Interview with Val Portelli
“An old house. A new start. Ancient secrets. When Gina stumbles across the remote, dilapidated mansion she’s convinced it will make the perfect home for when she and her fiancé Paul settle down together. At first he supports the venture, but his frequent absences are a cause for concern, especially when the renovations reveal skeletons from the past. Is local man Steve a prospective business partner or looking for something more? Why are the normally reticent villagers prepared to accept her as one of their own? As more uncanny coincidences link Gina to the gruesome history of the house, she must decide where her future lies, and if she is prepared to pay the final price.” -Synopsis for Alderslay.
This month, we go across the pond to Merry Olde England to profile author Val Portelli. Val is the author of several romance novels and the suspense thriller, Alderslay.
15) OK, it has to be asked: What is with the old pen name Voinks? Where did that come from?
Hi Robert. Thanks for inviting me, and I hope your side of the pond is warmer than London at the moment.
Voinks originated in a rather convoluted way nearly 20 years ago. It involved a friend whose initial was ‘J’ buying an apartment in Malta and being given keyrings as mementoes. Hers had a cow on it, Jennifer Lopez was popular at the time, so she became J-Moo. Mine had a little pig, and I’ll leave you to guess the rest!
14) It seems to me that the plot throughline for Alderslay is strikingly original. I generally abstain from asking my subjects cookie cutter questions like, “Where do you get your ideas?” But I have to ask where you got the plot line for Alderslay.
Although less than 18 miles from the centre of London, to reach the old air force base at Biggin Hill without a car could take hours. A local newspaper article mentioned the possibility of improving transport links, as there were no trains or trams and an infrequent bus service. It struck me how easy it would be for one of the small communities there to keep secrets, and how easy access might affect the local, predominantly crop growing area. Add two and two plus my usual quirky twist and Alderslay was born.
13) Describe your happy place. Where do you feel happiest writing?
My usual writing place is at my desk, looking through the conservatory into the garden during the day, although I often write late into the early hours. However, I wouldn’t object to a verandah by a swimming pool, in a villa a few paces from the beach, with people on hand to cater to my every whim. The laptop might get a bit soggy though, if I tried to type in the sea.
12) It’s been famously said there are just two plots- A stranger arriving in a strange land or someone going on a journey. That certainly applies to the romance novels you’ve written and published. Which way do you lean and how much is fiction and how much is autobiography?
Do you know, I’ve never considered that before, but the romances I’ve written do edge towards journeys and foreign lands. Although vastly different genres, even some of my fantasy, thriller and suspense books have that element of journeys and pastures new. I don’t think there is much of my own life in my books, although one is very much based on a combination of characters I knew, and my next project is likely to be nonfiction and fully biographical.
11) Do you see yourself writing a flat out detective novel?
They seem to be very popular at the moment, and it’s something I’d love to try eventually.
10) When you were a girl growing up in the UK, what authors did you read growing up and had any of them gone on to influence or inform your work?
As a young teen I devoured Mills and Boon, which was probably where the romance influence came in. Stephen King was a favourite author which would account for the supernatural and fantasy bias, especially in my short stories. A quick browse of my bookcase shows the books which stick in my memory are by various authors, and many are probably out of print now. ‘The Story of ‘O’,’ ‘Or I’ll dress you in morning’, and ‘The Kappillan of Malta’ are all favourites, and without realising it, I’ve picked three books all set in different countries.\
9) Up until about a year ago, you regularly updated an interesting Youtube channel and Twitter feed called “Val’s Tales”. Aside from getting your short fiction out there, what was the reason for putting your short fiction on Youtube?
In same ways it was to keep the family together. We all had busy lives, and at one stage living in different parts of the country meant we were losing contact. My niece, who was a West End theatre production manager, suggested we collaborate using her experience, my stories, and my sister’s voice-over acting skills. They were great fun, and although the intention was to have a short break then do another series, other commitments took over. I still have plenty of stories available if/when the timing is right for us to get together again.
8) Plotter, pantser or plantser?
Pantser, although I’m told it’s not what serious authors should be. Strangely, I’m actually plotting for the non-fiction book which should be next up, as that seems more logical.
7) You’ve written a thriller in Alderslay and several romance novels. Are there any other genres you’d like to tackle in the future?
I’ve also tackled fantasy, and some suspense, and had it suggested I might make a good children’s book author. I’d love to give it a go, but without young children around, I’m not sure how ‘old’ children are these days, if that makes sense. Short answer is any and all of them. I did try erotica once but ended up getting the giggles, and realised it’s a very difficult genre to write well.
6) On your Amazon author page, you’d written, “(A) freak accident left her house-bound and going stir-crazy. To save her sanity she put fingers to laptop resulting in her first novel being traditionally published in 2013.” Then you went indie. Why the switch?
