Hello, My Lovelies,
Today I’m excited to have British-born, best-selling paranormal cosy mystery author Holly Bell answer some of my peculiar questions.
Kim: Hi, Holly and welcome to The BG Blog
Kim: I’m completely hooked on the world you’ve come up with for your Amanda Cadabra series, and I’ve totally lost myself in the village of Sunken Madley and all the people there. Lol!
What story have you lost yourself in, either recently or in the past, that has left a lasting impression on you even now?
Holly: It has to be Lord of the Rings. When I was reading it, it felt more real than reality. It was all I wanted to think or talk about! More than any other book, it taught me about world-building, especially a world with fantasy elements. It plugged into my love of history, and the richness of the context made the whole saga utterly believable. I revel in Tolkien’s use of language in creating characters and regions, and the emotional terrain is vast. It is glorious escapism, full of valuable life lessons absorbed by osmosis and has been a how-to for me as a writer. It is one of my oldest friends.
Kim: I have to confess that I haven’t actually read any of Tolkien’s work (I’m ashamed to say the length puts me off), but I LOVED the films; they’ve become some of my favourites.
As we’re discussing favourites, what are your top 5 favourite books?
- Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien (See above!)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis (Another utterly believable escapist tale of goodness triumphing.)
- Friday’s Child – Georgette Heyer (Funniest romance I have ever read and love the historical setting and detail.)
- Witches Abroad – Terry Pratchett (Wisest and most entertaining spin on fairytales I have come across. Great admirer of Sir Terry’s collected works.)
- 1066 and All That – W. C. Sellar, R. J. Yeatman (Laugh-out-loud spin on history and traditional attitudes to it.)
Kim: I have fond memories of opening my Nan’s old wardrobe and hoping to feel snow. Although I haven’t read all the Discworld books, the ones that I have read I’ve enjoyed, so I’ll have to check out Witches Abroad and add it to my pile.
Thank you for visiting the blog today, Holly, and answering my questions. I think you’ve added a few more titles to our ever-growing TBR piles. You’ve certainly added to mine.
So what about you, fellow book-a-holics, have you read any of Holly’s favourites?
Have you added any of the above books to your lists like I have?
As usual, I’d love to hear from you; just leave a comment below.
Meet Holly Bell
Meet The Author
Cat adorer and chocolate lover, Holly Bell is a photographer and video maker when not writing. Holly lives in the UK and is a mixture of English, Scottish, Cornish and Welsh, among other ingredients.
Whilst being an enthusiastic novel reader, Holly has had a lifetime’s experience in writing non-fiction. Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth is her first official venture into the realm of fiction and there is no looking back in the foreseeable future.
Her favourite animal is called Bobby. He is a black cat. Purely coincidental. Of course.
