Blog Tour: Author Interview with Dan Scottow author of Girl A

Delighted to be part of this Blog tour and to be giving author of Girl A, Dan Scottow, a grilling. Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to be part of this tour. But before we kick off our socially distanced Q&A. 

 Here's the Girl A Blurb

Someone thinks they know who she is… and what she did.

But she insists it’s a mistake.

All Beth has ever wanted is a quiet life for her and her family. And that is what she has, until one evening a note is pushed through the door, with two words scrawled in menacing black ink; Found you.

As Beth’s neatly crafted life begins to unravel, an unseen menace torments her and those she loves. But who’s behind the threats?

Somebody is out to get Beth, but do they have the right woman?

Beth faces losing everything, and there is far more at stake than just her marriage…

Purchase Link

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-unforgettable-psychological-Dan-Scottow-ebook/dp/B08YZ7YR8K/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Girl-unforgettable-psychological-Dan-Scottow-ebook/dp/B08YZ7YR8K/

A  Q&A with Dan Scottow

Liz:  Tell us a bit about Girl A

Dan: Girl A centres on the life of Beth Carter. She lives a peaceful, quiet existence… until one evening a note is pushed through her door and her world begins to crumble. Somebody thinks they recognise her from the past. And they think she did something terrible. She insists it’s a mistake, but someone seems dead set on punishing her. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that there is far more at risk than just the future of her marriage.

Liz: If Girl A was ever to be televised or made into a film who would you like to play Beth and why?

Dan: I’d like to see Anna Friel playing the part of Beth Carter. I think she would be able to capture the different sides to Beth’s personality. Beth is sensitive, and tender when dealing with her children and family, but she has the ability to be tough when she needs to. Anna Friel plays this type of character with gusto. She also kind of looks quite similar to the idea of Beth I have in my head… but she’d need to dye her hair blonde, or wear a wig, which she does in Marcella, so that’s fine.

Liz: Yes, Anna Friel would boss it. She's so good! Could you describe how the germ of an idea develops into a full-blown novel?

Dan: When I get an idea that really excites me, it basically become all consuming. Ideas will quite often come to me while I’m doing something completely unrelated to writing. I’ll see something in the street, or hear a news report and it will set the cogs in motion, but a lot of them fall by the wayside as I realise they won’t work. The ones that tend to go on to become my books are the ones that come back to me when I’m lying in bed at night, and won’t let me go to sleep. This is when I know it has to be developed. I then spend a while running through it in my head, how the plot will work, characters, any potential red herrings, sub plots etc. If after a few weeks, I still lie in bed thinking about it then I start putting notes down into my notebook, and once I think I have the bare bones of a working plot, then I’ll start writing. So far with all my books (I’ve just finished writing book 3) the ending is what comes to me first, and then I work my way back, and figure out how I’m going to get to that killer moment.

Liz: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and if so how do you overcome it?

Dan: So far I’ve only really suffered once with writer’s block, and I think that was more due to the stresses of lockdown and the pandemic than anything else. After speaking to a writer friend of mine about it, she advised that I go back and read my book from the beginning to get back into the feel of it… and it worked a treat. By the time I got to where I was currently at in the writing process, I was re-invigorated, and ready to start again.

Liz: Any tips for would-be writers seeking publication?

Dan: Don’t give up. If you want to do it, don’t talk about it, don’t think about it… just do it. And don’t be afraid to break the rules! It’s your book… write it how you want to write it.

Liz: Can you tell us two things about yourself that your readership may be unaware of?

Dan: When I was a child I won two Blue Peter competition winners badges for drawing competitions.

I also paint landscapes, which are far from the dark and moody stories that I write. My paintings tend to be bright, colourful and cheerful… my books and my art must show the two sides to my personality!

Liz: I always wanted a Blue Peter badge, but I was too hamfisted to draw anything recognisable. So, What is it about Crime fiction as a genre that turns you on?

Dan: Real life unsolved cases fascinate me, and I’ve always been intrigued with stuff like that. Even when I was a kid, I much preferred to read slightly darker fiction. I’d always choose a horror story over something nice… so I think it was always going to be the case that I would write dark stories… and bring my love of mysteries into them.

Liz: Who or what inspires you to keep writing?

Dan: The main thing that has inspires me to keep writing is the readers. So many people have got in touch with me through social media to tell me how much they enjoyed Damaged, my first book, which was a huge confidence boost for me. That was the thing that made me do it again… and as long as people enjoy my books, I will continue to write.

Liz: Could you describe the book you are working on at the moment using only 5 words?

Claustrophobic, tense and very scary.

Liz: Sounds just up my street ... Do you have competing ideas for future projects and have you ever worked on more than one at the same time?

Dan: Yes, definitely. I currently have two competing ideas for my 4^th book, and they are both very different. They’re both dancing around in my head at the moment, and we will see which one wins the fight to get written first. I currently don’t know which one it will be. I personally don’t work on more than one at the same time, mainly because I become so immersed in it, that I wouldn’t be able to. When I’m working on a book it takes over my whole life, so there wouldn’t be room for another in there.

Author Bio

Author Bio – Dan grew up in Hertfordshire before moving to London in his early twenties. After more than ten years living there, he decided enough was enough, and packed his bags for Scotland in search of a more peaceful life. 

Dan works as a graphic designer, but dreams of the day he can give it up and write full time. 
Besides writing, he enjoys painting, watching a good scary film, travelling the world (at least, he used to!), good food, a gin and tonic or two, long walks on the beach with his dogs, and of course, reading a great book.

Dan’s debut novel ‘Damaged’ was released in January 2020, published by Bloodhound books.

Social Media Links – Twitter: @DanScottow

Facbook page: @danscottowauthor

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