Debut Spotlight: Sherill Turner

This afternoon it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on actress/filmaker Sherrill Turner and her debut novel Him Downstairs which was published earlier this year.

Sherill Turner is a British actress and author and is based in New York. Her various part-time gigs helped to inspire Him Downstairs, her debut novel, which she wrote to make her friends laugh. Sherill is also a contributor to the newmoonwomen.org website – an online magazine to inspire and connect women. She is a big fan of tea, wine (interchangeable depending on the time of day) and stories that make her laugh, cry and celebrate the bizarre game of life.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
Hi Sharon, 

Thanks for having me on your blog! I’m an actress and writer from Romford, Essex. I get itchy feet and have toured Germany, lived in Los Angeles and moved to New York last year – it  sounds a lot more glamorous than it is!

I always loved writing stories as a child. A lot of my school friends would groan at the obligatory “What I did on my holidays” assignment at the start of every new term, but I loved it! I was very lucky that play writing was part of my acting training. I write film scripts with a partner in the U.K. We just set up a production company called It’s a Funny Life Films and started making short films this year. It’s another lovely anchor to come home and see my family!

I wrote the first couple of drafts of Him Downstairs when I lived in Los Angeles. I was going through a quiet period of acting work and really wanted to get stuck into a big creative project. It was also a great excuse to drink tea and eat cake at an outdoor cafe!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for Him Downstairs what would it be? 
Him Downstairs is about the hilarity and heartbreak of navigating modern-day life and love.