Catherine Isaac is a best-selling romcom author who is also a master of bittersweet family stories, the sort of stories that break your heart at the same time as they make it soar.br /

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Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Catherine talks about her uplifting stories that delight readers with their glorious French and Italian settings, while challenging them to accept that sometimes it takes darkness to see how we shine.br /

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We've got three copies of Catherine's latest book, Messy, Wonderful Us, to give away to three lucky readers. In this story, two friends fly to Italy, one in search of her mother's secret life, the other escaping a sudden separation. It's an uplifting tale of love, regret, and second chances, just what we need in this time of COVID-19. br /

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The draw closes on June 13 so don't miss out.  Before we get to Catherine, just a reminder that the show notes for this episode can be found on our website thejoysofbingereading.com That’s where you’ll find links to Catherine’s website and books as well as links to go into the draw to win a copy of Messy, Wonderful Us.  Enter now and while you’re there leave us a comment.  We’d love to hear from you.br /

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Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

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How going to a wedding got Catherine writingWhat having a Mum in a wheelchair taught her about lifeMaking light shine in darknessThe gamble that paid off big timeThe writers she admires mostWhat she'd do differently second time aroundbr /

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Where to find Catherine Isaac: br /

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Website: http://catherineisaac.combr /

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Facebook: @CatherineIsaacAuthorbr /

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 Twitter: http://@CatherineIsaac_br /

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Instagram: @CatherineIsaacauthorbr /

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What follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Introducing Catherine Isaacbr /

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But now here’s Catherine.  Hello Catherine and welcome to the show. It's so good to have you with us.br /

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Catherine Isaac:  It's great to be here. Thank you for inviting me.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: You are in the UK and I'm in New Zealand and we're in a time of pandemic.  Can you paint a bit of a picture for our listeners? How is social distancing affecting you?br /

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Catherine Isaac authorbr /

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Catherine Isaac: I think we're the same as most people.  We’re kind of muddling through really.  I've got three children, aged 15, 11 and 7, so they're all at home doing their schoolwork here.  Obviously trying to write in between printing out trigonometry questions is a bit more challenging than usual.br /

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But we're muddling through and we're lucky because we've got a garden and I know that doesn't apply to lots of people, so we're just tootling along really. We're fine.br /

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Coping with Covidbr /

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Jenny Wheeler:  I've spoken to quite a few people who say that even when they're in rather comfortable circumstances, this virus somehow does get into their heads and distracts them from their normal thinking processes.  As a former newspaper editor, are you finding it harder to focus?  Are you a bit distracted by wanting to jump into news cycles still?br /

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Catherine Isaac: I 've always been slightly obsessed with the news.  I was a newspaper journalist for many years before I became an author and I am permanently glued to the news and obviously there isn't a great deal of good news around at the moment.  br /

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In terms of being distracted, I've heard a lot of people say that actually.  In my case,

Anne Hillerman had some very big shoes to fill when she stepped up to continue her father Tony Hillerman’s much loved Joe and Jim Navajo mysteries, an 18-book series adored by fans as well as admired by critics.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Anne talks about how she came to assume her father’s mantle and write five more Navajo mysteries which are all New York Times best sellers.

And we’ve got three E book copies of her latest, The Tale Teller, to giveaway to three lucky readers. A mysterious anonymous donation . . . a precious artifact stolen, linked by a seemingly random murder. .  . 

Enter the draw on the Joys of Binge Reading website Giveaway page at the joys of binge reading.com or on the Binge Reading Facebook page. Draw closes June 6, 2020.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How Anne came to take on her father's mantleWhy writing non fiction led to fictionThe tragic strength of the Navajo peopleHow a fine dress became a holy relicPlaces to go in Navajo countryWhat she wishes she'd asked her Dad Tony Hillerman

Where to find Anne Hillerman: 

Website: https://annehillerman.com/

Facebook: @authotannehillerman

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny Wheeler: But now here's Anne. Hello there Anne and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Anne Hillerman: Hello Jenny. Thank you so much for asking me.

Introducing author Anne Hillerman

Anne Hillerman - Navajo country mysteries carried on from her Dad Tony Hillerman

Jenny Wheeler: We're both in a global pandemic at the opposite sides of the world and I wonder how you are managing with social distancing. Has it made much of an impact on your life?

