Being released on January 24th, 2017 from Filament Publishing is the contemporary fiction Family Sailaway, book two in the Sailaway Trilogy, by author Derek Curzon.
The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his newest novel.
When did you become interested in storytelling?
My wife and I’s first cruise was our honeymoon back in 2005. We were instantly hooked and have never looked back. After our fifth cruise, we discussed making notes/diaries of our cruises for our own memories. I started thinking about taking this a stage further and soon I was thinking about plots and characters!
What was your first book/story published?
Surprise Sailaway, the first book in the Sailaway Trilogy.
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| Amazon; Author's Website |
What inspired you to write Family Sailaway?
I had thought about a Sailaway trilogy at the outset & was keen to develop the story further after I wrote Surprise Sailaway. This book follows on from the first one with a bigger book, longer cruise, more characters and a bigger adventure.
What character in Family Sailaway is the most/least like you, and in what ways?
Most like – Gavin (Sarah and Megan’s uncle): Business Professional with a witty sense of humour and who knows who the boss is between his wife and himself! Least like – George (Youngest brother): ‘Street-wise’ and confident, but sometimes ‘cocky’.
What is your favorite part in Family Sailaway?
Megan is looking for a relaxing afternoon sunbathing and meets Rebecca who she has befriended. As two brothers watch from the bar, Rebecca is visited by 3 other characters with their own separate agendas.
What was the hardest part to write?
The beginning was the hardest as I knew where I wanted the story to go but found it difficult to get there.
What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?
I always wanted to work in the City as a stock-broker/analyst. My one regret is not pursuing this further when I worked for RBS at branch level in the early 90’s.
Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
I haven’t had enough reviews yet to influence my writing although someone clearly didn’t like Surprise Sailaway and gave it a shocking review on Amazon. At first I was hurt a bit but you must accept that you’ll never be able to please everyone!
What well-known writers do you admire most?
Lewis Grassic Gibbon for Sunset Song. Having read this book at school at home in Dundee I was instantly hooked. I have since read the Trilogy, ‘A Scots Quair’ which includes ‘Cloud Howe’ and ‘Grey Granite.’
Do you have any other books/stories in the works?
I have a few ideas that I’ve thought about after Part 3 of the Sailaway trilogy. They include A historical drama separated by 250 years ago, which has been partly inspired by 2 long distance walks my wife and I completed a few years ago, and to develop a character from Family Sailaway, as a bit of a spin-off.
About the Author: Born and raised in Dundee, cruise aficionado, retail manager and author, Derek Curzon, moved to Lancashire in 1998 aged 28. His background is Accountancy, he has worked in myriad roles in the banking world as well as editing a local magazine. He found love through writing - he married his penpal (before the days of emailing and Tinder!) and their first cruise was their honeymoon in 2005 - they've never looked back and have been on six cruises to date with plenty more in the pipeline. Their cruise holidays have given them the chance to see places they couldn’t have hoped to visit on a 'normal' holiday. The Sailaway Trilogy takes inspiration from their own cruise experiences and celebrates the cruise industry as the booming travel sector it is today.
Family Sailaway, due for release in January 2017, is the second book in the series. As a spin-off from the trilogy, Derek launched a fictional cruise blog: ‘Nautical Nights.’ It's a light-hearted and humorous look at life on board a cruise ship and the ensuing adventures!
When he's not working his day-job, writing blogs or articles, or planning the next book, Derek can be found long-distance walking.
As a couple, Derek and his wife have completed the West Highland and Great Glen Ways in the Scottish Highlands and will be walking Hadrian’s Wall in 2017.
You can learn more about the author on his website at: www.sailaway.voyage
You can follow Derek on Facebook and Twitter.
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