Friday, August 03, 2012

The Big Ideas

It's Friday! It's not raining! I've finished my words for the day! I'm excited!

Ahem. Now that I've managed to control myself, I'm very pleased to be hosting Mel Sherratt on my blog today. Mel and I met on Twitter, and over the past year or so, we've become firm friends in real life. She's a wonderful support and a person you can count on whenever you have any author-ly wobbles. Plus, she has the cutest dog ever.

Not only is Mel a fab person with a dog you just want to smush (if you can get him to stop bouncing for just a second), she's also a wonderful writer. Her debut novel, Taunting the Dead, was an Amazon top ten best-seller for ages, and she's just released her second novel, Somewhere to Hide. I've read them both and as clichéd as it sounds, I really couldn't put them down.

So, over to Mel!


People often ask me where I get ideas from. The problem with writing books about ordinary people is that they come from everywhere. It may be a snippet overheard in the local supermarket. It may be an article in a newspaper. It may be a news bulletin on the radio or television.  I have far too many ideas, if I’m honest. But that’s people for you. We’re complicated!

I got the idea for TAUNTING THE DEAD from watching television clips of news reports on murders. Often, friends or neighbours come on camera to say how they knew the murder victim and how he or she was a lovely person. I got to thinking what if someone was murdered who people tolerated rather than liked. This then led to the fact that maybe several family and friends could have committed the murder. So it became a tangle of lies as everyone tried to cover up their tracks.   

I’ve just launched the first book in a new series, SOMEWHERE TO HIDE. The idea for these books, emotional thrillers as opposed to police procedurals, came from two sources. For eight years I was a housing officer for the local authority. It isn’t the people that I worked with on the estate that are the inspiration for the sub plots, more the community spirit plus the background knowledge of the job that I use – especially in BEHIND A CLOSED DOOR, book two which is out in October. That book follows Josie Mellor, the main character, as she works on the estate and the cases she deals with. 

The other angle was I watched an episode of THE SECRET MILLIONAIRE. There was a woman who looked after young teenage women and she was so inspirational – putting herself in danger at times but always trying to give the girls who came to stay with her some sense of belonging. I watched the program halfway through writing the first draft of SOMEWHERE TO HIDE and it was a light bulb moment. It meant the book’s main theme became about strong women. And as my writing is gritty and I like writing about fear and emotion, it was perfect. 

Thank you, Mel! If you want a good read for the weekend, hop over to the 'Zon and get Mel's books (click here for UK links). Have a good one, everyone. I'll see you all on Monday. 

45 comments:

  1. Shame on me, but this was the first time I heard of Mel :-/

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  2. Any excuse to watch more TV and movies I say!

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  3. It is always wonderful to meet new-to-me authors. Nice to make your virtual acquaintance and thanks for having her here today, Talli. By the way, I'm squeeing over those to-die-for shoes in our photo. I love them!

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  4. These sound good, just the kind I like to read! Nice to meet you, Mel!

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  5. Hello lovely Talli!! Hello lovely Mel!! I am so lusting after these sandals you have flung over your shoulders!! Yay!!

    Take care
    x

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  6. Way to go Mel. You're new to me too, but any friend of Talli's has to be good!

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  7. I don't know why but seeing Mel's picture reminds me of the best friend in your Build a Man book.

    Congrats and much success to you Mel.

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  8. Thanks for hosting Mel, Talli! Wishing you both all the best. Have a great weekend! :)

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  9. Nice interview and more books to add to the TBR list - sigh!

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  10. Hello to everyone and thanks so much to Talli for hosting me - especially as Dexter caused riot when she visited me!

    LOL, Vanessa - there are so many of us authors.

    My sentiments entirely Alex! Anything from Law and Order UK to Luther are my bag - and Dexter, of course, which is who my dog is named after.

    Thanks Angela and Old Kitty (although I have to say that those shoes are the most uncomfortable ones I've worn in a long time and I'm always in heels) And by the way I run a blog called High Heels and Book Deals - there are lots of gorgeous shoes on there, including a few pairs of Talli's!

    Nice to meet you too, Karen and Bish.

    Anne - what a lovely compliment because I loved her character too! Thanks so much.

    Thanks Karen and cheers Jabblog. I always love coming over to Talli's blog.

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  11. Nice to meet you, Mel. Your books sound great!
    Happy Weekend :)

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  12. Thank you Carol - nice to meet you too. You too have a great weekend :)

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  13. I love hearing where other writers get their ideas. Find it sooo fascinating...even though I can never do a good job answering the question myself.

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  14. Great post, Mel! It's always fun finding different ways to get ideas for books. I've done the same with people watching, or the news.

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  15. Thanks Mel. Love the sound of Dexter (tho' I'm really a cat person). Good luck with the books. Will check you out.

