Chris
Curran has written two psychological crime novels for Harper Collins Killer
Reads. She left school at sixteen to work in the local library – her dream job
then and now – and spent an idyllic few months reading her way around the
shelves before reluctantly returning to full- time education. She lives with
her husband in Hastings on the south coast of England and is very happy that
the town still has a wonderful library, which she visits as often as she can.
Ten Things
You Didn’t Know About Chris Curran
I suspect there
will more than ten things you don’t know about me, so I thought I’d start right
at the beginning.
Some
crime writers choose gender neutral names to appeal to a wide range of readers,
but I insisted on being called Chris instead of Christine from when I was very
young. Already a voracious reader I realised most storybook heroes were boys so
I wanted to be a boy. Thankfully both I and the book world have changed since
then, but I’ve stuck with Chris.
My
parents were not at all well-off so I never had a bike and I was in my twenties
the first time I rode one. A friend suggested a biking holiday and it was only
when I attempted to ride back from the hire shop that I was forced to confess.
I returned from the holiday covered in bruises, but very proud of myself.
I trained
as a primary school teacher, but soon afterwards I joined a Theatre in
Education company. We travelled around the country in a rackety van performing
in schools, erecting our own scenery, writing scripts and playing multiple
parts in each production.
Later
I was with a community theatre group in rural Gloucestershire. We acted in village
halls, in tents or outdoors. In more than one venue we had to chase sheep off
the stage before we could start the play. Amongst other things I learned to
breath fire, to juggle and to dance as the back end of a horse – a surprisingly
difficult skill.
I’ve
always been a massive Star Trek fan. My son is also keen, but when I bought him
a toy communicator and a phaser one Christmas I definitely played with them
more than he did.
I
write standing up like Dickens and Hemingway. I like to act out my characters’
movements. My best ideas tend to come when I’m doing the ironing or washing up.
Chris' ironing board? |
When
I wrote for women’s magazines I specialised in twist in the tail short stories.
They were often about cheating husbands, which is strange as I’ve been happily
married to one man for years.
* * * *
Chris' latest novel Her Turn To Cry is now available in paperback as well as an ebook.
Twelve years ago Joycie Todd’s mother abandoned her. But what if she never really left? A tautly written psychological suspense novel, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Alex Lake.
London, 1965. Top model Joycie Todd lives a glittering life with photographer Marcus Blake. But her childhood tells a different story…
When she was eleven, Joycie’s mother disappeared. Run away with another man, so everyone says. But Joycie can’t forget the thumps she heard in the night, or the bloodstained rug hidden under the bed. A rug that was gone the next day.
Twelve years later, Joycie has left her past behind. But when an old friend dies, Joycie is left a letter beseeching her to find out the truth. Unable to keep the door locked any longer, Joycie sets out to discover why her mother left her – if she ever really did.
As she travels to the shabby seaside towns of her childhood, Joycie soon finds that it’s not just her mother who vanished all those years ago. Joycie knows the disappearances are connected, she just doesn’t know how. But there’s someone out there who does – and they will do anything to keep it buried.
* * * *
Mindsight |
Now, released from prison, all she wants is to be reconciled with her remaining son, 13-year-old Tommy. To help him come to terms with her crime, and his own survivor guilt, Clare tries to find out the full truth of what happened on that fateful night.
Probing into the past, however, turns out to be dangerous exercise, threatening not only Clare’s sanity, but ultimately her life…
If you'd like to find out more about Chris you can find her by using the links below:
Website
I'd like to say a big thank you to Chris for taking time out of her busy schedule to write a guest post and for stopping by today, it's been a pleasure finding out more about her and her books.
They sound really good! Off to add to list!
ReplyDeleteYay! That's what I like to hear Theresa. The whole idea of this feature is to get these lovely authors some new readers and you're the proof that it's working! Thank you 😉 x x
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