Author Interview with Lesley Kelly author of A Fine House In Trinity
Don't you just love it when an author interview throws up a wee snippet you least expect? Well, debut author Lesley Kelly certainly surprised me with a few of her answers. Please welcome Lesley to The Crime Warp where we are currently drinking coffee and eating Tunnocks caramel logs ... if you've never tasted one I insist you go out now and buy some... fantastic creation!
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| Available on Amazon Click here |
Liz: Tell us a bit about A Fine House in Trinity.
Lesley: A
Fine House in Trinity is an-Edinburgh based crime novel,
following two alcoholics – Staines and Wheezy – as they investigate the death
of a local debt-collector, Isa Stoddart and her son. Staines has had a long history with the
Stoddart family, and the story is told partly in flashbacks so we find out why he
ended up a destitute alcoholic. Although
it’s all written from Staines’ point of view and he’s not the most reliable
narrator…
Liz: Where did the inspiration for the novel come from?
Lesley: As a debut author, I took the advice to write about
what you know very literally. I live in
Trinity, and I’d long been fascinated by the big, old houses round here which
are reputed to contain secret rooms and subterranean passages (probably to
facilitate the smuggling that was rife once upon a time in these parts.) I
wondered what would happen if a drunken ne’er-do-well inherited one of them
under mysterious circumstances (spoiler alert: it doesn’t end with him flicking
through the Ikea catalogue, and measuring up for drapes.)
Liz: Is there a subsidiary character you have created
and are particularly fond of and why?
Lesley: I have a sneaking fondness for the priest that Staines
lodges with, Father Paul. He’s a
veteran, and I like the fact that he’s a man of the cloth who could kill you
with his bare hands if you annoyed him enough.
And Staines is very good at annoying him.
Liz: Do you have a particular writing routine you
follow?
Lesley: I work four days per week, and have two young children. My writing ‘routine’ is
grabbing five minutes whenever I can.
The bath is good for plotting (the bathroom is the only room with a
lockable door) otherwise I mostly write while waiting for the kids to come out
of swimming, tennis or football (Go Spartans!)
Liz: Any tips for would-be writers seeking publication?
Lesley: Enter every competition you can, take every mentoring
and development opportunity you can, and support existing crime writers – then
you’ll have a supportive bunch of people ready to champion your book when it
eventually comes out. And be nice to
librarians. And bookshop staff.
Liz: If you weren’t a writer what would you like to do?
Lesley: Before I had my kids I had a brief stint as a stand up
comedian. When I was bottom of the bill,
top of the bill were Frankie Boyle,Susan Calman and Kevin Bridges. They have all, obviously, sunk without trace,
so I’m really glad I didn’t stick with it.
Liz: What is it about Crime fiction as a genre that
turns you on?
Lesley: I do like a nice bit of plot in a book. I’ve read a lot of literary fiction where
each sentence is beautifully crafted but not a lot happens.
Liz: If you were to play Snog Marry Avoid using crime
writers and characters from crime fiction who would you A) Snog B) Marry and C)
Avoid… and why?
Lesley: Ooh good question.
Snog – well it would probably be Kenny O’Neill from
Michael J Malone’s McBain series. He’s
got the patter, but frankly he’s bad news so a snog would be plenty.
Marry – If I wasn’t already happily wed, I 
Avoid – there are so many people in crime fiction who
would inspire you to cross the road if you saw them coming, it’s hard to
choose. So, I’m going to go with the
hapless narrator of Crash Land by Doug Johnstone. He makes so many errors of judgement I’d be
scared that if you stood next to him for too long you’d end up either dead or
under arrest.
Liz: Could you describe the book you are working on at
the moment using only 5 words?
Lesley: The
Health of Strangers: Virus Edinburgh Drugs Cults Crime
Liz: Could you describe your next project using each of
your five senses?
·
Lesley: Taste the bitter tang of the illegal drugs
you purchased over the Internet in the hope that they will protect you from the
Virus. By the way, they don’t work and you just gave your credit card details
to some very unsavoury people.
·
See the adverts on the TV round the clock
about the Health Enforcement Team who will be knocking on your door if you miss
your fortnightly Health Check.
· Touch your hand against your daughter’s
face, and pray she never catches the Virus.
You know that teenagers are most at risk; their healthy immune system
will work so hard to fight the Virus it will kill them.
· Smell the incense from that ‘church’ on
your daughter’s clothes. You know it’s a
cult but she’s desperate for hope.
·
Hear the door slam as she storms out. But don’t worry – when she doesn’t come home,
the Health Enforcement Team will help you look for her. Or her body.
Brilliant interview and I can't wait for the book!
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