Be careful what you wish for.
She wanted to be famous. But not like this.
Ellen Gibson always dreamed of being a star. At a young age those dreams were shattered.
Discovering she holds the winning ticket in a 55-million Powerball jackpot, Ellen sees it as her opportunity to be in the limelight. But at what cost?
Detective India Hargreaves and her small team are called in to investigate the disappearance of five- year-old Joshua Gibson, but the investigation is taken over by the big guns from Police Headquarters when it turns out to be a kidnapping.
When the media and the lead investigator suspect Ellen of being behind the kidnapping, her fame disintegrates into a nightmare and she seems powerless to stop events spiralling out of control …
Q&A
– When and where do you prefer to write?
I prefer to start writing in the morning and stop by four pm. Although on nights when I can’t sleep and the plot is twisting and turning in my head I have been known to do an hour or two in the early hours of the morning (2 – 4 am), not satisfied with making notes on a pad beside my bed. I work on one section of my large dining table where I have great light coming in from the back and front of my house in an open plan layout. I have a small study, but I feel too enclosed to write in there.
– Do you have a certain ritual?
I first wake my brain up with puzzles: a Codeword and/or Sudoku and a warm lemon juice, before I start writing.
– Is there a drink or some food that keeps you company while you write?
Several times I have made the mistake of having a packet of Belgium chocolate peanuts sitting near my laptop, but I found that I absentmindedly dipped into them while thinking or reading back over a paragraph and that a whole packet could be gone in a short time. So as a rule no food or drinks. On a hot day I might fill my water bottle and take sips. I stop for a short lunch and liquid refreshment then when I’m on a flow with writing a new ‘book’ I don’t stop again until I’m desperate for a cuppa, a small treat or in need of some exercise.
– What is your favourite book?
I have so many favourite books. But one I have read several times is: Katherine, by Anya Seton (historical novel). Unlike contemporary works, it’s timeless and I love that period of History. The descendants of Katherine Swynford and John o Gaunt led to all the ruling dynasties that followed. I planned to write a non-fiction book on Katherine Swynford, but Alison Weir beat me to it.
– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
I love historical fiction and period works. I have written one period saga set between 1910 – 1945 which includes the two World Wars, murders and moral crimes. I haven’t published it yet, but plan to as my beta readers love it. It needs further editing. I’d like to write more period/historical stories.
– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
Not intentionally. However I think it is inevitable that characteristics of people we know or have met, will creep into a writer’s work.
– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
No. But I often have scraps of paper in my handbag that I will jot down ideas on.
– Which genre do you not like at all?
I have read books I have enjoyed across all genres. My least favourite is Science Fiction.
– If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
Fiction: If he were alive, Charles Dickens.
Non Fiction: John Pilger
I believe I would learn a great deal from these authors.
– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you choose and why?
Possibly Spain. It has an interesting history and I could at least read documents quite well for research purposes (but I speak it poorly).
Thank you, L.E. Luttrell and Rachel’s Random Resources
About the author
L.E. Luttrell was born in Sydney, Australia and spent the first 21 years of her life there before moving to the UK. After working in publishing for a few years she trained as a teacher and from the 90s spent many years working in secondary education, although she’s had numerous other part time jobs. A frustrated architect, L.E. Luttrell has spent much of her adult life moving house and renovating properties. Although she has written many more ‘books’, Small Sacrifices, is only the third of her books to be published. More will follow.
She currently lives in Liverpool, Merseyside – although if it hadn’t been for Covid 19 she would have been with family in Brisbane, Queensland.
Author Link
website: https://leluttrell.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LE-Luttrell-Author-105681414468102https://
twitter.com/lluttrellauthor
Book Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/L-E-Luttrell/e/B077ZBCJG7
US – https://www.amazon.com/L-E-Luttrell/e/B077ZBCJG7
B for Bookreview 