RS Pateman – A Tale of Two Rooms.
RS Pateman’s debut novel, The Second Life of Amy Archer has been our book corner pick this month. Rob chats to us about his writing space…
It makes me look very grand to say I have two writing spaces but bear with me – one of them was only mine on loan while I wrote The Second Life of Amy Archer. Both are blessed with very different – but equally fantastic – views. And both are clutter free. I’ve read a lot about a messy desk being conducive to great creativity but it doesn’t help me at all. I need clear space and lots of light.
The city view is from the room where I first had the idea for Amy Archer. I put the idea in a notebook and left it in a drawer for twenty years. The draw is just out of shot! I then went on and wrote another three novels at this desk, none of which got anywhere. The whiteboard was meant to be for planning and notes about characters but, as I don’t really plan, it’s usually just an outsize diary and shopping list. The assortment of magnets keeps my young niece entertained. Me too, truth be told.
Despite the great skyscapes beyond the window, I felt a bit cooped up and needed a change of scene if I was to write the book. A friend offered me use of his conservatory in a remote part of the Cotswolds. Lucky, lucky me. Instead of planes all around me, I had birds. And rabbits. And stoats. Hunter and prey – a perfect backdrop for the tale I was telling. And the location of the house inspired my next book too; the well in the foreground plays a big part in The Prophecy of Bees.
by 
30th August 2013.
Mary Shelly, whose most famous novel was Frankenstein, was born on this day in 1797. Her most famous work was originally published anonymously.
by Become a Character in a Crime Novel.
Author Will Jordan (Ryan Drake series,) in conjunction with Dead Good Books are giving you the chance to have your name in a crime novel.
Will Jordan’s next book, Betrayal will be published in September 2014 and he is giving you the chance to become a character in his next book. The winner will be contacted by Will where you will both develop the character.
The closing date is 31st October 2013. For more information, a video message from Will and details on how to enter, click on the link below.
Enter via the Dead Good Books website.
Read Will’s interview with Novel Kicks.
by Time Travel
Fiction Friday – 30th August 2013.
You stumble across an unusual object that then transports you back into the past. What happens next?
Write for five minutes then keep going. Don’t edit, just post.
by Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook Winners.
Thank you to everyone who entered our competition to win a copy of The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2014.
Bloomsbury, July 2013
Well done to: Mickie Bull in Bridport, Mark Brockbank in Barrow-in-Furness and Christina Field who have all won a copy.
by 29th August 2013
Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin.
Orion, November 2013
Inspector Rebus is back this November.
Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder.
A 30-year-old case is being reopened, and Rebus’s team from back then is suspected of foul play.
With Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer are the past and present about to collide in a shocking and murderous fashion? And does Rebus have anything to hide? His colleagues back then called themselves ‘the Saints’, and swore a bond on something called ‘the Shadow Bible’.
But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer, especially with a referendum on Scottish independence just around the corner.
Who are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
by Self Publish or Publisher?
I’m in the middle of writing my first novel. Although I know I shouldn’t get caught up in the publishing side before even finishing the book, it’s hard not to think about it a little.
With the creation and rise of e-books, it’s made publishing and marketing your own novel more accessible.
When the time does come, I’m not sure how I will approach it. Self publishing means that I am not putting myself through possible rejection from publishers and agents. Having said that however, any book benefits from an editor’s eye.
Which one have or would you choose and why? Have you already self published? If so, what are the good and bad points? Do you think a more traditional route is the better option?
by Tuesday 27th August 2013
The protagonist in C.S Lewis’ Science Fiction novel were very loosely based on his friend and fellow author, J.R.R Tolkien.
by Printer Error…
Fiction Friday prompt for 23rd August 2013.
You’ve printed off some sensitive material. Maybe its confidential company information? A private letter? However, you realise too late that it’s been sent to the wrong printer and you don’t know it’s location. Keep writing….
Write in the first person.
Remember, write for five minutes then keep going.
Don’t edit, just post.
by Win The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2014
Bloomsbury, July 2013
Thanks to Bloomsbury, we have three copies of The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2014 to give away.
To enter:
Comment in the box below with your name and town. The winners will be picked at random from the entries after the closing date which is Wednesday 28th August 2013 at 23.59. The three winners will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Thursday 29th August 2013 and they will also be notified via e-mail.
