Welcome to another Weekend Read. This week’s featured book is the action romance novel, Firestorm Flames of Love by Alan C Williams. Alan has dropped by to tell us more about his book and his writing life. So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get chatting to Alan.
Blurb
It’s 1974 in Tasmania, an island to the south of mainland Australia.
Newly appointed teacher, Debra Winters, has her hands full adjusting to life at her new school set in the beautiful countryside of South-Eastern Tasmania. But it’s only when she has to host volunteer firefighter, Robbie Sanderson, in her classroom, that sparks really start to fly.
Possible love isn’t the sole thing on their minds, however. Life is heating up for the residents of the idyllic Huon Valley. There’s an arsonist loose in the beautiful Tassie countryside, and he’s intent on causing maximum destruction to the bush, farms and towns as well.– A firestorm.
Can the intrepid duo track down the perpetrator and stop him in time?
This touching drama has it all; intrigue, mystery and life-threatening drama. Join strong and feisty Debra in her search for a happier life and true love.
Buying Link https://bit.ly/4o9GOzD
Want a sneak peek? Here’s an excerpt:
Chapter One: New Girl in School
February 1974. The Huon Valley – Tasmania
My car screeched to a halt. I was late … Again.
Switching off my radio, my mind was processing the morning news I’d just heard. Tasmania’s bushfires continued to be a concern. The temperature was already twenty-five centigrade. It was just after nine o’clock. Not a great combination. It was hot. Far too hot for me. My ex had air-conditioning in his car, one of the few aspects of him that I missed. My ageing Cortina just had windows, one of which I had to push up by hand as the winder whatsit had snapped off.
Gingerly, I peeled myself off the faux leather vinyl seat. I’d stuck to it, my tepid, almost cold morning shower a distant memory. Stinking hot meant sticking hot, too. As for the stinking part, everyone was in the same boat at school. That was one consolation, albeit not a great one.
Nevertheless, I had my more pressing worries. Namely, the ire of our ‘beloved’ headmaster. I locked my car after grabbing my case of books and papers. Sprinting across the playground caused a few heads of the milling students to turn. They’d probably never seen a teacher run; another first for this new girl. Technically, I was a woman, but I still felt like an active teenager, physically at least.
“Hello, Miss Winters,” a few of them called out. “You’re late.”
Thanks for stating the blinking obvious, girls, I felt like saying, glancing at my watch.
“G’day, girls,” I replied instead, stopping at the door of the main building to swap to pull off my sandshoes and slip on my low heels over my pantyhose.
A quick adjustment of my nylon blouse and skirt, and I was ready to face the critical eye of my Headmaster, Ken (call me Kenneth) Lawson.
“Morning, ladies,” I greeted Mrs Bennett and Mrs Alliprandi as I walked briskly past the school secretaries. They both glanced pointedly at their watches. I heard a muttered tsk from one of them and a whispered ‘More like afternoon’ from the other. My first week at All Saints was shaping up to be my last.
The staff room door was closed. From the other side, I could hear Mr Lawson’s dulcet tones.
Without a pause, I opened the heavy door and walked into the morning staff briefing. Peering at the assembled ten teachers at our school, I gave them my biggest and warmest smile before declaring, “Traffic was murder.”
No one laughed. The fact that I’d seen fewer than a dozen cars in the last fifty kilometres in my drive from Hobart meant my excuse was a joke.
“You are late, Miss Winters. I’m very disappointed. Very disappointed, indeed,” said Mr Lawson in his sternest Headmastery voice. It was the same tone usually reserved for the naughtiest of kiddies in our school. The fact that he had chosen to include me in that category wasn’t lost on me, nor the other staff.
“So everyone’s been telling me, but actually, I’m not, Mr Lawson, sir. The briefing’s at quarter to nine and that’s …,” I pointed to the clock over the notice board, “Still two minutes away.” I gave him a wide grin, praying that this teensy-weensy white lie would not condemn me to purgatory in this religious school. Debra Winters versus Kenny Lawson; Fifteen love.
Principal Lawson glanced at his watch, then at the staff-room clock, comparing the times. I wondered if he’d realised that the clock had been ‘accidentally’ set back a few minutes by yours truly yesterday arvo, prior to me driving home.
