Blogger Lita Stone and journalist Nick Freer live and work online, seeing life through soundbites, news TV and social media. Keeping the outside world at bay in their cozy flat, they observe the ruthless activities of the new PM and his celebrity fitness guru wife, Mona (hashtag MoMo), with the mild outrage that can be quelled simply by writing another blog post.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, multinational conglomerate Nutricorp is busy buying up supermarket chains, controlling the media, and financing the new compounds for the homeless: the Hope Villages.
Lita and Nick suspect little of the danger that awaits the unfortunate, until the outside world catches up with them – and Lita is forced to discover a strength she never knew she possessed.
Q&A
– When and where do you prefer to write?
I write at my desk in the corner of our living room, always, preferably in total silence, with the door closed! When? Whenever I can―I admit that writing takes precedence over almost everything else.
– Do you have a certain ritual?
I don’t think of it as a ritual, but I usually spend half an hour going over what I wrote or redrafted the day before, before cracking on. During first draft stage, I finish by writing out a plan for the next chapter, so that I know where I’m going when I open the document for the next session.
– Is there a drink or some food that keeps you company while you write?
I usually drink flavoured water―sweetened with stevia, not aspartame! I know I should drink unadulterated water, but we all have our vices. I used to smoke while writing, but since I gave up, about seven years ago, I have to make do with nicotine chewing gum. Yes, I should really quit that, too.
– What is your favourite book?
Too hard to name just one, or even just one favourite author. A few that spring immediately to mind, though, are Cashelmara by Susan Howatch, A Plague on Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift, Something in Disguise by Elizabeth Jane Howard, A Wayside Tavern by Norah Lofts, Room at the Top by John Braine, The Beach by Alex Garland, The Job by Douglas Kennedy…sorry, I said a few; it’s hard to stop once I start thinking!
– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
I don’t write all the same genre; my books range from family drama to darker family drama, to psychological thriller, to post-apocalyptic and dystopian. The shifts occurred as my interests zig-zagged, rather than through any decision to make changes, and I imagine I shall move from one genre to another throughout my writing life; I just decide on the story I want to write next, and start the process. All my books are very much character-led, and I don’t change my basic writing style, so I find that many readers stick with me as my subject matter meanders, for which I am extremely grateful.
– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
Ah―will I be incriminating myself here? Sometimes. A bit. Usually minor characters. But I am sure those who appear would not recognise themselves, if they were ever to read the books. *sits back and fans self*
– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
Yes, when I go for a walk, though it’s more likely to be a tatty bit of paper. I frequently get out of bed at night, go to my desk and make a scribbled note that I then have to decipher in the morning. Sometimes I can’t 😉
– Which genre do you not like at all?
Romance. Sweet, comedy, historical, paranormal―however well-written, I just have no interest in it these days. Must be my age!
– If you had the chance to co-write a book, who would it be with?
Ah―the first time I tried it, I found I had to do all the work, while the other person just flung ill-thought-out ideas at me. The next time was fun; a writer friend in the US and I wrote alternate chapters of a satirical book in under a week, one Christmas. We published it, too, under a different name―I’m not telling you what it is! But generally it’s not something I would like to do, unless I could be a writer on The Walking Dead. Now that would be something…
– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you choose and why?
Anywhere in the wilder parts of Scandinavia. No particular reason; I just love wild, bleak, cold places where you feel a sense of timelessness. Would be good for a post-apocalyptic setting, too.
Many thanks for inviting me to your blog, and I hope this has been of interest to your readers.
Thank you, Terry Tyler and R&R Book Tours.
About the author
Terry Tyler is the author of nineteen books available from Amazon, the latest being ‘Hope’, a dystopian, psychological drama set in the UK, a decade into the future. She is currently at work on ‘Blackthorn’, a post-apocalyptic stand-alone story set in her fictional city of the same name. Proud to be independently published, Terry is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.
Terry is a Walking Dead addict, and has a great interest in history (particularly 14th-17th century), and sociological/cultural/anthropological stuff, generally. She loves South Park, Netflix, autumn and winter, and going for long walks in quiet places where there are lots of trees. She lives in the north east of England with her husband.
Social media/author links
Twitter : https://twitter.com/TerryTyler4
Blog : https://terrytyler59.blogspot.com/
Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821157.Terry_Tyler
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/profile/terry-tyler
Author page: Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00693EGKM
Author page: Amazon.com : https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Tyler/e/B00693EGKM
Book Links
Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hope-Terry-Tyler-ebook/dp/B07S89DK54
Amazon US : https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Terry-Tyler-ebook/dp/B07S89DK54
https://bookgoodies.com/a/B07S89DK54
B for Bookreview 