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I’m back again with another author interview for you in the run up to Christmas. Today it’s the turn of climate fiction author Niki Baker – pen name N R Baker.

Hi Niki. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?

Thanks so much, Fi. Hi everyone! I’m Niki, an English introvert who found her wings and followed her heart (on an extremely tight budget) to a little forested river valley in rural France. If that sounds like something out of a fairytale, well, it is. Magic is real, if you know where to look for it… but I don’t need to tell that to the author of Haven Wakes!

You definitely don’t, Niki. Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?

My book, 10:59, has been described as an eco-thriller. The central character is an eighteen-year-old called Louis (‘with a wiss, not a wee’) who finds himself working for an organisation that wants to save the world. But when he’s entrusted with the monstrous secret of how they plan to achieve that goal, he – and the reader – must decide whether they’re heroes or villains.

The inspiration for writing 10:59 was what we’re doing to the Earth. Most of us are born into societies based around economic growth at any cost. We might have a sneaking suspicion that we’re trashing the planet, but that’s someone else’s problem, right? When you step away from the rat race and really open your eyes, the fresh perspective is incredible: liberating, enlightening, and scary as hell. That – plus a ton of research and a penchant for sarcastic humour – is behind my novel.

Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?

All sorts of things. Experiences, images, news stories, random thoughts… Okay, mostly random thoughts. I plant all of my ideas in a document on my computer, and some of them grow.

Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

Excellent question, Fi. There are plenty of fictional characters I’d like to spend time with, but at Christmas it would have to be someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, is game for a laugh, and isn’t averse to an alcoholic beverage or three. I think I’d choose Allan Karlsson, the protagonist in Jonas Jonasson’s book The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. He’s had all kinds of adventures so he’d be a fascinating dinner guest, he defies stereotypes, and he’s open-minded and good fun.

Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?

I absolutely cannot wait to get back to writing, and the amazing reviews from readers of 10:59 are a huge motivation. My partner and I have spent the past two years slaving away in a mill (if we were eighteenth century peasants we’d definitely be revolting by now). Our home is a very dilapidated old paper mill that was in desperate need of some serious TLC, so we’ve had to devote every available moment to restoring windows, laying floorboards and plastering walls. We’ve still got a lot to do, but next year we’ll be able to slacken the pace a bit and I’ve got two half-finished manuscripts that I’m just itching to work on…

Wow, you’ve been busy. I can’t wait to find out what you write next.

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If you’d like to find out more about Niki and her writing, here are all the links you might need:

• Website
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Twitter
• Facebook

And finally, here’s my 5* review of Niki’s debut novel.

10:59

So ‘now’ it’s astounding. 10:59 makes you think, and that’s putting it lightly. Without wanting to give too much away, it’s a storyline that connects deeply with our ‘now’ in 2020 and the choices that future governments may have to face.

This is a pacy, exciting, thought-provoking cli-fi novel that will stop you in your tracks.

I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Another week (closer to Christmas) and another author interview – this time with my good friend Suzanna Williams.

Hi Suzanna. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?

Hello Fi, and all your awesome readers.

In preparing this interview, I realised my author photo was taken in 2010! Sending you a picture over ten years out of date seemed like putting a dodgy image on a dating site, so I went in search of a new one. (Note to self: need new author pic)

There are plenty of selfies with the dog on my phone, but even though she’s cute and likes to sit on my writing chair next to me, you probably don’t want to see that.

I also have lots of photos with my family, but readers will want to know that I write YA action adventure with a touch of sci-fi and a twist of romance, not how gorgeous my grandchildren are.

And then I remembered I had a photo with Fi at a reading of Haven Wakes in Chester. It was a great day. Look at our smiling faces. How could we have known that we would all be in lockdown in the middle of a global pandemic just weeks after this was taken?

It was an excellent day and that photo brings it all back.

Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?

I am completing the editing/re-editing stages on the last book in my Shock Waves series, which is called Shock Tactics.

Things have been going steadily worse for my poor hero and heroine throughout the first two books and I wanted them to finally embrace their talents and take down the bad guys once and for all. And I needed to tie up all the loose ends.

There are a couple of new characters in this book that I’ve really enjoyed getting to know, like Lee’s dad who swears all the time in Spanish, and Paige’s uncle who explains the real reason why he abandoned her to the foster care system.

So, Shock Tactics is an end to the series, but also the beginning of a new, hopefully better life for them. After all I’ve put them through, I think they deserve it.  

Here’s a sneak peek at the cover.

Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?

Reading is a great source of inspiration. There is always something in every book you pick up that will spark a series of ‘what-if-they-didn’t-do-that-but-did-this-instead’ thoughts which will often morph into new plot twists for my own writing.

I also have a collection of photographs of fantastical places. Who doesn’t love a hidden space behind a waterfall? Or a house built high in a forest of redwood trees?

Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

Imagine Christmas in Molly Weasley’s house; pine scented Christmas tree, homely decorations, open fire roaring in the grate.

Molly was a perfect mother figure, not only to her own children but to Harry Potter too, so she’s bound to have cooked up a great spread.

And I might even talk her into using a little after dinner magic.

Love you, Molly. See you on Christmas Day.

Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?

I intend to relaunch/launch the complete ShockWaves trilogy early in 2022.  Watch this space.

A big thank you to Fi for having me on her blog and thank you to everyone reading this.

And just in case you feel cheated you didn’t get a dog pic, here’s my writing buddy.

Thanks for the chat, Suzanna. It’s always good to catch up with you. I’ll keep an eye out for the Shock Waves trilogy in the new year.

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If you’d like to find out more about Suzanna, here are all the useful links:

• Website
• Amazon author page and book links
• Facebook
• Twitter

And here’s my 5* review of Suzanna’s novel.

Ninety-Five Percent Human

This novel very quickly grounds the reader in the reality of Joe’s world – the Welsh landscape, his family farm, the local people – and draws us into his feelings about that world. There is a gentle humour to the book, the kind of banter you get between people that have known each other for a long time.

The book is written in present tense from Joe’s point of view which allows the reader to react and learn along with the character. I liked Joe from the outset. He’s hard working (unlike his medical student brother), responsible (he stays on at the family farm even though he doesn’t want to) and willing to sacrifice himself for not only those he cares about but also the occasional stranger. He’s an all round good guy who doesn’t realise his own self worth at the beginning of the novel. The interactions between Joe and the other teenagers and young people took me back to when I was that age. By the end of the novel, Joe has grown in courage and self assurance.

I have two favourite scenes from the novel that are very different to each other. The first is the party that Joe and Sarah attend. It’s probably one of the first times that Sarah has really relaxed and just been a ‘normal’ teenager.

My second favourite scene is the UFO sighting at the local pub. I love the characters’ reactions, cementing the personalities that have already been built up in previous chapters, but also it’s good to see Joe and Sarah’s plan come together, for once.

Ninety-Five Percent Human is a well written, insightful novel that mixes up the reality of our world (and Joe’s) with the concept of alien life forms and advanced technology into a believable and enjoyable read.

Today’s author interview is with author and poet, Richard Wall. He’s also a creator of short stories and has turned his hand to writing songs, sleeve notes, and album reviews for indie musicians. His literary creations reflect his life-long fascination with the dark underbelly of American culture.

Hi Richard. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?

Thanks for inviting me to take part. I’m Richard Wall, author of the novels Fat Man Blues, Near Death, a bunch of short stories and poems, and a very occasional blog page.

Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?

My latest book is the one that is being written as we speak. Its working title is Born Again and it’s the sequel to my second novel Near Death (see what I did there?). Born Again is set in South Carolina in 1969 and begins with the arrest of John Henry Beauregard following the grisly discovery of a dead body near his cabin in the mountains. The story follows John Henry as he tries to find a killer who seems to be controlled from beyond the grave. 

