
Whilst your leaving your comments for this lovely new release
don’t forget to tell me, what’s in your MUG?
The Best Boomerville Hotel
by Caroline James
Let the shenanigans begin at the Boomerville hotel…
Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!
Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than it’s fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.
With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?
Places to find the book:
on 13th March, 2018
Published By: Ruby Fiction (@RubyFiction)
an imprint of ChocLitUK (@ChocLituk)
This is a Digital First release | I am hopeful this will go into print or audio!
Inter-connected Series by Ms James | the first three are in PRINT!
Coffee, Tea, the Gypsy and Me | Book One (Synopsis) ← where Hattie & Jo enter our lives!
Coffee, Tea, the Caribbean and Me | Book Two (Synopsis)
Coffee, Tea, the Chef and Me | Book Three (Synopsis)
*originally entitled: So, You Think Your A Celebrity… Chef?
The Best Boomerville Hotel | Book Four *theoretically! → Jo & Hattie are back!
Converse via: #RubyFiction + #CarolineJames & #BestBoomervilleHotel
How did you initially conceive of the idea for the Boomerville Hotel and what made you decide to set it in the Lake District?
James responds: As a former hotelier in Cumbria, I was in love with the county from the very first day my toes tipped out of the car and I stepped on Cumbrian soil. There is so much majesty in the rolling fells, mountains and beautiful lakes. It is stunning at any time of year. Having owned and run a pub and a hotel there, my imagination got the better of me when I was thinking of plot ideas with older protagonists in mind and it seemed the perfect environment to place my characters in a fictional hotel.
I had such a huge smile reading this response as I had no idea the novel was originating out of your own living experiences! The setting feels like it would be a lovely place to not only live but to run a hotel & pub! The natural background alone would be wickedly delightful to visit – as I love the natural world & the ways in which nature can lift our spirits simply by what we can find whilst we’re out walking about natural habitats – so you totally gave me a wink of joy in how you’ve described it! No wonder you wanted to expound on this sentiment and let the Boomerville Hotel grow out of your joy!
There have already been cross-references to “The Best Marigold Hotel” however, your novel sounds a bit more light-hearted and fun whereas the films were dearly dramatic and emotionally gutting in certain places. What do you hope readers will recognise as the key differences between the two rather than thinking they are interchangeable and the same?
James responds: Hotel Boomerville isn’t a permanent residential setting. Guests stay for a week or two at a time, perhaps a little longer if they enjoy the courses on offer. I think the comparison lies in a story about older people discovering themselves at a time of their life when they least expected to. My characters are baby boomers, people who were born during the post WWII period and are now aged 50 – 72 and Kate, the leading lady, is in her early 50s. Hotel Boomerville isn’t all about fun, there are some powerful messages about deceit and being conned, something that happens all too often – especially to women in their middle years and beyond. I like my readers to feel a scope of emotions from laughter to tears and to love or hate the characters.
This is what I overlooked when contemplating the ‘title’ of the story – it was right there ‘Boomerville’ and yet, I had my mind going in a direction in regards to what inspired the name of the hotel! lol I had a good chuckle over that error – as like I just mentioned, my Mum is a Boomer herself and Dad is just ahead of her hugged closer to the end of the last great war. I *love!* the fact you’ve set this story featuring non-traditional characters (all across the board – as my dear hearted readers are about to find out!) and have rooted the story itself with women of a certain age finding they can thrive in undertaking a business of this venture!
I think people have a lot of misconceptions about what you can achieve at the different ages we rise into as we grow – each of us has milestones we acknowledge – their not all for the young as age is as much about perspective on life as it is about the calendar which calculates how many years we’ve lived. I definitely am a keen perspective reader of yours then: the emotional keel of everything a character can live and experience throughout the breadth of the novel is what draws my heart into each story I pick up to read! (print or audio)
Who was your favourite male character and what was it about his personality which gave you joy to bring to the story-line?
James responds: Bob Puddicombe is a favourite. He is a Buddhist and has popped up in other books and maybe one day I will write a novel with Bob as the lead. Bob is a media agent in London and is cunning and quick and will walk the plank for his clients if that’s what it takes for them to realise their celebrity dreams. He lives with his partner, Anthony, who is a theatre manager in the Cotswolds and together they lead a seemingly glamorous life. Bob gets into all sorts of scrapes at Hotel Boomerville and once he discovers the sessions with the resident Shaman, is convinced that he has spiritual powers way beyond anything his religion practices.
