Author Interview

World of Writing - Author Interview

Welcome to another World of Writing Interview ! Rita Lee Chapman lives in Queensland, Australia with her husband and has published six crime mysteries and one horse book. She invites our readers to visit:

 RitaLeeChapman.com and her Author Central page on amazon too. 

Rita tells us that when she is not reading or writing she enjoys playing tennis, swimming, walking the beach and entertaining friends. Join us today as we learn more about her experiences as a writer.

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A: I wanted to be a show-jumper!  Being born in London into a non-horsey family it wasn’t a very realistic ambition.  I did manage to persuade my parents to give me riding lessons for Christmas and birthday presents at a lovely riding school on what was then the outskirts of London. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to jump.  By the time I moved to Australia, where horses were bountiful and much cheaper to keep, my time had passed.

Q: What makes you write in the mystery and equine genres?

A: I write mainly mysteries, with elements of travel and romance.  I have a four-part series, The Anna Davies Mystery Series, which includes: Missing in Egypt, Missing at Sea, Missing in England and Missing in France.  Many of the places mentioned in my books I have visited and it was a holiday in Egypt which inspired my first book.  Such a mystical country!  I have one horse book, Winston – A Horse’s Tale, reflecting my life-long love of horses.

Q: Wow, that's very cool. So when writing the mystery series - how did you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also for yourself?

A: The books in my series are stand-alone so I think that helps.  It means I can go off at any tangent!  I make minor references to the previous books, but they are incidental to the story.  Basing each of them in a different country also gives me plenty of scope. 

I love to travel, but I tend to write after the event.  In other words, I don’t go to countries to research my stories, but rather use the impressions and experiences I have gained in my writing.  For places I have not visited, I use Dr Google and enjoy learning about countries I may never get to see for myself.

Q: Did you find it more challenging to write the first book in your series, or the subsequent novels?

A: The first book, most definitely.  I wasn’t sure if I could write a book.  Could I finish it and get the story out?  It was a relief to find out that I could.  Then came the editing, formatting, cover, blurb and, possibly worst of all, marketing!  

Q: haha - Yes, marketing is often dreaded by authors, it certainly requires a lot of work. Rita I'm curious about the character development in the fiction books you have written so far. Do you insert your own characteristics in your writing? 

A: I think sometimes you do insert your own characteristics into some of the characters, whether consciously or not.  Some people think I am Anna, but actually she isn’t based on me at all.  Her perseverance is one of my traits -how else can you become a writer?

Q: What are your favorite publicity activities?

A: Anything I can do from my computer home!  I love talking to people one-on-one but I can’t speak to a group, so I only tried a library talk once!  I have a website, www.ritaleechapman.com, where I interview a different author each week and I have met some amazing people through this.  Guests posts include writers and poets who share their writing, their lifestyles and their tips.

Q: That is really cool. I think it is super important for writers to support one another in this way. Most writers are also avid readers... Who are your favorite authors/poets?

A: I have so many authors whom I love.  Here are a few.

Belinda Alexandra

Bryce Courtenay

Colleen McCullough

Dick Francis

Dinah Jefferies

Fiona McIntosh

J.H. Fletcher

Kate Morton

Kimberley Freeman

Natasha Lester

Nicole Alexander

Rebecca Bryn

Sarah Stuart

Victoria Purman

Wilbur Smith

Q: Dick Francis... I haven't heard that name in a while but I grew up reading his books and remain a fan of his work. His and Agatha's. I found it intriguing that you liked his crime solving mysteries within equine settings, totally makes sense being you write in the genres you do lol. When starting a book project do you choose the title first, or does that come later?

A: That varies from book to book. Obviously with the series, it is going to start with Missing and then I choose my country.  The Poinciana Tree was written after I decided a photo of one of these beautiful trees, which grow where I live, would make a wonderful cover.  Next came the title and then I started on the story.  Winston started life as Monty, but I decided part-way through that Winston was a more fitting name for him.  Dangerous Associations only acquired its name when I was well into the story.

Q: What has been the best compliment you received as a writer?

A: I am particularly fond of this one, relating to The Poinciana Tree:

“Beautifully written with a clever plot which you would never anticipate. A pleasure to read a book where you can't guess the ending.”

Every writer likes to keep the reader guessing!

And for Winston:

“I am a lifelong horsewoman and the author hits every single note to perfection.”

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