Trip Fiction Brings the World to your Bookshelf

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A year or so ago, I came across a marvellous website called Trip Fiction. It was founded in 2012 (the year of the UK Olympics seems rather apt) but the germ of the idea had occurred to the founders, Tina and Tony, long before that. I've found it so useful and it's always nice to share a good thing so I asked Andrew Morris, who is now one of the team, to come along and tell my readers more. 

Thank you so much, Harriet, for inviting TripFiction to introduce ourselves to your own book-loving audience.

Books set in location offer great travel reading. TripFiction was created to make it easy to match a location with a book, and thanks to our searchable database you can find a book relevant to any trip. TripFiction features novels, travelogues and memoirs set in over 1,500 countries, regions, and cities from around the world, so your destination is almost bound to be covered.

 

 

 

TripFiction lets you see a location through an author’s eyes.

Works of fiction generate a feel for, and empathy with, a location that is quite different to that obtained through conventional travel guides. Literature – modern or historical – can help us absorb atmosphere and context in a way that no other written word finds possible.

TripFiction was created to make it easy for you to select literature that is most pertinent and relevant to your trip in a way that has not been practical before. You can search books by location, by author, by genre – and cross reference across all three. So, apart from just selecting by location, you can see which countries feature on your favourite author’s books, or whether a book of a particular genre is set in a city you are about to visit.

The website does not just list titles. Each title has a synopsis and frequently a lead review. It also carries reviews and ratings by members of the TripFiction community – ratings are given for both the content of the book and also for how well it portrays the location itself.

 

 

And we carry interviews with authors, talking about their work and how important a specific location, or a strong general sense of place, might be in their writing. You'll remember this lovely #TalkingLocationWith post, Harriet, where you told TripFiction how Sri Lanka was the perfect setting for your own Inspector de Silva series.     

We also set up the TripFiction Book Club (#TFBookClub) earlier this year to allow readers to win a book set in a particular location, and for us all to read and comment on the book together for a couple of months. So far we've travelled to Sardinia, Prague, Central America and the Lake District.  

And we are delighted that your very own Trouble in Nuala, the first in your Inspector de Silva series, will be the #TFBookClub read for November & December, allowing readers to travel with you to exotic Sri Lanka.

(There will be a limited number of free paperback copies of the book as well as e-copies to give away to readers who participate in the TF Book Club. In addition, the lucky winner of the associated giveaway competition will win a copy of each of the three books in the series and, for an extra relaxing read, a delightful elephant mug and some Ceylon tea to drink out of it! Look out for more news soon.) 

 

 

Thanks again for letting us introduce TripFiction to your audience, Harriet, and we look forward to exploring the world with them through books.

Social media links for TF:

Twitter (@TripFiction), 

Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), 

YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), 

Instagram (@TripFiction) and 

Pinterest (@TripFiction)

 

www.tripfiction.com  

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Talking to L J Ross

  Today I’m delighted to welcome Louise Ross, known to the many fans of her DCI Ryan series as L J Ross, to the blog.

Louise, welcome. I know that you were born and bred in Northumberland and of course that’s where your spectacularly successful DCI Ryan series is set. Do you have any childhood memories you’re prepared to share with readers?

 

- I have so many happy memories of my childhood in Northumberland. I remember spending weekends exploring Bamburgh Castle and its enormous beach where I used to play ‘hide and seek’ amongst the sand dunes and look across the sea to Holy Island, which lies thirteen miles or so further north along the coastline. Those early memories of the sand, water and the towering castle on its craggy rock laid the groundwork for the stories I now write.

Since January 2015, you’ve published six books in the DCI Ryan series to great acclaim. That’s a remarkable 
work rate. How do you manage it?
 

- I’ve always had a very strong work ethic and I can be very disciplined, when I want to be! However, I never like to sacrifice quality, so each book goes through rigorous editorial processes before release. The beauty of choosing to publish independently is that I don’t have to wait for traditional publishing schedules before releasing a book – I can decide when to release, which is great for readers because it means they don’t have to wait quite so long for the next instalment of DCI Ryan!
 

As any author knows, being a writer can be challenging and particularly so if you self-publish. To what do you attribute your success in a very competitive market?
 

- I’m often asked this question and it’s a difficult one to answer because there are so many brilliant writers out there who have yet to be ‘discovered’. I was very fortunate that my first novel went on to become a UK #1 bestseller and I think it comes down to a number of factors aligning at the same time: a storyline that captures the reader’s imagination, editorial quality, cover, sales copy and a little bit of good old-fashioned luck. It’s as simple (and frustrating) as that.
 