He might soon become a favourite of mine! I have oft wanted to study Buddhist mediation – if only to find ways to curb fatigue – especially intellectual fatigue as being a writer whose a voracious reader whilst a girl who loves her research – I sometimes forget to take ‘down-time’ away from ‘books’! If you factor in the fact I regularly blog my reading life – I purposely have tried to focus on ‘hobbies’ outside my bookish wanderings these past five years – each year I seem to gain a bit more ground towards better ‘balance’ as I am a knitter and I have an electric guitar I’m attempting to become more formally acquainted with this year as well.
I love how you’ve set the stage for this couple to have a life on the surface which seems free of drama or intrigue or even adversity,… but then, that can lead-in to a misstep on their part or a period of growth for them both overall. It is best to not grow too overly confident in life as there are always little kinks in the wheel which could effectively blindside you. Ooh, yes, I definitely look forward to meeting Bob & Anthony!
Which female character had a personality you loved exploring and what do you hope readers will notice about her?
James responds: Hattie Contaldo, the hotel manager has a fascinating personality. She is larger than life, interfering and boisterous with a voracious appetite for food, fun, booze and sex. I never knew what mischief she was going to get up to next. To many, she may seem obnoxious and nosy at times but Hattie has a heart of gold and I hope that readers will see this, for Hattie is the friend you would want in your corner if circumstances became difficult.
The very first thing I thought of when I read about Hattie is she reminds me of Blanche! (from ‘The Golden Girls’) I grew up watching this sitcom and laughingly, you could claim the same for Blanche – (food, fun, booze & sex) as being her favourite past-times of interest! lol She had a heart of gold though – which it seems (*whoopsie!* hadn’t meant to jinx you!) the same is true for Hattie – they tend to be that way don’t they? I’m still revelling over how they gave Blanche the initials “BED”. (seriously laughing now) I know I’ll enjoy meeting her,…
Who was the character who surprised you the most for their transformation after having stayed at the Boomerville Hotel? Was it something they gained by staying at the hotel or did they come to an awareness of self which congealed through their experiences of what the Hotel offered?
James responds: Kate Simmons changed completely through her stay at Hotel Boomerville but if I say too much, I will give away the story. Boomerville is all about trying new experiences and stepping out of your comfort zone and guests who did this found their encounters and learning hugely beneficial.
Ooh dear my – I seem to have the knack for this – for almost giving a spoiler out in my conversations! I seem to tap into certain characters or certain aspects of the stories I am itching to read and thereby – wells, we have a reply we have to keep ‘mum’ about as otherwise all is spoilt! Totally understand – though you’ve left me so dearly curious now to encounter Kate!
Stepping outside our comfort zones is one of the blissitudes of life! Whether it’s cooking with new ingredients we’ve never used previously or eating at a new restaurant or finding ourselves wicked addicted to yuca all of a sudden (such as I have) – the best way to live is to seek what is unknown and find the hidden joys therein. We grow if we live with open eyes and an open mind,..
It is hinted in an early review there are courses available at the Hotel – what kind of courses could visitors expect to find and how did you choose which ones to include? Were any based on your own experiences?
James responds: There are standard courses from creative writing, painting and pottery classes but I wanted to throw a few curved balls into the mix. Hotel Boomerville has a resident Shaman who burns strange herbs in his tepee, in the meadow beyond the hotel, and Clairvoyance in Midlife is run by Queenie, a local psychic. Guest also learn how to cook, write a novel, make a pottery mug and keep in touch with their spiritual side with some crazy events led by the Shaman and Queenie. I’ve been on many courses which include most of these. One that stays in my mind was a creative writing week, run in a remote house in a Welsh valley, where the hosts, an Indian squaw and her cowboy partner, smoked pot and invited wildlife into the house to dine with us. It’s not often you drink wine in a moonlit hot tub with a baby deer in the middle of the night!
Hmm, I had forgotten to enquiry if it were watercolours or another medium of interest. I want to seek out watercolours personally as a shift into a more natural variant of paint. Painting pottery is an interest of mine already – it’s so dearly relaxing but I’ve never thrown pots as of yet. I am unsure what left me more giddy – Queenie, the Shaman or the adventurous queue of classes! I could see myself popping round the Boomerville Hotel all flushed with excitement for what each new day would reveal!
