Tells us about her latest novella, Chords For The Dead.
But first I am chuckling about the synchronicity. We are both members of the Writers on Spain Facebook group (both of us having re-located to Spain in recent years), yet what we didn’t realise was we have also both spent a number of years in the mystical town of Glastonbury… a fact which has equally influenced our writing!
But then as a Law of Attraction junkie, I know there is no such thing as a “coincidence”.
Anyway, without further ado, I’m going to let Sarah kick-off with the very first post in my Meet The Author series:
Welcome, Sarah Luddington! Please tell us a little about your latest book.
My latest book is Chords for the Dead, a novella at this point.
Charlie was once the lead guitarist in a successful rock band, but when his lover and front man, Bastian, dies from a heroin overdose, his life falls apart. Charlie is attacked because of his sexuality and dies in the ambulance, giving Bastian a way to reach through the veil and make contact from beyond the grave. He needs Charlie to help solve a murder. This is Bastian’s chance to right his many wrongs and he hopes to free his soul.
Charlie meets DC Dale Roberts in an effort to help Bastian and their instant attraction for each other leads them to work closely together to find the murderer and the missing child – who they believe will be used for a ritual sacrifice. They are supported in their mission by some great women, who like to keep the ‘boys’ under their watchful eyes.
How does this differ from the titles you have written in the past?
I tend to write LGBT stories and have written a series called The Knights Of Camelot, where the love affair isn’t between Lancelot and Guinevere but between Lancelot and Arthur, so I usually write historical fantasy fiction. I really enjoyed writing Chords for the Dead though, it being in the real world with a twist of the supernatural was great fun. Chords for the Dead evolved from a short story I wrote for a collection called Unforbidden – A Queer Collection.
How important is it that we see more and more LGBT titles in the mainstream media? (This is an obvious question I know…)
I’ve been active in gay rights for years. It’s important the gay community are ‘normalised’ as much as possible and writing great gay oriented fiction is a step in that direction. Many people, who have read about Lancelot and Arthur in my Camelot series, have written to me to express their thanks. Particularly in America, where many people don’t understand that gay relationships really aren’t any different to heterosexual relationships and we all face the same battles – except the gay community has to fight some terrible prejudice. The more we talk about it the more we free people from the bonds of fear.
It’s such a small world that we have both of us lived in the spiritual, one off town of Glastonbury! How much of an influence have the ley lines had on your writing?
Oh, goodness me, Glastonbury is a major player in my Camelot books. It’s vital! Lancelot has to save Arthur from the land of the fey under the Tor in Lancelot and the Wolf. I’ve spent hours at Glastonbury Abbey making sure I have the right layout for my alternative universe. The Levels are also important and one of the lead characters, Geriant, comes from a historical knight who died during a battle near Langport.
The ley lines also feature, but they are most important in my first novel, The Prophecy which is a vampire romance. And let’s not forget I grew up with my house sitting on a ley, the other side of Somerset in Milverton.
What’s your favourite thing about Glastonbury? I have to ask that since it features strongly in my debut novel… as well as the novel I am currently writing!
My favourite things about Glastonbury are… The Tor and its domination over landscape. Also The Abbey (I had my wedding photos taken there), and its history. I have a degree in Medieval history, so I also embrace the town’s acceptance of all things alternative. I now live in Orgiva, Spain, which is very similar in its tolerance.
Favourite cake?
Favourite cake, this is tricky as I try to stay away from cake! I only have to sniff calories and they magically adhere to my backside! I love anything with real cream in it, and I love cheesecake but I’m not allowed dairy any more. 😦 I also love Christmas cake!
Favourite place you have ever visited anywhere in the world?
It is a bit weird but I’m a writer, so hey. I love the Colosseum in Rome. When I went there I could hear the crowd, smell the blood and death in the arena, and see the gladiators; when I felt the walls of the place they filled me with a sense of wonder. I’m currently working on a book that takes place twenty years after the great Slave Rebellion lead by Spartacus. It also started as a rather long short story in my Unforbidden collection.
Your one piece of advice for anybody writing in your genre?
My advice for anyone in my genre is to use their platform as a writer to create positive and well written stories that help the gay community. We may have gay rights in the UK and most of Europe but let’s not forget our books can go all over the world – and most of the world isn’t as gay friendly as the UK.
I don’t mean you can’t have bad guys that are gay, but don’t write into the genre just because it’s spicy. Support your characters and you’ll be supporting gay rights throughout the world. The readership of LGBT books on kindle has gone up 200% in the last few years but some authors still hide – keeping it a bit of a secret that they write gay love stories and I think that’s a shame. Even if you’re straight be proud if you love reading or writing gay fiction! Rainbow Rights Rock!
For more information on Sarah’s books, please see below:
Sarah Luddington Author Page on Facebook
Amazon link to ebook of Chords For The Dead.co.uk and Chords For The Dead.com
Twitter – @Blakwulf
Isabella May Author 