Interview with Caroline Grebbell
Published 2015-08-23.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I spend time with my partner, I walk my dogs..I read, write, travel..watch films. When I am working on a TV show or a film it seems like every hour of the day is taken up, it is all consuming and I manage none of the above. I work and I sleep and I pay the dog walker!
I try and be a better friend but am terrible at keeping up with it all.
I don't know where the days go.
When I was a child I didn't understand my grandmother when she told me the days go faster as you get older. Now I understand.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
'Charlotte's Web' by E.B.White. I loved it as a child. The comradeship , Charlotte the spider's protests, Fern's love of Wilbur and the horrors of his potential slaughter. It has stuck with me all this time. I am a huge supporter of 'Compassion in Word Farming' and I don't eat meat..perhaps Charlotte's webs are still in there!
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. I was about 18 years old I think. It was a story about a family who cut down a hawthorn tree to build a house. This is, or was, I'm not sure if the superstition still exists, seen as very unlucky in Ireland. For example, farmers would plough around hawthorns if they grew in their fields. Eventually the tree reclaimed it's place on the planet. Now that I have been reminded of the story, I may revisit that one...
What's the story behind your latest book?
You can find out all about the story behind the story at www.goreassured.com. I have just started a blog which I intend to update regularly...
How do you approach cover design?
I designed my own book cover using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator...I asked a couple of friends for their opinion and we worked it out between us. We're quite an arty bunch! I hope people like it.
Describe your desk
A mess.
I tidy it again and again but always end up working right at the edge in front of me, balancing papers/notebooks/coffee cups etc. Although, I do try and clean it all back when I finish for the day. That way I return to a tidy desk ready for me to mess it all up again...and so it goes on...
And I need one of those things to lift up my laptop as I'm becoming a hunchback.
Work in progress....
What are your five favorite books, and why?
'American Gods' by Neil Gaimen. Because it says so much on so many levels. The characters are superb. Beautifully observed. It's really dark yet at times really funny. It's brilliant.
'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman. Important, moving, exciting...'The Golden Compass' especially. Brilliant.
'Timbuktu' by Paul Auster.
I'm panicking now as you asked me for five books..... too many to sift through...will have to come back to this...!
When did you first start writing?
Have always loved writing stories but I decided to try and 'write' a few years ago.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Belfast, Northern Ireland. That's a tricky one.... I had a difficult childhood but a wonderfully safe and secure home. A loving family. But I was quite a dark child beneath all the joking and foolery. I didn't fit.... and that darkness followed me into teenage and then adult life... my reading and writing habits are hugely influenced by this.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I have been reading eBooks on my iPhone but my eyes are protesting. Have just bought a kindle on eBay so will see.... didn't want to go to Amazon particularly but it's so difficult to get a Nook in the UK. I keep hearing that B&N are in trouble re: the eBook market. If this proves not to be the case, I'll put the kindle back onto eBay and buy a Nook.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
From all over the place. Word of mouth, online browsing, specific eBook sites.... not just one source....must be the same for everyone..?!
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