#Interview: Alexandra Clare @_alexandraclare @ImpressBooks1 @natalie_rose_c #He’sGone #She’sFallen

I’m very excited to be able to share my Q&A with Alexandra Clare, author of He’s Gone and She’s Fallen.

Both books are now available to buy in ebook and paperback here.

Before I share my Q&A with you, here is a little bit more about the books.

Book Descriptions:

He’s Gone:

How do you find a missing child when his mother doesn’t believe you have the right to even exist? When Detective Inspector Roger Bailley returns to work as Robyn, all she wants is to get on with the job she loves while finally being herself. When toddler Ben Chivers is snatched from a shopping centre on her first day back at work, Robyn has to find Ben and herself as she deals with the reactions of her police colleagues, the media and her own daughter.

She’s Fallen:

A SUSPICIOUS FALL

Nineteen-year-old Shazia Johar has everything to live for. But when she is found critically injured after plunging from a hotel balcony, DI Robyn Bailley must determine why she fell. Was Shazia pushed or did she jump?

A BROKEN WOMAN

When Robyn’s team investigate the events that led to Shazia’s fall, they discover evidence of violence in the hotel room. What happened and who is responsible?

A DEATH

As Shazia’s life hangs in the balance, Robyn’s team discover the body of another hotel guest. With uncertainty and falsehood disturbing both investigations, Robyn must navigate the web of lies under continued criticism of her new identity from her ex-wife and her daughter.

Q&A:

What do you do when you are not writing?

Photography is my other passion – just like writing, I love finding little details and capturing them, whether it’s a detail on a building or something natural. It was a bit of a cheat to make my character’s hobby photography but at least it meant she would know what she was talking about.

Do you have a day job as well?

I do and I enjoy it because it puts you into the middle of human interactions. Someone wants something, the other person may or may not want to give it to them, you can observe, watch the interactions and have a wonderful source of material.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

In a way, my genre, crime, chose me. I came up with the idea of a character who would suffer discrimination but not be stopped by it. For her to work, she needed to have authority and be in a position where someone who wouldn’t normally talk to a transgender person would have no choice but to deal with her. A detective inspector was a perfect choice.

Where do you get your ideas?

I am very nosy and everywhere I go, I ask myself, what is going on? There may be someone sitting opposite me on the train who is constantly checking the time – what are they late for? A man struggles with a bag that looks too heavy for its size – what’s inside? The real explanations may be very prosaic but there you have the seeds of stories.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Sometimes, I will get stuck on a scene and can’t work out how to proceed. My approach is to mark it and move on until I can see what happens next. The answer to the plot hole normally pops into my mind at some strange time, often when I’m walking in the fresh air.

Do you work with an outline or just write?

I need an outline. The route to the end may change as I go along but I have to know where I’m going.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?

I love books which create a place for you to get lost in. One of my early favourites was the Chronicles of Narnia because here was this whole world, with its own rules, geography and characters. On a slightly less ambitious scale, I’ve created my own town to set my novels, with its own history and tourist attractions, which was a lot of fun.

What was the hardest scene to write?

My character’s scenes with her daughter because this relationship is so important to Robyn and, when things go wrong, I really feel like I’m hurting her.

How did you come up with the title?

The first in the series, He’s Gone, has a double meaning, referring to both the case to be solved of a missing toddler and the start of Robyn’s journey. She’s Fallen does the same.

About The Author:

After nearly twenty years of being a committed corporate person, Alex Clare was made redundant. She had always enjoyed writing, studying fiction part-time through the Open University and managing to complete a novel in her commuting time, though no one had ever read it. Now, with lots more time on her hands, there was the opportunity to take writing more seriously. She began to enter competitions and joined a writing group, which encouraged her to try out new genres and styles. After a period focusing on short stories, she wanted to try another novel. Inspiration came from watching Parliament debate the Equal Marriage Act in 2013. Astounded by the intensity of feeling generated, she created a fictional world to explore some of the issues and attitudes. Now working again she is working on her second novel, in her usual place, on a London commuter train.