Today, we’re talking with J.G. Harlond about her book, Secret Meetings: A Bob Robbins Home Front Mystery.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I've hang-glided off Mont Blanc, and bred and trained Spanish horses.
Why do you write?
Some people play the piano; I write. For many years I wrote text books, then moved on to fiction. I now apply my work-day discipline and research skills to something more creative but no less demanding.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
After years of reading quality historical fiction, spy stories and classic crime, I began writing novels that included an element of each.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Historical crime fiction requires serious background reading and research: I love it when I find something unexpected or little-known that would make a cracking story.
How would you describe your writing process?
I treat my writing like a normal job: I work at a desk and don't cut corners at the editing stage. I grew up hearing ‘If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.'
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Being an author can be lonely at times, and few people understand the hard work that goes into fiction, so it has been lovely to meet like-minded souls on-line. Fellow authors are also very supportive in the main; ‘sharing' and ‘liking' helps a lot in the current over-crowded book market.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Get started, stay focused, get finished. Always use a professional editor. Don't settle for second best in anything.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I try out different titles with my beta readers (who are also authors). My self-published covers are by professional designers, who are willing to listen and tweak until we are both satisfied. I have almost no control over my traditionally published covers.
What's your next step?
I'm on the third draft of a new hist-fic novel, and the next Bob Robbins Home Front Mystery is at the thinking and planning stage in a bright new notebook.
What book do you wish you'd written?
Niccolò Rising by Dorothy Dunnett.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Usually thrilled, sometimes astonished. Reviews generally say more about the reviewer than the book they (may not) have read.
FIND J.G. HARLOND'S BOOK ON AMAZON