I daresay! You have had quite the experiences!! Although, I once hiked through switchbacks of Appalachia after getting lost and found a keen refresher in spirit by swimming against the currents of the river. I could barely walk but I found a way to climb the rope down to the shore and just jumped in – swimming out the angst of the arduous experience and finding bliss in the craziness of the moment where the water just soothed out the edges of feeling exhausted on the trail. Sometimes you just have to do what renews your spirit even if it’s a radical act of randomness. I think your night was much more relaxing!
As your novel focuses on a certain block of years of a person’s life, why do you think sometimes society short-changes what people can accomplish due to them reaching the proverbial ‘certain years’ where everyone generally only thinks about pensions & retirement? What do you hope your message will convey instead?
James responds: Western culture suggests that we become invisible to the younger generation as we get older and I was surprised to learn that one in three people over the age of 50, in the UK, now live on their own, which can also be daunting. Many factors contribute to the idea that this age group is short-changed but I believe that is a state of mind and for me, growing older has never been more fun. This is the message I hope to convey with The Best Boomerville Hotel. By aiming to be the best that we can at every stage of life. I want the novel to be uplifting and show that life can be wonderful as you age. It’s all about running down the road to your later years, not staggering along on a Zimmer frame and by stepping out of your day to day and testing new waters you will create the energy to recharge those fading batteries.
Hmm, considering I’ve been around pensioners my entire life, I can’t claim the same on this side of the Pond. I always had a full respect for my elders and of course, my family was significantly older as well. I suppose it depends how you grow-up and how your raised, too. Even if you don’t have a lot of elder relatives, you can still get to know seniors in your local community when your young enough to appreciate what they’ve lived and what they’ve seen. Their stories enrich our lives as those are the missing living histories where textbooks of History overlook telling.
I definitely, agree! Age isn’t a barrier of what a person can accomplish (my Mum wants to take up drums whilst I take up electric guitar – I am sure some would say we’re both ‘too late’ to even begin but to us? It’s the dawning on a new day in our adventures.) That is truly the beauty of it isn’t it? To remember to embrace every inch of our lives, every new day we breathe and each new dream we can curate for ourselves to chase after – to boldly live and breathe and dare to realise what excites us every step of the way!
Seriously! This needs to go into print or audio!! (post haste)
What can you share about the owners of the Boomerville Hotel: Jo and Hattie in regards to what did these two lovely women do prior to tackling this idea of theirs and what inspired them to take the leap of faith to undertake the project?
James responds: Jorie, these are such great questions! All of this is revealed in my previous books where both Jo and Hattie feature. Jo is a people pleaser and wants to give something back. She wants everyone to be as happy as she is. Hattie just loves people and will always look at new projects with interested eyes.
Ooh, my… these are re-occurring characters!? Jorie pops off to seek out which stories they are inside,… not that you would know this ahead of time, but I went back and re-routed the whole series in order to help my readers find the stories of Jo & Hattie! Eek. I can’t be the only one wholly enthused by this news!??
If you were to take a similar holiday to a hotel like Boomerville, where do you wish one was located and what would you focus on whilst you were there?
James responds: I’d like to see a Hotel Boomerville in Southern Ireland as it is one of my favourite places. Can you imagine what the Irish would do with Boomerville? They’d certainly enjoy the craic and if residents could tear themselves away from the continual parties in the bar and endless supply of Irish delicacies at meal times, I would ensure that I took part in seafaring expeditions from the gorgeous little port of Kinsale and got involved with the many artistic opportunities that are on tap in this heavenly part of the world.
I’d be down with an Irish spin on the Boomerville Hotel! I’m an Irish lass and isn’t it lovely we’re celebrating this convo the weekend of St. Patrick’s!? I think they’d know jolly well how to whoop up the best of Boomerville whilst never letting anyone forget how to embrace the random joys of their lives – invigorating them with music & a smashing array of #beyondyum foods which might even inspire a few to cook up a few of the bits once they return home! (smiles)
Are there any hobbies or creative outlets you came to love later in life than what you focused on when you were younger? Aside from writing, what are your favourite creative endeavours?
James responds: I love trekking. To be in the mountains is my guilty pleasure. To lose myself in a mixture of thoughts as I wander along ancient pathways is a very creative process. This year, I took part in a New Year’s Day swim in a wild and freezing North Sea and this has made me think about open water swimming, something I’ve been talking about for a year and not yet attempted. Watch this space!
