I think I’ve loved writing stories since I learned how to string words together on a sheet of paper. Along with it came a passion for reading and by the time I started high school, I could be found in my spare time with my nose stuck in a book, or scribbling stories into note books. In high school, my teachers regularly confiscated novels from inside my folders during class. My other trick was to use a spare text book in which to write my stories. There was no stopping me!

As a child I particularly loved C S Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve read them more times than I can count. Being a mad, keen horse lover, I was also wrapt in Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series. As I got older, I was introduced to Victoria Holt and my love affair with romance novels began. These days I still enjoy Victoria Holt, but I also love to read Karen Robards, Linda Howard and Sandra Brown. One of my favourite authors of many years, is Anne Rice. To anyone who has as vivid imagination as I do, I can’t recommend her vampire chronicles enough. Queen Of The Damned would have to be my favourite book of all time.

Somewhere along the way I became very fascinated with crime fiction, true crime and forensic science. I will read anything on these topics, particularly on criminal profiling and serial killers. I like to think that one day I’ll find a way to learn more in these fields and maybe even work in them. On the fiction side of crime, I love to read Kathy Reichs most of all.

I have just this year begun work on my second novel, tentatively titled Justice In The Barrel. After spending many years working on What Goes Around, it has been a breath of fresh air to start new material and I’m very much enjoying the process.  It’s also very reassuring to see how much I’ve learned about writing and how much easier the words fall onto the page now.  Of course there is still always a lot more work to do and edits to make, but no where near as much as I used to need.  I’ve found it very reassuring.

Justice In The Barrel is a little tricky to pigeon hole. It has romantic aspects, it has suspenseful parts and it has action pieces but I wouldn’t call it solidly in any of those genres. The main character Chris is a woman on a mission.  She knows what she wants and precious little breaks her stride.  What she wants is to find her missing brother, kidnapped seven years before.  And now working as an assassin she utilizes her skills to get close to the suspects.  Naturally she doesn’t undertake all this on her own.  J

I am a member of Romance Writers Australia and since joining, my writing has never improved so quickly. To anyone else who is writing, getting into a group like this is unbelievably helpful. There are a couple of other members in my area and we meet every few weeks to swap work and critique each other. It is a huge benefit and has really taught me to see the faults in my work and fix them more readily. The support, motivation and resources are fantastic too. For anyone interested in joining, please see my Links page.

In the immediate future, I plan to finish Justice. As soon as I manage to convince my boss I won’t be missed if I don’t turn up to work for a month, it’ll be done. I work in broadcasting – until such a time that my novels afford me an income – and shift work really messes with my ability to set aside some writing time each day. But I’ll get there. No question of that!

Outside of writing and the “day” job, I have many, varied interests. The young mad, keen horse lover I used to be turned into a mad, keen horse rider. My horse takes up much of my spare time, but I love her to bits. I am a real movie lover too. I love action movies, comedies, adventure movies but most of all I love thrillers. My favourite movie would have to be From Hell, starring Johnny Depp. A close is Pirates Of The Caribbean, also starring Johnny Depp. Do you detect a pattern here?! I am also a music lover. I have been playing the piano for over twenty years, although I don’t have as much time for it anymore, which is disappointing.

Thank you for visiting my website. I hope to see you here again soon.

© 2007 Linley Maroney | Last updated 13th December 2007

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