Welcome
to Kira Adams' Spotlight Saturday! Every week I will be featuring a different
author in the industry. Indie, trad, small press, etc. The point is to help get
the word out about new authors and books they are releasing. Maybe you will
find your next favorite author. Maybe you will find a story that will touch
your soul. Maybe you will participate in the giveaway in hopes of winning a
prize. Whatever the case may be, thank you for being here.
This
weeks featured author is C.L. Monaghan.
• What inspired you to begin writing?
It's
something that's been on my mind since I graduated university in 2004. I began
my first 'story' in 2005 but then got married again and had two more children
and decided to homeschool. The writing got put on the back-burner for 11 years!
Then, in 2015 I discovered the Indie writing community through the books of the
late great, Ednah Walters. We became friends and I went to meet her in 2016,
flying all the way from the UK to UtopiaCon in Nashville. She encouraged me to
take up writing again and mentored me through my first novel. I published
Immaginario in April 2017 and The Hollows in October.
• How long have you been writing?
In
my head, 11 years! Officially, about 18 months.
• What book inspired you to begin writing?
I
think it's fair to say that no single book inspired me to begin writing, more
that the worlds that I swallowed up, as a child and as an adult, fuelled a very
overactive imagination that I just had to put to use. Studying history and
classic English Literature at university enabled my love for all things Gothic
and romantic.
• Who is your favorite author(s)?
Gosh,
so many! Tolkien is my number one go-to in terms of pure mastery of words and
literary style. I love the satirical storytelling of Sir Terry Pratchett (an
author I would always recommend if asked.) I like Phillipa Gregory,
Kate Griffin, Dan Brown and many, many more.
• If you had to choose a fictional character
from one of your books to have lunch with, who would it be and why?
Only
one? Hmm, I'd say Joe from Immaginario. He's Italian and can cook and is very
sexy so that's a no-brainer lol. But, I'd also love to lunch with Midnight from
the Hollows. A wealthy Victorian lord of the realm with supernatural powers,
who wouldn't want to lunch with him? It's impossible to choose!
• What has been your biggest
accomplishment since publishing?
Actually
publishing a book! It's hard lol. I was gobsmacked
(quintessentially British word for you there lol) that Immaginario won a
finalist place in the Indie Author Network book of the year awards 2017 for
best paranormal. The Hollows surprised me even more by hitting the top 100
bestsellers lists in Gothic in 3 different countries! I told myself I'd be
happy just selling 10 books so it was a nice, if slightly overwhelming, feeling
seeing it reach those numbers. It's a great feeling knowing people like reading
the stories I write.
• Do you have anything else in the works
apart from your book/series?
I'm
currently working on the final part to Immaginario, I have at least 3 more Midnight Gunn
novels planned and next year I plan to start another new series about the
Templar Knights. Lots and lots of research!
• What is the one piece of advice you would
give to aspiring authors?
-The most important thing I tell myself is never give
up. It's a long, hard slog and the work doesn't end when you click 'publish'.
Be prepared to spend many hours promoting and marketing your books. Be prepared
to accept constructive criticism and shrug off the not so helpful. Be prepared
to learn your craft. Writing is an art, no beginner ever writes a perfect book.
You will make mistakes, there will be tears and tantrums and you'll learn from
them. I'm always looking to improve, I'm my own worst critic but that also
transpires into a gruelling work ethic. I sit up till 3am reading,
questioning and assessing my work. Ask for advice, practice, edit and practice
more. Don't be afraid to put samples of your writing out there for others
to appraise. Finally, be prepared for the long haul.
(Editorial
Review of The Hollows)
Reviewed
by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn
Novel is an historical mystery novel written by C.L. Monaghan. Detective
Inspector Arthur Gredge had a serial assailant on his hands. The circumstances
surrounding the latest victim, a Miss Emmeline Rowbotham, were particularly
troublesome due to her being a member of a prominent family and to the fact
that she had not survived the attack. The assailant’s other victims were from
the lower classes of society and had been found alive, if barely so, and, while
conscious, strangely devoid of volition. The case was bizarre and troubling
enough that Gredge felt compelled to bring in Midnight Gunn, a
paranormal investigator whose familiarity with the dark shadows made Gredge
decidedly uncomfortable. But he was convinced that only Midnight would
be able to resolve the situation.
C.L. Monaghan’s historical
mystery novel, The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn Novel, had me hooked from
the first page. Any Sherlock Holmes fan will delight in watching the two
detectives look for clues in 1860s London and risk life and limb tracking down
a diabolical miscreant. Midnight Gunn is one of the most exciting new
detective characters to come around in some time. As I read this book, I began
hoping that Monaghan comes up with any number of new and extraordinary cases to
occupy the fine minds of Gunn and Gredge. This author makes her historical
setting come alive, and watching as this finely plotted detective yarn unfolds
is sheer joy. More Midnight Gunn adventures, please. The Hollows:
A Midnight Gunn Novel is most highly recommended.
“Any Sherlock Holmes fan will
delight in watching the two detectives look for clues in 1860s London and risk
life and limb tracking down a diabolical miscreant. Midnight Gunn is
one of the most exciting new detective characters to come around in some time.
As I read this book, I began hoping that Monaghan comes up with any number of
new and extraordinary cases to occupy the fine minds of Gunn and Gredge. This
author makes her historical setting come alive, and watching as this finely
plotted detective yarn unfolds is sheer joy. More Midnight Gunn
adventures, please. The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn
Novel is most highly recommended.” - Jack Magnus of Readers’ Favourite
C.L. Monaghan was born and raised in Lincolnshire in the UK.
Aged 8 she moved to Sth Africa (a land of adventure!) with her parents where
she befriended a mother cheetah and her cubs, chased gigantic dragonflies after
the rain and watched the most incredible forked lightning split the sky!
A headstrong tomboy; she climbed trees and rooftops to read
books from a very early age. Her childhood favourites were Enid Blyton's The
Enchanted Forest, The Wishing Chair, Famous Five and Mallory Towers.
Discovering The Hobbit began a lifelong fascination with
Tolkien and the fantasy genre.
In 2000 C.L. Monaghan attended Lincoln University and gained
her B.A. Honours degree in History and English Literature. From there it has
been her ambition to write her own adventures to share with fellow book lovers.
Her debut book 'Immaginario' was placed as a finalist in the 2017 IAN Book of
the Year Awards.
She lives in her home town in Lincolnshire with her husband,
3 boys, 5 cats (it's customary for writers to own several cats) and Casper the
miniature schnauzer.
