Hey Everyone,
First of all I apologise for bringing this to you a day late. I’ve not been well this week and as a result I didn’t check my planner properly. However, as they say ‘it’s better late than never”.
Blurb…
Tara has had enough, time to turn the tables on her stalker and make him suffer as she has done.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS continues the roller coaster ride of psychotic David’s obsession with his childhood sweetheart, a skilled mix of fuelled tension, dark humour and pulsating sex scenes.
With the help of her gutsy friends, fun-loving city girl Tara Warr is the only victim to survive David Howard’s death list. Whilst lounging in prison the sexual tour de force enlists an eager recruit, seduces a prison warden and relocates to the sunnier climes of Mexico, a freedom short-lived when his charred remains are found in the fire of a plastic surgeon’s clinic. The police cease their search, finally Tara and her friends can relax, scheming David is dead.
Laughter soon turns to fear when he communicates via Tara’s laptop that he is very much alive, knows their every move and is ready to finish what he started. He is among them, but who? He has a brand new face. How much trouble can one man cause?
Guest Post…
I adore writing, creating thrilling worlds for readers to escape into, but am lousy at talking about myself. A few questions that I’m regularly asked are;
When did you realise you wanted to write?
I remember at a very young age my English teacher had given us homework to write a whole page on our weekend. I wrote about a family day at a very packed Sussex Coast beach.
Describing the lines of overweight, semi-naked sun bathers, I wrote the words;
“I looked out over an ocean of uncontrollable flesh…”
Which gave my teacher a fit of uncontrollable giggles. I wasn’t sure why she was laughing, but I realised then the power of words. She told me I should write and her words stayed with me.
I didn’t start writing in earnest until ten years ago, I was a full time working single mum, so wrote in the weekends and holidays.
My ex-husband and I had a music to film production studio in London. My passion for good storylines for film started then. Consequently I write with film in mind.
What genre do you write and why?
I write thrillers, with a splash of steamy romance, laughter and madness.
The why is because I like to write what I know, it’s easier and I’m lazy. ☺
My works are inspired by incidents I’ve witnessed in the past. I write Psychological Thrillers (The David Trilogy) and Paranormal Thrillers (The Fallen Angel Series).
Also, as respite from all the blood and gore of my thrillers, I’ve written a children’s picture book about a rescue dog (based on a rescue Pyrenees Mountain Dog I had when living in Texas), my daughter Artist Scarlett Raven produced the art work.
Why Paranormal Thrillers?
When I was about 3 or 4 years old I was taken, I got away, the following week another little girl was taken, but she didn’t get away, she died. I come from an Irish Catholic family; I remember saying my prayers at night, asking God to do a deal with me. If I was a good girl, when I die would he let me sit on a cloud for a while, invisible, and help him get the baddies that slip through his fingers? This inspired my Fallen Angel Series (Paranormal Thriller).
I’ve always had a strong feeling of justice, of looking after the underdog. There have been a few times in my life where I seemed to have been extremely lucky to have survived situations. I call it my Angels looking out for me. There is something else up there; I don’t know what it is, but it’s there. If my gut says something, I have learned to follow it. My paranormal works are taking this idea to the next level, of Vigilante Angels dishing out tough karma from the skies. I am an old romantic; there’s always a steamy love story.
Why Psychological Thrillers?
The David Trilogy is based on an incident that happened to me in my 20’s, I crossed paths with a prolific violent serial attacker who was haunting London at the time, targeting girls living on their own in basement flats in Notting Hill and Olympia. I got away unscathed (those angels again) and helped Police with a photo fit. I remember looking at him wondering why? What makes someone so evil? The seed for my David Trilogy was sown.
The common thread here is I write what I know, I guess it choses me.
Describe your novels in 12 words?
Fast paced, exciting, thought provoking, sexy, funny, heart pounding, thrilling, murder mystery.
What is your writing routine?
I have a writing room at home. I write whenever I can, I have no social life, am a bit of a recluse. I set the scene to write, with lovely smells/candles, soft music, lighting, nibbly food and dogs curled at my feet.
