Sheffield's thriller and short story author E.L.Lindley is back...around the Cauldron!

One of my favourite people in Indie is back today - Sheffield's finest E.Lindley. E is well known on the circuit for the long running Georgie Connelly series, which combine the thriller genre with character and comedy.  E is also developing a reputation for punchy, angry, claustrophobic short stories about real life (some drawing on her experience as a teacher), on her blog -stories I highly recommend.

Her novels have a real BBC quality, dramatic and talky, more like plays than novels in parts, and I thoroughly enjoy mentally casting her characters, because, as you will see today, E's serious passion is cinema - if you ever need to know what a new film is like, drop E a line, because it is odds-on that she's already seen it. 

I caught up with E on the Wizphone - naturally, she was off to the flicks! Here's what she had to say.

You can find and read E's first visit to the Cauldron here, on the Wizard's Cauldron Index

http://wizardscauldronindex.blogspot.co.uk/

Tell Wizardwatchers a bit about yourself, E - particularly the ones in the US
First of all Wiz, let me just say thank you for having me back it’s a real honour. Right here goes – my main aim is to be a decent human being but I also like to try my hand at writing. 

So far I’ve written eight novels, five of which are part of the Georgie Connelly series. I live in Sheffield which is in the north of England, not too far from your good self Wiz. When I’m not faffing about pretending to be a literary genius, I’m a part-time English teacher. 

Is Henrys still there? I used to love that place.
It’s funny you should ask that as a couple of years ago it was re-opened as Henry’s after masquerading as various other bars for a number of years. 

Henry's

However, the other day, I walked past and it was all boarded up. I didn’t investigate too closely so I’m not sure if it has hit the skids like so many other British pubs and clubs or if it was just being refurbished. As you well know, Wiz, I tend to avoid getting too near to the place after the ‘incident’. 

Haha. Yes, the incident! So, tell us about your latest work.
My latest book is called Blood  Money and is the fifth in the Georgie Connelly series. 

Georgie is a British documentary film maker who lives in LA and she has a serious penchant for trouble. In this latest story, she relocates to London due to a family saga and basically all hell breaks loose. It’s pure escapism for readers who like a bit of crime and action that’s tempered with humour. 

For more info on Blood Money, E was interviewed recently by the brilliant Georgia Rose. Loads of info here.

http://www.georgiarosebooks.com/author-interview-with-contemporary-novelist-e-l-lindley-lindleye/

Magnificent cover – and a complete change of style?
Thank you, Wiz, I’m really pleased with it. All my front covers have been designed professionally, mainly because when it comes to technology I’m worse than useless. Just typing up my writing is an ordeal for me, I write everything out long hand first in notebooks. For Blood Money, I used Debbie at The Cover Collection and was massively impressed by the cost and the service. 

I had my front cover within twenty four hours of making my initial enquiry. I can’t recommend them highly enough. 

BUY Blood Money here for only 99p/99c

British Readers Buy HERE














Amazon.com Users Buy HERE




Of all your characters, who is your favourite creation? I am very partial to your maverick mothers…
I’m quite partial to crazy mothers myself but if I was forced at gunpoint to pick just one character then it would have to be Georgie Connelly. I’ve written about her so many times now, I feel I know her better than any of my other characters and she’s such a nutjob she’s a delight to write. In a lot of ways, she’s my alter ego doing and saying all of the things I’d like to but daren’t. I think maybe she’s a bit of an acquired taste, readers who like her seem to REALLY like her. She’s not a half-measures kind of gal. 

I’m a uberfan of your short stories. Where can readers find them?

Frazetta - the Serpent

That’s so kind of you to say and I’m ashamed to admit they are all over the place at the moment. I’m in the process of moving everything from my old blog  www.ellindley.weebly.com to my new blog at 

www.lindleyblogs.blogspot.co.uk  

It probably wasn’t one of my better ideas given that my organisational skills are on a par with my IT skills but, hopefully one day soon they will all be in the one place and clearly labelled. 

Your novels are completely different to your shorts. Is that deliberate? Is there a different mindset?
I think with the novels I aim to produce means of escapism and they are fun and light hearted. At least I hope that’s how they come across to the readers because that’s my experience writing them. 

