A day in the life of: Author Catherine Cavendish

From Australia, to Connecticut, US – and now up to Wales, UK! Yes, these chats are global, and we never know where we’ll end up next!

This is the third instalment in my series of chats titled ‘A Day in the life of...' and my previous guests – Louise Forster from Australia, and Sharon Struth from the US -  have both been most gracious in opening the privacy of their writing space, and their writing day, to us.

Bilinudgel, NSW to Connecticut, USA to Wales, UK

I find it most inspiring to hear the stories of other authors. Sometimes, it feels like I’m all alone, sitting in here at my laptop with my dogs and cats. But thanks to today’s technology, I’ve made friends and colleagues all around the world.

Wales – home of celebrated authors Dylan Thomas, Roald Dahl and Ken Follett – has long been a country of interest to me. My forebears came to Australia from England, Ireland, and Wales, and I’ve visited my Welsh cousins, who are strewn from Wrexham in the north, to Newtown in the south, and across to the ancient city of Caernarfon on the west coast. I remember visiting the magnificent ruins of the castle on the shore, looking down onto market day in the village square below.

And so, today I’m thrilled to have celebrated author, Catherine Cavendish, visit today and chat with us about a typical writing day in her life.

Catherine Cavendish

Catherine Cavendish is a prolific and successful author with seven novellas and short stories published in the paranormal horror genre. Now, most regular visitors to my blog will know that paranormal horror is probably not my usual genre of choice, but when I first read the blurb for ‘The Second Wife’, I just had to own it.

So, I’m wondering what motivates a woman from Wales, who has a slightly eccentric and autocratic tortoiseshell cat – and a Mr Cavendish – to write horror stories? And more to the point, where does she do this?

Catherine, a warm welcome from usually sunny Brisbane (although today it’s raining), to beautiful Wales. Croeso – welcome to my blog.

Diolch (thank you), Noelle. It’s great to be here. I’m ashamed to say you know far more about Wales than I know about Brisbane and Australia generally. Although I have some distant relatives and a couple of friends now living there (albeit in Melbourne and Sydney), I’m afraid I’ve never visited (hangs head). Ah well, never say never!

Noelle: Catherine, you are a prolific author – how long have you been writing?

Many, many years – off and on though. I first started as a child and my first real story was about a girl called Marceline, who was an aristocrat caught in the midst of the French Revolution. It was probably rubbish, but I was only nine years old (or possibly eight? I can never remember exactly). I was the sort of weird child who loved nothing more than writing the essays my friends groaned about. To me, it wasn’t homework, it was pleasure.

Noelle: Have you always been interested in the paranormal, in horror, and – y’know, spooky stuff?

I blame ‘The Monkey’s Paw’  a chilling short story by W.W. Jacobs. I blogged about this recently http://www.catherinecavendish.com/2013/05/the-man-behind-monkeys-paw.html . We read it at school (again I was eight or nine) and I found it deliciously frightening. I wanted more, so this inevitably led me to Dennis Wheatley (Stephen King was still at school then too!). Over the years, my interest has never waned and has developed into an enthusiasm for real unexplained paranormal occurrences.

Noelle: Looking at your other books, you seem to like dead people. Um, do you ‘see’ dead people?

That’s an interesting question, Noelle. Strictly speaking, no, I don’t. Oh, I’ve seen movements out of the corner of my eye – less so as I’ve grown older. I did see, what I will always believe was, a ghost once. But this was an animal, not a human. My husband, on the other hand, has seen something in our flat here. We live in a very old building, dating from around 1760 and things do happen here from time to time for which we have no explanation. We have both heard someone, but my husband seems to experience more auditory phenomena from her than I do. In another part of the building (not our flat), things have been caught on CCTV for which no one has had a rational explanation.

Noelle: I’m wondering if you have to share your desire to write with other commitments, such as a day job? Do you have a routine for writing – a schedule?

I do have other commitments and we do split our week between two locations but recently, I have been fortunate enough to be able to give up the day job, thanks to my husband who is very supportive of my writerly ambitions. I’m very lucky. Routine varies, depending on our location, but I do try and write every day.

Noelle: I have a rule that when I’m sitting at my laptop in my office, I’m ‘working’, but if it’s a nice day and I feel like getting a bit of sun, I take my laptop outside to the terrace and sit there. Where do you write? What do you surround yourself with?

Catherine's very neat (compared to mine) Workstation

 

I am making a concerted effort this year to make the most of the infrequent warm and sunny days in this unpredictable British summer of ours. So, yes I do work outside when I can.