The story features the return of some characters from Near Death, as well as introducing new ones, including a voodoo priestess from Louisiana. Oh, and it has fast cars and blues music, too.

Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?

It could be anything; a conversation in a bar in Clarksdale Mississippi sparked the first chapter of Fat Man Blues. A simple ‘what if’ question triggered Near Death. Driving to work one day a few years ago I was thinking about nonsense poetry when the line ’Thomas Green The Submarine’ popped in my head. That became a dark monologue which has since been narrated by Hull musician Half Deaf Clatch. 

Also, reading (the verb, not the city).  

Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

I’m such a voracious reader that I have a wealth of fictional characters I would love to meet. 

I would love to sit down for a meal with Burke, the anti-hero of the dark crime novels written by Andrew Vachss. The meal would be at Mama’s Chinese resturant in New York, sitting at the booth which doubles as Burke’s ‘office’.

Equally I think Tom Joad, hero of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, would make an interesting companion.

  Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?

I’m hoping that Born Again will be finished and in a fit state to be pitched to a certain independent publisher. I also have an idea to compile all of my short stories and poetry into paperback form – working title: ’Nicotine, Liquor & Blasphemy’.

Thanks for talking to me today, Richard. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for Born Again.

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If you’d like to find out more about Richard and his books, here are all the useful links you might need:

• Website
• Amazon Author Page
• Twitter

And finally, here’s my 5* review of Richard’s novel.

Near Death

“I do love a horror novel with teeth, and Near Death is certainly that. I expected complex, flawed characters and I wasn’t disappointed in John Henry Beauregard, a prison chaplain still haunted by his experience of the Korean war.

Near Death is a novel of parts – our first introduction to the murderous Joseph Hickey, John Henry’s attempt to leave his years as a prison chaplain behind, what happens in New York, tragedy, and the final showdown. Each part serves what is to come and adds depth to the world of the novel.

What stood out most for me was the character of Joseph Hickey. Vile. Dangerous beyond reckoning. Seemingly unstoppable. If anything is going to get a reaction out of the reader, it’s him.

I enjoyed reading this novel immensely and want more books please from Richard Wall.”

December is flying by. It’s the second week (only 18 sleeps until the big day) and also the second of this month’s author interviews. Today it’s the turn of historical ghost story writer, Patricia Ayling.

Hi Patricia. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?

I am a latecomer to writing, more accurately, being a published author. I have always found writing enjoyable, whether that be letters or essays from school times to short stories and factual stuff in a few textbooks I was commissioned to write when teaching. I get lost when writing and it’s a good feeling.

It was only when I requested a professional edit of my near complete novel that I felt the metaphorical slap. My manuscript was unrecognisable. Red pen underlined words and sentences, or simply slashed straight through them. ‘Don’t be disheartened’ the feedback commenced. I was. I slept and decided to battle on: and learned so much more about writing as a craft.

Those edits always are a knife to the heart, aren’t they? Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?

The Curse of Becton Manor is my first novel. I love the Tudor period but I also love an element of the supernatural. When I was small, we visited my grandparents on their farm in Wiltshire. The house had no electricity, not uncommon in the 1950s. There was a tale of my grandmother seeing pokers stabbing the embers of a fire with no person holding them. Hauntings are fascinating but the evidence for the existence of ghosts remains elusive. My story combined both of my interests by writing about a house that began its life in 1593 and was derelict in 1957 but due to be renovated. Then by presenting the traumas of two very different families I was able to weave in a paranormal edge.

My recent project is a sequel following the evil protagonist in 1598. I then hope to write a third book concentrating on the twentieth century protagonist. So still historical and with the supernatural in mind but I hope to write using a deeper emotional style and I love a psychological twist. So we shall see. My characters take me on a journey not the other way round.

Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?

What inspires me? Sometimes just reading the newspaper or magazines reveals the true feelings of people and their experiences. At other times, just listening to conversations. Reading and researching periods can also illuminate lives and stir your emotions and your imagination.

Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

Oh – who would I have Christmas dinner with? I thought long and hard about this one. I think I wouldn’t down many forkfuls of food if I sat across from Sherlock Holmes. His powers of observation would intrigue me. I admire successful crime writers and wish I too could pen a psychological thriller.

Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?

My plans for 2022 are writing my two remaining books, start a saga and read a variety of genre.

Thanks for talking to me, Patricia. I’ll keep an eye out for your new books.

If you’d like to find out more about Patricia and her writing, here are all the useful links you might need:

• Twitter
• The Curse of Becton Manor on the Burning Chair website
• Amazon
• Patricia in the news

I read The Curse of Becton Manor earlier in the year, enjoyed it immensely, and left this 5* review:

The Curse of Becton Manor

“The Curse of Becton Manor packs a double historical whammy with its two period settings of the 1950s and the 1590s.

The dream of life in an Elizabethan country manor house soon turns into a mixed blessing as Tom and his friend George happen on the ghostly mystery of Becton Manor.

I loved the interplay between the two time periods and the level of historical research that made both timelines so believable.

Ghosts. Intrigue. Adventure. What a brilliant mixture.”

Today is the first day of December and my first festive author interview. There’ll be plenty more in the run-up to Christmas but let’s kick things off with Richard Ayre.

Hi Richard. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?

Hi, Fi, thank you. A real pleasure to talk to you today.

I teach History in a secondary school as a day job, but I’ve been writing fiction in my spare time for donkey’s years now. Back in the late 1980’s I started writing what would eventually become ‘Point of Contact,’ a sci-fi/horror/procedural thriller (not really sure what it is!). I sent it to a few agents but it got nowhere, which is not surprising really as it was terrible. I’ve revised it massively since going back to it and I love it now, but re-reading it after twenty odd years was possibly the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done. First drafts etc.

After that, I thought I would have a go at writing horror. I was, and still am, a huge fan of James Herbert; I love the gritty Britishness of his works, and I was also really into New Wave Heavy Metal. I thought I’d combine these two loves into a novel and so ‘Minstrel’s Bargain’ was created. I set this in Newcastle and tried to add a little humour into the tale, as well as a lot of very gratuitous violence. Again, this got nowhere, and by this time my eldest daughter had been born. Writing did not really have a place in my heart anymore so the scripts for both Minstrel’s Bargain and Point of Contact went and lived in the loft for nearly twenty-five years as I got on with life.

Fast forward to 2015 and I dragged them out and had a look at them again. By this time there was a slew of indie publishers around, so I sent MB off to one of them and to my surprise they took it on! Unfortunately, that didn’t work and the publisher and myself eventually parted ways, but that small success prompted me to begin writing again. I heavily revised Point of Contact and this was taken on by another indie publisher (but once again I found that there was limited interest from them re; advertising etc, so I parted with them too and decided to self-publish.) After that I decided that I missed Minstrel, the demon from Minstrel’s Bargain, so I wrote a sequel entitled Minstrel’s Renaissance, and then a third novel in what has become a trilogy; Minstrel’s Requiem. All of these were self-published.

In and amongst this, I was scribbling down short stories, as this helped me through a bit of writer’s block on Minstrel’s Renaissance, and they have become two anthologies called ‘A Hatful of Shadows’ and ‘Nightmares and Daydreams’ respectively.

I then started on a story I called ‘Passing it Along’ which was very different to what I had written before. It was the story of a man mortally wounded in World War One who, for a convoluted reason, becomes immortal. The story follows the protagonist’s life journey; from 1918 all the way to the 21^st Century. When this was finished, I once again touted it to agents for over a year, but, inevitably, none of them wanted it. I eventually came across Burning Chair who took the novel on, edited the hell out of it and turned it into ‘A Life Eternal.’ They then took on Point of Contact too, so it has eventually found a home.

Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?

