JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Jayne-Marie Barker, author of Beneath The Daisies
(Austin & Macauley)
A mystery over two timeframes…
Sometimes love can be a shortcut to heaven – literally! A gift from the dead? Sophie Harris thinks so until her appointed handyman – the delectable Andy – unearths skeletons in the garden of her inherited new home.
Could a secret murderer lurk in her family tree? Simultaneously, the buried victims live on in their own time – 1930’s – as their story breathes through Elise’s diary. The touching love story twists through intrigue and heartfelt sympathy. Can happiness ever be theirs?
Delving into family secrets, Sophie finds herself at the mercy of a poisonous pen, her life threatened – just how far will they go to keep the truth hidden?
Police efforts do nothing to dent the poison pen’s composure, and a plot to murder Sophie begins to take shape. With the truth inches from revelation, Sophie is left clutching at the jaws of death. Will the police arrive in time?
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Beneath The Daisies?
Jayne-Marie Barker: Several ideas blended together. I always wanted to write something around the ‘buried in the garden’ idea but it needed to be realistic – at least in fictional terms!
I quite often write down little ideas then piece them together like a giant jig-saw!
JP: What sets Beneath The Daisies apart from other books in the same genre?
JMB: It’s a mystery with a romantic twist. The crime is long before the story commences and is solved by present day characters. At the same time, the reader lives through the events leading up to the crime. Both stories reach their climax together, keeping the reader in suspense until the very end.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Beneath The Daisies getting out to the public?
JMB: Perseverance and hard work mostly! To be a writer in today’s world you have to want to succeed. A passion for writing and old-fashioned hard work have bought me this far. I try to write tales that I believe people will want to keep turning the pages for.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Beneath The Daisies?
JMB: My first published novel took three years to write. During that time, it was re-written three times. The final version was altered quite significantly from the first. I have a format that I follow, and the first novel helped polish this format.
Since finalising the format, I have written two further mystery novels. Each have taken me about eight months. I start with research for necessary topics related to the subject matter, create character profiles and a detailed plan. When I’m happy that my foundation work is accurate, I begin to write.
JP: What’s next for Jayne-Marie Barker?
JMB: Beneath The Daisies will shortly be available as an e-book too.
My second novel Distant Shadows is due for release from the same publisher this summer – approximately July 2012.
I am almost finished with the final edit of my third novel (yet to be submitted to the publisher) and working on the first draft of my fourth book.
Book number four is the first in a new series of seven mystery novels based on the Seven Deadly Sins.
http://www.jaynemariebarker.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jayne-Marie-Barker/143114655789739
http://twitter.com/JayneMarieBarke
I am a listed author at http://www.goodreads.com.
Writing is my life, and I intend to keep going so readers can keep watching this space!
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