Interview with Teresa Geering

Teresa Geering is the author of The Eye of Erasmus, a story of finding love in different times….literally. Please enjoy the following interview with Teresa.

THE EYE OF ERASMUS QUESTIONS

Can you please explain the significance of the title?

This may sound very naïve Mandy but when I began writing, I had no idea Erasmus was a philosopher. The name just popped in unexpectedly as I was writing.
The Eye of Erasmus (watching me work?) just seemed to fit the bill.

The character names are quite unusual, in a good way. How did you come up with these names?

Truthfully speaking I have no idea. It was as if someone was helping me write the story – perhaps their story – and making suggestions for the names. I was extremely pleased with them though.

The main character Erasmus travels through time for love and he goes through changes to his personality. Did you specifically use this as an avenue to highlight how love can change someone?

Not specifically – no – but love changes our attitudes in all so many ways. The hardest man/woman can mellow with a love interest

Shasta takes care of Hesper like he is her own which showed her caring nature. Would you think this is a positive or negative trait to possess?

I would like to think we all have some positive traits within us somewhere Mandy. Whether we show it to humans or even animals!

Hesper is known to have some mood swings – was this used as a way to show how children adapt to certain situations, behave around certain people and generally show his character as a child instead of a man?

Aha… I think Hesper’s attitude and mood swings fitted in with his forthcoming actions within the book. (Best not say too much here)

I love the character of Merlin. Why did you choose him to be a cat?

Actually I can blame that on my cat who regularly lays beside me as I write. His real name is Lossy but friends persisted in calling him Merlin as he is mostly black. I do try to incorporate animals, birds etc into my books where possible. As a Wicca I love all things to do with nature
.
Liana is a soothsayer. Why did you decide to include the character of Liana in this story?

Well Shasta is clairvoyant and psychic. The story takes us at times to the market place and in times of old there was always a soothsayer there casting teeth. (Similar occurrences in “The Ides of March” come to mind.)

Who is your favourite character in The Eye of Erasmus and why?

Easy peasy. I would say Erasmus himself, as he is based on a couple of colleagues I work with. Erasmus is them to a ‘T’ in all respects.

What age bracket would you say is your target audience?

Initially Mandy it was aimed at young adults but so far it’s only been read by adults. References were made to the Harry Potter books and it seems to have spanned all age groups with good reviews.

Will we be seeing any of the characters from The Eye of Erasmus in any future works?

Absolutely …. I’m working on the fourth book now and I have several ideas for the other characters up my large sleeve.

WRITING QUESTIONS

How long did it take you to write The Eye of Erasmus?

Oh a difficult one to answer really. Initially I wrote Shasta The Enchanted Garden, then Shasta The Village followed by The Eye of Erasmus. Once I started writing the characters into the storyline, they all just seemed to follow me around prodding at me to be included until I finally finished. The trilogy was all written within a year. Erasmus was published first by popular demand.

How did you go about creating The Eye of Erasmus – did you work on the characters first, the plot first, a bit of both, some other way entirely?

Some other way entirely really….. I had been sitting in my garden one hot summer evening among the Shasta daisies which grow very tall and in abundance in my lawn. Whilst drinking a glass of red wine I noticed a spider spinning an intricately beautiful web. I started to imagine faeries etc, and from there Shasta was conceived. The two other books – The Village and Eye of Erasmus – were queuing up to be next off the block. I just couldn’t stop writing. It felt as if it had been lying dormant awaiting the trigger.

Where is your favourite place to write?

Preferably outside in the sun, but on a cold winters day snuggled up beside my cat in my heated house.

When was it you first realised you wanted to be a writer?

Let me answer it this way Mandy…. When I was younger (teen years) I used to write stories for my younger brother. (Beatrix Potter types of stories)
I always felt I should be writing but like most of us I guess there are many unfinished manuscripts lurking about in old cupboards etc. I never really started to get the serious bug until recent years.

A different kind of writing, I understand you do quite a lot of reviews, do you enjoy it?

Ew sneaky one there. Truthfully speaking not always. I find it incredibly difficult though to say no to writers. We all know how much time and effort -blood sweat and tears- goes into writing. I did have to say no recently as the subject matter held no interest for me at all and I was concerned I wouldn’t give it a fair review. The book itself was very popular at Night Publishing though. Overall I love it even at the expense of my own writing. I do try to divide the day up to incorporate both.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

SPARE TIME ha ha ….. ???? Chilling with a glass of wine and good company

How many books roughly would you read in a year?

If you mean reading generally well that’s gone right out the window now days. If I pick up a book to read purely for enjoyment I find myself reviewing it as I go which in my opinion takes away the enjoyment for me.
Purely reading for reviewing I read approximately one every two weeks or so.

What do you think of movie/book adaptations in general? Which do you think was the best and the worst adaptation that you have come across so far?

I have to admit to not being a movie buff. As a general opinion I do not think films in general do a book justice. Frequently the films have very little reflection on the book content. Sensationalism in the box office seems to take over. Just a personal opinion there.

What time of year do you most look forward to and why?

Oh give me spring and summer every time, I love the heat.
Having said that, the autumn and winter seasons can look incredibly beautiful.

Who would you most like to meet (dead or alive) and why?
How about the Gods Neptune/Zeus or Aphrodite. I would ask them what it was like to drink nectar of the Gods and eat magnificent food all day. Also how did they manage to balance on those clouds?? !! Ok so a bit far fetched but interesting concept though.

FAVOURITES

Who/what is your favourite:
Author
I haven’t got a favourite author in all honesty. In the past I would just select a book at random. Sometimes just attracted by the cover initially.
Genre to read
Anything really that just takes my fancy.
Quote
Oscar Wilde I think it was who said “Education is wasted on the young”
Movie
Sleepless in Seattle – lovely and I’m nearly word perfect now !!!
Film star
Oh far to many to choose from
TV show
The Vicar of Dibley sadly now finished – but at the moment ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
Holiday destination
Carrib without a doubt
Animal
Again I love most animals as they all have endearing characters I think.
Band
UB 40 !
Song
Kingston Town by UB 40
Meal to cook
A big fat juicy medium rare steak, with onions, mushrooms, chips and a green salad
Drink
Hot Drink = Cup of tea. Cold Drink = Glass of red wine

And last but not least, what one question would you ask yourself in an interview and what would the answer be?

You already covered it Mandy. Who would I like to meet and why.

Thank you Mandy. That was a very enjoyable chat.

Many thanks, Teresa, for taking part in this interview, I really enjoyed reading your answers!

Click here to visit Teresa’s author profile on my website where you can find out more about Teresa and The Eye of Erasmus