Anne Hillerman: Yes and no.  I think anyone who's a writer tends to have some pretty strong introverted genes and so in some ways I have been glad to have an excuse to say, no, I can't go to lunch, no, I can't talk to your Kiwanis group, to your Rotary group because of social distancing, and to have more quiet time to focus on my writing.

But the downside of that is I write about real places, and part of my process always has been going to the places that are in the book and then trying to talk to people who live there to get a real sense of what the community is like.  

Getting through a pandemic whole

With the book I'm working on now, I had two big interviews set up right before New Mexico, the state where I live, went on not exactly lockdown, but pretty darn close to it.  One of the interviews was at a school and of course they were all closed and the other was at a scientific facility and the person I was talking to did the public tours so those were all closed.  That's been a downside of it.  But I think once things open up again, I'll be able to put those pieces together.

I miss my friends and I miss being able to go out to dinner but all in all, I think we just have to all do what we can, so we'll be done with this.  I guess that's a long answer to your short question.

Summertime is coming soon...

Jenny Wheeler:  That's absolutely right.  If we all do our bit, then hopefully.  I heard somebody on the TV this morning say, well, it's going to be like this for the next two years or until we get a vaccine and I guess none of us really wants to think of it that way, but it might be a little bit of a long journey.

Anne Hillerman: I had some really sweet invitations to do talks this Spring and of course they were all canceled and so I missed that.  But it’s worth it.  I have so many friends who are in the high risk group and I wouldn't have ever wanted to take a chance on anything happening to them, so I think we all have to do our part to get through this. 

Jenny Wheeler:  Yes.  You've got a unique story as a novelist because you've continued your father, Tony Hillerman's,

Anne Hillerman had some very big shoes to fill when she stepped up to continue her father Tony Hillerman’s much loved Joe and Jim Navajo mysteries, an 18-book series adored by fans as well as admired by critics.br /

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Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Anne talks about how she came to assume her father’s mantle and write five more Navajo mysteries which are all New York Times best sellers.br /

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And we’ve got three E book copies of her latest, The Tale Teller, to giveaway to three lucky readers. A mysterious anonymous donation . . . a precious artifact stolen, linked by a seemingly random murder. .  . br /

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Enter the draw on the Joys of Binge Reading website Giveaway page at the joys of binge reading.com or on the Binge Reading Facebook page. Draw closes June 6, 2020.br /

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Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

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How Anne came to take on her father's mantleWhy writing non fiction led to fictionThe tragic strength of the Navajo peopleHow a fine dress became a holy relicPlaces to go in Navajo countryWhat she wishes she'd asked her Dad Tony Hillermanbr /

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Where to find Anne Hillerman: br /

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Website: https://annehillerman.com/br /

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Facebook: @authotannehillermanbr /

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What follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: But now here's Anne. Hello there Anne and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.br /

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Anne Hillerman: Hello Jenny. Thank you so much for asking me.br /

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Introducing author Anne Hillermanbr /

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Anne Hillerman - Navajo country mysteries carried on from her Dad Tony Hillermanbr /

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Jenny Wheeler: We're both in a global pandemic at the opposite sides of the world and I wonder how you are managing with social distancing. Has it made much of an impact on your life?br /

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Anne Hillerman: Yes and no.  I think anyone who's a writer tends to have some pretty strong introverted genes and so in some ways I have been glad to have an excuse to say, no, I can't go to lunch, no, I can't talk to your Kiwanis group, to your Rotary group because of social distancing, and to have more quiet time to focus on my writing.br /

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But the downside of that is I write about real places, and part of my process always has been going to the places that are in the book and then trying to talk to people who live there to get a real sense of what the community is like.  br /

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Getting through a pandemic wholebr /

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br /

With the book I'm working on now, I had two big interviews set up right before New Mexico, the state where I live, went on not exactly lockdown, but pretty darn close to it.  One of the interviews was at a school and of course they were all closed and the other was at a scientific facility and the person I was talking to did the public tours so those were all closed.  That's been a downside of it.  But I think once things open up again, I'll be able to put those pieces together.br /

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I miss my friends and I miss being able to go out to dinner but all in all, I think we just have to all do what we can, so we'll be done with this.  I guess that's a long answer to your short question.br /

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Summertime is coming soon...br /

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Jenny Wheeler:  That's absolutely right.  If we all do our bit, then hopefully.  I heard somebody on the TV this morning say, well, it's going to be like this for the next two years or until we get a vaccine and I guess none of us really wants to think of it that way,

Tricia

Stringer’s best-selling Australian rural romance stories have helped country

love blossom into the hugely popular category it is today. As a recognised

“voice of Australian story telling” Tricia’s gone on to include historical

sagas and multi-generational family fiction in her very popular body of work.

