There are a whole host of authors in the Ghostly Writes Anthology 2019, available to download from 31st October! Today, I welcome Karen Mossman onto my blog, to have a chat and find out more about her and her writing. We met on the Ghostly Writes Anthology group, so all I know is that she lives in North Wales!

1 How do you write? Is everything plotted, planned to perfection? Do you ever change tack as you go along or always stick to a pre-made plan?

I tend to get an idea, then play around with it in my head for a while, which could be weeks sometimes. Once I have a sense of it, I’ll start writing. Sometimes I just write scenes and then put them all together at the end. So definitely not planned to perfection!

2 Do you have a writing ritual? Meditation, certain cup for your tea, writing trousers?

 No, absolutely nothing. As long as I have my lap top, I can let my fingers do the walking. Although on occasions I like to sit down with an empty page and just write and see what magic appears out of my pen.

I love a pen too!

 3 Aside from writing, what makes you tick? Tell us 5 things about yourself we probably don’t know.

1. I love to craft, I go through craft like genres of writing. At the moment I am crocheting.
2. I’ve started giving talks to clubs and groups, one about books and the other about growing up with parents who fostered.
3. I lived all my life in a big city, and now I live in a rural area by the sea.
4. I’m always on a diet, and if I’m not, I should be!
5. I once ordered Sir Alex Ferguson out of a lift in anger, then realised who it was. He was very gracious. (Ex manager of Manchester United.)

 Great answers!

4 If you were stranded on a desert island with shelter, food and water, what 5 items would you want with you?

1. My kindle with unlimited battery, or some books.
2. A pen and paper.
3. My dogs for company.
4. A swimming costume
5. Knickers!

5 On said island, what 5 books would you take and why?

Any books that I haven’t read before as I’m not a fan of re-reading a book unless it is acceptable. So I have at least five on my Kindle and they are:

1. The Anglesey Murders: Visit from the Devil by Connor Jones.
2. Just Rose by L. T. Marshall
3. Silent Night by Sahara Foley
4. Falling for Kate by J. M. Rally
5. Unveiled by J. M. Northup

 

6 Off the island now, which famous person would you like to have dinner with?­

 I’ve never been a fan of meeting famous people. I would be far too intimiated and they would have better things to do than bother with the likes of me! So I would choose my mum and dad to have dinner with, simply because they have been gone for nine years now, and in that time questions have arisen that I will never have answers too.

 

7 Your current writing projects?

I have two on the go. I am rewriting my novel The Secret from first person point of view to third, as suggested by my publisher.

The other is called Crossing Serbia, it was a short story that I’m expanding into a novella. It is about a Tanya an aid worker during the time of the break up of Yugoslavia. While she is working with people trapped by war, she gets kidnapped by insurgents. A group of British soldiers are sent into rescue them and its about their journey across a war torn country. So, a politcal romance.

 

They both sound fascinating. Finishing up, please share with us your published work…

I have just entered my story to the halloween edition of Ghostly Writes, which is where I met you. In previous editions, I have entered stories I already have. This time I’ve used a story that I wrote some time ago but never did anything with after the first draft. It’s based on a true story, the haunting of a house where someone I know lives. I must say, I’m thrilled with how it turned out and can’t wait to see it in print.

I have four novels and nine novellas as well as stories in anthologies. They can all be seen on my website (https://karenmossman.weebly.com/)

 I’m also a lover of stories, so maintain the Magic of Stories website (https://magicofstories.net/) where I share my own stories and those of others, including many true stories. Apart from that, I review every book I read on Karen’s Book Buzz Blog.  (https://karensbookbuzz.wordpress.com/)

Thanks so much for joining me, Karen. You can also find Karen’s work on Amazon via her Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-J-Mossman/e/B00JJY69OO

and for our friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Karen-J-Mossman/e/B00JJY69OO

Don’t forget to look out for more author interviews, showcasing the talented authors contributing to the Ghostly Writes Anthology 2019!