I don’t often participate in tags but since I was nominated in this one by my good friend, Viola Bleu, whom I love dearly, and it looked interesting I decided I would do this one. It’s taken me a while to get round to doing it with all my blog tour commitments, but better late than never!

If you have never visited Viola Bleu’s blog, make sure you go over there and have a poke around, I am sure you will find plenty to interest you. It is the blog equivalent of one of those fascinating shops where there all kinds of seemingly unconnected but fascinating things stored and you can’t decide where to look next but you want to take it all home with you and you know it must be owned by the most interesting and extraordinary person. Viola (not her real name but I’m not going to out her here!) writes in such a warm, approachable and honest style that her personality really shines through every post. Her blog is just as she is IRL, I love it.

The tag was started by Lorraine Ambers and Ari Meghlen so I must credit and thank them too, as I have read some riveting stuff as I followed the tag through.

Here are the rules:

• Post the Tag and Image on your blog.
• Thank whoever nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Mention the creators of the award and link back to their blogs.
• Nominate 6 bloggers and notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.

To be honest, this is the reason I don’t do the tags, because I never know whether the people I tag will be cursing me under their breath for giving them extra work to do, or simply ignore my tag so I feel like Norman No-Mates so, to those other bloggers I’ve tagged, please feel free to ignore me if you don’t want to do it, I will not be offended at all! I have picked you just because I love your and/or your blogs. Here are my nominations, I apologise if you have already been tagged:

Jennifer Kennedy

Ronnie Turner

Jennifer Gilmour

Emma Cooper

The Renegade Press

Read, Write, Inspire

So, on to the questions:

Name one novel that inspired you to write.

The first question is an impossible one! Every book I have ever read has inspired me in some way, either because I would love to have written it or was sure I could do better. If I  had to pick, I’d pick almost anything by Maeve Binchy as she just has such an amazing way of capturing the beauty and importance of every day life which really speak to everyone.

What’s your favorite genre to write and read?

I love to read and write just general fiction, about the extraordinary things that happen to ordinary people, the things that make us who we are, that make us do the things we do. The motivations of every day people fascinate me.

Do you prefer to write stand-alone or series?

I’m writing a standalone but since I started, a couple of the secondary characters have taken on lives of their own and are shouting at me to tell their stories too, so it may develop into a loosely connected trilogy, who knows. Let’s get book one finished first!

Use 3 words to describe yourself.

Perfectionist, worrier, empathetic.

Reveal your WIP image that represents your MC or setting.

How long did your first MS take to draft?

The first draft took the better part of 10 months, but it is very rough and I now hate most of it. It is going to take a huge amount of editing and rewrites to knock into shape. I’ve just had my feedback from the RNA New Writer’s Scheme which will help.

Who is your author idol?

Marian Keyes. She is picking up the baton of Maeve Binchy as finding the extraordinary in ordinary lives, and she is not afraid to tackle difficult topics in a very relatable and often humorous way. She is very honest about the demons she has to battle to write, and she uses her fame to promote the things she believes in. Plus she is hilarious! I absolutely love her – in fact, I wish I was her!

Share a writing memory that made you determined to carry on.

I lost someone close and precious to me last September who was not much older than me. She always believed I could write a book and encouraged me constantly. I miss her all the time and her belief in me motivates me when nothing else can.

Tell us something surprising or unique about yourself.

I don’t believe I am in any way surprising or unique. I am completely ordinary and what you see is pretty much what you get as far as I am concerned. You’d have to ask one of my friends that question, I guess.

Share the hardest part about being a writer and how you overcame it.

It’s fear of not being good enough, constantly, and not doing my ideas justice. I haven’t overcome it, I battle it every time I sit down to write.

What’s your favorite social media and why? Share your link.

I love Twitter, the good, the bad and the ugly. All human life is there. It isn’t always pretty, but it is illuminating.

Share some uplifting wisdom in six words or less.

You are enough. (Now I just need to convince myself of that!)