#AuthorSpotlight S.L Grigg @SLGrigg #DebutAuthor #Thriller #CrimeFiction #Horror #CoffeeBreakCompanion

Today I welcome debut author, Sharon Grigg, to the blog. She’s answering all my questions and then I’ll introduce you to her amazing debut of thrilling short stories.

Hi Sharon!

How important are the names in your book? Do you choose that the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you can recommend?

I just go with the first name that comes into my head, but I found that I use the name Kate too much and had to change it as it appeared in 3 stories, so I’m going to keep a record of names used in future to prevent this happening again … haha!

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Definitely more of a panster, especially as I mainly write flash fiction, but if I’m working on something longer I will do a rough outline after an initial burst of pantsing. So, I will just spill out my initial idea, and then decide and outline where I want this to go from here, and fill it in…

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them if they are particularly good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I’ve only just started getting reviews and will definitely always read them, but I don’t think I will ever respond to them unless they have been sent to me directly. I’ve not had any bad reviews yet, but I’m sure they will come, can’t please everyone. I did have some feedback, not bad but just that the rape scene in one of my short stories was a bit much, and maybe I should include a warning, or be a bit more subtle rather than graphic, which I have taken on board.

What is your least favourite part of the writing/publishing process?

The marketing after it’s so hard to try and find ways to gain an interest in your book when self-publishing. I wish I’d thought about that before and started before I published! Lesson learnt, next time I will try to get more of a following for what is coming before it is out there!

What are your favourite and least favourite types of scenes to write?

I don’t think I have a least favourite type of scene, but I think I find comedy hard to write, and I’m not a huge fan of romance so it doesn’t feature highly on my ideas list for including in a story. I definitely prefer to write things with some level of dark, emotional impact, so that’s probably my favourite.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I don’t know, watching so much of the Marvel and DC universes I feel I see the pitfalls of having superpowers more than the benefits which kind of puts me off having any myself, but if I had to choose it would probably be some kind of shapeshifting ability like Mystique, so long as I could do animals as well, then I could go anywhere and see anything in some kind of disguise so I could experience things from different perspectives.

Thank you so much for joining me today, Sharon. it’s been great getting to know you and I hope you can come back soon.

Here’s the blurb …

Grab that cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer), maybe add a splash of something stronger, settle down and enjoy your break with this gripping collection of flash fiction and poetry that will send shivers down your spine. With an added bonus of a longer story at the end that will fill your lunch break. What are you waiting for? Dive in! Everything from a discovery in an Ice Cavern, to a tornado. Mermaids, and Dragons. Mystery and Horror. This collection of flash fiction and poetry has something to capture anyone’s imagination, with a final chilling thriller that will leave you gasping for air.

About the author …

Sharon Grigg, who writes under the pen name S.L Grigg, made it her new year’s resolution to publish her book ‘Coffee Break Companion’ during 2018. After bouncing back from mental health problems (BPD), following the death of her husband from a brain tumour in 2009, Sharon was struck down with kidney and other health problems, believed to be linked to having the Essure sterilisation device she had implanted back in 2008. In September 2017 she underwent major surgery to have a non-functioning hydronephrotic kidney removed at the same time as a full hysterectomy to remove the essure device.

Just two months after setting her goal Sharon launched the collection of dark, short stories and poetry on Amazon. Many of the stories were written during Sharon’s battle with mental health.
41-year-old mother of two, Sharon says, “For me publishing was never about money or fame. I just wanted to be able to hold a copy of my book and say, ‘I wrote this’ and now I can.”

Coffee Break Companion is ideal for dipping into whilst on your lunch break.

Includes scenes some readers may find disturbing.