Alistair Duncan Interview

Alistair Duncan recently published his latest book 'The Norwood Author'. I welcomed him to my blog to talk about his writing.

Tell us about your latest book ‘The Norwood Author’.

It is an examination of the years 1891 – 1894 when Arthur Conan Doyle lived and worked in the Norwood area of present-day south-east London. It attempts to illustrate how local events impacted on his life and how his adventures on the world stage impacted his day-to-day life in Norwood.

The years 1891-1894 have of course been covered in other biographical works but usually only in terms of Conan Doyle’s literary output and some family events. This book aims to fill in the uncovered gaps which is often impossible for other biographical works that are looking at his entire life.

This is your third book about Holmes and Doyle. How did your interest in this subject start?

It began in 1982 when I was eight and saw my first Holmes film with Basil Rathbone. Although Rathbone’s films are hardly faithful, they were enough to engage my attention. I watched them all and then moved onto other screen adaptations and the books themselves. From that age until my mid-twenties my interest did not really progress. This was mostly down to the demands of my education and early career in I.T. which didn’t leave me with much free time. Later my interest expanded into collecting with the acquisition of rare copies of Conan Doyle’s books and other memorabilia.

It was 2006 when I began to seriously think about writing on the subject and the beginning of 2007 when I finally put pen to paper (or, in this case, finger to key).

How long did it take you to research and write each book?

Each of the books took about a year from conception to completion.

How easy was it to find a publisher for this specialised material?

It wasn’t too hard which was surprising. MX Publishing focuses mainly on NLP / self-help titles but they desired to explore other areas. My first book was their first leap into the area of Victorian literature. It has worked well for them and now they publish a range in this field by authors besides myself.

You’ve just started writing a novel. Why did you make the decision to move into fiction?

I am totally fascinated by crime literature and especially that set within the Victorian period. To contribute to that genre would be the fulfilment of a dream. Also, in many respects, it feels like another mountain that I need to climb. I want to do it ‘because it’s there.’

At the risk of sounding conceited I would also like to, in my own small way, emulate Conan Doyle himself who was an author successful in both fiction and non-fiction.

How does writing fiction compare with writing non-fiction?

It is so much harder for me. The beauty of non-fiction is that the characters and the events are already there. All you have to do as an author is collect and correlate the material before presenting it in a readable way. It takes much more imagination to write fiction as you have to create all these things from scratch.

What gives you most pleasure out of all the things you’ve achieved so far in your writing career?

That’s hard to answer. Aside from the process of writing itself, a lot of the pleasure is to be derived from the opinion of others in the same field. The Sherlock Holmes Society of London has been very supportive of my work and has given each of my books much positive praise. In my opinion, they are the world’s leading body on all things Sherlockian so to have their endorsement gives me much pleasure. If I win any awards in the future you may need to ask me the question again.

What are your writing plans for the future?

I fully intend to continue writing non-fiction but I expect it to take the form of articles rather than books. If a really good idea for a non-fiction book presented itself I wouldn’t rule it out but I hope to concentrate on fiction for the foreseeable future.

Thanks very much to Alistair for some great answers.

'The Norwood Author' and other books by Alistair Duncan are available here and you can read Alistair’s blog here.

You can read my review of 'The Norwood Author' here.

Blogsplash – Fiona Robyn’s Thaw

This is such a fabulous idea and I'm so happy to be taking part in it. All the luck in the world to Fiona for today and for the future.

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.

*

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It’s a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we’re being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they’re stuck to the outside of her hands. They’re a colour that’s difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I’m giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering whether it’s all worth it. I’ve seen the look in people’s eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I’ve heard the weary grief in my dad’s voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I’m Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I’m sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat; books you have to take in both hands to lift. I’ve had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I’ve still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about; princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad’s snoring was.

I’ve always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I’ll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say; ‘It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for’, before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It’ll all be here. I’m using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I’m striping the paper. I’m near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I’m allowed to make my decision. That’s it for today. It’s begun.

Continue reading tomorrow here...

We Have A Winner

Thanks so much to everyone who visited over the last few days and asked Kate Long a question. Huge thanks also to Kate for some wonderful answers.

I can now announce that the winner of the competition to win a copy of 'A Mother's Guide To Cheating' is Bernadette for her very thought-provoking question about whether it's a good idea to let others read your manuscript. Bernadette, if you'd like to email me your address I'll pass it on to Kate so that you can receive your prize.

Well done to everyone who entered, don't forget there will be other chances to win on the rest of the tour.

Don't miss further legs of Kate's blog tour.

1st-5th March - Womagwriter's blog

5th-12th March - The Literary Project blog

22nd-26th March - Nik Perring's blog

In other news, I've posted a new review on Bookersatz today. The book is 'The Norwood Author' by Alistair Duncan. You can find Alistair's blog here.

Kate Long Blog Tour

Novelist Kate Long has very kindly agreed to come and answer some questions on my blog today. I asked a few to get the ball rolling, but if you'd like to ask Kate a question, please read on to find out more.

