Good morning everyone I’m excited to be on the blog tour for Bone Deep by Sandra Ireland today and have a fantastic interview with the author to share with you.
Bone Deep is available now in ebook and paperback, purchase your copy here.
Before I share my interview with you here is a little bit about the book.
Book Synopsis:
What happens when you fall in love with the wrong person?
The consequences threaten to be far-reaching and potentially deadly. Bone Deep is a contemporary novel of sibling rivalry, love, betrayal and murder. It is a dual narrative, told in alternative chapters by Mac, a woman bent on keeping the secrets of the past from her only son, and the enigmatic Lucie, whose own past is something of a closed book. Their story is underpinned by the creaking presence of an abandoned water mill, and haunted by the local legend of two long-dead sisters, themselves rivals in love, and ready to point an accusing finger from the pages of history.
Author Interview:
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
BONE DEEP is my second novel. My debut, BENEATH THE SKIN was published after I graduated with an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study at the University of Dundee. I went back to higher education later in life, but not too late! I have two sons, both grown up, so this is my time. I’m doing all the things I missed out on first time around, and that includes being a novelist!
2. What do you do when you are not writing?
I live right beside to beach in Carnoustie, on the east coast of Scotland, so I do a lot of walking. I also enjoy yoga and I have been known to go to the gym, but not on a regular basis! I like reading and drawing, and I’m very partial to a bit of live music, especially traditional or Country.
3. Do you have a day job as well?
I work one day a week in my local ironmongers. It’s a fabulous shop, real old school with some very quirky customers. I consider it research! It gets me out of the house, which is a good thing. I also teach creative writing in various settings from my local café to the University of Dundee. Along with two of my writing buddies, Dawn Geddes and Elizabeth Frattaroli, I run Chasing Time Writing Retreats, which offers tutored weekends for time-poor authors. (https://chasingtimescotland.wordpress.com) I also do some editing and online courses.
4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I was always an avid reader as a child, and writing seemed to be a natural progression. I wrote as a teenager too, but was so embarrassed by it I hid my stories under the bed. It was only when I was in my forties that I realised my mum had known about my habit all along! In 2006 she encouraged me to apply for a correspondent’s job on my local paper, and I enjoyed that for a while. Fiction is more fun that real life, so I soon changed tack and started writing a novel. I went back to full time education as a mature student, and that’s when I discovered the wonderful creative writing department at the University of Dundee.
5. How did you choose the genre you write in?
I think the genre found me! I seem to do dark and twisty very well, and I’ve made a conscious decision to move more towards crime. The crime writing community is very supportive, they know how to have fun, and crime sells!
6. Where do you get your ideas?
Usually I have separate ideas (usually stories I hear on the news, my own experiences or folktales) and then I try and link two ideas together.
7. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
No, I can always write. It may not be very good, but I can always write something! The skill is in the editing.
8. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
No plan for me. It’s a complete waste of time. I’ve tried, but I never stick to it, and anyway part of the beauty of writing is that it is (or should be) organic. If you stick to a plan the writing will never surprise you.
9. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I read the Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric several years ago, and that was astonishing. The subject matter, the structure, and the conscious manipulation of the reader was inspiring. It was a new way to write, and it definitely taught me to experiment with my own work.
10. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Beneath the Skin is my fourth or fifth book. The others will never see the light of day! I think it’s a mistake to rush into publication. Writing is a craft, and you have to learn your craft by making mistakes. As a student of writing, I was more than happy to wait, to receive peer feedback and edit Beneath the Skin thoroughly before submission. I signed up with my agent, Jenny Brown, after pitching the story at an event and was offered a deal by Polygon a few months later. So even though I’d had loads of rejections for my other books, I had high hopes for this one, and my faith was rewarded!
11. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
That would be telling! I think writing is a way of making sense of your emotions and experiences, so it’s inevitable that a little bit of yourself will turn up in your work.
12. What was your hardest scene to write?
I can’t really say without spoilers, but Lucie’s experiences towards the end of the book were really difficult to write…
13. How did you come up with the title?
BONE DEEP refers to the strength of the emotions in the book: love, lust, hate, jealousy- everything is felt very deeply. It’s also a nod to the deep water of the mill pond..
14. What project are you working on now?
I’m working on Novel number 4 now. Number 3, another psychological thriller, set in a scrapyard, is already complete and with my publisher. I’ve also been offered a publishing contract for a forthcoming non-fiction book about mill folklore.
15. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I’ve been incredibly lucky in that (so far!) readers have been very nice about my writing! I suppose the greatest compliment was to have Beneath the Skin shortlisted for a Saltire Literary Award, one of Scotland’s top prizes. That was very exciting and a huge confidence boost.
16. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you so much for all your support. It’s incredibly hard sharing your baby with the world, so thank you for being so kind!
About The Author:
Sandra Ireland was born in Yorkshire, lived for many years in Limerick, and is now based in Carnoustie. She began her writing career as a correspondent on a local newspaper but quickly realised that fiction is much more intriguing than fact. In 2013 Sandra was awarded a Carnegie-Cameron scholarship to study for an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study at the University of Dundee, graduating with a distinction in 2014. Her work has appeared in various publications and women’s magazines. She is the author of Beneath the Skin(Polygon, 2016).
Over The Rainbow Blog 
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