Interview with Kerrie Noor, author of Four Takeaways and a Funeral

What can you tell us about your new release, Four Takeways, and a Funeral? It is the third in the Bellydance and Beyond series; funny stories about a group of women from the same Bellydancing troupe. Four Takeaways and a Funeral is about love, loss and friendship which, come to think of it, the other two books are too! This time the story is about Mavis, Nefertiti’s best friend. When I wrote Four Takeaways and a Funeral I was coming to terms with the loss of my parents and I wanted to write about death, how it comes so unexpectantly-even when it is expected. And how, at times, it brings out the worst in families. I couldn’t go to either of my parent’s funeral, so I went to town on the funeral scenes; let rip with comedy and outrageous characters…Drowned my sorrows in farce. I also had been working alongside my husband in his family Indian restaurant. We moved from a posh succulent place of grand chandeliers to a rundown cupboard of a place. And thought, there is a comedy here…And I don’t think I have finished yet! What or who inspired you to become an author? My parents loved comedy but could be very critical. When I was a child I used to try and entertain them with animated stories, making them laugh was not easy but when I did it was gold. What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read? What Katie Did– as a child Catcher in the Rye– as a teenager Darling Buds of May-as a young woman Just William– as a mother Jeeves and Wooster– as a mature woman and budding writer of great British wit! Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask? Germaine Greer, I just watched a documentary of her on BBC. She is from Melbourne like me and is as rude and arrogant as a few relatives I grew up with. My aim would be to see if she could say something positive about another human being. What is a typical day like for you? I wake up, make coffee, go back to bed and write until something aches, then make more coffee, write until the ache appears again. This cycle will continue until a) I am hungry, B) the postman comes c) I have to go to the shops cause there is nothing to eat. Once I am all written out, I try to do something active and not watch too much TV (not always successful there) i.e. dance about like a 70’s chick with intermittent Bellydancing, walk, potter, pretend to clean. In the evenings I stick on Midsummer Murders or something else I have seen about a million times and blog, promoting, marketing on the internet, or at least think about it. I do go out sometimes. Just can’t remember when! What scene in Four Takeaways and a Funeral was your favorite to write? The funeral scene. I had different ideas about the funeral scene, in the end, Mavis did herself proud and the bad guys get to show their not so bad side. Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by? Kind people are the happiest people I know.

Kerrie Noor is the author of the new book Four Takeaways and a Funeral.  Connect with Kerrie: Author Page Twitter Buy The Book