Wednesday 9 December 2015

Riding Hearts by Thomas Moffatt

Release Date: 27th November 2015
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.







http://www.amazon.co.uk/Riding-Hearts-Thomas-Moffatt/dp/1782797440 http://www.amazon.com/Riding-Hearts-Thomas-Moffatt-ebook/dp/B016NESLN4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1449640897&sr=8-6&keywords=riding+hearts 





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