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook website.
Like Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook on Facebook
Follow Writers’ & Artists’ on Twitter.
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook:
The annual edition of the best-selling guide to all aspects of the media and how to write and get published, the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is now in its 107th edition. Acknowledged by the publishing industry, authors and would-be writers as the indispensable companion to navigating the world of publishing. Includes a foreword by Martina Cole.
by My Best Writing Moment: RS Pateman.
RS Pateman, the author of The Second Life of Amy Archer tells us about his best writing moment so far.
There have been so many high points but the most recent happened just yesterday I had a tweet from someone in Perth, Australia, saying how much
she was enjoying my book. It blew my mind that someone on the other side of the world was reading my book. Also, every time I’ve been in a bookshop
for the last twenty years or so, I’ve always found the gap under ‘P’ where my book would go if I ever got down to actually writing one. I used to
visualise my book being there (usually between Ann Patchett and Boris Pasternak). Now that it’s happened, I don’t think seeing my book in a bookshop
will ever get boring.
To take part in Book Corner, click here.
by Would You Like To Write A Book?
From the time I was a small child, I’ve loved creative writing but it wasn’t until I was about eighteen that I thought about writing a whole novel – that the idea that writing one wasn’t just something other people did. So many people claim that they could write a novel but a surprisingly small number actually do. It’s not as easy as it looks when you get down to writing one.
Since then, there have been so many technological developments. The creation of ebooks has meant that it’s easier to self publish rather than going down the traditional route of finding an agent and then a publisher but both hold their good points and their difficulties. For me, it’s been very easy to get wrapped up in worrying about that stage when I’m still in the middle of writing the novel.
Are you’re interested in writing a book or do you have one finished? What would you write about? Fiction or nonfiction? How might you get started? Would you rather self-publish or get a book deal with an established publisher? What’s the difference, to you? Is there a downside to self-publishing?
by The Second Life of Amy Archer Winners…
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a copy of The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman.
Orion, July 2013.
Well done to Anne Cater from Lincolnshire, Anne Mackle from Glasgow, Jim Milligan from Tyneside, Charlie Rooney from Poole and Sophie from Southwick who have all won a signed copy of the book.
by The Night Flower Winners.
Thank you to all of you who entered our competition to win a copy of The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell.
Tindal Street, Aug 2013
Well done to Emma from Lyme Regis and Laura from Wrexham who have both won a copy of the book.
Read our review of The Night Flower.
by Tempting Fate by Jane Green
Penguin, 12th September 2013.
When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him – even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt . . .
Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.
Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?
by 16th August 2013
What’s Your Number? by Karyn Bosnak
Corgi, Sept 2011.
Delilah Darling wakes up one morning to realise that she has, without meaning to, hit the Big Twenty and she still hasn’t found The One.
“Everybody’s got a number. In fact, everyone has a few numbers. There’s the one we tell our friends, the one we tell our boyfriends, and the one, if absolutely pushed, that we tell our parents. But only we know what our true number is. Come on, you know what I mean… How many people have you slept with? Well, I was getting a little self-conscious about my number. So I decided that twenty would be my limit. No more. Not ever. But then I woke up one morning and realized that I’d accidentally reached the Big Twenty and still hadn’t found The One. Disaster! I’ve only got one option – to go on the ultimate road trip back to the beginning and revisit all those past lovers. Could I have missed the Love of My Life without realizing it? “
I read this book after I saw the film; therefore, it was a little hard to visualize anyone who wasn’t in the movie. Continue reading
by Making Time to Write.
The last few weeks have brought truth to the rumours that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. I can’t actually remember a time where I wasn’t surrounded by packing boxes. We’ve been in the new house a week and we’ve still not got sorted out.
However, I could barely do anything until my study/writing area was set up and even that took a couple of days. Kitchen equipment, clothes – no, nothing was as important to me as my little area where I can write.
My writing time has taken a beating. My deadline for the end of August Continue reading
by Fiction Friday: Dialogue
Friday 16th August:
This week, write something that’s almost completely dialogue. You can pick the theme, subject, characters etc.
