It’s
never too late to be who you might have been, is the quote he uses from George
Eliot about his book, and it’s true for his too. Having completed a hugely
enjoyable career with BBC TV in the UK as a Producer, he suddenly found himself
with time to write that novel which had been ripening in his mind for so long.
It Starts With A Kiss is all about having a second chance, which in his case was
the opportunity to write this genre defying story of glamour and romance, of
lost youth and found love. And it’s sexy and funny too. He does hope everyone enjoys it.
Welcome Steve.
Your real
name and pen name?
Steve
Weddle
SN Weddle
Please
share some of the best memories of your childhood
I loved
our family holidays by the sea, running around in the sand dunes where I would
imagine all kinds of heroes and villains at play. Plus I adored staging plays
and shows for our put upon neighbours who were forced to sit through them,
including performing as a burlesque showgirl called Stephanie Striptease, an
idea initiated by my older sister!
About
your education
I went to
Fairfax High School in the English Midlands where I learnt how great literature
can truly enhance your life from our English Literature teacher, Mr. Bound, who
only a few years later would do the same for another one of his pupils, Kenneth
Branagh. And I studied for a degree in Social Sciences at West Ham College,
then on to Bedford College, University of London where I specialised in the
Sociology of Medicine.
What
career did you plan during your education days
I’d
always wanted to be involved in the media in some way or other, although my
Careers Officer at school tried to persuade me that I would be better suited
working for a department store as a buyer of gents and ladies clothing. Could
have been fun, and I would never have been short of a smart suit or a posh
frock whenever I needed one! After taking a short detour as an academic I
eventually became a newspaper journalist, then on to Radio followed by a career
in BBC Television as a Producer/Executive Producer spanning twenty five years.
What
languages you can speak and write?
Apart
from my native tongue, English, I can get by in French, although these days
more and more French people seem to speak English, which often makes my
attempts at French conversation in bars and railway stations redundant.
However, I will always try and learn a few words or phrases when I visit a
foreign country, and was once applauded in an Italian Restaurant for uttering
the words (in Italian), how happy I am to be partaking of this feeding
experience with you.
What is
your biggest source of inspiration in life?
My
friends, family and the music of Kate Bush – and I managed to get a copy of my
book to her when she was recently performing at the Apollo Theatre in London.
Plus I’ve since been been informed by her management team that she is now
reading it. No feedback as yet!!!
What
hurts you most in this world?
Lack of
kindness. Anybody who has read Emma by Jane Austen might recall the brilliant
scene when Emma Woodhouse cruelly humiliates a good hearted but slightly
annoying lady called Miss Bates in public, and then feels dreadful about it
afterwards. I try to live by the first line of a poem written by Christopher
Logue… ‘Be not too hard, for life is short, and nothing is given to man’. Not
always easy though.
What is
the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?
The death
of my parents. They both lived long and mostly happy lives but I still miss
them every day. I believe they are looking over my shoulder, so that helped me
to get over their passing. They wouldn’t want me sitting about being miserable
anyway. And I dedicated my Book to them – how I would have loved them to have seen it – maybe they did.
If you
had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality,
who would it be and why?
I would
love to have been Marilyn Monroe on the day she seemingly took an overdose,
except I would have thrown the pills away, and got my PR to announce that I was
back, and going to make some great new movies, and was about to settle down
with a guy - or maybe a girl would have been the answer -who loved me for who I
really was.
What is
your favorite genre and why?
I like
Romantic Fiction, and that includes anything from George Eliot to Audrey
Niffenegger. For me, the best fiction is usually about romantic relationships whether
it’s the classic 19th Century English Novel, or something more
recent, like the brilliant Gone Girl. I often see that book/film described as a
thriller, but at heart it’s romantic fiction and fundamentally about a
relationship between man and wife, albeit a twisted one.
When did
you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
I first
started writing stories at school. And then in the 1970’s while working as a
journalist I wrote a children’s book about a stranded alien who enlists the
help of a challenged young boy to get him back to his planet. Then six months
later ET was released, so bang went my book! Great minds think alike! As for
the purpose of my writing – I just enjoy telling stories – it’s therapy to me,
creating something from seemingly nothing. It’s like magic.
Which of
your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a
synopsis of your work?
Apart
from writing as a journalist in newspapers and on TV, It Starts With A Kiss is
my first published work. It’s taken me long enough - after two failed efforts
in different genres in the 1970’s and 1980’s. My book is a fairy tale for
grown-ups about a middle aged woman who gets the chance to live her life again,
but this time around with the killer combination of a mature mind and stunning
young looks. But be careful what you wish for!
What are
your forthcoming writings?
I’m
currently working on a sequel to Kiss. I’m certain there is at least one more
story to tell, if not two. But the original book most definitely has a
beginning, a middle and very satisfying and surprising end.
What are
your future plans?
