Welcome to my stop on Angela King’s The Blood of Kings blog tour!

With thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours for arranging the following interview with Angela King…..

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

It begins with a puzzle, an anomaly in time. For Example: There are more than a couple of primary sources which describe Princess Elizabeth giving birth to Thomas Seymour’s baby while she was staying under her step-mother’s care. I love discovering secrets and look for conspiracy everywhere.

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

No. But they all contain facets of people I know or have known. Otar is a based on someone called Bruno Stern. Padruig is the shadow of an Irish friend. It would be very hard to create someone out of a vacuum.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Sometimes I know their name before I’ve written their story but it took a while before I settled on Aalia. The name is a Sanskrit word for exalted. Then I met a beautiful lady called Aalia. She was PR to British Airways, a really powerful executive, someone who didn’t suffer fools.

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

I’ve come to realise my first draft is merely a map. Once the story has taken shape I begin to build the landscape.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

That’s probably the most difficult question here.

First and foremost Dorothy Dunnett, who I consider a genius.

Bernard Cornwell has an incredible grasp on historic writing and makes his settings and characters very real.

John Buchan – he’s most famous for The 39 Steps but I think his short story called Greenmantle is far superior. It’s history woven with spies. Hitchcock wanted to make it into a film but couldn’t get Hollywood to fund it.

Mike Craven and Graham Smith are my favourite crime writers and also wonderful friends. Without their support I wouldn’t have dared send my work to a publisher. They’ve supported my efforts every step of the way and I’m completely in awe of their skill.

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

In a way I met my hero when I was at college. Though I’ve no doubt it was due to my size (being very small-boned) I was offered the chance to clear out the attics of a building which had been donated to the town of Rochester, because nobody else could squeeze between the rafters. Anyway, the house once belonged to Charles Dickens and I think his ghost was watching as I opened the dusty trunks and discovered his hats and clothes.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Voracious. I was often ill and survived by reading books. Mum says I could read before I started school. I could never spend a day without a book.

When did you start to write?

I’ve always loved to write so I can’t set a date or time. I won a creative writing competition when I was fourteen and Sir Patrick Moore came to school to present the prize. I had to read my story on the radio – I was terrified.

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

I wouldn’t dare. As far as I’m concerned the author is the boss.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

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

Lost in Perpetuity.

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

I imagine this scene too often, and every time the character changes. Yesterday I had lunch in Ennerdale and the view was grey and uninviting. It was a favourite walk of Dorothy and William Wordsworth and I was so glad we had the benefit of a car.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve almost completed the sequel to The Blood of Kings. Aalia is trying to return to India when she’s diverted by the past. That and a young man called Louis.

Tell us about your last release?

The Blood of Kings begins in the summer of 1559 when a young girl called Aalia arrives in London searching for her brother. Her quest takes her on a dangerous journey where there are very few people to trust.

Do you have a new release due?

To Kill a Queen is the name of the sequel but I’m still working on the finite details.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Meet up with all my friends – writers, family, those who keep me sane.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Apart from messaging my Facebook page I’m happy to answer emails – anna.king969@hotmail.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I’ve always wanted a pet elephant. And because I’ve recently lost 70% of my hearing having a house pet would help when visitors knock at the door.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Angela 🙂

Blurb

A gripping story of heartache and intrigue

A girl arrives in London to search for her brother.

Aalia, an awkward, arrogant teenager plans to bring William to his senses, until she discovers that both their lives are based on a lie.

Aalia must unravels a web of secrets but has the weight of her past to contend with.

Courageous and undisciplined, Aalia gradually comes to terms with the truth that William, her brother, has royal blood.

Deciding to undermine the men who want to use him as a pawn, Aalia must negotiate a world where secrecy arms the powerful. But unwilling to ask for anyone’s help she is forced into making a fateful decision.

Who can she trust when everyone around her is plotting? Is the truth really something worth dying for?

This epic story of secrets and betrayal paints a vivid picture of Elizabethan England and asks questions that span beyond the test of time.

Author bio

Angela King is a mum, daughter, gran and wife. She writes and lives in Cumbria, in a rosy sandstone cottage where past and present meet in glorious chaos. After a lifetime making stories come to life for other people she decided to make some of her own.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2RK4YEQ

Tour Schedule

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