Tuesday 25 September 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - RACHAEL J. THORNE

BLURB from Goodreads
Alyssa Matthews thought she had an explanation for everything. After all, as a slightly sceptical paranormal investigator that was what she was used to doing; researching, observing and explaining.

So when she began writing a paper about a long forgotten case of death by Spontaneous Human Combustion, she assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill piece. Little did she realise that she was about to be plunged into a situation that would not only force her to question her own sanity, but also her scepticism about the nature of the paranormal.

Not to mention the dreams that just wouldn’t go away..


Available at Amazon.co.uk 

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi, my name is Rachael J. Thorne; I was born in Yorkshire in the North of England but moved to Suffolk when I was a teenager.  I stayed there right up until just over a year ago when my husband and I moved out to a little village in North Essex.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I think I’ve always wanted to write ever since I was a young teenager, although back in those days I had this grand idea that I was going to be the ‘next big thing’ in music journalism.  Even then I was constantly writing short stories in my spare time.

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I first considered myself a ‘proper’ writer when I got my first by-line as an apprentice reporter on a local newspaper.  I remember how incredibly proud I was to see my name there, despite the fact that the News Editor had more or less butchered my copy into his own words.  Of course that was soon to be shattered when the same thing happened on a front page article; my words were twisted, people were offended and my name was there for all to see.  I didn’t last long as a reporter!  I think fiction is more my style.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My latest book, which is my debut novel, is Last Regress.  To summarise it in less than 20 words: “Alyssa Matthews thought everything had an explanation; she would soon find out how wrong she was.”

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
My next book, Running For A Life, is slightly different, less supernatural/paranormal and more based around alternate realities, and after that I will be working on the sequel to Last Regress.

What genre would you place your books into?
I think my writing usually falls somewhere between supernatural/paranormal romance and paranormal horror. 

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
Really I think it’s because that’s what I tend to gravitate towards reading and so I naturally tend to write that way.  However, I wouldn’t rule out writing in another genre in the future, it really depends on how the story decides to tell itself.  If I came up with something that didn’t lend itself to a supernatural/paranormal theme, I wouldn’t automatically scrap the idea.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
I have a soft spot for Nathaniel in Last Regress; he was my favourite character to write.  For some reason I just warmed to him as I was writing him.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?
A lot of my plot ideas come from dreams, or from sitting and day dreaming.  When I wake in a morning I try to remember as much of my dreams as I can and type them into my notepad in my phone.  It’s amazing what your mind can come up with when you let your subconscious mind take over, of course it can also be complete nonsense!

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Absolutely, the more people read your books the better, after all that’s the point of writing in the first place.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Of course not, everyone is entitled to an opinion and it would be a very boring world if everyone had the same one.  As long as people are not nasty just for the sake of being nasty and they give an honest and balanced review then why should any author take offence?

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
The title usually comes to me sometime during the outlining process, so I know by the time I start the first draft what the book is going to be called, and it’s normally just something I’m writing in the outline that will spark a phrase in my head and start me off brainstorming titles.  With Last Regress I designed the cover myself.  I knew very early on exactly how I wanted the cover, the precise photograph, the colouring, everything.  It’s a photo I took on a photo shoot I did with a friend a couple of years ago around the local area.  It fit perfectly with the mood I wanted to create, and also the pathway leading away, the last regress, the last chance to go back.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I’m obsessively organised with these things (ask my friends about my lists!) so I outline and plot to perfection before I start to write.  I tend to write a very short first draft which tells the bare bones of the story.  It’s only when I start the second draft that I begin to deviate from that original plan when I read through and begin to see where the story needs to flow.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
Absolutely not.  I love eBooks, of course I do it’s how I’ve chosen to publish, and I love to read books on my Kindle, but I think there’s a place for them to exist side by side.  I fully intend to publish my books as paperbacks in the hopefully not too distant future.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Write.  Seriously, keep writing, don’t give up.  There are so many opportunities now for upcoming writers, so many ways to independently publish and market, I wish these opportunities had been there a few years ago (and now I sound like the old maid sitting on her rocking chair!).

Your Blog details?
Your Web site ?
Your Facebook page?
www.facebook.com/LastRegress

Your Goodreads author page?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15754779-last-regress

Your Twitter details?

And any other information you wish to supply?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LSHH4A Last Regress Amazon.com link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008LSHH4A Last Regress Amazon.co.uk link

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