Today I’m welcoming Morwenna Holman, author of Heaton. Thank you for stopping by, Morwenna!

Heaton

In this prequel to the already published novel, Westerdale we find out how the early life of Heaton Grimshaw shapes and molds the character of the man he later becomes.

Born from a disastrous meeting of insanity and tyranny he struggles to make sense of the world around him, having no true knowledge of his absent parents. Tainted by streaks of cruelty and always dogged by black moods and dark depressions Heaton is hated by his peers and becomes the proverbial loner. Despite being raised as a gentleman the wild part of Heaton’s spirit dominates, ill–‐preparing him for the many injustices and tragedies he is forced to suffer as he struggles through life. But Heaton has one unique gift…his ability with horses and thus he uses this latent talent to carve a niche for himself when all else fails. But blood is thicker than water and as events and his siblings move against him we find him wandering beaten, penniless and homeless on the very moorland that is to lead him to Westerdale and a new chapter of his life.

Buy Heaton from Amazon.

Buy Westerdale from Amazon.

All about Morwenna . . .

I am a spirit writer, communing with the departed to write stories of their lives which are lost in the mists of time. I try to bring them to life again and capture the drama which existed at that point in time.

I am a committed vegan and am dedicated to the welfare of animals, especially cats which I rescue. Hence trying to sell these novels in order to provide a cattery for the abandoned cats of Morley, West Yorkshire, where I live. My hobbies are walking and healthy living and I try to educate people on the holistic treatment of their cats.

Suffering from a lifelong depression and anxiety makes taking on the emotions of these departed spirits difficult and often upsetting but they always come with so much love I never feel alone.

1. How did your life as a writer begin?

My life as a writer really began when I was five with poetry, and in particular, rhyming words fascinated me. My first poem was “What Shall I Call My Dolly” and I still have it. By the age of eight or so I had moved on to short stories about animals, each with a moral in them. Then Spirit started speaking to me, saying I was destined to write their stories when I was older so their life experiences could come again to the world and be shared by many.

2. How did you come with the idea for your current story?

The idea for my current story, Heaton, came from the spirit of Emily Bronte who had been communing with me for my first novel Westerdale. I asked her if there was a history to Heaton that would interest the world as so many people had been contacting me to ask how the tyrant came to be so evil, and she helped me write the early life of Heaton. She said he was based on some one she knew and his history had fascinated and intrigued her which was unusual  as she was not a people person.

3. Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline, or are you more of a seat of your pants type of a writer?

When I commune with Spirit they tell me the very broad outline of their story and then if I am willing to go ahead we get down to the business of putting it all down word for word. I never write anything down from the outline as there is no need because I have Spirit to dictate to me and then I put it into the language of the 19th century with their help and add relevant descriptions from their outline. We often tussle over bits and go back and forth until we are both satisfied. They also send me pictures of what is happening which resonate in my head so I can describe it in detail.

4. What is your usual writing routine?

Put simply there is no writing routine! Being disabled and often ill it depends on both my physical and mental health as to if I can write and also if Spirit are around and chose to be in contact. Sometimes I can do a couple of hours a day and other times I cannot write for a week due to my health. It is very tiring working with Spirit as often they are very demanding so I have to be very clear when I need to tune out and rest.

5. What is the highest goal that you desire to meet as an author?

The only goal I have at present is to make enough money from my books to keep Morley Cat rescue going in my lifetime and to build a big cattery and maybe employ people to care for these poor abandoned felines. I shall not be happy until Morley and the surrounding areas are free of stray cats and we know every feline is receiving the love, respect and care it needs.

6. Tell us three fun facts about yourself.

Well, I think the most fun fact about me is that I am covered in tattoos which I just adore. I have at least 12 and got my first one when I was 18. I was told you will hate them when you get to 50 and here I am in my early 50s loving every one of them! Most of them are animals including a cat’s head, a guinea pig and a black panther.

I also love vegetable dying my hair (I refuse to use anything that has been tested on animals) so it could be red, blue, purple or green as the fancy takes me! (It’s red by the way at the moment but I have a fancy for orange coming on!)

The last fun fact is that I was one of the first females to play football in a ladies league and I can still perform a decent header and do a pretty mean tackle should I need to!

7. Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

I would like to share two things with my readers. Firstly please remember that when you are reading one of my novels you are reliving history as these things really happened and these people were once as alive as you or I. By sharing these past life stories the spirits of these people are living again and are rejoicing in the fact that their secrets are being shared and their lives celebrated.

The second is please, please remember that every penny of the royalties from these books goes straight into the Morley Cat Rescue charity account to be used to help these poor felines. So the more copies people buy the more cats I can take off the streets and treat to the normal things of life – love, good food and shelter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who buys one of my books and that comes not just from me but from the cats as well. Blessings and love and light to you all!