Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Riding Hearts by Thomas Moffatt
Release Date: 27th November 2015
Publisher: Top Hat
Publisher: Top Hat
Genres: Historical Fiction
Brook Cottage Books is pleased to welcome Thomas Moffatt to the blog for the first time with a super author interview. Thanks to Thomas.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Do you write under your real name or is this
a pen name you use?
I use my real name. I include my middle
initial to distinguish me from an American academic who is also published
Where are you from?
I was born in Birkenhead in 1980 and lived
in a little nothing town on the Wirral by the name of Neston until 1989. My
family relocated to the Isle of Man that year as my parents both had Manx
links. My dad born on the IOM to two English parents and my mum born in England
to two Manx parents. My mother’s side of the family go back centuries, my
great-great grandfather was a lighthouse keeper on the Calf of Man, his family
as ‘Manx as the hills’ as the expression goes residing in the village of
Cregneash
Did you write as a child?
 |
| Eric Moffatt |
Absolutely. My father always liked to read
to my sister and me when we were children but also encouraged us to make up
stories. My inspiration to write came from my grandfather, Eric Moffatt, who
Riding Hearts is dedicated to. He wrote and told stories he created about a
Manx cat sleuth named Ben, as I got older and from about the age of 8 or 9 I
kept trying and trying to create something though was never able to follow
through with it.
What was the first thing you ever had
published?
Me, Love and Johnny King – A Tale of Love,
Tobacco and Tranmere Rovers (2013, Roundfire Books) – I follow Tranmere and
after watching the film Awaydays, an adaptation of the book by Kevin Samson,
which was a story of football hooligans in the 80’s I decided I would rather my
team was associated with a lover story than holliganism. It tells the tale of a
plumber from Rock Ferry in Birkenhead who meet the love of his life during a
Rovers game.
Do you have a writing routine?
I like to write out in long hand (pencil
and paper) first, I find it’s good for adding bits in. Second draft I treat as
the type up, leave a while then go back and find what needs adjusting. I’ll go
over five or six times until I feel it is the best I can get it. Then it’s take
a deep breath and make that submission.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Not many but I do like to write when darts
is on the TV, It’s a dramatic game that can inspire a few moments in the
creative flow. I also avoid using the word spelt B-A-S-I-C-A-L-L-Y as it is the
most meaningless and pointless word in the English language and is pretty much
a glorified way of saying ‘Erm…’. I like to try and make a reference to the
Isle of Man and have a passion for bumping off seagulls (revolting creatures).
Do you have a current work in progress?
Yes, there’s two – For The Love Of One, set
in the 1930’s it is about Michael Callaghan a small time author and conman who
flees an arranged marriage on a Transatlantic liner where he meets and falls in
love with beautiful South African heiress Astrid Castell. It was inspired by an
episode of Jeeves and Wooster and a beautiful South African girl named Astrid
who I fell in love with 4 and a half years ago but was never able to tell her
how I felt.
Beyond Herculaneum, set in 79AD it is about
Terronomus, a Briton from the Trinovantes tribe who found himself taken by the
Romans, becoming a gladiator then a slave before deciding to return to Albion
just before Vesuvius decides to erupt
Where did the idea for your book come from?
Riding Hearts? Three sources – the film
Plunkett and McLean, the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes and an episode of
The Worst Jobs in History with Tony Robinson which featured the position of the
much maligned riding officer.
Who was the first person you gave the book
to read?
A lady whose name I will not mention. She
runs a publishing house here on the rock and a bit too much history happened
between us.
Do you have any advice for budding authors?
Never ever rubbish your own work. Never say
your idea is rubbish or stupid. There is no such thing as a bad idea but
execution of the piece is crucial. Get yourself into a writing group and never
be afraid to ask for others work. That said, my friend Simon Harvey (please
look out for that name) is still waiting to read For The Love Of One.
About Riding Hearts
Riding Hearts is an historical romance set in
the fictional rotten borough of Upperbridge, Lincolnshire during the late 18th
century. It tells the tale of forbidden romance between a riding officer and
Anna, a local girl whose father is part of the smuggling community. Anna is
betrothed to the vile Hubert Lockwood, the head of the smugglers, but her life
takes a dramatic turn when she falls in love with Lockwood's arch enemy, the
Riding Officer, and he is framed for the murder of a politician. A tale of romance,
betrayal and revenge that will keep you hooked to the very last page.
About Thomas Moffatt
Thomas Moffatt is 35 years old and originally
from the Wirral. He has a degree in Business, and has lived on the Isle of Man
for the past 26 years. He is an avid supporter of Tranmere Rovers FC.
Author links – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorthomasmoffatt/
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