Today I am delighted to welcome author Rachel Walkley along to the blog to talk about her novel, Beyond the Yew Tree. I also have a great giveaway for you to enter. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post (International).
Whispers in the courtroom.
Only one juror hears them.
Can Laura unravel the truth by the end of the trial?
In an old courtroom, a hissing voice distracts shy juror,
Laura, and at night recurring nightmares transport her to a Victorian gaol and
the company of a wretched woman.
Although burdened by her own secret guilt, and struggling to
form meaningful relationships, Laura isn’t one to give up easily when faced
with an extraordinary situation.
The child-like whispers lead Laura to an old prison
graveyard, where she teams up with enthusiastic museum curator, Sean. He
believes a missing manuscript is the key to understanding her haunting dreams.
But nobody knows if it actually exists.
Laura is confronted with the fate of two people – the man in
the dock accused of defrauding a charity for the blind, and the restless spirit
of a woman hanged over a century ago for murder. If Sean is the companion she
needs in her life, will he believe her when she realises that the two mysteries
are converging around a long-forgotten child who only Laura can hear?
Ordinary women.
Extraordinary experiences.
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything. Thank you so much for
agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing.
Would you
like to start by telling us a little about yourself and how you started as a
writer?
I started writing while my kids were young; it filled the
time around their needs. I had been working as an information professional for
many years in R&D, and at the start of a career break, I decided to do what
I’ve always wanted to do since a small child – write a book. Initially I
planned to write a crime series, but I put that on hold, and decided to try my
hand at more upbeat stories blended with magical elements. This led to The
Women of Heachley Hall, my first book.
What is
the inspiration behind your latest ghost mystery, Beyond the Yew Tree?
Sitting in an old courtroom during a difficult trial, it
struck me how archaic the building was, and not really fit for purpose any
longer. You could barely hear the witnesses across the vast expanse, and we
jurors were crammed into a tiny box on uncomfortable benches (cushions were
provided). It just seemed an ideal environment to conjure up a ghost,
especially if that ghost is only affecting one person: a member of the jury.
Without
giving the plot away, can you tell us a little about Beyond the Yew Tree?
The main character, Laura, is a somewhat reluctant juror who
has no incentive to do anything than what is required – sit and listen. What
she doesn’t expect to hear is a child’s voice, especially as the court case is
about fraud. The trial, the haunting whispers, then the nightmares that visit
her, all seem to link to an executed woman buried in an unmarked grave. The
story follows Laura as she tries to unravel the mystery with the help of a
museum curator.
Conveniently for me, Lincoln castle has both a courthouse and a
graveyard where prisoners were buried, and Laura is stuck in this castle for
the duration of the trial. Can she identify the ghostly voice before the trial
ends?
How do
you plan your different story threads and ensure that they sit properly within
the novel?
The best approach is to write sections of each thread,
rather than work chronologically, and hope it all fits together, especially if
you’re using different voices and points of view in the story. The editor is
key to making sure it all fits together. What makes sense in your head isn’t
always what the reader is thinking. I had to add a couple of chapters after I
finished the original manuscript, which is a challenge for continuity.
Secrets
are at the heart of your story. Is there anything you would like to confess
which your readers may not know about you?
I don’t think I have any thrilling secrets to unveil! I have a blog which I write anonymously, not
for any particular reason other than it’s nice not to worry about brand or image.
I use it to share short stories and flash fiction, and every year during April
I participate in the A to Z blogging challenge. Each day I write a post about a
theme and use a letter of the alphabet as a starting point. Readers from all
round the world take part. In the past I’ve done gardens, castles, and
cathedrals. This year it’s the history of British theatres (I like to focus on
the buildings and the people involved with their creation).
What do
you like to read when you are not writing?
I’m eclectic in my tastes and move around genres. I’ve
always enjoyed procedural crime stories, and in recent years I’ve discovered
Spanish authors (translated, naturally), including Carlos Ruiz Zafon who writes
magical realism books like me.
Do you have 3 words which sum up Beyond the Yew Tree?
Women’s extraordinary lives
Thank you for joining us today, Rachel and good luck with your book!
About the Author
Aspiring writer who pens Women's Fiction and magical tales
about family secrets.
What else?
An East Anglian turned Northerner - almost.
Information professional, always.
Biologist, in my memories.
Archivist, when required.
Amateur pianist and flautist.
Reluctant gardener.
Scribbler of pictures.
And forever.... a mother and wife.
Oh, not forgetting, cat lover!
Check out these great bloggers!
Giveaway (International)
To win one copy of The Last Thing She Said or The
Woman of Heachley Hall (Open INT) just follow the link below and good luck!
• If the
winner is in the UK then it will be a print copy, otherwise International
winner is e-book.
Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via
Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or
email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources
reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged
18 or over. Any personal data given as
part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be
shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This
will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the
prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery
of the prize.
Thank you for the interview and sharing my book. I'm delighted to be with you today.
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