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  16. Excellent interview! I really enjoy hearing about other authors' inspiration. Real life is something that inspires me as well. I try not to watch the news too much anymore (especially before bedtime!) but certainly there are lots of ideas floating around out there about real people and real situations!

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  17. Thanks,Johanna. I love reading about other writer's too. I love how we all write differently but we all manage to get to the end.

    Thanks, William. I love people watching too - and people imagining, imagining what they are like and if they are capable of anything!

    Hello, Carole :) Thanks so much. PS I'm allergic to cats so it's a dog for me.

    Thanks, Julie! I have to be careful with the news for another reason. I cry too much. Honestly if anyone trod on a puppy's tail, I'd wail. I'm terribly emotional even though I write about murder and mayhem.

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  18. Those sound like great reads - thanks for the tip!

    Using the ordinary as a springboard for a book is fun :)

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  19. Love what you've written here about snatching up those ideas and utilizing them quickly. Sometimes I feel like I have too many ideas and they'll leave me if I don't act on them quick enough. Deep breath : )

    Congrats on your new book! It sounds wonderful!

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  20. Stopped in for a coffee. It's a tad early for wine, but then if you insisted . . .

    It was great to meet Mel and learn about her books. I'm all over a series with strong women characters.

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  21. Hi Jenny - yes, there is something about the ordinary, isn't there? Anything can happen to anyone, sometimes we're just pushed over the edge. And I love books that start off with someone just in the wrong place at the wrong time and one turn of events can lead to catastrophe.

    Hi Amy - it's really weird, isn't it, what can lead you own a certain path when you hear one snippet of information. I love that part of writing.

    Great to meet you too, Clee. I''ve really enjoyed writing Somewhere to Hide. I'm busy finishing the final rewrite of Behind a Closed Door and it's great to catch up with some characters from Somewhere to Hide as well as meeting some new ones.

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  22. I love suspense and books about strong women. Good luck with your new release, Mel.

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  23. Strong female protagonists are a big plus for me. It was great to read about the inspiration behind your books!

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  24. Thanks for sharing the back story Mel. Best of luck with Somewhere To Hide! Julie

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  25. Wow Mel! Sounds like you have lots of material to work with! good luck with the series and great questions Talli. Hope everything is good!! Xcat

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  26. The books sound interesting. I always enjoy meeting authors and learning about how they get ideas for their books.

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  27. Thanks, Susan, The Golden Eagle, Julie, Cat and Suzanne! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.

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  28. What a great post, Mel! And thanks for the UK links to Mel's books, Talli, off to check them out now x

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  29. Ooh, thanks very much, Sangu! That's very kind of you. :)

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  30. Wow your book plots sopunds AMAZING! Congrats on your book launches and I wish Mel every success.

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  31. Thanks very much, Madeleine - really thrilled you would say that!

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  32. I bought your book! I just love this genre. I haven't had a chance to read it yet but I'm going to and review it as well.

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  33. Mel's books sound wonderful. I enjoyed reading about where she got her inspiration for them.

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  34. I've got Mel's books set aside for my holiday reads :)

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  35. Thanks Mel. Thanks Talli. I always love hearing how authors get their ideas and I loved this!

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  36. Talli--thank you for introducing us to Mel.

    Mel--I think all writers are also professional eavesdroppers.

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  37. Thanks very much for your support, Clarissa, I hope you like it. :)

    Thank you Sherry. The next book I'm working on now is all around the housing officer's role and I'm enjoying getting into it - although I wouldn't want to do it again!

    Deej - you are lovely, thanks so much. And have a good holiday x

    Thanks, Denise and Norma. And Norma, I reckon all writers are too!

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  38. Great post. I love the behind the scenes type stuff from writers.

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  39. Ooooo... Her books sound like my cup of tea in spades! ( forgive the cliches) I must look her up!

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  40. I love learning about new writers. Thanks for the intro.

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  41. Hi Mama J - thanks for that.

    Hi Pat - You're following me on Twitter, come and say hello @writermels Thanks for your interest!

    Thanks Susan!

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  42. I've been inspired by new reports, also. Sounds like a great book!

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    1. Thanks, Ciara - amazing what a snippet of conversation can lead to, isn't it? :)

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  43. You met on twitter and are real-life friends now... how awesome :-D

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  44. We did indeed - we met up last year when I went to the London Book Fair and then last Summer I was invited to a champagne afternoon tea with two authors and a few bloggers so I took Talli with me. And we became firm writing friends too so we beta read for each other. Talli is the first person to see my book when I'm ready to show it to anyone. I love reading her books, I really enjoy her style of writing. She's a great friend to have and I acknowledged that in my book, Somewhere to Hide. :)

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Coffee and wine for all!