An Interview with Christine Mary Flemming

Hello, This is an interview with the author Christine Mary Flemming. She is an extremely talented writer and many of us young adults on here should look up to her writing as inspiration. Please take a moment and read this wonderful interview with a phenomenal writer.

What is the books genre/category?

President Fionn would come under historical fiction as Part One is set in the 1930's and Part Two is in the 1960's. The book is set in Dublin, Ireland.

What events/inspirations led up to you publishing your book?

Initially I wanted to go way back in Irish history as I like the legends that come from there but as I started to research, the 20th century in Ireland started to interest me. Also I found out President Kennedy made a momentous visit to Ireland in late June, 1963, a few months before he died, I wanted to bring this occasion into my book. Also I have some Irish ancestry, so I was able to call on that.

Is there a common theme or life-lesson in your books?

I would say the common themes, are endurance, perseverance, hope.

I see that you have published two books. What was the biggest challenge you encountered between writing your first book and second book?

I would say research, my first book is set in the town I was living at the time, so I had much more access the archives, the geography of the place etc. and was able to walk the streets where my characters walked on a daily basis. I did visit Dublin but I had to work a lot harder in gaining the information I needed to make it authentic.  Also I chose to use the exact vernacular that was used in Ireland at those times, especially 1930 and this took a lot of work to get it just right.

Looking back at both of your publications, What do you think you did that makes your books stand out above the rest?

I think my books stand out because I don't have a formula, I write about whatever I want, so my work is inevitably different from book to book, although I do have a definite style that follows me around.  This is a risky strategy but I like the challenge of the new.

Besides personal life, where do you draw most of your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from knowledge, my books are part fact, part fiction.  I often use actual events and weave them around the characters. The characters become involved and react to these real life situations according to their personality. That aside, I do add my own fictional version of events sometimes to keep the action moving and to make it more plausible that any given character would behave in a certain way.
What can your readers expect from you in the coming years?

I will have the first draft of my next novel, 'Shovelling Raindrops' ready by the end of May, so that will be out this year.  This book is about four teenagers and is set in New York, in 1964. I am also writing a stage play called 'My Golden Life.' which I also hope to have finished this year.  After that I have a plan to write a novel set in Paris, but that could change!
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Take on board criticism, but don't let it destroy your vision, secondly, if this is the career you want, never, never give up, experience brings improvement.

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