Q&A Interview with Zoee Smith

I am delighted to welcome Zoee Smith author of The Craig Carter series to take part in my Q&A Interview.

Good morning welcome to Chelle’s Book Reviews

Can you tell us a little about yourself and background?

Well Hi, I’m Zoee Smith and I am a welsh self published author of

Crime/Gangland/Romance Books! I am twenty six years old and I live in

the Llynfi valley in a little town called Maesteg :P I grew up with my

nan until I was 11 because my mother was addicted to drugs. My nan

tragically died when I was 11 of terminal breast cancer. When I moved

back home from the age of eleven until the age of sixteen I was

sexually and physically abused daily by my mother’s partner at the

time. Which led to a court case and conviction when I was seventeen. I

began writing to escape from the everyday, I had always been an avid

reader of anything and everything I could get my hands on so I bit the

bullet and decided to start my own story. I began writing fan fiction

for a band called My Chemical Romance and completed my first full fan

fiction book Die Romantic when I was seventeen. It’s still up in my

wardrobe now never to be seen by the light of day ever again!!! I met

my fiancé in 2010, fast forward seven years and Now I have four crazy

kids aged six and under and a stepson who’s fourteen and I’m currently

working on my THIRD book The Joker which is out for release November

the 5th this year after my almost two year break :P

When did you know that you wanted to become a writer? and how did

you go about it?

I didn’t always want to be a writer. I went through phases of wanting

to be a criminal psychologist or a makeup artist! It wasn’t until I

started writing The Abandoned in 2014 did I realise I wanted it to be

my chosen career and I didn’t have  a fecking clue where to start, I

still don’t now, we’re kinda just winging it!!!😊

Can you tell us what genre your books are and the audience you write for?

My books are a mix bag I think, a crossover between gangland books and

love and crime? If that’s even possible haha!

What is your writing process? and how long does it take?

I’m literally just winging it! I write, edit, design everything all on

my own with literally no help at all. So sometimes it can take weeks

to do just a few pages other times I can get a solid three chapters

done in a day. I think because I’m so busy with my kids aswell that

sometimes I’m so glad to just be able to sit down when they’re in bed

with my glass of wine, my music on and just literally destress through

writing. It is a challenge with a six year old, a four year old a two

year old and an 8 month old all demanding your attention so I mainly

write in the night and I have to have music on or I can’t concentrate,

that’s it really, there’s no real plan I just go where the characters

take me in a way without sounding like a complete creep!

Are your characters based on anyone you know or are they just fictional?

There are a few characters based on people from my real life. Although

I’ve yet to meet a real life Craig Carter! :P

Have you wrote about a personal experience in your novels?

Yes. The rape scenes between Donny and Jenna in The Dirty Deeds were

some of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write in an emotional

sense because it dragged up some fairly shit memories as you can

imagine but it just makes for more emotion when writing and having the

experience of it helped me write in a way that was hard hitting but

sensitive to the subject matter at the same time.

What research do you do?

I had to research a lot of the prostitution stuff for The Dirty Deeds,

google is my saviour… but for some of the things I google, I should be

either sectioned or arrested!! “what does heroin smell like” being one

of the more inquisitive ones when researching about heroin addiction

to give some bulk to Sammy’s character.

Who would you like to co-write with and why?

I think I’d love to write with Kerry Barnes one day because I just

simply love her! She’s a genuine diamond and her stories are

absolutely bewitching so she would be my ideal I think. She’s also the

loveliest person ever so I can imagine working with her would be a

lovely experience too!

What's your favorite book?

My favourite series is the Mitchells By Kimberley Chambers. But my

first ever book in the gangland genre that I love so so much was The

Know by Martina Cole so I’d have to say that.

What's your favorite food?

Cooked dinner, like a proper Sunday dinner with all the trimmings

without a shadow of a doubt!

What's your favorite film?

The Johnny Cash Biography Walk The Line with Joaquin Phoenix, I just

absolutely adore Johnny Cash, he’s my secret guilty pleasure.

What's your favorite song?

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a complete music JUNKIE, I literally

will listen to everything and anything and be completely hooked and

I’m never ever seen without headphones in haha! But my favourite song

is either “Everything” By Lifehouse or “It’s not over” By Daughtry

(Both are my favourite bands too!)

How can readers find out more information about yourself and your books?

You can find me on

Facebook: Zoee Smith

Twitter: @AuthorZoeeSmith

SnapChat: ZoeeSmithyyy

Amazon: Zoee Smith

And I regularly post updates on the Notrights book club on facebook 😉

Thank you so much for joining me today Zoee