Today
my guest in Pauline Millward. When Letters
from Hull was published, one of my
first Amazon reviews was written by her and this is how we got acquainted.
I observed that she was an enthusiastic reader and this is why I chose her to give us
the view from the other side of the pages. Welcome to Once Upon a Word, Pauline. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am 68 years of age and was born in Hull. When
I left school at fifteen I became an office junior at a printing works, moving up
to be in charge of accounts. Then I held the same job at another distribution
place. From there, I moved to accounts for Cattles, a well-known company in Hull, and worked my way up to being
in charge of the wages department. At twenty-five, I left work to have my
family, moving from Hull to Scotland with my then-husband who was in the
Royal Navy. Once my children were in school, I opened a market stall on Hull
and Hessle markets selling wool, etc. My supplier asked me to manage a shop for
him in Hessle which I did until he retired. Then I worked at the local hospital
in Cottingham as a technician, cleaning and steralising, then re-packing
instruments for the theatres. I also spent time in the theatres watching
operations which I loved. When I
re-married, I moved to Bridlington so transferred to Scarborough hospital where
I retired in 2002 due to an operation that left me unable to continue the heavy
work I was doing.
I have
lived in many places including France as well as Scotland but have always been
drawn back to my roots. I have three children (two daughters, one son) and four
grandchildren. I am loving life and am out many days during the week on long walks, even climbing the three Yorkshire peaks and Snowdon last year. Many more trips are planned for the coming months but I always have either books or kindle with me; I never go anywhere without them. I am a very avid reader and you will always find me with my nose in a book every spare moment I have.
So
what kinds of books do you read? Which
are your favorites?
I read many genres but my favourite ones are
Historical Romance; this was the first type of book I read as an
adult. Any story set around the war years, especially WWII. Crime stories are amongst my favourites at the
moment. too.
I'm glad you like historical romance as that
is my favorite genre to write. And I can see why WWII stories interest you
since England was so involved in that conflict. But I'm afraid I'm not a fan of
crime stories...yet.
The trend today seems to be toward shorter
books. Do you have a preference in length of the books you read?
I prefer books around the 350/450 page length as
that way the author can really get the full story across without skipping
details.
That is music to my ears, Pauline, because this is the kind of story I love to
write.
Can
you tell me the main reason that causes you to buy a certain book? It is very
important for authors like me to know what is most important to readers such as you.
When buying a book I do go for genre and author
mostly in that order but I do always look for authors that I have read and
like.
Dare
I ask if you prefer E-books or print
books?
I never thought I would ever say this but I do
love my kindle, it is so easy to pack in my case when going away. But having
said that, I still do read print books occasionally when at home.
My publisher will love your answer. Although
Publishing by Rebecca J Vickery does offer prints, and most of mine are
available in print, the main emphasis is on E- books. I wonder when you read a
book if there are certain things that please you or turn you off?
I love a book that really grips you from the
first few pages. What I don't like is bad grammar; this really puts me off
a story and if it's too bad I do not or cannot finish the book.
This is good information for all authors to
know and heed. So do you ever read a book a second time if it is one of those
that you really like?
I must admit I have never read a book twice, as
yet. I have always had so many books on my shelves and now on my kindle that I
just want to read new ones.
Most
authors have websites and Facebook pages. If you visit either one, what do you like to find there?
I do occasionally visit author websites and Facebook
pages. Many promote their new books and put feedback from other readers which I like to read. It helps me to know what others like or even dislike
about a book.
Do
you often read blogs such as this? And
if so, do you leave comments?
I have to admit a blog to me is very new and I
have not visited one before but I most certainly will after doing this.
I'm happy
to hear you say this, Pauline, and so will our other authors be. We have
many posts about a variety of subjects every month so we will look forward to
your visits and your comments. I wonder how you choose the books you read?
I find many of my books via FB promo but I do
visit Amazon frequently and scroll through the genres that I like to see if
there are any that take my fancy.
That
is good to learn as I do try to promote my books on my FB page. I am very
appreciative of the complimentary review
you left for Letters from Hull and I know it takes time and effort to write
reviews. Do you review every book you read?
Thank you. Letters
from Hull was an absolute pleasure to read, I was there following in every
footstep that you took in and around Hull and surrounding areas. I don't
always leave a review for every book I read but always do for ones that I have
enjoyed.
That is a high compliment coming from
someone like you who reads so many
books. I'm honored that my book made your list of those you enjoyed and
reviewed.
Thank
you so much for being my guest today, Pauline, and for telling us about your interesting life. I know authors as well as other
readers will enjoy reading your comments and I hope many will take the time to
share their own comments with us.
Thank you for inviting me as your guest today,
Linda, and I look forward to more books from you.
It was my pleasure. You have inspired me to begin a new story immediately! Do stay
around to answer any questions our readers may want to ask. And readers, please
note. If you have a problem posting your questions or comments, this should
help. After typing your comment in the box, DO
NOT HIT ENTER. Instead look just below at the little blue box that says PUBLISH
and click on that.
If you still can't leave a comment, go to my Facebook page (link below) and leave your message and I'll see that it gets on this page.
My Amazon Book Page
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Do we consider ourselves Doers? I do. But am I a Doer all the time? No, not at all. Sometimes I do kick back, pull away, fall out, or stand by...and watch. However, this is only a respite--I have not lost my Doer persona.
