A Q&A with Val Penny

 

I'm once gain pleased to be joined on the Writer's Block by Val Penny, who has recently launched  Hunter's Force, the third story in her Hunter Wilson series, and is here to answer some questions about her writing and her story.

Over to you, Val.

Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog today. I am delighted to have a chance to tell you and your readers about Hunter’s Force, the new novel in my series of DI Hunter Wilson Thrillers.

1. What made you decide to start writing novels?

I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put the light out and told us to go to sleep. Later, I wrote documents, contracts, and courses as part of my job, but my time was well accounted for, so I did not create any fiction.

However, I took early retirement when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and there were times when I suffered severe side effects from my treatment. I could not go out, spend time with friends or indulge in many of my favourite hobbies, but watching daytime television got very old very fast, so I turned to reading. It was the only thing I had the energy to do and could do safely.

2. What inspired you to write crime fiction and set your series in Edinburgh?

I must admit that the genre of book that I enjoy most to read is crime fiction, so I decided to write what I like to read. Before I set the DI Hunter Wilson series in Edinburgh, I did debate making up a town like Peter Robinson did for his crime series. However, I know Edinburgh well and it is a city many people have visited or want to visit. It is also quite a small city, but cosmopolitan and it has everything in it that I needed, so Edinburgh is Hunter’s home.

3. The book has some dark humour within it as well as some brutal murders, how did you manage to combine to two without it sounding forced and was it intentional to combine both and yet keep a gritty feel?

Aah yes, well that was intentional. I enjoy humour and especially dark humour. I think you need that to lift a crime novel from being too bleak.

4. How do you get into the mindset of your characters to write both the murderer and the police solving the case?

I drafted biographies for each of my main characters and that allowed me to get to know them well before I started writing my novels. I particularly like Hunter Wilson because I know I can trust his judgement. I enjoy Jamie as a character too. His judgement is always suspect, but he tries his best to accomplish his goals!

5. Did you have to research for the police procedures? If so, how easy, or difficult was this to do and then to translate it into a fictional story?

Yes. I am lucky to have a friend who is a retired Detective Chief Inspector and another who is a serving CSI with Greater Manchester Police. They were most helpful in guiding me in the right direction, Of course, I may have strayed for dramatic effect and any errors are mine.

6. How do you get your inspiration?

I get inspiration from many different places. Overhearing a snatch of a conversation in a restaurant, hearing a story from a friend or from the evening news. I always have a notebook with me to jot down my thoughts.

7. This is the third book in this series now, do you have more planned or what’s next in your writing career?

I certainly plan to write more books in the Hunter series. I also have a second series now where Jane Renwick is the main character. The first book in that series will be published by SpellBound Books this year and I am writing the second book in that series now.

 8. You write a blog and keep a social media presence, as well as writing books. From an author’s perspective, how does this benefit both you and your readers?

I like to keep in touch with my readers and to hear from them through my website, www.valpenny.com my blog, and on social media. It is always lovely to keep in touch.

9. When can readers expect your next novel?

I particularly enjoyed writing Hunter’s Force and hope that your readers will enjoy the novel too. SpellBound plan that the next novel in this series, Hunter’s Blood, will appear later in 2023. It will explore more aspects of Hunter and his family. Your readers can find out about that on my website in due course!

10. What genres do you like to read and what are you reading just now?

I read many crime fiction novels, but also women’s fiction, historical novels, and nonfiction. I have just finished reading My Extra Life by Maggie Cobbett, a nonfiction book of the author’s 20year career as a TV and film extra. Now I am reading a historical novel set in Roman times, The Third Daughter, by Fiona Forsyth.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today. It is always nice to speak to you.

Thank you for joining me today. And all the best with Hunter's Force, which is available here.

Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.

Can DI Hunter Wilson keep Edinburgh safe when he is the hunted?

Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is woken in the early hours of the morning by a call from his son. Cameron’s flatmate was murdered. Why would anybody want to kill a young woman recently arrived in the city?

