TELLING A TALE - Story settings

 TELLING A TALE

STORY SETTINGS

I think it's really important to describe the settings in the stories I write. I like to paint a word picture so the reader can fully imagine the location where the action is taking place. In Blood on the Tide, a WWII bomb is retrieved from the mud at Compass Point (Rye Harbour). I tried hard to describe the concern of the soldiers as they sweated to get it out, while watching the tide gradually roll in.

In Blood on the Shrine, DI Sonny Russell is sent to a Buddhist retreat, almost as a joke by superintendent Vic Stout. But Russell is much more spiritual than his boss realises and delights in being there. I drew on my own, not insignificant experiences, of Buddhism to describe the peace and serenity encountered at a retreat.

The story in Blood on the Strand revolves around gold and silver valuables that were stolen towards the end of WWII. The net shops in Hastings play a large part in the story. I wanted to recreated the sight and smells of these iconic buildings and the surrounding fishermen's beach.

In the fourth DI Sonny Russell mystery the occult and fortune tellers come to the fore. During my research I was delighted to discover that the occultist Aleister Crowley, once named 'the wickedest man in the world', ended his days in a nursing home in Hastings. I described a visit made made by Septimus Pike, a sinister antique dealer, to the infamous character and the sad situation he finished up in.

My current work in progress, book five in the series, begins with an investigation into the disappearance of two characters. Quite a lot of the action takes place at a grand manor house, named Sowsden Manor in my story. But, it's actually based on a place I know well - but I'm not telling!

LOCKDOWN! - a force for good?

LOCKDOWN! – a force for good?

How is everyone in these strange times? For my 100th post I thought I write something a little different and reflect what is happening currently. 

When I was younger – it seems so long ago now – my reading of choice was mainly science fiction. I devoured books by Arthur C Clarke: The City and the Stars, A Fall of Moondust, Rendezvous with Rama and of course, the magnificent, 2001 A Space Odyssey. But I particularly enjoyed J.G. Ballard’s The Drowned World, The Drought and the Wind from Nowhere. At the time I just thought they were thoroughly good reads but now realise they were way ahead of their time. What I find extraordinary is how, in this age of uncertainly, how prescient many of them were.

Who would have predicted, even a few months ago, the state the whole world is in? We are faced with a faceless ‘enemy’. Not some alien from outer space but a fast-moving malevolent force that strikes indiscriminately. No one knows how, or even when, this pandemic is going to end. Up until recently the news has concentrated on numbers – of those infected and deaths – but is now starting to focus more on individuals and the human tragedy. For me, this is really bringing the gravity of the situation home. So far, none of my relatives or close friends have succumbed to the disease but I wonder if it is just a matter of time.

On the positive side, many aspects of life have changed for the better. The skies are clearer, there is less pollution and, thankfully, nature seems to be carrying on in its usual rhythm. Many of us are forced to spend time at home, with our families, which may well cause stress and strife but, hopefully, will bring us closer together with a greater understanding of each other. More people seem to be taking the trouble to exercise, which can only be for the good. I just hope that, when all this is over and we return to some semblance of normality, we have learned from it and make the world a better, more considerate, place to live in.