Can you share the blurb of your book with us?
Certainly! The title is The Emerald Comb, and it’s a timeslip (dual time line) novel.
One afternoon, Katie takes a drive to visit Kingsley House, the family home of her ancestors, the St Clairs. She falls in love the minute she sees it. It may be old and in desperate need of modernisation, but it is her link to the past and, having researched her family tree extensively, she feels a sense of belonging to the crumbling old estate.
When it suddenly comes up for sale, she cannot resist persuading her family to sell up and buy it, never telling them the truth of their connection with it. But soon the past collides with the present, as the house begins to reveal the secrets it has hidden for generations. Does Katie really want to discover what she has come from?
Who is your favourite character and why?
I think I identify most with Katie, and certainly like her the best. But Georgia is sweet and innocent, and I felt most sorry for her as I wrote her part. The most fun to write was Agnes without a doubt. She’s not particularly likeable but from a writers’ point of view, she’s my favourite.
Do you have a particular time you like to write?
It’s more a case of when I can find the time! I have a full time job and lots of other time-commitments so I have to fit writing around everything else. Early evening is good, say from 7pm – 9pm, preferably with a glass of wine to hand. Or mid-afternoon on a rainy weekend.
What are you reading?
At the moment I am reading Summit 8000 by Andrew Lock. He’s Australia’s top mountaineer, and the only Australian to have climbed all the 8000m mountains in the world. I love mountains, and love mountain adventure books, so when my friend (who happens to be an ex-girlfriend of his!) sent me this for my birthday I couldn’t wait to get straight on to reading it.
Who is your favourite author?
I adore books written in dual time periods (and that’s what The Emerald Comb is as well!) so my favourite authors are those who write this kind of book. Kate Morton and Katherine Webb are the best, in my opinion!
If your book was made into a movie who’d play the main characters?
This is hard! I watch so few films and TV I’d have to research actors before I can name any! Except for Colin Firth. He’d have to play Bartholomew, obviously, goes without saying. Perhaps Kate Winslet can play Katie, and Keira Knightley could play Agnes. Georgia should be played by a young, sweet-faced unknown actress I think.
What’s next for you writing wise?
I’m in the final stages of editing my next Carina book – it’s another timeslip, this time alternating between 1944 and the present day. It’s due to be published early 2015. I’m also writing a short non-fiction book, and playing around with several ideas for the next novel. It’s all go!
Describe a typical writing day, do you have any rituals you use before starting?
There’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me – I have to grab writing time where I can. I do have a terrible habit of needing to check email, Twitter, Facebook, a private writers’ forum, Amazon rankings, Novelrank and KDP sales figures before I can actually get going. I’m really trying to stop myself doing all this but it’s hard!
Where can we find your book?
It’s published as an ebook in all formats. Here are the links:
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/The-Emerald-Comb-Kathleen-McGurl-ebook/dp/B00N1XRS3K
Amazon.com.au http://www.amazon.com.au/Emerald-Comb-Kathleen-McGurl-ebook/dp/B00N1XRS3K
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-emerald-comb
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-emerald-comb-kathleen-mcgurl/1120322210?ean=9781474007504
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-emerald-comb/id915378161?mt=11
Where can we find you?
Usually on the sofa, writing.
Or online
https://www.facebook.com/KathleenMcGurl
https://twitter.com/KathMcGurl
Thanks so much for hosting me here today, Rebecca!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen McGurl is a writer of short stories, novels and how-to-write books. She lives by the sea in Bournemouth with her husband and teen son 2. Teen son 1 is away at university. When not writing she is either working at the day-job (IT for a large retail organisation) or running along the Bournemouth prom, slowly.
She has sold dozens of stories to women’s magazines in the UK and Australia. Her how-to-write books and a romantic novella are available as ebooks from Amazon and her first full-length novel The Emerald Comb was published by Carina UK on 22nd September 2014.
Thank you, Rebecca!