Q: The Black Funeral Hat is not your first novel, is it?
No, The Black Funeral Hat isn't my first novel. The Cartimandua Trilogy was the first to be published, and I am so grateful to DreamEngine Publishing for taking a chance on me. Those stories taught me how to write, how not to write, and how to keep going even when the plot decides to wander off without me.
Wild Brigantia, Fires of Brigantia, and Blood of Brigantia all helped me find my voice. Though romantic at heart, they are anchored in British history and that demands a more formal, disciplined style of writing. But without them, The Black Funeral Hat simply wouldn't exist.
I've loved the research, the structure and the challenge of fitting the big story-puzzle into place with historical accuracy. And I'm not done yet. I've already begun another story, this time centred on Iron Age Britain and Julius Caesar.
Q: Do you face any self-doubt while writing? How did you push through it?
Oh yes, self-doubt and I are old companions. There's always that little voice whispering, Is this any good? Who do you think you are? Why are you doing this when you could be doing something sensible, like laundry?
For a long time, that voice won. But eventually I realised that if I waited for confidence to arrive first, I'd never write a single word. So I pushed through by doing the simplest thing: I sat down and wrote anyway.
Writing has become one of my great joys. It's the process I cherish and when doubt whispers or the need for approval stirs, I remind myself that I'm way past the age of carrying those insecurities. The only person I'm trying to prove anything to now is me.
