My Friday Read this week is the Amazon Top Ten Bestseller thriller, The Nurse, by Valerie Keogh. Valerie had supplied an extract from the book too, so grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy and let’s find out a bit more about the book then get chatting to Valerie. 😊
Blurb
Do No Harm…
Bullied, overlooked and under-appreciated, Lissa McColl learns at an early age to do very bad things.
As a nurse, she is respected and valued for the first time in her life. But Lissa hates her job and the selfish, rude and inconsiderate people she has to deal with.
But being underestimated in this job had its advantages. Lissa can get close to people, find out their secrets… sometimes with deadly results…
Extract
Chapter One
I was ten when I made the decision to kill Jemma.
Her family – parents and an older sister – had moved from London to our small country village six months before. The first morning, Jemma had waltzed into our class completely unfazed by the wide eyes and audible whispers that followed her progress like sunflowers to her sun.
Our teacher, Miss Dryden, a tall willowy woman with steel grey hair and watery blue eyes, held a hand lightly on her shoulder and introduced her. ‘I know you’ll all be delighted to welcome Jemma to the class and help her to settle in.’
She was the first new girl to have joined our primary school class and she brought with her an air of city sophistication that easily dazzled us. Her clothes, hair, shoes, even her schoolbag were all a little bit exotic. To us girls who desperately wanted to grow up, she appeared to have reached heights we only aspired to.
It wasn’t long before she became the girl everyone wanted to be friends with, not long before I, and others like me, discovered that the girls who surrounded her were arranged in a distinct hierarchy. There were the best friends, limited to four; a larger circle of girls who were allowed to join in the chat on occasion; a wider group who were allowed to peer in; and then a final group who were deemed unworthy of any access. For an individual or group to prevail, there needed, after all, to be another for them to lord it over. A group they could all be superior to.
I was in this latter group. I don’t know why. Perhaps the pairing of the slight frame I’d inherited from my mother, with the overlarge nose and mouth inherited from my father, didn’t present a beguiling appearance. Perhaps that was all it took… to look different.
Welcome to my blog, Valerie. That extract sounds so intriguing. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
For as long as I can remember! When I was very young, I used to write and tie the pages together with string. Sadly, none have survived. I tried to write a book, on and off, for years, but gave up. It wasn’t until I was almost 50 that I decided to either write a book or stop dreaming about it. I did and haven’t stopped since.
Has any author inspired you?
Two – Enid Blyton whose books I read as a child, and loved, and Agatha Christie. My mother had all her books, so they were my first adult books.
Two of my favourite authors too. What do you like writing most?
I started writing crime novels. I really enjoy trying to come up with unusual crimes, and unexpected ways to kill people! I write psychological thrillers now – but they do nearly always straddle the thin line between psychological and crime.
Do you have a special place for writing?
I have an ‘office’ – or as it’s officially called, the spare bedroom. I’m lucky because my desk faces a window overlooking a massive walnut tree so I spend many hours staring at the birds and the squirrels. It fascinates me too watching the seasons change it.
What a wonderful view. Are you a pantster or a plotter?
An absolute pantser. Sometimes, I start a new novel with only a very vague idea how the story is going to go, and hope it will eventually come together. Sometimes, I go off on a tangent I never anticipated. I did try to plan, but writing Chapter One on the top of a page was as far as I got!
Is your writing ever inspired by your family or real-life incidents?
I think most writers absorb what happens around them, allowing it to come into a story as a whole, or partially, or simply to colour a scene. I have used incidents that I’ve seen as an inspiration for a story. Sometimes, it’s as simple as seeing someone pass by and wonder what they’re thinking – this happened for me with The Trophy Wife – but the scene I wrote ended up being almost the last chapter in the book, then I had to back-fill the story. The inspiration for The Couple in the Photograph, came from watching some stonemasons at work. I was horrified they weren’t wearing masks, did some research on silicosis and came up with an idea for a story based on this.
What are you writing at the moment?
My next, as yet unnamed, psychological thriller for Boldwood Books. I need to finish it by October 1st. It’s due for publication in March 2024
What time of the day do you write best?
I try to start around 8.30 a.m. and will write all day – some days. I’m easily distracted though and will frequently get up to make coffee. I’m probably more productive between 2pm and 6pm.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy walking and travelling. I also love gardening but don’t have enough time to keep the garden as nice as it should be! I love reading too, of course, and used to be a very prolific reader, nowadays it takes me longer. I write a book every 3-4 months, so it doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything else.
What advice would you give to other writers?
Write – don’t worry whether it’s good or bad, don’t worry about the grammar, or spelling, just get that first draft down. Then polish it to be the best you can – and get a trusted friend to read it – one who will tell you the truth, which isn’t always easy to give or take!
Great advice! Thanks for dropping by to talk to us, Valerie. I hope your book flies!
Meet Valerie
BIO
Originally from Dublin, I’ve lived in the UK for the last 17 years with my husband, Robert, and our cat, Fatty Arbuckle. I qualified as a nurse and worked as one until 2018 when I signed my first publishing contract. I’m currently signed with Boldwood Books
Under my pen name Valerie Keogh, I write crime and psychological thrillers. My 23rd book, The Nurse was published in July – it’s not biographical!
Author contact links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valeriekeoghnovels
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValerieKeogh1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valeriekeogh2
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valerie-keogh
Author Central: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valerie-Keogh/e/B00LK0NMB8
https://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/1hfGFSMUbsmqouK8J9IyU0/home
Karen King 