Debbie has been writing since primary school and hand-wrote
her first novel at age fourteen in a fancy ring-binder. After that inspiring
debut, she wrote several (mostly unpublishable) novels on a manual typewriter
and later computer, until an agency contract in the 1990s led her to think she
might actually be good at it.
She’s worked in law enforcement for over 25 years, in a
variety of different roles (both front-line and back-office), which may be why
the darker side of life tends to emerge in her writing. In 2005, she was
long-listed (top 25) for the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award,
which gave her the self-confidence to independently publish the crime novel Hamelin’s Child on Kindle and other
e-outlets in 2011, closely followed by a young-adult fantasy, Edge of Dreams, and a collection of
short (and not-so-short) stories, Maniac
& Other Stories.
She spent nine years editing and publishing anthologies,
newsletters and other publications for the British Fantasy Society, and has had
numerous short stories in print in a variety of outlets, from award-nominated
anthologies to women’s magazines. She’s also reviewed for the BFS and Starburst
magazine and was a reader for a national short-story competition for many
years.
www.debbiebennett.co.uk has links to all my books on
multiple platforms.
www.authorselectric.co.uk where I blog on 6th every month
about ebooks, writing and anything else.
What kind of
emergency scares you the most?
OK. Over-the-top answer here as I’m going to say what
immediately springs to mind… nuclear war! I said it was OTT, didn’t I!? I was
born in the mid-‘60s and remember a lot of news surrounding the Cold War as I was
growing up. And then I saw the BBC drama Threads
in 1984, which terrified me (I have it on DVD and it still scares me as an
adult). I live near to Hack Green nuclear bunker in Cheshire which is now open to the public –
they have public-information documents on display there that I remember seeing
in the house as a child.
Oh and anything involving my beautiful and talented teenage
daughter!
Which of your senses
do you value most?
Definitely sight. I’ve been short-sighted since I was a
child and worn contact lenses from age seventeen. My eyes are less tolerant
now, so I’m stuck with glasses a lot more – and I hate them. My husband and
daughter have perfect vision and neither of them appreciates it.
What would you like
to receive on your next birthday?
A contract for a film option on one of my books? Not likely,
I guess, so I’ll settle for something Eeyore. Most of my birthdays have been
Eeyore themed, from cakes to slippers to cuddly toys. I like Eeyore.
Describe the funeral
service you would like held for you.
Gosh, that’s a question I’ve never had before. Something
low-key and not too sad. I think funerals should be a celebration of life, not
death. If I could watch, I’d like to know what I’ve meant to the people I care
about and maybe people could share happy memories. Most of all, I’d like people
to think I did something useful with my life and didn’t waste or squander it.
Share a compliment
you received recently.
“Mum, you look really nice!” Said by my 16 year-old in a
surprised tone of voice as though mum and looking nice don’t usually belong in
the same sentence. Generally I’m a source of entertainment at best, and
embarrassment at worst, especially when I’m wearing – heaven forbid – a denim jacket
or jogging pants (not together – even I draw the line there). I can’t recall
just what it was I was wearing at the time either.
To learn more about Debbie and her work, please visit:
Wow, Debbie! Thanks so
much for stopping by! I remember being truly terrified of nuclear war once upon
a time – I guess other fears have overwritten those of the Cold War era.
On Monday, Southern author
Rosemary Smith will be answering five questions. You’ll want to read her
answers!
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