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THE WRITING PROCESS Blog Tour

6/4/2014

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I have always been a reluctant blogger.  I often feel that I am searching for things to write about that are not that important and would actually prefer to spend my writing time working on my novels.  Not that blogs can't be interesting and worth reading - many of them are, especially when they are written by someone who knows what they are talking about.  Others, however, can be repetitive and time-wasting.  Nevertheless I have come to realise that if I want to let people know about what I write and why I write it, there is no better way than to write a blog.  So I was pleased to get an invitation from Lorraine Mace, who also writes under the pen-name of Frances di Plino, to take part in the Writing Process Blog Tour.  The idea is that each participant invites two or three other writers to join the tour and everyone answers the same four questions about their work.  It's a bit like pyramid selling but no money changes hand.  You can read Lorraine's blog here.
I have invited the following two authors to take part next week:  Paul Anthony, a well-known writer of crime thrillers and Welsh writer and photographer,Jean Gill.  The questions they will answer are:

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?


So now it's my turn to answer:
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WHAT AM I WORKING ON?
I have just finished writing a novel entitled THE SHINING CITY and I'm at the self-publishing stage.  

The novel is the story of a city, a city that is now in ruins and lies five kilometres outside of Cordoba in Spain: MADINAT AL ZAHRA.  The story is set in the 10th century, a time when southern Spain was under the rule of the Moors.  The ruler, Caliph Al Rahman III was rich, powerful and cultured.  His caliphate was, at long last, at peace and the capital, Cordoba, was considered to be not only the most beautiful city in the civilised world but also the seat of learning and culture.  Against this background we meet the artisan Qasim - he and his family have moved to Madinat al Zahra to make their fortune as potters.  

Qasim is a good husband and father.  He works hard, says his prayers and keeps out of trouble.  But Qasim has a secret; his past is not what it seems.  When a stranger arrives asking questions about him, and his youngest son falls in love with the caliph’s concubine, he realises that all he has worked for could be destroyed.  He has to take action.

I have just finished putting the final touches to the book cover and published it as an ebook on Kindle.  The paperback version is with the printers and I have other ebook versions to do, for Smashwords, Kobo etc.  While I am waiting for the proof to come back from the printers I will start the marketing process again - and probably more blogging.  I have a great idea for a new novel but that will have to wait for a bit.  If only I had a marketing agent!


HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?

It's always difficult to categorise things exactly, especially something as wide-ranging as a novel.  Some of my work could slot quite easily into Historical Fiction, but that in itself is a very broad category and doesn't tell you very much except that the story is set sometime in the past.  If there is one thing all my books have in common it is their approach to women - they all have strong, female protagonists and the stories are about how they overcome adversity.  
For many years I was a lecturer in Behavioural Studies and I am fascinated by the interactions between people of all ages and from all walks of life.  My characters do nothing without a reason - I like to imagine what drives them to take the actions they do and show it to the reader.

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WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

This is an interesting question.  When I bemoan my lack of sales, my husband says that I should start writing books that sell: crime fiction, stories about vampires and time shifters, fantasy.  I just shake my head.  I write what I write because I enjoy doing it.  I write about women because I know women; I know how their minds work; I know the problems women face daily; I know the discrimination that has shaped women's lives and still does, to some extent, today.  
They say that you should write about what you know and that is one reason that many of my books are set in Spain - a country I have come to love.
I also write about history because I enjoy it.  I love doing the research - in fact I sometimes have to curtail my reading because I could spend all my time researching instead of writing.  


"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." 
George Santayana 

There is a lot to be learnt from history that applies to the present day and I like to write books that say something meaningful.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

My writing process varies according to the stage that I am at.  For example, once I have an idea, I make a draft outline of how I think the book will be then I list the characters and start creating them.  Then, depending on the story, I may break off and start doing some research into the background.  For example, when I wrote THE ONLY BLUE DOOR, I got the idea from an article in the newspaper about child migrants who were trying to trace their families.  I was fascinated and began to read as much as I could about what had happened.  In that case, it was only when I had fully researched the history of these events that I began to sketch out my story.  That's the point when I try to adopt a work routine: start writing at 10am and keep going until 2pm.  The morning is the best part of the day for me to work creatively.  I prefer to monitor my progress through hours rather than a word count.  I am not a writer who starts at the beginning and goes right through to the end; I am constantly rewriting, editing, rereading, cutting out characters, bringing in new ones.  For me a word count does not reflect the amount of work that I've done.  Until the book has been professionally edited and proof-read, it is not finished.


SO ON TO THE OTHERS:
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Paul Anthony is the author of a dozen books which include the Boyd series and the Davies King series. Specialising in crime fiction thrillers, Paul is a retired British counter terrorist detective who populates his stories with a variety of very intriguing characters.
HE WILL BE HOSTING HIS PART OF THE TOUR FROM ... 
http://paulanthonys.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-blog-tour.html


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Jean Gill is a Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with a very big white dog, a scruffy black one, a Nikon D700 and a man. She taught English in Wales for many years and her claim to fame is that she was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in Carmarthenshire. She is the mother or stepmother to five children so life has been pretty hectic.
JEAN WILL BE HOSTING HER PART OF THE TOUR FROM www.jeangill.blogspot.com


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The Christmas Blog Tour sponsored by Paul Anthony Associates

14/10/2013

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Welcome to the Christmas Blog Tour: A group of authors entertaining their readers with some thrilling tales of fiction. Let's find out what they are up to at the moment. Santa Claus wants to ask some questions. Indeed, they’ve all been asked the same questions as they introduce themselves and their work. So, let’s hear what they have to say. First up is JOAN FALLON

Q. Whereabouts do you live, Joan?


A. I’m very lucky; I live in one of the nicest places you could wish for - two minutes from the sea, in the sleepy village of Benajarafe in southern Spain.  It’s the perfect place for a writer to live and work.  And best of all, you can eat your Christmas dinner outside on the terrace - no snow and no snowmen.  


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PictureHARD AT WORK
Q. Would you describe yourself as a full time writer or do you have another job?

A. I don’t have another job - I used to be a teacher but my only profession these days is writing.  I spend, on average, 20 - 30 hours a week either writing or promoting my books.  Of course, if I’m in the middle of a book, I don’t like to break off and so end up working more hours.  I prefer to work in the morning when my mind is fresh and keep the afternoons and evenings for leisure time and family.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time? 

A. I play golf at our local golf club.  I used to be very serious about my golf but I now find that it takes me away from my writing so I limit myself to one game a week.  I like to walk my dogs; I read a lot and spend time with friends.  I’m also very keen on the cinema and TV dramas (I think I would like to try my hand at script writing one day).  Living where we do, we usually get quite a few friends visiting us during the year and it’s nice to take them out and show them the area.  At least once a year we also make a point of travelling to some part of Spain that we haven’t visited before - and trying the wine and local dishes.  I am also very interested in local history and many things I discover end up in my novels.

Q. Name three people you would like to entertain for Christmas dinner and why?

A.  Hilary Mantell because I’d like to pick up some writing tips from her and because she looks like she has a good appetite and would enjoy Christmas dinner.

Johnny Depp because he is handsome, a great actor and I would imagine a very entertaining dinner guest.

John Pilger, journalist and author because he would be a stimulating conversationalist and keep us awake after the Christmas pudding.


PictureCHRISTMAS LUNCH AT THE GOLF CLUB
Q. If you could live anywhere in the world this Christmas, where would it be?
 
A.  Venice - I think spending Christmas Eve in a gondola, drinking champagne and seeing the city would be magical.

Q. If you had one Christmas wish, what would it be?

A.  I have quite a few unrealistic ones but one, that has at least a slight possibility of being granted, is to have all our family together for Christmas dinner (and someone else to cook it).

Q. Describe yourself using only three ‘Christmas’ words.

A. This is hard - I am not really a Christmassy person.  Words like jolly and jovial don’t apply to me.  The best I can do is sparkling (especially in congenial company),  reflective (because Christmas is a time to look back as well as forward) and hospitable (because I like to organise a good party.)


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Q. What makes Christmas special for you? 

A  Having the family together and watching the children enjoy themselves.


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PictureSPANISH FRIENDS ENJOYING CHRISTMAS LUNCH

Q. What is your favourite childhood memory of Christmas?


A. That’s difficult because the memories have a way of running into each other.  I would say it was probably when I was very young and was so excited that Father Christmas had eaten the mince pie and drunk the brandy that my parents had left out for him - too young to realise that he would never have fitted down our narrow chimney!

Q. What is the worst Christmas you have ever experienced?

A. That is a sad one - it was the first Christmas after my son died.  We tried to make Christmas as happy as usual for the sake of my daughter and our parents, who always spent Christmas Day with us, but it was hard.  Christmas is the time when everyone thinks of their loved ones and the happy times they have shared.  When one of them is missing it is heartbreaking.


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Q. Are you currently published for Christmas or do you have a ‘work in action’ you can tell us about?

A. My latest published book is THE ONLY BLUE DOOR.

Q. Tell us about your work and what influenced you to write in this exciting genre?

A. It is the story of three English children who become separated from their mother during the Second World War and are wrongly identified as orphans.  They are sent to Australia as child migrants - the two girls go to an orphanage in Melbourne and the boy is sent to a farm school in Western Australia.  It is a sad story based on actual events but despite all the hardships that they face, they manage to pull through.  The main character, a girl called Maggie, desperately tries to find their mother and reunite the family.
There is not much about Christmas in the book except that the only way they can count the years they have been in the orphanage is by counting the number of Christmases that have passed.

Q  Do you have a particular character that figures consistently or are you in the stage of developing a lead character?

A. I suppose Maggie is the lead character but her mother, Irene and her brother, Billy also have major roles to play.

Q. Where can we find out more about your work? 

A. You can find out more about me on my web page: www.joanfallon.co.uk and my books are listed on Amazon:

www.amazon.co.uk

www.amazon.com

They are also on Smashwords and listed on Goodreads.

Q. And where can we follow and support you on social media sites?

A. I have two Twitter accounts: @joan_fallon which is to do with writing and  @notesonspain which is all about things Spanish.

I am also on Facebook and Linked-in


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Q. Santa Claus thanks you for taking part in this interview, JOAN FALLON and wishes you good luck with your writing in the years ahead.

A. Thank you. Can I invite you to meet my friends in this wonderful world of writing? Just click on the names below and you’ll find yourself reading a different set of answers to the same questions. Please support my friends and fellow authors by visiting their sites and checking out their contribution. Thank you for joining me on my blog tour.

PS You do believe….. Don’t you?   Naturally

1. AMY METZ

2. MARIA SWAN 

3. JENNIFER DEGL 

4. JEAN REINHARDT

5. CERI LONDON

6. MEG JOHNSTON

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    Joan Fallon is a writer and novelist living in Spain.

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