Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for Three Days In Vienna. I’m sharing my Q&A with the author with thanks to Zoe O’Farrell for inviting me on the tour and to John Steinberg for answering my questions!

Have you always wanted to write?

No. It was a subconscious need later in life. Please refer to my blog A Writer Emerges on my website.

What were your previous jobs? Have they helped you with your writing process?

I started off in banking, then studied accountancy before joining  the family furniture manufacturing business. After that was sold,  I formed a mergers and acquisitions concern and inherited the running of a residential property company. My commercial experience certainly contributed to the themes and subplots of my novels.
 

What was your inspiration for Three Days In Vienna?

Its a sequel to my second book Blue Skies Over Berlin but, hopefully ,it also succeeds as a stand alone novel.

How do you construct your characters? Do they have traits of people you know?

Since my novels to date are about the human condition, the characters inevitably have some traits relatable to people I have come across, albeit, they are somewhat exaggerated.

What does your writing process look like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A bit of both.   When I have an idea for a new story, I write a preliminary sypnosis. Then I spend a great deal of time thinking about the protagonist’s journey as separate from the main plot and subplots. I learnt that writing is much more than just putting pen to paper.

How did you research Three Days in Vienna? Did you enjoy it?

In addition to what I could glean from articles and historical records the internet, I had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of a guide in Vienna who helped considerably with the detail. I would say that  sufficient research is vital to make a novel plausible but it doesn’t provide the same creative uplift as crafting the story.

Who are your favourite writers? Are you influenced by them?

I  purposely try not to be influenced by writers of simiar themes. It’s important that my work is as original as possible.

If you could invite three people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be and why?

Surprisingly, they would be comedians, like the Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and musicians, mostly Jazz such as Oscar Peterson, Stephan Grappelli, Miles Davis

Who would you least like to be stuck in a lift with and why?

Myself. Being a natural pessimist.

Who would play the main character/s in a film version of Three Days in Vienna?

Because it’s the second in a trilogy, it  would need a lot of thought.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Apart from my family, most of my spare time is spent writing and selectively watching new series/ films on television

What is next for you?

A stage play based on my second novel, a comedy and a crime serires

Favourites:

Book? Too General 

Film? The Producers and many others 

Band/Singer? Too general. Mostly Jazz & Blues

TV show? The Sopranos

Colour? Blue

Place? London or New York

Biscuit?  Any Dark Chocolate

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Three Days In Vienna is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: