Carol Drinkwater has kindly looked through her booky photos for LoveReading. She has regularly featured on our LoveReading books of the month list, and a particular favourite of mine is The Lost Girl, which was also one of our books of the year 2017. Carol has the ability to write with truly beautiful empathy and I always find myself completely captivated. Carol’s photos and captions are fascinating, and I particularly love the garden bench photo, what a wonderful place to work!

Books that Made me Want to Write/Become an Author (2 pics)

As a child, it was Alice and her magical wanderings and discoveries in Wonderland, but as a drama student it was every work by Hermann Hesse particularly Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game

A book, or 'Kindley' photo that makes me beam with happiness

I have written four novellas for Amazon’s Kindle Single library/bookshop. Three of them: The Girl in Room Fourteen, Hotel Paradise and A Simple Act of Kindness reached the number one slot on both sides of the Atlantic. 

So successful was the first, The Girl in Room Fourteen, that Amazon U.S put this picture on every Kindle account in the States. So, when anyone opened or closed their Kindle, up popped my book. Thrilled does not begin to describe it. I could have flown off the Eiffel Tower I was so happy.

My Most Memorable Event

I LOVE attending events in Ireland. It is a celebration of my childhood, my growing up and the country I consider my homeland although, of course, France has become where my heart has chosen to settle.

I have returned to Bantry for the West Cork Literary Festival on several occasions. Teaching Memoir writing and talking about my own books. I LOVE it there.

Two pics below: First: one of my events at Bantry House with Eimear O’Herlihy introducing the event (It was the opening event of the West Cork Lit Fest 2016) and another of with lovely friends and fellow authors in Bantry along with, far left, the fabulous Eimear O’Herlihy who is director of the festival.

My Favourite Jacket to Date

This is the brilliant US cover for The Olive Farm. It was designed by Tracy Cairns who was my editor at Overlook Publishing in the States, along with the publisher, the late Peter Mayer.  Everything about this book is beautiful: quality of paper, colours, textures. It is an edition of my book that gives me a thrill every time I pick it up.

Where do you Prefer to Read?

Sitting in this cabin, enjoying this view. Silence, nature, the sea. Words.

A Favourite writing spot?

I love to be out of doors but cannot work with a computer in the sun. Only with the printed page. This is in the garden of our house outside Paris, when I was reading/correcting the manuscript for The Lost Girl. Pen, Computer to hand for corrections and my Husband has baked me a tart in case my sugar levels flag!

If you enjoyed this, take a look at our other Putting Authors and Illustrators in the Picture features.