The whole book actually grew out of a character sketch I wrote. I'd written several short stories in which a young woman faced some pretty tough circumstances but always had the strength of character to get back up on her feet and make the best of everything. I started wondering what that person might be like if she lacked the confidence to do that and Gill Brogan, one of the main characters in A Born Victim, was born. 2) Is there a message you wanted readers to grasp?As the story develops, various threads explore how society objectifies, devalues and 'uses' women and how often they are the victims of discrimination, bullying or outright abuse. One clear message I wanted this book to communicate was just how utterly unacceptable this attitude toward women is. 3) Do you have any advice for other authors?It's always hard to offer advice when, like so many other indie authors, I'm working really hard to get my work noticed. However, once huge issue I notice as a reviewer is that proofreading of grammar is often poor so probably top of my list is to get your work thoroughly checked before trying to publish. 4) Is cyber crime a big concern for you?Yes and no. It isn't because, like most people, I kind of assume that if I take basic precautions it won't happen to me. On the other hand, I find the more sinister aspects of cyber crime quite disturbing and, yes, it's worrying that you can become a victim without ever meeting the criminal or going anywhere near them. 5) What are you working on now?I'm working on a sequel to A Born Victim which has the working title of A Born Survivor. Some of the characters from the first book feature in the second but my starting point is quite differing. This time I'm looking at what I call 'The Shackleton Factor' which I see as being that aspect of a person's character which enables them to not only survive but triumph despite incredible adversity. A Born Survivor contains plenty of action, kidnapping, intrigue and romance with the Russian Mafia playing away from home and dubious dealings taking place with Genetically Modified crops while the characters we remember from A Born Victim play some quite different roles from what they did in the first book. 6) What do you do when you aren't writing?I still work full time teaching and lecturing but my hobbies include travelling, walking with my dog Cocoa and keeping bees. 7) Who is your favorite author?Long term, I'd have to say either Terry Pratchett or Douglass Adams but at the moment I'm really enjoying the Roy Grace series by Peter James. Not only are the stories well thought through, Peter James clearly carries out and exceptional level of research which makes his books fascinating at a technical level as well. 8) How long does it take you to finish a novel?Wow! How long is a piece of string? A Born Victim took a bit more than two years and it looks like the sequel might take at least as long. It didn't actually take that long to write but going back over and over again, fine tuning, modifying, re-writing and trying hard to get things write is what takes a long time. 9) Do you try to write a set number of words a day? What is your usual writing routine?My usual writing routine is to grab any spare minute when I have time and energy inbetween my other job and family responsibilities. However, when I do have time it's not uncommon for me to get around 12 thousand words typed up in a day - which then takes an age to edit and improve upon. 10) Do you have a quote you would like to share with us?“Women are beautiful. That's it,” Mike blurted out. “Of course men like to look at them. Why wouldn't we? But to go from that and hurt a woman, to harm her just for pleasure, that's sick, totally sick.” He was breathing hard, fighting down an almost incoherent rage inside. “Woman are so beautiful, so delicate, so fragile. How could any normal man get pleasure from causing pain or harm to something as completely wonderful as a woman?”Lucy sensed Mike's outburst was running out of steam as the sheer power of the emotions released exhausted their explosive energy in a short time. He ran his hands through his hair, massaging his head and trying to regain control. “It would be like smashing a priceless porcelain vase just for the once only pleasure of hearing the sound it made,” he said finally.A