 In the photo though, you’ll see my workstation in Wales. It’s in the corner of our large kitchen and you can see my screen and keyboard. Behind it is a pinboard for the essential notes, reminders, loose ends, helpful hints and other detritus (I mean, necessary accessories) us writers pick up along the way. There are no windows, to encourage no distractions. I like to work in peace and quiet, so I can drift into my world, let my characters take over – and scare myself half to death. If  I’m scared, I know I’m onto something. It is not unusual for my husband to come in (the entrance is behind me), suddenly speak and be rewarded with a terrified shriek from me.

My cat, Mimi, who will be 18 in August, often sits right under my chair – until she feels it necessary to remind me it’s teatime. At that time, she will jump up onto the printer table beside me and attempt to rewrite my manuscript.

Noelle: Is there a particular view, or maybe some music, that inspires you on one of those days when the muse seems to be elsewhere?

Not really. Very often, if I’m having one of my slow writing days, I’ll do something else, such as the ‘business’ of writing, or compose my next blog to get me into the writing frame of mind again. I find that, while that day may not add much to my WIP, I’m usually back on form the next. I think it may be my brain saying ‘give it a rest for a day, will you?’

Noelle: My elder sister married a widower, and I remember how she gradually, and tactfully, removed the many mementoes of the former wife from their home. Talk about walking on eggshells. Can you tell us what motivated you to write ‘The Second Wife’?

Er – yes. It’s going to sound bizarre, but it involves a chair. It belonged to my husband’s late partner and I can’t sit in it. Illogical I know, but I really can’t. And I have tried. Its double appears in ‘The Second Wife’.

Noelle: I think many women would relate to that certain uncomfortable feeling of being ‘the second wife’. Have you had a lot of readers tell you how the story resonates with them?

A few have certainly.

Noelle: Are you able to share with us what you are working on now?

Yes, I’m happy to, Noelle. It’s a novel called ‘Saving Grace Devine’ and I’m at the first draft stage, but it’s coming on well. I hit a sticky patch, where I pretty much painted myself into a corner but then, all of a sudden, the solution presented itself to me and I’m off and running again.. This often happens, owing to the way I write. But I never let it worry me, because however impossible the resolution seems, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere (and it isn’t always a train coming in the opposite direction!)

The story involves a timeslip and a picture with some highly disturbing properties (but nothing like Emily’s portrait in ‘The Second Wife’). Poor Grace was drowned and died with a curse on her lips. For her to pass over, Caroline must free her, but the price could be the cost of her own soul..

As with my other books, this is not gory, visceral horror. I’m known for chilling, Gothic, ghost and paranormal horror stories, and this is one of them!

Noelle: Where can readers find out more about you, and how can they buy your books.

I’m very easy to find. Here are some of the most obvious:

www.catherinecavendish.com

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Google +

 

‘The Second Wife’ is available from these online retailers:

Amazon.com Amazon.ca  Amazon.co.uk  Omnilit  Barnes and Noble  Kobo 

Thank you so much for inviting me to be your guest today, Noelle. I’ve really enjoyed it!

The pleasure has been all mine, Catherine. Thankyou!

A day in the life of: Author Sharon Struth

Continuing in the series of chats with authors about how, and where, they spend their writing day, I have great pleasure in chatting with Sharon Struth.

Sharon is a multi-award winning author, writer of non-fiction, and fiction. ‘The Hourglass’ is Sharon’s latest release, published by Etopia Press. She is currently working on another novel, ‘Share the Moon’, and I'm very much looking forward to discussing her books here today.

Hi Sharon. Thanks so much for coming to chat with me today. It's an honour to have a writer with so many credits – and experience – under her belt. With you in Connecticut, USA, and me in Australia, I’m curious to see if there are any things we do differently in our writing world. First of all, I'd love to ask you about a typical writing day. I'm interested in the 'where' and 'how' of your writing routine.

Sharon: Hi Noelle! Thanks for hosting me today.

Noelle: Even though you are currently a full-time writer, do the constraints of everyday life force you to write to a set routine in order to meet your writing goals? Special times or days?

Sharon: I treat my writing like I would any other job and work on a set schedule from about 7:30 in the morning until 5 or 6 o’clock at night. Of course, the one big difference is that after my shower, I toss on sweatpants, flip-flops and forgo any makeup. While an at-home job requires great discipline, the wardrobe perks are worth it!

Noelle: That is certainly a benefit. :-) Where do you like to write? Do you have a space where you can immerse yourself without outside distractions? Or do you feel best writing at the kitchen bench?

Sharon: I turned a spare bedroom into an office. I still keep a bed in the room, however, and one of my dogs (a miniature schnauzer) sleeps there all day and watches me work. Best officemate a person could ask for!

