I have the tremendous, good fortune to be part of the Seasonal Collective and as a group we are extremely pleased to have Angela and Gianetta, both fine authors, as part of the Collective.
Together with seven others, we have
contributed to the Anthology, Spring Paths.
Read on my friends and learn more.
Angela Wren is an author, actor, and has worked as a director at
a small theatre a few miles from where she lives in the county of Yorkshire in the
UK. She has always loved stories and
story-telling – no matter what the media.
So, having ditched her full-time and very pressured job in business
change and project management, it seemed right to try her hand at creative
writing.
Starting with short stories, one of
her earliest pieces was published in an anthology which was put together by the
magazine ‘Ireland’s Own’ in 2011. She
hasn’t looked back since, going on to create many more short stories in, the
Miss Moonshine, the Dark World, and the Seasonal Paths series of anthologies,
along with stories for the UK Crime Book Club Group on Facebook. She also has a successful cosy crime series
of full-length novels set in the Cévennes and featuring her private
investigator, Jacques Forêt.
When she’s not writing, Angela likes to spend
as much time as possible each year travelling in France.
***Angela has been a guest previously and if you missed it, please go HERE.
Gianetta Murray was a librarian, technical writer, and knowledge manager for
over forty years on two continents before she hung up those hats in 2022 to
fulfill her dream of being a writer.
Spring
Paths was her first publication, followed quickly by a collection of humorous
paranormal stories called A Supernatural Shindig. Her first novel, Moved to
Murder: A Vivien Brandt Mystery, will be published in June 2024 by Troubador
Press, and she is currently working on a story for a mystery anthology as well
as the second of the Vivien Brandt mysteries (and, of course, a story for the
upcoming Summer Paths anthology).
Besides
writing, she enjoys walks in the English countryside when the weather allows,
and when it does not (which is often) she binges on TV mysteries, Hollywood
musicals, and rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is also a willing slave
for two very demanding cats.
Title: Spring Paths
Angela’s
Synopsis: Madame Beauvary’s Curio Shop is a mystery that is not quite
what it seems. Set in 1983, The action
takes place in the village of Beauregard in central France.
Gianetta’s
Synopsis: Demeter has
had just about enough of her bossy brother Zeus, but when he reveals her recent
actions might very well doom the Earth, she realizes she must once again take
an interest in human affairs. Unfortunately, godly affairs always seem to get
in the way…
Angela’s
Inspiration: In spring a couple of years ago I was
taking a few days out in a small town on the Lincolnshire coast. Whilst there I discovered a bizarre antique
shop - one of those places where every inch of shelving, wall and ceiling space
is jam-packed with stuff that no-one needs or wants. I jotted down some notes about the
location. The more I thought about the
shop, the more I realised it needed an eccentric and mysterious owner. A couple of months later and Madame Beauvary
became a fully formed character. Her back
story took various twists and turns before I was happy with it and the mystery
story in the Spring Paths collection developed from that.
That short story is not the end of
Madame B! There is a history to her that
has yet to be fully revealed and I will be letting readers know more about her
in the new series of cosy crime mysteries that I am developing. News about that will be on my blog – so watch
that space!
Gianetta’s
Inspiration: I joined an
all-female online writing group and early last year the leader posed the theme
of ‘spring’ as a writing exercise. Having adored Greek mythology since
childhood, I immediately thought of the story of Demeter and how she controls
the seasons on Earth. I was tickled by the idea of writing a story about gods
who were really incredibly human, and maybe also tying in a bit about climate
change—but, you know, in a fun way!
The story
then sat there until a fellow author asked me to join the collective behind the
Paths anthologies, and the fact that the next issue was Spring Paths
seemed like, well, a godsend! 😊
Angela’s
website – please go HERE.
Gianetta’s website
– please go HERE.
A question
before you go ladies:
Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila? Neat or notes everywhere?
Angela: I’m lucky enough to have a writing shed of my own. It’s the smallest bedroom at the back of my house. The window looks out over the garden, which is not massive but is neatly planted and over by the fence at the bottom is a small apple tree that is surrounded by a mass of snowdrops in early spring.
When I’m working in there with all my books – and I have
loads and loads of those – the world could explode I wouldn’t know a
thing! Having spent a lot of time in
open-plan offices, I’ve developed the art of completely shutting out all
peripheral noise to focus on whatever I’m doing.
As for sustenance whilst I’m there, I mostly drink water
during the day. But black coffee is
essential for early morning starts and chocolate – in any form be it biscuit,
cake, in a mug or whatever – feeds my brain when I run out of words.
Gianetta: A quiet room with a view of the garden, a chai latte at hand, and the day’s housework done, so I can focus purely on the writing! :)
Get your copy HERE.
Thank you both for taking the time to
share your inspiration for Spring Paths.
I know you both hard at work for the next
anthology – Summer Paths – due for publication in August/September.
And thank you dear readers and
visitors for stopping by today.
Thanks for hosting us, Allan
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Angela.
ReplyDelete