Julia Blake

 

I am so excited to introduce you to Julia Blake. A wonderful and quite prolific multi-genre author who lives in the lovely historic market town of Bury St Edmunds in the East of England.

I don’t really recall how Julia first came to my attention, but I am glad she did. She is now an Instagram friend and I have been delighted by her well-written stories for some time. Even reading her blog, A Little Bit of Blake, offers cherished glimpses into the author’s life. Granted, I’m a sucker for anyone who wakes up on a Sunday morning and ‘dashes to the shop to grab croissants fresh from the bakery’.

In her own words:

I am a UK author and come from the lovely historic market town of Bury St Edmunds in the East of England, where I live in an old Victorian townhouse with my teenage daughter, a little black cat called Skittles, and a baby tortoise called Napoleon – Poe for short.

I have been reading for longer than I can remember and writing since I was old enough to pick up a pencil. I often wrote plays for my dolls to act out, eventually progressing onto writing school plays and remember the thrill of seeing my words acted out. I also wrote short stories and silly poems to send to family and friends on their birthdays.

I didn’t take myself seriously enough to consider trying to get published until I was in my thirties, and my first book to make it into print was The Book of Eve – holding the paperback of my novel was a defining moment in my life – and even though I have gone on to publish sixteen books in total, it’s a feeling that never grows old.

If you’re new to my Interviews with Indies, I like to soothe my own curiosities and get the burning questions out of the way first.

Nicole: Coffee or tea?
Julia: I’m British, so I guess I would have to say tea. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a nice cup of coffee, but if it came to a “lose one or the other” moment, it would have to be tea I kept.

Eclairs or tea cakes? (I know this is a loaded question based on your short story book I read.)
I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so can I choose cheese instead?

Panster or Planner?
Total pantser. I don’t even own a notebook. Well, that’s a lie, I do, but it’s used for shopping and to-do lists.

Lasagna or Stuffed Shells?
Depends on what the shells are stuffed with. I have a severe grapeseed oil allergy, and as it’s now in everything, it means I must be extra careful about food. I always take my reading glasses shopping so I can scrutinise the ingredients. If I ever go out to eat, I have to interrogate the chef as to what oil the food has been prepared and cooked with. It’s such an utter nightmare I tend not to bother and cook at home.

Library or Bookstore?
To be honest, I have so many indie books on my Kindle that it’s going to take me until the next century to read them all. I try to read an indie book a week, so it doesn’t leave much time to read much else. Also, when my daughter moved away to university, she left all her books behind, so I’m reading my way through those.

Okay now that the important stuff is out of the way, let’s really jump in. Julia, thank you so much for agreeing to be part of my Interviews with Indies, I am excited to (virtually) chat with you!

I know authors have a special place in their hearts for each of their books. But do you have a favorite book? And if so, why is it your favorite?
A favourite one of my own books? Oh my, that’s hard. That’s like asking me to choose a favourite child. I tend to love whichever book I’m writing at the time. I love all my books. Oh, this is so hard. I guess Black Ice was the most fun to write. Taking the Snow White story and turning it on its head, and then making it steampunk. I mean, what’s not to enjoy about that? I do enjoy re-reading all my books, though. It’s true what they say: if the story you want to read hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it yourself.

As a multi-genre author, are there any genres you haven’t written yet that you would like to? Anything we should keep an eye out for?
I don’t think I’ll ever write historical fiction because I wouldn’t have the patience to do all the research. And graphic horror, not sure I’d ever write that. Also, crime fiction, again, because of all the research needed. Apart from that, any genre is fair game.

I read an interview you did where you told the story of how you came up with the idea for the book The Forest – a tale of old magic, and an interesting coincidence that came after the writing of that book. Would you mind telling us about where the idea came from and the ‘coincidence’?
This is the only time I’ve ever been able to pinpoint where a story idea originated. I was at a family party and overheard two elderly family members asking, “Whatever happened to old Wally Twitchett?” The name immediately resonated, and by the time I left that party, I could “see” Wally in my head. Ideas tumbled over themselves, and The Forest was the result. Two years later, at work, taking customer details for a finance plan, she told me her maiden name was Twitchett, and my jaw dropped. Any relation to Wally, I asked. Oh, yes, he was my great-uncle, she replied. That was a fun moment.

How do you organize your bookshelves?
I have to admit I don’t, other than books I probably won’t read again soon, are on the top shelves, because I am quite short. If I own several books by the same author, I tend to keep them together, but other than that, my bookshelves are cheerfully chaotic.

You post on your blog, A Little Bit of Blake, every two weeks. I have to tell you how much I enjoy reading it. There is something about connecting with someone whose life is vastly different from my own. I was trying to figure out what draws me to it, and it reminds me of reading Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy, and Madeleine L’Engle. But the question I suppose, is what is your motivation to write a blog? What do you like about it?
Lately, I have not been very motivated to write my blog at all. I usually blog every two weeks, but life has been a bit crazy lately, and the weeks have merged a bit. I guess in the beginning, I hoped that the blog would encourage people to buy and read my books, but I honestly don’t think that is the case. I get very little feedback on the blog, and it is becoming increasingly hard to sit down every two weeks and pour my heart and soul out. It honestly feels like I am shouting into a void. But then, with the current world situation, I think I am not alone in feeling adrift and without purpose or motivation.

You market yourself as ‘An Author for All Seasons’. Just curious if you have a season that you like the best? Or if you have several, what do you like about each season?
I don’t like being cold, so winter is probably my least favourite season. I do enjoy summer, especially when we have ideal British summer weather so balmy days, blue skies, and warm evenings when we can sit outside to eat and linger out until late. I live in the middle of a large town and I am always busy so sometimes I do forget to look about and clock which season it actually is.

 

As authors, the books we write often require research. What is the strangest thing you’ve had to research for one of your books? Or the coolest fact you’ve found that has stuck with you?
Writing The Blackwood Family Saga, my action romance series, I sometimes have to research things that have probably got me on a list somewhere. Like, what’s the range of a sniper rifle and how much damage it would do to the human body at that range? I’ve researched various cancers and which kill the quickest with the least amount of symptoms. As to the coolest fact, I’ve probably found out several, but my memory is so bad I’ve forgotten them.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently halfway through an epic space opera slash space fantasy. Think Star Wars meets Game of Thrones. I’m having a lot of fun writing it. Originally, it was only going to be from a single point of view, but then the MMC’s sister wanted in on the action, and her story was so interesting that now it’s dual POV between them. It makes it a much easier book to write, being able to use the viewpoint of both a man and a woman. It’s another new genre for me to write in, so I hope my readers enjoy it, although there is a heartbreaking bit that I know will make me unpopular. You have been warned.

I can’t thank Julia enough for her time and books. And I also highly suggest you visit her YouTube page and listen to her read her words. She has such an enchanting reading voice.

Find Julia and her books here:

Blog: A Little Bit of Blake
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