Thank you to Rachel for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Keeping Up with Kershaws by Helen Buckley and thank you to Helen for kindly agreeing to answer my questions.
About the book:
Keeping up with the Kershaws
What do you do when your life becomes more dramatic than reality TV?
As the devoted carer for famous antique expert Harold Kershaw, Karrie Morgan was always happy to keep a professional distance from his four spoilt grown-up children, who rarely made time for their father. But then a surprise involving Harold’s Will means Karrie is flung headlong into a press scandal, and into the chaotic world of the surviving Kershaws.
With the support of her trusted childhood friend Andrew, mild-mannered Karrie must face down ruthless ice queen Portia, master manipulator Gabriel, Botox fanatic Arabella, and ladies’ man Rafe, star of reality TV show Raised in Richmond … although perhaps not as fake and flashy as he initially seems?
Asvicious rumours circulate and Karrie’s past comes back to haunt her, she struggles to know who to trust. Can she keep up with the Kershaws’ schemes?
Q&A with Helen Buckley,
the author of Keeping Up with Kershaws
1 What inspired you to write Keeping Up with the Kershaws?
I used to work for the charity Age UK writing advice guides on various topics to do with later life. I was writing about wills and inheritance and thought about a story relating to a disputed will. Years later I returned to that idea and incorporated it into my Spotlight Series to turn it into Keeping up with the Kershaws!
2 What do you find most enjoyable about writing? Do you have a writing routine?
I absolutely love the escapism. I fall in love with my characters and really get to know them, letting them direct the plot. If I’m lucky I get to write maybe 30 minutes a day, depending on my two little boys’ routine.
3 Do you have a favourite secondary character in the book?
I really enjoy the dramatic sniping of the Kershaw siblings – their characters were really fun to write.
4 How do you come up with names for the characters in your books?
I usually start with random placeholder names, then I’ll develop and change them as the story unfolds. I google names, look for various meanings, and I’ll often ask my social media followers for ideas too.
5 Are you working on any novels at the moment? What’s in the pipeline?
The next book in the Spotlight Series is out in October, it’s a Bake Off Christmas themed book! I’m currently writing the sequel to Keeping up with the Kershaws as one character doesn’t get a Happy Ever After and I really want them to!
6 What is the last book that you’ve really enjoyed reading?
I read Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens – a great read, very funny, and very moving.
7 What are your hobbies and do they find their way into your books?
I recently learned to play flute as an adult, but I don’t think any of my characters play it! I usually try to include a Latino/a character and often some Spanish in my books, as I lived in Honduras for a number of years.
Author Bio – Ever since I was little I wanted to be a writer, to turn daydreams into books. I’m fascinated by fame, in love with Happy Ever Afters, and enthralled by slow-burn romances. I squeeze in time to write around looking after my two sons. Find out more about me on my website http://www.buckleybooks.org
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Thank you to Helen for her answers and thank you for stopping by and reading the post!
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