Friday Reads – Aries Billionaire by Rachel Wells with Jessica Adams.

Welcome to another Friday Reads blog. This week I’m talking to Rachel Wells about her new audible original Aries Billionaire, which she wrote with Jessica Adams. It is the first in her Leo Moon Astrologer Detective series. Let’s find out a bit more about the book then get chatting to Rachel. 😊

Blurb

Aries billionaire Mike Kirby is celebrating his 50th birthday on his remote island with his unhappy wife, handpicked guests, a Blood Moon Eclipse and…a rocket launch.

A coma and a murder later, it’s down to astrologer Leo Moon to uncover the truth.

Join Mike, his wife Renee, her sister Rachel and Rachel’s husband Neil in their glamorous world of swimming pools, horoscopes and deadly secrets.

You can get a copy here:

Amazon

Audible

Welcome to my blog Rachel. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I have loved writing stories for as long as I can remember. I loved English at school –  was horrible at maths and science – but the part I enjoyed most was the creative writing. I wrote my first book as a teenager – it was terrible, but there was a big part of me who always knew that writing was my true love!

Has any author inspired you?

I am inspired by authors all the time, both past and present. As a child I was read to all the time. I loved Judith Kerr, and of course Enid Blyton, then I became obsessed by Judy Bloom, who I still adore. I’ve been inspired by so many wonderful authors from Jane Austen to Jackie Collins, to Agatha Christie.

What do you like writing most?

Any kind of fiction. I have written RomComs, cat fiction and now I’m writing cosy crime, and I love having new ideas and wish I had more time to write everything that comes into my mind… But there’s a lot! I love reading Agatha Christie, so writing crime is a dream come true for me.

Do you have a special place for writing?

I have a very messy office, but I love to shut myself in and more often than not I don’t sit at my desk but on a day bed. I feel a bit like Barbara Cartland (in my imagination) as I recline with my laptop and my cat!

Are you a pantster or a plotter?

A mixture. With the cosy crime series, it has to be plotted out a bit more than some of my contemporary fiction. Although I watch with envy authors that have proper plotting techniques – like post- it notes. I generally scribble in one of my many notebooks and then spend hours trying to read my writing! I feel my natural personality is a pantster, but my sensible side is trying to turn me into a plotter.

Is your writing ever inspired by your family or real life incidents?

Everything and anything! One of my projects is about grief and is inspired by losing my father, and my mother’s journey afterwards as well as my own. I  sometimes find that just a sentence someone says to me over coffee can trigger an idea. But, thankfully my cosy crime is pure imagination. Although some of the characters may have been inspired by people I’ve met!

What are you writing at the moment?

I’m writing the second in our cosy crime series, Leo Moon, Astrologer Detective. Book one is Aries Billionaire and is an Audible original. But as it’s an astrologer detective there are 12 books in the series, one for every star sign. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and we have a crime attached to each one which Leo Moon, his mother Helena and his friend journalist Karen Penn all solve.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have a collaborator/ consultant on the project, brilliant astrologer Jessica Adams. She is also a very good friend of mine and we came up with the idea for an Astrologer Detective during lockdown. She lives in Australia and we had weekly zooms for sanity, and over zoom the idea for Leo Moon was born. We were also fascinated about working with Audible, so we were very lucky to be able to do so.

What time of the day do you write best?

Mornings and late afternoon/evenings – I may or may not have afternoon naps occasionally.

What are your hobbies?

Reading – naturally – going to the theatre, spending time with friends, and sea swimming with my son – we live near the North Devon coast.

What advice would you give to other writers?

Keep going, never give up. If you have negative voices in your head, tell them you’re going to do it anyway. Resilience is so important and you have to try to believe in yourself.  I sometimes read books (often) and wish I could write like the author but then I remember I have my own strengths and therefore I need to value myself and my work. So, keep going, value yourself and above all enjoy it.

Great advice Rachel and your book sounds fascinating. Thanks so much for dropping by to talk to us today. Wishing you lots of success.

Meet Rachel

Rachel Wells is the author of the bestselling Alfie series and recently the Audible Original, Leo Moon Astrologer Detective, Aries Billionaire.  She has published nine books which have been translated into twelve different languages. 

Alfie The Doorstep Cat was the first book in this global series. She has been writing under the name of Rachel Wells and Faith Bleasdale for over 20 years, published twenty books.

Rachel Wells lives in North Devon with her son, Xavier and her cat, Lady Alfie.

Contact links

https://www.facebook.com/acatcalledalfie

https://www.instagram.com/rachelwellsauthor

Twitter: @rachelWellsuk

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