Talking On A Tuesday

Today I'm talking with author Madeleine McDonald.

Can you tell us about your latest release?My first romance, ENCHANTMENT IN MOROCCO, has just been published by Red Rose Publishing, an American publisher specialising in electronic books. Readers anywhere in the world can download it now from www.redrosepublishing.com.

Where do you take your inspiration from?
I was inspired by Morocco, a lovely country with friendly, hospitable people. I imagined my modern heroine, Emily, accustomed to running her own life but worried about her credit card debts, coping with a job in a traditional Arab village far from the tourist resorts.

Do you like to work with music playing in the background? And if so, do you listen to a specific type to evoke certain moods?I am a totally non-musical person, although I listen to Radio 4 when I’m cooking.

What was it that gave you the final push to submit your first story? And how did you feel when your work was accepted?
My first published piece, years ago, was a magazine article about my parents’ cat going walkabout while I was looking after him, and my finding him again. When the editor’s letter came, I felt like doing cartwheels down the street. That mixture of disbelief and elation is still there. It will never go away, even if I publish a hundred books.

Can you describe to us a typical day in your life as an author?
I try to do a full day’s writing, then cram everything else into the next day, turn and turn about. Of course, life gets in the way of this simple system.

What is the best thing about being a writer?
Keeping your characters company in your own head.

What does your work space look like? Neat as a new pin? Or area of mass destruction?
I used to work from home as a translator, and have the luxury of my own “office”. This also gets used as a sewing room and spare bedroom, which means I have to keep it tidy. When my son was little, he and his toys invaded the carpet, so I kept my feet out of his way and carried on typing. I learned to screen out irrelevant chatter and shrieks. As a result, I can take a notebook and work anywhere.

Most authors that I've spoken with have at least one finished or nearly finished project that they've held onto for a number of years. Do you have any such work?
I have several half-written and completed radio plays sitting in my drawer. Radio is a limited market, which attracts talented writers, so I’m not surprised my efforts were rejected.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
Having had one book published, I want to build on that success by concentrating on more romance stories. I also write short opinion pieces for the Yorkshire Post, which are fun to do, and I hope entertaining for readers.

Which of your upcoming projects are you most excited about?
My next book is located in the Swiss city of Basel, where I worked for several years, against the background of the city’s annual art fair. Serious collectors come to buy, but anyone and everyone, from teachers to train drivers, drops in to take a look.

When not writing, how do you relax?
We live on the Yorkshire coast, so I wrap up warm against the ever-present breeze and take walks along the beach. Early morning is the best time, when the crabbing boats are collecting their catch, and the beach is empty apart from dog walkers.


How do your friends and family feel about your work and do you let any of them read your stories?
My beloved husband supports me wholeheartedly. However, he reads newspapers, not books. Having read the first page—under duress—he filed the typescript under his armchair for several weeks until I took it back for safekeeping. He never did finish it.

Where do you see yourself in three years time, as far as your writing is concerned?
Who knows? That will be up to my readers. I hope they enjoy reading the book as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

If you weren't a writer, what else would you be doing?
My husband and I used to have an allotment, which took up all our spare time, and huge amounts of energy. It was a fun time in our life and I miss eating vegetables fresh out of the ground. I even miss the drudgery of weeding and watering. So I’d be tending a vegetable patch.

Which of your books would you love to see turned into a movie?
It has to be ENCHANTMENT IN MOROCCO, for the sun, the Atlantic shore, the scenery and my handsome hero Rafi.

Can you let the readers know where to find you on the web?
www.redrosepublishing.com
http://madeleinemcdonald.blogspot.com