In tune with the times her latest book, The Model Wife, examines what happens when a woman everyone relies on feels she’s been pushed just one point too far. Could it be that in her attempt to be a loving wife and mother, Natalie King no longer knows who she is?

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and we’re delighted to have three E-Book copies of The Model Wife to give away to three lucky readers. Enter the draw on the website, thejoysofbingereading.com or on our Binge Reading Facebook page.  Entries close May 30.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How Tricia got into writing rural and women's fictionWhy reader say her stories resonate with their livesThe way Covid is changing writer's livesWhat she's working on nowThe writers she admires mostWhat she'd do differently second time around

Where to find Tricia Stringer:

Website:  https://www.triciastringer.com.au/

Facebook:  @triciastringerauthor

 Twitter:  @tricia_stringer

Instagram: @triciastringerauthor

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Tricia and welcome to the show.

It's great to have you with us.

Tricia Stringer: Hi Jenny. 

Thank you so much for inviting me.

Tricia Stringer romance and historic fiction author

Jenny Wheeler: Tricia, you are in South Australia and I'm in

New Zealand and in these days of pandemic, I think people like to picture where

you are talking from and what your situation is.  Is social distancing affecting you very much

and where are you located in relation to Adelaide, for example?

Living in semi-lockdown

Tricia Stringer: I live in rural South Australia. I'm about two hours north of Adelaide on Yorke peninsula and near the sea.  We're very lucky here, obviously we are social isolating, but we can still catch up with friends for a coffee. 

What we've been doing is bringing our own and just sitting outside and keeping ourselves apart.  At home it's not very much different for me because I work from home anyway.  So here I am sitting in my office, talking to you, which is my usual workplace.

I've got a view out over my garden, but I guess the thing I miss the very most is being able to see my family, especially my two grandsons who live in Adelaide, and I usually see them fairly regularly, so we've been doing lots of Skyping and sending letters and lots of things like that.

Jenny Wheeler: Fantastic. The new technology, not even particularly

new technology now, does come into its own when we're in these situations,

doesn't it?

How Tricia got started as an author

Tricia Stringer: Yes, thank goodness.

Jenny Wheeler: I always like to start by asking that question, because people always want to know the answer to it: how did you get into your writing?  Was there a Once Upon a Time moment of realization, or was it more something you'd had there on the back burner for a long time?

Tricia Stringer: I've always enjoyed writing.  I never thought of myself as a writer as

such, but when I was a teacher, now let me think, about 25 years ago, I had a

class of Year 4/5 children and we were doing local history and I thought I

could write them a little story to explain this aspect of local history that we

were doing.

That's

when I realized that it's really easy to start a story.  What's hard is to actually finish it. So I did

a children's writing course and I ended up writing a couple of children's

stories, got bitten by the writing bug, and then had this idea for a story with

a rural theme.  That's what got me into

Triciabr /

Stringer’s best-selling Australian rural romance stories have helped countrybr /

love blossom into the hugely popular category it is today. As a recognisedbr /

“voice of Australian story telling” Tricia’s gone on to include historicalbr /

sagas and multi-generational family fiction in her very popular body of work.br /

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br /

In tune with the times her latest book, The Model Wife, examines what happens when a woman everyone relies on feels she’s been pushed just one point too far. Could it be that in her attempt to be a loving wife and mother, Natalie King no longer knows who she is?br /

br /

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Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and we’re delighted to have three E-Book copies of The Model Wife to give away to three lucky readers. Enter the draw on the website, thejoysofbingereading.com or on our Binge Reading Facebook page.  Entries close May 30.br /

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Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

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How Tricia got into writing rural and women's fictionWhy reader say her stories resonate with their livesThe way Covid is changing writer's livesWhat she's working on nowThe writers she admires mostWhat she'd do differently second time aroundbr /

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Where to find Tricia Stringer:br /

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Website:  https://www.triciastringer.com.au/ br /

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Facebook:  @triciastringerauthor br /

