BooksChatter: ℚ A Fool's Circle

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Suzanne Seddon to talk about A Fool's Circle (17 March 2019, Wallace Publishing, 256 pages), a Crime Fiction.

A gritty, no holds barred story, dark and at times upsetting in its ‘realness’ but brilliantly written. [...]Brutal, harrowing, emotive, scarily genuine, great storyline and left me feeling I had spent a day reading a worthy 10/10 5 Stars book!" ~ Mark, Goodreads review

"The plot twists and turns were stunning. A compelling read that certainly won't disappoint." ~ Susan Hunter

"well-written psychological thriller with credible characters and enough twists and turns to keep you reading and reading until the very unexpected ending." ~ Linda Strong

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: KCR Preview || Teaser: Excerpt || Teasers || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Suzanne Seddon; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for A Fool's Circle?

"Being a single mother. I originally wrote A Fool’s Circle as a feature film but decided to turn it in to a book.

My inspiration came from my own dysfunctional family. "

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Growing up around domestic violence and mental abuse. I think a great part of my life is reflected in the book."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for A Fool's Circle - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The genre of my book, is a crime thriller but it very much involves domestic violence in the household. My cover is really about who is really seeing this go on and how it affects others. Not just the people who are the main victims.

The artist who captured the image I wanted is a very talented man. His name is Hammad Khalid. He is the most patient and talented person I have met for a long time. We keep in touch and I’m happy to say he has become a really good friend. I would definitely work with him again."

Why should we read A Fool's Circle and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"There are a lot of people that have been through domestic violence and mental abuse, that choose to write just about that. Which is great and I’m not disputing it. But with doing some of my own research, I found that most people don’t want to pick up a book and read it if it’s just about domestic violence. Which is very sad, because it is very real.

I wanted to highlight it and take a different approach, mixing it with a psychological thriller. But also keeping it very raw.

It is a very hard read, especially for those who have unfortunately been in these terrible situations. But I needed to get my point across. These things go on so much behind closed doors, it’s unbelievable. It needs to be spoken about and some of the abused, think this is a normal way of life. But it’s not!

I really hope this helps those to understand what they are going through is not normal at all!"

Can you tell us something quirky about A Fool's Circle, its story and characters?

"I don’t know if quirky is the right word? But the characters in the book were based on people I knew, although I can’t reveal their real names. Although my book is labelled fiction, I have drawn the characters from my own life experiences."

Who would you recommend A Fool's Circle to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"A Fool’s Circle is a very hard read. But in saying that, I write very honestly. I don’t sugar-coat anything. I mean, how can anyone sugar-coat domestic violence or mental abuse? That would, in my book, be totally wrong! There are triggers. For example, when domestic violence is involved. I’m yet to hear of someone saying something nasty without swearing? This was relevant to the plot and authenticity of A Fool’s Circle."

If you could / wished to turn A Fool's Circle into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I actually wrote A fool’s Circle as a full-length feature film. I wrote the script myself and made a trailer, which you can watch on my FB page, Goodreads, or Amazon author page.

I basically made the trailer with no budget. I was a skint single parent from Islington. But I called in a few favours from actor friends of mine, who were happy to get onboard.

Everything was going so well and to be honest I was so excited. But my best friend, and biggest fan, my mother walked into a hospital and never walked out again. After a bodged operation she passed away before she saw the finished trailer.

Myself and my nine-year-old daughter were devasted. But we both agreed Kathy Burke would be a great director for the film. I love her work, both in front and behind the camera."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I like to write about things that are close to my heart. Other than that, I’m not interested. I’m not a chick flick kind of woman, that’s for sure. After you’ve experienced and seen the things I have, chick flicks or romance novels are just Fantasy Island to me."

What is your writing process?

"Making sure everything is quiet, because my brain is buzzing with ideas. I need to know I have plenty of tea and coffee in the house. But I can only drink de-caff. I need loads of snacks also."

What is in store next?

"I don’t think I’m finished with A Fool’s Circle yet! That’s all I’m saying."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Myself and my daughter. I don’t have any pets at the moment. Unfortunately, we lost our boy Leo last New Year’s Eve, which was devastating. He was only seven years old. After losing so many people in our lives, she is not ready for another pet just yet. But I’m hoping that will change some time soon. I’m working on it.

Thank you for having me stop by today.X"

OMG what a wonderful picture! Poor Leo! And so young...what happened to him? I hope she wil be ready soon, having another furry soul does help x And there are so many in need xxx

I hope you had a great tour, and many apologies for the delays today as I am sorting things out to bring my eight furry monsters back to the UK from Italy!