Featured Interview With Jamie Sinclair
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Originally I’m a Yorkshire boy (as of 1976 when I was born) but have lived in Lancashire in the north west of England since I was four. Specifically my parents moved to Morecambe, the seaside, and to this day I still love looking at the sea. Morecambe tends to be the setting for my books. My family are dog lovers. My wife and I had an English Pointer called Ralph. He’s sadly no longer with us but we have recently started looking at rescue dogs in the hope of sharing our home with an older dog who is looking for somewhere to retire!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The greatest thing my mother has done for me (and my brothers) is teach us to read. When I went to primary school aged four I could already read and write. I have devoured books ever since. The idea that an entire world, a set of characters, can be crafted from the imagination of someone else using words is endlessly exciting to me because, while you hold the book, you can become part of that world. I started writing stories when I was six or seven. I used to read them to my grandmother. I still write, but the stories are a little longer now.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Stephen King!! So much more than a horror writer. He’s a storyteller. At his best, he creates places that feel completely real. I think his real skill is making life in his books seem so normal and then, all of a sudden, it’s not. I also love Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels and more recently have started to whizz through the books of M.W. Craven. So, mostly detective fiction as a genre, aside from Stephen King. As for inspiration, I see stories everywhere. A comment in a shop, cafe or bar. Something on the news. Then I wonder, how did that person end up in that situation, what happened afterwards?
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I Remember You was going to be called The Ferry Pilot’s Daughter. But people kept asking what a Ferry Pilot was. Pity, I loved that title. It’s set in the village where my wife and I used to live and is about a young girl who is basically a prisoner in her own home. Dad is always away with work, delivering planes (Ferry Pilot!!) and Mum can’t cope so young Victoria remains locked in her bedroom. Suddenly, Mum has had enough and leaves. The only person left in Victoria’s life is their cleaner, Mrs Hendrick’s.
Try to imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have friends. If you had never been to school. If you’d never been around people. That’s Victoria’s life and it overwhelms her. She makes some poor choices as she scrabbles to come to terms with all the changes and she ends up in some trouble.
Eventually, as she grows, she decides to reinvent herself in an effort to leave her past behind. So Alex is born. She meets the man of her dreams and gets married. It all seems perfect. Until somebody recognises her and remembers who she really is. Then things get really interesting!
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Jamie Sinclair’s Website