AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
Hi Katey and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Alba! I'm an author who writes novels about relationships - friendships, families and romance. Joe and Clara's Christmas Countdown is my third full-length novel. I wouldn't say Clara is based on me, but I definitely do love Christmas so maybe there are parts of her that are! Joe has previously been a fan of Christmas, but since the loss of a loved one over the festive period he's found December a struggle. Throughout the book Clara is keen to remind Joe exactly why the season is so special. Continue reading
Hi Bella and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Alba, Thank you for having me on your blog today, it’s lovely to be here. I live in Warwickshire, England with my husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog and I write romantic comedy novels that have a bit of a gritty side too. Continue reading
Hi Sarah and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Rachel and welcome. Your debut, The Many Colours of Us, is about Julia Simmonds who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she finds out who her father is. Tell us a bit more about her and what sparked this idea.

Hi Heidi and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello Alba! Thank you so much for inviting me along to chat about all things festive and bookish! My name is Heidi Swain and I am an author of ‘feel good fiction’ signed to Simon and Schuster. I live in the lovely county of Norfolk and I’m a huge fan of the festive season. Continue reading
Hi Anna and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi A.F. and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Penny, congratulations on winning the Romantic Comedy of the Year category of the RNA Awards. What did winning this award mean to you?

EILEEN RAMSAY
Hi Eileen and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Eileen here, nice to be with you. I was born and brought up in South-west Scotland I liked school, especially English, history and music. At that time, music education was a thirty minute radio programme once a week but my father’s family were all singers and my mother loved to listen to opera on the radio. After school I went to a teachers’ training college in Edinburgh – the education was first rate and the music sublime. Continue reading
VIRGINIA MACGREGOR
Hi Virginia and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Germany to a German mother and English father and lived there until I was nearly three, then I moved to Corsica, a small island off France, until I was nearly five and after that moved to Oxford in England. Although I feel very English I also have an international outlook and can speak three languages, which I think deepens my understanding of people and makes me appreciate the richness of words. Continue reading
ALICE FEENEY
Hi Alice and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

PENNY PARKES
Hi Penny and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi and welcome to Alba in Bookland. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Alba; I was born in London and brought up in suburbia, which was ideal as I loved sport and there was plenty of opportunity. I read History of Art at Cambridge University, having initially persuaded my tutor to allow me to switch to English – only to reverse the request when I realised the first year was mediaeval literature (Beowulf, Song of Roland), which wasn’t my bag! After university, I worked in the City. I liked the people and the ideas but not the mechanics and left to become a novelist. Whilst failing to be published I wrote obituaries and for several magazines, an art dealer, corporate spooks and finally Redburn, for whom I produced a quarterly review and now work as an editor and writer. Continue reading
KATEY LOVELL
Hi Katey and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit yourself?

C.J. SKUSE
Hi CJ and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

ANNA SNOEKSTRA
Hi Anna and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me.
I’m an Australian writer living in Melbourne with my husband, two housemates and tabby cat. I was born in Canberra, and moved here about ten years ago. I studied Screenwriting originally and spent years making short films, music videos and writing feature-length scripts. It was a great experience to be able to write something and then see it come to life! A few years ago I decided to try my hand at novel writing and have since fallen in love with it. Continue reading
SUE WATSON
Hi Sue and welcome to Alba in Bookland. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

WENDY WALKER
Hi Wendy and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Wendy Walker and I live in Connecticut, which is just northeast of New York City. I went to college at Brown University and law school at Georgetown University. I spent one year at the London School of Economics and I got to travel all around Europe. I have had many jobs from waitressing to investment banking at Goldman Sachs, to commercial litigation and now family law. I have three teenage sons and a large extended family. Continue reading
CHARLOTTE BETTS
Hi Charlotte and welcome. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

LUCY RIBCHESTER
Hello Lucy and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Alba, thanks for having me! Where do I start? I live in Edinburgh and I write novels and short stories set in the past with a mix of history and fiction. I love researching hidden or lost stories of women and also letting my imagination run riot among bygone ages. I studied Shakespeare for my masters and it was then that I discovered rather than taking an academic approach to literature and history I preferred to respond creatively to things that I was discovering. Continue reading
NATALIE MEG EVANS
Hello Natalie and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a writer with three passions; history, clothes and being nosy about people. I stir it into the books I write which are emotional journeys, full of intrigue and with a bone-meltingly attractive man or two.
Actually, I have to confess to a fourth passion, a love of dogs and horses and these creatures often find their way into my books as minor characters. Continue reading
LENORA BELL
Hello Lenora and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

HAZEL GAYNOR
Hello Hazel and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you for inviting me to your fabulous blog and to Historical Fiction Week! I was born in England (Yorkshire) but moved to Ireland in 2001 where I have lived ever since with my husband, two children and cat. I started writing in 2009 after leaving a very different, very corporate career in finance and law. I write in the attic while my children are at school. They are very impressed that my publisher also publishes David Walliams, whose books they love! Continue reading
Hello Rebecca and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello Sharon and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Writing has always been my “thing”. I was an extremely shy child who avoided speaking whenever I could... but I loved reading, curling up in a corner with a magical story of adventure, losing myself tot that fictional world. A chronic introvert. I stared writing my own little stories when I was about 8, but never dreamed I could one day write something that other people might like to read. I grew up awkward, self-conscious, insecure, tongue- tied, and sometimes miserable about my lack of social success, yet with a sense of adventure which helped me to take the lid off of that poor self-image. But it wasn't until my late 40 s that I actually believed, no, knew, that I could pull stories out of myself and write them down and get them published and loved by others. Continue reading
DEBBIE RIX
Hello Debbie and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello Dinah and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself?

