show 18th June 09

Guests today were Lin Treadgold & Corinna Christopher. Lin emailed me a few months ago as she listens & watches the show via her PC. She told me she was writing a book which is based in Scilly. I asked her to come on the show and discuss it when she was over on holiday, which she now is with her husband Chris. Lin & Chris moved to Holland, in 2001, to live because of his work in steel research. She is hoping the book may be published in 2010. I asked Lin a few questions about her writing:

You are a member of the RNA, what do they do?: "Yes, the Romantic Novel Association, they are wonderful, they help authors with support and proof reading and arrange get togethers for all memebers. In fact I am coming over to Britain again soon for a party they have organised.
Where did you get the idea for your book?:
"I have been coming to Scilly since 1969 & on one occasion I met a retired doctor and his wife who were on holiday, the doctor was dying of cancer, this was his last holiday. I decided there was a story in there somewhere. When I got back home to Holland I started to write, and write, and write. It just flowed out".
Is this your first novel:
"Yes, I have never written anything like this before. I used to be a driving instructor - I would teach/train the driving instructors, this I did for 25 years in Yorkshire. I used to write for a magazine, articles to do with my driving instructor profession. In fact My very first article was with the 'Scillionian Magazine' in the early 1980's. When I retired to Holland it gave me the time to fulfil my ambition to become a writer. The arts must run through our family as my mother is an actress & has appeared on TV.
What kind of books do you normally like reding & have any authors influenced your writing?
"I don't have favourite books, I like reading all kinds of things. I have brought a review to do today, its a book I read about 6 weeks ago which I can thoroughly recommend, called 'The Girls' by Lori Lansen. Its about two girls who were joined at the spine at birth & abandoned by their mother. They were then adopted by the nurse who worked at that hospital. It is a work of fiction. I can't say that any author has influenced the way I write.
Have you any ideas for the book cover? I find it amazing how the same book can have many different book covers and although you say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I found I did just that last week. I put the book down is the cover looked too twee.
Corinna "Also, I remember an author on the show last year & his book had been affected by the wrong picture. The picture made the book seem totally sci-fi when it wasn't. He didn't want that particular picture but he didn't have the end say in it".
Lin "Yes, I do have an illustration in mind for my book and one thing it will definately have in it is the Bishop Rock lighthouse and I can assure you that I will not let that mistake happen to me I will decide what I have on the bookcover."

Corinna reviewed Chris Cleave's Incendiary and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea