K.D. Forsman: Exploring Leighton Park

First of all, apologies to all of my readers for the gap in posting over the last fortnight - there has been a number of family occasions this week including my dad's 65th birthday to dent a hole in my wallet and reading time!

For this week's post, I am joined by K.D. Forsman, the author of Fraud and Fabrication which was reviewed in my last post, to discuss her debut novel.

About The Author

KD Forsman

K.D. Forsman was born in the UK and emigrated to New Zealand at an early age. She works as a project manager by day but at night is an ebook author, freelance writer and blogger. Her blog was launched in 2008 which provided her main creative outlet before writing her debut novel, Fraud and Fabrication, the first in the Leighton Park series which is "centred around the wealthy and eccentric Leighton family, their successful horse racing empire and their closely guarded family secrets."

She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors, the New Zealand Book Council and Romance Writers of New Zealand bodies.

For those people who haven't read Fraud and Fabrication, what is the novel about?

Fraud and Fabrication

The backdrop for the novel is a thoroughbred racehorse stud and agistment facility in Canterbury, New Zealand. The novel takes a peak behind the veneer of success and wealth of the Leighton farmily, through the eyes of the secretary, Cassandra Fox. The story centres around a horse racing fraud, but also uncovers some family secrets along the way, with a dose of crazy thrown in for good measure.

What do you feel are the main themes within your novel?

The story has two key themes; all that glitters is not gold (or for that matter, legal); and a young woman's journey through a minefield of half truths and family drama with her eventual realisation that the what's happening around her is not normal, nor is it healthy.

Fraud & Fabrication is the first book in a series, which delves into the private lives of the women at Leighton Park Stud and told from their perspectives.

As well as writing your novel, you have also written a blog for a number of years. What made you want to make the transition into creative writing and is there anything from your blog which came in useful in writing Fraud and Fabrication?

Moving from blogging to writing seems like a natural transition. Recently my blog has focused on book reviews and from that I started to realise there was a creative side of me just itching to be let out. The most useful part of blogging which has helped my writing, is getting into a good daily habit of writing. The passing of my uncle last year through a terrible battle with lung & brain cancer was the catalyst to my writing journey. Life is so precious and fleeting and sometimes we just need to do the things we dream of doing, or run the risk of those dreams slipping through our fingers forever.

Which books have inspired you to become an author?

I don't know if I could name a single author! I read such an eclectic mix of stories; but I think that's the point, they are stories. Any writer who can write a good story, with a strong narrative, without overly complicating the plot (not to say I don't enjoy a good twist), will have me captured from the get-go. I tend to gravitate towards contemporary fiction, rather than historical and I like everything from sci-fi, romantic comedy, drama to mystery and suspense.

After a colleague mentioned that 'bodice rippers' are where the big money is made these days.... I've started reading a bit of erotica; for research purposes only of course!

The book is set in the world of horse racing. What are your experiences of this world which came in useful in writing the novel?

I have been a keen horsewoman for most of my life, riding competitively in both dressage and endurance (from one extreme to the other I know!). I also worked in the racing industry for about six years, which was a fascinating experience. It's a cut throat industry and behind the glamorous facade there's plenty of fodder to get the creative juices flowing.

Most authors tend to write either a wholly romantic novel or one which covers social issues. What attracted you into combining these two genres in your novel?

Nothing in particular, I worked with a book coach to outline the plot and the story is what it is.

However, I think it's more of a contemporary drama than a romance. There needed to be a certain level of romance to carry the plot along. The only problem with combining genres has been trying to put it into an Amazon category; it really has a foot in both camps, and equally could sit under a crime category.

The novel is also part of a series - how do you anticipate the series and Cassandra's story progressing from the conclusion of the novel?

Book two of the series 'The Muster' will be released later in 2015, focuses in on the stories of Cheree and Moana, two polar opposite characters whose lives are intertwined by circumstance. I anticipate there will be a third and (at this stage) final book, to bring the series to its conclusion. Cassandra's character will play a lessor role in 'The Muster', but she will reappear in the third book to mix things up a bit!

If you would like to know more about K.D. Forsman you can visit her blog or follow her on the social media networks below.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mybookreviewsnz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kdforsman

If you would like a copy of Fraud and Fabrication, then it is available on Amazon here and for US readers here.

Julia Suzuki: Delving into The Land Of Dragor

The Land of Dragor - Julia Suzuki

For this post, I am launching what I hope to be a major feature of my blog which is getting behind the author's work in author interviews. To kick things off, I have interviewed Julia Suzuki, the creator of the wonderful The Gift of Charms, which is the first in The Land of Dragor series.





About the Author

Julia Suzuki

Julia Suzuki grew up in Staffordshire, listening to the magical sounds of fair rides and  animals from a theme park across the stream at the bottom of her garden. Through working with a Disney licensing company and working with entrepreneur David Lloyd in an international resorts business, Julia visited many beautiful places, inspiring the setting for her literature. Her love of reading, of nature and of the outdoors fed her colourful imagination and inspired her to become an author

Hi Julia, First of all could you summarise for people who haven't read the novel or my review of it what The Gift Of Charms is about?

The Land of Dragor is a mystical and magical land, hidden from humans, where the world’s remaining dragons live in a human like way: they go to school, speak our language and share our emotions.

What inspired you to become a writer?

A love of fantasy and my interest in sharing positive messages through the literary art form and I write - as cliché as it sounds - because something innately drives me to want to help peoples' dreams come true. I believe there is power in fairytales; they infect your life and very being in a positive way, and the world needs more of that.

What attracted you in particular to writing a children's fantasy novel?

It is difficult to say, but the idea for this series came to me so powerfully, I felt compelled to make it a reality. When I write I often compare it to the feeling I imagine of being hidden safely under the depths of the ocean, that blankets any outside concerns and where your mind sees and explores things as magnificent as that place would be. I love that feeling and am happiest when creating.

One of your main influences in writing the novel was reading yourself growing up - which novels did you read and have been of particular inspiration to you?

I appreciate fantasy that is not overly complicated and still feels as though it could be real. The CS Lewis and Enid Blyton novels resonated particularly strongly with me.

What do you feel are the main themes within the novel?

The idea of persistence and camaraderie being key to overcoming challenge is the main theme of the book, as well as the reality that everyone has unique talents, and pursuing them leads to happiness within.

You previously worked in roles that involved lots of travel - did any of these places inspire you when you first imagined Dragor?

Yes indeed they did. I visited many awesome worldwide locations (most inspiring was Colorado in the US). In one way or another most of the places have influenced the setting of the Land of Dragor.

One of the things I have read on your web site is you want the story to have a "modern edge" and an "interactive web presence" - what will this involve in the future?

We have just released a unique interactive book trailer which can be seen here. The design team did such an amazing job (best viewed on PC or Mac with Chrome). We shall be doing more video promotion especially on Vine and Youtube.

The book is part of a series -  how long do you anticipate the series is going to go on for and where do you anticipate Yoshiko's adventures going in the future?

The series will go as far as the fans, publisher and I feel it should - who knows quite how far! But one thing is for sure Yoshiko will grow into an incredible dragon hero and do much good for the world.

If you would like to know more about Julia Suzuki, visit her website at http://www.juliasuzuki.com. You can also find Julia on Twitter: @JuliaSuzuki_uk.