It takes hours/days to block out the world in my head, then I settle down to churn out the words. It’s hard to get to that writing ‘place’ but once you are in the zone, it’s wonderful.
My ideal writing spot would be in a villa with a pool in the sunshine, where I could pop out to take a dip in the pool between chapters… but hey, one day ☺
What inspires you?
Life experiences. Thought-provoking story-lines that teach, help others. Justice.
I’m getting old, I’ve worked in various industries; Music, Film, Football, Modelling, Sports Celebrity Management, and more lately in crime – Crime Investigator, Major Crime Team, Intelligence Analyst, Wanted and Absconder Unit for Sussex Police.
All of which inspire ideas.
Where do you get your story-line ideas?
My own life experiences, studying people, observing, listening. I see stories in everything, even as I walk down a street… sometimes it’s a bit exhausting ☺
I’ve found myself on more than one occasion following people who look suspicious to check all is ok. Which can be dangerous, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Are your characters based on real people or people you know?
Yes absolutely, I’m lazy, my characters are a mishmash of different people I know. It’s easier to write about the truth.
Who is your favourite author?
Lee Child, Martina Cole, Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Agatha Christie, Harlan Coben, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Karin Slaughter.
My writing has been compared to that of Martina Cole. Wow! … how wonderful is that. ☺
Your favourite book and why?
The Lee Child Jack Reacher Series… I have a crush on Jack Reacher. Although if I ever get to meet Lee Child I will bollock him for selling out to Tom Cruise. Cruise is wonderful, but he is no Jack Reacher.
How do you research?
My life is research in a way. I’m constantly observing, learning and adapting my own experiences to the page, and am of course SO grateful to google which answers any technical questions I may have ie blood splatter, gun calibre, drugs, health symptoms etc (my web search history is damming).
My Police Investigation work is like a university degree in the criminal mind. However I have signed the Official Secrets Act, therefore am not able to talk about cases I work on – which is of course right.
Who do you see playing the lead in your book and why?
The David Trilogy, Tom Hardy. I think he has the depth of mind to play the part. He’s been there and done that in his own life, therefore can bring it to the fore in his acting.
The Fallen Angel Series, Hmmmm… (scratches head)… I actually cannot think of anyone yet… maybe an unknown actor could step forward and shock the socks off people. ☺
How do you plot?
I don’t plan too much in the beginning, I’m given an idea that eats away at me until I put pen to paper and just start writing. It tends to develop itself. A little spooky I know, but I don’t want to question it, no dissection, just let the magic do its stuff.
If I knew what happened in the end I would be bored to put the months of hard work in. I love the way a story writes itself.
What advice can you give to budding writers?
Just start, keep doing it, every day, the first outline can be as rough as you like, no one else sees it.
The magic starts to come in the first edit. Then edit again and again and again. Have beta readers that you trust, who are not afraid to tell you like it is. Then edit, edit and edit some more, until you’ve shone that lump of coal into a diamond.
Learn to wear three hats – writer, editor and marketer.
What are your future plans?
Am working on the final of The David Trilogy, called ‘For My Sins’.
Am also working on the next of The Fallen Angel Series, called ‘Karma’.
Book I of The David Trilogy has been adapted to film script and is sitting on a desk in Hollywood as the moment. Fingers crossed. Would love to have both series adapted to Screenplay.
Thank you for stopping by.
Siobhan x
S C Cunningham
Social Media Links…
YouTube
Website
Twitter
Facebook
BOOK LINKS…
USA LINKS
USA Author Page
USA The Deal (Fallen Angel Series, Book I)
USA The Penance List (David Trilogy, Book I)
USA Unfinished Business (David Trilogy Book II)
UK LINKS
UK Author Page
UK The Deal (Fallen Angel Series Book I)
UK The Penance List (David Triogy Book I)
UK Unfinished Business (David Trilogy Book II)
Thank you Siobhan for doing this guest post.
Emma-Louise x
