I'm delighted to be hanging out with author S.L. Grigg today as part of her six month anniversary blog tour for her book Coffee Break Companion. So what better place to start than to tell you all about the book.
Grab
that cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer), maybe add a splash of something
stronger, settle down and enjoy your break with this gripping collection of
flash fiction and poetry that will send shivers down your spine. With an added
bonus of a longer story at the end that will fill your lunch break. What are
you waiting for? Dive in! Everything from a discovery in an Ice Cavern, to a
tornado. Mermaids, and Dragons. Mystery and Horror. This collection of flash
fiction and poetry has something to capture anyone’s imagination, with a final
chilling thriller that will leave you gasping for air.
I don't know about you lovely readers, but I think short stories are perfect for when you don't have too much time to read but you need to satisfy your need to read, so this is definitely a book that I need to check out.
Now that you know a little more about the book, allow me to introduce you to the author, S.L. Grigg.
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| Photo courtesy of S.L.Grigg |
This is the first published book by
S.L. Grigg having previously written a popular blog on mental health, and
having articles published by Mind, the mental health charity, and NHS England.
Working for NHS England from a home in Bromsgrove, England, S.L Grigg lives
with a partner and two adult children. S.L Grigg has studied everything from
Science and Law, to Journalism and Pilates but writing has always been the
greatest passion in S.L.Grigg’s life.
* * * *
Welcome to The Hippo and belated congratulations on the publication of your book Coffee Break Companion which will be on my TBR very shortly!
What other authors are you friends with and how do
they help you become a better writer?
I’ve
made so many author friends through the Fiction Café on Facebook, from Kiltie
Jackson to Isabella May, Louise Jenson, Caroline England and so many more
lovely authors. They inspire me, which makes me a better writer. Everyone is so
supportive of each other. Reading their books and following their journeys,
connecting with editors and bloggers, there is just so much help out there once
you start making connections and the advice helps anyone who connects with them
become a better writer.
I couldn't agree more, the book community is wonderfully supportive and I love being a part of it too.
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing
etc come from?
My
mom tells me I loved reading from the age of two, I would read anything, by the
time I was eight I was reading books like The Hobbit and writing stories and
poems. I think I was born to love words, not just in the written form but I was
the same with music and anything else with words, at two I would also sing
along with every advert on the TV and knew the words to them all.
What did you edit out of your last book?
There
was a short story called Peanut that had come about from a writing exercise
with a postcard picture as a prompt, it wasn’t great anyway but without the
picture it just wasn’t good enough to go in with the other stories, so I took
it out and wrote another story to replace it Lizard, which proved popular so that
was a good move.
You get a brilliant idea/thought/phrase at an
inappropriate moment (eg in the shower or driving) what do you do?
Been
there, so many times. If I am driving if I can I will pull over and write down
the idea, if not I will keep repeating it aloud to myself until I can. I did
this recently on the way to work then spent the first hour there writing the
story that had come to me because of a bus that was in front of me for part of
the journey. Similar thing in the shower, if I’ve taken a notebook into the
bathroom (which I do sometimes) or it’s near by I’ll hop out and scribble the
idea down, if not I’ll recite it until I can get to my notepad.
If a genie granted you three wishes what would they
be?
I
would say World Peace, but that’s cheesy, although realistically I would be
most likely to give away my three wishes on things for others, so I’m going to
try and answer being a bit more selfish and choosing things I want…
1
- A small building, shop come community
centre with a studio where I can teach Pilates classes, classrooms for art,
craft and creative writing classes, a library come bookshop, and a café serving
hot, cold and alcoholic drinks, light meals and cake, plenty of cake, plus an
entertainment room where I can hold readings, comedy, and other events such as
my partners band and other bands giving intimate gigs to small crowds. So,
actually the building wouldn’t be that small to fit all this in…
2
- To have my own home with no ongoing costs, that could never be taken
away, that I can leave to my kids so
they will always have a roof over their heads because I worry what would happen
to them in the future if I wasn’t around with their disabilities, having a
house that can never be taken from them would be the greatest wish come true
for me.
3
- A world cruise, or several cruise holidays every year for the rest of my
life, so I can visit all the places I want to see (typically cold places, not
hot places) like Iceland, Alaska, and Antarctica.
What do you think is more important: characters or
plot?
I
think both are as important as each other, a good, strong character is nothing
without an interesting plot and an epic plot with dull, bland characters is just
wasted. You really can’t have one without the other, even in short stories
where there is little room for character and plot development you still need to
capture your reader with both.
What is your guilty pleasure?
A
simple one, chocolate, I eat far too much of it. Especially minty chocolates
like After Eights, Mint Matchmakers and my latest discovery the new mint
Lindor…
Describe yourself in five words.
Kind,
friendly, supportive, helpful, reliable
You can find out more about S.L. Grigg, her book and connect with her using the links below:
Website
Amazon
You can follow the rest of the anniversary blog tour with these fantastic blogs:
I'd like to thank S.L. Grigg for taking the time to stop by and chat with me today and to wish her every success with her book.
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