I am thrilled to be able to introduce Anna Nicholas, an English author based in Mallorca to the blog today. Her new book, Aunt Maria’s Last Aria, is out now and I think it makes a great summer read. Thank you for your time today, Anna. Tell my readers all about your new book.
What inspired you to write your most recent book?
Aunt Maria’s Last Aria is the fourth in a new crime fiction series set in Mallorca. I always have a lot of stories and crazy plots knocking around my head and this one needed some air. Family members say I have an over active imagination and they’re probably right! The idea for the series came to me some years ago but at the time I was focused on my humorous travel series set on the island. Now, I’m delighted to be heading in a new and fresh direction in fiction.
Who is your favourite character in this book and why?
My protagonist, Isabel Flores Montserrat - sleuth and holiday rental agency owner - is my favourite character though I love others in Isabel’s close community in the mountains. I’d like to be as brave, fit, gung-ho and brilliant as Isabel. We do have some things in common such as a love of animals, food and Mallorca!
What was the first piece you had published?
I had a story published in a Kent newspaper when I was seven years old.
Do you have another story planned or in progress? When can we expect to see that?
Absolutely. I’m currently mapping out the fifth book in my crime series. The plots race around my head and keep me awake at night until everything is down on paper.
Who is your favourite author?
I have many, but my favourite crime author is probably Andrea Camilleri who wrote the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily.
What do you like to do when you’re not planning or writing your next book?
I run several times a week and participate in a marathon annually - usually for a favourite charitable cause. My most recent was this year in Seville but one of my most exciting was last year running around the rim of a volcano and in rugged mountain terrain in Iceland. So far, a friend and I have climbed 51 of Mallorca’s 54 highest peaks – each is over 1,000m. Hiking in the Tramuntanas – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is a joy. I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Of course, I love to read but enjoy cooking and catching up with friends over a paella and good wine, travel, films, and my pilates classes.
When did you know you wanted to write novels?
When I was six I announced to my family that I wanted to be a bookmaker which made them all laugh. It took me a while to become an author as my darling mother instilled in me that I needed to work first and gain life’s experience before I could truly write a book with passion.
Do you write in other genres?
I have a series of seven humorous and semi-autobiographical travel books about Mallorca, and a memoir about my time as a Guinness Book of Records adjudicator, working with Norris McWhirter, CBE, the founder.
What do you like most about being an author?
I enjoy the freedom to create and the luxury of being able to transcribe the countless plots and stories in my mind to print. I live for many hours a day in a secret world of my own making which I then share with my lovely readers: it’s a privilege.
Do you have a specific routine for writing? Is there a special place or particular tool you use?
I’m the Mallorca Destination Writer for the Telegraph newspaper and have a lot of other journalistic assignments and consultancy work so I have to be very disciplined with my time. I write at the weekends and aim for a few weekdays too. I usually work from 9am to 8pm in the tranquil writing den in the basement of our finca which gives on to an orchard of citrus trees. I allow myself a few quick coffee breaks but keep the mobile upstairs. I always write with a big stack of white A4 paper next to me and only use Uniball ink pens although I type my novels directly on the computer.
What advice do you have for other writers?
If you truly want to be a writer, keep perfecting your art and pursue your dream. Listen to helpful advice from experienced writers and be willing to accept constructive criticism – it’s all part of the process. Read voraciously, particularly in your chosen genre. Lastly, never give up!
If your book were to be made into an Audiobook, who would you choose to read it?
The audiobook for The Devil’s Horn, the first in my crime series was released last year on Audible. Six professional English and Spanish speaking readers were auditioned at a London studio, and I chose a Spanish actress and producer because her voice suited the character of Isabel very well.
If your book were to be made into a movie, who would you like to play the main character?
That’s a tough one. Probably and up and coming Hispanic actresses such as Camila Valero (Pact of Silence on Netflix), Marta Torné or Lorenza Izzo. Penelope Cruz would have been perfect, but sadly Isabel is about twenty years her junior.
The Author
Anna Nicholas is the most prolific British author writing about the island of Mallorca in Spain, today. She has written a series of seven best-selling Mallorca humorous travel titles and has written the first three in a new Mallorca based crime series starring feisty and loveable sleuth, Isabel Flores Montserrat. The first, published in 2019, was The Devil's Horn, the second, Haunted Magpie, in 2020 and the third, Fallen Butterfly, in December 2022.
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