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'm delighted to welcome Maria Frankland to Sunday Brunch
Welcome, Maria. What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?
Croissants with jam. My absolute favourite.
Would you like a pot of English breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?
Being from Yorkshire in England, it’s definitely got to be a pot of English breakfast tea!
Where shall we eat brunch – around the kitchen table, in the formal dining room, or outside on the patio?
Outside on the patio – it’s much more relaxed in the sunshine!
Shall we have music playing in the background, and if so do you have a favourite piece of music?
I think I’d prefer just to listen to the breeze and the birdsong! When I’m writing though I do have some ‘dark’ thriller-ish music playing on YouTube.
Which of your literary heroes (dead or alive) are joining us for Sunday Brunch today?
Sylvia Plath – A fellow ‘dark’ writer! Although if she were to join us, I think I’d be too starstruck to speak.
Which favourite book will you bring to Sunday Brunch?
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It reminds me that there’s more to the life of a writer than the word count! I love the artist’s date practice and try to schedule it in every month. I people watch, eavesdrop and usually visit somewhere inspirational. A whole day out of my office does me and my creativity the world of good.
When you are writing do you still find time to read for pleasure? And is there a book you would like to read but haven’t had time for …yet!
I certainly do – I think reading is an important part of the writing craft. I nearly always have three or four books on the go – a psychological thriller on my Kindle, a paperback for the garden, an audio book, normally some kind of help and a non-fiction book. I read in every spare moment which usually adds up to about an hour a day. I’ve had Where the Crawdads Sing downloaded for quite some time but still haven’t got around to reading it. I’m like a magpie where other shiny new books grab my attention.
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Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
It’s everywhere! I always take notice of situations, the news and the gossip! But I’ve been no stranger to turbulent times myself and this has provided much of the material for my novels.
Have you a favourite place to settle down to write and do you find it easier to write in winter or summer?
I’m lucky enough to have an office at home. (Which used to be my son’s bedroom!). I’ve got a sit/stand desk, all my books in there and I’ve painted it pink. (Just in case he has any ideas of coming back!)
Before I begin writing, I light a candle and put on my mood music. Because I release four books a year, I have to write for around three hours, five days a week, which equates to about two thousand words in each writing session.
When writing to a deadline are you easily distracted and if so how do you bring back focus on your writing?
I’m pretty focused. I’m living a long-held dream of being able to write full time, so it’s important that I stay focused. That said – it’s necessary to turn off my social media notifications whilst I’m writing.
Give us four essential items that a writer needs?
A laptop, coffee, my glasses and the internet to fact check.
What can you tell us about your latest novel or your current work in progress?
My latest novel, ‘In His Shadow’ is my ninth domestic thriller. It is a story about gaslighting and how this issue can happen to anyone. It explores the power one person can exert over another and the ultimate destruction they can cause.
Here’s the back cover blurb:
She wants to forget her past. He wants to control her present. And her future.
When university lecturer, Nicola, meets Hugh, she knows immediately that getting over her father’s suicide, and being dumped by her former long-term partner are events she can now recover from.
But to the exclusion of all others, Hugh swiftly assumes control over Nicola’s life. Even when caution is urged by everyone around her, it doesn’t stop Nicole rushing headlong into a marriage that grants Hugh access to her money, her home, her heart, and then her mind.
Will anyone be able to drag Nicola out of her husband’s shadow before she fades into it completely?
Maria, where can we follow you on social media?
Twitter @writermaria_f
More about Maria
Maria Frankland writes domestic thrillers which shine a light into the darkness that can exist within relationships and families.
According to published statistics, the majority of murders are perpetrated by a known person and it intrigues Maria that someone can be most at risk from a person who is supposed to love them. And this is what she explores from the safety of her fiction.
Maria is mum to two grown up sons, has married for the second time and has found her ‘happy ever after.’
This is not something you will find in her novels though! In Maria's own words: "we thriller writers are amongst the nicest people you could meet because we pour all our darkness into our books – it’s the romance writers you’ve got to watch…"
Readers can join her ‘keep in touch list’ by visiting www.mariafrankland.co.uk. You will also receive a free novella, ‘The Brother in Law.’
Thank you so much for inviting me for brunch this morning – I’ve loved every minute of it!
Thank you for taking part in Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo.
Follow us on Twitter @jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchWithJaffareadstoo
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