Welcome back, Paula.
Thank you for your invitation to join you on your blog, Valerie.
Tell me what it is that appeals to you about Victorian Gothic Ghost Stories?
As your readers may know I am a big fan of the genre. I’ve always enjoyed reading them because the narrators build a chilling atmosphere without resorting to blood, guts, and gore as they tell their tales.
Of course, when the Victorians were writing their tales they were to be read aloud to the family, so the stories had to be suitable for even the children to hear. I don’t write expecting children to read my work as I’m aiming for an adult audience so I may use stronger language when it is needed, but I am aware that bad language does put some people off. I see myself more of a ‘Quiet Horror’ writer. In the horror writer’s world quiet horror is equivalent to cosy crime i.e. more Agatha Christie than Stephen King. I think more mainstream readers are put off by the word Horror and therefore are missing out on some well-crafted books with some amazing plot-lines. I’m hoping if I can establish a name for myself in the quiet horror genre and my books are a cross-over into the main crime/mystery genre then maybe more mainstream readers will look at horror in a different light.
My latest book, Seeking the Dark has been listed under the category on Amazon as Vampire Suspense. The book has three main threads to the storyline. One of these is the fact a journalist Jacob Eldritch is trying to uncover the mystery of the Dead Men Sleeping, a series of unexplained deaths in and around Whitby in North Yorkshire. And, of course the name Whitby, North Yorkshire would automatically tell most readers and film-buffs that vampires and Dracula would play a part within my tale. I hope any new reader to my work would be pleasantly surprised to find a story they weren’t expecting when reading, Seeking the Dark.
How did you cope during the pandemic?
I don’t feel comfortable about saying that 2020 was a brilliant year for me, as the Covid Pandemic brought a lot of sadness into people’s lives. For me, my personal life continued without any disruptions. Obviously, I wasn’t able to see family and friends, but I was able to stay focused on my writing and had connections to the outside world via the internet. My husband was able to continue working throughout the lockdowns and he did the main shopping on his way home from work, so we were untouched by any panic buying, as I make my own bread and already had a supply of bread flour in the house.
My first novel Stone Angels was published during the early part of the pandemic. Unfortunately my excitement was marred by deep disappointment at not having a physical book launch to share with family and friends. During this awful time, I did lose two of my dearest writing friends, but not to Covid, Ivy Lord and Nicola Slade had always encouraged me with my writing and I miss them deeply.
In total, I had three books published during 2020. The Funeral Birds a crime novella published by Demain Publishing, a single collection anthology of dark, gothic tales Days Pass like a Shadow, published by Bridge House Publishing, and Stone Angels published by Darkstroke Books. This year, 2021, I had Seeking the Dark published by Darkstroke Books but again, my dreams of a physical book launch was put on hold as the country went back into lockdown. During this year, three local libraries accepted all four copies of my book which was something I never imagined happening when I first set off on my writing journey.
What are you working on now?
I’m excited to say I’m working on two novels. I’m just finishing the edits on my fifth book; The Phoenix Hour. It is a time-travel novel about a scientist, Doctor Louise Brimstone who travels back to the 1900 to escape the pressure she’s under in her own time 2055. In the 1900, she hopes to create a new life for herself, but becomes embroiled in a love affair that leads her to hide her lover’s terrible crimes by taking his victim’s bodies back to her own time.
My next project is to complete another time-slip novel. I’m six chapters into a book that has three timelines. It’s about a wise woman, Granny Wenlock who originally appeared in The Funeral Birds a crime novella. Granny Wenlock will become a more rounded character in the book as she helps her descendant Dave Cavendish to solve ancient crimes in his own time. It may take me awhile to write this book but, I’m hoping to have the first draft completed sometime late next year.
That sounds like a book worth waiting for. What’s next for, Paula?
Oh good question, Valerie!
Well, I guess like all authors we want a bestseller. I hope to continue to write the sorts of books I enjoy writing, without the pressure of having to write to order. I have quite a few unfinished novels waiting to be sorted on my computer, so hopefully I may have a bestseller amongst them, but who knows. All I can do is stay positive and keep on writing.
I love your positive attitude and could not agree more.
Paula, if a film maker chose your book to adapt, would you be happy with a ‘based-on version’ film or series, or would you want them to stick as closely as possible to your original idea? What wouldn’t you be happy with i.e. too much violence, complete change of character etc.?
Hmm, Valerie, this is a difficult question. I understand that the author has plenty of scope to explore different elements within their storyline when writing their novel. Unlike a filmmaker who has only a limited amount of time in which to tell the story so they have to cut away a huge chunk of the novel and stick closely to one thread. I hope at least to find my characters recognisable as the ones in my novels. The thing that would worry me the most was if the screenwriters focused on making the hinted-at sexual and violent parts within my plotlines into stomach-churning blood and gore scenes.
If you want to find more about Paula’s writing check out the social media link below:
Blog: https://paularcreadmanauthor.blog
Twitter: Paula R C Readman@Darkfantasy13
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paula.readman.1
Instagram: Paula R C Readman (grannywenlock)
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/paula-r-c-r-540680b3
Amazon Author’s Page: Paula R C Readman
Goodreads: Paula R C Readman
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valerie holmes, author 