Val Penny
The Writer’s Life
Today for the series The Writer’s Life, I am featuring an interview of author Val Penny. Val is a writer of crime thriller novels. I am happy she allowed me to interview her on Bookplaces Blog. Welcome, Val!
Kay: Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? Where did you grow up and attend school?
Val: Hi Kay, Thank you for inviting me to chat with you today. I hale from northern California, but now live in SW Scotland, which is part of the UK. I grew up in Monterey, California, Edinburgh, Scotland, Denver, Colorado and Paris,France. It’s probably just as well that I like to travel! School is equally international. I attended high school in Edinburgh, Scotland and Denver, Colorado and read law in Edinburgh completing my JD in Albany, New York.
Kay: Are you married or single? Any children or pets?
Val: I am married to a Scotsman, and we have two grown-up daughters and a cat. The girls have moved out and live in London, England, but the cat still lives with us.
Kay: Are you employed now? Retired? If so, what were your previous occupations?
Val: I took early retirement from my job as a university lecturer when I was diagnosed with cancer. I now write full time.
Kay: Writers always talk about coffee a lot, even posting memes and cartoons. Are you a coffee drinker? Do you eat any specific food/snacks you while writing? Do you listen to music or need silence?
Val: I enjoy both coffee and tea but usually start the day with a coffee to get me going. I rarely eat when I’m writing, indeed I often forget about meals altogether. I do have a glass of water beside me to sip and occasionally have familiar music in the background. However, as I am listening to my characters more than anything else, it may seem as if I am working in silence, but the conversations in my head have my attention.
Kay: What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
Val: Apart from travel and visiting our daughters as I have mentioned, I like to go to the theatre and music concerts with my husband. I also enjoy walking, swimming and am a keen knitter.
Kay: Would you consider yourself a reader? What types of books do you like to read?
Val: I think every author should read before they even start to write. They should read a wide variety of books, not just the genre they most enjoy. I always have a book on my bedside table and another on my kindle. The books I have read most recently include Echo Burning a thriller by Lee Child, Born a Crime the memoir by Trevor Noah, and I am just about to start a book about Pirates The Lady’s Favour by A.J.Roberts.
Kay: Have you ever taken any writing courses?
Val: I suppose the first writing course I did was for my post-graduate diploma in creative writing. Since then I have attended a course on writing a crime novel run by Arvon. It was there I met my mentor, the late, great Peter Robinson. I regularly attend writing courses run by the Association of Christian Writers, South Florida Writers’ Association and at The Writers’ Summer School. You always learn something.
Kay: Tell us about your books, especially your newest one. Why did you decide to publish it and what was your inspiration?
Val: I write two series of crime thrillers, the DI Hunter Crime Thrillers and The Jane Renwick Thrillers. My most recent novel, Hunter’s Rules was launched by my publishers, SpellBound Books, at the Harrogate Crime Festival this month. The prequel to Hunter’s Rules is a short story that appeared in my collection of short stories, Hunter’s Christmas. I was keen to extend the story although, of course, both can be read independently.
Kay: Is there anything you’d like to talk about your writing life?
Val: I began writing fiction when I was recovering from cancer. I was too ill to engage in so many of my other interests. When my first book, Hunter’s Chase, was completed, two different publishers sought to publish it. I was thrilled to be able to share my stories with readers.
Kay: What type of characters do you enjoy writing about?
Val: I enjoy most writing the characters that drive the story forward and add to the tension, so that changes as the work progresses.
Kay: How do you come up with ideas for your book (s)?
Val: My ideas sometimes come from history or fairy stories, sometimes from the present-day news and sometimes from the dark recesses of my imagination.
Kay: Do you self-publish or are you with a traditional publishing company?
Val: I have always been traditionally published.
Kay: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Val: Read. Read more. Read widely and learn about the craft of writing before you start to write. Then, when you do start writing, keep writing. To produce a book is a marathon, not a sprint.
Kay: How do you market your books?
Val: I market my books through live events at book fairs, craft fairs, women’s institute events and writing schools. I also market through social media and blog tours.
Kay: Do you have a blog or website?
Val: My website www.valpenny.com contains my blog.
Kay: What is one surprising thing you would like your readers to know about you?
Val: I have been best man at two weddings!
Kay: Do you have a quote that has personal meaning for you? This could be from an author, famous person, community or religious leader or someone close to you.
Val: ‘I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.’ Harper Lee
Author Biography
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
Author Contact Details
https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny
www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739
www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303
https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409
https://twitter.com/valeriepenny
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1611574956&sr=1-1
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny
Buy Links
Hunter’s Chase – https://geni.us/ic7r
Hunter’s Revenge – https://geni.us/a13c
Hunter’s Force – https://geni.us/f5eJb
The First Cut – https://linktr.ee/spellboundbks
Hunter’s Blood – https://tinyurl.com/8rrpp59x
Hunter’s Secret – https://tinyurl.com/ezer746e
Hunter’s Christmas – https://rb.gy/9d79us
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Thank you, Val, for taking the time to answer my questions for this interview. I wish you success with your writing and in life! It was a pleasure to have you visit Bookplaces Blog.
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dgkaye
July 31, 2024 at 6:24 pmWonderful interview Kay. I enjoyed learning about Val and her work. Hugs <3
Kay Castaneda
July 31, 2024 at 9:35 pmThanks for visiting Debby. I’m sure Val will be happy to hear that. I added her books to my reading list.
dgkaye
August 1, 2024 at 10:41 am<3
Marsha
August 5, 2024 at 10:47 amGreat interview, Kay. I’m adding her books as well. I just finished one, so I have been looking for the next one. She sounds like a lovely person.
Kay Castaneda
August 5, 2024 at 12:09 pmThanks for stopping by Marsha. I added her books to my list too. 🙂
robertawrites235681907
August 29, 2024 at 4:00 amA lovely author interview, Kay. It’s nice to meet Val and learn about her writing and books.