In the interview seat today is the lovely Kathryn Freeman. A former pharmacist, she is now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.
With two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in her head. Then again, his unstinting support of her career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.
Hello and welcome to Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic MomWith two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in her head. Then again, his unstinting support of her career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.
Social Media links:
Website: http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynfreeman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1
Hello back and thank you so much for hosting me.
Was there anything particular that inspired you to start your journey of being an author?
As a child I imagined being an author meant penning my thoughts while sitting round a swimming pool, soaking up the sun, because authors can write anywhere, can’t they? Sadly my fantasy was soon squashed as I headed for the age when you have to think about having a ‘proper job’ so I qualified as a pharmacist and did ‘proper’ work in the pharmaceutical industry for the next twenty years. My hankering to write was always there though, even without the swimming pool, and finally my husband told me to stop talking about it and actually do it. So I did (thought I don’t usually do what he tells me).
What would you say is the hardest part of writing/publishing a book for you?
The plotting, writing and editing are all a joy – a total pleasure – until I start to doubt myself. It can be triggered by a poor review, a lack of sales, or a manuscript that suddenly feels like it’s going nowhere. Pulling myself up and getting back on track again is the toughest part.
If you could only read four books for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Ooh, that’s so cruel. I’m going to cheat and choose some series:
Poldark (Winston Graham)
Trouble shooters (Suzanne Brockmann)
Bridal quartet (Nora Roberts)
Born in series (Nora Roberts)
Umm, yes, I’m a huge Nora fan.
Do you and your main character share any personality traits?
The main character in my latest book is Tess Johnson. She’s a tenacious, driven, chatterbox with a fiery temper to match her red hair. I wish I had her drive and her glorious red hair. About the only thing I share with her is a love of footwear, though hers is for cripplingly high stilettos (which I adore to look at but can’t walk in) and mine is for flat, comfy boots.
If you could live in any book what book would it be?
I’d be Demelza. I know her life was pretty tough, what with losing her child, Ross’s love of another woman and the era she lived in, but waking up to Ross Poldark every morning would be compensation enough for me.
Where do your ideas for your books come from? Dreams? Music?
Ideas usually begin with my hero and can come from anywhere – a book, a film, a conversation, a magazine article. In the case of my next book, it was a cardboard cut-out of racing driver Jenson Button who stands by my desk, a glint in his eye and a half smile on his handsome face.
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Aside from writing, and writing, and writing, I found the greatest leap in my learning curve came from feedback on my manuscript from the RNA New Writers’ Scheme.
Ooh, that’s so cruel. I’m going to cheat and choose some series:
Poldark (Winston Graham)
Trouble shooters (Suzanne Brockmann)
Bridal quartet (Nora Roberts)
Born in series (Nora Roberts)
Umm, yes, I’m a huge Nora fan.
Do you and your main character share any personality traits?
The main character in my latest book is Tess Johnson. She’s a tenacious, driven, chatterbox with a fiery temper to match her red hair. I wish I had her drive and her glorious red hair. About the only thing I share with her is a love of footwear, though hers is for cripplingly high stilettos (which I adore to look at but can’t walk in) and mine is for flat, comfy boots.
If you could live in any book what book would it be?
I’d be Demelza. I know her life was pretty tough, what with losing her child, Ross’s love of another woman and the era she lived in, but waking up to Ross Poldark every morning would be compensation enough for me.
Where do your ideas for your books come from? Dreams? Music?
Ideas usually begin with my hero and can come from anywhere – a book, a film, a conversation, a magazine article. In the case of my next book, it was a cardboard cut-out of racing driver Jenson Button who stands by my desk, a glint in his eye and a half smile on his handsome face.
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Aside from writing, and writing, and writing, I found the greatest leap in my learning curve came from feedback on my manuscript from the RNA New Writers’ Scheme.
When journalist Tess Johnson takes a job at Helix pharmaceuticals, she has a very specific motive. Tess has reason to believe the company are knowingly producing a potentially harmful drug and, if her suspicions are confirmed, she will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.
Jim Knight is the president of research and development at Helix and is a force to be reckoned with. After a disastrous office affair he’s determined that nothing else will distract him from his vision for the company. Failure is simply not an option.
As Tess and Jim start working together, both have their reasons for wanting to ignore the sexual chemistry that fires between them. But chemistry, like most things in the world of science, isn’t always easy to control.
Search for the Truth is available as an ebook on Amazon:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-For-The-Truth-Choc-ebook/dp/B011PVXV1M
US: http://www.amazon.com/Search-Truth-Choc-Kathryn-Freeman-ebook/dp/B011PVXV1M
Waking up to Ross every morning would do it for me too - wise choice!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Like Angela, I see your point about Poldark! And I found the feedback from the RNA a fantastic help too. Thanks for sharing. :-)
ReplyDelete