I also
want to write a book of erotic/romantic short stories where women most
definitely call the shots, called Bedtime Stories, plus a full length romantic
adventure about a couple who stumble upon a frightening state secret, with once
again the female character taking the lead. Well it is 2014 after all!!!
What four
top most things you take care of while writing a book?
Plenty of
coffee, phone switched off, music gently playing in the background and a head
full of ideas.
How much
real life goes into a fiction writing?
It varies
according to the author. I am probably much more imagination based than some,
although I do draw on experience to a degree, especially my time Producing a TV
Make-Over Show called Style Challenge which proved invaluable when it came to
writing about fashion, make-up, hair styling and image in general, which is at
the heart of my book.
Is high
level of imagination important to have for an Author?
I think
it certainly helps, but it does depend on the genre of book. Some literary
fiction can be quite uneventful, more character based, not requiring sweeping
great scenarios or huge imaginative leaps.
Your
dream destination on Earth?
Machu
Picchu, or locally, Blackroot Pool in Sutton Park. And I adore New York, where
my book is set. Whenever I visit NY I always feel twenty years younger,
although I suspect I might feel 20 years older if I actually lived there!
Your
origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed.
I was
born in Sutton Coldfield in the English Midlands, where I still live (what a
stick in the mud!), although I have also lived in London. I have travelled
fairly extensively in Europe, the Far East, Australia and of course the USA.
What best
things you liked in these countries around the globe?
I was particularly
impressed by North Vietnam – I didn’t get to visit the South of the Country –
both by its stunning beauty and the charm and friendliness of its people. I
also fell in love with New England in the Fall, while Boston USA boasts so much
history and sheer class, plus I actually had the opportunity to drink in the
Cheers Bar – well kind of – and I used to love that Show!
Your
favorite time of the day?
Sunrise,
just before everybody gets up and running. You can smell the hope in the air.
Your zodiac/
sunsign?
Capricorn.
I share this sign with both Jesus and Elvis. I am not worthy!
Your
favorite color and why?
Pink.
Well they say it takes a real man to wear pink, and apparently it used to be
the colour for boys in Victorian times. And after all, I do write as a woman,
so it only seems appropriate.
What is
the last book you finished reading? What is the current book you are
reading?
The
Paying Guests by Sarah Waters.
And The
Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.
Your
favorite book and why?
Madame
Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Scandalous
in its day,and shocking in that the author’s depiction of an adulteress is sympathetically
viewed by the author. And it reads like it was written yesterday – it feels so
contemporary. Emma Bovary is flawed but we love her, and why shouldn’t we?
Your
favorite movie and why?
Some Like
It Hot. Just hilarious, and so sweet, and how I would have loved to have been
in that All Girls Band with Jack, Tony and Marilyn.
Your
favorite celebrity and why?
Dolly
Parton … eternally glamorous, seriously funny and so smart.
Your
favorite food?
Curry.
What
comes to your mind when you think of India?
Curry!
Some
quickies: Sun or Moon, Laughter or Smile, Morning or Evening,
Sun,
Laughter, Morning.
Coffee or
Tea, Mountain or Sea, Long Drive or Short Drive, Silence or Conversation,
Water or Fire, Air or Earth, Mars or Jupiter, Tulip or Rose, Red
or Blue, Left or Right, Glance or Stare
Tea, Sea,
Short Drive, Conversation, Water, Air, Mars, Rose, Red, Left, Glance.
What
three words come to your mind for each – Technology, Life, God,
Technology
– threatening, liberating,frustrating.
Life – thrilling, exciting, everything.
God – omnipotent, infuriating, mysterious.
Humanity,
Terrorism, Racism, Childhood Abuse, Love, Parenting, Old age
Humanity
- inspiring, kind, cruel.
Terrorism – misguided, evil, wrong.
Racism – fear,
unfamiliar, sad.
Childhood abuse – unforgivable, disgusting, selfish.
Love-
you, me, everyone. Parenting – selfless,
selfish, eternal.
Old Age – inevitable, wise, challenge.
State
your signature line/ tagline/ best quote
Can I
suggest the first line of my book.
‘On my wedding day, which should have been the
happiest day of my life, I committed myself to a truly wondrous man. If only
he’d been my husband’.
Follow
that, and I did!
The last
line of your autobiography would be…
Could we
just do that again.
What
made you interested your genre –
I’ve
always enjoyed a combination of love stories and fairy tales, my favourite
being Cinderella, which I first saw on stage when I was about eight years old.
I remember being entranced by her escape from drudgery to go to the ball and
actually have an encounter with Prince Charming(!), and then cheering her to
the rafters when that slipper finally fits. It doesn’t get much better than
that.
Twitter
handle:
@SNWeddle2
Facebook
page:
Steve N
Weddle
It Starts
With A Kiss
Goodreads
author page:
Amazon
link:
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