One of E Lindley'ss most popular novels - Don't Look Back

I tend to write long, character driven novels that require a lot of investment both from the reader and me. With the short stories, they are very much more about capturing just a moment in time. 

Your short stories seem to flow from your fingertips. They have an energy and an unhinged, barely concealed anger at the world: Do you find them easy to write?  Are they therapeutic?
I do find them quite easy to write mainly because they are short and intense but don’t require any development of ideas. They do, like you say, tend to be driven by emotion. They probably are quite therapeutic because I certainly recognise all of the feelings I’ve written about even though the stories aren’t specific to me. 

In The Serpent for example, I can identify with the fear and disappointment of the woman and the anger and resentment of the man. One of the reasons I love your books, Wiz, because you explore all the sides of human nature that, as a society we prefer to keep hidden. 

I think deep down we are all cesspits of unhinged emotions, which is why we see so many outbursts of rage in public spaces. 

Is there an anthology of your short stories planned? 
There isn’t at the moment, Wiz, but maybe especially for you I’ll get myself organised enough to produce one. 

That would be bonus! I hear you are a massive cineaste. What has been your favourite film this year?
Films are indeed the love of my life and I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the cinema. I’ve seen so many excellent films so far this year and I do compile a geeky list as I go. At the end of every year I have my top five films and bottom five, like a proper film critic. I saw Mistress America this week which is a really strong contender for my top spot. 

It’s basically about how we delude ourselves with our dreams and passions but then if we were to let them go what would life be? We see the world through the eyes of an eighteen year old girl, who has it all to play for and a thirty something woman who is still trying to find her place in the world. It’s very quirky and funny and set against a glorious New York backdrop. I loved it. 

Would you go to see a “Birdman” sequel at the Steel City Cineworld?
I loved Birdman as well and would definitely see a sequel although I’m not sure how that would work. 

I suppose Michael Keaton’s character in Birdman was an extension of the characters in Mistress America – what happens when your dreams are gone? 

Loads of people ask me: Were you like Catherine in “Don’t Look Back” as a young woman? And are you still? Inquiring minds wish to know…
It’s funny how as readers we like to assume that writers create characters based on themselves. Having said that, there must be little bits of me in mine as I like to put them into extreme situations and imagine what I would do. 

With Catherine, she’s very much in denial about what she wants out of life and distracts herself with heavy drinking and being a bit of a girl around town. I have been known to enjoy a mojito or two but let’s just say Catherine would drink me under the table. 

Sheffield’s electrobritfunkster Martin Fry of ABC was a big hero of mine as a kid. Have you ever met him?
Strangely enough I have. 

It was probably in the early 90s and maybe ‘met’ is overstating it a tad but I was going into Debenhams and he was coming out and he held the door open for me. I like to think he gave me the glad eye but I could just be making that bit up. Actually, between you, me and the Wizardwatchers, I’m a bit of a disaster when it comes to celebrities – they don’t bring out the best in me. I’m sure if I lived somewhere glitzy like LA there’d be a permanent restraining order on me. I’ve been known to stalk Phil Oakey around WH Smiths and, during an encounter with Kenneth Branagh, I embarrassed a group of teenagers in my charge so acutely they disowned me. It wasn’t my finest hour. 

Where can Wizardwatchers connect with you and your books?
Well after that confession people are probably going to be scared to connect with me in case I stalk them but for any non-celebs who want to risk it, here you go –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindleyE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/EL-Lindley/205011402903349

Blog:  www.lindleyblogs.blogspot.co.uk

E Lindley's Author Page

And what next for E.L Lindley?
I’m hoping to finish off a standalone novel that’s already 70% done but has been languishing on the back burner. Then again I’m already bursting with ideas for the next Georgie and she is a force to be reckoned with so who knows? 

Thank you so much for having me back – you know it’s not often I get asked back twice. It’s been like therapy Wiz; I might even feel a short story coming on. 

We're big fans of E Lindley here around the Cauldron, so you're welcome any time. The very best of luck in the coming year and thank you for coming!
Pleasure's all mine, Wiz. Thank you.