What was your first inspiration to write?

Several things came together: a teachers’ residential writing course; picking up a magazine and finding in it a story by a girl I knew from university; galloping insomnia. The course was my very first taste of positive feedback, the story made me jealous, and being unable to sleep gave me plenty of time to get my ideas down.

How would you sum up your latest novel, ‘A Mother’s Guide To Cheating’?

It’s the story of a divorce, and the fall-out that can happen right across the generations when parents split acrimoniously. Not only are children affected, but grandparents too. The heroine of AMGTC is a young grandmother who finds herself in the impossible position of having to fight her daughter for access to her grandson. Her loyalties are pulled in two. The novel also considers whether it’s better to deal with a partner’s infidelity by tackling it or ignoring it – though I don’t offer any definitive answer: there is none.

Family relationships are a really strong theme in your writing. Why does this subject matter appeal to you?

There are several issues at work. Most obviously is my being adopted, which is an aspect of my identity that’s made me think a lot over the years about what constitutes being a parent, not to mention a whole raft of “what ifs” about my circumstances and history.

Then the couple who adopted me were very traditional in their attitudes, very aware of their social and cultural heritage, and liked to talk about their Lancashire childhoods and the generations who’d been around when they were small. So this in turn made me intensely interested in my adopted family tree. I still love to hear anecdotes about my grandparents and great-grandparents. The walls of my hallway are lined with old family photographs.

And the final thread probably comes from my own struggle to have children, and what it’s therefore meant for me to finally become a mother. There’s not a day goes past that I don’t feel consciously grateful for the gift of my two sons.

What response do you want the novel to invoke in your readers?

I hope the reader takes away a sense that we should all stand up for what we feel to be morally right, and not allow ourselves to become the victims of emotional blackmail. Not always easy within the politics of the family! I hope too that the reader who’s experiencing a troubled relationship with her children or spouse might take comfort from the heroine’s facing up to her problems and largely resolving them.

What do you see yourself writing in the future?

I just don’t know! I write what’s “sent”, what arrives through the ether. I’d like to imagine that I’ll carry on creating optimistic worlds where decent characters are tested but eventually come good. That positive outlook’s important to me : I want the essentially virtuous to be rewarded.

What gives you most pleasure out of all the things you’ve achieved so far in your writing career?

Though it’s always terrific to receive fan mail, and it was a thrill going to the British Book Awards, and signing the initial contract with Picador had me giddy with excitement, there’s nothing to compete with the very first competition I ever won. I remember getting in from a tough day’s teaching, gloomily opening the post, then running, shrieking gibberish, to a neighbour’s house because I had to tell someone I was going to be in print.

What’s the best advice you could give to someone who is writing a novel and hoping to get it published?

In a nutshell: keep going. If you really want to be a published novelist, I’d say you have to approach the task with some consistency, and that means putting aside regular time to write. You genuinely might not have much time and you might therefore not accomplish much at each sitting, but any progress is better than none. Even fifty words a day builds up. And don’t panic if you get half-way through and suddenly decide it’s rubbish. I don’t know any author who doesn’t experience a mid-point confidence crisis. Keep your nerve and write through it. You can always go back and edit later if a particular section really isn’t up to scratch.

Thanks very much to Kate for those very interesting responses.

Do you have a question for Kate? If so, please leave it in the comments of this post. Kate will be popping by to answer your questions, and there is an opportunity to win a copy of 'A Mother's Guide To Cheating' for the person who asks the most original question.

The winner will be chosen by an 'independent expert' and announced on Friday after 5pm.

I hope everyone has had a chance to read the previous competition entries (the challenge was to describe a photograph) on Sally Quilford's blog, but if you haven't you can read more about it here.

Don't miss further legs of Kate's blog tour.

1st-5th March - Womagwriter's blog

5th-12th March - The Literary Project blog

22nd-26th March - Nik Perring's blog



So get those questions coming - and don't forget to make them original. Good Luck!

A Mother's Guide To Cheating

I'm very excited to be part of Kate Long's blog tour to launch her new book 'A Mother's Guide To Cheating'.

The tour starts today on Sally Quilford's blog. Pop over there now for a great competition that will give you a chance to win Kate's book.

Kate will be on this blog 22nd-26th February and there'll also be a chance to win Kate's book for the person to come up with the most interesting writing-related question for her. Don't forget to come back here on the 22nd for more details of that.

Other confirmed dates on the tour are:

1st-5th March - Womagwriter's blog

5th-12th March - The Literary Project blog

Cally Taylor - Heaven Can Wait

It's Halloween - and what could be better than curling up with a supernatural romantic comedy!

I've posted a review of Heaven Can Wait on Bookersatz - so zoom over on your broomstick to find out what I thought about it.

And if you haven't already bought a copy - today's the day!

Happy Halloween.

