Hi, Jessica and welcome to Dark Dates! Tell us a little about your blog… what sort of books you like, how long you have been blogging, etc.
Hi readers! I’ve been blogging once a week since April 2016 at https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com , after much nagging from book groups on social media telling me I wouldn’t sell my novel The Infinity Pool if I didn’t. Immediately I started I found I enjoyed blogging far more than I thought I would. I blog about writing, my own and other people’s – anyone from very famous authors to obscure writers who’ve meant something to me personally. I blog about style, content, points of view, the craft of writing, writing about specific places or ideas, writing for and by children, teaching writing to adults and children, foreign writing, illustration, bad writing, funny writing……

How many books do you read in a month?
Between two and five. My concentration varies.

How do you keep motivated when you must be so busy…?
Well, because I don’t do book reviews for publishers, but only as part of articles I’ve chosen to write, I’m not under time pressure for deadlines or blog tours. Therefore I write about whatever has come into my head that week – it could be a book related article inspired by Brexit, or World Book Day, Christmas, a holiday or even something like Wimbledon, and the post could be long or short – it depends how many thoughts I have! So the motivation comes from inside me. Occasionally it feels like a chore, but not once I get going, and especially not if I get some good feedback, which I increasingly do.

What are the best things about blogging?
It’s a platform for sounding off my opinions! Also I’ve found a lot of pleasure – unexpectedly – in sourcing images to go with my text. I think it’s boring if I don’t break up the text, but I’m terrified of infringing someone’s copyright. That means I have to create my own images, by drawing or montage or photographs, which is really fun. Finally, I’ve made some good blogging friends – it’s a warm and supportive community.

What are your ambitions for your blog?
World domination! Failing that, to increase the audience, to have a good exchange of comments with other bloggers and followers, to arouse people’s interest so they look out for and recommend my writing and any book I may manage to publish in future – or buy the one I’ve already written.

If an author wants to engage with you, what’s the best way?
Via my Facebook author page, or on Twitter. But please note I don’t do reviews except in a very ad hoc way.

Quickfire round: Name your current favourite:
TV show
Oh, anything like The Hotel Inspector, The Great British Sewing Bee, the Great Pottery Throwdown – as you can see I only watch things I’ve saved for later! Or The Bridge, when it’s on. And always Wimbledon or whatever tennis there is.

Holiday destination
Japan!

Food
Salad. Light things.

Pastime
I do mosaics, and I’m a member of a choir, singing high soprano. I play the piano but very quietly as I’m a bit embarrassed about the noise I make. At choir I just go for it!

What book are you reading right now?
I’ve just been to Vienna so I’m half way through a detective novel that’s set there: “Mortal Mischief” by Frank Tallis. By the time anyone reads this I may have reviewed it as part of an article on books set in Vienna.

Thanks, Jessica! You can connect with Jessica here:
Twitter: @jessica_norrie
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/wordsandfictions/
Blog: https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com
Links to buy my book: getBook.at/TheInfinityPool
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3270629.Jessica_Norrie