INTERVIEW - ANGELA MARSONS

Angela Marsons Kim Stone regénysorozatának első kötete 2015-ben jelent meg, magyarul Elfojtott sikoly címmel. A sorozat azóta is hatalmas népszerűségnek örvend hazánkban és külföldön egyaránt. Gondoltam egy merészet, és elküldtem az írónőnek kérdéseimet. Alig telt el egy hét, máris megérkeztek a válaszok egy köszönő-levél kíséretében ;)

Olvassátok sok szeretettel az interjút, melyet eredeti nyelven közlök most, tehát az angol nyelv ismerői előnyben vannak :)

After reading it, I had a hard time believing that Silent Scream is your very first novel. It just seemed so put together, it spoke of a high degree of expertise on your part. Have you tried your hand at writing before?

I have been writing for many years. I have always enjoyed reading crime but never thought I would be able to write it. Prior to the crime books I wrote character driven stories that focussed on difficult or unlikely friendships or family dynamics.  The books were always rejected but I like to think that I learned something from every book. Nothing is wasted.

What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I used to pass a children’s home when I was at school and always found myself wondering about the occupants.  There was a mystery that surrounded the building and the perception was that the children there had done something wrong but I didn’t agree with that and it made me curious about their individual circumstances.

Detective Kim Stone is such a strong, loveable, if a bit sarcastic woman. Did you have someone specific in mind while creating her character?

She is not based on anyone in particular but her voice had been growing in my head for many years.  I could tell that she was not the most likeable character and so tried to ignore her for a very long time. When I started Silent Scream it was a book I was writing just for me and so I decided to finally give her a voice.

Have you ever imagined that your book is going to be such a huge success?

Not in a million years.  Silent Scream was the first crime novel I tried and I fully expected to reach 10,000 words and to hit a wall but it was this point that the book really started to form in my mind and my pencil would not stop.  I was getting up to write for a few hours before work and then right back to it once I got home.  The response to it has been something I could never even have dared to dream.

How many books are going to be in the series?

I am currently under contract to write 8 Kim Stone books but I will keep on writing them as long as people want to read them.  I have a dedicated ‘Kim Ideas’ book and every time a thought comes to me I scribble it down for use at a later date.

In the future, would you like to explore other literary genres as well, or do you prefer to stick with mystery and thriller?

I think that crime and thriller is where my heart lies but my other novels have been written because there was a particular subject that I wanted to explore so I wouldn’t rule out another character driven story in the future.

Do you have any plans on paying a visit to the International Book Fair being held in Budapest?

Unfortunately I am not able to attend. My commitments at home prevent me travelling too much but I do enjoy connecting with all my fabulous readers through social media.

Besides writing, reading can also become a passion. What do you like to do more: reading or writing?

It has to be writing. I love to read and immerse myself in the fictional world created by someone else but when I am writing I am transported to another world and even the house exploding would not disturb me.

Which genre is the closest to your heart?

Definitely crime and thriller.  I love trying to uncover the clues and trying to guess who did it.

Are there any authors in particular whose work greatly influenced you?

I love authors who have a gift for creating characters that are a little bit off or strange.  My two favourite characters of all time are Tony Hill from the Val McDermid books and Kathy Mallory from Carol O Connell.