You worked as a regulatory lawyer for many years, do you think the experience you gained contributed to your skill in plotting and attention to detail?
 

- I was experienced in drafting techniques and had an eye for detail after working as a lawyer. More importantly, I think the broad spectrum of people I met during that time has provided a wealth of inspiration for the characters I write!
 

Do you have a special place where you like to write and/or a particular routine?
 

- Often, I’ll take a laptop to a local coffee shop and write a little bit in the morning after I’ve dropped my son off at school. I like to try to do some walking during the day, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to enjoy cake as much as I do! I also have an office at home where I work if I’m on a tight deadline and need to shut myself away.

 

 

Where does your inspiration come from?
 

- My inspiration comes from the world around me and the people I meet, particularly the landscape of Northumberland which I find endlessly inspiring.
 

Are you a planner or do you prefer to let your plots evolve as you go along?
 

- A little of both! Some books have a more intricate plotline and therefore it’s important not to go off on a tangent, whereas others allow for more of an organic process.
 

When you aren’t writing, how would you describe your perfect day?
 

- Taking a long walk with my family, or spending time hanging out with friends. Simple pleasures!
 

Which parts of the writing process do you enjoy the least and the most?
 

 

-I enjoy writing the first and last few pages of a book. There’s a special feeling when you create something entirely new and an equally special feeling of accomplishment once it’s complete. I don’t enjoy writing the middle of the book, which is usually around the time my confidence and energy starts to wane!
 

If you had to choose only one, who is your favourite character in your books? Why is that?
 

- Whilst DCI Ryan is the lynchpin of my stories, I have to confess to holding a candle for DS Phillips. His character is loosely based on my late grandfather, who was witty, intelligent and loyal in much the same way as his fictional counterpart.
 

Who would you cast to play them if your books were to be made into films?

- I’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it!
 

Have any particular writers influenced your work? 

- I have always been a voracious reader and so you might say all the writers I’ve enjoyed since childhood have influenced me in some way or another, for different reasons. However, as a crime writer, I don’t think you can beat Arthur Conan-Doyle for sheer longevity, clarity of writing and thought. 
 

Do you have an all-time favourite book? 

No, I can’t choose a favourite, but the books I have read more than once include M. M. Kaye’s ‘The Far Pavilions’, Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ and anything by Jim Thompson.

 

 

You say in your biography that you’re a keen traveller. Do you think any of your destinations will inspire a new series, and if so, which ones? 

- I think there’s a grain of truth to the old saying that you should ‘write what you know’. In my case, I’ve spent time living in London, Paris and Florence (amongst other places) and would like to write a new series which has a more European flavour to reflect that experience.
 

Can you tell us what you’re working on now? 

- With ‘Dark Skies’ coming out in time for Christmas, I’m polishing off some final bits and pieces on that, as well as plotting the next DCI Ryan and tinkering with an entirely separate psychological thriller.

 I’d like to end by asking you for your responses to a few observations made by other writers over the years. 

Fire away! 

‘If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.’ Stephen King 

- I think this is very true. The act of reading over the course of a lifetime prepares you as a writer, in particular, to recognise the styles and genres you prefer to read and might then be well-placed to write. Of course, that will differ for each individual.  

‘One day I will find the right words and they will be simple.’ Jack Kerouac 

- I think it’s true that, as a new writer, there’s a tendency to ‘over write’ and use ten words to describe what could have been conveyed with one or two. As a reader myself, I prefer the clarity of writers like Conan-Doyle and Jim Thompson, whose longevity is probably thanks to their ability to write in an accessible way.  

‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.’ – C S Lewis. Would you agree? 

- In my case, it would be coffee, but let’s not quibble! As for a book long enough…I’d say, that rather depends on the book.  

‘You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.’ Saul Bellow 

- I think the content can be inspired, but the technical specification suffers thanks to over-tiredness! 

‘The road to Hell is paved with adverbs.’ Stephen King 

- I think we’re all guilty of the odd cheeky adverb (even Stephen King!) 

‘After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we most need.’ Phillip Pullman  

- I think it’s at least true to say that we all need escapism from time-to-time. Stories are by the far the healthiest outlet!


www.ljrossauthor.com

Follow this link http://www.tripfiction.com/exclusive-video-by-author-l-j-ross/ to Trip Fiction for an exclusive video talk by Louise and an exciting giveaway. But hurry! The competition closes at midnight UK time on Saturday, 7th October.