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 Twitter:  @tricia_stringer br /

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Instagram: @triciastringerauthorbr /

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Whatbr /

follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word forbr /

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Tricia and welcome to the show.br /

It's great to have you with us. br /

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Tricia Stringer: Hi Jenny. br /

Thank you so much for inviting me. br /

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Tricia Stringer romance and historic fiction authorbr /

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Jenny Wheeler: Tricia, you are in South Australia and I'm inbr /

New Zealand and in these days of pandemic, I think people like to picture wherebr /

you are talking from and what your situation is.  Is social distancing affecting you very muchbr /

and where are you located in relation to Adelaide, for example? br /

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Living in semi-lockdownbr /

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Tricia Stringer: I live in rural South Australia. I'm about two hours north of Adelaide on Yorke peninsula and near the sea.  We're very lucky here, obviously we are social isolating, but we can still catch up with friends for a coffee.  br /

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What we've been doing is bringing our own and just sitting outside and keeping ourselves apart.  At home it's not very much different for me because I work from home anyway.  So here I am sitting in my office, talking to you, which is my usual workplace. br /

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I've got a view out over my garden, but I guess the thing I miss the very most is being able to see my family, especially my two grandsons who live in Adelaide, and I usually see them fairly regularly, so we've been doing lots of Skyping and sending letters and lots of things like that.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: Fantastic. The new technology, not even particularlybr /

new technology now, does come into its own when we're in these situations,br /

doesn't it? br /

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How Tricia got started as an authorbr /

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Tricia Stringer: Yes, thank goodness. br /

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Jenny Wheeler: I always like to start by asking that question, because people always want to know the answer to it: how did you get into your writing?  Was there a Once Upon a Time moment of realization, or was it more something you'd had there on the back burner for a long time?br /

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Christine Wells’ World War II historical fiction

celebrates strong, courageous women with story lines that faithfully reflect

the true lives of real spies and resistance workers.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in today’s binge reading episode Christine talks about the remarkable boom happening at the moment in wartime fiction and her fascination with the heroic women who were sent behind enemy lines. 

And we've got three E-book copies of Christine's latest spy thriller The Juliet Code to give away to three lucky readers. A woman spy dropped behind enemy lines. A mission that went critically wrong. Now the war is over but Juliet can't forget the people she left behind . . . ENTER DRAW now. Offer closes May 23.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How Christine got her start in romanceHer 'behind enemy lines' fascinationWhy women readers love WWII fictionPopularising buried true life historyThe woman who inspired Bond's MoneypennyChristine's favourite spy series- soon to be on TV

Where to find Christine Wells: 

Website:  https://christine-wells.com/

Facebook: @ChristineWellsAuthor

 Twitter:  @ChristineWells0

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny Wheeler: But now, here’s Christine. Hello there Christine and welcome to the show.  It’s great to have you with us.

Christine Wells: Hi Jenny. Thanks so much

for having me.

Jenny Wheeler:  We're living in extraordinary times of

pandemic. You're in Australia and I'm in New Zealand and we're both in some

degree of social isolation, so give listeners a picture of where you are and

how social distancing is affecting you.

Christine Wells - popular World War II historic fiction

Christine Wells: I'm in Brisbane and as a writer who is a bit of an introvert, I have to say that I probably am coping with social distancing a lot better than most people.  Not a lot has changed from the perspective of work.  I do have two children and they're both at home doing their schoolwork via the internet, but I don't call it homeschooling because they're both in high school and very capable of organizing themselves. 

Dealing with 'social isolation'

I'd say that I am missing my friends. I think everybody's going to have a big party when all of this is over, but it's something we all have to do and I'm happy to abide by the rules.  I don't think that they're as strict as they are in some other places.  We can still go out and get coffee as long as it's takeaway and we keep social distancing and so forth.  I'm just looking forward to seeing my family again and my friends.

Jenny Wheeler: Australia is doing pretty

well with their bubble and I've heard somebody suggesting – actually today is

ANZAC Day, the day that our two countries celebrate, or honor should be the

better word, war heroes – and I've heard somebody suggest that we should start

an ANZAC bubble, that the first thing we should do is try and get the borders

between Australia and New Zealand open again so that we could each visit each

other.  I thought that sounded like a

great idea, to create an ANZAC bubble.

Creating an Anzac Bubble?

