Featured Interview With Author Jan Lloyd
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Warwick, UK a long time ago and spent most of my adult life in a village just outside Warwick. I have two grown up children and two granddaughters.
In the past I have kept alpacas, horses and numerous cats and dogs, and would describe myself as an animal freak.
After retiring from teaching maths and science, I moved to Mid Wales and now live in a small hamlet surrounded by wonderful countryside with my husband and two Cavalier dogs.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been an avid reader, as long as there was a little history involved. My history teacher at school got all of us girls to read the Jean Plaidy novels. At the age of fifteen/ sixteen I adored them. I like something a little meatier these days.
I had the idea for my War Torn novel after watching the movie Das Boot. I read all I could on Submarine warfare in WW2 and was really moved by the bravery of these young men on both sides. After a “What if?” moment, the idea for War Torn was born and I wrote the first book 40 years ago, quickly followed by Book 2 as the characters took control and took me on quite a journey. I am immensely proud of my debut book War Torn Book 1, which has now been joined by the second book in the series.
These two books were written over 40 years ago and at the time there was little interest in WW2 and they were put away until 2022 in a wardrobe. I published both books in 2023 and they have wonderful reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. For those of you that enjoy books set in WW2 they are a must read, and have been described in editorial reviews as “like no other book I have read about WW2”, “The best enemies to lovers book I have ever read.” (International Book Review) “This book throws one curved ball after another, I defy you to predict which way it will go. (Matt McAvoy, author and editor)
I would describe the War Torn Series as being predominantly about survival, love and forgiveness. I am presently writing Book 3.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are Sansom, Follet and Alison Weir. I think my favourite book of all times is Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I do love a good thick book.
For me there has to be something historical in a story. It can be anytime and anywhere, though I do love English history, particularly from way back when to the Stuarts.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Fragments of Time is a stand alone book and a new genre for me to write in, still historical but with a paranormal twist. A timeslip/time travel story set in 1960s and 1914.
The idea for the book has been in my head for sometime. The setting is the village where I lived in Warwickshire. It was built on an old army barracks. There are one or two reminders of the barracks left behind which stoked my imagination, and of course I grew up in the 60s.
Jen is a young 60s girl who goes through quite a lot of trauma in her young life, and ends up in an abusive relationship. She becomes a bit of a loner and spends as much time as she can out of the way of her partner. She immerses herself in books, often sitting outside or inside the local church to read.
One such time inside the church she becomes aware that she is not alone. I won’t tell you anymore.
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