Author’s Questionnaire (Q+A)
A bit about the author...
I live in Dublin with my family. I work as a teacher in a secondary school. I write in my spare time and I am currently at work on my fourth book – Dangerous Lessons.
Favourite thing about writing...
I enjoy researching for the books. Over the past few years, I’ve read books about psychology, fashion, design, finance, architecture, weather lore, urban legends, nature and gardening. There are also thousands of really good websites out there that are great fun to dip into for research.
'My most recent favourite is www.imdb.com which is the world's largest movie database and contains information, interviews, trailers and quotes from thousands of mainstream and independent movies. I love dipping into it.
I’ve also done interviews with a broad range of people from very differing backgrounds and careers.
Often, the original story I come up with changes as the writing progresses. An example of that in A PERFECT MOMENT is the character of Liam Kelly – Nathalie’s dad. He started out as quite a minor character – but he just seemed too interesting not to develop further. I think the biggest thrill is to feel that you have written something that people can relate to and that brings a smile to their face.
What am I working on now?
My next book is about a Dublin girl who is mistaken for a glamorous Hollywood film star.
If I could have written any other author’s book it would be...
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Or
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Or
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
What do I read?
I’ve just finished A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Both were very enjoyable reads.
Tips for other writers
- Write from the heart.
- Keep a journal of ideas and snatches of stories, jokes, events etc that you think might be the starting point for a character or story at some later point.
- Learn to distinguish between ideas that might grow into stories and ideas that refuse to get going.
- Avoid giving up smoking during a first draft.
- Locate the delete key on your computer and don’t be afraid to use it.
- Don’t take tips from other writers.
The first thing I did when I finished A PERFECT MOMENT was...
Save a back-up copy!
Favourite book made into a movie
- Jungle Book
- Enigma
- The English Patient
- Schindler’s List
- Gone with The Wind
- The Quiet Man
How did I come up with the title for A PERFECT MOMENT?
I had originally called it Salsa Night in Larkhaven – as it was going to be the great Irish Salsa-Dancing novel. Then it became Larkhaven. There were loads of titles floating round. A PERFECT MOMENT seemed perfect though.
How long did it take to write A PERFECT MOMENT?
Seven hundred and twenty hours, thirty-three minutes and seventeen seconds. That’s roughly an hour and a half per page!!! But seriously the first draft took around seven months of evenings and weekends – with the odd night off for good behaviour. The second draft took around eight weeks.
Is there a possibility of a sequel?
There’s nothing more enjoyable than getting stuck into a book that you really like and knowing you have three or even four books to go. So I’ve hedged my bets and tried to leave one or two stories in each novel – not quite finished. Maybe I’ll come back to them at some point in the future.