Pirate Anthology: Paulene Turner

The Black Beacon Book of Pirates is sure to shiver your timbers when it's published on Friday the 21st of June. The Kindle version is already available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads "want to read" list today. In the meantime, to get you in the mood for a spot of swashbuckling, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. 

Hi Paulene,

Why pirates?

A good question, me hearty. What is the lure of pirates? Be it the peg legs and eye patches? No. Be it the long boots and gold earrings? Maybe. Be it the freedom of a life on the sea, sailing wherever the wind takes you. Aye, aye, Captain, that be it!

Are there any pirate legends set where you live?

I came across a legend recently (in my book, Black Tides, book 4 of The Time Travel Chronicles, set in the pirate era). Of Captain Morales, a Spanish pirate, who intercepted a ship belonging to a Mughal emperor. In its hold was the wealth of India, including a pink diamond, the size of a fist. As soon as he saw the shimmering pink stone, Morales fell under its spell. He wanted to possess it and not share it with his crew. So, one night, he called for the ship’s rum casks to be opened to celebrate and when all the men had passed out drunk, he rowed to a nearby beach and buried the stone, hastily making a map so he could return one day and reclaim it. At the first port, he gave the map to an illiterate man to keep until he passed by again. But his fear he’d never hold it again put him in a dark mood. He got into a fight with a man at a tavern was killed. The map and the illiterate man were never found. So the treasure is still out there, on a beach in the Caribbean, awaiting an adventurous child with a spade and a touch of pirate spirit to dig it up.

What’s the first thing you’d do if you were a pirate?

I’d put on one of those fantastic tricorn hats and say "Arrrrgh!"

Have you ever found a treasure?

I have found some beautiful shells on Sydney’s beaches, and a few deadly blue-ringed octopus. But no treasure…except my husband, who is a treasure to me! (Editors note: This calls for an "Awww!" rather than an "Arrrrgh!")

What do you do when you’re not dreaming up tales?

At the moment, I’m mid-way through releasing my six-book series The Time Travel Chronicles, about two Aussie teens who travel through history in a time machine. It took me over a decade to write, the characters visited five different historical settings (including one pirate setting) and telling the tale took over 500,000 words. I released three books in 2023 and the final three will come out in the second half of 2024! So I’m a very busy woman and spend my days editing, editing, editing. And making book promos on my favourite digital tool—Canva!

You can find Paulene Turner wreaking havoc in these waters:

https://pauleneturnerwrites.com/

https://twitter.com/PauleneTurner

https://www.instagram.com/pauleneturnertimetraveller/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028127063681

An Interview with Paulene Turner

The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!

Hi Paulene,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

Mine is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche. I've long been a fan of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, and these mysteries, in my best attempt at Dr Watson's voice, are my favourite things to write.

There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?

We all love mysteries, digging deep to find the truth behind the mask we wear in our lives. It's fun to have all the elements laid out and to try to interpret them through the eyes of your detective.

Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.

I love Agatha Christie, of course. And recently I read a mysterious book which I found fascinating by JP Delaney called A Perfect Wife. It combines my favourite things, a mystery, interesting structure and POV and A.I. I love stories about AI. I think we need to explore them, and think things through thoroughly in fiction before we launch them to the world.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

No, this my second Sherlock Holmes pastiche. I particularly enjoyed this one as it features one of my favourite characters in the Baker Street pantheon...Irene Adler.

If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

Needing lots of cappuccino stops to sit and jot down my notes!

Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?

Constantly. People around us are always hiding something. We pretend everything's okay, we hold that mask up. As a writer, and a curious person, I constantly speculate as to what's behind the words.

How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?

I was in Baker Street, in the Sherlock Holmes museum and gift shop, quite recently. So, yes! And I watch all Sherlock Holmes on film and TV!

What do you aim to give your readers?

A lot of fun, intrigue, and sights and sounds and suggestion of smells emanating from Victorian London.

What are you working on now? 

