... joins me on the blog today. Hi Anna, thanks for being here. Tell me, what is your current release ...
AA Corpse In The Chard is the book I am promoting at the moment. It is one of three stories in my FitzMorris Family Mysteries series. All my works are happy reads, full of sunshine and flowers with just the odd dead body.
Dee FitzMorris, (a fun-loving granny) finds a clown corpse in her chard. This would be enough to spoil anyone’s Spring but things soon get more complicated as she becomes the police’s chief suspect. As the clown body count mounts Dee realises that more than one of her friends may drawn to murder. Fortunately Dee has her glamorous daughter Zara and her Goth criminal psychologist grand-daughter to help her.
AW What first got you into writing and why choose murder mysteries as your genre?
AA Murder mysteries are wonderfully satisfying. It is the one genre where you really do have a total full stop at the end; the murderer is revealed – job done. In real life there is always just one more load of washing to do and one more meal to prepare. I enjoy reading the odd romance but at the end I tend to wonder how long the first flush of romance will last. I know it is only a matter of time before the heroine will get fed up with the dashing hero leaving the loo seat up or not putting his socks in the laundry basket.
I love people and observing what makes them tick whether it is in real life or fiction. In a murderous situation, characters are pushed to an ultimate level and consequently reveal their inner motives.
I cannot remember a time I was not making up stories in my head. Like a lot of other writers, I had an unhappy childhood and creating imaginary worlds was my form of escape.
AW Your stories are set in the Cotswolds – a fabulous area of England. How do you make that beautiful contryside come alive in your writing?
AA The Cotswolds overflow with beauty, from the mellow soft stone buildings to the rolling hills not to mention the abundance of flowers and cream teas. I have a wonderful advantage when it comes to being constantly struck afresh by the details that make the Cotswolds unique because I am not there all the time. My husband is Manx (he comes from the Isle of Man) and we live part of the time on the Island and the rest of the time in the Cotswolds. The contrast between the majestic Isle of Man and the picturesque Cotswolds, is enormous.
AW What about other types of writing? Have you dabbled with other genres or other forms of writing?
AA What a lovely question. I quite often ‘play’ around with short stories if I am getting to know characters before I embark on a novel. Throwing them into different situations is a wonderful way to ‘get the feel’ of how characters act.
While doing various writing courses I greatly enjoyed writing radio plays but I have never taken it seriously.
While cosy crime is my passion I have recently resurrected an old manuscript. It is an extremely funny ‘coming of age’ story for mid-life empty nesters. At the moment I am getting various people to read it to see if I should polish it up and bring it out.
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| Photo courtesy of Anna |
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?
AA I don’t have a dedicated room but what is vital is my portable natural-daylight lamp.
I find it extremely difficult to write if other people are awake – have you ever noticed how many questions people ask? Like ‘Where is the coffee?’ and ‘Have you put X on the shopping list?’ or ‘Have I remembered that they are out for supper next Thursday?’ Consequently I tend to get up at around 4.30am and start work at 5am. It is usually pitch black at that time so my natural-daylight lamp is vital.
As long as I have that I can write anywhere.
If I am reviewing my work rather than actually writing I love going out for breakfast at a nearby café which opens at 8 every morning. It is such a treat to have breakfast cooked for me. I don’t find the endless re-writes easy to focus on and if I am at home I get distracted by household tasks. Rewriting requires a very different energy from the initial writing and the buzz of a coffee shop suits it perfectly.
AW And finally, what would your eight-year-old self think, and say about you and your achievements today?
AA I often wish the 8-year-old me could have glimpsed my future; it would have given her so much hope. With regard to the writing, I would have been delighted that ‘spell check’ had been invented. As a dyslexic I only got the hang of reading and writing when I was about 10.
The 8-year-old me was extremely unhappy and confused, as one of 4 children, I was the only one who suffered from violence and abuse. The obvious conclusion to myself (and the rest of the family) was that I was the problem. My 8-year-old self had no idea that it was possible for me to be married for 30 years to a man who becomes kinder, funnier and more of a joy to be with as each year passes. Then it was inconceivable that I would live the majority of my life in a home filled with flowers and laughter. I find it hard to express the gratitude and wonder that I now have 3 amazing adult daughters and 3 equally wonderful son-in laws.
about the author… Anna A. Armstrong writes uplifting, cosy mysteries. Set in rural villages, they overflow with friendship, warm family relationships, delicious food, beautiful gardens and romance as well as the odd murder to spice things up. At the heart of her stories are her colourful characters who have their own varied foibles. There is nothing like a spot of murder for revealing who people are and what makes them tick.
Growing up in home counties England, Anna was surrounded with dogs and horses as well as
the wide variety of people who make up village life. Her observation skills were further honed by studying Anthropology at university. Much to her family’s embarrassment, she often can’t resist pulling out a pad and sketching random strangers in a restaurant.
the wide variety of people who make up village life. Her observation skills were further honed by studying Anthropology at university. Much to her family’s embarrassment, she often can’t resist pulling out a pad and sketching random strangers in a restaurant.
about the book… Lose yourself in a world of beautiful gardens and delicious food with just the odd dead body thrown in. There are few things Dee enjoys more than a salad, fresh from her veg patch, preferably served without a clown corpse. Finding herself top of the suspect list, what is a self-respecting Taekwondo-loving granny to do but investigate?
It is at times like these that having a criminal psychology student for a granddaughter comes in handy. Clad in her trademark tutu and corset, Amelia fearlessly eats pink cupcakes and interrogates suspects while Dee’s daughter Zara salsas her way through the case. As the idyllic Cotswold village becomes littered with dead clowns, will Dee unmask the murderer before the murderer turns Dee into a garnish?
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