This week I’d like to introduce you to another fellow indie author, Colin Ginn.
Colin’s just released Rose, book three in The Flower Girls series. Before we chat to the man himself, here’s an excerpt from Rose
Suddenly I awake from my recurring nightmare, the nightmare that has been haunting my existence for over three years now. The sweat is pouring from every pour of my shaking body. Today this nightmare has taken more out of me than normal. After ten minutes of being woken with the force of a freight train my eyes are just becoming accustomed to the sharp early dawn light cascading through the parting in my bedroom curtains, knowing this is the last time I will wake up in here. My eye’s weep as I look towards the photo on my bedside table, “mumma I’m sorry I’ve lost your beautiful house, this house all because I didn’t listen to your all-knowing advice”.
Leaning over I pick up the photo and kiss the picture of my mumma holding the magazine with my first cover shot on it. The tears are streaming down my cheeks running down the silver frame as my tears drop from my chin. My finger gently wipes the tears from her face and I kiss the photo as I have done every day since my darling protector passed.
I finally get up carefully packing the photo in my case, not knowing when or where I will be placing it by my bed again. After a long cold shower, I get dry and take the carton of milk and give it a sniff. “No, I don’t think so”. Instead, I go for the warm orange juice sitting next to the remaining content of my fridge that was taken away yesterday. The Russian bastards took everything that wasn’t in my bedroom. They are coming back for what’s left today together with the keys of the house my mother left me in her will.
Sitting naked crossing my legs as my bum makes contact with the floor. Again, I go over and over the paperwork from the court house taking my mumma’s house as part payment for the debt my no good ex husband run up in my name over three years ago. Now all the hardache of what that piece of shit has taken from me comes flooding back.
It’s been nearly three years since my modeling career came to an abrupt halt. I remember when my face was on the front cover of all the major mags, I went to all the best parties and restaurants where I ate some amazing food and lived in a wonderful apartment in New York overlooking Central Park, and I didn’t get out of bed for less than fifteen thousand dollars a day. That all ended when my ex shit of husband Jack, gambled it all away and some. All of his debts, my dear husband Jack the bastard secured with my earnings and my property which against my mums advice was unprotected by not having a pre-wedding agreement.
Jack was not only my arsehole of a husband and Lawyer he was also my manager. When he got involved with a gambling syndicate run by what now turns out to be Russian Mafia, I unknowingly secured his debts by signing the papers he constantly put in front of me. When he ran out of money, they didn’t threaten him, they went straight for my assets legally through the courts and got everything I had and more. They even got my name Jane Roseanne Beckett as it is registered as part of my assets, I had my name copyrighted and the court handed it over to them. My lawyer did get the Judge to agree I could have full copyright of my name back once the entire debt was paid off. The Russaian’s or I should say their fucking layers persuaded the Judge to also stop me from modeling or being published until the debt, yes you guest it until it is paid in full.
The court did agree that I could change my name to Rosanne Manford, Manford being my momma’s maidan name. But did not agree to me still working as a model even though it would have been the easiest way for the debt to be paid. The Judge said that it should a warning to anyone in the public eye that all debts have to be paid no matter who you are. Which I thought was a bit harsh of him especially when it was my shit face husband that had run up the debt.
So there I was no money, no home and no Job and that’s when mumma gave me a life line allowing me to move back home, for two years I worked waiting tables sometimes getting noticed as the model who gambled all her money away. Slowly changing my image to blend in, turning into long haired brunette from short blonde hair did make a difference but not as much as the grungy ill-fitting clothes and hoodies that covers my curves and face, turning me into an unknown plain Jane.
Mumma supported me while all of my earnings from waiting tables and the other part time jobs I managed to get from time to time went to pay the Russian bastards who knocked on the door each week, holding their hand out and reminding me with laughter in their voices how much was left to pay off. Even on the day of mumma’s death six weeks ago the bastards demanded my wages, then two weeks ago at the reading of her will they produced a court order taking my mumma’s house and contents that she lovenly bequeathed to me, giving me two weeks to find somewhere to live. Which I have have not managed to do with the available funds I have.
Yesterday the day before I am being forced to leave my home, I get a phone call from my lawyer Mr William Slade Snr saying he has been contacted by the consortium that Jack’s debt or should I say my debt is owed, with what he is saying is good news. I have been offered a two-year contract to work for them at the Blue Lotus Club as a hostess. He has looked over the contract and in his words it he would recommend that I consider taking it, accommodation, food and a small wage has been offered and after the two-year contract has ended, I would be free of my debt to them and would be able to use my name again. I have been invited to attend the Blue Lotus Club at 3pm today, Mr Slade is going to meet me there to go through the contract with me and introduce me to potentially my new boss.
