Interview with Ashe Barker
When or what made you decide to become an author?
For me this is pretty recent. In fact, I was rifling through some old stuff on my computer the other day and found the first draft of the first chapter of The Dark Side. The file was created on 4 September 2012, just over a year ago. So I suppose that’s when I became an author.
I’d been thinking about it for ages before that though, wishing I had time, or inspiration, or the courage, or the staying power, or whatever. I think we make all sorts of excuses, but sooner or later you just have to sit down and do it. So I did, and so far it seems to be going well. I found a publisher willing to take The Dark Side, and the second book in the trilogy, Darker, went on general release on 13 September.
How do you get an idea for your novel?
I start with the characters. My main characters in The Dark Side are Eva Byrne and Nathan Darke. I dreamed up Eva first, and then created Nathan as the perfect match for her. I think their chemistry works beautifully, and many of the reviews seem to agree.
What is the inspiration you use?
The third main character, or maybe you’d call it the supporting role, is the West Yorkshire moorland, setting for much of the action in The Dark Side, and the tie in trilogy, Sure Mastery which is due to be released later this year. This is where I live, and I love this landscape. It made sense for me to place my story here, weaving the Bronte moors in as the backdrop for the growing relationship between Eva and Nathan.
What is your writing style? Do you just sit down and write or do you create character sketches, outlines, or notes?
No, hardly any planning at all. As I’ve already mentioned, the characters come first, but they exist in my head, nowhere else. The action unfolds as I write, and I often find myself crafting a piece of the story that I didn’t intend and never planned. But often those ‘freestyle’ portions, the ones that come about when a character suddenly does or says something unexpected, are the best parts.
Who is the "Writing Muse" in your life? I.E. who gets your juices flowing when you are blocked?
I usually just stop and go do something else. Sometimes I do something else for days or even weeks, but eventually the next stage emerges. And I’ve learned it’s probably worth waiting. The writing I do just for the sake of getting some words down is usually deleted the next day
Walk me though the way you create a novel from conception to completion.
I’m not a meticulous planner. The story will be driven by the characters, and I have those fairly well developed in my head before I start. The rest, the plot, I think of as milestones. I’ll have the main events or turning points in my head, and the bulk of the writing is filling in the gaps, getting my characters from point A to point B, often with lots of detours and tangents in between.
What is the type of voice you use and why?
I usually write in the first person, present tense, and from the female point of view. I think this makes the story more immediate, and invites the reader to live it with the character, to actually be in their head looking out.
How many novels have you written including all work in progresses you are currently working on?
I have written two trilogies, The Dark Side and a tie in, Sure Mastery. I’ve also got a novella and ashort story in the pipeline. And I’ve just completed the first draft of another trilogy, which ties in loosely with the first two, but is set mainly in Cumbria.
Who is your "writing idol"? I.E. Who do you like and what is it about there writing that captures your soul?
The other authors I read most are the likes of J. R. Ward, Christine Feehan, Lindsay Sands. I’m a sucker for a sexy vampire, and quite partial to shape shifters too, though up to now I’ve not been seized by a desire to write paranormal romance myself. I suppose there’s time.
Recently I read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, and that was an absolute treat, sort of paranormal romance meets historical fiction. Beautifully crafted, thoroughly researched.
What is your current work in progress and how did get the idea for the Work in
My latest trilogy is called Priceless, and features a Dom/sub relationship – my usual scenario, but in this case the heroine has a medical condition which means she is unable to speak. The action centres around her communication issues, and the strategies her Dom uses to help her to overcome these in order to safely participle in the Lifestyle. She’s also a multi-millionaire, courtesy of the Euromillions lottery which further complicates matters
Describe the major conflict between the hero and heroine in your novel?
In The Dark Side, I’d say the main conflict is secrecy. Eva Byrne has her private side, and she tries desperately to keep her innermost self under wraps. Her refusal to face her demons and seek help almost ends in disaster.
Is there any advice you can offer to anyone who would like to write?
JFDI
Where are the bodies buried? IE Is there any old work in progresses you threw aside and decided not to complete and why?
None so far
What is a good villain?
For me the archetypal villain is Darth Vadar. Dark, probably handsome but it’s hard to tell under the helmet, gravelly voice, a loner, a tragic and twisted past. What’s not to like?
Are there any last comments you may want to include?
I’d like to really thank the readers who’ve been kind enough to buy my books, and I hope they enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them.
Author Biography
Until 2010 I was a director of a regeneration company in Leeds, in the UK, before becoming convinced there must be more to life. I left to work as an independent consultant, and still do some of that though most of my time is now spent writing, as at last I’ve been able to realise my dream of writing erotic romance myself. I’ve been an avid reader of women’s fiction for many years, and I still love reading historical and contemporary romances – the hotter the better. But now I have a good excuse – research.
I usually draw on settings and anecdotes from my own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to my plots and characters, but my stories of love, challenge, resilience and compassion are the conjurings of my own lurid imagination.
When not writing – which is not very often - my time is divided between my role as resident taxi driver for my teenage daughter, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, rabbits, tortoises. And a cockatiel. I’m a rural parish councillor, and I’m passionate about evolving rural traditions and values to suit twenty first century lifestyles.
I’ve just completed my third trilogy in the Black Combe ‘family’ as well as a novella and a short story. All are due for release over the next few months.
September 2013
Contact Details
Email: ashe.barker1@gmail.com
Website: www.ashebarker.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashebarker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashe.barker.9
Buy Links:
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
Total-E-Bound
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