Hi Everyone!
Today Helen Treharne has been kind enough to join us for an interview!
Helen lives in South
Wales with her husband, who is Irish, three cats, some other waifs and strays
that think they live with them, and lots of stringed instruments! Wow, Helen, it sounds like you have a really
busy home! Can you tell us a little more about yourself and your books?
Helen: I'm trying to learn the ukele, but not
getting very far. My "day job" is in communications and media
relations so I write by night and during weekends. Oh, and I volunteer for Cats
Protection, a UK based charity that campaigns for the welfare of cats as well
as rescue work.
I've written three
books so far. The first was a collection of flash fiction called Off the Bench
inspired by bereavement and by hope. I've also written a collection of
10 urban poems about growing up in South Wales in the eighties and
nineties. They're both "quick reads", cheaper than a magazine,
but you can read them during your lunch break.
The most significant
piece of work is my urban fantasy series - the Sophie Morgan books. The
first, Relative Strangers, was released on ebook and paperbook in August
2014. The second, Death in the Family will be out in February 2015.
Me:
Wow! Family, pets, charity, work, writing! When do you sleep? ;-) Can you tell
us the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Helen: Relative
Strangers, the most recent release, is a departure from the genre in some
respects, yet a welcome return in others. I wanted to write a vampire book
which was about relationships in the broadest sense - how we are all connected,
how you can't escape from your past, about love falling flat on its ass. I
didn't want sexy vampires. Nor did I want them sparkly. I imagine that if
vampires existed they would be walking around like you or I just trying to get
on with it, hiding their true natures and doing what they have to get by. Some
of them are dark and viscous. Others are doing what they can to maintain their
position and put dinner on the table (albeit human!). I wanted to read about a
world where vampires were believable and I hope I achieved it. I also wanted to
write a female protagonist who wasn't throwing herself at them, who is strong
but can also be vulnerable. In that sense, it's inspired by real life. In fact,
a couple of incidents in the book are inspired by situations I've found myself
in - although it's heavily fictionalized of course. I've never ground a vampire
into dust on my kitchen lino.
Me: Sounds like a great read! What are you working
on now?
Helen: Death
in the Family, the second Sophie Morgan book, was the book I really wanted to
write as it's just as much about the family dynamic as it is about vampires.
The first one was the thing I had to do beforehand! In this book, Sophie has
returned to Wales following a series of unpleasant incidents with vampires
while living in the West Midlands. I don't want to give too much away for
those who have yet to read 'book 1' but let's just say some familiar characters
reappear, there could be a new man in Sophie's life, plus we find out what
really happened to her long lost father!
Me: Romance, drama, adventure! What more could a
reader ask for!? :-) Are there any authors, or books, who have influenced you?
Helen: My tastes are varied. This year, my
favourite reads have come from Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham, who I admire
terribly. I like writers who write honestly, without overly verbose prose. I'm
also a huge Terry Pratchett fan. I've discovered some great indie authors this
year too. I always review and my blog www.helentreharne.wordpress is a good
place to follow what I'm reading and what I think of their work - Goodreads
too!
Me: I love Terry Pratchett!! Almost as much as
Douglas Adams! ;-) What are you reading
now?
Helen: I'm currently reading Neon Blue by EJ Frost.
It's awesome! A fresh new take on magic.
Me: I've got a couple books by EJ Frost on my
to-be-read list (looks around for some spare time), you'll have to tell me how
you like it! :-) For those who might
consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?
Helen: If Being Human (TV show) and Bridget Jones
(book / film) had a baby, and that baby was a book, then it might look like
Relative Strangers.
Me: Ha! Sounds like a hoot! :-) What is your
favorite part of being an author?
Helen: Building worlds in my head and getting to
live in them occasionally.
Me: That is a fun part of writing, isn't it!
:-) Do you have a day job as well?
Helen: I do, I'm in external communications and
media relations. That said, can being on Twitter be classified as a full time
job? I'm on there a lot!
Me: Ha! Me too, I'm going to have to cut back to
get on with the writing. ;-) What would
you say are the hardest and easiest parts about being a writer?
Helen: I think most writers would agree that the
hardest bit is PR and marketing. It's a huge amount of work and
getting it right is something that requires a lot of effort and constant
evaluation.
The easiest
part for me is coming up with ideas. Honestly, I can't switch them off.
Sometimes, it's hard for me as I have so many my brain can't fully form
them. I have to constantly scribble things down to get them out my head so I
can move on and finish something.
Me: Yeah, marketing can be tough, but it's
definitely a big part of any indie author's job. What genre do you place your book in?
Helen: The Sophie Morgan books fall into the
"urban fantasy" genre I guess, although my natural rebellion likes me
to push against labels. The lead character is 23 though, just out of college
and is navigating some pretty difficult life situations, so I guess it could
fall into the new adult fiction camp too. Strangely though, the first book has
proved really popular with guys.
Me:
Aww... we knew the fellas had some romance in them somewhere! ;-) Anything else you'd like to tell your
readers?
Helen: If you buy a book, mine or anyone else's,
leave a review for the author on Amazon. It really helps them out, as well as
inform the choices of other readers.
Also, if you want to
find out more about me or any of my books, then check out the links:
Blog www.helentreharne.wordpress.com
Twitter @Tea_Talks https://twitter.com/Tea_Talks
Twitter @Tea_Talks https://twitter.com/Tea_Talks
Facebook : http://on.fb.me/1vOSmXq
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/Vg7voh
Buy my books at Amazon http://bit.ly/Vu4Ve3 (Paperback and ebooks available)
Me: Amen to the reviews! :-) And thank you so
much for joining us Helen!!! :-)
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