Good morning one and all. Today I am delighted to be hosting my good friend Geoff Le Pard.
He arrived on my doorstep looking like this. Well I had to ask him in I really could not leave him outside, what would the neighbours think.
It wasn’t so much what he was wearing, though, that threw me but more the aeriel sticking out of his head. Anyway he’d bought cake so I did what I always do in these circumstances and put the kettle on.
So Geoff, The Art Of Spirit Capture , that’s an intriguing name for a book. Knowing you the content will be as unusual as the title.
Here lets get that hat and aeriel off , it will save a lot of damage on the wood work.
Can you tell us, Geoff how did you find your Characters and the Main Protagonist for the book?
In all my fiction, character is as important as plot, at least to begin with. Eventually plot begins to take precedence so I’m sure the story hangs together and is credible. But finding my main characters is crucial and I often default to people I’ve known down the years or come across in fiction to start my hunt.
The Art started life as a 500 word piece with one main character, the inventor of the spirit capture, Ben Wood. Logic would dictate the story followed him but I soon decided that wasn’t how I wanted to go.
In the 500 word piece you had to be in the know to take advantage of Ben’s discovery and invention. It was something that was being kept secret, to stop Ben being overwhelmed. A sort of mutual understanding amongst the locals to keep quiet.
It would better, I reasoned to begin the book with someone who knew nothing about the captures and their effect and have him or her discover what they were. And as is often best in fiction, put him or her in some jeopardy once the secret was revealed.
More tea vicar..I mean Geoff, it’s your dress, it is confusing me. Where did inspiration come from?
There is a Bill Forsyth film that I love. Local Hero came out in the 80s and made me fall in love with the Highlands of Scotland. It also has one of the great instrumental pieces in film, from Dire Straits, one of my favourite bands.
The lead character in Local Hero is a stressed oil executive from Texas who is dispatched to Scotland to persuade the locals of the benefits of allowing the oil industry in. He is bemused, out of his depth and beautifully played for a patsy as the locals, who want the money the oil will bring. They exploit his conviction that they will be against the exploitation. I wanted to capture a little of that confusion, that reversal of roles.
In the film there are several ‘characters’ amongst the locals and I knew I wanted to populate my community with a similar range. But also to give them differing and overlapping motivations.
Thus Jason Hales, recently single, redundant, with his brother in a coma and now homeless became my hero. His is a journey for sure.
Well all I can say is I am looking forward to reading this!
The Art Of Spirit Capture, here is the Blurb
Jason Hales is at his lowest ebb: his brother is in a coma; his long-term partner has left him; he’s been sacked; and Christmas is round the corner to remind him how bad his life has become.
After receiving an unexpected call telling him he’s a beneficiary of his Great Aunt Heather’s estate, he visits the town he vaguely recalls from his childhood, where his great aunt lived. Wanting to find out more, he’s soon sucked into local politics revolving around his great uncle’s extraordinary glass ornaments, his ‘Captures’, and their future.
While trying to piece his life back together, he’ll have to confront a number of questions: What actually are these Captures and what is the mystery of the old wartime huts where his uncle fashioned them? Why is his surly neighbour so antagonistic? Can he trust anyone, especially the local doctor Owen Marsh and Charlotte Taylor, once a childhood adversary, but now the lawyer dealing with the estate? His worries pile up, with his ex in trouble, his flat rendered uninhabitable and his brother’s condition worsening. Will Christmas bring him any joy?
Set in the Sussex countryside, this is a modern novel with mystery, romance and magic at its core, as well as a smattering of hope, redemption and good cooking.
Now if you don’t know of Geoff Le Pard and his blog TanGental where have you been? Here is his information and a list of all his fabulous books and where to buy them.
Geoff Le Pard started writing to entertain in 2006. He hasn’t left his keyboard since. When he’s not churning out novels he writes some maudlin self-indulgent poetry, short fiction and blogs at geofflepard.com. He walks the dog for mutual inspiration and most of his best ideas come out of these strolls. He also cooks with passion if not precision.
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My Father and Other Liars is a thriller set in the near future and takes its heroes, Maurice and Lori-Ann on a helter-skelter chase across continents.
Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle is a coming of age story. Set in 1976 the hero Harry Spittle is home from university for the holidays. He has three goals: to keep away from his family, earn money and hopefully have sex. Inevitably his summer turns out to be very different to that anticipated.
In this, the second book in the Harry Spittle Sagas, it’s 1981 and Harry is training to be a solicitor. His private life is a bit of a mess and he’s far from convinced the law is for him. Then an old acquaintance from his hotel days appears demanding Harry write his will. When he dies somewhat mysteriously a few days later and leaves Harry in charge of sorting out his affairs, Harry soon realises this will be no ordinary piece of work. After all, his now deceased client inherited a criminal empire and several people are very interested in what is to become of it.
The third instalment of the Harry Spittle Sagas moves on the 1987. Harry is now a senior lawyer with a well-regarded City of London firm, aspiring to a partnership. However, one evening Harry finds the head of the Private Client department dead over his desk, in a very compromising situation. The senior partner offers to sort things out, to avoid Harry embarrassment but soon matters take a sinister turn and Harry is fighting for his career, his freedom and eventually his life as he wrestles with dilemma on dilemma. Will Harry save the day? Will he save himself?
Life in a Grain of Sand is a 30 story anthology covering many genres: fantasy, romance, humour, thriller, espionage, conspiracy theories, MG and indeed something for everyone. All the stories were written during Nano 2015
Salisbury Square is a dark thriller set in present day London where a homeless woman and a Polish man, escaping the police at home, form an unlikely alliance to save themselves.
This is available here
Buster & Moo is about about two couples and the dog whose ownership passes from one to the other. When the couples meet, via the dog, the previously hidden cracks in their relationships surface and events begin to spiral out of control. If the relationships are to survive there is room for only one hero but who will that be?
Life in a Flash is a set of super short fiction, flash and micro fiction that should keep you engaged and amused for ages
Apprenticed To My Mother describes the period after my father died when I thought I was to play the role of dutiful son, while Mum wanted a new, improved version of her husband – a sort of Desmond 2.0. We both had a lot to learn in those five years, with a lot of laughs and a few tears as we went.
Life in a Conversation is an anthology of short and super short fiction that explores connections through humour, speech and everything besides. If you enjoy the funny, the weird and the heart-rending then you’ll be sure to find something here.
When Martin suggests to Pete and Chris that they spend a week walking, the Cotswolds Way, ostensibly it’s to help Chris overcome the loss of his wife, Diane. Each of them, though, has their own agenda and, as the week progresses, cracks in their friendship widen with unseen and horrifying consequences.
Famous poets reimagined, sonnets of all kinds, this poerty selection has something for all tastes, from the funny, to the poignant to the thought-provoking and always written with love and passion.
So you are off now, are you Geoff it was so much fun to have visit and tell us all about the new book.
You can buy it here
Hang on Geoff you’ve left a strange looking jar in my kitchen. GEOFF! GEOFF!!