Noelle: Both my little dogs sit at my feet as I write, but unfortunately they often ask for attention, which is quite distracting. Is there anything in your environment that you find particularly motivating or inspiring for your writing?

Sharon: Not inside the office, but whenever I get stuck while writing, I usually go for a walk or a drive in the car. I do some of my best “writing” when I step away from the computer.

Noelle: Do you like music playing in the background as you write?

Sharon: No. I couldn’t concentrate. I was even like that years ago when in college, where I’d have go into quiet “study” rooms to get my work done.

Noelle: Your latest book, The Hourglass, was released recently. It seems that we have something in common – we both have heroines who are forging new lives, digging deep, and finding inner strength. The Hourglass deals with crushing loss, angst, guilt. These are themes that must resonate with many readers. Were there times when you had to dig deep yourself, to be able to write the book?

Sharon: Yes. I understand loss and the guilt associated with losing someone close to you. Mine was due to losing my dad at the age of fourteen. He was an alcoholic who committed suicide. A part of me always felt guilty that I couldn’t help him have a different outlook on life. It took many years for me to see that only those who want to be fixed can be fixed. But in this story the characters experience some of the same emotions I did.

Noelle: Is the character CJ Morrison what you would call the ‘typical hero’ in a book?

Sharon: Not at all. CJ is a troubled man. He made a single mistake that changed his life ten years before the book opens and cannot forgive himself. Because of this, he may seem a bit edgy on the surface at first, but the reader soon learns that deep down he’s a loyal, caring man. He simply needs to find a way to let the past go.

Noelle: Do you work on just one project at a time?

Sharon: For the most part, but lately I seem to have edits of completed books ongoing while I try to write new material.

Noelle: How long did you take to write The Hourglass?

Sharon: About a year. Then I edited it off and on for a full year while writing another book.

Noelle: During the writing process, what writing support groups do you surround yourself with?

Sharon: I just work with one other person…my first writing teacher, who has turned out to be a friend, mentor and wonderful editor of my material.

Noelle: Would you say your new book, Share the Moon, has a similar theme to The Hourglass?

Sharon: No. Share the Moon is about knowing where you belong, realizing that everything in your life points you in the direction for a reason. A reason we sometimes don’t understand until it stares us in the face.

Noelle: Sounds great! So, finally Sharon, where can readers connect with you?

Sharon: For a book trailer, excerpt and book group questions on The Hourglass, readers can go to… www.thehourglassnovel.com

Sharon’s Website: www.sharonstruth.com

Buy links:
Amazon:
Barnes and Noble:
Kobo:
All Romance E-books:

Sharon: Again, Noelle, thanks for hosting me on your lovely blog! I look forward to hearing from some of your readers.

Noelle: The pleasure is all mine, Sharon, and I hope that many Australian readers will drop by and say hello. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your world of writing, and good luck with Share the Moon.

Watch the book trailer for The Hourglass here:

Book Review: Vienna Valentine by Antonia van Zandt

Review of 'Vienna Valentine' by Antonia van Zandt - out now with Etopia Press

Vienna Valentine by Antonia Van Zandt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The cover for Vienna Valentine had me hooked long ago. It just took me a while to work through my ‘to read’ pile before I got to read it. It didn’t disappoint.

This erotic romance/paranormal novella is filled with rich, descriptive prose, evoking the old charm of Vienna, Austria. From Johann Strauss to street buskers; from Swan Lake to Wagner’s Parsifal; from museums to Viennese coffee and apfelstrudal at Café Ritter – I felt like I was ambling down the tree-lined avenues of Vienna. Van Zandt’s style of writing had me captured in the moment, and in the city of Vienna.

See if this short excerpt doesn’t carry you along with the beauty of the location:

“I soon approached my favorite spot. By a small lake where ducks swam with their young, peace reigned, broken only by the constant hum of traffic out on the Ring. I needed to be alone with my thoughts, so I selected a bench near my favorite tree. The leaves of the ‘facherblattbaum – the gingko boloba – spread in dark green fans, but come October, they would flutter down from the trees and cover the path with tiny, bright yellow litter.”

Karl, the gorgeous, golden-haired man who captures Nina’s heart, is to die for. He has many skills, and quite a few secrets. The romance is touching and delicate, and their love-making is robust and very fulfilling.

I loved this book. Rich and sophisticated, Vienna Valentine is a most enjoyable read.

