Featured Interview With B.A. Summer
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, this is B.A. Summer (pen name) I write fiction under my pen name and non-fiction under my real name Jane Peyton. I am British, born in Skipton, North Yorkshire, former long-time resident in Los Angeles and London, and now based in Brighton on the south coast of England which is a creative, sociable, and individual city with a reputation for fun. It makes me smile and is endlessly entertaining!
I love dogs but cannot have a pet where I live so instead I have dog envy as I gaze at the gorgeous dogs being walked by their owners as I’m out and about. I also follow lots of dog social media sites. AND I included my perfect dog as a character in my novel ‘Sole Brethren: If The Shoe Fits’.
I am the author of ten published books with another one to be released in June 2023 (titled ‘The Philosophy of Cocktails’ – it is a brief history). My non-fiction books are on the subjects of architecture, interior design, and alcoholic drinks. I split my time between writing fiction, non-fiction books about alcohol and running the School of Booze, an events, education and drinks consultancy I founded in 2008.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I could read I was never without a book in my hand. As a child I spent hours either up a tree with a novel, or laying behind the sofa turning the pages of the latest gripping story I was reading. I still have one of my English composition books from age 8 and the teacher’s comments said things like ‘Imaginative story’.
As an adult in my 20s I used to write stories for my friends about our social lives. Then in my 30s I started pitching non-fiction books ideas to publishers and eventually in 2002 my first book was published. Having had the idea in my head for so many years I felt quite overwhelmed to be holding a physical version in my hand. It was a wonderful feeling.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favourite authors include Oscar Wilde, E.F. Benson, Angela Carter, Armistead Maupin, Jane Austen, Jeanette Winterson, Isabel Allende. I enjoy witty writing, books with a pacy plot, with loveable characters who I would like to be friends with in real life, books that have a strong sense of place.
I’m keen on magical realism as a genre. I like to escape when I read.
I am particularly inspired by Armistead Maupin for the loveable characters in his Tales of the City series, the inventive storylines, and the sense of place he invokes. E.F. Benson is another favourite because in his Mapp & Lucia series, he makes the tiny fictitious town of Tilling appear as the most glittering and exciting town, with his tongue firmly in cheek.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Sole Brethren: If The Shoe Fits’ mixes magic, footwear and all things fabulous as it tells the story of Cordelia Tanner and her glittering life with charming twin brother Rex, and enigmatic best friend Dr Elodie l’Archambeau, which is threatened by the unintended consequences of an invention that she thought was a very good idea at the time – 3D wearable hologram shoes. Fortunately for Cordelia she can periodically escape the problems she has inadvertently caused through her mind-blowing psychic ability that permits her to enter historic realms and visit, amongst others, the charming Lancelot, 18th century superstar Master of Ceremonies to High Society.
I describe Sole Brethren as a magical realism romp. It is very funny and so far, reader’s reviews have been fantastic. Judging by their comments, Sole Brethren has brought them joy, delight, and laughter. They like the main characters too which I am so pleased about because if I do not enjoy the characters I won’t read a book so it was essential when writing my own characters that they should be irresistible.
I had the idea for Sole Brethren in 2010 and thought about it over the years but never had time to write it because I was writing non-fiction books and also building my own events, education and consultancy business. Like many other writers, the Covid 19 pandemic gave me chance to start it and I enjoyed disappearing into the fictitious world I had created so I concentrated on completing the story while the world was locked down. It took 18 months of writing from start to the final draft.
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