The lovely Emma Davies, debut author of the fantastic romance Letting in Light (which I’ll be reviewing later on today…) has kindly taken part in a Q&A to help us readers get to know the lady behind the books as she reveals more about her novel in her own words, who she’d invite to a dinner party, and book worm droppings!
What is your name?
Emma Davies, sometimes shortened to the very imaginative Em. At work I’m known as M (as in Miss Moneypenny) as I hold the purse strings.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a finance manager for a group of three (soon to be four) schools. This means I talk in numbers a lot, so I’m probably really boring. It does mean though that when I get hold of words instead I have great fun with them, and on a good day get to practice putting them in actual sentences!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
You know that question above, what do you do for a living? Well in five years’ time I’d like the answer to be ‘write’.
Do you have any public media sites?
Yes, you can wave to me on twitter @Emdavies68 where amongst other things you can hear me extolling the virtues of Pringles.
If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be and why?
1. David Tennant; for no other reason than to listen to his gorgeous Scottish accent all night.
2. Douglas Henshall; ditto
3. Julie Walters, because she looks the sort of person you could have a good old chinwag with, and wouldn’t be adverse to you having pudding i.e. not a stick thin, totally obsessed with her appearance sort of celebrity.
your life by answering the questions below (again, just answer the ones that you want to)….
What books are you known for writing?
My debut novel Letting in Light has just been published as an ebook.
If you have written more than one, which is your favourite and why?
Not applicable just yet, but I think Letting in Light will always be a favourite.
Who or what inspired you to write and why?
I’ve been reading for forever, and so in a way writing just seemed to be a natural extension of this. I’ve been scribbling since I was about 15 (now forty- something). My main inspiration though has been my characters in Letting in Light. I’ve had them, and their story in my head now for so long they feel like a part of me. I was terrified they’d get fed up with waiting for me and wander off to find some other author who had actually got his/her act together. Fortunately they didn’t, and I hope I’ve done them justice.
Are your books based on real life experiences?
No, they are as they say book worm droppings.
What is your target audience?
Anybody who loves good characters and wants to lose themselves in a good story.
Name your five favourite authors or books
Favourite book is probably Emotional Geology by Linda Gillard. After that the books I return to again and again are Precious Time by Erica James and The Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher. I’m also a big fan of Katie Fforde, Milly Johnson and Jill Mansell. Sorry, that’s probably more than five ….
If your book became a film, who would you want to star in it?
Not a clue
Describe your book…
Letting is Light is romantic fiction, with (I’ve been told) a weepy ending, but happy weepy not sad weepy. It goes something like this;
Rowan Hill seemed like the perfect place for Ellie to escape and lick her wounds; a huge estate surrounded by a nice big wall and plenty of peace, quiet, and time to think …
Will has a reputation for being a humourless grumpy recluse, but it’s his estate and he doesn’t want anything to change; things would be perfect if everyone would just leave him alone. Maybe it’s not that he’s grumpy at all though, maybe it’s the big fat secret he’s keeping that makes him act the way he does …
Finn ran away from his past, but is now planning a return home to Rowan Hill. What he finds when he returns though is not quite what he was expecting …
The perfect solution for all of them is staring Ellie in the face, trouble is she’s been accused of meddling before; should she follow her heart or her head?
With old friends and new pulling together, the course of the year plays out amid the challenge of building an exciting new creative community project. As romance and friendships blossom however, the complications of the past are never far away, and a shocking revelation soon threatens their hopes for the future. Suddenly the beliefs they once held true become the biggest obstacle they have to overcome. Will they find the courage to learn from the truth?
After all, life, like art, is all about perception, and sometimes it just depends on your point of view….
If you could be one of your characters, who would it be and why?
Probably Ellie, as I’ve always wanted to be tall and willowy with pre-Raphaelite hair of the auburn variety.
Do you plan to write anymore novels/books in the near future?
I’m currently writing my second book, which has the working title of The Amorous Intentions of Amos Fry, and have plans for the third which will be a sequel to Letting in Light.
Are there any authors you would recommend to other readers, or authors that we need to watch out for?
There are so many fantastic authors out there I find this really difficult. What I would say though is that I have found some great reads by trying books from different genres than I normally read. I try not to pigeon hole my reading habits, and the library is a great place to pick up something a bit different from usual. It gives my reading a whole new lease on life.
Click here to get your copy of Letting in Light, published 24th June 2014.
A huge thank you to Emma for sending me this interview for publication on my blog.
Bookaholic Confessions 