Interviewed by Sarah Rudd
This month I got a say in who we featured in our author interviews (I figured it was about time!) – and as Sacrifice was shortlisted last month for the Reader’s Choice by our editor, I decided to have a go at reading it myself (not usually my area other than for research)...
I loved it so much that I was amazed to discover that it is S J Bolton’s debut novel – I simply had to find out more about this incredible author and so we go in touch with her publicist. Thankfully, Sharon turned out to be an equally incredibly nice individual and was only too happy to answers our questions – even some of the stranger ones!
So, feeling like an explorer who has just uncovered some ancient burial site full of priceless antiquities, I set about trying to discover what makes this writer tick and how Sacrifice came about. Read on to find out...
Sacrifice revolves around Shetland Folklore, what was it about this particular legend that inspired you to write a novel about it?
I’d had an idea buzzing around for a couple of years: that of a woman, who desperately wanted to be pregnant, conceiving a child that was in some way alien and that would, ultimately, destroy her. I had a feeling I could base it on Germanic, Scandinavian or Norse legend. So I pitched up at the library one day and found the section on mythology. The legend of the Kunal Trows caught my attention partly because it had a lot of similarities to my own idea, but mainly because it was so fabulously creepy.
This is your debut novel, when did you realise that you wanted to become a writer?
Relatively late in life because, for a very long time, it never occurred to me that I could do it. I feel stupid, looking back, because all the ingredients were there: I’ve always read avidly, my job was 70% writing (albeit technical stuff) and I’m one of those people who have an imaginary life running in parallel with their real one. It took a push from someone else to make me think...I wonder. Once I started, it was like falling off a log. The stuff just poured out. Of course, it was still a good while before I came up with anything publishable.
What made you choose this particular genre?
I write the sort of book I love to read. Crime with a twist. I enjoy the excitement, suspense and the sense of characters-in-peril that you get with crime stories and I tried to put a lot of that into Sacrifice; but I also love plots that are original and unusual.
How much time did you have to spend researching all the medical and other technical details contained in your novel?
A lot. I have no medical background and I had to start from scratch with the forensic stuff. I enjoy the research. I’m learning a huge amount all the time.
Why did you feel the need to have so much detail?
Partly because it was very important to me that Tora should be credible as an obstetrician. The reader needs to believe she is capable of delivering a baby and of taking care of business in an operating theatre. Later, her medical and obstetric skills are important factors in her cracking the case.
Are there any characteristics or traits as a trained actress and dancer that you feel aided you when writing Sacrifice?
I’m told I’m a very visual writer and just about the first useful lesson any aspiring performer is taught is how to deal with rejection and how to keep on going. Aspiring writers need to be able to do this too – big time!
Tora is an unusual name – where did this come from?
I honestly can’t remember.
What made you create Tora as an obstetrician?
Babies and childbirth are at the heart of Sacrifice so Tora’s profession made her ideally suited to investigate what is happening on the islands. Her privileged position at the hospital gives her access to information not available to the police, enabling her to take the story forward when the police investigation has stalled. Also, I was rather intrigued by the idea of an obstetrician having fertility problems. I think that could really play with someone’s head.
Will we be seeing Tora again, or was she a one-off heroine?
I think you might see Tora again. I certainly don’t see Sacrifice as the start of a series, it just wouldn’t be credible for an obstetrician to be involved in ongoing villainy. But I think there could be one more story involving Tora and her friends. Maybe in a year or so.
Talking of credibility, what made you let Tora forgive Duncan for his part (albeit short-lived) in the murderous islander schemes?
I think Tora understood how hard it was for Duncan to break the ties that dragged him back towards the Trow community. His initial involvement was hardly his fault and in the end, he does the right thing. You raise an interesting point, though, and I do wonder whether, ultimately, Tora will ever again be able to fully trust Duncan.
What was the intention behind the sexual tension between Tora and Gifford?
Tora’s attraction to a man that isn’t her husband adds to her confusion, helps to throw her off base and, in the end, completes her sense of being surrounded by those intent on harming her. At one point she says, “whichever way I looked, men I loved were going down for this.” I do have a sense, though, of unfinished business between Tora and Gifford. It’s all been nicely shelved for the time being but at some time in the future...
Right, onto the personal side of things: What is an average day, for you, like?
I get dragged out of bed between six and seven, wave my six year old off to school, walk the dog, sit down at my computer and write, (stopping to eat, load the washing machine or take the dog out) until 3pm when I do the school run. My son is with me until bedtime. We might go swimming, have a friend to tea or just watch a movie together. Andrew gets home around eight. I usually cook and then I watch a re-run of Friends while Andrew carries on working. I do most of my reading in bed, so I’m usually in it by 10pm. Not remotely exciting, I’m afraid, but I need a very normal life to balance all the scary stuff going on in my head.
What terrifies you more than anything else?
The prospect of losing someone I love.
Now that you are a successfully published author (congratulations!), what is next for you?
I’m currently finishing off my second book and starting to think about my third. I love my life at the moment and the best I can hope for is that it carries on exactly like this.
I don't blame you one bit. Will you be sticking to creating thrillers based on legends and historical myths or do you intend to generalise within the crime thriller genre?
I think legend-based thrillers will always be my favourite sort of book but I don’t think I’ll get away with it every time. My second book doesn’t have a legend as its inspiration but it does see people struggling to deal with the repercussions of past events. And it has lots and lots of twists – it’s about snakes!
Snakes - Yikes! I once had a faux crocodile skin pair of shoes (yes, really) ..., what’s the most expensive or outrageous pair of shoes you ever bought?
A pair of black, Dolce et Gabbana kitten heels. The first time I wore them was in the Seychelles, shortly after we got married. We’d hired a yacht and, one night, climbed aboard our dinghy, motored to the beach and walked across the sand to the restaurant. The shoes were ruined, of course, but the memory lives on.
Now that you’re a successful writer, what are you going to/ have you treated yourself to? - cos it sounds like it's about time for more treats to me...
I have a picture in my head of a 40’ yacht with a black hull and gunmetal grey sails, called Sacrifice. (I’m dreaming now, you understand...)
For the benefit of those of us who have no kids - how difficult is it really to cope with the demands of children as well as the need to write a book?
The school term is much shorter than many people imagine. So, whilst having a whole year to write a book might feel perfectly achievable, writing one in the 30 week school year is a different proposition entirely. I do feel under constant pressure to do the maximum in the time available. On the other hand, I’m incredibly lucky to have a job that I can do from home and that can fit so easily around the school day. And there’s nothing like a demanding small child for keeping your feet on the ground and reminding you about what’s really important.
Thanks Sharon! Sacrifice is out now.
Originally published at Truth About Books. Reproduced here with permission.
