Karen Hamilton-Viall Author Bio:
I started writing stories at 7 years old and began my first novel at 19, but it wasn’t until the first lockdown that I had the idea for a crime solving psychic who could use her abilities to aid her in her investigations. I wrote the book within a few months, before passing it to friends to beta read for me. In my day job, I teach history to kids in fun, hands-on workshops. My passions for ghosts and for history have been combined in my book, The Curious Life of Ada Baker.
Dennis the poltergeist in my novel was inspired by a real poltergeist that I experienced in an Edwardian flat when I was 19. Twenty-five years later, I still think about him almost every day. I followed an unusual route to publication. At the end of my interview with psychic Mike Baker, he suggested I should approach a publisher in Cambridge with a K or C name. I thought why not give it a try, and that’s how I found Cranthorpe Millner.
What inspires you to write?
It’s something I’ve always done, a deep urge to be creative and escape the humdrum of everyday life. Reading is fantastic and you can escape into someone else’s world, but when you write, you can escape into a world of your own creation. Within your world you act like God to those characters, deciding their character quirks, who lives and who dies. It’s a cathartic thing to do and it helped me through the lockdowns.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m somewhere in the middle. I do write a basic plot outline, with one or two paragraphs but I also think that some of my best ideas come spontaneously. Several of the ideas in my book were created that way. I wrote my novel on my iPad, using a ropey bluetooth keyboard. You don’t need fancy equipment to write I think. I do use ProWritingAid for checking grammar and spelling but it’s no substitute for a good copy editor and proofreader.
I pick my character names from odd places, D.I. Matlock’s name came from a vintage marmalade jar that sits on my desk, holding all my pens. It’s the name of a town in Derbyshire. Inspiration can strike from the strangest places.
My interest in writing about ghosts came from several experiences in my life, a poltergeist in my flat and a stay at Michelham Priory in Sussex, as well as other experiences.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
A great question. No, not directly. I do try to think, is that something Ada would do? How would a ghost get around that problem? I mostly listen to atmospheric sounds as I write. If my character is in a spooky woods, I’ll play nighttime woodland sounds to get me in the right frame of mind. That sort of thing.
Who are your favorite authors?
I read a lot of factual books, particularly history, but spiritual books too. I have a strange fascination for books set in the British countryside and I have a little blog about it. Adrian Bell is my absolute favourite author but I adore Alison Uttley’s books too. I read a lot of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman when I was younger. I found Christopher Fowler inspiring, as the horrors in his stories could be the ordinary things you see around you every day. It’s been suggested that my writing is a mixture of cosy and dark. I guess you can see where this has come from when you look at my reading list!
What genres do you write?
Murder mystery, paranormal, cosy mystery
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
I’ve always been interested in crime, particularly murders. I spent my youth watching Agatha Christie murder mysteries, Columbo and Murder She Wrote. I’m interested in watching modern factual crime solving shows these days. I once applied to work for the NCIS but didn’t get in. I’ve always been interested in ghosts but I didn’t think they were real till I was 19. My writing is a combination of the two. I suppose you could call it a dark cosy mystery. Some reviewers who liked dark academia liked my book, although it doesn’t fall into that genre, they thought it had a similar feel.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
I write in so many different places but one of the desks I write at is also my craft desk. It has a marmalade jar of quill pens, as I’m a calligrapher. A strange carved wooden sphinx and a vintage desk calendar that my brother gave me.
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
I love walking and playing German style board games with my husband. I’m an intermittent gardener. I go through phases where I garden a lot. I love to bake. If I need cheering up, I watch a Jane Austen movie, Persuasion is my absolute favourite.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
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All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
