Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Richard Sorapure
Book Title: The Sussex Pond Murder
Released: 07/19/23
Genre: Murder Mystery
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “The Sussex Pond Murder”?
Sorapure: The Sussex Pond Murder is a prequel to my first novel 'Hostage to Freedom: The Search for the Siren' which is set in SE Asia. Whereas the first book is a fast-paced action thriller I wanted the prequel to explore the early years of the main two characters in a challenging murder mystery set in the UK twenty years earlier. Both books are stand-alone.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Sorapure: The names of the other characters sort of suggested themselves.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Sorapure: Initially, I wrote the novel without a clear plan as to how it would develop. As a result it became over-complex and I shelved it for a few years. Then in 2022 I was away at sea and had time to rethink it and suddenly I had a plan which gave it momentum. Some of the early chapters are unchanged but I quickly completed the first draft in late 2022 and finalised, after several revisions, the final version in June 2023.
If "The Sussex Pond Murder" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Sorapure: There has been feedback from several readers that they envision both my books as as movies. Bearing in mind the setting is the UK in 1983 it would probably need characters appropriate for that decade.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Sorapure: I spend most of my time checking geological reports and survey data acquisition and producing client reports. It is only when I have a quiet spell that I can do any writing. When the opportunity arises I prefer to work late at night when there are no interruptions.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Sorapure: Don't assume what you have written is any good. It needs a lot of thought and many revisions to improve it.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Sorapure: I like books with interesting characterisations and compelling plots.
What are you working on next?
Sorapure: It's tempting to make it a trilogy and follow the main characters into their life in Singapore before the 'Hostage to Freedom' but maybe not!
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