Hunter must call in the new Major Incident Team (MIT) to lead the investigation due to the reorganisation of police services. Hunter's ability to be involved, however, is put in severe doubt when someone from his past decides to take revenge on him. He goes missing, and his team have no idea where to look for him. Who would want to stop Hunter in his tracks?

Meanwhile, Hunter's team must work closely with the MIT and with or without him, solve the murder in this taut crime thriller.

About the Author

Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. 

Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd. 

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat. 

Happy writing.

Western Weekends: Zorro (1975)

Happy New Year, despite it being halfway into the year's Monday (cold, depressing, and feels longer than it is). Anyway, it's been a while since I've done a "Western Weekend", so I figured I'd revive that. And since we could all use a Zorro right now, that would be my next film to review. Zorro is an Italian film released in 1975, and is a delightful romp.

Alain Delon plays Don Diego de la Vega, a Spanish swordsman and adventurer in Colombia (rather than the traditional location of California), who is preparing to return to Spain. While waiting for passage in Cartagena, he meets his old friend Don Miguel de la Serna. An idealistic and peace-loving noble, Miguel has been appointed governor of the province of Neuva Aragon following the suspicious death of his uncle. That evening, Miguel is attacked by assassins hired by the power-hungry Colonel Huerta. Diego is eager for revenge and offers to go in his Miguel's stead, but Miguel makes him promise that the new governor will never kill. Accompanied by Miguel's mute servant Joaquin, he travels to Nueva Aragon, and finds a dystopia; the local farmers are swindled by the merchant classes, and oppressed by the militia. Colonel Huerta, played by Stanley Baker, seeks to rule the province as a military dictator, but Diego assumes the role of a fop to lull the colonel into a false sense of security. He later learns of a local story of a trickster spirit known as Zorro, and uses the story to adopt the persona of a masked swordsman who fights oppression. He later falls in love with Hortensia Purlido, the daughter of a bankrupt noble family and a vocal critic of the government.

One thing to note is that the film still retains a few moments from the original Johnston McCulley novel. For example, there is a scene in which a well-respected monk named Brother Francisco (Fray Felipe in the original story) is tried for allegedly selling spoiled hides to a merchant and sentenced to be whipped. Zorro interrupts the flogging, ordering the merchant, the magistrate, and the executioner to be flogged instead. Huerta's henchman, Sergeant Garcia, is based on Sergeant Gonzales, who is determined to capture Zorro but is on friendly terms with Diego.

Naturally, there's plenty of sword fighting, but it seems to adopt a more slapstick tone. That might not be your thing, but I personally love it. There's one notable fight scene in a marketplace in which Zorro battles with Sergeant Garcia. While evading Garcia's soldiers, Zorro makes use of someone carrying a large plank to utilise a "Laurel and Hardy" combat style. Or another moment involves using the canvas of the market stalls as trampolines. In a more ridiculous scene, Zorro is infiltrating a prison and delays guards by rolling barrels down a staircase like Donkey Kong, later hiding in one of the barrels to sneak past them.

If there's any issue I do have, it's with the finale before the fight between Zorro and Huerta. As the people begin to rebel, Huerta shoots and kills Brother Francisco. Zorro - who never actually kills anyone he fights - decides that the priest's death absolves him of his vow. It's all well and good, but it was kind of arbitrary and came out of nowhere. I would have liked to see some build-up to that. There are also a fair few scenes that don't add much, mainly involving Miguel's aunt Carmen and his Prussian bodyguard Fritz von Markel (both of whom largely serve as comic relief). Hortensia seems like an interesting character with her outspoken nature, but ends up being a damsel in distress.

All in all, I love this film. It's not the most well-produced film around, but I find it enjoyably silly. It's worth at least one watch. Try and find an uncut version if possible, since many cuts have left out a lot of important backstory. Some of it could have been cut, but other bits really should have been kept in.

Also, is that dog dubbed?