INTERVIEWED.

 My thanks to Aspen for not only naming Pen and Paper as one of her favourite book blogs but for asking to interview me for a school project.

A: Have you always loved books?

T: In a word, yes. Rumoured to have been born with a paperback clutched in my fist. Some of my earliest memories are of books being read to me.

A: What makes a good/bad book?

T: I don't (or at least I hope I don't) claim to know what makes a good/bad book. People like what they like. What I do know though is what I like/dislike in a book.

A: OK. So name two things you like and two things you don't like in a book.

T: Hmm. I like 'good' characters. In many ways they are even more important to me than an outstanding plot and definitely more so than world building. And, and I'm hoping this makes sense, even if I know something doesn't exist I have to believe it does if only for the length of that story.

As for dislike? I guess gratuitous violence closely followed by too much sex/swearing are the things guaranteed to put me off a book.

A: They say you should never judge a book by its cover, do/have you?

T: I'd really like to say no of course not but the truth is I have picked books up/passed them by simply by glancing at their covers. And certain covers - IE those featuring topless men or leather clad, gun toting women are certain to put me right off.

A: What is your favourite type of book(s) and what author(s) would you recommend?

T: Ooh! Overall I have a fondness for historical fiction that is rooted in fact as I have a great admiration for the amounts of research that goes into them. My favourite authors of this genre being Philippa Gregory and C.J. Sansom.

I also enjoy crime fiction ... if it isn't too violent. I love Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series as they combine crime with Peter's journey after he finds out he is in fact Jewish and then there's the forensic science of Kathy Reichs' books which I find totally fascinating.

A: I've noticed you feature lots of 'up-and-coming/self published' authors on your blog, why?

T: Why not?

I admire anyone who has a story in them and has the courage to put themselves out there and if my blog is a platform to getting their work that bit better known than that's all to the good.

A: If you could have any author past or present do a piece for Pen and Paper who would it be?

T: Ooh grief, that's a toughie.

Hmm, I've said this before. I'd really, really like to have tea with Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, as I'd love to know what he thinks of modern vampires such as Edward Cullen of the Twilight books. 

A: I'm a fourteen (almost fifteen) year old into the supernatural, which ONE book would you recommend I try?

T: Now there's a question?

I'm going to have to cheat a bit here and recommend a series. Laura's Bickle's The Hallowed One's followed by its sequel The Outside. Both good vampire stories BUT with an Amish twist which is a community I'm fascinated by. I love that the books deal with so many different themes such as relationships, religion vs science and, most of all, faith.