What inspired you to write this book?
The main character of Alice appeared in the first book of my paranormal cozy mystery series in a very brief cameo. A couple of books later when I was looking for someone to act as the foil to the main protagonist in that series, Alice came to mind and she had a bigger part. I enjoyed writing for her so much that I decided to give her, her own series.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’ll keep writing Alice as long as possible, but I backed myself into a corner a little by making her 97 years old, so there’s a natural end at some point for the series. She’s a very popular character though so I’m going to have to try and work out a way to extend her life. Perhaps she’ll be the first 110 year old sleuth.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
I was really lucky to have both my grandmothers live to very old age, one even cracked the 100 mark. They were both independent, strong willed women, and were the basis for Alice. Alice spent a lifetime as a con artist with a strong code of ethics. She never took more than she needed and she always made sure she never left a victim penniless. Because of her experience she isn’t your normal retirement village resident and has a bit of superiority complex. It takes her a while to realise that just because her friends have different experiences it doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable ones.
Vanessa is a twenty two year old employee of the Silvermoon Retirement Village. Her job is as a concierge, to help residents get things, and be the face of the village for visitors. Alice sees a lot of potential in Vanessa and is determined to nudge her away from a desk job. It’s also useful for Alice to have a younger side kick who can do all the running around for her.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Maggie Smith would make a wonderful Alice. Tough but caring.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
My characters definitely hijack the story. In fact that’s how Alice got her own series, because she demanded to be written about more. I tend to start a book with a general idea of plot and then see where the characters take me. Often it’s in an unexpected direction but I like it that way, because it makes the characters more real. They’re reacting to a situation rather than me making then react to it.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
My first book, published in 2016 is called Troy’s Possibilities. It’s a completely different genre to the cozy mysteries, but it’s also set in Wellington. The two main characters in that book were Troy and Elissa and they make a cameo in all of my other books, either as a re-occurring character or a one off. You’d have to read that book to understand the context but it’s like a little in-joke for me to have them pop up in different places.
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