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| Rita Lee Chapman, Author DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS MISSING IN EGYPT WINSTON - A HORSE'S TALE |
Australian
author Rita Lee Chapman brings us her latest novel, DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS, described as a crime
mystery thriller about “a woman whose first husband's exploits are wreaking
havoc with her new life.” The author of a romantic travel mystery and a book
for horse lovers, Chapman wanted to appeal to both male and female readers so
turned to crime fiction.
Chapman is spending her retirement writing novels.
Besides writing and reading, she enjoys playing tennis, socializing with
friends, and walking around Australia’s beaches, rivers, and lakes.
Don't miss the short excerpt from DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS following the interview.
Q: You’ve
written a romantic travel mystery and a book for horse lovers. What drew you to
write your latest book, a crime mystery, DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS?
Rita Lee
Chapman: I
wanted to write something that could appeal to both male and female readers. WINSTON – A HORSE’S TALE was very
definitely targeted at horse lovers and I felt that MISSING IN EGYPT probably
appealed to women more than men.
Actually it’s very hard to write for men as most seem to prefer very
straight-forward, down-to-earth writing, without the frills and romance! I thought J.K.Rowling achieved it well
with her book, The Silkworm, written under the pen-name of Robert Galbraith, as
I really did think it was written by a man.
I
enjoy reading crime mysteries and watch quite a few crime shows on TV, so I
thought it would make an interesting change. Also, you get to kill some of your characters off!
Q: How do you
create compelling characters that engage readers? When writing in different
genres such as you’ve done, do you find that you create characters in a similar
manner? Or, do you reveal unique characteristics differently depending on the
genre?
Rita Lee
Chapman: Creating
characters is similar in any genre.
Possibly my female lead characters may display similar characteristics
as, so far, they have always been nice people! In DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS Cathy’s husband, Geoffrey, was
born in the East End of London and his speech and expressions were fun to
write. I could hear Dennis
Waterman’s voice (from The Minder and New Tricks) speaking to me as I
wrote. I also enjoyed writing the
Sargeant’s character.
Q: Reviewers
tout DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS as “chilling.” How do you create a “chilling”
story? How relevant is suspense toward a compelling read?
Rita Lee
Chapman: I
think readers expect suspense in a mystery or crime novel. You have to be a bit ruthless and try
to add some shock value. I must say
I was surprised by the use of the word “chilling” in a review of DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS, but then I knew what was going to happen! I do think what one reader would find
chilling, another might not.
Q: Why did you
choose to write DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS in first person? Did you find it helpful
or restrictive?
Rita Lee
Chapman: I
like writing in the first person; I think it is easier to portray what your
characters are thinking and feeling.
I overcame any restrictiveness by switching characters.
Q: Do you find
the concept of heroes vs villains useful in developing a compelling plot?
Rita Lee
Chapman: Definitely. I think every crime mystery has to have
at least one hero and a villain.
Q: Do you write
your books strictly to entertain readers or do you try to deliver a message or
educate as well?
Rita Lee
Chapman:
DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS was just for entertainment, but I did try to deliver a
message in WINSTON – A HORSE’S TALE.
So much cruelty to animals is caused by well-meaning people not knowing
any better. When I wrote MISSING IN EGYPT, I had recently visited Egypt and been amazed – it is so different to
anywhere else in the world. So
many of their temples are in such great condition that it is not hard to
imagine how they must have been in their heyday. I wanted to try and capture the essence of Egypt for those
who had been unable to visit and those who wanted to relive the experience.
Q: You selected
Egypt as the setting for your romantic travel mystery, MISSING IN EGYPT,
because it is “a mysterious and intriguing country,” ideal for a mystery. What about
the setting for DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS? Did it help define the backstory for
your crime mystery?
Rita Lee
Chapman: My books, so far, have all been based partly in Australia, because
that’s where I live it’s the most familiar to me. It’s also beautiful, by the way. I have also been lucky enough to have travelled to several
different countries and I like to include those experiences in my stories.
