I have a very special guest this week – M. W. Arnold. I’m interviewing him as part of his blog tour as he launches his debut novel The Season for Love.
Mick and I have known each other for quite a few years now and always seem to sit together at RNA (Romantic Novelists’ Association) events. (see below!)
Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England, and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Air Force, before putting down roots, and realising how much he missed the travel. This, he’s replaced somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and writing a regular post at the www.NovelKicks.co.uk blog site.
He’s the proud keeper of a cat bent on world domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with the forthcoming publication of his debut novel The Season for Love.
The Season for Love is published on 16 December 2017 by PIP Press.
I asked Mick some questions:-
Your book has lots of emotional undercurrents running through it. How do you get yourself in the right mood for writing the character’s inner turmoil?
Probably because I tend to run on my emotions, I can write at any time, though it also means that if I’m in the wrong mood, I know there’s no chance of opening the laptop and tapping away.
Do any of your characters share the same characteristics as you or those close to you?
Difficult to answer. I think every author would say that they put a part of themselves into a lot of their characters and I’m no different. It may surprise some people, but I guess the one I’m most like would be Chrissie’s best friend Annie, in that I like to think my best characteristic is that I’m intensely loyal.
Is your village in the book fictional or based on an actual place?
Entirely fictional, though I’m a huge fan of the Midsummer Murders television series and love the look of the villages they set the shows in.
If you were casting a film of your book – who would play the main characters?
I’d have to hold my hands up and say that I’ve a bit of a crush on Sandra Bullock, so she could play anyone she’d like and I’d love her to play Chrissie. Bill Pullman would make a great Josh, and as he’s a favourite of my Lady Wife, that’d get me brownie points!
What aspects of Christmas do you enjoy?
Until I met the lady who’s now my wife, I actually went I don’t know how many years if not exactly hating Christmas, but certainly doing my best to avoid anything to do with the holidays. It was only when I met her and started to see how much she loved Christmas that I started to at first, like the holidays, and now have grown to enjoy them again. Not for the commercialisation that’s too prevalent these days, but for the way she’s allowed me to see that there is ‘good’ in the world and its people.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Well, I’ve been told that I tend to put my heroines through the mill a little and my current work in progress is no different. I like to give them something unusual to overcome and as it’s going to be the book that I hope will gain me that all important second contract, it’s got to have some strong emotion behind it; and I believe it will. Of course, it’s got that all important catchy title as well. With luck, keep an eye out for ‘Knicker Shopper Glory’. (I don’t think we’d miss that one, Mick!)
Thank you for answering my questions. I wish you every success with your debut novel.
You can contact Mick on the following links:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mick859
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MWArnoldAuthor/
About The Season for Love
Believing she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats from all those who love her. A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love.
Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again.
Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love.
To buy The Season for Love choose from the links below:-
Amazon US – tinyurl.com/ya88xjn3
Amazon UK –tinyurl.com/y9a3jzft
Barnes & Noble – tinyurl.com/yaqhy3lp
Bookstrand – tinyurl.com/yaddlwfv
Smashwords – tinyurl.com/yarnr484
Kobo US – tinyurl.com/ycvage9b
Kobo UK – tinyurl.com/ydb9em2x
Thank you for featuring on my blog, Mick. I couldn’t resist putting in a few photos of you from my photo albums!
Thank you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. The Girl on the Beach will be available as a paperback from 10 April 2018 – pre-order now at Amazon.
Morton S. Gray - Author 