Notes of Life

Meet The Author: Belinda Bauer (Plus Giveaway!)

Written by Nikki-ann on Tuesday, 28 February , 2012 at 1:27 pm

It was the cover of Belina Bauer’s debut novel, Blacklands, that first grabbed me, and its back cover had me even more intrigued. It turned out to be one of my favourite debut novels of 2010. Another two books later and I’d say Belinda is one of my favourite authors! So with that in mind, I’m honoured to be able to bring Belinda to the website for one of my “Meet The Author” posts.

Welcome Belinda!

What inspired you to write Blacklands, Darkside and Finders Keepers?

A different thing each time. Blacklands was a story that I was inspired to write having seen the mother of Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett on TV, asking Ian Brady for help in finding his body. Yet again. It made me think about the way a crime that is so heinous – AND which is unresolved – must affect future generations.

When my publishers asked what my second book would be, I told them about this cool sci-fi idea I had… Then they gently explained that I was a crime writer now, and that’s what all my future books would be! I’d never even read crime fiction, and suddenly I had to write a crime novel! It was terrible – I can’t work out whodunnit in an episode of Miss Marple, so I really felt very lost. I stumbled through Darkside, convinced that it was rubbish and that my career was going off the rails before it had even left the station! Now it’s my favourite of the three books, so that shows how much I know.

Finders Keepers was written so that I could take the stories I had told in Blacklands and Darkside (which are very much standalone books) to a joint conclusion. Although Finders Keepers can be read as a standalone, it really is the third book in a trilogy I didn’t know I was writing.

The three books are based in the fictional village of Shipcott, Exmoor (albeit one your readers could probably find their way around with ease!). What made you decide to create a fictional village rather than use a real one?

If I had used a real village I would have been too restricted in what I could say about its inhabitants. If the landlord of the only pub in a real village suddenly turns out to be the maniacal serial killer, then suddenly I’ve got a lawsuit on my hands!  In my head I know exactly where Shipcott is, so everything around the village is real, just not Shipcott itself.

Is no-one safe in Shipcott?!

Nope!

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

The relief of telling people I’m a writer and not hearing a little voice in my head going ‘liar!’. Before I was published, I felt as though I was just being self-indulgent.

Are any of your characters based on yourself or anyone you’ve met?

Some of them have elements of people I have met or read about or seen on TV, but some are complete fabrications. Either is fun. For instance, in Darkside, the milkman who leaves his customers threatening notes was just something that occurred to me, and which really fitted well with the story. People are endlessly fascinating. My father was one of those people who would stop and speak to everyone. When I was a child it really embarrassed me, but later I realised that he was right –  EVERYBODY has something about them which would make for a good character in a book, and  even when I make characters up, I am 100% sure that that person is living and breathing somewhere on this planet!  In Blacklands, the circumstance of Steven’s poverty-stricken life was based on my own experience of living in Devon. We had giant fungi growing behind the toilet, and went to school smelling of damp. Life is nothing but material!

How do you do your research for your books?

It depends. They do say you should write about what you know, but I think it’s just as important to write about what you have NO idea about at all. Looking at things with the eyes of a total newcomer can be the best way to see the big picture AND the tiny details that are often ignored by those who are dulled by familiarity. However, if you choose to write about something you DON’T know, then you have to do research – and not only on Google! My latest novel, RUBBERNECKER is set in a university medical school, and I spent time in the dissection room, looking at, touching and smelling dead bodies. There’s no substitute for that! For Blacklands I did a lot of research into Dartmoor prison (thinly disguised as Longmoor in the book), into the parole system,  the fauna and flora of Exmoor, and British army weaponry. I visited all the places I wrote about – some more than once. When you do a reasonable amount of research, it pays off in accuracy but, also, it almost always presents you with some tiny detail (or major plot twist!) that you would never have thought of without it. My only warning would be to beware of allowing your new-found knowledge to overtake your story. Use just enough of the research to convince a reasonably knowledgeable person that you know what you are talking about, but never let it become show-offy or long-winded at the expense of plot and character.

Did you want to become a writer from a young age or were you dreaming of becoming something else?

I wanted to be a jockey but as a child I had no idea how to go about it. We lived in South Africa and it simply wasn’t a horsey society. When I was about 11 I did find out there was a racing school and asked my parents if I could be sent there, but it was not a request that was taken seriously. If I had my life over, that’s what I would be.

Are you reading any books at the moment?

I haven’t managed to finish a novel since I sold Blacklands in 2009. I have started a few, but I’m incredibly slow and almost always have to stop to do more writing or to read for research. Right now I am reading Howard Sounes book Fred and Rose, about the murderous Wests..

What do you like to do to relax when you’re not wreaking havoc in Shipcott?

I love to walk my dogs, go to the movies, play poker and ride my motorbikes. I have just finished a book, so I have a little freedom window in which I am also trying to learn French and field archery, and to repair vintage watches. Once I start to write book 5 I won’t have time to do ANYTHING, so I am cramming it all in now!

What can your fans look forward to next from you?

RUBBERNECKER is about a medical student who starts to suspect that the body he is dissecting might be a murder victim. He has to try to work out what happened, even as he cuts up the evidence.

That sounds right up my street! I’ll be looking forward to that one. Thanks Belinda!

———————————

Many thanks to Belinda Bauer for participating in this post and to Transworld Publishers for arranging it. Much appreciated!

———————————

GIVEAWAY – Closed

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of Belinda Bauer’s latest novel, Finders Keepers (read my review), please leave a comment on Belinda’s interview, as well as stating that you’d like to be entered.

Entries are open until middday on Saturday, 3rd March 2012 (GMT) and the winner will be contacted shortly after.

Please note: The giveaway is open to UK RESIDENTS only!

Thanks go to Transworld Publishers for providing a copy of ‘Finders Keepers’ for the giveaway.

Comments (14)

Category: Books,Giveaway,Meet The Author

• Add this post to
• Del.icio.us -
• Meneame -
• Digg

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>