Thursday, April 7, 2016

Interview with author Ann Girdharry - Giveaway

Q ~ Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sure !

I’ve always loved reading and started writing at an early age. I won my first story writing competition at age fifteen!

When I’m not writing, I’m either gardening (I love my plants and flowers), roller blading or reading.

Q ~ If you could have coffee (or tea) with any author who would it be and what would you ask them?
It would be a toss-up between Alice Walker, or passing into the after-world to speak to the late Terry Pratchett. I’d like to discuss how much of their stories and characters they drew from their imagination, and how much from the ‘collective consciousness’ (whatever that is!)

Q ~ How do you think people perceive authors?
As a weird bunch, and they aren’t far wrong.

Q ~ How do you feel about self-publishing?
I love it. I’ve always been a great d-i-y-er and that applies to the publication process too. I like working it out for myself and I can’t stand anyone taking over.

Q ~ What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
This is the first quote I posted onto my blog, and I like it because it really captures the feeling that writing is a process of letting go into the unknown.

"​Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off.
Build your wings on the way down."

Ray Bradbury

Q ~ What is your favourite genre to read? To write?
Mystery and psychological suspense - both to write and to read. Though I also enjoy reading women’s fiction.

Q ~ How did you begin writing? Was there a single catalyst or a series of events?
I think it was in my blood from the beginning. My imagination has always been my worst enemy friend.

Q ~ Do you have any writing rituals that you follow? What is your go-to snack while writing?
If there is any sun coming in, I’ll follow it around the house with my lap-top and keyboard. And on sunny days, I’m convinced that my writing is better.

Go go snack - a bagel mid-morning with lots of butter and maybe cream cheese too.

Q ~ Do you prefer to write in a small town or big city setting? Why?
I prefer tranquility. So the surroundings of wherever I am are important. I can be in a city or a town but I need plants and flowers and, if possible, a view of trees. I used to have my balcony stuffed full of plant pots and now I have a garden.

Q ~ Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release and what inspired you to write it?
Sweet Justice and Written on the Apple Tree – are mystery, psychological suspense, short reads in the Tales of the Unexpected series. Each is a stand-alone story in the series.

Sweet Justice was inspired by the idea of a young woman taking the brave step of luring out a killer.

Written on the Apple Tree was inspired by the idea of how threads from past lives might follow us into our present life.

The common theme in the Tales is tension, suspense and danger. Women in danger, women facing danger, women finding their own ways to take on menace and failing or succeeding –that was my inspiration for this series. (Don’t worry, there are some strong male characters and allies too.)

Q ~ What characters did you find yourself especially drawn to and why?
The main character in Sweet Justice, Tess, has my admiration for her determination to continue despite the risks. We see her go through a transformation as the truth is slowly revealed.

With Kim, the main character in Written on the Apple Tree, it’s the tragedy which follows her that I feel most for.

Q ~ What are you working on next?
My next release is entitled Good Girl Bad Girl. I was inspired to write this story when I discovered the character of Kal lurking in my imagination. Seriously. She’s smart, she takes risks but she also has her weaknesses (and they might be her downfall).

It’s due out soon and it’s my first full length novel –a dangerous, new suspense series (Kal Medi#1).

Kal is twenty-eight and she’s an expert at psychology and skilled at reading other people and their behaviours. She learnt it all from her deceased father. When her mother goes missing, Kal is the best person to investigate.

A shadow’s been stalking her family for three generations. To take it on, Kal must face her deepest suspicions and a dread that she’s been avoiding all her life.

Q ~ If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be?
Keep writing. Hone your skills. Write the stories you need to write and must write.

(Okay, I know that’s three things…)

About the author:
I was born and educated in the UK. I love to travel and visit different cultures. As an adult, I've lived in the USA, Norway, UK and France.
One of my passions is roller blading. I belong to a club and get up early every Saturday for our 9.30am club session.
When I'm not writing mystery and suspense, you can find me in my garden.

A dark tale, told from the perspective of a young woman...

1960s, America. Tess' mother has disappeared. Refusing to believe her mother ran away, Tess decides to play a dangerous game. Alone and in secret, she sets a trap.

As reality around her begins to reveal its dark, warped nature, Tess becomes a victim of her own deception. The only way is to continue until the end and to confront the shadow side, whatever the cost.

This is a story about one young woman’s discovery of her own sexuality, and of her own strengths and limits in the face of menace.

Sweet Justice is a psychological suspense and mystery, and a short story of 6000 words. It's the second, stand-alone story in the Tales of the Unexpected, Mystery and Psychological Suspense series.

Book Links 
A recurring moment from a past life, a possession, or a simple meeting between two strangers?

Kim encounters Oliver at a remote spot on the heath and though she’s never met him before, he seems familiar. How can it be he knows of things she’s said?
Oliver is both dangerous and magnetic and he seems to have knowledge of Kim’s family.
There’s a mystery lurking underneath the surface of their chance meeting, and Kim must make treacherous choices about her future.

Written on the Apple Tree is a haunting, atmospheric story about the links, real and imagined, that run between generations and how shadows from the past impact upon the present. It's a short read of 4000 words and the fourth, stand-alone story in the Tales of the Unexpected, Mystery and Psychological Suspense series.

Book Links 

Be sure to enter in this new giveaway where 2 winners will each receive ebook copies of Sweet Justice and Written on the Apple Tree (epub, mobi or pdf available)
Contest is open internationally, where applicable by law. 
Entries close at 11:59pm April 8/16. 
Winners will be drawn April 9/16. 
Winners will be notified via email to the email provided to the giveaway and will have 72h to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

No comments:

Post a Comment