Authors Electric

Emily likes to make an entrance. Had she been born in the time of grand balls in stately homes, she’d have waited to be announced on arrival – Lady Emily Coombs – and she’d glide into a room and capture everyone’s attention. I’m more of a sneak-in-the-back-door girl; I like to feel my way around an atmosphere, gauge the room, watch from the shadows until I know who is in charge – who are the leaders and how will things play out. Because no party is simply a get-together of friends. There are friendship groups, power-plays, things that might happen and things that will never happen. I don’t expect it’s any different in the adult world and us teenagers are simply learning the rules of the game early, so we can figure out how to bend them when we need to. Tonight, the worst that will happen will be bruised egos – maybe a fight – but it’s all practice for the real thing.  Or so I tell myself as Liam strolls over to us in the hallway, his hand brushing my bum in a gesture I suspect nobo...

Now I’m not a huge fan of the current trend in paranormal fantasy/romance/whatever. Yes, I admit I read Twilight (and, yes, I enjoyed it), but I have no desire to delve into the ocean of teenage mortal-meets-demon angst. I'm the mother of a teenager and get enough of it at home, thanks... But I do love faeries. The whole mythos is infinitely more complex than that of vampires, demons and werewolves and seems securely rooted in Celtic legend. And every book I read stays more-or-less true to the basic premise, while maybe adding a new twist. And as those of you who know me well will also know - I've always been obsessed by the idea of other worlds, parallel universes, realities that sit alongside our own and touch on occasion. But why are all my favourite tales of Faerie set in America? Celtic mythology has Irish and Welsh roots, surely? Is the American take on it a result of the mass Irish immigration into America over the years? Maybe they took their tales of home wi...

For me, the "inside story" is the real truth, as opposed to the spin or interpretation put on it by the person telling the tale or writing the news report. The private persona rather than the public face. In writing, it can be the difference between telling and showing - although that's a whole different ball game and not one I'm going to play here; not in this post anyway. It's also where you find out what makes your character tick, what motivates them and why they feel this way. When I first started writing my YA fantasy Edge of Dreams , I had absolutely no idea where the story was going. I really don't recommend it as a way to write, as I've written myself into more corners than a Mueller yoghurt over the past however-many years - unfortunately it's the only way I know how to be real and immediate. If I plan more than a scene or two ahead, I lose interest in what I'm doing and it shows. In Edge of Dreams , I wrote that one of my characters w...