A VERY BRITISH BLOG 2013
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Welcome to A VERY BRITISH BLOG TOUR 2013 – a collection of blogs, books and authors who are surprisingly very British.
Paul Anthony and myself invite you to take part in ‘A Very British Blog’ by visiting and supporting the websites of authors involved in the tour and who are dedicated to turning out some of the finest books available in Britain today.
Each author named at the bottom of the page has been asked the same questions but the answers will obviously all be different. You merely click on the author’s name at the bottom of the page to see how they have answered the same question.
By the way, we British have certain conventions, traditions and procedures that are expected. There is a dress code in the reading of this British blog and you are expected to comply with it.
For example (you may chuckle if you wish):
Gentlemen will wear suits, white shirts and dark ties. (Military ties are expected wherever possible). Ladies will wear dresses (one inch above the knee, no higher, no lower) and floral summer hats. A break for TEA and cucumber sandwiches is expected at some stage and is permissible. The list at the bottom the page is not a queue. We British hate queues and will accept them no longer. It is an invitation and you are expected to accept that invitation and support the home-grown product. Now then, let us proceed in an orderly fashion. As you know, we are all very boring and staid in Britain, aren’t we?
Well, there’s a myth about the British and your starter for ten stuffy, class conscious, boring, staid! But is this still relevant in today’s world? Let’s find out from our wonderful writers what they feel about it.
So, without further ado, here are the questions from THE VERY BRITISH WRITER:
To Nicholas A. Rose:
Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment?
A. Born in St Asaph, then in Denbighshire. That became part of Clwyd in 1974, and is now Denbighshire again. It might be somewhere else soon, you never know. I presently live near Flint, which is not the county town of Flintshire. Confusing, innit?
Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at the moment?
A. I've spent most of my working life in Britain, despite serving in the Royal Navy. I did go on deployment, but most of my naval career involved decommissioning ships, which in turn meant staying at home.
Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?
A. I'm happiest in the high places, so Snowdonia, the Lake District and the Western Highlands are all favourite places to be. I also have happy memories of Devon and Cornwall.
Q. Have you‘highlighted’ or ‘showcased’ any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?
A. Not directly, though places I know do crop up here and there in my books. As a writer of fantasy, I can't really make it too obvious what has really inspired a certain castle or building!
Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish - about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff upper lip’. Is that correct?
A. While I agree we don't wear our emotions quite as openly as some of our cousins, I don't think we're "stiff upper lip" either. I concede that those on the outside cannot always tell what we're thinking, which is sometimes mistaken for arrogance.
Q. Do any of the characters in your books carry the ‘stiff upper lip’? Or are they all ‘British Bulldog’ and unique in their own way?
A. We tend to write about what we know, but I hope my characters don't come across as any nationality! I certainly don't have any countries in mind when I'm writing epic fantasy, though I do tend to borrow heavily from history, both ours and others'.
Q. Tell us about one of your recent books?
Markan Sword completes my first fantasy trilogy. The main arc of this trilogy is the tale of an old empire beginning to re-establish itself, how different factions struggle against each other for power, and how evil people (and powers, this is fantasy after all) flourish whenever and wherever instability threatens humanity.
Q. What are you currently working on?
Work on the second trilogy has begun. I've not got titles for the books yet (this trilogy is called "Empire Builders"), but it is a continuation from the first trilogy, using the same characters.
Q. How do you spend your leisure time?
A. Reading, playing chess and, of course, writing. On the less sedentary side of life, I do a lot of walking, especially in the hills.
Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?
A. As a writer of epic fantasy, my audience is global.
Q. Can you provide links to your work?
A. Sure:
To see how our other authors responded, click on an author’s name below.
