1) Can you tell us about
Firebird?
Seraphina King has lived a very sheltered life, not through
choice, but when someone is stealing from her family she’s allowed certain
freedoms in exchange for her help. What she doesn’t count on, is meeting a
green-eyed rebel who makes her question everything she’s ever known.
2) What inspired you to
write Firebird?
Firebird is loosely inspired by the tale The Golden Bird. A
golden bird (a phoenix in some versions) is stealing gold apples from the
King’s orchard so he sets three brothers the task of hunting down the bird.
They fail, only managing to get a gold feather. They try again, aided by a fox.
Two of the brothers would rather go down the pub and get drunk, they’re
horrible to the youngest brother, even trying to kill him.
I decided to switch up the gender of the youngest brother
and make him a girl. The king is now Archibald King, shipping magnate who owns
Golden Apple Incorporated and the golden bird is a rebel group called Firebird.
Throw in a police officer called Foxx and there we have it.
3) Firebird is different
from your other stories. What was it like writing about a strong independent
woman?
Firebird and Frostbitten are both inspired by Fairytales and
they turned out very differently. Frostbitten is more fantasy, magic and mayhem
whereas Firebird, is contemporary, grittier and a little darker. I’m still
experimenting with what I like to write and I think it’s interesting how my
works are all different to each other.
I like to think all my female characters are strong
independent women in some way. I am a feminist, and sometimes in romance it’s
hard because we accept things in fiction we wouldn’t in real life. So some
people may criticise Sera for her choices, but she is trying to navigate the
world she lives in, she’s trying to find her own happiness despite what it
might cost her.
4) When can we expect
your next book, maybe a Firebird sequel?
Nope, I have a thread which I can follow for a sequel but I
have no plans for it at the moment because I don’t have the time.
5) Can you tell us
anything about the next book you’re writing?
So I’m currently working on three anthology pieces for the
next couple of months but my next book will be Man Down, a gritty romance about
a soldier injured in Afghanistan and his physiotherapist. It’s not a
light-hearted, hearts and flowers kind of romance but I hope people will love
it as much as I am.
6) What do you do to get
you in the writing zone? Listen to music, have a tv or radio playing etc.
I am one of those people who can’t stand silence. Or quiet.
I will literally talk to myself if it gets too quiet. I need noise and usually
it’s the radio on in the kitchen (I’m usually home alone) and music playing in
my office.
7) I really loved
Frostbitten your Timeless Ever After tale any chance you will write more?
Yes! I have something planned for this because people wanted
to know more about the Snow Queen and her origins. But also, what happens to
the sister? So I do have something in the works for this but it won’t be for a
while.
8) I have read
everything you have written so far and Firebird and Frostbitten are my
favourites, what is your favourite book that you have written to date?
Sinclair from the SIX: Men of the Strip anthology. I can’t
resist an asshole and he’s made something of himself from nothing. He refuses
to be broken, even when he’s fucking everything up.
9) For you what is the
easiest part of the book to write?
The swearing and the sex. I love the dramatic bits so they
seem to flow easier.
10) And the
hardest?
The bits in-between. The filler scenes that you know the
reader needs because they can’t see inside your head, but you aren’t that
excited about. Also endings, I tend to leave a few cliff-hangers because I hate
ending them.
11) Other than Firebird
what else will you have for us in 2018?
So there will be four more anthology pieces, Man Down and
another novella called Two’s Company. At least – that’s the plan.
Thank you for answering my questions and I cannot wait to
read whatever comes next