I'm just about to launch my first novel, Secrets of the Nile, a YA time travel adventure set in Ancient Egypt. With five more books (already written!) to follow. I'm one busy indie writer/publisher!

Where can we find you online?

www.pauleneturnerwrites.com

Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!

An Interview with Paulene Turner

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

 

Hi Paulene, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

 

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

 

It’s hard to choose out of so many great films. Of course, I love To Catch a Thief – a cat burglar on the French Riviera, a mystery, romance, action – what’s not to like. But I also loved the James Stewart films Rope, a psychologically thrilling game of murder, and Rear Window. But one which stayed in my mind and wasn’t a thriller, was a survival film called Lifeboat, made in 1944. The premise was that, after a boat sinks, passengers crowd onto a lifeboat. But as they hit rough seas, it’s clear that some people will have to go over the side in order for the rest to survive. It’s a brutal choice. Everyone on board has a say about who should jump. I always remember that a frail famous artist, sweet and modest, had to step into the writhing water while a loathsome, bullying man kept his place, because they’d need his strength to get through it.

 

What is it about Hitchcock’s films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

 

The way he filmed, that sense of claustrophobia and neuroses he created with the way he shot, was trail-blazing and is still watchable today. Though the music of the era does tend towards melodrama, you can forgive the films as they have so much of style and pace, and always a thrilling script with twists and turns. Plus, there is the fun of playing Spot the Director as he makes a cameo appearance in all his films.

 

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

 

Peter Jackson is number one! And I love Guy Ritchie as a director and writer. Ridley Scott has made some of my favourite films, Christopher Nolan, Ron Howard. With Mark Mylod and SJ Clarkson in TV drama. Gosh, they’re mostly men! I hope that changes in future!

 

How did you come up with the idea for Paranoia?

 

I read a biography on Hitchcock and heard about how he had avoided/snubbed/cold-shouldered Doris Day on the set of The Man Who Knew Too Much, to get a more unhinged performance than usual from her. It struck me as a cold, directorial thing to do. So, it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the call for stories. I created a character who styled himself after Big Al and tried that same technique, ostensibly to get the best performance out of an actress, but really because he liked to wield and abuse his power. It’s meant to be a thrilling and mysterious Hitchcockian piece, particularly for fans (making special reference to our editor’s favourite Hitchcock films).

 

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

 

1) I met James Bond – Daniel Craig – outside the Sydney premier of Quantum of Solace. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, and I told him he was my favourite Bond (but I hope Pierce doesn’t hear!).

2) I have two pugs, called Holmes and Watson.

3) I wrote and directed short films myself for a few years, for the 48-hour film festival, with my family in the lead roles. The difficulty of putting those 7-min stories together gave me a new respect for any story on screen.

 

What are you working on now?

 

I recently wrote two magic words THE END at the bottom of the 6th and final book in my YA time travel series. After more than a decade! Two Aussie teens travel through history in a time machine. As they use modern ideas to solve ancient problems, the changes ripple through the timeline with devastating effect. I’m currently editing all six books with a view to a 2023 release!

 

Murder and Machinery: An Interview with Paulene Turner

Paulene Turner's "Suicide Blonde" is just one of the mad mechanical tales featured in Murder and Machinery. Out April the 3rd. Kindle pre-orders available now.

Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

1. I have twin daughters and twin pugs.

2. I write and direct short plays for Short and Sweet, Sydney, the biggest little play festival in the world.

3. I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, and have recently become one of the many imitators of Conan Doyle’s work - which is great fun.

What drew you to this particular theme? 

My theme is of machines working to agendas of their own. It’s increasingly clear that someone is watching. We google something, and ads appear matching our enquiries in our Facebook. More disturbingly, sometimes I have a conversation with my phone nearby and ads then appear on Facebook. Plus I was reading Yuval Harari’s excellent book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, where he discusses all things AI related (it’s more of a horror book than those on the shelves), and this was an extension of his ideas about the future.

What’s the most frightening machine for you personally?

