Today’s 7 Questions are a bit different, as we are hosting a blog tour (you know us, we’ll try anything once!). So, today’s 7 Questions candidate is author and journalist Jenny Ensor.  Whilst this is not the traditional 7 Questions format, you can still find her on Twitter @jennie_ensor

1. New book? Tell us more.

It’s a project I’ve worked on since 2005, on and off, and has been a real hard slog at times. So I’m relieved, excited and greatly chuffed that it is finally on the verge of publication! The date is set to be this Saturday 23rd July, in just two days. So much has happened over the past few weeks I can barely keep up with it. One big thing was the change of title. My book has been retitled Blind Side from ‘Ghosts of Chechnya’ (before that it was ‘Nikolai’). This was at the suggestion of Unbound. After several weeks of them insisting – I mean me contemplating – I agreed to change it 🙂 Though the new title works very well, I’m still not quite used to it!
What Blind Side about? The novel has changed a fair bit since I started it, but all the essential ingredients are still there, amplified – suspense, thrills, mystery, danger, creepy heart-fluttering bits, love, sex, crime, war, terrorism… For a comparison, think Claire Kendall’s stalker novel The Book of You meets a slimmed down Gone With The Wind. As far as genre goes it’s a thriller, the psychological/domestic noir type with some recent-historical political stuff thrown in for good measure.

2. Have you ever been compared to Brian Cox?

Not once, unfortunately Claire. He is far better in front of the camera than I would be and I’m sure he knows much more about the universe than I ever will. On the other hand, my first degree was in physics and astrophysics, during which time I sometimes peered through big telescopes and talked excitedly about celestial objects.

3. If you were going to be stuck on an island for a year and could only take 3 books, which would you choose?

Western Philosophy: an anthology. A book sitting on my shelf that I’d love to actually read one day.

The collected poems of Jo Shapcott, Elizabeth Bishop or Billy Collins.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I need to finish this book and it’s very long. Lately I only have time to read when I can’t sleep night, or during the day. (I listen to audio books on my i-Phone while walking the dog.)

4. What are your thoughts on Pet Couture?

In a word, why?

5. Do you have a favourite badger?

Our dog, an Airedale terrier, has a fair streak running from the tip of his tail (which curls up in an ‘O’ on top of his back), under his belly and up his chest. He is my honorary badger.

6. If you could have dinner with one of your characters, which would you pick?

It would have to be Nikolai, my Russian character from Blind Side. My husband might not like it though, given that Nikky is tall, dark and handsome – also very capable physically 🙂 He’s also unpredictable and moody, so I’d never know what he might say next. Nikolai is a fascinating character I think, tormented by the horrors of the war that he was conscripted to fight in, and the things in his past that he doesn’t dare mention to Georgie. But he’s found solace in playing the piano and writing music. He can be quite a charmer too, and wonderfully quick witted. And that Russian accent… I would probably end up just sitting there listening to him speak, as Georgie does in the novel. Perhaps I’d better pick someone else.

7. Have you ever met a kangaroo?

Actually, yes. After studying how the universe came to exist, I realised I was more interested the ‘real’ world and set off to see it. I ended up in Australia. There I was inspired by John Pilger’s investigative reporting, took up journalism and learned how to tell stories (real ones, at first). I also fell in love with the rugged landscape – I’d go hiking and camping in the wilderness with nature-loving friends. All sorts of creatures would sniff and nudge our tent at night. Once at sunset I saw a kangaroo bounding past – an incredible sight.

And you can find Jennie all over the internet:

blog www.jennieensor.com

author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JennieEnsorAuthor

Twitter: @jennie_ensor

Blind Side social media and buy links:

Twitter: #blindsidebook

Pre-order the book: https://unbound.com/books/blind-side  

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