Interview with Rebecca Reid, author of “The Coop” – Win a Free Kindle Fire HD!

Rebecca Reid was withdrawn from school due to illness at fourteen. Being limited in the things she was able to do, she wrote all the time − poetry, stories, feelings, thoughts. At 16 she had her own page in the local weekly newspaper, the Bangor Spectator, in which she covered anything and everything: fashion, beauty, film, teen issues etc. At 17 she became a model, doing catwalk, photographic work, and TV. In 2008 she graduated in English from Queens University, Belfast, and she was awarded an Arts Council writing grant in 2009. Married in 2007, she lives in N. Ireland with her husband and their three daughters. The Coop is her first novel, and part of the Thickets Wood Trilogy.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/thicketswood

Visit Rebecca Reid on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccareid.thicketswood

Pick up your copy of The Coop at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BBGY0E

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

The Coop is a darkly compelling piece of psychological fiction in which I manipulate the unsuspecting reader through both the conscious and subconscious mind. The convoluted intricacies of this story build from its gentle beginnings to enthrall the reader through menacing happenings and strange, disturbing characters. The Coop is not what it seems − things are never that simple.

A girl, apparently imprisoned in a room, is the thread of mystery running parallel to the tale of Thatchbury village.

Howard and Lilly take you on a journey through Thatchbury where Mathew, the child from the coop, shoots Jodie Tiding, and so unravels the history of his loveless raising, her innocence and the dramatic events leading them to disaster.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

I write as I feel. Initially a passing thought came to me, the idea of living in misery. With that notion came a feeling; it is that feeling that drove this novel to be written. It nagged at me, lingered in the back of my mind until I could no longer ignore it. What happened after that, I had little or no control of, the story grew on the page it was written.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

The welfare of animals. I believe that we, as the more intelligent species, should not abuse our power over them. Every living thing deserves respect and we should fight to ensure animals get it. If we are going to take their lives then we owe it to them to make their short experience in our world a pleasant one!

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

My family. They are irreplaceable. As hard or tiring as some days may be, I want to appreciate every moment, the good, the bad, the tears and the tantrums.

What are you currently working on?

‘The Coop’ is book 1 in the ‘Thickets Wood Trilogy’. Books 2 and 3 are already written but I am about to edit them so I can move on to writing my fourth novel with a clear head. I can never write if I have a distraction, especially if it involves another manuscript.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

As a writer I would say, always be true to yourself. If you feel it needs written, write it.

If you could go back and change one day, what would it be?

The day I said goodbye.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

That everything you experience, be it good or bad, can be drawn on in the future. The simplest things can become lessons in life.

What is your favorite past-time?

Ooh, I have a few, baking – I bake a lot! Watching movies, particularly old 80’s classics and I adore the theatre; I find the story telling so inspiring.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

If you would like to keep up to date with what I am doing, follow me on Twitter, @thicketswood and Facebook – rebeccareid.thicketswood

A psychological thriller about the destruction of innocence.

Enter The Coop, a dark and mysteriously misleading psychological thriller.

A girl, apparently imprisoned in a room, is the thread of mystery running parallel to the tale of Thatchbury village.

Meet Howard and Lilly. They take you on a journey through Thatchbury where Mathew, the child from the coop, shoots Jodie Tiding, and so unravels the history of his loveless raising, her innocence and the dramatic events leading them to disaster.

The Coop is a darkly compelling vision of the layers of consciousness. Although conceived as the first novel in a trilogy, The Coop stands alone as a brilliant individual work of fiction.

“The Coop is hauntingly beautiful and a page turner. Once you start you won’t want to stop and you’re left speechless at the end. Reid dazzles and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on book 2 and of course see how this trilogy concludes.”

– Jess, Literati Literature Lovers

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. If your blog isn’t set up to accept the form, we offer another way for you to participate by having people comment on your blog then directing them to where they can fill out the form to gain more entries.

This Kindle Fire HD promotion will run from October 1 – November 30. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on December 1, 2012.

Each blogger who participates in The Coop virtual book tour is eligible to enter and win.

Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

If you would like to participate, email Dorothy at thewriterslife(at)gmail.com. Last day to sign up is October 25. What a great way to not only win this fabulous prize, but to gain followers and comments too! Good luck everyone!