Friday, April 29, 2011

Guest Blogger: Nell Thomas on Writing

Please join me in welcoming author Nell Thomas as the special guest blogger here today as she stops by to talk about her latest release and writing in general.

Nell is the author of THE TWIN. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book: Detective Ray Webster assumes he is taking on another average investigation when he flies to Nebraska to interview a man concerning a missing person’s case; however, what he encounters there is a mystery far more complicated than he ever imagined in Nell Thomas’ new thriller, THE TWIN.

When Ray arrives at Jeff Vance’s house to interview him, he is met by Jeff’s wife, Jessica, who informs Ray that her husband has died in a fatal car crash. Furthermore, she tells the detective that he is nearly identical to Jeff in appearance. After investigating deeper into the matter, Ray discovers that Jeff is the twin brother he never knew he had. 

 
Against their better judgment, Ray and Jessica are immediately drawn to one another. For Jessica’s sake, Ray embarks on a journey to find out as much as he can about the fatal car accident that claimed Jeff’s life. Was it really an accident – or did Jeff know too much about the disappearance of the missing person?

Nell has answered some questions for me about her writing process, as well as her book.

Mason - What inspired you to write this book?

Nell - I read a lot, and love to read romance or romance with intrigue. I started thinking that maybe I could write just as well or better than some of the authors I'd read. So I began writing and the stories just seem to more or less write themselves.  I love happy endings!

Mason - How did you go about doing research for your book?

Nell - The setting for my book is Nebraska where I live, so I
knew the area. My knowledge basically came from a combination of reading a lot, life in general, and since the book is fiction, my imagination. There really wasn't a lot of research involved.

Mason - What was the best about writing this book and what was the worst?

Nell - The best thing about writing this book was that it was something I could create that was uniquely mine. It was a good feeling of accomplishment to be able to complete a novel. The worst part about writing this book was the length of time it took to write it, and being patient with myself when things went slow.

Mason - Do you have a writing schedule, a certain place you like to write, a certain time, do you listen to music or need quiet?

Nell - I don't have a particular writing schedule since I also have to work for a living. I just have to fit the writing in when I can. I do like to find a quiet place where I can work. I actually enjoy sipping a cup of coffee in a coffee shop while I work on the rough draft for a novel.

Mason - What can readers look for next from you?

Nell - Since I have Turner's Syndrome, sometime I would like to do a Christian romance in which the main female character has Turner's. It would be something unique, and although fiction, would address those issues that can be very real for girls and women with TS. I also have an inspirational/autobiographical/motivational non-fiction piece in mind. My ideas seem endless.

Nell, thanks for guest blogging today. Your plot for THE TWIN sounds intriguing.

Nell currently resides in Eastern Nebraska. With a degree in Biology, she has been a lab assistant for the last 15 years. Readers wishing to contact Nell with questions can reach her by e-mail at  exile1004@juno.com.

What are your thoughts on featuring twins in a mystery? Have you read a book featuring twins in a good or bad way?



 

11 comments:

  1. Nell, thanks again for guest blogging here today. Sounds like you've got some interesting ideas in the works for more books. Wishing you much success with your writing.

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  2. I totally understand what Nell said about how writing allows you to create something that's uniquely yours. It's a big part of why I write, too. Great interview.

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  3. Oooh, this one sounds good! Intriguing. I can only imagine Jessica's shock when she opened the door.

    Twins would be fascinating. There have been so many that were separated at birth.

    Nice interview, ladies!

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  4. ooh I wonder if they fall in love. Great interview. I have my own twins and at times they would've loved to have been separated at birth! They are nearly 20 and still fight like cats and dogs.

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  5. Mason, I'm tweeting this and putting a link on Facebook. It's a good interview, although competing with the royal wedding might be rough today, lol!

    Sia McKye's Thoughts...OVER COFFEE

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  6. I love the thought of twins in a mystery! There's something about twins that's very intriguing to begin with!

    I'm over here 'coz my blog has gone missing

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  7. Mason - Thanks for hosting Nell.


    Nell- Your novel sounds really intriguing! A mystery from the past, a twin/sibling issue and a dash of romance. It sounds like a solid mystery, too. I wish you much success with The Twin.

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  8. Oh, cool! A double mystery. My cup of tea.

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  9. A very neat twist. I like the whole twins idea. Sounds like a story I'd enjoy.

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  10. Very intriguing premise for the book. I don't know of any other recent books with a similar concept. And I'm sure they must fall in love. Nell did say she likes romance, right?

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  11. Interesting post, and I think it would be a great idea to write a story including a character with Turner´s. I have thought about using my personal knowledge about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a novel, but I haven´t had the right idea yet, and I won´t just include a person because that is ´my world´.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.