#3 Saturday Shorts - with#Carol Maginn

Happy Saturday wishes to you!

It's time for another short and snappy interview and today's guest is author Carol Maginn that I've met through Crooked Cat Books. Thank you for joining us today for a super fast interview to get caught up with your writing life.

That big fat leather chair is all yours!

Briefly introduce yourself, please. 

Hello, Nancy, and thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog.

I’ve lived in a variety of cities, including Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Rome and Kokopo, but I’m back for the time being in my watery home city, Liverpool.

I’ve also done a variety of work, in law and English language, and I enjoy the mix.

Carol Maginn

When is your best time to write?

I learnt a long time ago that setting aside Saturdays (and some Sundays)  worked best for me. It meant that I didn’t constantly feel guilty if I wasn’t writing while tired on a workday evening, and I had a solid block of time to get stuck in. I still write on Saturdays, though these days I manage to sneak some mid-week hours in as well.

Which social media platforms do you find most comfortable to use?

My son and daughter-in-law introduced me to Facebook quite a while ago, and I’ve stuck with it. I’ve ventured onto Twitter, but haven’t set aside quite enough time to figure out properly how it works, so I’ve become a phantom Twitterer. But one of these days…!

Nancy says: I'm on Twitter but I have never really grasped it properly. It's a dabble share here ...and an 'Oh, that's a good one' share there! 

Please tell us a little about your work:

I seem to have taken a very emphatic step back into history. My third novel is set in a Liverpool hotel in 1856, and my fourth, Taking New York, is set in that city in the 1880s. I’m also writing a radio play about Kitty Wilkinson, a Liverpool heroine from the 1830s. An extract of it will feature in Liverpool’s Light Night, in May (when everything stays open until late in the evening, and entry is free) which I’m very excited about!

Nancy: I've projects started that are also in the Victorian era which is great to research and write about (lots out there compared to my Roman Britain era). 

What's your latest book about and what genre is it?

Taking New York is intended as a sprawling, 19^th Century kind of thriller, which follows the lives of three young women who together are able to topple one of the city’s most corrupt politicans.

Did anything in particular influence you to write it?

My third novel, The Case of the Adelphi, required research into 19^th Century Liverpool, and that in turn led to New York. At that time, the two cities were both developing at a chaotic and dizzying rate, and there were a lot of connections between them.

Did it require any specialised research?

I’ve got  19^th Century maps of New York, but obviously I’m going to have to pay a few visits – just to confirm the geography, you understand….

Nancy: I love pouring over old maps as well and there are now so many available to view on the internet from the National Library collections!  

Who is your main character?

There are three young women, each on her own in this pretty unforgiving city, all with knowledge, skills and abilities which enable them to survive and combine to bring a corrupt political career to an end.  There’s a suitably wide supporting cast of characters as well, both good and bad….

What are your main characters' greatest weaknesses?

Being a single female in New York was incredibly difficult. Wages were pitifully low, and rents high. Many girls and young women ended up as sex workers. I’ve learnt why 19^th Century writers were so fond of long-lost relatives and surprise bequests in wills – these were the only ways that women without wealth, family or a husband could change their destinies.

What are their greatest strengths?

These are resilient and creative young women. They have courage and imagination and they win against the odds in the end!

Are you a lover of editing your work?

Yes, I think I am. I’ve certainly done a lot of it, and my work is always improved as a result. I murder my darlings on a regular basis.

And... 

What’s your favourite occupation? (apart from writing!)

I like cooking, dancing, and gazing vacantly into space. And music.

Do you have a favourite place to ‘hide’ out from life?

My most favourite place (where I’m writing this blog piece) is the Picton Library, a lovely, renovated 19^th Century library within Liverpool Central Library.

Nancy: That sounds like an amazing place to write! 

Favourite food and drink?

I like nearly all food and nearly all drink – with the exception of vodka and lime, which is the work of Satan.

Links for Carol's books: 

My current, and last, Crooked Cat title is Daniel Taylor, a contemporary thriller set in Rome. It’s available as an ebook or a paperback.

Click HERE for Daniel Taylor

You can find Carol on Amazon HERE

                    

Facebook: Carol Maginn

Thanks for coming today, Carol. It's been great to get your updates. My very best wishes for all of your future writing projects. 

Slainthe!