A Slice of Cake With... Isobel Blackthorn

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Isobel Blackthorn.

Isobel is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes dark psychological thrillers, mysteries, and contemporary and historical fiction. On the dark side are Twerk, The Cabin Sessions and The Legacy of Old Gran Parks. Her Canary Islands’ collection begins with The Drago Tree and includes A Matter of Latitude, Clarissa’s Warning and A Prison in the Sun. Her interest in the occult is explored in The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey and the dark mystery A Perfect Square. The esoteric theme pervades much of her writing. Isobel is currently at work on a new mystery series, her sixth Canary Islands’ novel and a dark esoteric mystery.

Isobel has a background in Western Esotericism. She holds 1st Class Honours in Social Studies, and a PhD from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking research on the works of Alice A. Bailey. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel performs her literary works at events in a range of settings, gives workshops in creative writing, and writes book reviews. Her reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books. She talks regularly about books and writing on radio, in Australia, and on occasion in the UK and USA and Canary Islands.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands.

What kind of books do you write?

I write rich stories with a strong element of social realism. I aim to entertain, but there’s a part of me that takes a deep interest in history and culture, and I love researching new topics. I like intrigue, drama, conflict, all the stuff of good fiction. My stories also tend to be setting rich.

Can you describe your writing why?

Writing must be written into my DNA. I’m hard-wired this way. I’m not suited to much else. The motivation to write comes from within, from a deep need to create and give expression to my imagination.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

This paragraph is from Sing Like a Canary (Canary Islands Mysteries Book 5). I have enjoyed writing most of my books but this one was very special as it’s based on the true story of when my mum was a copper in London’s Metropolitan Police:

I’d always enjoyed keen eyesight. Ever since I was a child my eyes would home in on little bits of evidence – the shoelace of Carl Fisher’s school shoes in the bushes where Fiona Macintyre was molested, the missing tooth of Wendy Fraser in the gravel edging the school driveway after her skirmish with notorious school bully Sharon Weare – and it was this natural talent that had led me to join the constabulary. You’d make a great detective, my mother had said, which was a progressive thing to tell a daughter in the 1960s. I had a habit of finding myself in the right place at the right time, too, and I had a good nose for sniffing out clues. You’re a natural, Marjorie Pierce. Isn’t that what they’d said, back in the days of my police training. It was 1977 by the time I joined the force at the tender age of twenty-four, and indeed they had. That was what they’d said when they weren’t being lewd. 

Tell us about your latest project

My latest release is a cosy mystery. Murder in Myrtle Bay (Ruth Finlay Mysteries Book 1) is set where I used to live in Australia, and features the adorable and quirky sidekick Doris Cleaver. In this the first in the series, Ruth is a journalist writing for a lifestyle magazine and the duo find themselves unexpectedly trying to discover who murdered Ruth’s old tennis coach. It’s a complex case. Every suspect has a motive. Most had the opportunity. 

I loved writing this book so much. It’s also dedicated to the real Ruth Finley, who was the relative a lovely friend. Ruth was a high school teacher with a warm and strong nature. I came to know her all too briefly when I decided to name the main character after her – the outcome of a Facebook post. (You never know what can happen when you put character name queries on Facebook!)  Ruth was taken much too soon, but she did read the early chapters and journeyed along with my writing process all the way to publication. I have never written a book in such a disciplined fashion because we all felt in a race against time. Murder in Myrtle Bay is a fun feel good read, as you would expect with a cosy mystery. Especially so, as my intention was to entertain Ruth. It was uncanny, too, that my crafting of the fictional Ruth’s father actually resembled the real Ruth’s dad! 

What is your favourite cake?

Fruit cake as long as my slice comes with a thick layer of Marmite instead of icing.

You can connect with Isobel here:

isobelblackthorn.com
facebook.com/Lovesick.Isobel.Blackthorn
goodreads.com/author/show/5768657.Isobel_Blackthorn
twitter.com/IBlackthorn
instagram.com/isobelblackthorn

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Tom Hamling. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice Of Cake With... Jane Risdon

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Jane Risdon.

Following a career in the international music business, Jane has turned her attention to a lifelong ambition–writing full time. Jane fills her days writing and concentrating on developing her own career instead of those of the recording artists, songwriters, and record producers, whose careers filled her every waking moment for decades.

Over the past 11 years, Jane has been published in numerous anthologies, online and print newsletters, and magazines, including Writing Magazine and Writers and Readers’ Magazine. She also writes articles as well as short stories and flash fiction.

Jane is a regular guest author on global internet radio shows including The Authors Show, Chat and Spin Radio, and The Brian ‘the Hammer’ Jackson Radio Show.