View all my reviews

Amazon Review link
Goodreads Review link
Related link: "Vienna - Where the World Stops for Coffee" - an interview with Antonia van Zandt

Late Bloomers are budding with great story ideas

Last year, after reading an article in the Huffington Post about famous authors who began their writing career quite late in life, I wrote a blog on that subject. Many writers who were on the other side of middle age, are now household names around the world.

In April this year, I published my first book with Etopia Press. I was - and still am - over the moon. As I nudge the top end of middle age, I find it inspiring to see that writing is not something we need retire from as we get older. Quite clearly, it seems that a lifetime of working and raising families can only temporarily hinder the creativity and stifle the urges of a writer. Once the gift of more time is bestowed upon us, many writers find that their creative juices flow, unchecked, from the rich tapestry of a life well lived. Life, love, travel, trials and tribulations all provide fertile fodder for wonderful stories.

The writers mentioned by the Huffington Post include such illustrious names as Laura Ingalls Wilder and Frank McCourt, both first published in their sixties. Even better, Mary Wesley and Harriet Doerr were well into their seventies!  ‘Watership Down’ author, Richard Adams, was in his mid-fifties, and the ‘babies’ of the group, Raymond Chandler and James A. Michener, were in their forties. 

I decided to do some research to see if any Australian authors were also ‘Late Bloomers’, and came up with some surprising finds.

Elizabeth Stead published her first novel, ‘The Fishcastle’ when she was in her late sixties. Now in her eighties, she has just recently had her fifth novel, ‘The Sparrows of Edward Street’ published.

One of Australia’s most acclaimed writers, Elizabeth Jolley, was fifty-three when her first novel was published.  She was a prolific writer and went on to have fifteen novels published, plus a swag of short stories and non-fiction books. Through her teaching of creative writing to students in Western Australia, (including Tim Winton), Elizabeth Jolley left behind a legacy of successful publications, all receiving significant critical acclaim.

Shirley Painter’s first book was published at the ripe old age of eighty-three! Her memoir, ‘The Bean Patch’ took a lifetime to get written, and tells of her violent and shocking childhood. I can only wonder of the amount of pain Shirley Painter must have endured, and am glad that the therapeutic act of writing her story may go on to help others similarly treated.

Christina Stead, an often controversial but very successful writer, was thirty-two when her first book, ‘Seven poor men of Sydney’ was published.  Christina Stead was listed in Time magazine’s ‘Best 100 novels 1923 – 2005’.


Polish immigrant to Australia, and survivor of the Holocaust, Jacob Rosenberg was first published at the age of seventy-two. His published works covered collections of poems and short stories, plus memoirs.

Glenda Guest, another mature-age first novelist, has won many awards and much acclaim for her novel ‘Siddon Rock’. In her bio on the Australian Literature Management web site, Glenda Guest says “Although I started to write late in my life I always knew that I would become a novelist. I am stunned to be receiving this attention which is a huge boost to my confidence and will help me to press on with writing my next novel. This shows that it’s never too late to start a new endeavour”. Ref: http://www.austlit.com/a-list-f-k.html

So, it is with much excitement that I too now throw my hat into the ring. As I crave, and approach, the glorious prospect of retiring from my day job, I realise that age does not dim the prospect of becoming published.

I've made many friends through local and global writing organisations, and through social media. I love the writing communities I've been welcomed into. Bring on the next chapter in my life.

Book Review: The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore

The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’m not a fast reader, and for that matter, find very little time to read these days. I started reading The Unraveling of Lady Fury with anticipation, as I’d heard so many people talking about it. I wasn’t disappointed!

Right from the get go, I was hooked. The chemistry – and sparks – between Lady Fury and Flint had me ducking for cover. Intense, deep, witty, well written, this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It has depth, action, riveting characters, devastation and elation. The past weaves its way into the present, causing Flint and Fury no end of trouble, and heartache.

Moore’s character, Lady Fury, is rich, full, and quite amazing. Such a strong character. At times, I was fearful for Susan, Fury’s companion, but then realised she had the upper hand in many situations.

I read this book in record time – for me. I couldn’t put it down. An absolutely must read.

Read this review on Amazon                                    Buy The Unravelling of Lady Fury here!
Read this review on Goodreads

View all my reviews

A day in the life of: Author Louise Forster

This is first in a series of author showcases. I'm interested in seeing the 'writing workspace' of other authors, of seeing how their environment can influence their writing, or inspire them.

Today, we chat to Louise Forster, Australian author of ‘Finding Elizabeth’ (out now with Harlequin Escape). Louise takes us through her writing day, showing us the environment where she is so inspired. Louise lives in an idyllic place – the north coast of New South Wales (Australia). She has rainforests, mountains, and pristine beaches surrounding her.

