Author Interview: T. A. Williams

Author Interview: T. A. Williams

Today I am delighted to welcome T. A. Williams on to the blog with a quick interview! I’ve worked with Trevor before and think he is a fantastic person and author!

Q&A

What is your favourite thing about writing books?
Well, there’s the obvious, practical advantage of being able to work from just about anywhere. I’ve also heard people say they can even work when they are lying in bed. Plus there’s the benefit to an old man like me that the mental activity might hopefully stave off the onslaught of Alzheimer’s. But the thing I love best is the way I can lose myself in the story, living vicariously though my characters.

Who is your favourite character in Dreaming in Florence and why?
My favourite character should be Debbie, the main protagonist and I admit that I like her a lot. But the star of the show has to be Byron the Labrador. I put a black Labrador in all my books as a homage to our old Lab who was my best friend. And Byron, of course, is there right at the end to see that not everything goes exactly to plan.

What is your favourite drink to drink while writing?
It sounds very English, I’m sure, but it has to be tea. I have a dodgy back and the doc has told me to remember to get up and move about regularly, rather than stay glued to the computer. So, of course, I naturally head for the kitchen and make myself far too many mugs of tea. I have now moved onto decaff tea so that I don’t get too hyped up on caffeine. Of course, on publication day I do open a bottle of bubbly.

Do you ever visit the places you write about? And if you don’t, how do you imagine the places?
Always, for two reasons. The first is that I like to be familiar with the places I write about. Google Earth can show you what the place looks like, but it can’t give you the scent of the flowers, the stink of fishing boats, or the noise of the crowded quayside. The second is that I always write about places I love and so the chance to visit them is a must. And, according to my accountant, these “research trips” are a valid business expense. Good, eh?

Is it difficult to write about hot countries during the winter?
Absolutely not. It’s wonderful, therapeutic. There’s nothing better on a grey, damp, cold English winter day to be able to imagine myself on a sunny beach, surrounded by pretty girls in bikinis, or standing in Piazzale Michelangelo on a hot spring day, looking down over the city I love (did I say, I lived in Florence for 4 years and it’s in my blood?). No, not difficult at all.

About the Book

Fresh pasta, red wine, fine art… and love? Find enchantment this year in the magical city of Florence.
When Debbie Waterson’s bicycle crashes into handsome doctor Pierluigi, she wonders if her luck has changed. Determinedly single after ending a long relationship, at last, a man worth bumping into!
Inspired to visit Florence, she soon runs headlong into that old foe: reality. But is Pierluigi the man of her dreams? Then there’s her booze obsessed boss, his forbidding secretary and her noisy inconsiderate neighbours. But could her luck be about to change? Will she find love after all?

Goodreads. Amazon UK.

About the Author

T.A. Williams lives in Devon with his Italian wife. He was born in England of a Scottish mother and Welsh father. After a degree in modern languages at Nottingham University, he lived and worked in Switzerland, France and Italy, before returning to run one of the best-known language schools in the UK. He’s taught Arab princes, Brazilian beauty queens and Italian billionaires. He speaks a number of languages and has travelled extensively. He has eaten snake, still-alive fish, and alligator. A Spanish dog, a Russian bug and a Korean parasite have done their best to eat him in return. His hobby is long-distance cycling, but his passion is writing.

Twitter.

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Will you be reading Dreaming of Venice?