The phone. The way we’re all hopelessly addicted to it. And how it affects personal relationships.

Which short story authors or authors in the horror genre inspire you? 

I’m afraid to read horror. But I read plenty of news, and that’s pretty much a horror story. 

Do you have a favourite story about machines, other than The Pit and the Pendulum? 

I, Robot is a great story and very relevant to all the issues we’ll have to deal with in the future. But I did like Gridiron by Phillip Kerr, in which a modern, smart building turns against its occupants.

What does your editing process look like? 

A mess, generally. 15-20 versions of the same document. Printouts everywhere, with scribbles and crossings out. My husband is a great sub-editor and my daughters are both writers, so we have a lot of versions of each story with (insightful) comments from them to be dealt with. Then, of course, when I finish it, and it’s completely ready, the minute I print it off, I find still more typos.

Do you write everything and then edit or do you meticulously plan before you write?

I’m a pantser. I generally have some idea of the main points, but try to let it flow how it wants as I go. Sometimes works well. Not always though. Ah, this uncertain and fickle hobby of writing! A bit like cooking. No matter how many meals you’ve made, there’s no guarantee the next one will turn out well. 

What are you working on now?

I’m writing the fifth book in a time travel series - the last and the hardest, which involves travelling to the past to Edo Japan, then into future Sydney to wrap it up. Plus I’m writing a twisted fairytale for a competition.

Where can we find you online?

pauleneturnerwrites.com

Facebook: Paulene Turner Writes

Twitter: @PauleneTurner

Thanks, Paulene!

An Interview with Paulene Turner

In the lead-up to the launch of The Black Beacon Book of Mystery in June, we’ve asked our contributors to answer a few questions so you can get to know them better. Let’s unravel the mystery behind the stories together. 

Mandatory question considering the situation: How are you coping with the pandemic?

How am I coping? Like most writers, I’m fretting for the world and its people enduring tragedy in all corners. I’d rather write about dystopian worlds and historical events than live in or through one. And the habit of imagination doesn’t help a great deal; I keep dreaming up ways things could get worse – which is great in a story, but not so much in real life. Otherwise, my family is doing pretty well. We have a bit of cabin fever, of course. To the extent that we look forward to doing the grocery shopping – dangerous though it may be – for the sake of getting out. (Never thought I’d write that sentence) But in our family we’re all ‘sitty’ people and so probably coping better than more athletic triathlete sorts. Hope you’re okay in France? The numbers over there have been horrifying.

(Interviewer: Thanks, Paulene. We're doing fine. We live in the countryside and have a garden so it's not a problem getting exercise. I do the grocery shopping, which gives me some alone time. Not many cases here in Brittany compared to other regions.) 

What's the inspiration behind your story?

 

I’ve always loved the challenge of a good mystery, figuring out whodunit, or why. I was and am a big Agatha Christie fan, and read and re-read the Sherlock Holmes tales. My favourite characters in any novel/show/story are the clever ones who can deduce things that people won’t come out and say. So much of our daily lives involves this skill; figuring out what people actually mean when they say they’re ‘fine’, from the clues they present rather than the words. Most of us spend at least part of our time wearing metaphoric masks and hiding what we think and feel – especially from ourselves.

What are you working on now?

 

I’m currently working on the fifth book of a YA time travel series in which a teenage odd couple travel to some of history’s most exciting periods. My protagonist, Maddy, imagines she’s an expert on sub-text and reading people. If she was an earthworm, she says, she would be deep down in the dirt. Whereas her travelling companion, Riley, is a scientific genius who invented time travel, but he takes people at their word and can only ever burrow beneath the surface grains.

What's the key ingredient for a ripping mystery?

 

I believe that every good story, no matter what genre, has a mystery at its core; something to keep people guessing or wondering. In these COVID-19 times, we hope there’s a Sherlock in the medical world, who can solve the mystery of how to kick the virus’s butt!

Where can readers find you?

 

My short stories and various writings can be found at www.pauleneturnerwrites.com