Ann Evans

Q: What were you like at school?

At school I was probably looking forward to PE, cookery, art and English lessons, and dreading Science and Maths.

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?

Like most little girls, I wanted to be an actress, and if I could have co-starred with anyone, it would have been with Elvis Presley in those colourful and musical films he made.

Q: Which three words describe you best?

Hard-working, ambitious, forgiving.

Q: What are you afraid of?

Well I used to be terrified of spiders - and I mean, really really terrified of them. But I'm proud to say I've overcome my fear and now I am able to catch them in a container and release them into the wild without a fit of the screaming ab dabs!

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

I suppose my most treasured possession is my car - not that it's anything special, but I rely on it every day, and am lost whenever it breaks down and I can't get where I want to be.

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

I love reading, and these last two or three years have taken up gardening.

Q: What’s your favourite food?

Mmm... it depends. Lunchtime I love cheese and crisp sandwiches. And in the evenings you really can't beat a tasty Indian curry and rice. Hungry now!

Q: What do you day dream about?

I day dream about my books doing well and people enjoying them. Then it makes sense to stop day dreaming and get on with writing them.

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

I'm not a very outrageous person, but I suppose the most daring and scary thing was to agree to go up in an army helicopter - when interviewing army dog handlers, and experienced training for combat flying which was absolutely amazing - I LOVED it!

Q: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

I would like to try being an underwater diver, exploring the coral reefs and the colourful sealife under the oceans. But so far I've only attempting snorkelling.

Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

I feel much younger than my current age.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would love to have met Elvis Presley. He was my favourite singer when I was a child, and I have always loved his music. It would have been great to have actually met him.

Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?

The ability to laugh at themselves.

Q: What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Switzerland is my favourite place for its beauty and in particular having a private visit to the home of Charlie Chaplin - and visiting the HR Giger Museum, to see the work of the man who created Alien. Amazing!

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Be careful what you wish for.

Q: What would you most like to change about yourself?

If I could change something about myself it would be to have a sense of direction - which I lack, totally.

Q: What has life taught you?

There is no point in harbouring a grudge. Forgive and forget, that's what I say.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

I've been writing for about 30 years.

Q: Was there a specific moment in your life when you decide to become a writer?

It was when I took the hand written story I'd been secretly writing out of the drawer and thought, okay if people want to laugh because I want to write, then let them. Nobody laughed.

Q: Where do you do your writing?

At the computer in my office or in my bedroom. But often when thoughts come to me when I least expect them, you might find me leaning on the ironing board to write bits down, or in the garden, or I may even park the car to jot something down before I forget it.

Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?

The very best thing is seeing a new book of yours when it first gets published. Brilliant too is when you speak to someone and they've read your book (and enjoyed it). And I absolutely love teaching children and adults about the art of creative writing. There isn't really a down side about being an author - except of course when a manuscript gets rejected by a publisher.

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

My best ideas come from visiting new places where the locations are awe inspiring in some way. Also buildings will spark ideas - generally buildings which are old or ramshackled.

Q: Which of your own characters do you most identify with?

Possibly Amanda in The Beast because she listens to her 'sixth sense' and 'feels' when something is wrong, without knowing why. And she's a bit of a panicker - but for the right reasons.

Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?

Reminding myself that there's a deadline when the story is supposed to be finished often banishes 'writers block'. If I'm really struggling, then a long walk with my dog, Lola will often free-up the old brain cells again.

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

Practically every great book that I've read!

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read loads, read as many different authors as you can. Also read 'how to write' books, study the craft of writing. Never be satisfied with your first, second or third drafts, polish your work until it gleams. Persevere - don't be put off by rejection - but learn from it.