Jaffareadstoo....: Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Wendy Steele

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'd delighted to welcome author, Wendy Steele

☼Good Morning, Wendy. Happy Sunday !

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

I’ll be bringing a full vegan breakfast to Sunday brunch: sausages, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, tofu scramble and gluten free toast.

Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

I can’t manage caffeine or alcohol, but freshly squeezed orange juice is a delicious treat, and I love a decaf Americano.

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

If you mean my favourite writer, sadly, the great Sir Terry Pratchett is no longer with us, but his legacy is ‘un-put-downable’ books that make a reader laugh and cry in equal measures. When I’m writing, I love a good sentence or phrase, and my ambition is to craft one as beautiful as Sir Terry did.

What’s the title of the book nearest to you?

On my bedside table at the moment is ‘The Last Priestess of Malia’ by Laura Perry, bought at my request for my birthday. I’ve just started it, and I love it!

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

The oldest book on my book shelf isn’t very old as so many of my books precious books are still in boxes. I live in a renovation project. Until our house is dry and sound, we’re not putting up book shelves. I have a beautiful old copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, my mum’s Pears Cyclopaedia from before the war and my dad’s Brett’s Peerage from 1914, but I’ll guess that the oldest one on my shelf is my needlework guide, bought at the Ideal Home Exhibition when I joined a book club there, in 1981.

Which book do you really want to read but haven’t had time for …yet!

I’m sure there are hundreds of books I haven’t had time to read, but I’m not sure I can name them!

Do you have a guilty reading pleasure, and if so will you tell us about it?

My guilty reading pleasure is Agatha Christie novels, perfect to turn to on a day when you’re poorly in bed, or want a book you can allow to wash over you.

If the house was on fire which book would you rescue?

If my house was on fire, I’d grab my children’s baby books. I’d be sad to lose other books, but most books are replaceable, whereas the memories of my children’s first years are not.

Do you have a reading/writing playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading/writing? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy?

I write in silence most of the time, as I do when I read. I can work in a coffee shop, with the hubbub of conversations around me, but if there’s music playing, I want to listen to it…or dance to it!

Do you have a favourite place to settle down to read/write?

I read most evenings in bed before sleep, but the shelter on my riverbank is perfect on a warm day, for reading and writing.

Give us four essential items that a writer absolutely needs?

Four things a writer needs is an interesting question. First and foremost, I believe a writer needs a story they feel compelled to tell. They need self-belief, but also the capacity to listen to criticism and offers of help, and then be able to make their own mind up about their writing. Be a reader! I read and reviewed hundreds of books when I began writing, getting a feel for the story tellers I enjoyed, as well as those I didn’t, in order to create a style that suited me and my stories.

What can you tell us about your latest novel, or your current work in progress?

My latest published novel is The Flowerpot Witch, the third book in the Lizzie Martin Witch Lit series. I’ve also written The Eloquent Witch and The Able Witch, books four and five, but I’m waiting until I’ve completed book six, The Real Witch, before I publish any more. In 2019, I had stories in a number of anthologies, and have recently completed my first romantic ghost story. I’m gearing up for a new project which I hope to launch on 21st March 2020, but you’ll have to wait for info on that once I’ve a few more things in place.