Hi, Colin. A warm welcome to my blog. Tell me a bit about yourself. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
First if you don’t already know I am a Bedfordain, I was born and apart from the odd holiday have lived my entire life in Bedford England. I have reached that age where my options flow freely and I have no worries who I tell them too. I’ve been described as fun laid back (horizontal) English Gentlemen, so I will go with that. Have always wanted to be a writer, well not really it was a scribble on a bucket list I wrote many, many years ago. Write and publish a book.
What can you tell me about your latest release, without giving away any spoilers?
Rose was the story I started to write with the intention for it to be the first in the Flower Girls series. After getting about three quarters of my way through it I thought I hadn’t given any thought to how the Blue Lotus Club came about, so I placed Rose back into the vase so to speak to write Grand Opening and Defaulters at Ten. What I will tell you about Rose is she was Supermodel before her now ex husband gambled away every penny she had, and she had a lot of pennies. Now her debt is being paid back in a more unconventional way.
Which of your characters do you like most? Why?
Well to be honest I love them all but if I am being forced to choose from my babies it would have to be Honeysuckle. She has that, well you know when you meet someone for the first time, and you say to yourself I really like you. Honeysuckle is that person not only that she is an absolute beauty with love and affection for everyone, you are going to love her.
Is there one particular person who inspired you to write?
Jessica Gomez another independent who I met on Facebook when she was promoting her first release. Over time we became friends and as things got moving for her, she asked me to become her PA. She really did inspire and light up my now passion for writing.
A cruel question, but what’s your favourite book/who’s your favourite author?
Not cruel at all I have to go back to the classic that was the first book I read from cover to cover. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.
Tell me a bit about your approach to your writing. Are you a meticulous planner or do you tend towards letting your characters go with the flow?
My planning is like taking a packet of seeds throwing them up in the air and see what grows. What happens is like Rose I start a story then follow another storyline into another story getting back to it when it fits back into the timeline. It’s really like writing in the TARDIS.
I love to write outdoors. Where’s your favourite place to write?
I write on my Tablet while I’m sitting on my setee in my front room.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Well I don’t know whether it’s advice or not I was told never to give in- keep going.
What advice would you give to other aspiring authors out there?
Apart from don’t give up, I would say never compromise on the story you want to write, nobody
knows what ideas are rattling around in your head and you need to get them on paper in the
way you alone want to read your story. Always write for yourself first.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I must say I don’t get writers block, what I do get a sense of fear I won’t be able to get something
written down before I forget it.
So, what’s next creatively? Are you working on anything else just now?
The Flower Girls series is continuing, but what is exciting is I am currently writing a murder
mystery something which is not easy for me and requires me to adopt completely different
mindset.
Now for a bit of fun:
Favourite food Steak and Kidney Pudding
Favourite drink Brandy
Favourite Band Queen but to be honest, the best artists I have seen live are Neil Diamond and Cliff Richard.
Favourite holiday destination Venice Italy
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? Mind reading, I really want to
know what people are thinking
I’d like to thank Colin for taking time out of his busy day to chat. It’s much appreciated.
The Blue Lotus Club is open for business and the Flower Girls are ready and waiting to bring all your dreams and desires to life. If you want to check it out for yourself, the links you need are below:
The first three E-books in the Flower Girls series are available to download now! Books one and two are also available in paperback, with book three following soon
Grand Opening permanent low price online buy link: https://books2read.com/b/3n5qP5
Grand Opening paperback: ISBN:9798201651510
Defaulters at Ten online buy links: https://books2read.com/b/mv1DjV
Defaulters at Ten paperback: ISBN:9798201485993
Rose online buy links: books2read.com/b/4Avw7K
Don’t forget to look out for the Flower Girls Companion series
Becoming Maple online buy links: https://books2read.com/b/3JEqPA
Becoming Maple paperback: ISBN:9798201528935
Warning: All stories in the Flower Girls and Companion series are written for the Adult Reader and contain bad language, violence and not forgetting scenes of a sexual nature.
If you want to catch up with Colin himself, here’s the links
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/ColinGinn
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/BooksbyColinGinn/
Facebook Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/341894799653343/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colin_ginn_author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colin_ginn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18009250.Colin_Ginn
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colin-ginn
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/colinginn
Amazon universal link: viewauthor.at/ColinGinn
Coral McCallum 