I just interviewed the very talented author Patsy Collins, read on...
Title:
Paint Me a Picture
Author:
Patsy Collins
Page
Count: It's only available as an ebook so it depends on the font size you
chose. Amazon estimate it would be 356 pages if produced as a print book and
that sounds about right to me.
ISBN:
There isn't one. I've self published. I know it's possible to get one for self
published books, but I didn't.
Genre:
Ummm. Yes. That's why I self published. It isn't a proper genre which makes it
very difficult to sell in the traditional way. There are a few slightly grisly
deaths and an inquest but it's not really a thriller or murder mystery. It's
not a romance (despite the best efforts of one character) It would be a rite of
passage story - except the mc is 53.
Cost:
Oh good an easy one. £3.09 or $4.90
Link
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/Paint-Me-A-Picture-ebook/dp/B0094WFGHW/ref=la_B004O08LRQ_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347465804&sr=1-7
Can
you tell me something about yourself? My favourite colour is purple. My garden
is planted with lots of purple flowers and my wedding dress was purple.
What
inspired you to write? I've always made stuff up. One day I realised that if I
wrote it down then I'd be considered an author which sounds soooo much better
than liar.
Who
are you favourite authors? Oh gosh there are loads. In no particular order and
leaving a lot out - Agatha Christie, Philippa Gregory, Sue Moorcroft,
Christopher Lloyd, John Grisham, Ngaio Marsh, PJ Tracy, JD Robb, Chimamamda
Adicie, Tobias Wolff, PG Wodehouse, Juliet Archer, Reginald Hill, Khaled
Hosseini.
Can
you tell me something about your latest book? It started as a short story and
is the first novel I ever attempted and, at103,000 words, also the longest.
Wow!
How long did it take you to write it? 10 years. I've written other things
during that time though.
Can
you tell us something about the writing process, do you have a set time for
writing, did you do any research or anything else of interest that was
involved?
I
have a full time day job that involves some evening and weekend working so it's
not possible to have a set time for writing.
I
did have to do quite a lot of research. The most unusual was probably attending
an inquest. I also visited an undertaker to ask questions, went to the National
Gallery and St Paul's Cathedral by train and underground. I spent the whole
time trying to notice the things Mavis, my mc, would be interested in.
Fortunately
the painting and gardening are things I already knew about and I'm familiar
with the locations in and around Portsmouth that form the main backdrop to the
story.
What
do you think readers will come away with when they have finished your book.
What I hope is that they'll feel they know Mavis and like her. Perhaps too
readers might feel a sense of optimism. That's the plan, anyway.
Would you add an interesting paragraph or two from you book for us? Well, I think it's all interesting! Here's a bit selected at random which
introduces one of the important characters.
She almost walked
into a man who was patiently waiting in line behind her.
"Mavis? Mavis
Forthright?" he asked.
The voice was
familiar, the face was not. She looked at the grey eyes, greying moustache and
ginger hair that should also have been showing signs of grey. He was smartly
dressed, except for the hideous bright yellow shirt that lent his face an
unhealthy hue. He smiled. He fidgeted. She remembered.
"Norman?"
"You remember,
then?"
"People are
waiting," Mavis pointed out the other students queuing to enrol.
"I won't be more
than a minute. Then we can talk."
Mavis nodded, but the
moment his back was turned, she strode away from him. Norman Merlin, what could
he be doing there? She didn't want to know, she didn't want to speak to him, or
see him and she most definitely didn't want to think of him. She heard
footsteps behind her and lengthened her stride.
Any
other links of interest:
Facebook
author page - http://www.facebook.com/PatsyCollins.writer
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that Patsy spent 10 years writing this novel and maintained the dedication and enthusiasm to finish it is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt was hard going at times, Diane and I almost gave up! Fortunately though I also wrote short stories at the same time and having some of those published convinced me I could write things people might want to read.
ReplyDelete