Guest author Henrietta Clarke

[charlie_cochrane]

Isn't the internet amazing? I "met" Henrietta because we're both friends on Facebook of Max, the dog from Ty Rosa B&B. Anyone who worships Max must be worth talking to! We put this date in the diary ages ago so it's a double delight that it coincides with the cover reveal for her new book, "The Truth about Riley".


What inspired you to start writing?
Enid Blyton, embarrassing though that may seem. But she was my favourite author when I was a kid, and up to about the age of fourteen, most of my writing was either imitating or modernizing her style.

What did/does it feel like watching your first book fledge and leave the nest?
Because most of what I’ve published so far has been so short, it kind of feels like I haven’t experienced this yet. It’s like I’ve served up the appetizers, and now I’m working on the entrée. My debut novel, The Truth About Riley, is currently going through the editing process—it’ll be released on July 10^th with Bottom Drawer Publications. I imagine that when that hits the shelves, I’ll be experiencing all the excitement and nerves of An Unexpected Party tenfold. If you need me on release day, I’ll be hiding under the duvet trembling with my best friend and head cheerleader keeping me updated on how the novel is being received. I can pack for the UK Meet on the 11^th, right?

Why this particular setting and era?
At the moment, I’m mostly writing contemporary because that’s the era I know and probably my favourite to read. Likewise, I set maybe half my stories in the UK because that’s my homeland, and I’m damn proud to be British. The other half tend to take place in America because most of what I read is set there, which has resulted in a lot of the characters popping into my head being American. I just hope I can do those stories justice, never having visited. (It’s top of my bucket list.) But Twitter is a great help with “translation” issues and dialect, and I’m so grateful to my followers for their patience and speedy replies.

Are you character or plot driven? What do you do if one of your characters starts developing at a tangent?
Although I tend to start out with the plot—or at least a vague outline of it, since I’m predominantly a pantser—I’d have to say character driven. I wait ’til the right characters for the plotline introduce themselves, and then let them take over. If they start developing at a tangent, I tend to curse a blue streak at my muse, shrug, and go along for the ride—I can always rein them in later if the tangent isn’t working. I do feel that when a character starts talking back and trying to steer you, that’s when they come to life, which obviously is a very good thing. It’s kind of like a long journey with backseat drivers—sometimes you just have to swap seats and let them take charge just to give your ears a break.

If you were in a tight corner and had to rely on one of your characters to save you, which would it be and why?
Just from the characters currently in print, definitely Benji McLean from my Christmas short story, “Inspiration”. I know Peregrine Harding from the Valentine’s release “An Unexpected Party” would be a good choice if there were legal issues involved, but really, if you’re in a tight corner, what better rescue could there be than six feet three inches of angry Scottish muscle? (Of course, it’s questionable how reliable Benji would be, so I’d probably actually be counting on his partner Nolan to push him out of the door.)

If you had no constraints of time and a guarantee of publication, what book would you write?
I’m actually lucky enough to have more or less been in this exact situation already—I had a contract for my debut novel but no first draft deadline, and it’s a story I’m really proud to be presenting. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s pretty original because the vast majority of the contact between the two protagonists takes place over the phone due to the facial disfigurement and subsequent lack of self-confidence of the title character. (Isn’t he sexy though? Check out that gorgeous cover model! Of course, that is his good side…)

Is there a classic book you started and simply couldn't finish?
I love my classics—I really miss studying them now that my undergrad degree is over—so most of what I start, I finish. The one which immediately springs to mind is Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”: I read an article which informed me that J.K Rowling read “Little Women” at the age of about nine, and being eight at the time, I decided to go one better and chose “Tess” as the book I’d do it with. I don’t think I got beyond the third chapter, but as a result of that childish decision, it’s a book that I will definitely one day read cover to cover. I imagine it’ll be far more entertaining now I’m old enough to appreciate it. (And I did also read “Little Women” at nine.)

