Your books span romance, suspense, and crime thrillers. What inspired you to branch out into different genres, and do you approach writing them differently?
Dangerous Liaisons, my first book, was inspired by an intriguing gap between the births of two Margaret Tudor’s children, but it developed into a steamy, erotic, romantic suspense series. The Chistian Richard and Maria Trilogy attracts people who like exciting closed-door romance, again with villains. Police Procedural followed – a marvellous chance to write for an audience who expect grisly murders and red-herring clues.
The Royal Command Family Saga grew out of your experience supplying dogs for the stage. Can you share a memorable behind-the-scenes story that influenced the series?
I accompanied, and handled, all my dogs that worked in theatres. One of them was playing Sandy in “Annie”. The teenager playing Annie only left me to go onstage; she was bullied by the others playing children. It was a real eye-opener to the professional jealousy actors hide in public.
London plays a strong role in your novels. How do you weave your “second home” into your storytelling to make it feel authentic for readers?
I spend enough time there to know it extremely well. Theatres attracted me originally, especially when I was asked to provide dogs, but London is a fascinating city. Dirty, dangerous, and vividly alive.
The Christian Richard and Maria Trilogy was written for your niece. How did writing for a younger audience shape the themes and style of those books?
Mostly, by sticking firmly to closed-door sex scenes, though twenty-first century teenagers are very clued up. Christian was easy, since I am a Christian, and a friendly rector came up with the key to Richard and Maria’s basic problem.
You were given permission to use Paul Tait’s song lyrics in your trilogy. How did music influence the atmosphere and emotional depth of those stories?
Some of the songs almost wrote the scenes that feature them, and echo throughout. Paul was upset with my interpretation of one of them – Midnight Angels. I had to remind him my songwriter was fictional.
John Nicholl encouraged you to write your first crime thriller. What was the most challenging part of stepping into that darker genre?
There are murders and other crimes in Royal Command Family Saga. The challenge was getting police procedure right, and John is invariably fast to give, or find out, the answers to my many questions.
DCI Gerald Croft is at the center of your crime thrillers. What qualities make him a compelling detective for you, and how do you keep him relatable?
DCI Croft has an important position as head of a fictional London borough. He’s determined, conscientious, and he cares about victims of crime. He stays relatable because his family aren’t the expected Caucasian wife and average two children. Mirelle is Kenyan – based on a lady I met there – and their third child is mentally challenged. Gerald isn’t a perfect husband either.
Animals play an important role in your life and your writing. How do your rescue dogs inspire your work, both on and off the page?
Dogs that appear in my books – several in Richard and Maria and more in a fifth DCI Croft thriller, Lethal Obsession, that I’m currently writing - are based on real ones, though often not the same breed. Off the page, they tend to interfere, wanting the garden door opening – a walk – dinner…
You donate your royalties to wildlife charities and shelters. What impact do you hope your writing has beyond storytelling?
Better lives for the inmates of shelterd and improvement in health and behaviour, so they can be rehomed, obviously. But that’s financial. I’d like to think I open people’s minds to other problems. Dangerous Liaisons is anti-bloodsports, but that was only the start. Politicians, the NHS (National Health Service for American readers.), High Court Judges… I’ll have a go at any of them.
When you sit down to write, do you plan your stories extensively, or do they unfold more organically as you go along?
Mostly, they unfold, followed by meshing the themes together to make a whole. Less difficult than it sounds; I edit as I go and keep notes of who’s who, age etc.
Having worked closely with theatre professionals, what parallels do you see between the stage and novel writing?
The primary object is entertainment. Both often have subtly hidden messages. Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals invariable do, as does Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables; Claude-Michel Schőberg stayed close to the original story.
How do you balance your love of theatre, travel, and writing with the quiet, focused work that authorship requires?
I type directly onto a laptop. Anywhere I go, I take it with me. While I’m creating a story, I’m wherever my characters are, doing what they’re doing – unless it’s criminal, though there was one occasion I’d happily have shot someone.
Many of your stories feature themes of love, ambition, and survival. What draws you to these recurring ideas?
Powerful appeal. Love just is. Even the absence of it carries a tale. Lost love. Criminal love – incest features in Royal Command Family Saga. Ambition is universal, achieved or not. Survival – people will do the almost impossible to survive, or to save someone they love.
Looking ahead, are there new stories, genres, or projects you’re excited to explore in the future?
Crime thrillers are currently “in”, which is lucky because I enjoy writing them. I’d say there’s a way of using them to cover most stories. All my characters are grounded from birth, even though we rarely meet them before adulthood.
How were you introduced to AllAuthor, and would you say that this website has been helpful?
I was told about it by an author friend, and yes, it has been helpful. Especially, the banners are great for DIY advertising.
