Oh man, do we have a fun one today! Catherine Cavendish is a name that immediately conjures two clashing images; the first would be dark, disturbing and eerie Gothic Horror. The second is that she is one of the most kindest and supportive people out there today! I’m always so excited to see what Catherine is conjuring with each release!

Please, do welcome Catherine!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Catherine: I generally try to write something every day of the week. It doesn’t always pan out like that because life does have an annoying habit of getting in the way but I usually write in the afternoons. If I’m working on a first draft of a new story, I aim to complete a minimum of 2,000 words in one sitting. Sometimes, when I’m on a roll, it can be much more than that.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

Catherine: A luxury house on an island sounds the perfect venue for a supernatural murder mystery. I would invite Ramsey Campbell because, aside from being a legend in his own lifetime, possessed of a keen sense of humour and a fund of fascinating and hilarious anecdotes, he is a brilliant horror writer with an amazing store of knowledge of all things dark and sinister. And he would also bring along some great wine. I think Gaby Triana and I would bounce some great ideas off each other. She is the Queen of Southern Gothic Horror and I write gothic horror with a British flavour so we have a lot in common. Val McDermid is a Scottish crime writer and I would love to learn some of the tricks of the trade from her. All in all we should have a stimulating, fun weekend.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Catherine: My novel, Dark Observation is mainly set during World War II at the height of the London Blitz. Typist Violet Harrington works in the subterranean, top-secret Cabinet War Rooms, where Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the key decisions that will dictate Britain’s conduct of the war. Above, the people of London go about their daily business, unaware of the life that teems beneath their feet.
Night after night the bombs rain down, yet, in that fateful spring, Violet has far more to fear than air raids.
She and her friend Tilly share a house with the strange and distant Sandrine Maupas di Santiago – a woman who doesn’t belong there; a woman who is hiding something. Where does she go at night – and what secrets lay behind that too-perfect exterior? But when they decide to dig a little deeper, Violet soon discovers some secrets are best left alone.

At home, and in her place of work, she cannot escape from the menace closing in on her. Increasingly isolated by events she cannot control, every day brings fresh fears. A mysterious man and a room that only she can see, memories she can no longer trust, and a best friend who denies their shared past…

Something is targeting her.

Tragedy strikes and little by little the web is unraveled, but the truth is more extraordinary than Violet could ever have imagined…

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Catherine: On reflection (something of which, being a vampire, Dracula knows nothing 😉) I think Frankenstein’s invitation might be the one I’d go for. With energy prices soaring, it would be great to tap into his electricity supply. Given the amount he uses, he wouldn’t even notice, would he? Also, I am not all that keen on the sight of copious amounts of blood – especially mine – and with Dracula I feel there is a much greater chance of that happening. I can’ t see Frankenstein harvesting my body for spare parts. I’m far too old. So, all in all,  I think I would have a much better chance of surviving the night intact at Victor Frankenstein’s house. Plus, I reckon the food will be better. I mean, apart from blood, Dracula doesn’t eat, does he? And I do prefer my meat well done.

Thank you, Steve for a highly entertaining chat.

Thank you, Catherine!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Cavendish/e/B0059GDROQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cat_Cavendish

Website: https://www.catherinecavendish.com/