Esther is a shy, introvert, middle-aged woman and smack in the middle of a midlife crisis.
S.T. Hills, however, is bold, disobedient, ironic, rebellious and passionate. Where do you live?
Ellewoutsdijk, a quaint little village in the Netherlands.
In the early ‘90s, I lived in Guernsey, an island in the English Channel. Later on, I lived and worked in London for a few years. 
What’s your home life like?
In the morning I go to my day job at a college. Working in human resources, I keep myself occupied with health and safety. Then I go home to do the daily chores, I catch up on the news and watch a British detective or comedy series. I’m a mum of two cats. Usually, I can’t wait to change into my alter ego. Writing, reading and procrastinating on Twitter.
What genre(s) do you like to write? To read?
I’m writing a crime noir series. Additionally, I write very short stories on Twitter. I have daily conversations with my main character and muse, Jack, in #vss365. I often tweet stories in #Converstory, #Storyconver, #BraveWrite and #Hangtenstories.
I have devoured hundreds of crime detectives and thrillers. Trying to improve my writing and knowledge of the English language, I’m currently reading some of ‘the 100 books to read before you die’. The different genres are inspiring but sometimes tough to read. Pride and Prejudice, Catch 22, 1984, to Kill a Mocking Bird, Lord of the Flies, etc.
I’m a huge fan of reading and writing ironic and ambiguous tweets. Why did you start writing?
I’ve started in the scorching summer of 2018. I had watched a crime series which blew my socks off. I felt the urge to know how one of the character’s life continued. The series was finished, but my mind wouldn’t stop spinning. That’s when I created my own story and characters. Soon I was hooked to take my protagonist on an adventure of a lifetime. Writing has enriched my life. I had a heart attack in 2007, and my energy levels went down about 50%. Writing is a relaxing occupation and it calms down my overactive mind. I do write way out of my comfort zone though, having been nauseous and unsettled about certain scenes.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have a slight addiction playing Candy Crush and SongPop. I love to travel the world. I’m a chocoholic and a gourmet. Once a week I force myself to go to the gym for a good work out to keep flexible and into shape. I walk and have the compulsion to complete sudoku, crossword and cryptogram puzzles. If I can’t, I’m annoyed.
I also take part in a Cambridge English Advanced course to acquire the highest level.
Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?
I browse around on Goodreads and then buy an e-book on Apple, Amazon or Kindle. Occasionally I borrow a book from the non-profit library Internet Archive.
At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?
When a writer turns out to be homophobic, sexist or glorifies discrimination such as racism and anti-Semitism.
Are you independently or traditionally published?
My books are not published ‘yet’. I will be diving into the querying trenches in 2020 trying to grab the attention of an agent or publisher. I’m proud and honoured that several of my short stories are published in anthologies.
How many books/stories have you published so far?
There’s one story in VSS365 an Anthology of Very Short Stories volume one 2019. Initiated by Mark A. King. All proceeds go to the literacy charity @thebookbus.
Several other short stories have recently been published in Crispy Rooftop Conversation Stories by Scott Christopher Beebe. What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?
I’m working on The Clocktower Quadrilogy. Part one, Sixteen Minutes past Three, is at my editor. Part two, Half past Five, is in the first draft stage. Occasionally, I write scenes for part three and four. The big bang finale is written, so I know exactly where to go to with my story.
What’s the elevator pitch?
In a clocktower in Guernsey, a team of experts work together to track down and eliminate 12 criminal members of the Black Web for an anonymous wealthy client.
A journalist will interview each target for the ‘Underground Times’, the digital newspaper of the Black Web. A regular journalist is unsuitable for this job, so the company hires an actor, Jack. After a hit and run accident which killed his wife, he has been out of work for months. The Clocktower Company approaches him and although the job is completely out of his comfort zone, he accepts. He is told they will be arrested and prosecuted. He is unaware of the true intentions of the company and has no idea the targets will be killed. Each month Jack receives a file on a target. He will deal with every villain in a new way, getting under their skin and into their minds. He is instructed to get information on the crimes they have committed and so wears a tie clip for audio and glasses for video recording. After each interview, Jack leaves a gift and the criminal dies. This lethal present is made by the Clocktower team, and all team members have a link to one of the criminals. On his road trip through Europe, Jack drives any car he likes and stays in luxury hotels. However, he is lonely, grieving for his wife. He has dreams, nightmares and tries to commit suicide. He struggles with middle age, his libido and turns to chocolate for comfort. A mysterious woman, Sarah, driving a truck with a container, follows Jack. A couple of crime scene cleaners, Tim and Tom, pursue in a van. They collect the bodies and eradicate all evidence. Sarah is an orphan, found on the doorsteps of an Amsterdam hospital. It’s her job to watch Jack’s back and in the process, she falls in love with him, though she has to keep her distance. How long have you been working on it?
I wrote the first draft in about five months. Then I thoroughly revised before sending it to an editor. Meanwhile writing part two. When part one came back from the editor, I started to dig into the serious work. Reviewing, rewriting, cutting, adding, googling, researching, laughing, crying and cursing. Now, almost a year later, it’s on the desk of another editor awaiting her final verdict.
When will it be available to buy? Where?
Unfortunately, I can’t answer this question for my books. Waiting politely for an agent or publisher.
The anthologies are both available on Amazon.
How can readers find you?
I’m very active on Twitter with two profiles under my real and pen name. I have a Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest account which I don’t use as author pages though.
What inspires you to keep writing?‘Anything you say or do can be used in a story‘.
My source of inspiration is Jack. He is based on an existing actor and the characters he has played. Although he is fictional, I have sculpted him into a person I have come to love and cherish. Every day he makes me laugh and brings out the best in me and my writing. I’m guilty of having a teeny-weeny crush on him.
The feedback on Twitter gives me a boost as well. Anything you’d like to add?
I want to apologise for any errors made in spelling, punctuation, style and so forth. It’s challenging to be flawless as a non-native speaker. English is my second language, and I’m still learning every day.
Thank you so much, Nicholas, for this amazing opportunity and good luck to all writers.
My thanks to Esther for participating in My Laughably Inane Blog. I wish her the best in her professional and writing endeavors.
Sincerely,Nicholas P. AdamsJust a small-town boy with an overactive imagination.
1 Comment
2/10/2020 02:06:12 pm
Awesome interview, S.T. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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