Here is H E’s Post hejoyce-a-very-british-blog.blogspot.co.uk
Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment?
I was born in Sheffield in the UK and, although I left to go to university and have spent many years working in other parts of the country, I returned to Sheffield about 7 years ago. I’ve come back to my roots so to speak and I’m very happy to have done so.
Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at the moment?
I’ve mostly lived and worked in Britain although I studied at university in Texas back in the 1980s. Consequently I have lots of friends in the US and like to visit them as often as I can. I also have family in Australia, New Zealand and Canada so use any excuse to travel.
Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?
That’s a tricky one because there are so many great places to visit. I lived and worked in Brighton for a number of years and so I have a real soft spot for that area. I love the coast and we have some wonderful coastal towns in Yorkshire; both Whitby and Scarborough are great places to visit. I’m not really a country-side kind of person but we also have the Yorkshire Moors which are pretty amazing. I also think there are some lovely spots in Hampshire where I worked for a while. I’m more of a city person and I think Britain has lots of vibrant exciting cities. London is obviously full of activity but I also love Edinburgh, Liverpool and Newcastle to name just a few. I think the best thing about Britain is it is so diverse there is something for everyone and it’s so small most places are easily accessible.
Q Have you 'Highlighted' or 'Showcased' any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?
I tend to set my books in both Britain and the USA. I set Dare To Lose in Brighton which was a lot of fun because I got to have lots of mini breaks in order to do ‘research’. Don’t Look Back is set in Sheffield although part of the action moves to America. Family Ties is set in both Edinburgh and the USA.
Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish – about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff
upper lip’. Is that correct?
We may be known for our ‘stiff upper lip’ but I’m not sure that it’s the case anymore. I would like to see a return to the days when people didn’t feel the need to display every emotion publically but sadly I don’t think it will ever happen. People often point to the death of Princess Diana as a turning point when the whole nation seemed to embrace competitive grieving. TV programmes like Big Brother have compounded the problem by encouraging people to want to live out every aspect of their lives in public. Then we have Facebook and Twitter and blogs although I confess I am totally addicted to tweeting and blogging so I probably should just shut up.
Q. Do any of the characters in your books carry the ‘stiff upper lip’? Or are they all ‘British Bulldog’ and unique in their own way?
Well all of my protagonists are strong women but they are very different. I have a series of novels based around a character called Georgie Connelly who is a bit of a loose cannon. I’m not sure I would describe her as having a ‘stiff upper lip’ as she is very volatile but she is fearless and feisty. My lead characters in Dare To Lose and Family Ties are probably more the ‘stiff upper lip’ types. In Dare To Lose, Nicola Mills is a woman with strong convictions who does the right thing no matter how tough that might be. In Family Ties, Beth Spencer is unable to express her feelings and her relationships suffer because of this.
Q. Tell us about one of your recent books
My most recent book is the fourth in the Georgie Connelly series. It’s called False Allegiance and in it Georgie finds herself caught up with the fraternity/sorority system that is a big part of college life in the US. The books are set in LA although Georgie is English. She is a documentary film maker by trade but invariably finds herself investigating wrong doing. Georgie is aided in her escapades by a regular cast of characters. I hope that the books have something for everyone; they are crime thrillers that are peppered with romance and lots of fun along the way.
Q. What are you currently working on?
I have only just published False Allegiance so I am still in the planning stages of my next book. It’s going to be a standalone story rather than part of the Georgie Connelly series.
Q. How do you spend your leisure time?
I like to spend my spare time catching up with friends usually over food and wine. I love films so I’m a frequent visitor to the cinema. I also enjoy the theatre and in Sheffield we are lucky enough to have the Crucible Theatre which is great and has had a run of really good productions over the past year. I try to keep fit with the odd exercise class and lots of walking – I have to try and counteract that food and wine somehow!
Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?
When I first started writing I assumed that my books would probably only appeal to a local audience but as it’s turned out I seem to sell more books in the US than in this country. I’m not sure why that is.
Q. Can you provide links to your work?
http://www.amazon.com/E.L.-Lindley/e/B006S2GRCE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1362337939&sr=1-2-ent
http://www.amazon.co.uk/E.L-Lindley/e/B006S2GRCE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1362337991&sr=1-1
Below are the links for other British authors who have taken part in The Very British Blog Tour
Geoffrey West
http://geoffreywestdotcom.wordpress.com/
Maria Savva
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3717273-a-very-british-blog-tour-2013
Susan Buchanan
http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/a-very-british-blog-tour.html
Bev Spicer
http://baspicer.blogspot.fr/
June Kearns
http://junekearns.com/
Alice Huskisson
http://alicehuskissonauthor.wordpress.com/
HE Joyce
http://www.hejoyce.com/blog-1/
Terry Tyler
http://terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/