My latest book, again published by Burning Chair, is a historical thriller called ‘Shadow of the Knife.’ It came about after a conversation about Point of Contact between myself and Pete and Si at Burning Chair. They said I should write a police procedural. I said no because I actually don’t really like those kinds of books; they all seem a bit ‘samey’ to me, but I had been thinking of writing a story set in the 19^th Century; a time-travel novel set in that period. I mulled on it for a while, took out the time travel aspect and turned it into a historical thriller. Shadow of the Knife was born, and Pete and Si took it on.

The story is, in essence, a crime thriller, set in the East End in 1890; two years after the Ripper killings. When more women begin to be murdered in the same fashion as the Ripper killings, Detective Jonas Handy of Leman Street Station is put on the case. He calls on the help of surgeon Dr Carter ‘Jigsaw’ Jarman, a celebrated criminologist, and the two men are drawn into the murky world of prostitution and murder. Their investigations take them from the filthy streets of Whitechapel to the plush sitting rooms of the Victorian gentry. It’s my first novel that does not contain any supernatural elements, so we’ll have to see how it all goes!

Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?

I have to be honest; my inspiration comes in peaks and troughs. If I have an idea, I can rattle out a 300-page novel in pretty quick time, (both A Life Eternal and Shadow of the Knife took about three months each for the first drafts) but I tend to go for long periods without writing a thing. We are always told to write every day, but I don’t do that. When I’m working on a novel, I put every spare minute of the day into it, but when I’m finished, I tend to just leave writing alone for a while. Weird, but true.

Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

Which fictional character would I have Christmas dinner with? What an incredible question. There are far too many!

If I had to plump for one, (and not one I’ve created, which would be the hero of the Minstrel books, Phil Sturgess) I think I would have dinner with Fluke, the protagonist of James Herbert’s novel of the same name. If you have not read this, the story is about a dog who slowly discovers that he is the reincarnation of a man who believes he was murdered and sets out to discover about his past life as a human. I think Fluke would get on with Harvey, my own dog, and it means I could sit on the settee after dinner and have two dogs to stroke instead of just one. I wouldn’t have to engage in much conversation with them either. That would be a great Christmas!

Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?

Plans for the future. I really don’t know. I’m at a point where I’m in a bit of a trough at the minute as far as writing is concerned. I will definitely write a sequel to Shadow of the Knife at some point, but when that will be I don’t know. I’m always having ideas for new stories, and I’ve started at least 3 that I can think of, but the hunger is not really there at the moment. Real life always gets in the way of just being able to sit and write and my job always has to take priority as this is the thing that actually pays the bills, which writing certainly does not. So, we’ll see how Shadow of the Knife does. I suppose this novel is a bit of a watershed; do I continue or not? I’m sure I will and I’m sure I will start again soon, but, as I say, we’ll just have to see when that will be.

Thanks for the chat, Richard. Shadow of the Knife is on my to-be-read shelf (note I said shelf and not pile – this book buying habit really is turning into a problem).

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If you’d like to find out more about Richard and his books, here are all the useful links you might need:

• Website
• Amazon Author Page
• Facebook Page
• Twitter

And if that isn’t enough, I’ve reviewed a couple of his books too.

A Life Eternal

“I enjoyed this novel immensely. It was one of those books that made me forget I was reading – it was so well crafted and involving.

The development of Rob Deakin from broken ex soldier to adventurer, doomed man, loving husband and finally, wise soul is cleverly and convincingly written.

Looking forward to Richard’s next book.”

Point of Contact

“Point of Contact by Richard Ayre has a brilliant cast of characters and although the point of view changes rapidly and frequently, there is never any doubt whose eyes you are seeing the story through.

I enjoyed the way we got to know the villain – slowly, deeply, and menacingly – without any idea who they were until the big reveal near the end of the novel.

The switch back and forth between time periods was done well, serving the story and happening at just the right places.

The end was excruciatingly exciting and brutal. This author obviously enjoys making their characters suffer. I did begin to wonder just how much more injury and misery Fenwick, Goddard, and Ellie could take.

All in all, a brilliant page-turner of a novel. Awesome.”