What’s your favourite gay fiction book? And why?
I’m really, really bad at picking a favourite, because there are just so many that I love. I’m a huge fan of the “Cut & Run” series by Abigail Roux—a huge fan of pretty much everything she’s written in the genre, in fact; she has a definite talent for very real characters who work their way into your heart teamed with plots that keep you on your toes. “The Archer” is a great example of one that keeps you guessing whilst you fall for the characters—it’s pretty long, which I know has put some people off, but I personally couldn’t put it down except when sleep became absolutely necessary.
Another author I’ve really enjoyed recently is R. Cooper. Her writing style is quite slow-paced, but I have a definite soft-spot for ‘slow-burning’ romances which focus on how the characters get together. For that reason, I especially enjoyed “A Boy and His Dragon”; I’d definitely recommend it.
A third recommendation is “The Rare Event” by P.D. Singer—of the books I’ve read so far this year, that stands out as the one I really couldn’t put down. The characters were all really well-developed, and I think the pacing was spot on for a novel of its length. It had me laughing and also tearing up in places, which I always take as a sign of a great novel.
And finally, one more—I can’t answer this question without mentioning “Clear Water” by Amy Lane. The characters really captured my heart, and it was warm, funny and fluffy, character-driven backed by a simple but entertaining plot—a perfect comfort read and one I’ll definitely read over and over.
And… and… and… Okay, last one, I promise, but right now I’m totally enamoured with Andrea Speed’s “Infected” series. She’s a brilliant storyteller who manages to write very gritty tales about real and often dark issues, but in a manner which is lightened by the ofttimes hilarious interaction between the incredible cast of loveable characters. (Was that too many adjectives? I can’t recommend the series highly enough, though I guess I should give fair warning that there are some pretty gory scenes. But I’m super-squeamish, and if I can cope…)

What's your next project?
Before I answer about my next project, I want to take a moment for a little shameless plugging of my next release—I have a free short story entitled “The Game” being released with Bottom Drawer Publications on Monday. It’s a super-quick 15-minute read about two guys who find a quirky way to make their telesales job bearable. And if that brief description or the mere fact it’s free isn’t temptation enough, there’s another bonus: a teaser extract from The Truth About Riley, to whet your appetite for the July 10^th release. (But seriously though. That cover model. Don’t you just want to lick him?)

So that’s my next two releases. My next project? Well, I’m in the middle of exams right now—they’re over on June 6^th—and then I’m moving house to start a new job on June 10^th, so writing’s kind of on the back burner at the present moment. Once the exam hell is over, I intend to spend the rest of June working on short stories for a number of anthology calls from various publishers whilst I settle into a new routine and finish unpacking. In July, I start work on the sequel to Riley, which is the first of a three-book series. And I’m not going to say anything beyond that, because I know myself well enough to say that if I tell you what I’m planning to work on after the Riley sequel, in two month’s time I’ll be starting on something completely different. Even in my writing schedule, I’m kind of a pantser.

A huge thank you to Charlie for hosting me on her blog today—it’s been great, and I hope to chat with some of you on Twitter or Facebook soon; or I’ll see you in person at the UK author meet in July, where I’ll be signing shiny new copies of Riley on the Saturday afternoon and also leading one of the discussion tables.

Catch Henrietta at her blog (which will be updated as soon as she has a second - she's snowed under with exams at present!) Don't forget to try that free read, The Game, going live on Monday.

Comments

[helenajust.livejournal.com]

I saw the pic of the cover and was hooked...

Don't waste your time reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles - your taste at eight was obviously impeccable! (As is demonstrated by your liking for Enid Blyton.)

I'm just downloading An Unexpected Party, and I look forward to meeting you at the UK Meet. Good luck with the rest of your exams!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Hardy does nothing for me, either!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Just looked at the cover again and realise what's been buzzing in my brain. He looks like Richie Gray. No wonder I'm smitten.

[helenajust.livejournal.com]

I had to look up Richie Gray to see who he was, but I was taking bets with myself that he was a rugby player... I found one almost-profile shot of him and can see what you mean (he seems to better looking then than full-face).

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

(Here in other ident!)

You know me too well. Rugby indeed, and a lovely specimen, seen from any angle. Doesn't actually photo as well as he looks close up in RL.

[henrietta clarke (from livejournal.com)]

Haha, I myself am trying very hard NOT to see the cover--it hypnotises me and then I never seem to get any work done...
There's a synopsis posted over on BDP's blog (http://bottomdrawerpub.blogspot.co.uk/) if you want to check that out to see if it lives up to the cover. ;)

I have many more exciting things to read at the moment than Tess, and not a lot of time to spend reading, so I think I'll be safe for a while lol.

Thrilled to hear you've downloaded AUP; hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the luck as well, much appreciated! Looking forward to meeting you too =)

~Henrietta