Q: Do you like to mix romance and mystery? What about humor? Does it
help to flesh out your characters and engage readers?
Rita Lee
Chapman: Yes, I love to mix romance and mystery. Romance makes the world go around! Most people have a love interest in
their lives so I think it makes the characters more engaging. As for humour – I’d love to write
comedy but the best I can manage is a few one liners.
Q: What’s next?
Rita Lee
Chapman: At the moment I’m
busy promoting DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS but I am thinking about writing another
book in the MISSING IN….
series. I’d like to follow
up on Anna’s later life and see what else she gets up to. I think we’ve both learned a lot since
MISSING IN EGYPT!
Q: Tell us about Rita Lee Chapman. What do you like to do when you’re
not writing?
Rita Lee Chapman: Like most writers, I’m a prolific reader. Some of my favourite authors are Kate Morton, Bryce Courtenay, Barbara Bradford Taylor, Colleen
McCullough, Dick Francis, Mary Higgins Clark, Jeffrey Archer, Fiona Walker and Rebecca
Bryn.
I also like playing tennis (enthusiastically, but
not very well), walking around our lovely rivers, lakes and beaches and
socialising. We have made
some lovely friends since we retired to Queensland and share some great lunches
and dinners.
About Rita Lee Chapman
Rita Lee Chapman was born in London and moved
to Australia in her early twenties.
It was only when she retired that she wrote her first novel, MISSING IN EGYPT, a romantic travel mystery.
WINSTON – A HORSE’S TALE followed, written
for horse lovers like herself. “It
was the book I had to write.”
Her latest book, DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS, is
her first foray into crime mystery.
About DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS
An ex-husband, a new love, a stalker. Cathy Thompson’s link to her ex-husband fills her life with
threats and intimidation. She must
either trap her stalker or find Geoffrey to put an end to her life of
fear.
Excerpt from DANGEROUS ASSOCIATIONS
Chapter 3 Love
Calls Again
I remember turning the radio dial to my favourite station as I went up
the hill towards work. As I
coasted down the other side I touched the brakes lightly to steady the car as I
approached the sharp left-hand turn.
It was a bad corner, where trucks often misjudged the angle and spilt
their load across the road. I
remembered the feeling of fear as I pushed the brake pedal harder, still
without any response. I pumped the
brake a couple of times but my foot was flat to the floor and the car was out
of control and heading towards the safety barrier. I knew there was at least a fifteen foot drop on the other
side. I was told afterwards by the
police that the driver of the car behind me said the car flew over the
guardrail, landed half way down the hill, rolled and landed on its side at the
bottom. I remember the sound of
metal against metal as the car hit the guardrail, but I was going too fast for
it to stop us. I could recall the
feeling of flying through the air and the thud as the car landed but I was unconscious when they pulled me
out.
About MISSING IN EGYPT
MISSING IN EGYPT will intrigue you with its twists and turns, romance and adventure as
well as its insights into Australian and Egyptian cultures. Australian Anna Davies travels to Egypt
with her lover to help him search for his brother, who disappeared whilst on
holiday. The Valley of the Kings,
Abu Simbel and the Temple of Karnak are amongst the settings for their
search. Will they be able to track
him down and find him alive - or is Ramy already dead? What tragedies await Anna and Kareem as
they come closer to retracing his footsteps? This fast-paced action plot will keep you guessing until the
end.
About WINSTON –A HORSE’S TALE
One for horse lovers! Winston is a good-looking palomino
horse whose life involves several different owners and many adventures. As you read his story, told by Winston
himself, you will appreciate horse ownership from the horse’s point of
view. Born on a country property
in Australia, Winston
Whether it’s jumping, eventing, hunting or
just hacking, Winston tries hard to please his rider. Follow his successes and
his failures from his breaking-in to his show jumping win. It is an eventful
life – the story of one Australian horse out of thousands, but one that you
will remember.
Links
DANGEROUS
ASSOCIATIONS purchase links
MISSING IN
EGYPT purchase links
WINSTON – A HORSE’S
TALE purchase links
Author Links
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