Today on my author interview blog I have the pleasure of chatting with the brilliant Helen H Durrant. I hope you enjoy reading
Hello Helen, thank you for joining me today. I feel as though I have known you for many years rather than just the few years I have been working with Joffe Books so I am very pleased to have the opportunity to chat with you.
1. How old were you when you decided you wanted to write books?
I was in my thirties – but back then I’d no idea what I wanted to write about! It was the ‘one day’
ambition that a lot of people have. I didn’t start properly until I was considerably older – once I’d
retired! Once I did start – I couldn’t stop – still can’t.
2. Do you only write Crime Fiction or have you written other genres at any time?
Nothing else – just crime, and don’t ask me why! As far as I’m aware we have no villains in the
family. But I take note of local news, local community groups on social media and am aware of what
goes on. I do like to keep the crimes topical. Sometimes it is a story in a local paper that sparks an
idea.
3. Another release today to the Calladine and Bayliss series: Dead Guilty. Book 9 and still going strong. But this is just one of 4 series’ you have running. How do you decide which book to write next?
It’s down to which character I fancy writing about next. There’s no process. After ‘Next Victim’ – the first Rachel King book, it was always going to be another Calladine & Bayliss. Currently I’m working on Rachel King 2. I like her, so there will be more.
4. Your newest series, the Rachel King series, is set in Manchester with a female senior detective which differs from your other 3 series. Can you tell us how that came about?
Up to now the main character in my books have always been male. I’ve no idea how that cameabout. You’d imagine it would be easier for a female writer to write female heroines! I thought a lot
about Rachel, and she’s had many names over the weeks, but I always had an image in my mind of
what she looks like and how she behaves. Her family life is a hotchpotch of what my two daughters
tell me about living with teens – I’m so old, I’ve forgotten!
5. What other treats do you have in store for your fans in the near future?
Rachel King book 2 is in progress and there will be at least books 3 and 4 after that. More Calladine
& Bayliss – I’m very fond of them. I’m not sure about Greco and Brindle – it depends on what the
readers say. I haven’t got another character playing in my mind just yet, but we’ll see.
6. More than three quarters of a million books sold, that is an awesome achievement especially in such a highly competitive genre as Crime Fiction. I know a lot of authors struggle and many give up. Has there ever been a time when you doubted yourself?
I doubt my ability to write anything folk would want to read all the time. With most of my books I get
halfway through and want to throw my laptop through the window, convinced it’s all rubbish. Too
complex, too far-fetched – you name it, I fret about it. But the readers are so nice, they make such
lovely comments and that helps convince me that it must be okay.
7. I do know you have a very supportive family do you think their support has helped you on
your writing journey?
They are a help. I have a senior nurse and a paramedic – to answer some of my questions, particular
any drug related one. They tell me stories that feed in to some of the plots – not saying which ones!
My husband knows when to get out of the way, and is happy to accompany me on research jaunts.
He is also a good sounding board. The teens in my family keep me up to date with life in their world.
They all have their place in the scheme of things. For ‘Dead Guilty’ my husband was really useful
when it came to information about welding!
Thank you for talking with me today, Helen, and good luck with the new release. Helen’s contact details are below and you are more than welcome to join us for the Facebook Launch Party on Tuesday the link for that is also below.
Helen Durrant’s contact details:
Twitter @hhdurrant
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/helen.durrant.12
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Calladine-Bayliss-Detective-Novels/614047648616619?ref=hl
Website https://www.helenhdurrant.co.uk/