Jane enjoys history, science, and astronomy, and adores walking. Photography is a passion, as well as a host of other interests. When she is not writing Jane can often be found out and about with her camera photographing places of interest, such as our beautiful English countryside, villages, churches, cathedrals, and our wonderful stately homes and gardens–which she often blogs about and calls them her ‘jollies.’ 

What kind of books do you write?

Hello Claire, thanks so much for hosting me on A Slice of Cake today. I am delighted to be here, and I hope your readers enjoy my interview.

I don’t confine myself to writing in one genre; I’ve written in many, although anyone following me will know that I have a favourite and I tend to stick to that mostly. I am fortunate in that I can turn my hand to most genres when the story dictates.

Can you describe your writing why?

My motivation comes from spending many years working in the international music business, and before that, working in the Civil Service, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall, London.

Throughout both careers I encountered some very interesting characters and experienced some — what I call — ‘out there,’ moments, and having been an avid reader all my life who has always wanted to write, I just knew that some of my adventures had to be written about before I forgot them.

The international music and movie business is a fantastic place to uncover stories of crime, corruption, and power with larger-than-life characters running everything. You must be in it to see it.  Anyone really interested can seek out books written about the various shenanigans in Hollywood and about those who had to take the ‘Fifth’ to avoid jail, not to mention those whose careers were ruined if they put a foot wrong.

Working at the Foreign and Commonwealth at the height of the Cold War, afforded my young self so much experience and opportunity to discover how the diplomatic service works, and how embassies around the world are a hotbed of spies. I was fortunate enough to meet and be regularly vetted by the Special Branch Commander who tracked and arrested the infamous husband and wife Soviet spies, the Krugers, who were part of the Portland Spy Ring in the early 1960s; he used to tell me about his work and conquests. All this — and many other events — were a wonderful opportunity for someone who wanted to become an author one day.

 Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

Sharing a favourite paragraph from a book I enjoyed writing the most is a challenge. I love all my books and paragraphs I have written; I am sure all your interviewees say that! 

However, this one is a particular favourite: it is from Renza’s Diary, September 12th, 1969, from the novel, Only One Woman, which I co-wrote with Christina Jones. Renza and Isolde went to see Hair in Essen, Germany…

Poor Isolde nearly passed away in shock when the cast of men decided to walk across our seats from the stage, naked as the day they were born. I had to laugh at her poor face. I’d been half-expecting it having heard all about it in England last year. But no one prepared us for the live sex on stage. I’ve never been so interested in my own shoes for years. She sat and giggled, hanging on to my arm as I gazed steadfastly at my shoes, tears of laughter and embarrassment washing my black eyeliner down my cheeks. She kept nattering away in German as she tried not to look. I hadn’t a clue what she was saying but laughter is laughter in any language, and both of us were doubled up. How we didn’t get chucked out I’ve no idea. Everyone kept telling us to shhh!

Tell us about your latest project

My latest project is a series of books about a former MI5 Intelligence Officer, Ms. Lavinia Birdsong, who has been forced to take ‘voluntary’ retirement in order to keep her pension, after 20 years working in the Security Services, with her eye on the top job, Director General of MI5.  She was on secondment to MI6 with her now ex-partner, Michael Dante, when she was sent packing and he kept his career and continued working in Moscow on the joint MI5/MI6 Operation Matryoshka.

Lavinia purchases a cottage in rural Oxfordshire, in the Vale of the White Horse, and tries to fathom out how she can inveigle her way back into MI5 as she endeavours to fit into village life. A young woman goes missing and Lavinia sees an opportunity to make herself useful by investigating her disappearance and trying to find the young mother. During her search, Lavinia comes face to face with her old life and enemies in the form of organised crime involving the Russian Mafia and Ukrainian gun and people traffickers.

My love of crime writing and espionage come together in this series, and I have been able to use my past life experiences and knowledge in my writing. To ensure accuracy regarding Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, I studied the basics with various universities over a two-year period, and I am so happy I decided to do this.

Ms. Birdsong Investigates: Murder in Ampney Parva — book one — is with my agent who is seeking a home for her series.

What is your favourite cake?

My favourite cake is fruit cake but without the nuts.

You can connect with Jane here:

Website/Blog: https://janerisdon.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Risdon/e/B00I3GJ2Y8

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janerisdonwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jane_Risdon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-risdon-07261320/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/janer6118

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JaneRisdon2

Ms. Birdsong Investigates Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/msbirdsonginvestigates

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jane-risdon

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5831801.Jane_Risdon

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Pinar Tarhan. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake through Kofi - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.