Blog Tour: Q&A with Christina O' Reilly, author of Retribution

Thanks so much to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the Retribution blog tour and a special thanks to the author Christina O'Reilly for agreeing to do an author Q&A.

But before we get down to the nitty gritty, here's the blurb

Retribution Blurb

A young woman has been murdered on Ripton Beach.

DSS ‘Archie’ Baldrick and DC Ben Travers eventually identify the body as that of Lucy Martin, who has been renting a bach in the area. Her husband, Oliver, seems to know very little about his wife or her background.

What was Lucy hiding? Why has she no family or friends?

As the number of suspects mounts up, Archie begins to conclude that the real answer lies in Lucy’s dark and mysterious past, and that the murderer may be just a little too close for comfort …

 Purchase Links

UK: Available here

US - Available here

 Author Q&A

Tell us a bit about Retribution

Retribution is the second book in the ‘Archie’ series of novels. Like my first crime novel, Into the Void, this book features Detective Senior Sergeant ‘Archie’ Baldrick and his sidekick Detective Constable Ben Travers. In Retribution they are investigating the murder of a young woman, Lucy Martin, whose body has been found on a local beach. The case is an intriguing one as they soon discover that Lucy’s husband knows very little about his wife or her background. What was Lucy hiding? What was it in her past that led to her murder?

How long did Retribution take to write

Retribution took about a year to write, mainly because I got stuck at about the fourth chapter, then we moved house and then the Covid 19 pandemic happened, so it was an unsettling time. Lockdown was good for getting back into writing though as there were very few interruptions!

Could you describe how the germ of an idea develops into a full-blown novel

With Retribution, I started with the idea of a body on a beach. Then I had to decide where this woman had come from what had happened to her and why. There had to be something mysterious and unusual in her background that would lead to her murder, so I had a lot to think about – luckily the ideas came quickly and easily.

Writing Habits 

 Where is your favourite place to write and why?

I have a room in my house that has some big bookcases so I write at my desk in the corner surrounded by all my favourite books. Sometimes when I’m stuck I spend quite a bit of time looking out of the window and letting my mind wander,  hoping that a solution to the current problem will magically appear (and sometimes it does).

Do you have a particular writing routine you follow?

This sounds a bit weird, but I start each morning with 60 easy maths questions, which I do as quickly as possible (this is a method taken from a book called ‘Train Your Brain’ and is designed to get your brain woken up and working). Then I read out loud for 5 minutes which is another way of lighting up your brain. Then I can start writing! I usually only write in the mornings as I feel that this is when I think most clearly, and I aim for at least 500 words a day.

 Author as a Person 

Who are your writing heroes and why?

My favourite author at the moment is Kate Atkinson. I love her novels because they combine humour with gut-wrenching emotion and the plots are clever. Another favourite is Ruth Rendell and her Inspector Wexford mysteries. I particularly like the interaction betweenWexford and his sidekick, Mike Burden.

What is it about Crime fiction as a genre that turns you on?

For me the attractive thing about crime fiction is the blend of mystery, puzzles and human psychology. I’m not generally keen on gritty, gory or violent crime novels, but I do like a gritty plot line.

Which author are you cosying up with tonight? 

At the moment I’m reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. I’ve read the book before but many years ago. This is something I do a lot – now I am trying to only keep books that I intend to read again so I can keep my book collection under control!

 Future Projects  

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

Detective novel, abducted child, devastating. (No title yet)

 Do you linger in your research period or do you rush your research to get stuck into the writing?

I do a bit of research before starting the book, in my planning phase, but once I’ve begun writing a lot of questions come up that I hadn’t anticipated so I’ll research them along the way.

 Thank you so much!

 Author Bio 

Christina is a writer and professional proofreader living in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Four of her short stories have been published, one in a magazine and the others in anthologies produced by Page and Blackmore, Rangitawa Publishing and most recently in Fresh Ink: Voices from Aotearoa, produced by Cloud Ink Press.

As well as being a finalist in the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards, Christina’s first crime novel Into the Void was longlisted for the 2019 Michael Gifkins Memorial Prize for an unpublished novel.

 Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/Christina-OReilly-Author-102419694721372/

Follow the rest of the tour here