Please welcome D. E. Fox to my blog. Good morning. Shall we have a chat?
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
Hello my name is Deborah Fox, my pen name is D E Fox. I wrote my first book after the passing of my dog Jake to honour him. It’s a horror called Second Hand Rose and it’s about a small town called Friendship which on the surface seems perfect unfortunately it has a very dark secret. My second book is a young/adult, children’s book called Where is all the Grass Going? It’s about a secret detective agency run by dogs who solve mysteries the human police don’t know about. But when the grass from all over the planet starts being stolen the dogs are the only ones who can solve it and save the human race. Writing is my hobby, I work full time in a warehouse in the returns department of a global electrical wholesaler during the day, I push pallets sometimes twice the size of me! I open all the boxes of returns from customers and determine if they can be re-sold or scrapped. I live with my partner of 26 years, Paul, in the North of England. In the county of Yorkshire, I am a keen gardener and I grow various different fruits and vegetables. I enjoy walking, especially around gardens of stately homes. We are avid movie goers and we go to the cinema every week without fail and watch anything/everything. I’m also part of a film podcast where we talk about films old and new.
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
I didn’t start writing until my late forties, my dog Jake sadly passed away suddenly and I didn’t cope very well with his loss. We tried to keep busy after his passing and decided to go to the cinema to escape in a film. Unfortunately the film was awful. I turned to my partner and said “I’m going to write a book to honour Jake” he thought it was just a passing statement and I would never actually write it. But he was glad I was even thinking about it. Second Hand Rose was born. It had to be a horror as I love horror/supernatural movies and stories. Writing the book really helped with the grieving process and actually made me feel better. Writing about Jake and focusing on positive thoughts was the therapy I needed.
How difficult was it writing your first book?
I didn’t find writing hard at all, I suppose because this is my hobby I have no pressure to write. I have a full time job as well. I write when I feel like it, and when I feel like it just flows out of me.
Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?
I never thought I’d be a writer. I wrote Second Hand Rose purely for therapy. I didn’t send it to a publisher until I was 50. When they told me how much they enjoyed it and published it. I started book number 2, which is completely different from the first. It’s a young adult/childrens book called Where is all the Grass Going? A spy/crime mystery where the detectives are dogs.
Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?
Definitely my partner Paul, my friends call him my manager for fun. He takes me to all the book readings I organize. Videos them so I can watch them back and work on my reading. I have social anxiety about reading aloud. He contacts reading groups to try to find book interviews, blogs, written interviews to promote both my books. We are very much a team, and because we both work full time it helps to split the marketing.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
When I wrote Where is all the Grass Going? I didn’t think about who this book was aimed at. I had so much fun writing it, I sat laughing while I typed. It wasn’t until people started reading it and contacting me that I realised this book was for anyone. 50 something readers telling me how my book helped them escape after a bad day at work. It made them laugh, cheer and maybe shed a little tear. I am so happy that readers feel exactly what I felt when I wrote it. I literally poured love into it, the love I felt for Jake.
What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?
Keep writing, someday you’ll be someone’s favorite author. Another indie author called Katherine Black. Who is part of a huge group of authors on social media who support other authors. We’re like a big family.
What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?
Where is all the grass going? Is for any age I learned that very quickly from the readers/reviewers who contacted me. My book deals with being the underdog and overcoming obstacles to solve what seems an impossible problem. When we work together we can solve anything. It’s a very relevant message.
Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?
With both books I knew exactly what the cover should be, my publisher has an amazing team and the cover designer literally took the image I had in my head and designed it. I think she can read minds, because both my covers firstly made me cry. They were so good and secondly they captured my image perfectly. I suppose that’s the job of a designer but I’d never dealt with someone like that. The fact that she completely understood the brief blew me away.
What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?
Again this is something completely different and unexpected. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in March and had to have an operation to remove a lump. When they removed my lymph nodes it had spread to my spine. I made the decision I would write a book and write down all the bits I’d picked up/learned for myself about cancer. The quirky, and I know it sounds strange to say but the funny things about cancer because there are. I’ve had 6 cycles of chemotherapy and the treatment takes 4 hours. The nurses on the chemo suite and the other patients make the whole process fun. Being positive and dare I say happy helps you firstly cope and secondly feel stronger. I start the next phase in a few weeks which takes about a year. So I will piece together my notes and start writing an A-Z of weird and wonderful facts I’ve picked up on this new journey I’ve found myself on. I’ve been given cancer for a reason and I believe it’s to help others, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Any last words before we wrap things up?
I just wanted to add that Where is all the Grass Going? Won the Golden Wizard Book Prize in the 8-12 year old category. I was not only surprised to win but also shocked. I wrote my book to honour Jake. I had no idea it could win an award. Winning something like that makes me realize I am an author and to keep going and importantly have fun writing. Writing for me isn’t work, it’s an escape and I suppose so is reading. We all need an escape.
Bio:
Deborah Fox lives in Yorkshire with her partner Paul. She currently works for a large electrical distributor, as well as being a budding author. Like many children, Deborah spent her time inspired by stories from AA Milne to JM Barrie, and to this day her favourite story was and still is, Winnie the Pooh! Her writing talents didn’t materialise until later in life as most of her childhood was spent dancing and performing. Deborah’s passions are the outdoors, gardening, interior design, dogs and cinema. She has always been intrigued with all things supernatural and the time presented to her during COVID, and the inspiration from the sad passing of her dog Jake, was the start of her first novel ‘Second Hand Rose.’ With the support of family and friends and Blossom Spring agreeing to publish her story, it has fulfilled the dream to become a published author and has given the encouragement to write more stories.
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When Angels Fly 