A
huge welcome to the lovely Raven McAllan, today’s guest on Maya’s Musings. I
have had the honor of promoting several of Raven’s books on this blog, but this
is our first Q&A. Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Raven.
You're
welcome, thanks for asking me. I've brought gluten free shortbread and shhh, a
wee dram of whisky (no E it's Scotch)
Q:
Tell us something about yourself and how you got into writing?
A:
Well let me see. I'm a bus pass toting granny who refuses to grow old
gracefully. I live in Scotland the land of kilts and midges. I love the first
and hate the second. Dh and live on the edge of a forest in a house much too
big for us, and I write overlooking the garden and the lane. I frequently have
to tell tourists that I am not the local bed and breakfast. (It's around the
corner) If I'm in the middle of a tricky bit of a book, I growl at them.
Q:
How long have you been writing?
A:
Only four years since my first book was accepted and I guess I wrote it a few
months earlier. I'm gobsmacked to be honest. But I loved writing as a child
until I was told at high school to be factual. It took…oh only 40 odd years to
get the muse back.
Q:
What is your creative process?
A: Um… Do I have
one? I sit and write, that's it. I prefer to look out of the window, but I can
and do write anywhere.
Q:
Where do you find inspiration?
A: I have
absolutely no idea. My muse just hits me and I go with the flow. Sorry if that
sounds silly, but it's what happens. Mind you I tell my husband I need to
travel for inspiration. Wink
Q: Who is your
favorite character (from your books) and why?
A: I could say
whoever I'm writing about at the time, because I pay them so much attention.
But, I love Caden and Anna from Master (Evernight Publishing), because I
despaired they would ever solve their differences and boy did they make me work
hard. And Ben and Clarissa from The Scandalous Proposal of Lord Bennett, which
is out from Carina on September 4th, because it’s a real Regency
romp and their banter made me laugh. And yes I have to add Braam and Debra from
Hong Kong Heat. I love HK and the heroine was named after a girlfriend.
Q:
Do you prefer coffee or tea?
A:
It depends on the time of day. Tea (weak let the tea see the cup and no more,)
and black first thing, then coffee until the afternoon and then tea again.
Q:
What’s better than chocolate?
A:
Champagne, preferable with chocolate. I bet you thought I'd say sex, didn't
you? But you can have champagne in more places…. Oh yes you can, believe me.
Q:
If you believed in this sort of thing and could channel an artist from the
beyond, who would it be and why?
A:
er…. Degas because his pictures are so heartfelt.
Q:
What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in five years?
A:
Alive I hope.
Q:
Any advice for those aspiring novelists out there?
A:
Write as you can, not as you think you should. Don't give up, and grow a thick
skin because by god you'll need one.
The
Racing Driver's Wife is out on 17th . www.evernightpublishing.com/the-racing-drivers-wife-by-raven-mcallan
Thanks for inviting me over. I loved the questions :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit... Your answers were brilliant! :)
ReplyDelete