Christine Wells: I think that's an amazing

idea because I can see that foreign travel is not going to occur for us for

quite some time. New Zealand has been quite successful with their isolation as

well, so wouldn't that be wonderful and it would stimulate the economy as well.

Jenny Wheeler: That's exactly it because

we're also concerned about letting our tourist industry flourish again. I'd

certainly be very happy to come to Australia and I think Australians would be

happy to come here. So maybe that is something for the future.

Christine Wells:  Yes.  What

a happy thought.

Jenny Wheeler: You are a trained lawyer

and you were working as a lawyer before you turned to your fiction career. I

Christine Wells’ World War II historical fictionbr /

celebrates strong, courageous women with story lines that faithfully reflectbr /

the true lives of real spies and resistance workers.br /

br /

br /

br /

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in today’s binge reading episode Christine talks about the remarkable boom happening at the moment in wartime fiction and her fascination with the heroic women who were sent behind enemy lines.  br /

br /

br /

br /

And we've got three E-book copies of Christine's latest spy thriller The Juliet Code to give away to three lucky readers. A woman spy dropped behind enemy lines. A mission that went critically wrong. Now the war is over but Juliet can't forget the people she left behind . . . ENTER DRAW now. Offer closes May 23.br /

br /

br /

br /

br /

br /

br /

br /

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

br /

br /

br /

How Christine got her start in romanceHer 'behind enemy lines' fascinationWhy women readers love WWII fictionPopularising buried true life historyThe woman who inspired Bond's MoneypennyChristine's favourite spy series- soon to be on TVbr /

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Where to find Christine Wells: br /

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Website:  https://christine-wells.com/ br /

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Facebook: @ChristineWellsAuthorbr /

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 Twitter:  @ChristineWells0 br /

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Whatbr /

follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word forbr /

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: But now, here’s Christine. Hello there Christine and welcome to the show.  It’s great to have you with us.br /

br /

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Christine Wells: Hi Jenny. Thanks so muchbr /

for having me. br /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler:  We're living in extraordinary times ofbr /

pandemic. You're in Australia and I'm in New Zealand and we're both in somebr /

degree of social isolation, so give listeners a picture of where you are andbr /

how social distancing is affecting you. br /

br /

br /

br /

Christine Wells - popular World War II historic fictionbr /

br /

br /

br /

Christine Wells: I'm in Brisbane and as a writer who is a bit of an introvert, I have to say that I probably am coping with social distancing a lot better than most people.  Not a lot has changed from the perspective of work.  I do have two children and they're both at home doing their schoolwork via the internet, but I don't call it homeschooling because they're both in high school and very capable of organizing themselves.  br /

br /

br /

br /

Dealing with 'social isolation'br /

br /

br /

br /

I'd say that I am missing my friends. I think everybody's going to have a big party when all of this is over, but it's something we all have to do and I'm happy to abide by the rules.  I don't think that they're as strict as they are in some other places.  We can still go out and get coffee as long as it's takeaway and we keep social distancing and so forth.  I'm just looking forward to seeing my family again and my friends. br /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: Australia is doing prettybr /

well with their bubble and I've heard somebody suggesting – actually today isbr /

ANZAC Day, the day that our two countries celebrate, or honor should be thebr /

better word, war heroes – and I've heard somebody suggest that we should startbr /

an ANZAC bubble, that the first thing we should do is try and get the bordersbr /

between Australia and New Zealand open again so that we could each visit eachbr /

other.  I thought that sounded like abr /

great idea, to create an ANZAC bubble. br /

br /

br /

br /

Creating an Anzac Bubble?br /

br /

br /

br /

Christine Wells: I think that's an amazingbr /

idea because I can see that foreign travel is not going to occur for us forbr /

quite some time.

Chuck

Greaves had the amazing experience of having his first two novels placed first

and second in an international “New Writers” competition that attracted 600

entries, so it’s perhaps not surprising that the former LA trial lawyer hasn’t

looked back since.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today on the Joys of Binge Reading Chuck talks about his popular Jack MacTaggart legal thriller series as well as the literary and historical crime fiction that’s winning him top awards and a growing audience.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How an LA trial lawyer became novelistElements of luck in getting published'Living more than one life' on this earth Literary novels and Jack MacTaggart seriesNew ventures in TV and song writingBlazing Saddles and Richard Pryor

Where to find Chuck Greaves 

Website:  https://chuckgreaves.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/chuck.greaves.5

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny Wheeler: But now, here’s Chuck. Hello there, Chuck, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Chuck Greaves: Hello, Jenny. Thank you

for having me.

