Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

Jenny Kane: Coffee, cupcakes, chocolate and contemporary fiction / Jennifer Ash: Medieval crime with hints of Ellis Peters and Robin Hood

Tag: humour

BLOG CHAT: Jenny and Loreley talk “HALLOWEEN HOLLER”

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On October 23, 2017

In Blog, Books For Children, Fiction, Interview, Jenny Kane

Hello and welcome on this (still dark) morning, it’s Jenny here!

As the days are getting shorter and the nights longer- alongside  my working hours- I thought it was a good time to share some much needed caffeine with an equally worn out writer.

So, let me introduce you to Loreley Amiti- fellow writer and all round lovely person.

This morning Loreley and I have put our pens aside so we can chat in front of an open laptop. Let’s see what happens… Are you ready, Loreley?

Yes, definitely. As ready as I’ll ever be at this early hour. Hello everyone!

So, tell me, what are you up to at the moment?

That’s a good question, as there are so many things going on at once. I have two readings coming up on 26th and 27th October, which I’m really looking forward to.

Are these for your children’s books?

Yes, I’ll be reading my latest picture book “Halloween Holler”, which is about the grumpy cats of the North of Exeter who want to take over the feared dogs of the South. They’re planning on conjuring up a mighty cat army on the night of Halloween but unfortunately for them, the dogs have the same plan and things go terribly wrong.

When you say “terribly”…

No, no, it’s not that bad. It’s for small children, after all. Just really funny, because they’re all hilariously grumpy and in the end, they make friends when they least expect to do so.

What made you write this story?

I think it came up during endless hours on the bus with my small daughter. Most ideas for my children’s books have actually been born either on the bus or wherever we had a longer wait. We have to travel between the famous North and South a lot and at some point, I had to come up with some sort of entertainment. I love Exeter, but I’m in the process of getting a car now…

Does that mean you will stop writing children’s books then?

Hopefully not, but I will definitely take a break from it at some point soon to focus on my adult fiction. Children’s books are great and I love meeting my youngest readers, but as soon as I have covered every season with one book, it’s time to move on with my fiction books. So many ideas, so little time…

I know what you mean! Have you got a favourite book among the ones you have written?

I should be saying “all of them”, shouldn’t I… Of course, I love them all for very different reasons. I don’t have a favourite to be quite honest, but I love “Halloween Holler”, for example, because the leader of all the grumpy cats, Luke, was based on the character of our own cat. It’s just heart-warming to see my little daughter showing our cat the illustrations of Luke and telling him the story in her own words. She also told him off for always looking so extra grumpy in the book. She is not very impressed with me though, because Luke lives with a boy called Ben, which is clearly wrong. – Silly Mummy!

That’s brilliant! So where can we find you and your new book?

Well, it’s obviously on Amazon and can be bought or ordered in bookshops. But I hope to get to see many of my local readers on 26th October at the Exeter Halloween Fun Run and on 27th October at Exeter Library, of course.

Thank you, Loreley! I hope you’ll get a full house.

Thanks for having me, Jenny! Loved our caffeine chat!

You are very welcome. Come by again soon!

You can find information about Loreley and her events here-

My First Time: Patrick Whitehurst

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On April 27, 2016

In Blog, crime, Fiction, Interview

Today I am joined by a good friend from the other side of ‘The Pond’. Patrick Whitehurst is a multi-talented, multi-genre author. He first came to my attention with his erotic writing, but is now best known for his fabulous ‘Barker Mystery’ crime fiction. So, how did it all begin?

Over to you Patrick…

First Time

Can you remember writing the first story you actually wanted to write, rather than those you were forced to write at school? What was it about?

The first story I wrote that I actually wanted to write was a short story about a man in a cabin who fought off a werewolf attack. The story was likely influenced by my love for Stephen King. I was 16 at the time.

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What was your first official publication?

My first published story was a non-fiction humour piece about Valentine’s Day that appeared in the Arizona Daily Sun, a daily newspaper out of Flagstaff, Arizona.

What affect did that have on your life?

From that point on, my short non-fiction and even art began to appear more and more in northern Arizona publications, which led to college and a degree in journalism.

Does your first published story  reflect your current writing style?

Not at all! Back then I tried to sounds smarter and write with my humour than I do these days. For me, the simpler the style the better and the more accidental the humour the better.

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What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently editing “Mantula,” the story of a man born into the body of a tarantula. He teams up with a quail, himself a former meth addict, to find a cure for their affliction. With Catholic saints, curses, an evil centipede, and more; it’s the weirdest novella I’ve ever produced. Portions of the story are told in the form of faux news stories, memes and comic books. Mantula should be available on Amazon in March.

Patrick-trinip

BIO:
Patrick Whitehurst is a fiction and non-fiction author who’s written for a number of northern Arizona newspapers over the years, covering everything from murders to Rotary luncheons. In his spare time he enjoys painting, blogging, the open water, and reading everything he can get his hands on. Whitehurst is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and currently lives along the central coast of California.
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Amazon Patrick Whitehurst page link:
Author website:
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Many thanks Patrick.
Happy reading,
Jenny x

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