Jill Steeples writes short stories for
the popular women's magazines and fun
and flirty romances for Carina UK. When
she's not writing she enjoys reading, walking, baking cakes, eating them and
drinking wine. She lives in Bedfordshire
with her husband and two children.
Interview
1. Did you always
dream of being a writer?
Not really. As
a young child I longed to be actress, but where that idea came from I’m not
really sure. I was shy and introverted
and hated drama. My personality is much
better suited to being a writer. It
wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I started thinking about writing,
although it was a lot later when I actually got round to doing anything about
it.
2. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off starts with the
main character reading a friend’s diary. How did you come up with that and how
did the story develop?
I was fascinated by the idea of what someone might do
if they stumbled upon a close friend’s diary.
Could they resist taking a sneaky peek?
And what would happen if they discovered something within the pages of
the diary that they really didn’t want to know?
The story developed from that simple idea.
3. What does your
family think about you being a writer?
They are very supportive and encouraging thankfully. And they know that when I get close to a deadline I get cranky. They really don’t seem to mind that the house descends into chaos and there isn’t always food to eat in the cupboards. Or if they do mind they’re wise enough not to say anything about it ;)
They are very supportive and encouraging thankfully. And they know that when I get close to a deadline I get cranky. They really don’t seem to mind that the house descends into chaos and there isn’t always food to eat in the cupboards. Or if they do mind they’re wise enough not to say anything about it ;)
4. Can you tell us a
little more about your other book Desperately
Seeking Heaven?
It’s a romantic comedy about Alice Fletcher who
stumbles upon the aftermath of a car accident and is relieved when she sees a
man emerging from the wreckage. She
offers to take the man home, but it’s only when he’s sitting in her car that
she realises the man is TV heartthrob, Jimmy Mack. When she gets him home she receives the
second big shock of the day when she sees on the news that Jimmy Mack has died
in the accident. For some unknown reason
Jimmy has got stuck ‘betwixt and between’ and it’s Alice’s job to help him
cross over to the other side!
5. What are you
working on right now?
I’m working on my third novel for Carina UK which has
the working title of ‘My Perfect Boyfriend.’
After a tragic accident, Ruby
discovers that her perfect boyfriend isn’t quite as perfect as she first
thought.
6. The cover of Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off is
amazing. How was it developed?
It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I’m so glad you like it. I’m afraid I can’t take any credit for it
though, as it’s all down to the work of the fantastic and talented designers at
Carina.
7. Where and when do
you write your stories?
I have an office at the front of the house with all my
books and files in, but more often than not I end up on the sofa with my
laptop. I love being at the centre of
everything that’s going on in the house.
I write whenever I can snatch the time.
8. What do you do and
enjoy when you’re not writing?
I love reading, of course! I also enjoy walking, baking, spending time
with family and friends, and going to the theatre.
9. Who is your
favourite author and why?
Jilly Cooper. I
love her writing style, she creates such fabulous characters and her stories
always leave me with a smile on my face.
10. If you were shipwrecked on a desert island what 3 books
would you want with you?
Roald Dahl – The Complete Short Stories Set – I love
reading short stories and this would give me something to dip into as I fancied
it.
Wake Up To Yoga – This is a very old book that my mum gave
me. It’s written in a straightforward
style and has some easy to follow exercises inside. I don’t know how much yoga I’d do, but the
book would remind me of home.
SAS Survival Guide – I’d be terrible on a desert island, I
wouldn’t know the first thing to do so this would be a great reference guide!
11. If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?
I’m a bit of a home bird so I’m not great at being on
holiday. I get a bit twitchy and start
counting down the days until we’re home again.
For that reason, I much prefer short city breaks. I’d love to visit more european cities like
Prague, Budapest and Sofia.
12. You also write short stories. How is that different from
writing a novel?
Writing short stories is my first love. You can come up with an idea and have the
story written and completed in the space of a day. I love the immediacy and sense of satisfaction
that brings.
A novel is a much bigger undertaking and can have
sub-plots and several characters.
They’re totally different disciplines, but rewarding in different ways.
13. If you could change one thing about your life, what would
it be?
Ooh, that’s a
difficult question! I’m quite content
with my lot really. I’d like to be
thinner and richer, of course, but then wouldn’t we all?
14. Is there research about locations and places involved when
you write a story?
In my books I
tend to base my locations on places I’m familiar with like London and the
suburbs and the villages close to where I live.
I haven’t needed to do a lot of research yet, but that’s not to say I
wouldn’t for future novels.
15. Imagine one of your books is turned into a movie. What
would your dream cast be for Let’s Call the
Whole Thing Off?
Again, that’s
a difficult question! I’ve looked at
your website, Simona, and see that you are a very good casting director so I’d probably leave that up to you, if that’s
okay? J
16. Coffee or tea?
Tea
17. Paperback or e-reader?
E-reader
18. Mountains or the sea?
The sea
19. Summer or winter?
Summer
20. Sweet or salty? Sweet
Thanks so much for having me, Simona!
Jill's website http://www.jillsteeples.co.uk/index.html
Twitter @jillesteeples
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