Chuck Greaves - mystery and historical fiction author.

Jenny Wheeler: You enjoyed a very full

career as an LA trial lawyer before turning your hand to fiction, and I'm just

wondering, how did that transition come about? Was there some sort of catalyst

that made you think, “I just must try my hand at writing a novel.”

Chuck Greaves: Yeah, the catalyst was

called a midlife crisis. What happened was I turned 50, I'd been at my same law

firm, where I was partner for 25 years, and I just thought to myself, what do I

want to do with the rest of my life?  I'd

always wanted to write, I'd always been a reader. And I thought it was

something I wanted to try my hand at.

Making a life change

And I always had this notion that I want to live more

than one life on this earth.  I'd been on

a particular trajectory for, you know, 50 years, and I thought I'd try

something completely different and so I resigned my law firm partnership. My

wife did the same, she's also a lawyer and we pulled up stakes. We left LA, we moved

to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I started writing a novel.

Hush Money - Book #1 Jack MacTaggart mystery series...

Jenny Wheeler: Fantastic. Just like that. That's amazing. So now you've got two writing names that you work under.  Chuck Greaves has written three much-praised books in the Jack MacTaggart crime series, and then you've also got literary and historical fiction that you write under the name of C. Joseph Greaves, so I guess those two names are simply to differentiate those two different genres, are they?

Learning how to write

Chuck Greaves: There's a bit of a back story to that, which I'll be happy to tell you. I'm in Santa Fe now, the year is 2006 and, as I said, I’m writing this first novel, which was my first Jack MacTaggart novel.  It was called Hush Money and it took me about two years to write. I was really teaching myself how to write a novel.

And when it was finished, I did what all new novelists

do, which is to try to find a literary agent in New York. I sent query letters

to various agents in New York, and I received form rejection letters back.  I probably sent out 30 letters and I probably

got back 30 rejections.

In the meantime, I had finished that novel and I’d started on my second novel, and the second novel I wrote was something completely different than the first person, sort of sunny, humorous, lawyer, detective novel, which was the first novel, Hush Money. 

True life crime story

The second novel was based on a true crime that happened in the U S in the 1930s.  It was a case I just stumbled upon and it interested me and I did a lot of research into it.

Hard Twisted - historical thriller by C. Joseph Greaves.

Chuckbr /

Greaves had the amazing experience of having his first two novels placed firstbr /

and second in an international “New Writers” competition that attracted 600br /

entries, so it’s perhaps not surprising that the former LA trial lawyer hasn’tbr /

looked back since.br /

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Hibr /

there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today on the Joys of Binge Reading Chuckbr /

talks about his popular Jack MacTaggart legal thriller series as well as thebr /

literary and historical crime fiction that’s winning him top awards and abr /

growing audience.br /

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And we’ve got three hard-to-find signed paperback copies of one of the MacTaggart mysteries, Green Eyed Lady, Book #2 in the series as a holiday giveaway for three lucky readers. Best Selling author Douglas Preston called it “the wickedest read of the year.” br /

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Details of how to enter the contest can be found on the Joys of Binge Reading website or the Binge Reading Facebook page. Entries close May 16.br /

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Enter the draw for a copy of Green Eyed Lady Offer closes May 16br /

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Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

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How an LA trial lawyer became novelistElements of luck in getting published'Living more than one life' on this earth Literary novels and Jack MacTaggart seriesNew ventures in TV and song writingBlazing Saddles and Richard Pryorbr /

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Where to find Chuck Greaves br /

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Website:  https://chuckgreaves.com/ br /

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Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/chuck.greaves.5 br /

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Whatbr /

follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word forbr /

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: But now, here’s Chuck. Hello there, Chuck, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. br /

