Angela with her partner Julie enjoying their holiday
I am so, so happy today because my Hot Holidays! guest is Angela Marsons. Yes, THE Angela Parsons; the author of Amazon #1 Bestsellers SILENT SCREAM and EVIL GAMES, two of the best books I’ve read – nay, devoured – in a long time.
Angela lives in the Black Country with her partner, their bouncy Labrador and a swearing parrot.
She first discovered her love of writing at junior school when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”. After years of writing relationship based stories (My Name Is and The Middle Child) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away: the ‘unusual’ Kim Stone. She is signed to Bookouture.com in an eight-book deal and I can’t wait for the next six!.
ES: I am delighted you agreed to take part in Hot Holidays! Thank you so much. So to start off, where did you spend your last holiday and why did you choose to go there?
AM: My last holiday was a few days in Blackpool. Not very glamorous I know but it was an excellent distraction at the time. There is a fun, lively atmosphere there that I find contagious.
ES: What’s your favourite type of holiday? And your least favourite?
AM: My favourite type of holiday is a mixture of sightseeing and relaxation. My least favourite type of holiday is lying on a beach. I enjoy it for the first hour or two but then I get restless and want to explore.
ES: Where did you spend your best ever holiday and what made it so memorable?
AM: My partner Julie and I spent 36 hours on a coach to get to Rimini in Italy as I am too scared to fly. Although it was a long journey we saw so many beautiful countries and landscapes on the way. The trips to Venice and Rome were breathtaking but what really added to the holiday was that everyone on the coach was local so by the time we arrived it was one big happy family. It was a bit like ‘Coach Trip’ except we didn’t have to vote each other off.
ES: Ha! Ha! Sounds like it was fun. Have you ever had any holiday or travel disasters?
AM: Only a minor one. To cut costs we once stayed in the property of a friend of a friend. It was horrendous; filthy, spooky and most definitely haunted. We stayed awake all night and hot footed it out of there first thing the next morning.
ES: Oh no! Perhaps something you could use in a book though….? Tell us about a place you long to visit and the reasons why.
AM: A place I would love to visit is Colorado to see the Hoover Dam. I am fascinated by the vastness of things, especially man made structures. Not sure how long it would take to get there by ferry, though!
ES: We need to get you over this fear of flying, Angela! I think I know the answer to this, but who’s your favourite travelling companion(s) or do you prefer your own company?
AM: My partner, Julie. We love doing the same things and still enjoy each other’s company. And as soppy as it might sound, I wouldn’t want to discover anything new without her.
ES: I don’t think that’s soppy at all; it’s lovely! Now, just between us, have you ever had a holiday romance? Details, please!
AM: Hee hee, no holiday romances but on our trip to Italy the Italian tour guide flirted with both me and Julie unashamedly for ten days. Neither of us had the heart to tell him he didn’t have a chance!
ES: That’s hilarious! And how would you spend your dream twenty-four hours if you could travel to multiple, worldwide destinations with no travel restrictions?
AM: I think I would want to visit The Hoover Dam, The Grand Canyon, The Great Lakes, Mount Everest and possibly Niagara Falls.
ES: And finally, what tip or piece of advice would you give to holidaymakers and/or travellers?
AM: Never share a six berth caravan with family members!
I’m sure there’s a fascinating story about the caravan that Angela’s not sharing with us!
Thank you so much, Angela. I’m really looking forward to your next Kim Stone book!
