Featured Interview With Kathleen McGurl
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve always lived in the UK, although my husband is Irish. I currently live in a south coast town, with my husband and younger son. My older son is away at university. We’re really lucky to have a large house just a few minutes walk from one of Britain’s best beaches. In fact, the house in my novel The Pearl Locket is largely based on our house, with a bit of my neighbour’s house added in for good measure.
We have one gorgeous but elderly tabby cat called Mir, who likes to ‘help’ me with my writing by ensuring I am never alone.
I have a day job – working in computing for a large UK retail company. I work at home most days which means the commuting time can be writing time instead!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always an avid reader. My mum likes to boast of how I taught myself to read before starting school, though funnily enough I can’t quite remember doing that. I was one of those kids who read by torch light under the covers long after I was supposed to be asleep.
It was a long time before I got round to starting to write, although I always knew that eventually I would be a writer. About ten years ago I finally got round to sitting down and writing a story. I then spent several years writing stories for women’s magazines before trying my hand at novels. I’ve now had two novels published by Carina UK and another one self-published. These days I much prefer writing longer stuff!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love historical, timeslip and dual-timeline novels. Kate Morton and Katherine Webb are probably my favourite authors, though recently I’ve started reading Pamela Hartshorne’s wonderful Tudor timeslips.
My own books are dual-timeline and also have a genealogy angle. It’s a good idea to write the kind of book you’d most like to read, so because I’m obsessed with family-tree research, I usually add a strand of that in my novels too!
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Pearl Locket is a dual-timeline novel, based partly in 1944 and partly in the present day. When Ali and her family inherit a house, 17-year old Kelly starts to act strangely. It seems there’s a presence in the house, and Ali’s grandmother has been harbouring secrets all her life…
This book started life as a short story. It was quite a challenge to expand it to become a full novel by adding in the 1944 story, but I loved doing it!
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