1) Hi Lisa and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

1) Hi Nicola and welcome to Alba in Bookland. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
1) Hello Andrea and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you! Delighted to be here. My name is Andrea Carter. I grew up in Co. Laois in the Irish midlands and studied law at Trinity College, Dublin. I qualified as a solicitor and practised for ten years on the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal before transferring to the Bar and moving to Dublin to practise as a barrister. Continue reading
1) Hi Jennifer and welcome in Alba in Bookland. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

1) Hi Rachel and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

1) Hi, Isabelle and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

1) Hi Sara and welcome to Alba in Bookland. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your latest work?
I’ve been writing for ages - about 20 years or so! I started with contemporary commercial fiction but it wasn’t long before I got fascinated by history and I started to write adventure/epic novels set in the early 1800s and this series of 1950s murder mysteries. I’m hooked now! Continue reading
ROSIE NIXON
Hi Rosie and welcome to Alba in Bookland. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

REBECCA PUGH
Fun and Festive Q&A:

Oooh, great question! There were so many presents that I loved, but I think, if I remember rightly, my toy kitchen was my favourite. You know the ones! You’ve got your oven, your cupboards, your sink and your fridge. Not forgetting the food that kept me entertained for hours upon hours. I served chips and eggs, and tea in a teacup poured from my teapot, all handed over to Mum of course, then I’d wait eagerly for her to eat up and sip imaginary tea. Continue reading
JENNIFER JOYCE
Fun and Festive Q&A:

This has to be pyjamas. I’m not into expensive gifts and you can’t beat a new pair of PJs! Continue reading
EMMA HAMILTON
Fun and Festive Q&A:

Ooooh, there are so many to choose from. because I've always loved Christmas. But probably one that happened every year and so I remember it clearly is our Christmas ritual with my brothers and parents. We used to go and see Father Christmas every year at Selfridge's when we were kids. Continue reading
SASKIA SARGINSON
Hi Saskia and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself:

NIKKI MOORE
Hi Nikki and welcome. First of all, tell us a bit about yourself:

JESSICA REDLAND
Hi Jessica and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself:

GILL HORNBY
Hi Gill and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all could you tell us a bit about yourself:

LISA DICKENSON
An interview a little different but a lot fun with Lisa Dickenson.

J.B. MORRISON
Welcome to Alba in Bookland! First, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Actually, would you define yourself as a musician or an author?

KERRY FISHER
Hi Kerry and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First of all, tell us a bit about yourself:

ROMY SOMMER
Hi Romy and wecolme to Alba in Bookland. First, let's stars with some bookish questions:
Hi Romy and wecolme to Alba in Bookland. First, let's stars with some bookish questions:
I have to admit, I don’t really remember crying while reading a book for a very long time. Perhaps because I read too many romances which are generally quite happy books! One very clear memory I have of crying because of a book, though, was when I was reading The Hunger Games. By page 29 I was sniveling aloud. The reason I remember this: I was sitting in the queue at the motor licensing department at the time. I got a lot of very strange looks from the people around me! Continue reading
WENDY LOU JONES
Hi Wendy and welcome! First, let's start with some bookish questions:
SOPHIE CHILDS
Hi Sophie and welcome! Tell us a bit about yourself:
I’m a home educating mother of five children aged from 11 down to 4. My younger three were born in New Zealand, where I lived for five years, but I’m now based in South Wales and I absolutely love it here. The scenery is stunning and the people amazing – what more could you want? Most of my time is taken up with the children, but I also enjoy belly dancing and recently performed a solo with two swords, which was on my bucket list, so I’m proud of myself for achieving that. Continue reading
JENNIFER JOYCE
Hi Jennifer and welcome! First of all, Tell us a bit about yourself:

Continue reading
LIESEL SCHMIDT
Hi Liesel and welcome! Tell me, did you always want to be a writer?
No, actually. Writing always scared me in school because I was afraid that I was horrible at it, and book reports absolutely paralyzed me! The only thing I actually enjoyed writing were creative pieces that generally were few and far between when it came to school assignments, so I didn’t do much of that until my very late teens and early twenties. Continue reading
KAREN ALDOUS
First of all, tell us a bit about yourself:
My
home is in a village in Kent, just over twenty miles from London. I’m
very lucky to have a wonderful husband and family with three gorgeous
little grandchildren who I look after two days a week and, naturally,
spoil. I also have a web design business. As a family, we get to do lots
of things together such as walking, cycling and skiing. Continue reading
Tell us a bit about yourself:
To quote amazing writer John Waters, “I'm big, blonde, and beautiful!”
Seriously! I am blonde, and I do heft more weight than the average
chick, especially more than the average Los Angeles chick. And I like
the way I look when I am just being me- comfy clothes, cozy socks, messy
hair, no make-up. I want all women everywhere to love themselves and
the way they look, no matter what TV, or magazines, or family and
friends try to tell us. Continue reading
LIESEL SCHMIDT
Hi Liesel and welcome! Tell me, did you always want to be a writer?

KAREN ALDOUS
First of all, tell us a bit about yourself:
.jpg)
GERALYN CORCILLO
Tell us a bit about yourself:
