#BookADayUK; A Reader Event For October. Day 15

Not my edition, but mine has lost its dust jacket and
a plain blue cover makes no sense.

What do we have for today, in the #BookadayUK promotion for independent book shops?
This event, run by the Books Are My Bag.com website, suggests for today the following: 'Best home in literature'

I could choose Bilbo's house in Lord of the Rings, I suppose, but I like to look out of the windows. There are many opulent homes in many of the novels I've read, but I'm not too keen on excess. Hundreds of different homes must've been described in the thousands of novels I've read over the last 50/60 years. But the one that sticks in my mind, possibly enhanced and romanticised by the passage of the years, is a house called 'Heronswood' (I think) in Howard Spring's novel, My Son, My Son. The house is set on the upper slope of a headland in Cornwall, with one side of the wooded land leading to the sea coast and the other leading down to a private quay on the River Fowey. So, this place has all the elements I would love in a house. It's surrounded, but not enclosed, by trees. It's in an elevated position. It's within walking distance of the sea, and it has a river frontage free from the danger of flooding. What else could a civilised human being require, except, perhaps, now I'm reaching that age when I feel the cold, a location in a warmer clime?
So, that's my choice. What's yours?

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Review of The Birds & Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier.

Modern Virago - (Victor Gollancz, originally) 6 short stories;

The Birds 12,000 words. Infinitely better than the film. Set in Cornwall and in a farmworker’s cottage, featuring the farmworker and his family. Excellent tension build up and only a vague reason given for the birds’ uncharacteristic behaviour. Fear and sheer incomprehension handled well and the hanging ending was just right.

Monte Verità 24,000 words.

 More a novelette than a short story. Excellent characterisation of the main protagonists. The sense of isolation and superstition amongst the ignorant was well drawn. Again, the ending was perfect.

The Apple Tree 15,000words.

Clearly, a precursor to many copies. Tension was well handled but I found little sympathy with the main character, in spite of the fact that he was well drawn. I found I didn’t really care what happened to him and, in any case, guessed the ending some short way into the story. A good illustration that the spirit of the dead returned as something else is a theme that has been overdone now.

The Little Photographer 15,000 words.

Very well drawn characters. Some brilliant scene setting of the south of France and the overpowering effects of the heat. Set in a time gone by when things mattered that no longer cause concern. The hanging ending, an uncertain future, matched the ambivalence of the heroine perfectly.
Kiss Me Again, Stranger 8,000. An unusual tale with an oddly schizophrenic sub text around eroticism. The sense of menace was drowned in the period detail to some extent and I found it hard to believe in the killer’s motivation.

The Old Man 3,000 words.

Another story where the ‘surprise’ ending has been so much copied as to make it disappointing. I confess, I didn’t see it coming and that was in part due to some dishonesty in the descriptions. Some of the attributes given to the protagonists could only be human, so to find the story concerned swans left me feeling cheated.

Author Interview with Margaret Blake.

Margaret Blake began writing from a young age, however it was not until her late husband, John, persuaded her to do something about it, that she set about writing seriously. A love of history drew her to writing historical romances she published six. Then, under her Grandmother’s name, Ellen Noone, she published five contemporary romances.

Having missed out on further education, she spent four years in higher education and a further ten years working as a Lecturer and Teacher. She especially loved teaching ‘mature students’ people like herself who had not been able to continue their education.

After retirement and a long trip around Australia and New Zealand she once again took up her pen. Returning to one of her favourite themes, righting the wrongs done to the name of King Richard Third by Tudor propagandists, she wrote Seed of the Broom, which was published in e-book format.

She has written five romances for publication by Whiskey Creek Press and one historical romantic suspense. The first of these was Fortune’s Folly, followed by Eden’s Child, Beloved Deceiver and His Other Wife.

Tell us about A Fatal Flaw in a few sentences.

My next book A Fatal Flaw is a contemporary romantic suspense, set in Florida and Cornwall, it is funny as well as serious (I hope!).

What qualities do you need to be a successful writer?

Your main quality has to be persistence. You have to be prepared to take the knock-backs, pick yourself up and start all over again. It helps if you are an eternal optimist.

What is your working method?

I like to work in the afternoon when all the chores are done. I write straight onto my computer and I edit the next day. This keeps the story fresh in my mind.

 

How did you come to write this particular book?

I love Florida, can’t spend enough time there with my family, and I was inspired by the wonderful countryside, the great music and the fabulous people I’ve met. Plus I wanted to feature an American cop, seeing as cop shows are my all time favourites. This one is quite a dreamboat too!

If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?

The character I am writing about at the time is my favourite. It has to be that way, if I don’t really like my characters how can I expect the reader to? I am in love with Ned Rochester at the moment, my cop in A Fatal Flaw, and I really like the zany Cornish girl, Kerensa, I want to be her!

How can people buy your books?

A Fatal Flaw is out in October at www.whiskeycreekpress.com and at www.amazon.com. All my other novels are available in print or e-book and on kindle. Check out my website and you will see there are quite a few!

Do you have support, from either family and friends or a writing group?

My support comes from my family, they are my greatest inspiration. My late husband John was my very greatest supporter, he would do anything to help me out and he was marvellous at letting everyone know when I had a book out. I miss him terribly.

What are your inspirations?

I find places very evocative but where my actual inspiration comes from I don’t really know. I can be walking on the beach and an idea pops into my head. I think about what would happen to so and so in a given situation and that really gets me going. I can’t actually write a word until I have the names of my characters. Names are really important to me. Sometimes that can be the hardest part.

What are you writing now?

Currently I have two books on the go; one is a romantic suspense and the other a straightforward contemporary romance. I have had trouble settling to writing since I lost John, but I have about 30,000 words done on both books so I guess hope springs eternal.

Do you have a website or a blog that readers can visit?

Yes please visit www.margaretblake.co.uk and you can leave a comment or get in touch with me.

I also blog weekly at www.larkjournals.blogspot.com and www.heroineswithhearts.com

Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?

I would love a summer room – built onto the garden, it would be warm and the sun would shine everyday. I would like to say in Italy or the South of France but I know, even if I had unlimited resources, I would not leave my hometown permanently. It would be nice to be able to winter somewhere warm though.

Where do you actually write?

I have a small bedroom converted to an office, it is very cozy, full of books, and my window looks out onto the main road. If I am stuck for distraction I stare out of the window and am sometimes surprised by what I see!

Thank you, Stuart for this opportunity to visit with you.