Louise Forster

Hi Noelle, thank you for inviting me to your very first “A Day in the Life” author interview.

You're welcome, Louise. Are you a full time writer?
Yes, but in saying that I wouldn’t be able to support myself writing novels. I’m in awe of authors who hold down a job and write.

Do you to write to a set routine?
I have a loose routine. We live on a dual occupancy with other members of our family and my own space to where the door has never been closed. Kids walk in to say hello, or to have a chat after school. My sister in-law pops over for coffee. Our daughters and sons in-law do the same. I’m not an early starter, although we’re up early taking the dogs for a walk, after that we have breakfast, then I’ll answer my e-mails, then I’ll make coffee and read while sipping my one and only caffeine hit. After that I get to work on my latest story, unless my mailbox is winking, I can’t help myself I have to have a look, which is such a bad habit. But if I’m on a roll or there’s a deadline, I can work till quite late.

The view from Louise's verandah

What percentage of your writing time is allocated to promotion and marketing, for example, on social media such as Facebook and Twitter?
I have no idea, but far too much time, I’m sure. I keep trying to stick to about and hour each morning, but sometimes the social media networks is screaming to be attended to NOW, which I mentioned earlier I find hard to ignore. Perhaps someone has a remedy, or a way to detox :-)

Are you a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantster’? Or do you just start typing and go from there?

Inspirational views from Louise's property

I’m half and half … Hmm, hang on a minute … I’m more a pantser. I’m writing a short fantasy at the moment and have pantsed my way so far, but I’ve come to a sticky end, or rather middle. And a real plotter probably doesn’t come across that very often, if ever. But while waking very early this morning I plotted out of the sticky middle.

How much research do you do on the setting for your books?
I do a lot of research. My next book, Finding Butterflies is set in the Whitsunday Islands. For non Australians, it’s part of the Great Barrier Reef. I have been there, so that wasn’t a problem. I have sailed and that wasn’t a problem either. But I had to research how a yacht behaved under certain conditions like a wild storm. Luckily, I was in touch with a yachtsman who lived at Airlee Beach and he was a lot of help. Anything I feel unsure about I’ll research it immediately.

Many authors like to keep a blog - do you have one? How often do you post in it?
I don’t have a blog and I’m not sure that I’ll ever start one ;-)

Now, when you are writing, where do you like to write? The kitchen bench? In front of the TV? In your own office?
I have my own space, which I don’t have a name for yet, office sounds too much like I should be answering the phones in a tall building with lots of people doing stuff. Den sounds like I should be a fox or bear. Computer room nah. There are lots of books up there, maybe I’ll call it the library, but that sounds really posh :-) and not me at all … so it’s my room. :-)

Why do you write?
I enjoy putting a story together, manipulating the characters, getting them to do things out of their comfort zone and see how they react. For example: In Finding Elizabeth, Jack is dealing with finding love in freezing Canada. Katherine is giving up her ballet career. In Finding Butterflies, Kabe discovers he can deal with the news media, by being smart and not lose his cool. Belle can spend time alone with a hot bloke she had a crush on all through high school without jumping him. I love it, it’s so much fun.

Nearby pristine beaches

I’m very interested in locations for stories. Why did you choose chilly Canada for the setting of Finding Elizabeth?
I love Christmas. Being a romantic, Christmas with snow and cold and log fires and pretty lights twinkling on a cold night just felt right for the story, especially since I was bringing an Aussie in from the heat of Sydney’s summer to the bitter cold of Canada. It deepened Jack’s character, brought out his Aussie humour. Helped him stoically carry on even though some of his favourite body parts were feeling it; it didn’t deter him from going after someone who had made him feel warm, or rather…hot.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Louise's garden

Other than going places, I like to be creative, making things. I’m not a great gardener. I’ve tried it and I don’t have it in me. I absolutely appreciate a beautiful garden because I know the amount of work that has gone into making it look fantastic. But I’ll stick to sewing, knitting, while plotting the next book…in my head. I wonder if we ever stop writing. Even when I’m out, I’m people watching and questioning, what if those two meeting up were….




Where can readers get a copy of your books?
The links for Finding Elizabeth are all on the Escape Publishing website below, just click on the link, Amazon, iBookstore, Nook, E-books.com, Google Play, Kobo, All About Romance.
Then click on 'buy' and the online sellers will come up: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990235

Contact Louise:

Web site: http://www.louiseforster.com/

Escape Publishing

Buy FINDING ELIZABETH

 

Louise, thanks so much for joining me here, and for sharing with us all, the beautiful place you call home. - Noelle.