Today I’m pleased to welcome Catherine Hokin as my blogger in the spotlight. Catherine blogs at http://catherinehokin.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks for agreeing to be part of my Blogger in the Spotlight feature. First of all, would you tell me a little about yourself?
I live in Glasgow with my American husband, a cat called Eddie who thinks he’s a dog and ongoing bills for kids who still regard the house as a fridge. I’m an indie music lover, a movie fan and a voracious reader who came to writing finally 3 years ago after talking about it for far too long.
What books/authors did you enjoy as a child?
The Narnia books were my all-time favourites plus Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie. I was brought up in the Lake District and looking for something a bit more exotic I think!
What made you want to start blogging?
Part of it, being honest, is to create a social media presence to support the launch of my novel but it’s also a chance to do some very different writing from the fiction stuff. I’m quite ranty and this is a fairly safe outlet!
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
It’s really fun to do. My blog isn’t about me, it’s about things in the media that have caught my attention and it’s about women in all kinds of situations. I really like the research bit – finding historical figures who fit contemporary culture and also the funny film clips like advertising from the 50s and 60s. And also making jokes – I like to think I’m funny and blogging needs less wine.
Tell me about your blog – sell yourself!
Each Heroine Chic blog has 3 basic elements – something topical such as working mums, a bit of a rant about something connected I’m feeling ranty about (eg. the huge amount of advice directed at working mothers and the teeny trickle aimed at ‘working dads’) and then a historical recast of a film/book/tv show with a linked theme. It’s tongue-in-cheek with a tough centre, like a caramel wrapped round a hazelnut! And I use a lot of clips from Psychobitches which is the funniest thing on tv.
What’s your favourite book you’ve reviewed so far this year? Or favourite three if you really can’t choose.
I don’t review as much as I read which is due to time-pressure but I recently reviewed 2000 Tunes by Karl Drinkwater about the Manchester music scene which I loved, he’s featured on my website at https://www.catherinehokin.com/news—interviews.html I’m following him up with Sarah Vaughan’s ‘The Art of Baking Blind’ which is a really strong character-driven story.
What are you reading just now?
‘The Days of Anna Madrigal’ – the most recent in the Tales of the City series by Armisted Maupin which I love. I just visited San Francisco for the first time so it’s very real now.
Tell me about your reading habits: book or kindle, bed or bath, morning or evening?
Bath – 2 dropped and ruined. Bed – evening and usually ends up dropped on my nose so shifting to paperbacks.
How can people follow your blog or connect with you on social media?
The blog is at http://catherinehokin.blogspot.co.uk/ I am on twitter @cathokin and my website is https://www.catherinehokin.com/ – news about my short stories and upcoming novel there. My facebook author page is https://www.facebook.com/cathokin?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?
It has to be Jo March from Little Women – another childhood favourite. I wanted to be her everytime I read the book (a lot) – I have the cute American husband and the novel about to be published plus an ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time so maybe I’m almost there!
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