May Raymond

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 I have always loved books and reading. As a child I was admonished on more than one occasion for reading at the table or under the bedclothes at night, by torchlight. Nothing stopped me though, and I would read anything and everything.

 My first serious attempt at writing was a few short erotic stories for friends in a fan club. They were loosely based on a celebrity we all admired. Pure fantasy, but they were popular within our group. I later expanded one of these stories into a longer, almost book length story. Life then took over and it sat in a folder doing nothing until recently.

 Following several sad events in my life, I found the folder and re-read the story. To occupy my mind I started to re-write some parts and then discarded it in favour of writing something entirely new.

 Immersing myself in writing was very cathartic and before I knew it, I had a full length book on my hands.

 With encouragement from my husband and some good friends, I finally took the plunge and submitted the book for publishing. No-one was more surprised than me when it was accepted.

 There are now several characters in my head, waiting to be written about, but I will always have a soft spot for Alyssa and Aiden, and their journey, which continues, even now. Meanwhile, I keep listening to the others telling me their stories and writing whenever I get the chance.

My url is : mayraymond.wordpress.com

My email : [email protected]

Q: What interests do you have outside of writing?

A: I read constantly. I am not happy if I don’t have something on my Kindle to read. I also craft, making cards, knitting, and sewing. Musical theatre is a passion and I go whenever I get the chance. We own a caravan and we love having long weekends in the country or the New Forest, where we can just chill out.

Q: What do you read yourself?

A: Anything and everything. Well, almost. The only types of book I tend to avoid are autobiographies. I’m also not keen on blood & guts thrillers. When I read I like to lose myself in the story, so if I can do that, the book has my vote.

Q: Favourite author?

A: I think I have probably read more of Terry Pratchett than any other author, and I admire him tremendously. I wish I could write half as well as him. His sense of humour is on a par with mine and his characters are so lifelike, even in fantasy.

Q: Why did you set your first book in Canada, when you live in England?

A: Most books I read are set either in USA or Europe. Very few are set in Canada so I just thought I would be a bit different.

Q: Do you write every day?

A: I wish I had the time. I still have a ‘day job’ so I have to write in whatever spare time I can find.

Q: Do you collect anything?

A: I collect witches. My house is full of them. I also have a small collection of ‘Me to You’ figurines, which is expanded each Christmas by my husband. Even one of those figurines is a witch!

 Also, now, much to my husband’s disgust, my handbag collection is getting out of hand. He says they are taking over the house. But a girl can never have too many handbags, can she?

Q: What music do you like?

A: I like real music. I don’t like manufactured sounds or bands. My CD collection ranges from Symphonic Metal to classical, taking in people like David Bowie and Elvis along the way. At present, Within Temptation and Breed 77 are probably my favourites. Garth Brooks, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Peter Frampton. Adele. Who can honestly choose from so many brilliant artists in the world?

Q: Do you have a favourite film?

A: I love chick flicks! You’ve Got Mail, Letters to Juliet. That sort of thing. I also love things like Monsters Inc., Ice Age, and Despicable Me. I think it’s because it’s another way to escape the mundanities of real life. I also love anything that makes me laugh.

Q: Do you have pets?

A: I have a dog, Ben, and two chinchillas named Asbo and Tim. Ben is getting old now and has arthritis, but he still loves his walks and his daily treat afterwards.

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