Yes! I whole-heartedly agree! Some of my best moments are spent in nature & wandering about in the natural habitats which change not just per season but for regions of exploration, too! This is partially why I became a self-taught wildlife photographer – you can’t help but feel inspiration to take photographs by the stillness of wonder alighting in front of your feet and eyes! Speaking of things, the river swim I mentioned? Absolutely *freezing!* cold – as it was mountain sprung water and towards the start of Winter! I might have felt half frozen but I hadn’t stopped smiling all the way home nor did I wake til the next day despite returning mid-afternoon! lol I’ll be keen on knowing where you went swimming! *eyes peeled to your tweets!*
Is this the start of a series or did you envision it as a stand-alone or duology (two connecting stories)?
James responds: I think this will be answered by the readers. If they love Hotel Boomerville then there will be more. A hotel is a revolving door and already I have new characters to introduce, waiting to check in. I hope the readers will want to see more stories.
And, I shall be grateful if they embrace Boomerville myself as a print run would surely follow suit if enough readers who can handle e-readers find it dashingly brill! (big smiles)
How did you come to pitch your novel for Ruby Fiction which is the new Women’s Fiction imprint for Choc Lit? What drew you to this publisher and why you felt they would be a good match for your stories?
James responds: Choc Lit Publishing is a hugely successful, multi-award winning British Independent Publisher and at the time I pitched to them I had no idea that they were about to launch Ruby Fiction. To have The Best Boomerville Hotel chosen by their experienced taster panel was a dream come true and to then be told that this book would spearhead the new imprint was the icing on my publishing cake. Also, chocolate is my secret obsession and rubies are my favourite gem – a no brainer for me!
In other words, the timing was rather kismet & bang-on brilliant! Blessings to you, Ms James! Top cheers for Boomerville & being one of the ‘first’ Rubies!!
When you’re not researching, and writing your stories what uplifts your soul the most?
James responds: Spending time with my precious family and friends. We are miles apart, so each single moment together matters more than ever. I love to cook too and to have everyone around my table is one of life’s pleasures, to be treasured. It’s all about making memories to put in the bank.
Jorie, I have so enjoyed your questions, thank you for all the time and effort you put into making this into what I hope, is an interesting post for readers of your brilliant blog.
Warmest wishes and happy reading to all.
Caroline xx
You’re most welcome, Ms James! I had such a wicked blast conversing with you about the Boomerville Hotel! And, imagine my shocked joy in finding your creating *teddies!* which celebrate the series! I saw their only for UK shipping – understandable – but they still give me a heap of smiles! I collected teddies growing up & to this day, my collection still warms my heart! And, the lovely bag they come with is such a keen gift for bookworms! Therefore, dear hearts – as my readership is global – if your in the UK, you best stop by this PAGE on Ms James’s site to order *Bertie!*
Eek. I feel as if I’ve already spent a weekender at the hotel & need to re-book my passage for another jaunt of joy! Hmm… being a bit ‘under’ the age of the holidayers – I wonder if there is a character who ‘checks-in’ under the radar & who isn’t the demographic in age *but!* who appreciates what the hotel can offer for personal enrichment?!
Personally, I’m looking forward to a SEQUEL even prior to reading the DEBUT! Just to know you have selected new people to check-in is BRILL!
Thank you for blessing me & my readers with this lovely convo!
Our memories are *everything!* – everyday, every hour, every year!
This author interview is courtesy of: Rachel’s Random Resources
Jorie shares her #interview feat. @RubyFiction author @CarolineJames12 about #BestBoomervilleHotel a #newbook of #WomensFiction! Click To Tweet
Rachel & I first crossed paths whilst celebrating our mutual love of ChocLitUK novels – this blog tour marks the first I’ve been able to host for her after discovering recently she has a blog touring company! You’ve might have seen her badge in my sidebar!? I am looking forward to bringing Guest Author Features, Book Spotlights w/ Notes & Reviews to Jorie Loves A Story hosted by Rachel! It’s quite lovely when someone you know in the twitterverse has started their own company & has followed their passion for helping others. I look forward to working with Rachel more often starting in 2018!
