Today I am delighted to welcome author Simon Whaley to the blog today to talk about his debut novel. Blooming Murder and his writing life. Blooming Murder is a cosy mystery, the first in the Marquess of Montiforde series. Before we hear from Simon, here's a little about Blooming Murder
MURDER IS BLOSSOMING IN THE WELSH BORDERS.
Aldermaston’s having a bad day. A falling hanging-basket has
killed the town’s mayor, and a second narrowly missed him. His wife wants him
to build her new greenhouse in three days, and some nutter is sending him death
threats.
This isn’t the quiet life he expected as the new Marquess of
Mortiforde.
It’s the annual Borders in Blossom competition, and
Mortiforde is battling with Portley Ridge in the final. But this is no
parochial flower competition. The mayor’s mishap looks like murder, and there’s
another body in the river. Someone desperately wants Portley Ridge to win for
the fifteenth successive year.
So when a mysterious group of guerrilla gardeners suddenly
carpet bomb Mortiforde with a series of stunning floral delights one night, a
chain reaction of floral retaliation ensues.
Can Aldermaston survive long enough to uncover who is trying
to kill him, and why? And can he get his wife’s greenhouse built in time?
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Simon.
Blooming Murder is your first novel. Have you written
much fiction before?
Yes! While Blooming Murder is my first published novel, I’ve
a few early novels in my bottom drawer. However, I’ve also written many short
stories, some of which were published in magazines, such as The People’s
Friend, Take a Break, Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special, That’s Life Fast Fiction
and Yours.
Your amateur sleuth in Blooming Murder is Aldermaston,
who is the Eighth Marquess of Mortiforde. Why did you decide to make
Aldermaston a Marquess?
I’ll let you into a secret. Originally, Aldermaston was an independent
local councillor, not a Marquess. I spent a few years working for Herefordshire
Council, so I understand how local authorities work. I realized having an
independent local councillor might be a superb job for an amateur sleuth,
because people are always approaching their local councillors with their
problems. And, with their local knowledge, a councillor knows where to go to
get information.
But a couple of editors at different publishers gave me
similar feedback, suggesting that readers wouldn’t find a local authority
setting appealing. They liked the humorous style of the book, and suggested
that having Lord or a Duke as my main character would not only add more humour,
but be of more interest to readers.
In my research, I discovered that the title of Marquess was
frequently awarded to nobility in the Scottish and Welsh Borders, and as my
fictional town of Mortiforde is in the Welsh Borders, it seemed a perfect fit.
Where exactly are the Welsh Borders?
Do you know, so many people are unsure of exactly where the
Welsh Borders are, which is a shame, because it is a truly beautiful part of
Great Britain. The Welsh Borders is the name given to the English counties that
border Wales (Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire) and the Welsh
counties that border England (Flintshire, Powys, Monmouthshire).
Confusingly, they’re occasionally referred to as the Welsh
Marches, because Marches is an old word for border region.
Why did you set your Mortiforde Mysteries in the Welsh
Borders?
Well, as someone who lives in Shropshire, it’s my home turf!
It’s a stunningly beautiful area, full of history and culture. And whenever I’m
out walking in the sparsely populated countryside, I often think, “That
isolated barn over there would make a great place to plan a crime,” or “There
are no houses to be seen anywhere here - you could bury a dead body here and
nobody would know!” Perhaps I shouldn’t admit that!
There are also practical considerations, too. Living in a
rural area adds problems and challenges. There are many more mobile phone black
spots in rural areas, which means getting help or backup isn’t always easy.
Narrow, winding roads means getting anywhere takes time, even for police cars
with sirens blaring. So, beacuse of this, people in rural communities are more
resourceful. They come together to resolve problems, which is what my
Mortiforde Mysteries celebrate, really: communities working together.
Aldermaston has an older brother, the eccentric Basildon.
Why isn’t Basildon the Marquess?
Ah! When I was first toying with the idea of making
Aldermaston a Marquess, I liked the idea that the title has been thrust upon
him unexpectedly. He has a keen sense of duty, but because he has an older
brother, he expected Basildon to inherit the title and the responsibility, and
planned a more mundane life for himself.
During my research into British inherited titles, I
discovered titles can’t be passed down to younger siblings if the oldest
decides not to inherit it. So, I needed a way of making Aldermaston the eldest,
without him being the eldest. I realised that Aldermaston’s elder brother
needed to be his step-brother - a family secret that only became apparent upon
the sudden death of his parents.
Blooming Murder opens just over a year after Aldermaston has
been the Eighth Marquess, so he’s still learning how to be a Marquess, while
also solving murders and keeping the local community together.
What do you do in your spare time, when you’re not
writing?
I love exploring the Welsh Borders. Walking and photography
are how I relax, and living in the Welsh Borders gives me plenty of
opportunities to combine the two. I go for a walk every day, not just to
stretch my legs, but to take photos and to think. Walking is great thinking
time, and I frequently work out a plot problem I have while I’m out walking. If
ever you get stuck on something, go out for a walk!
Where can people find out more about you?
I have a website (www.simonwhaley.co.uk) where I put a lot
of my work, especially articles I’ve had published in magazines, along with
some of my Welsh Border observations. And I frequently share many of my photos
on Twitter (@simonwhaley) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SimonWhaleyAuthor).
About the Author
Simon Whaley is an author, writer and photographer who lives
in the hilly bit of Shropshire. Blooming Murder is the first in his Marquess of
Mortiforde Mysteries, set in the idyllic Welsh Borders – a place many people
struggle to locate on a map (including by some of those who live here). He’s
written several non-fiction books, many if which contain his humorous take on
the world, including the bestselling One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its
Human and two editions in the hugely popular Bluffer’s Guide series (The
Bluffer’s Guide to Dogs and The Bluffer’s Guide to Hiking). His short stories
have appeared in Take A Break, Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special, The Weekly News
and The People’s Friend. Meanwhile his magazine articles have delighted readers
in a variety of publications including BBC Countryfile, The People’s Friend,
Coast, The Simple Things and Country Walking.
Simon lives in Shropshire (which just happens to be a Welsh
Border county) and, when he gets stuck with his writing, he tramps the
Shropshire hills looking for inspiration and something to photograph. Some of
his photographs appear on the national and regional BBC weather broadcasts
under his BBC WeatherWatcher nickname of Snapper Simon. (For those of you who
don’t know, they get a lot of weather in Shropshire.)
Book link: Amazon UK | Amazon US
Thanks to Simon Whaley and Rachel of Eachel's Random Resourcesfor the interview and a place on the tour.
Check out these brilliant bloggers!
Comments
Post a Comment