Please welcome, friend and author, Karen Moore...

...to the blog this week.  Hi, Karen, and thanks for taking some time out to be here today.  Tell me, what is your current release?

KM   My debut thriller Torn was published at the end of October 2019.  It tells the story of one woman’s struggle to escape the dark world of organised crime in Sicily and create a new life far away for her and her small daughter.

AW   What first got you into writing and why?

KM   I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was a child – I was the one with lots of pen-pals who I’d write to regularly and at great length, in addition to all the fantastical stories I’d make up.  I found language fascinating and relished the chance to discover and disappear in a world of my own creation.  Being an only child with imaginary friends and a vivid imagination helped enormously.  I went on to develop a career in PR and marketing where writing was a key requirement and a creative streak certainly helped.  It wasn’t until much later in life that I started to dedicate more time to developing my own writing.

AW   You write thrillers in a contemporary setting.  Is it all imagination or do you also undertake research?

KM   I get ideas from various sources.  Some are based on my own experiences, some are ideas that crop up, usually at the most inconvenient times, others might come from news reports.  Torn is based in North Wales and Sicily, locations I am familiar with and which are an integral part of the story.

As well as visiting places I want to feature, I do desk research too, to check out the feasibility of ideas and make sure that any factual information I use is correct. I read widely too, particularly in the same genre.  That helps to give you a feel of what might or not work for you as a writer but it’s important to develop your own style.

AW   And what about other types of writing?  Have you ever dabbled with short stories, for instance, or other genres?

KM   I started out writing short stories which I still enjoy.  I have quite a collection now, which I always mean to do something with.  As for genre, I’ve quite happy to stick to thrillers, which is what I enjoy reading myself.

AW   Famous authors, such as Roald Dahl and Dylan Thomas, had a special space for writing.  Do you have a writing ‘shed’ of your own?

KM   I dream of having a beach hut overlooking the sea, with only the gulls for company.  One day, maybe!  For the time being, my spare bedroom has to suffice.  It overlooks my back garden and the wood beyond so it’s usually quite peaceful.  But it’s still easy to get distracted by the squabbling squirrels and the visiting birdlife, usually with my cat in hot pursuit!

AW   Finally, if you had a whole afternoon to yourself and could choose to spend it with any one individual, living or dead or a character from a book, who would it be, and what would you want to discuss?

KM   I would choose Charlotte Bronte as it has always fascinated me how she defied the social mores of her era to become a published author.  She must have had such a strong personality to flourish as a writer despite her social and economic circumstances.  I would like to know more about what made her tick – why she felt compelled to write, how she learnt and developed her craft, what inspired her books, the challenges of getting published at that time, and what recognition and success meant to her.  She’d no doubt be surprised to learn that she is regarded as one of our greatest Victorian writers.

about the book... Like any mother, Hanna would do anything to protect her small daughter, Eva.  When she discovers that her husband, Luciano, is not all he seems and their blissful life on the island of Sicily is threatened, she wastes no time in seeking refuge abroad.  But just as they are settling into their new life in North Wales, Eva disappears.

In a race against time, Hanna is forced to return to Sicily and face the dark world of organised crime in a bid to secure her daughter’s safe return.  She must also confront the truth about Luciano’s business dealings and their horrific consequences.

But will Hanna succeed in getting Eva back and bring Luciano to justice?

about the author... Karen Moore is a British writer based in Cheshire.  She lived in Italy for ten years and worked as a tour guide in Europe, the USA and Canada, followed by a career in PR and marketing.  Torn is her debut novel.

You can follow Karen on her Amazon  page,  on  Facebook and on Twitter 

You can buy the book Here