Heaven Can Wait Blog Tour

The wonderful Cally Taylor has a new novel out at the moment. It’s called Heaven Can Wait and is available in the shops and also via Amazon – there’s a link in my side bar if you want to make it really easy for yourself!

I read a review copy of Heaven Can Wait a while ago and absolutely loved it. I’ll be posting a review of it on Bookersatz in the next few days, but meanwhile Cally popped over and was kind enough to answer some slightly strange questions put to her by the cats. Trust me, David Dimbleby has nothing on this lot.

Tabitha said: So, Cally, we’re cats and we can’t actually read – but Mummy tells us that lots of her blog readers will be interested in hearing about your new novel. Tell us what it’s all about ?

Hello cats, lovely to meet you. Please don’t think I’m rude for not shaking your paws, I’m allergic to you! If it’s okay I’ll just stand here while you rub around my legs, looking confused.

Anyway, yes, my novel. It’s called “Heaven Can Wait” and it’s about a woman called Lucy Brown who dies the night before her wedding. She ends up in Limbo with a very nice saint called Saint Bob (who looks a lot like Bob Hoskins). Saint Bob gives Lucy the choice – she can either go up to heaven to see her parents or return to earth as a ghost to be with her fiancé Dan. But there’s a catch! If Lucy wants to be reunited with Dan she has to find love for a total stranger in twenty-one days. And if that’s not bad enough she soon discovers that her ex-best-friend Anna is making a move on Dan...

Jasper added: If we could read, we’d definitely read your book. What do you think we – or your human readers – would particularly like about it?

It’s a light-hearted, romantic book with a mixture of laugh-out-loud (hopefully) scenes and more poignant moments that have been known to make people cry. Most people who’ve read the book have sped through it in hours – even people who claim they ‘don’t read fiction’ (I know cats, shocking isn’t it!) – so it’s perfect for anyone who doesn’t want a heavy, weighty read and fancies being entertained for a few hours instead.

Cookie Crumble had another question: We know a fair bit about the supernatural, being cats, why did you choose this as your theme?

I didn’t make an active decision to write a supernatural novel – the idea just came to me and I had to write it! I do love all things supernatural though. I’m a big fan of TV programmes like Buffy, Angel, Heroes and True Blood and films like Ghost and Just Like Heaven and I think being fascinated by your subject matter helps motivate you when you’re writing a novel.

Minty wondered: What do you like best – tuna or sardines?

I like both of them but tuna is definitely my favourite. Tuna mayo on a jacket potato. Yum!

Minty added: Mmmm, we’re not so sure about potatoes, but tuna is a good decision.

Are there any cats in Heaven Can Wait? Tabitha was eager to know.

There’s one on the cover which is a bit weird because there isn’t actually a cat in Lucy and Dan’s house or in the House of Wannabe Ghosts! Maybe it’s a wannabe ghost cat? I do mention Lucy’s Mum and Dad’s cat but it doesn’t get a starring role I’m afraid.

We understand that you’re writing a new novel now. Does that have any cats in it? What does it have in it?

Nope, there are no cats in my second novel. Oh no – now I’m worrying there aren’t enough cats in my novels! The second novel has guardian angels in it but they don’t have wings so you probably wouldn’t want to catch them and bring them into the house as a gift for your Mummy. They’re pretty rubbish guardian angels too and keep messing things up for the people they’re supposed to be helping.

According to Mummy, your neighbour has cats. Are they as cute as us?

Mummy’s right! My neighbour has two cats I like to call Angel and Devil. Devil is mottled in colour and really skittish. After he moved in he decided that his favourite place to wee was behind the front door. That was a bit smelly and inconvenient, particularly when I went to answer the door to the postman in my bare feet and didn’t notice the puddle! Luckily he’s stopped now but he’s still very scared of people and gives me evil looks when he sees me in the hallway.
Devil’s brother Angel is a ginger cat with psychic ability (or just very good hearing). Whenever I go into the garden Angel comes to join me. He’s a very friendly cat and likes lots of attention and stroking. I have been known to stroke him and to hell with my allergy!


Jasper said: Don’t worry chaps, they definitely don’t sound as cute as us.

Minty had another question: Would you ever consider writing a novel that was just about cats?

Maybe. If I did they’d have to talk like humans otherwise the story could get a bit confusing if I used actual cat language:
“Miaow,” said Harold as he slunk across the living room towards Maude.
“Miaow,” said Maude.
“Miaow, miaow, miaow,” said Harold.
Maude thought that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
“Miaow!” she said.

Actually that makes purrfect sense to us, Cookie said.

We hope that all of Mummy’s blog readers will go out and buy your novel now. You seem very nice, would you like to come out catching mice with us some time?

Thank you very much for calling me nice. That’s very sweet of you. I’d love to go mice catching with you, but I’m not carrying them home in my mouth.

Tabitha said: On behalf of all of us cats, I’d just like to thank Cally for visiting our blog and answering all our incisive questions.




And this is a photo of us eating our dinner. We really are exceptionally cute aren't we?