Thursday 19 January 2017

Author Interview: Family Sailaway by Derek Curzon




Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
A bit of both. I usually plan an idea first then it can sometimes go of in a tangent.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story? 
No
What is your favourite food? 
Indian
Are you a morning person or a night owl? 
Morning
Where do you dream of travelling to and why? 
The Caribbean on a cruise for lazy, hazy days, blue sky and dropping in on a different island each day.
Do distant places feature in your books? 
No
Do you listen to music while writing? 
Yes, sometimes depending on my mood.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release? 
Family Sailaway is the 2nd in a planned trilogy and centers around 3 families aboard a cruise and the interactions between them. There is also a single, rather mysterious character that a central character befriends and another is suspicious of. What is she up to?
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started? 
If you can afford to, find yourself a good editor and book coach; and perhaps some PR as well.
Is there anything you would do differently? 
I enlisted the help of a 3rd party to enable me to self-publish my 1st book which was probably a mistake.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing? 
Our cruise experiences gave me the inspiration.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft? 
Be positive and believe in your story/idea.
What are three words that describe you? 
Approachable, analytical and organized
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer? 
Sunset Song
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book.
In Family Sailaway, Sarah receives a flyer from CZN Cruises with tantalizing summer offers and soon makes plans for her next cruise. This time, the adventure is longer, the ship is bigger and there are many more countries on the agenda. Unlike the first cruise, when she travelled with her younger sister, Sarah is joined by her aunt, uncle, cousin and boyfriend Paul (who she met on her first cruise). Two other families become part of their adventure and sparks fly between cousin Megan (young, single, attractive - and she knows it) and protagonist Sarah. 
Megan befriends another passenger, Rebecca, who says she is a cruise reporter but Sarah suspects there is more to her than meets the eye.  Megan attracts a lot of attention from fellow passengers including a married man travelling with his wife and a younger, shy man who lives in the shadows of his more confident brother. Who will win Megan’s affections and how do other families get entangled in their story along the way? A storm brews during the cruise that makes for even more entertaining scenes along the way. This is a tale of family relationships, friendships, suspicion and intrigue, romance, feuds and, of course, the thrill of the cruise.  
List of previous books if any 
Surprise Sailaway
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

***

Family Sailaway
Sailaway Trilogy
Book 2
Derek Curzon

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Cruising

Publisher: Filament Publishing

Publication date: 24th January 2017

ISBN: 978-1-911425-51-9

Book Description:

In Family Sailaway, Sarah receives a flyer from CZN Cruises with tantalising summer offers and soon makes plans for her next cruise. This time, the adventure is longer, the ship is bigger and there are many more countries on the agenda. Unlike the first cruise, when she travelled with her younger sister, Sarah is joined by her aunt, uncle, cousin and boyfriend Paul (who she met on her first cruise).

Two other families become part of their adventure and sparks fly between cousin Megan (young, single, attractive - and she knows it) and protagonist Sarah. Megan befriends another passenger, Rebecca, who says she is a cruise reporter but Sarah suspects there is more to her than meets the eye.

Megan attracts a lot of attention from fellow passengers including a married man travelling with his wife and a younger, shy man who lives in the shadows of his more confident brother. Who will win Megan’s affections and how do other families get entangled in their story along the way? A storm brews during the cruise that makes for even more entertaining scenes along the way. This is a tale of family relationships, friendships, suspicion and intrigue, romance, feuds and, of course, the thrill of the cruise.



Family Sailaway is the second in the ‘Sailaway Trilogy’ and starts six months after the original book. You could read this as a standalone book but as they're both quick and easy reads, we strongly recommend starting with the first - Surprise Sailaway, published by Filament in 2015 – and then jumping ship straight to the second!


Surprise Sailaway
Sailaway Trilogy
Book 1
Derek Curzon

Print Length: 138 pages
Publisher: Filament Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: December 7, 2015

ASIN: B0193S7QBK

Book Description:

Surprise Sailaway tells the story of two sisters who embark on a short cruise following the sudden and tragic death of their parents. Sarah and Hannah find themselves living the high life on the high seas where the eldest finds possible romance and the youngest a potential career. Life on board is relaxed and stress-free for them both, a million miles away from the memories they have back home of their parents.

Follow their adventures on board as they visit Amsterdam and Hannah has the chance to see Paris. A twist at the end is a direct result from the parent’s death and an event that will change both sister’s lives forever.





About the Author:

Born and raised in Dundee, cruise aficionado, retail manager and author, Derek Curzon, moved to Lancashire in 1998 aged 28. His background is Accountancy, he has worked in myriad roles in the banking world as well as editing a local magazine. He found love through writing - he married his penpal (before the days of emailing and Tinder!) and their first cruise was their honeymoon in 2005 - they've never looked back and have been on six cruises to date with plenty more in the pipeline.

Their cruise holidays have given them the chance to see places they couldn’t have hoped to visit on a 'normal' holiday. The Sailaway Trilogy takes inspiration from their own cruise experiences and celebrates the cruise industry as the booming travel sector it is today.

Family Sailaway, due for release in January 2017, is the second book in the series. As a spin-off from the trilogy, Derek launched a fictional cruise blog: ‘Nautical Nights.’ It's a light-hearted and humorous look at life on board a cruise ship and the ensuing adventures!

When he's not working his day-job, writing blogs or articles, or planning the next book, Derek can be found long-distance walking.

As a couple, Derek and his wife have completed the West Highland and Great Glen Ways in the Scottish Highlands and will be walking Hadrian’s Wall in 2017.









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