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Chuck Greaves: Hello, Jenny. Thank youbr /

for having me. br /

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Chuck Greaves - mystery and historical fiction author.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: You enjoyed a very fullbr /

career as an LA trial lawyer before turning your hand to fiction, and I'm justbr /

wondering, how did that transition come about? Was there some sort of catalystbr /

that made you think, “I just must try my hand at writing a novel.”br /

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Chuck Greaves: Yeah, the catalyst wasbr /

called a midlife crisis. What happened was I turned 50, I'd been at my same lawbr /

firm, where I was partner for 25 years, and I just thought to myself, what do Ibr /

want to do with the rest of my life?  I'dbr /

always wanted to write, I'd always been a reader. And I thought it wasbr /

something I wanted to try my hand at.br /

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Making a life changebr /

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And I always had this notion that I want to live morebr /

than one life on this earth.  I'd been onbr /

a particular trajectory for, you know, 50 years, and I thought I'd trybr /

something completely different and so I resigned my law firm partnership. Mybr /

wife did the same, she's also a lawyer and we pulled up stakes. We left LA, we movedbr /

to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I started writing a novel.br /

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Hush Money - Book #1 Jack MacTaggart mystery series...br /

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Jenny Wheeler: Fantastic. Just like that. That's amazing. So now you've got two writing names that you work under.  Chuck Greaves has written three much-praised books in the Jack MacTaggart crime series, and then you've also got literary and historical fiction that you write under the name of C. Joseph Greaves, so I guess those two names are simply to differentiate those two different genres, are they?br /

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Learning how to writebr /

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Fiona

Valpy’s French romances are like a glass of wine in French sunshine – a perfect summer –

and pandemic escape. But she writes more than romance.

Fiona's best-selling World War II fiction tells stories of remarkable women, generations apart, who use adversity to their advantage and find resilience deep within.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Fiona shows why her books are the antidote for dark times, and we offer the French Escape Giveaway... three Ebook copies of her chateau romance The French For Always are going to three lucky readers.

An escapist read with the taste of summer on every page…  it’s just what we need in difficult times….  Enter the draw through the Joys of Binge Reading website or the Binge Reading Facebook page.  Offer closes May 9, so enter now.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

How moving to France launched a careerThe secret lives of Fiona's neighborsThe Nazis in Paris and their legacyInterweaving romance and historyFiona's thing about Austen booksMoving on from social distancing

Where to find Fiona Valpy: 

Website: https://www.fionavalpy.com/

Facebook: @fionavalpybooks

Twitter: @fionavalpy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionavalpy/

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Fiona, and welcome to the show.  It's great to have you with us.

Fiona Valpy: Hi Jenny.  Can I just say from

one binge reader to another, it's great to be here.

Author Fiona Valpy - escapist French romance and World War II drama

Jenny Wheeler: That's wonderful. You're in Scotland and I'm in New Zealand. It's a

time of pandemic, so give out our listeners a picture of where are you sitting

and how has social distancing been affecting you?

Lovely spot for introvert writer

Fiona Valpy: Well, I'm in the conservatory of my house, which is on the edge of a little village in Perthshire in Scotland. And I'm the last house in the village, so I get the benefit of having the community nearby. But I’m also looking out onto my garden, which is full of spring flowers at the moment, such a joy.

Then beyond that there's some fields and trees and hills and I've got the River Tay just down below as well, which I can't see because it's down in a deep valley, but it's always lovely knowing the river’s there.

I'm lucky where I am. I've got the sense of not being too trapped and too claustrophobic here.  I'm also really lucky with the small community that's around because they're so supportive and we've all got together, and we do shopping for people who are in quarantine. 

If anyone needs anything, we will scurry around virtually, electronically, and try and sort that.

The spirit of community rises . .

There was a lovely story the other day of

an elderly lady in a care home.  It was

her birthday and the community group all put their heads together by a computer

and managed to come up with a bagpiper who went and stood outside her window

and played “Happy Birthday” to her. That gives you the kind of idea of the

spirit of community that I'm in.

Jenny Wheeler: That sounds just gorgeous.

Fiona Valpy: It is, it's lovely.  From that

point of view, I'm lucky. I also think that with social distancing, being a

writer, we're quite antisocial people anyway. 

The nature of our day job, if you like, is being quite isolated and working

on our own and having that space to really focus on our writing. In fact the lockdown

that we're in here at the moment has possibly been quite a good thing from my

point of view and I think my publisher would think it's a very good thing

because I no longer have any excuses for not hitting my deadlines.

The French For Love - Book #1 in the "French For" romance series by Fiona Valpy

How did Fiona get writing fiction?

Jenny Wheeler: That’s right.