You will next see me hosting her blog tours on the following dates:
- the 16th of March, 2018 : Interview with the writer of The Best Boomerville Hotel
- the 22nd of March, 2018 : Author Guest Post & Review of The Invisible Hand (a re-telling of Shakespeare)
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
For my readers who are curious about my next #ChocLitSaturdays showcase – it is coming up this *weekend!* on the 17th! Talk about a *Happy St. Pat’s!* for this Irish lass – as I’ll be happily drinking in my second Jane Lovering novel “Hubble Bubble”! I look forward to chattering with you as I share my ruminative thoughts on behalf of this Spring selection!
This St. Patrick's Day, Jorie is #amreading Hubble Bubble by @janelovering! Join her as she discusses this @ChocLituk novel via #ChocLitSaturdays! Click To TweetMy ChocLit reviews are resuming – I have four lovelies to share with you – as well as two *upcoming!* #SatBookChat’s – on the 24th & 31st!
The 24th will feature a topic in #WomensFiction (*hint!*) it will be about non-traditional characters & women of a certain age,… inspired by “The Best Boomerville Hotel” as I truly LOVE! the premise of this story!
On the 24th of March, Jorie hosts @SatBookChat (#SatBookChat) feat. non-trad characters & women of a certain age in #WomensFiction Click To TweetOn my 5th blogoversary for Jorie Loves A Story – we’ll be discussing #GeorgetteHeyer as I’m reading this author for the first time.
Join Jorie on her 5th #blogoversary chatting about #GeorgetteHeyer via @SatBookChat as she reads the author for the 1st time! Click To TweetFollow @SatBookChat for updates!
Tag us #SatBookChat to participate!
{SOURCES: Cover art of “The Best Boomerville Hotel”, book synopsis, author biography & photograph of Caroline James and the tour badge were all provided by Rachel Random Resources and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
Thanks so much Jorie, looking forward to going you in March! xx
— Caroline James (@CarolineJames12) January 17, 2018
Thanks again Jorie x Looking forward to stopping by your blog xx
— Caroline James (@CarolineJames12) February 6, 2018
Wow! Thanks SO much Jori xx
— Caroline James (@CarolineJames12) March 1, 2018
It's my thanks to you for hosting/ putting together such interesting q's and taking the time to read my new book, for that I send a huge hug on a snowy day and a zillion thanks xx #bestboomervillehotel
— Caroline James (@CarolineJames12) March 1, 2018
*waves!*?
I am bouncing w/ #JOY about my #FridayReads interview w/ @CarolineJames12 feat. her #BestBoomervilleHotel novel pub'd by @RubyFiction! Will be sharing the convo @ 4a NYC | 9a UK ?A #nextread of mine about non-traditional characters & women of a certain age who THRIVE
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ? (@joriestory) March 16, 2018
In *one!* hour – my convo w/ @CarolineJames12 will be LIVE! via #JLASblog!?Itching to share this lovely interview for so long now! Truly a remarkable #newbook I am wicked hopeful to be #amreading one day! Keenly insightful about #BabyBoomers + staying adventurous in life ???
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ? (@joriestory) March 16, 2018
Jorie – thank you so much for hosting me on your lovely blog. You asked some brilliant questions that made me think out of my normal ‘interview box’ . I hope your readers like The Best Boomerville Hotel and massive thanks for your support on this blog tour. Wishing you very happy blogging and reading. With Love, Caroline xx
Hallo, Hallo Ms James!
I regret the past few years were very kind to me health wise – I had a lot of health afflictions and an increase in my chronic migraines from 2018/19 to where I lost track of my beautiful comments arriving into my blog. I had meant to respond sooner than now to yours and hope you will forgive me the long delay. I never had the chance to read your novel either – however, I am thankful to say, the audiobook is now available to be heard via Scribd which is an audiobook streaming service I enjoy having a membership with as it fits my budget and the selection of audiobooks is diversely lovely. I’m hoping to resume my membership this Spring 2020 and I’ve earmarked myself to listen to the Boomerville Hotel at long last!
It was a true joy of my own hosting you for this interview and I *loved!* finding out I gave you a happy challenge in responding to questions you are not normally asked – I try to make all my interviews uniquely special and specialised to each author I am interviewing. I do quite a bit of research about them online and then, try to relate questions to their story, series, collective works and/or writing process or things they like to do outside of researching and writing. It has been a wonderful journey interviewing authors over the years and this was definitely one of my favourites.
I hope the past years have been kind to you – I look forward to following up with you after I hear the audiobook whilst also noting what you’ve released since this one as well.