Lauren Wilson is travelling by ferry to the Outer Hebrides, about to begin a new job as a social worker. When somebody sits opposite her at the cafeteria table, she refuses to look up, annoyed at having her privacy disturbed. But a hand is pushing a mug of tea towards her, and a livid scar on the back of the hand releases a flood of memories.
Some people believe in the existence of a parallel universe. Does Lauren have a retrospective choice about the outcome of a terrible recent accident, or is it the bearer of that much older scar who has the power to decide what happens to her now?
Q&A
I hope you enjoy this interview.
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1. When and where do you prefer to write?
Although I have a desk in the Wild Pressed Books office I share with my husband, Phil, I prefer to do my writing somewhere that feels ‘dedicated’, if you see what I mean? I’ve had several writer’s sheds in the past and after a while of not having one, I start to feel a bit mournful and bereft at their loss. Still, I’m getting an allotment soon… At the moment I go up to the spare room when I’m working on my own writing.
2. Do you have a certain ritual?
Just the usual methods of prevarication pre-writing, I think, like having to check my Facebook, and email, and Twitter… but apart from that, nothing really.
3. Is there a drink of some food that keeps you company while you write?
I do like a nice cuppa tea!
4. What is your favourite book?
Do you mean of my own? I would have to say Sea Babies at the moment because that’s my most recent one. Put on the spot, I’d say my favourite book by another author is currently The Guernsey Literary and Potato-peel Pie Society, as I’ve recently finished reading it. I loved the characters and landscape.
5. Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
Yes, I am actually thinking of writing a dystopian crime novel!
6. Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
Always on parts of people I know, elements of myself and of people I chatted to on a bus or dog walk – anywhere really. All my characters are built from different parts of real-life people.
7. Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
Yes. I’m bereft without a notebook.
8. Which genre do you not like at all?
Maybe erotica? Not that I’d really know because I haven’t read any. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with sex in books – but I’m only interested in reading about it as part of characterisation and plot, not merely for titillation.
9. If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
Julie Myerson. She’s a writer I don’t hear much about on the online book groups, but I love her books, and the darkness and deep humanity of her writing. The Story of You is one of my favourites of hers, and I would say it had some influence on Sea Babies.
10. If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you chose and why?
Portugal. My son and his wife intend to buy some land there and my husband and I may end up with a small house on their land. It should have a real influence on my writing.
Thank you, Tracey Scott Townsend and Love Books Group Tours.
About the author
Tracey is the author of The Last Time We Saw Marion, Of His Bones, The Eliza Doll and Another Rebecca. Her fifth novel, Sea Babies will be released on 1stllection, So Fast was published in January 2018.
Tracey is also a visual artist. All her work is inspired by the emotions of her own experiences and perceptions.
Tracey is the mother of four grown-up children and now spends a lot of time travelling in a small camper van with husband Phil and their rescue dogs, Pixie and Luna, gathering her thoughts and writing them down.
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