When ‘Changes’ was taken up, I had absolutely no idea about the publishing world, and assumed everything would be done for me, and I’d sit back and roll around with millions in royalties without lifting a finger. Well perhaps not quite, but I did learn such things existed as editing, book cover design, proof reading and getting publicity. The more I understood, the more I wanted to know, especially as self-publishing was becoming more acceptable, and I liked the idea of having control. I still enjoy all the different aspects, except marketing. That is definitely not my forte.
5) I could be wrong but I’ve noticed all your books are standalones. Do you plan on starting a series in the future?
No, you’re quite right, they are all standalones, although all the gurus say series are the way to go. With that in mind ‘Story of a Country Boy’ was supposed to be followed by ‘Son of a Country Boy.’ I wrote some chapters but left it when it began to feel ‘false.’ It’s still sitting on my laptop glaring at me and demanding attention. Also, ‘Simply Spooky’ is intended to be the first of a series, along the lines of ‘Simply Summer,’ ‘Simply Seasons’ or even ‘Simply Santa’ and ‘Simply Song titles.’ You have permission to nag me if by this time next year nothing has happened with them.
4) Is there any subject that’s taboo in your canon?
Not as such, although I haven’t got a lot of time for the ‘Smellfungus’ of this world. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to use that 18th century insult word. I just discovered it and I was dying to put it in somewhere! There are some subjects I wouldn’t tackle, purely because I don’t know enough about them.
3) If you were to give a novice or aspiring author any advice, what would it be?
Stop procrastinating and just start writing. Don’t expect it to be an easy ride, but you can learn as you go along, and there are tons of training and teaching courses, many of them free, to help you achieve your ambitions. Fellow authors and bloggers are generally so supportive, and willing to share their experience. (Robert and this blog are a prime example.) Most of all, enjoy it!
2) Have you ever read a book that changed your entire perspective on writing your own?
Not that I can think of, although to a certain extent every book you read can have a slight influence on your own. This can be negative as a reminder that something which jars with you as a reader would probably jar with readers of your own books. It can also be positive, as an aspect of someone else’s work which makes you want to give it a 5* rating could be relevant in your own writing.
1) So, what’s next for Val Portelli?
First, I need to invent/arrange something which doubles the number of hours in my writing day. Pay greater attention to actually doing all the things I would encourage others to do. Discover a miraculous cure for my mobility problems so I can get out more and shout in person rather than being stuck behind a laptop, ‘Hello world, buy my books!’
Seriously, to carry on doing the things I love, keep in touch with the friends and acquittances I’ve built up along the way, and if I happened to hit the top spot with the world’s greatest best seller ever, I wouldn’t object.
My thank you speech would probably go on for hours, so I’ll sum up by saying a huge thank you for having me as your guest, and very best wishes to you, your friends, family and everyone in your writing groups. It’s been an honour to be invited and I’ve loved your unusual questions.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ms. Portelli and her work, please make use of the linkage below.
Facebook - (Voinks)
Facebook ‘Val’s Tales’
Amazon M
Book Links
Genre: Psychological suspense/mystery
'An old house. A new start. Ancient secrets.'
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
One man seeking justice, a ruthless gang boss, and four women from varied backgrounds unknowingly providing the connection between them.
Genre: Literary fiction short stories
A collection of short stories with Love as their theme, but be prepared for some surprises. Dementia, ghosts, murder, jealousy, second chances and even inanimate objects all find their place.
Genre: Paranormal ghost romance, contemporary fantasy.
A woman responds to an e-mail from an unknown contact, who tells her he was born in the 19th century. Is it a friend winding her up? Or a stalker? The truth is the last thing she expects.
Genre: Literary Fiction.
TJ escapes his religious Mediterranean village and discovers the sleazy side of London’s 1960s Soho. With each re-telling, the legend evolves.
Genre: Myths and Fairy Tales. Literary short stories
Do ghosts have a sense of humour? Is it an opportunity for them to seek revenge, or are they as kind in death as they were in life? Read on if you dare.
Genre: Holiday fiction. Historical romance
Escape to the sun for a new life and find the perfect man. What's not to love until you have to decide where your heart truly lies.
https://mybook.to/SummerChangesPaperback
https://mybook.to/SummerChangesEBook
Genre: Folklore, Fantasy. Fairy tales anthology
And they all lived happily ever after. Or Did they?
posted by jurassicpork @ Saturday, March 04, 2023
1 comments
1 Comments:
I really enjoyed reading Alderslay; having read some of Val’s short stories I was prepared for something dark to be lurking but still got taken by surprise!
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