Welcome to P.J. Roscoe, this week's guest. Tell us a little about yourself.
PJ: "I have written since I could hold a pencil! A cliché I know, but it’s true. I wrote short stories about animals in a zoo and whenever it was an English lesson everyone knew to leave me alone as I wrote pages. Following the death of our son, I wrote ‘Echoes’ which started out as a short story, but within weeks had grown into a full novel and it helped me with my grief. I was astounded when it won various awards. I quickly followed that up with ‘Freya’s Child’.After our daughter was born I wrote faerie stories as bedtime reading and I have just launched a collection ‘Adventures of Faerie folk’ and am working on the second collection due out later this year hopefully, but I am also working on my third novel ‘In-between Worlds’ which is also keeping me busy so who knows what the year will bring."
The Writers’ Lens is about "Bringing fiction into focus." What brings your writing into focus-- the characters, the stories, the love of words? The stories I choose to write tend to
have a focal point – the supernatural and historical, bringing the two
together. Being adopted, I only have 44 years of history, so I like to be nosey
around everyone else’s! Plus the paranormal intrigues me having been able to see,
hear and feel spirit and ghosts since I was very young.
This aside, my
characters, especially the main one, is usually a strong woman and I like the reader’s
attention on her throughout the book, even when other characters come into
play, I want them to be thinking, “How is this going to affect so and so ...?”
I write from my soul, this is my focus.
Would you share a bit about your next
project? In-between Worlds is another
supernatural historical fiction with a twist. Its set in a secure hospital
after a young woman, Emily is found bloodied and bruised next to a decapitated
corpse. Refusing to speak, the only clue is an ancient sword used in the
murder, but archaeologists are saying that it’s impossible as the sword is dated
to the 5th century AD, but it’s in perfect condition.
King Arthur
fascinates me. Not the medieval rubbish made up by a monk, but the possibility
of a man in the dark ages who led an army against the invading Saxons. Also,
the soundtrack to ‘King Arthur’ the one with Clive Owen, love it and there is
one piece that fits a scene perfectly and so I played it over and over to get
the scene absolutely perfect in my head. Every time I hear that piece, I see
the scene like a film and I get chills!
To gain answers,
Emily is hypnotised and tells tales of Artorius, the legendary commander who
King Arthur was based on. Is she telling the truth or is Emily having a
psychotic episode.
I wanted to explore
the possible reality that patients diagnosed with various mental illnesses
could be experiencing other forms of a more supernatural explanation, but as
science would never deem these a possibility, I began to wonder if it could be
true, how many patients are perfectly sane, but just in the wrong time and
nobody is taking them seriously.
What's your favourite way to interact with fans/readers? I love to meet them
and chat. I hate telephones, not that fans tend to ring me!! I love meeting
people, though it scares me and I sometimes get a bit embarrassed, but I like
to find out from them how the book was, which bits didn’t or did work for them.
I enjoy feedback, but of course I have had a couple of what I call ‘trolls’ who
want nothing more than to make nasty comments – usually on the internet, to
make themselves feel better. I guess its part of being in the public domain and
not the nice side, but in general, there are so many kind people out there.
What movie star would be perfect for (your main character) and why? When writing ‘Echoes’ my husband and I
would play the game of ‘who could play this character?’ It was an easy one for
me, as whenever I wrote the character ‘Eira’, Fionulla Flanagan was always in
my head. So much so that when I finished it, I sent her agent a copy – I never
heard back. Fionulla has exactly what I want from ‘Eira’ a kind woman but when
you look at her, you wonder what she is hiding behind those eyes. As for the
main character of Bronwen? No idea. I haven’t seen any actress that fits her
because she is based on me and it’s difficult to imagine anyone playing me!
Daniel Craig as Adam or Richard Armitage perhaps? Derek Jacobi as Sir Richard?
What are your top three reasons for writing? To ask me not to
write, is like asking me not to breathe – so there’s a perfect reason! I enjoy it too much
and life is to be enjoyed, never merely endured (Quote from ‘Echoes’!)
My head is so busy
with stories and books, I would go mad if I didn’t write them down – so I plan
to stay sane and continue writing!
ECHOES: Bronwen Mortimer moves to a secluded village on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, England, in the hope of starting a new life following years of abuse, but the echoes of the land will never lie quietly and when she witnesses a murder, she must face her past to have any chance of living in the present.
A supernatural, historical thriller moving between present day and 15th century, when Henry Tudor claimed the throne. There were many casualties of war, but some refuse to be forgotten.
Available at:
Twitter@derwenna1
At the St. Louis Writers Guild’s
June 6 workshop on social media, Sarah Coziahr will answer the question so many
writers have: "What the heck is Twitter good for?" It will be
held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road,
in Kirkwood. Free for Guild members; $5 for nonmembers.
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