I’m pleased to be hosting author Elly Redding on this week’s Tuesday Talk. I’ve posed a few questions and am showcasing her novel In Too Deep
HI Elly many thanks for joining me. First of all can you tell us a bit about yourself
I was born just a stone’s throw away from Hampton Court Palace, to a resounding chorus of fireworks. Nothing quite like entering this world with a bang, although it might have had something to do with the fact it was Guy Fawkes Night too! We moved away when I was four, only returning for a couple of years so I could train as a nurse, but I’m a great fan of London and I’ve used it as one of the two settings in both my books. My other choice of location for ‘In Too Deep’ was Devon, where I love nothing better than to watch the waves – although preferably at a safe distance, as I’ve never quite mastered the art of swimming. In fact, I almost managed to drown in the shallow end of a pool last year, which I’m told is quite a feat, even for me.
How did you become an author?
I’ve always lived with a dream or two bubbling away in my head, whether it was making up plays with school friends, or reinventing my life while walking the dog. It was only after I’d had my first baby that I started jotting them down, while breastfeeding my daughter, who was a very slow feeder. My first attempt was a children’s book, but then I seized on the idea of a screenplay for adults, and was thrilled to get an agent for this, but – sadly – the script was never taken up. It was a few years later, while I watched the children play tennis, that I started my first second chance romance novel, and I’ve not looked back since.
How do you spend your chill out moments?
As my family will tell you, ‘chilling’ is not one of my fortes. However, apart from seeing friends and family (I’m getting to be a whizz at Zoom), I find gardening wonderfully relaxing. Whether it’s digging up weeds, or arranging my new plants, it gives me a chance to switch off and wallow in nature. Although nature has recently decided it’s time to bite back, in this instance in the guise of two young foxes who, when they’re not looking cute, seem to have a penchant for digging up my plants and helping themselves to my runner beans. So, possibly, not quite so cute after all!
Who are your favourite authors?
This is always a difficult question as I’ve enjoyed so many books over the years, and keep adding new authors to that list in my mind. When I was a teenager, I would devour anything by Dorothy Eden, Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. I was brought up on the classics, too, and loved Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen and Margaret Mitchell’s ‘Gone With The Wind’. In more recent times, I’ve enjoyed the brilliant characters in Rachel Joyce’s books, as well as psychological thrillers and detective stories too; thank you, Michael Robotham, Lindsey Davis and Sandra Brown for sharing your worlds with me.
Is there any other genre you would be interested in writing?
That’s an interesting question, as I do seem to be going on a little journey of my own, as far as genres are concerned. ‘In Too Deep’ differs from my first novel, ‘True Colours’, in that there’s a touch of mystery and darkness too, as Isy takes on the role of detective to discover the secret of Jack’s long-lost past. I also touch on a few social issues, and I’m hoping to continue writing about these and how we are all affected by our experiences in the book I’m currently writing. All will be second chance romances at their heart, as I love these, but I would be interested in taking on a cosy crime story, perhaps, in the future. With oodles of romance, of course, but may be with the odd dead body too?
And a fun question. Which historical character would you like to go back in time and meet and why?
History is full of inspiring characters who have tried to make the world a better place, and those who definitely haven’t. In a time where there seems to be so much unkindness and division bubbling away within society, I’d like to meet a woman who rose above it, and did not discriminate when it came to helping others: Edith Cavell. None of us know, precisely, how we would have reacted, had we found ourselves in her situation, a nurse in German occupied Belgium, but I’m in awe of everything she did. Edith Cavell not only helped others, knowing the penalty for doing so was death, but she made no distinction in whom she helped, coming to the aid of those on both sides of the First World War. I’d love to talk to her about her beliefs, her outlook and her compassion. She may not have changed the world, but she did alter the world for those she helped, and that’s a very moving tribute to a very brave woman.
IN TOO DEEP
One Little Lie. A Guilty Secret. And The Man She Mustn’t Love…
It’s been six years since Isy Forrester left home. In that time, she’s strived to forge a new life for herself in London, away from Jack Mancini, her father’s adopted son, and his devastating betrayal of everything she thought they had.
Only now her father’s in hospital, and the house that’s been in her family for generations is at risk. Forced to return to Devon, she finds Jack as infuriating and stubborn as ever, and just as irresistible. Soon she realises the bright lights of London can’t hold a candle to him.
But Jack has a past, one which he refuses to share with her. And until he can trust her with these deepest secrets, how can she risk her heart? How can she even begin to help him, when he won’t tell her what happened all those years ago – before her father brought him home to Hambledon Hall?
Set in the rolling countryside of Devon, ‘In Too Deep’ is the emotional story of a woman’s determination to win the trust of the man she’s adored since they were thrown together as children, by forcing him to confront the darkness of his long-lost past.
BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/3hfyiM9
Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/3aM8kgQ
ABOUT ELLY REDDING
Elly Redding is an award-winning romance writer. Having originally written screenplays, her latest novel, ‘In Too Deep’ has recently been awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion, together with a Chill with a Book Readers’ Award and voted Cover of the Month. Her first novel, ‘True Colours’, won the Festival of Romance’s New Talent Award, and third prize in the Independent Author Book Award “Words for the Wounded” too.
Born in London, she now divides her time, with her husband, between Bedfordshire and Devon, where she loves art, dancing and watching the waves.
Elly is a member of the Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors, and would love to hear from you.
ELLY’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Website: www.ellyredding.com
Twitter: @ellyredding
FB: Elly Redding Author
Instagram: Elly Redding
JO LAMBERT 