I was very honoured when author Tom Evans invited me, together with a hand picked group of British authors, to take part in this great initiative: ‘It’s ‘A Very British Blog Tour’ which visits and supports the websites of some authors who are dedicated to turning out some of the finest books available in Britain today.
Each author named at the bottom of the page has asked been asked the same questions, but the answers will obviously all be different. You simply click on the author’s name below to see how they have answered the same question.
By the way, we British have certain conventions, traditions and procedures that are expected. There is a dress code in the reading of this British blog and you are expected to comply with it. For example…
Now then, let us proceed in an orderly fashion. As you know, we are all very boring and staid in Britain, aren’t we?
Well, there’s a myth about the British and your starter for ten is – stuffy, class conscious, boring, staid! But is this still relevant in today’s world? Let’s find out from our wonderful writers what they feel about it.
So, without further ado, here are the questions and answers from:
Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment?
A. I was born in Hampstead in North London, but was raised in Fulham in the South West of London. I now live in Clevedon, in North Somerset.
Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at the moment?
A. I lived within the Fulham and Chelsea Borough until I was 29 and then I left London and the UK and moved to Melbourne, Australia where I lived, studied and worked for 4 years, before moving from there to a small town in South Wales, UK called Penarth. I have been in Clevedon for 3 years.
Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?
A. Where I live now. I have travelled the UK with work and whilst admittedly much of my time was spent on motorways, I have spent time in most counties and overall, I like the energy in the South West best.
Q. Have you ‘highlighted’ or ‘showcased’ any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?
A. My book is a personal development book for business people and so aside from passing references, not really.
Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish – about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff upper lip’. Is that correct?
A. I think that term probably has some validity, but I think as a perception it is outdated. Sure, there are some stiff upper lips about, but on the whole, I think the Brits are incredibly soulful, courageous and resourceful. When I lived in Australia, I lived in a very white, middle class suburb right by the coast for the first 12 months. After a while, I started to feel very uncomfortable. Life was very pleasurable, but it all felt very superficial to me. Coming from London, I missed diversity in terms of culture and colour and I missed grafitti and litter. In the end, I actively sought a location to move to which had some soul to it and relocated to the north of the city. I loved it there. The main reason I returned to the UK was that Australia, whilst being beautiful and warm and much more liveable than anywhere I had lived in the UK, felt to me like it lacked substance. That’s what the Brits have in spades – substance.
Q. Do any of the characters in your books carry the ‘stiff upper lip’? Or are they all ‘British Bulldog’ and unique in their own way?
A. My book is based on fact and whilst it does include some characters from the UK, none carry the ‘stiff upper lip’
Q. Tell us about one of your recent books?
The Act Of Attraction In Business is my first book. It is written for people in business, although the principles can be applied in life generally.
THE ACT OF ATTRACTION is a holistic and practical approach to creating the business you want and the book serves to explain clearly and logically how to combine practical business tactics, with a deeper understanding of how our minds work to achieve the success we want.
It explores the 4 elements that make up our activity: VISION, MINDSET, BEHAVIOUR and PLAN and it shows us how aligning those four elements so that they work together, creates the TRACTION we need to move our business forward.
Learning and consciously applying THE ACT OF ATTRACTION in your business will enable you to deliberately attract the things you want, and build the business you truly desire, because when you align what’s going on in your head with what you are actually doing – that’s when you create extraordinary results!”
Q. What are you currently working on?
I am not working on any other books just now, although I am doing a lot of PR activity, so I am writing articles for magazines.
Q. How do you spend your leisure time?
A. Reading, writing, talking, eating, sleeping…sharing the usual stuff 🙂
Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?
A. Both. Although I write in UK English. My editor advised if I wanted my book to do well in the US, that I write in US English. I was baffled. I said, if I wanted it to do well in Germany, than I would understand that to have it translated might make sense, but US English – why? She said that it was more likely to be reviewed in the US if is was written in US English. I chose not to. I am English and I write in English. And besides, my book actually deals with the importance of integrity in business – imagine if I were to then write in a style not in keeping with my integrity just to achieve more reviews?
Q. Can you provide links to your work?
www.theactofattraction.com
Other authors blogs: