Hi and welcome to my stop on Rachel Pudsey’s The Watcher of the Night Sky blog tour with Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours 🙂

Interview with Rachel Pudsey…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Hi, my name is Rachel Pudsey. I was born in Scotland but have a ridiculously English surname (*ahem* Pudsey Bear *ahem*). I studied Psychology in university before heading into the big bad world and getting a job absolutely unrelated to my degree. Imagine that. I currently live in South Korea, have been here for almost seven years now, and pay the bills by teaching business English to adults in Seoul. I am the author of the Aronia Series, a YA fantasy romance series set in a fictional land called Aronia. So far there are two titles available: The Watcher of the Night Sky and The Faelti. They follow the lead character, Abigail, as she tries to undo a terrible mistake that resulted in her being cursed: wishing on the stars.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

All over the place! Sometimes they just pop up in my head. Sometimes a song title or lyric does it. Mostly, my ideas have been sparked by the environment around me. Nature has a big part to play, as does tourist or cultural sites. I think that hearing real folk stories or cultural oddities is really fascinating and they help to get the creative juices flowing.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Yes. I can tell you with absolute sincerity that one of the male leads in the Aronia Series is based on an ex-boyfriend. It sounds so corny to say, but when I dated him I felt like I had met my Edward. He was my perfect man. A Korean Taekwondo trainer/ex-bodybuilder who just wanted us to be happy. Obviously, we are broken up now so there were some unfortunate issues that couldn’t be resolved. But at the time of writing The Watcher of the Night Sky, I based the character, and some of his appearance, on him. It was the best way for me to understand the attachment my main character, Abigail, would have for someone she loved.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I mostly research names and use them based upon their meaning. That is with the exception of some of the dwarf and fae names. Most of them were picked using a Finnish name generator (I used Finnish for anything connected to the Kelluva Isles) and because I liked the sound of them.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I write whatever comes to mind and worry about the structure later. I don’t map out an entire story from beginning to end. I suppose I use the Stephen King approach. Most of the time I don’t know how my story will end. Too many things happen in life that can affect my story, so I just let it all out and then worry about structure and planning later. Editing is when I knuckle down, fix the plot holes, and make dramatic changes.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Hard question! I guess I’d have to say J. K. Rowling, S. E. Hinton, Brandon Sanderson, William Goldman, and Brent Weeks. Because I like to read them. But I want to add Terry Pratchett, Jane Austin, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens simply because I highlight sentences in their books for being so epic.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Honestly, I mulled over this question for a long time. I am finding it hard to come up with someone. Maybe Jane Austin. I’d like to know more about the era she lived in.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. I grew up reading Goosebumps and Point Horror books in primary school.

When did you start to write?

I wrote my first novel (if I can even call it that) in primary school. Maybe primary six or seven, but I can’t quite remember. It was a Point Horror style book with students from my class as the victims. Seems a bit morbid now I look back on it!

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

Probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. I really wanted both of the Weasley twins to have survived the battle at Hogwarts. You can’t have one without the other! I am still raging about that. I wish it was Percy instead. And I hope Fred returned as a ghost and helped George run their store.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Maybe The Princess Bride by William Goldman. That book is genius.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

I’m as discombobulated as you are.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Coffee with Albus Dumbledore would be an interesting day. Since this is entirely fictitious, I would take him to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, Japan. They have a Three Broomsticks there.

What are you working on right now?

I am writing the third and final book of the Aronia Series. The title is named Aaravale.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release was The Faelti, book two of the Aronia Series. It continues the tale of Abigail as she tries her best to rid herself of a curse she accidentally placed on her life after wishing on the stars. I don’t want to give away too much to those who haven’t read the first one!

Do you have a new release due?

Yes, but unfortunately I can’t give a release date for Aaravale yet. All I can say is it will be released next year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Nothing much. Maybe just some drinks and dinner with close friends.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

They can contact me through my website: http://www.rachelpudsey.com
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2LScrcZ
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorrachelpudsey
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rachelpudsey
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rachelpudsey

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I am a Gryffindor. I love The Outsiders. And wish you all to Stay Gold ^^

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Rachel 🙂

Blurb

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Fifteen-year-old Abigail Crumble was never much for talking about love and marriage and other such nonsense – no matter how often her boy obsessed best friend pestered her to do so. Or so she so adamantly proclaimed.

Yet on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Abigail makes the biggest, most contradictory mistake of her life. She wishes on the stars for love, or even the smallest amount of attention, without knowing the full impact of such a feat.

Abigail soon finds her simple life in chaos as princes, men and mysterious creatures come to her door, each adamantly in love with her and refusing to leave her side.

Mixing fantasy, humour, and romance, The Watcher of the Night Sky begins the tale of one girl’s quest to rid herself of a curse that was definitely far more than she wished for.

Author Bio

Rachel was born and raised in Scotland but has a ridiculously English surname. A graduate of psychology, she now resides in South Korea. She has dabbled in teaching children, but after a few blessed years has succumbed to teaching business English to adults in Seoul.

Rachel has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. An obsession with Point Horror books led to her first novel being written at the age of ten. Truth be told, it wasn’t very good. The following years were spent reading, amateur acting in a youth group, occasionally playing guitar, and dabbling in songwriting, all the while continuing to write stories unworthy for print and developing her own style.

A mixture of inspiring authors had a huge influence upon her mind: S. E. Hinton, Mario Puzo, R. L. Stine, William Goldman, C.S Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, J. K. Rowling … the list goes on. For years, Rachel has cited The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton as her favourite book. These days, she considers The Princess Bride by William Goldman to be at the top of the list. But the list always changes. How can one simply pick a favourite from all the wonderful books out there? It’s like trying to pick one favourite food. Inconceivable!