1. Hi! Welcome to SB Reads. Can you tell us about your background as an author?
Hi : ) thanks so much for having me on your blog. I’ve been writing books for just over seven years now. I tend to write either contemporary thrillers or YA stories.
2) What got you into writing?
2) What got you into writing?
It was definitely my love of reading which ultimately made me want to write. I’ve always been entranced by how reading a book can transport you to different times and places. Growing up books were a magical place I could go and hide away in and as I got older I felt the need to try and create some of that magic myself.
3.) What was the first idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?
3.) What was the first idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?
When I first moved into my house I kept getting calls for a guy called Paul. They just didn’t stop, even after I informed the caller that no one by that name lived with me. There was nothing sinister about the calls, I think Paul was a university lecturer and they kept leaving messages on my machine for him about upcoming classes.
5.) What's your favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?
11.) Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns
The best tip I can give to new writers is to write a story that you love. Because if you love it - somebody else will too. It make take a lot of time and perseverance to find that somebody but they are out there. Every book has an audience, some are just easier to find than others.
Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo.
But the calls gave me the nugget of an idea…what if Paul did live in my house? I let the idea sit in my mind for a few months. I usually do my best thinking when I’m out walking my dog, Rollo. And slowly, a story formed around the idea. Amanda’s story.
4.) Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?
4.) Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?
Amanda is my favourite character in Wrong Number. She’s addicted to her online world (like I can be at times) and she’s also tall (which I most definitely am not but wish I was) and brave. Amanda has demons of her own but she’s willing to overcome them to help those she loves. Hey loyalty, even in the face of betrayal, is one of the things I love most about her. She’s strong, even when her heart is breaking.
5.) What's your favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?
I liked the scenes where Amanda remembers almost falling over the cliffs near her home. Her Dad was able to save her just in time and this moment in her life defined so much about her personality, and how she saw the men in her life. She put her father up on a pedestal which she was never able to take him down from. I loved writing the scenes about the fall as I felt like they played such a huge part in shaping Amanda into the person we find at the start of the story.
6.) What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing scenes? Dialogue?
When I’m about five chapters into a book I’ve found my rhythm and my characters all feel like old friends. My favourite part of writing is the act itself – sitting down at my computer and diving into a story. I love going through a gauntlet of emotions with my characters. Their battles become my battles and I cry and rejoice right along with them. When I finish a book I’m always sad to say goodbye to my characters. It’s a bittersweet parting as I’m pleased to have completed their story but will also miss spending time with them. I cried when I finished the sequel to Wrong Number. Mainly because I was so emotionally drained but also because it meant it was time to say goodbye.
7.) How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you wing it?
7.) How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you wing it?
It takes me between two to three months to write a book. I have a very strict writing process. Before I even start a story I plan out every chapter, noting key plot developments, and then as I write I tackle each chapter individually and flesh out the developments into key scenes. I set myself daily word targets to help me stay on track. I find that writing everyday helps me stay focused and keeps the threads of the story fresh in my mind.
8.) What is it about the genre you chose that appeals to you
With thrillers I like pushing people. I like taking a person who at their core is good and decent, and then seeing how far I can push them before they do something awful. I also love exploring how no one is inherently bad or inherently good. We are all made up of varying shades of grey and it’s fun to play around with that.
10.) Are there any books or writers that have had particular influence on you?
I had a massive Stephen King phase in my teens. I adore his books. Especially his early work. But in terms of influence I remember being really moved by Virginia Andrew’s Flowers in the Attic. The book was so darkly haunting with such a simple premise – four children locked in an attic. The cruelty bestowed upon them by their family showed me that whilst in King’s books you had to fear the supernatural, sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us. These themes are definitely present in my books.
11.) Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns
Yes! There were times when Amanda’s actions would take the narrative in a direction I hadn’t expected. I always know where I’m going with a book but I never know exactly how I’m going to get there. Sometimes my characters force me to take a detour from my planned route simply by being wilful enough to start doing things of their own accord! And I love it when that happens – it always feels like the point where a book is really starting to take shape; when I can’t predict everything that will happen.
The best tip I can give to new writers is to write a story that you love. Because if you love it - somebody else will too. It make take a lot of time and perseverance to find that somebody but they are out there. Every book has an audience, some are just easier to find than others.
Book Description
A missing husband. Mysterious calls. And the biggest lie of them all.
Read with caution - you may never want to answer your phone again...
Will and Amanda Thorne are living the dream until, one day, their phone rings. Within 24 hours, Will is missing and Amanda’s world is shattered.
Who was on the phone? Where has Will gone?
Amanda is determined to find her husband and is drawn into a world of drug dealers, criminal masterminds and broken promises.
As the truth becomes clearer, she has to face the terrible possibility that she may never have known her husband at all...
Wrong Number is out now!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eLIj6t
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fVsbww
iBooks: http://apple.co/2ggjn8B
Read with caution - you may never want to answer your phone again...
Will and Amanda Thorne are living the dream until, one day, their phone rings. Within 24 hours, Will is missing and Amanda’s world is shattered.
Who was on the phone? Where has Will gone?
Amanda is determined to find her husband and is drawn into a world of drug dealers, criminal masterminds and broken promises.
As the truth becomes clearer, she has to face the terrible possibility that she may never have known her husband at all...
Wrong Number is out now!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eLIj6t
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fVsbww
iBooks: http://apple.co/2ggjn8B
Author Bio
Twitter: @tiny_dancer85
Facebook: @CarysJonesWriter
Instagram: tiny_dancer_8
Facebook: @CarysJonesWriter
Instagram: tiny_dancer_8
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