Is a wealthy schoolgirl being shielded from life by her family because she is unwell, or is there some deeper reason for their actions? Before we chat with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of my new romantic suspense audiobook, A Special Kind of Double, is:
jarning67@...
Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.
And now let's revisit with novelist Veronica Heley, author of the cozy crime novel, False Conclusion (Severn House, 2020).
Veronica Heley celebrated the publication of her 84th book in the spring of 2020, having been in the business for over 40 years. She is currently writing two gentle crime series set in different areas of London and two or three short stories a year for the Methodist Recorder. She has also written children’s and resource books, a biography, and some historical fiction, along with many articles and reviews.
Veronica is involved with her local church and community affairs, likes to break for coffee with friends, and does the garden when she has time.
Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.
If I have half an hour to spare in the evenings, I watch a re-run of Judge Judy.
She's such a character!
Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.
If I have half an hour to spare in the evenings, I watch a re-run of Judge Judy.
She's such a character!
Please tell us a bit more about the plot of False Conclusion.
Bea Abbot’s plans for the summer holidays are thrown into chaos when Bernice, her fourteen-year old ward, reports that a school friend is in trouble. Evelina Trescott’s uncle has died in a mysterious accident at their country house and her aunt, Mrs Trescott, is keen to hide Evelina away from the police.
Bea Abbot’s plans for the summer holidays are thrown into chaos when Bernice, her fourteen-year old ward, reports that a school friend is in trouble. Evelina Trescott’s uncle has died in a mysterious accident at their country house and her aunt, Mrs Trescott, is keen to hide Evelina away from the police. Evelina arrives on Bea’s door step catatonic, heavily drugged on prescribed medication and unable to remember finding her uncle’s body. Is she really a hapless victim being sheltered from harm by her family, or is she a wily criminal?
The more Bea learns about the Trescott family, the more she realizes something is horribly wrong with Evelina, and soon finds herself drawn into a dark web of greed, abuse and murder.
What is it about Bea that will make your readers care about her?
Bea cares about other people.
How much prep work do you typically do before you start writing a novel?
I always research any medical problems that may occur in the story, and check that I know what I’m doing if I meddle with electricity, or fireworks, or legal problems.
Probably not a bad rule of thumb in real life either!
What is it about Bea that will make your readers care about her?
Bea cares about other people.
How much prep work do you typically do before you start writing a novel?
I always research any medical problems that may occur in the story, and check that I know what I’m doing if I meddle with electricity, or fireworks, or legal problems.
Probably not a bad rule of thumb in real life either!
What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, a writer new to me. It raises a problem that intelligent girls have to face . . . if you get the education you crave, what does that do to your relationships in the family?
What are you working on now?
Another Bea Abbot book. This one is to be called False Face, to be delivered early next year.
You're so wonderfully prolific. Where else can readers find you online?
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, a writer new to me. It raises a problem that intelligent girls have to face . . . if you get the education you crave, what does that do to your relationships in the family?
What are you working on now?
Another Bea Abbot book. This one is to be called False Face, to be delivered early next year.
You're so wonderfully prolific. Where else can readers find you online?
My website is www.veronicaheley.com. I send out a newsletter twice a month and include one of the short stories I write about some retired professionals. These were originally written for the Methodist Recorder.
The book can be purchased online via the following button:
Readers, if you would like to read a sample from the book, go HERE and click on Look Inside.
Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?
Some readers have asked if I can bring back characters from earlier books in the series. Is this a good idea?
Thanks, Veronica, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Veronica has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.
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7 comments:
I think it’s always good to bring “old” characters back. If we get attached and feel like they are friends we like to visit again and see what they are up to.
tumcsec(at)gmail(dot)com
I love revisiting old friends in real life and in books.
Veronica, I enjoyed reading about you and False Conclusion. And 84 books? That is amazing!
vherlock at yahoo dot com
If it has been quite a while between books, I have probably forgotten details about the old character!
Thanks for my coming book! jarning67(at)hotmail(dot)com
I do try to bring some characters back from time to time, but that's hard to do as the protagonists make changes to their lifestyle. One of my readers wants me to kill off Ellie's present husband and return to someone who was featured in a couple of her early stories - but that was 20 years ago!
One person we'll never lose, though, is the dreadful daughter Diana!
Thanks for writing. It's good to hear from you.
Veronica Heley.
I love return characters! That's funny, Veronica, about the reader wanting a 20-year-old flame to come back. That must have been quite an impressive character!
One of the problems of writing a long-lived series is that the minor characters age, they get married and have babies. My heroines, too, may be widowed and remarry, but to the reader, the heroine must always remain the age at which I started writing the books. This does present some difficulties, as you can imagine. I really do think it's time Ellie took a back seat, as her husband is long retired but . . . can I introduce another younger heroine, and have Ellie remain as a sort of advisor and next door neighbour? I think I'm going to try to tackle this in my next book. But until then, it's back to writing about Bea.
That certainly does sound like a good way to wean the committed series reader off of Ellie and on to the younger heroine!
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