1. What
gave you the idea for your Snowflakes story?
Well, it all started with
a writing competition theme picture. You had to write a story about a park
bench. I’ve always thought being a park
gardener must be a very interesting job, not just because you’re working outside
in all weathers and in time with the ever-changing seasons, but because
you must see a lot of comings and goings as the public enjoy the open space.
I decided to write it
from the gardener’s point of view because I thought that was the most
interesting, and of course he wouldn’t know who the two people were, or their
circumstances. The theme of my story is, of course, about lost fathers
too.
My parents divorced when
I was 14 though my father still lived within walking distance so I did have
contact with him, but I do understand how hard it is on the children when their
much loved parents make it difficult for them to keep in touch with both
parents. I lived with my mother and siblings but felt I was somehow betraying my
mother by seeing my father.
My father remarried and
his second wife wanted daughter as she had only sons by her first marriage, so
she tried very hard to be a mother to my sisters and I, which added to my sense
of betrayal to my mother. She then went on to have another son
by my father.
In my story the father and daughter
have to meet in secret trying hard not to betray the people they love, thus
giving the tale an air of a sad love story, which isn’t a romance.
My father passed away before he got to
see me published, I think he would be proud of what I have achieved so far. My
mother passed away the 7th Sept this year. She had been in a
nursing home for the last eight years of her life. Though she had good and bad
days, she did seem to understand that I was writing to get published. Every now
and again, she would ask me ‘How’s the book coming along, Paula.’ This would
make me walk on air for days afterward.
2. How
would you describe your normal style of writing?
My normal style of
writing is very dark. I like writing psychological crime stories without the
gore, but like tap into the recess of the mind. If I had been better educated I
would’ve studied psychology to have a better understand of human
nature.
3. Have
you published other material?
Yes, mainly short
stories. My first story was published by English Heritage after I was one of 50
writers whose work was selected for their anthology ‘Whitby Abbey Pure
Inspiration. Two stories were published by Bridge House in their anthologies,
‘Crime after Crime’ and ‘Light in the Dark’. I’ve had another selected for in
The Best of Cafelit in 2014 by Chapeltown Books and a wild life story published
by Springbok Publications.
In 2014 Parthian books
were on the hunt for New Gothic Fiction and I was lucky enough to have my story
for their anthology ‘A Flock of Shadows’
In 2012 I was the overall
winning in a writing competition run by the Writing Magazine and Harrogate Crime
writing Festival, my short story ‘Roofscapes’ is still available to
read on the ‘You’re Booked’ Harrogate Crime Writing festival site
in their ‘Joys of Reading’ site.
The story is the backdrop
for my novel which I’m busy editing, which I hope to find a publisher for soon.
Picture of Mark
Billingham when I won the writing competition.
4. Do you have a writing routine?
Yes, of course I do. Bum
on seat and keep writing until I run out of ideas. No matter, how bad it may
seem whenA I first get it down. Then the fun begins when I start editing it. I
like to start work early in the morning when it’s quiet. I write better in the
winter months and get more done as there are fewer distractions as I also enjoy
gardening, painting, walking and photography. One needs exercise, if you are
sitting all day so in the summer months my friend, Ana are normally out early
walking with our cameras, then I’m home to spend the rest of the day
writing.
5. Do
you have a favourite place for writing?
Facing the wall in the box room that’s
painted yellow and blue as I read somewhere that it is ideal to face a wall and
not a window because you can easily become distracted by what is going on
outside. Why yellow and blue for creativity, of course.
l
something quirky about you.
Hmm, I have a motorbike
licence. I grew up at a flour mill and my ancestor (by married) is Capt. James
Cook. (James never had any surviving
children and descendants are by his sister’s side of the family.) My husband,
Russell & I love the Whitby Goth Festival and go twice a year. Picture of
my husband Russell stand on my hands taken by Rob Taylor at the Whitby Goth Fest
2014
I’m found on ‘Facebook’ and I’ve a blog at:
pauleadman1.wordpress.com
An extract from The Meetings
As I sit on the park bench, I trace out the words engraved
on the small metal plaque with my fingertips. By doing this simple act, I
recall the happiness I witnessed so long ago.
Every day I come here as he did, all those years ago, and wondered
if the plaque could be a marker for my life too. As crazy as it may seem I used
to watch him, this unknown person, so strong, so full of life, and her too.
I noticed the young woman first. Usually, she came into the
park, where I worked from a small, side-road. Her long, blonde hair flowed
behind her like a veil of sunshine, even on the dullest of days; her footfall
on the gravel was so light it barely made a sound.
Some days when I was busy tidying the flowerbeds, I would
almost miss her arrival. Straightening up to ease my back, I would catch sight
of her pausing in the gateway. Her face would brighten when she saw him.
Laughing, she would rush into his waiting arms.
The casually, dressed man would arrive at the park some
mornings so early; the mist hadn’t had time to clear to wait for her. He was
always the first to arrive and came into the park through the main entrance,
with its large ornate gates of black and gold. A couple of hours later, she
would arrive with her beautiful smile.
I never quite knew what time of day they would arrive.
Sometimes, if the weather was awful in the morning, they came in the afternoon,
but I never saw the two of them arrive together.
At first, I wasn’t sure about their relationship, whether
they were lovers or not. Not that it was any of my business. I just saw two
happy people enjoying each other’s company.
Happiness is a rare thing these days and I considered myself
the lucky one, a silent witness to the happiness they shared as I worked among
the flowerbeds and borders.
I’ve never been a good judge of age, but I thought the man
looked slightly older than the woman as the sun highlighted the passing of his
years in the changing colour of his hair. Though to be truthful, I didn’t like
to guess the woman’s age as I hadn’t seen her close up, well, not at first.
About the author:
Paula R.
C. Readman
lives in Essex. In 2010, her first success was with
English Heritage selected her story for Whitby
Abbey- Pure Inspiration. Since then she’s
had several other short stories published and won two writing competitions. In
2011, ‘The Meetings’ was selected the overall winner by Austin Macauley
in their short story competition. In 2012, ‘Roofscapes’ selected as the overall
winner by best-selling crime writer, Mark Billingham
in the Harrogate Crime writing Festival. In 2015, Parthian Books selected one
of her stories for their New Gothic Fiction: A Flock of Shadows. Now she’s
working hard to find a home for her first novel.
Find out more about Paula and her writing on her
Amazon Author page or on her blog: http://paulareadman1wordpress.com
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