A new beginning. A house with a past. A man with secrets.

 Favorite childhood memory involving books?

Reading a Noddy book with my dad, when I was about four years old. He suddenly shouted to my mum to come and join us and asked me to say what was on the page. It was the point when I (and my parents) realised I could read. After that there was no stopping me!

If you could dine with any literary character, who would it be and why?

I’d like to dine with Miss Marple, Agatha Christie’s unlikely sleuth. She might be getting on in years and lives in seclusion in a small village, but her knowledge of people and events is formidable. I’m sure she’d have many entertaining tales to tell. Plus everyone she meets seems to like her; she has a way of persuading them to open up and disclose their secrets. Who knows, she might learn more about me than I will of her!

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Determined - Quiet - Imaginative

Have you ever met anyone famous?

At the time Harry Potter was being filmed in Oxford, I was working in the Clarendon Building, which was across the quad from where filming was taking place. David Bradley, the actor who plays Argus Filch, Hogwarts’ grumpy caretaker, visited my office to chat to me and my colleagues. A lovely gentleman.

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

From writing the very first words to actual publication for me takes anything from eighteen months to two years. The Unquiet Spirit started life in 2018; it was only after many revisions, suggestions from beta readers, rewrites, and editing that it became what it is today.

How do you select the names of your characters?The names for the two main characters in The Unquiet Spirit came to me very quickly. I wanted strong memorable names that wouldn’t date. I’ve always liked the name Kate, ever since I read What Katy Did. She was a strong character who didn’t always make the right choices, so I thought her name would suit my Kate! Tom I think is a good match with Kate, being strong and dependable.

My top 5 favorite moviesJurassic Park

Singin’ in the Rain

The Godfather

Fargo

Cabaret

If you were the last person on Earth, what would you do?Seriously? Panic! I really wouldn’t like knowing I was the only person left on Earth. Other people are so important to me, especially my family. While I enjoy my own company and rarely get bored, I’d hate it if I thought I’d never see anyone again.

10 fun facts:
I have a certificate for ice skating

I love dancing, but don’t get the chance very often now. I used to go to adult ballet classes and was part of a disco dancing group

I don’t drive (though I have got a licence) I find it too stressful

I posed as the mum in a photo illustrating a family-focused serial in The People’s Friend.

I can’t knit

I once got thrown out of a chocolate factory (not for eating too much chocolate - my daughter who was a baby at the time, was making too much noise)

I didn’t learn to swim until my thirties

I moved house six times in eight years

I don’t like flying

I love a really good gin and tonic

What is your favorite genre to read?I don’t really have a favourite genre, I’ll read almost anything providing it’s well-written and uplifting. I enjoy historical novels because I’m mad about history, and it’s also a genre I write. I also love crime and police procedurals, possibly because I enjoy solving puzzles. Though I have to say, I’m not very good at guessing whodunnit!

Author Bio – Some time ago Penny Hampson decided to follow her passion for history by studying with the Open University. She graduated with honours and went on to complete a post-graduate degree.