It’s always interesting to do a Meet the Author Q&A with an author you’ve already met and thought you knew…

So, it was a bit of a surprise to discover that Graeme Cumming, author of the genre-busting Ravens Gathering, reviewed here on Book Lovers Booklist in March, has walked on hot coals and likes to eat poached egg and mashed potato.

Find out what else rocks his boat…

My name: Graeme Cumming

My family: I am the oldest of four children and my siblings are all sisters, who I’m very close to – though probably because I don’t see them often enough to fall out with them!

I have a daughter and son in their twenties, both of whom bring me all the joy and pain children are supposed to.

My partner and I live 160 miles apart, but we’re working on that…

I was born in….My mum’s bedroom – the same one she still sleeps in fifty-five years later in a village on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire border

But now live in…North Nottinghamshire, close to the South Yorkshire border.

Mum and dad

I couldn’t wait to leave the village I was brought up in and wanted to travel far and wide and get away from my roots.

By a quirk of fate, I ended up living in the town my mum and dad met and married in, and have cousins living nearby from both sides of the family.

So that worked out…

One thing I’d change about me…I like everything to be just right before I send it out into the world, whether that’s a report or a novel, or a speech I want to give.

But the reality is that nothing is ever just right, so I need to learn to be satisfied when something’s good enough – otherwise I’ll never get anything done.

One thing I wouldn’t…Only one? I suppose it’d have to be my natural allure…

Best holiday? It was the late ‘80s and I was single and hoping to go away with some mates, but they couldn’t make it.

Moaning about it to my dad, he asked why I didn’t just go on my own, which seemed a ridiculous idea until he asked me what I was going to do instead.

Ideal location

I told him I’d probably do a lot of reading. So he asked why couldn’t I do that in the sun? I couldn’t argue with his logic, and promptly booked a fortnight away at a sports and leisure complex in Lanzarote.

It turned out to be the ideal place to go, because there were people there who were looking to do activities, so it was easy to meet up with them and do things even though I was on my own.

But I wasn’t tied into doing anything to please others, so it was the most selfish holiday I’ve had, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Earliest childhood memory? Probably being so excited about my dad coming home from work that I burst into tears. I did love my dad.

Favourite film? As someone who loves movies, I’ve seen a lot over the years, and there have been some great ones that have stick with me.

Cinema magic

But, even though it doesn’t have the greatest plot ever, I’m going with Live and Let Die. It was my first Bond movie, I was 10 years old and I’d never seen anything like it – snakes, sharks, crocodiles, a bus chase, a boat chase that didn’t rely on water, and more (or should that be Moore?) besides…

Great fun, and probably a turning point in my appreciation of the magic of cinema.

Best thing about my life? I’m very lucky. I have so many good things in my life, so it should be hard to choose.

Inspiration

My default position has always been my two children, but I take that as read now. Those aside, I’d say it’s my partner. She inspires me every day, and I am grateful she’s part of my life.

Worst thing? I’ve wasted too much time doing stuff that wasn’t important. So, the outcome of that is that I don’t have enough time left to do everything I wanted to. I’m having to prioritise!

What keeps you awake at night? Apart from the crocodile under the bed?

What’s in your bag right now? I don’t have a bag. Unless you mean the rucksack with a towel and change of clothes for when I next go sailing.

Favourite meal? Poached eggs and mashed potato.

It’s not as bad as it sounds, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a culinary delight. What it does for me, though, is remind me of a Christmas I spent with my dad when I was a teenager.

Mid-morning, he asked me what I wanted for dinner. Having assumed we were having a traditional Christmas dinner, I asked him what he meant.

Valuable

So, he told me: “Christmas dinner should be what you want it to be.” And that’s when I had eggs and mash for the first time.

It was a valuable lesson to me, and I now try to live my life the way I want to and not just to conform with expectations.

What you don’t know about me?  I’ve walked across twelve feet of burning hot coals.

In fact, I’ve done it twice. The first time I did everything right, and it felt like I was walking across newly-cut grass. The second time, I was distracted, and ended up with some minor burns.

At least I know it’s a legitimate experience!

My guilty secret? Most of my guilty stuff has been played out in public at some point or other, whether it’s the fondness for Turkish Delight, enthusiasm for Roger Moore or inclination to let myself go when it comes to dancing.

The secrets aren’t about guilt, but discretion…

About Raven’s Gathering:

‘As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds.  Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing.

‘And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them.  The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving.

‘Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it.  She felt him move in behind her.  After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction.  His closeness offered security.

‘You know what they are, don’t you?’

A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident.  For the Gates family in particular it’s more than a coincidence, but unease increases following a brutal attack.

As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences.

And only a select few know why the ravens are gathering.

Read the Book Lovers’ Booklist review here.

Ravens Gathering is available to buy on Amazon.