Rita Lee Chapman
Queensland
Australia
Good morning, Rita Lee, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
I’ve written six books, five in the mystery/crime genres and one horse book:
Missing in Egypt
Missing at Sea
Missing in London
Dangerous Associations
Winston – A Horse’s Tale
The Poinciana Tree
What is your favorite genre to write?
Mystery
Favorite food.
Chocolate
Tea or coffee?
Coffee, I don’t drink tea at all.
Pizza or ice cream?
Definitely ice cream
Wine or beer?
Wine – make mine sparkling!
Where would you like to visit?
I’m lucky to have travelled quite a lot but there are still so many places I would love to see – Venice, Sicily, Malta as well as more places in Italy and Greece.
Venice is fabulous. It's like another world. Go! Go soon. Do you listen to music when you write?
Yes
Favorite musical artist.
Can I have two?
Yes.
Celine Dion and Pavrotti.
What makes you laugh?
Many things, fortunately, but definitely not slapstick.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
I like paintings by Constable.
How old were you when you started writing?
I didn’t publish my first book until I retired but I wrote a little story for my youngest brother when I was about ten.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I try to have some idea of either the beginning or the end! I’d love to be able to do a complete outline because normally I’m very organised and love lists, but with writing it takes on a life of its own.
Describe your perfect evening.
A good musical, champagne and a great dinner.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My mother asks me that! I don’t know, it just arrives when its ready.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Go for a long walk or swim.
Who is your favorite author?
At the moment I’d say Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tea Planter’s Wife and many others.
Best book you ever read.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
Last book you read.
Leopard Rock by Wilbur Smith.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
Unfortunately I couldn’t make a living as a writer! I would have loved to have made a living out of it, or as a singer, but in reality I was a PA, now retired.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My father, who taught me compassion and unconditional love.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I’d love to have one more conversation with my father.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Just do it! Now that you can self-publish it won’t stay hidden in a drawer or on your computer, you can actually hold a copy of your own book.
Do you have links for us to follow you?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rita.chapman
Details of my books:
The Anna Davies Mystery Series
Three mysteries in one! Missing in Egypt, Missing at Sea and Missing in London.
Three stand-alone books set on far-flung continents, the only link being Anna herself.
Australian Anna Davies is working as a Personal Assistant when she becomes involved in a mystery which takes her to the temples of Egypt. Three years later, trying to put the past behind her on a cruise from Sydney to London, she finds herself thinking about a woman who falls overboard. Later in life she is embroiled in finding a missing author and his latest manuscript.
Travel with Anna as she finds herself drawn into these mysteries.
This story is set around the beautiful Poinciana tree, with its amazing red flowers.
Suzanne Matthews arrives home from work to find the kitchen in disarray and her daughter missing. After searching the house, her eyes turn towards the garden, drawn to the Poinciana tree. Underneath its canopy she sees her daughter, slumped against its trunk.
When the police are unable to identify Jennifer’s killer, they turn their attention to her husband, Mark. Whilst trying to cope with her grief, she finds herself fighting to prove her husband’s innocence, as her world is turned upside down. She is inspired by another woman, who went with her husband to the Sudan as medical volunteers for a charity organisation.
A tale of raw emotion, desperation and acceptance.
Missing in London
Book #3 in the Anna Davies Mystery Series
Arthur Hambledon, Anna’s best-selling author, has just finished his latest book which he says “will raise some eyebrows.” Then Arthur disappears, along with the manuscript.
Anna Davies is working in London as a Senior Editor for a respected Publishing Company. When her most famous author goes missing, Anna is determined to find out what happened to him.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/880026
Missing at Sea
Book #2 in the Anna Davies Mystery Series
Three years on from Egypt, Anna Davies embarks on her first cruise with best friend Sandra. A few days into the holiday they are woken by three blasts from the ship’s foghorn, indicating that someone has fallen overboard. A woman is lost at sea; the ship turns around to search for her, but she has disappeared into the night.
Was it suicide? Did she lose her balance and fall - or was there foul play involved? Did her husband push her? Would anyone be able to prove whether this was murder or an unfortunate accident?
What a perfect place to stage a murder!
Dangerous Associations:
An ex-husband, a new love, a stalker. Cathy Thompson’s link to her ex-husband fills her life with threats and intimidation. She must either trap her stalker or find Geoffrey to put an end to her life of fear.
Missing in Egypt
Book 1 in the Anna Davies Mystery Series
Missing in Egypt will intrigue you with its twists and turns, romance and adventure as well as its insights into Australian and Egyptian cultures. Australian Anna Davies travels to Egypt with her lover to help him search for his brother, who disappeared whilst on holiday. The Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel and the Temple of Karnak are amongst the settings for their search. Will they be able to track him down and find him alive - or is Ramy already dead? What tragedies await Anna and Kareem as they come closer to retracing his footsteps? This fast-paced action plot will keep you guessing until the end.
Winston – A Horse’s Tale
One for horse lovers from teenagers upwards! Winston is a good-looking palomino horse whose life involves several different owners and many adventures. As you read his story, told by Winston himself, you will appreciate horse ownership from the horse’s point of view. Born on a country property in Australia, Winston tells of his breaking-in and education and the different people he encounters – good, bad and ignorant. As well as his own story, Winston includes the experiences of other horses he meets along life’s way.
Whether it’s jumping, eventing, hunting or just hacking, Winston tries hard to please his rider. Follow his successes and his failures from his breaking-in to his show jumping win. It is an eventful life – the story of one Australian horse out of thousands, but one that you will remember.
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