Q&A with Penny Parkes, the author of The Larkford Series (Best Practice Blog Tour)

I am so happy to be today’s host in Best Practice blog Tour.
I want to say thank you to Hayley McMullan for giving me this opportunity, to Penny Parkes for answering all of my questions, and to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a free copy of the book.

 

Best Practice is out now in hardcover and paperback.

 

About the book:

THE BRAND NEW BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF OUT OF PRACTICE
Love and laughter with the residents of Larkford is exactly what the doctor ordered!

Dr Alice Walker has become accomplished at presenting a façade to the world – to anyone watching, she is the epitome of style, composure and professionalism. But perhaps it was to be expected that the cracks might begin to show at some point. Thankfully Grace is on hand to offer both friendship and support when it’s needed most.

Meanwhile, Dr Holly Graham has her hands full both professionally and personally. Planning a wedding with Taffy Jones is challenging enough, even before some surprising news changes everything. At least beloved Larkford resident, Elsie, still has a few tricks left up her sleeve!

Dr Dan Carter, on the other hand, has decided to throw himself into his career – the best antidote he’s found to unrequited love. When tragedy strikes in the heart of Larkford, Dan makes it his mission to help the community.

Penny Parkes’ first novel, Out of Practice, won the RNA’s ROMANTIC COMEDY OF THE YEAR AWARD in 2017. 

 

Q&A

Hi Penny, thank you for visiting Book Dust Magic. Can you please introduce yourself?

Hi, I’m Penny Parkes and I write novels about love, community and sneaking behind the scenes – it’s the contrast between my fictional GPs’ personal and professional lives that provides the springboard for my Larkford novels.

Can you please describe your journey to become a published author?

The moment I turned from talking about writing to actually writing seriously didn’t happen until my children started school. Going back to my old line of work finding film locations just wasn’t an option, so I had a small but distinct window of opportunity to see if I could make it as a writer. That focused the mind rather!

There have been many points of serendipity along my path to publication, but the common theme has always been taking a risk, jumping in with both feet, walking into a publishing party knowing nobody, taking on a challenge… And happily I haven’t looked back…

I just love The Larkford Series. Have you always planned for it to be a series, or was Out of Practice meant to be standalone in its early stages?

In my mind, it was always a series, but it has grown and grown, as my characters have developed on the page. Larkford gives me scope to write the stories behind the stories.

Who is your favourite character?

Oh, without a doubt it has to be Elsie Townsend – although she can be a bit of a show-off and can monopolise a scene without careful attention! Her Life Lessons and general empathy and generosity are a joy to write. In fact, she’s fast becoming my role model for my later years…

I always imagine your series as a Lifetime TV show. I assume you’d like to see it on the screen one day, but this time I want to ask you what TV shows do you like to watch?

It probably will come as no surprise to learn that Greys Anatomy and House MD feature very highly on my wish list for TV-time. I’m also a huge fan of shows like Sherlock, Elementary and The West Wing – sharp, funny, clever drama where I can’t predict the outcome (the curse of a writer’s mind that spoils many a TV show)

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Reading – obviously – and from a variety of genres. I feel positively twitchy without a book on the go! I’m also a huge movie fan and love to escape to the cinema. The rest of my spare time I’ll spend swimming, walking The Ginger Ninja, baking gluten free goodies or plotting the next Big Family Adventure. It also has to be said that I spend a glorious amount of time catching up with friends and fellow writing mates and just putting the world to rights over coffee or a little something stronger.

Where do you find your inspiration?

In the most unlikely of places, to be honest. Sometimes it’s not so much an event, as a comment, or a glance that sets the cogs tumbling into place. I do believe that you cannot

write fiction effectively in isolation though – conversations, movies, books, newspapers – they all add in to the mix.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

When I’m writing, it has to be classical music, otherwise I start singing along! Einaudi is a firm favourite.

There is a presumption that all writers are also avid readers. How many books do you usually read in a month and what book did you really like that you read this year?

I’ll usually read one or two books a week, but on occasion I’ll devour a much-anticipated proof overnight – I don’t sleep much! Something in The Water by Catherine Steadman ticked all my boxes and is sure to fly next year.

Doing this interview with Penny Parkes was so much fun, and reading her books is even more awesome.
Make sure to check out The Larkford series, and to visit other blogs that participated in the tour.