Welcome to my blog, Alan. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
My parents encouraged me to be an avid reader like they were. I recall my mother showing me a book by Alan Williams back in the sixties. She said that she’d love to see my name on a book that I’d written someday. I wrote my autobiography at age twenty. It was just for me. I tried short stories after retiring, selling over sixty. The first short story I sold was when I was sixty-two. Sadly, they both passed well before any success. I moved on to longer stories eventually. My first novel was written and sold within three months. I was sixty-eight at the time. Since then, I’ve sold eighteen more.
Has any author inspired you?
I’ve read so many great novels and short stories. Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury inspired my love of science fiction and fantasy. Recently, I’ve revisited Ray Bradbury’s works. I wasn’t disappointed. WE Johns and his Biggles books, were my favourite in primary school. I guess my present novels have touches of those old thrilling adventures within them.
What do you like writing most?
Romance with many other genres thrown in. I love to mix mild fantasy, cosy crime, mysteries, thrillers into my tales, all featuring strong women. I asked for questions from the all-female audience when I gave a presentation recently. ‘Why women?’ one lady asked. ‘Because we’re more interesting,’ another shouted. She was right.
Do you have a special place for writing?
No. I write whilst sitting on the settee with my wife beside me, watching telly. Strange, but that’s me.
Are you a pantster or a plotter?
Definitely a pantser. I can visualise an entire novel in my head, including plot twists and secondary characters, plus subplots. I’m lucky like that. I usually have the right word length there, too, within two thousand words when I do my first draft. The frustrating part is typing it out. I’m a one-finger typist. I do literally make it up as I go along.
Is your writing ever inspired by your family or real-life incidents?
Again, I’m fortunate. I am skilled at weaving reality and fantasy together. Many of my novels are set in locations and times when I was there, mirroring my real experiences and emotions. Mix in a few explosions, murders or kidnappings, and I have a well-rounded tale. Two novels were based on my meeting my wife in Sydney. It’s not difficult to see my wife, daughter and even me in those fanciful romance/thrillers. The names may have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty, but there are aspects of the truth there.
What are you writing at the moment?
I’ve just finished final edits for ‘Tasmania – The Neverwhen Paradox’. I lived in Tasmania many years ago. Although published in a shorter book for large print in libraries, I decided to extend it by twenty thousand words and revise it considerably. It’s a combination mystery, romance, crime, and fantasy tale. Think about a modern-day King Arthur quest, and that might give you a clue.
What inspired you to write this book?
Arriving in Tasmania for the first time with the intention of living there was magical. Writing the novel brought back such happy memories.
What time of the day do you write best?
Anytime, but usually morning and late afternoon. I struggle with later in the day presently due to ongoing health issues. The joys of becoming older.Sigh.
What are your hobbies?
Do it yourself. I’ve just finished plasterboarding and renovating a room. It’s satisfying but has taken weeks rather than the few days it would have taken a decade ago. I’ve sold a lot of paintings and sketches in my younger days; however, I can’t do that any longer because of arthritis.
What advice would you give to other writers?
Read a lot and write a lot. Join writers’ groups to share and learn from others. Don’t be discouraged by rejection. Believe in yourself. And above all, enjoy the journey.
Great advice, Alan. Thank you for coming by to talk to us today. Wishing you lots of sucess with your novel.
Meet Alan
Bio
Alan is a retired Science teacher and Financial Services Manager, currently exiled and living in Southport, England. He was born in Sydney Australia and over the many decades has lived in New South Wales, England, Tasmania and France. He has seventeen books in libraries worldwide, all featuring strong female lead characters. Other books are for sale on Amazon, including a short story collection, ‘The Rain, The Park and Other Things’ and his series of books set in Australia, ‘The Down Under Collection’.
His continuing writing story can be found at www.acwilliams-author.com
Contact links
Facebook – Alan C. Williams – Author
https://www.facebook.com/TassieTiger2020
Instagram – acwilliams_author
Goodreads – Alan C Williams X – A C Williams @TassieTTiger
More of Alan’s books