(Write for five minutes and then keep going. Don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.)
by The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Penguin, August 2013.
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty is a letter that’s not meant to be read . . .
Mother of three and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband’s hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death.
Curious, she opens it – and time stops.
John-Paul’s letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others.
Cecilia – betrayed, angry and distraught – wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband’s secret, she will hurt those she loves most . . .
by 15th August 2013
On this day in 1939, the film adaptation of L Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz had its Hollywood Premiere at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
by Win our Book Corner Title for August.
Orion, July 2013.
We have FIVE signed copies of The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman to give away.
To celebrate The Second Life of Amy Archer being our pick in Book Corner this month, thanks to RS Pateman and Orion, we have FIVE signed copies to give away.
To enter:
Comment on this post with your name and town before the closing date which is Sunday 18th August 2013 at 23.59. The winners will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Monday 19th August 2013 and will also be notified via e-mail.
UK and Ireland residents only.
About the book:
On 31st December 1999, ten-year-old Amy Archer went missing from her local playground. Her body was never found and the lives of her parents, Beth and Brian, were torn apart.
On the tenth anniversary of the disappearance, Beth is alone, still struggling with the enormity of her grief and the horror of not knowing the fate of her only child. Continue reading
by RS Pateman
RS Pateman’s debut novel, The Second Life of Amy Archer was released by Orion in July 2013. We caught up with Rob to chat about his writing day, his ideal dinner guests and what ability he’d like to have….
Can you tell us about your book, The Second Life of Amy Archer and what was it about the idea that interested you?
Amy Archer is a psychological thriller about a mother’s search for the truth about her ten year old daughter Amy, who vanished from a nearby playground. She hasn’t been seen since. No body has ever been found. But on the tenth anniversary of Amy’s disappearance, a girl turns up on Beth’s doorstep – she looks like Amy, knows things only Amy could – and yet she’s still only ten years old. Esme claims to be Amy reincarnated and Beth’s sanity is pushed to the limit as she tries to work out if she’s the victim of an elaborate scam – or if her daughter has miraculously returned. I’m fascinated by the things people believe (and why they believe them) and by the power of faith, memory and hope. What is incontrovertible truth to one person, is total tosh to another. In the grey area in between, there’s a lot of fun to be had.
What’s your writing day like?
I’m an early bird. I try to be up and at my desk by 5.30 or 6.00am (easier in the summer than the winter of course!). Continue reading
by 365 Ways To Get You Writing: Daily Inspiration & Advice for Creative Writers by Jane Cooper
How To Books Limited, May 2012.
365 practical activities to kick-start your daily writing.
I have only been using this book a few days and already I can see the benefit of something like this. I have a lot of ‘how to write’ books and I have to say, I prefer practical books like this which actually get me writing rather than just giving me examples. This acts like a workbook and gives you space to write your answers. The first activity was ‘show, don’t tell’ and this was an area I particularly struggle with so, therefore, I found this activity very helpful. I am looking forward to seeing what else is in store.
If you’re wanting a daily exercise every day to warm up the writing muscles or just want to dip in and out, this is the book for you.
by Will Jordan
Will Jordan is the author of The Ryan Drake series – Redemption and Sacrifice. He lives in Fife and is currently working on book no. 3. Will popped in to chat about his writing day, his book series and Geordie Shore…
Can you tell us about the Ryan Drake series?
Ryan Drake is a former British soldier who used to be involved in shady blacks ops work, before being court martialled and forced out under murky circumstances. For the past few years he’s been working for the CIA as a ‘Shepherd’, finding and rescuing lost or missing agents. However, an offer to wipe his record clean in exchange for rescuing a prisoner from a Russian jail sets in motion a chain of events that will change his life forever. The prisoner in question is a woman named Anya, a former operative with the CIA who holds the key to a web of conspiracy and betrayal stretching back almost 20 years. A threat to his family forces Drake to go on the run with her, and he soon learns that Anya is more than a match for anything the CIA can throw at her. The only question is whether they can work together long enough to stay alive.
Describe your typical writing day…
For me it’s less a writing day and more a writing evening. Continue reading
by Isabel Ashdown: Forbidden Places
Isabel Ashdown
Remember the ‘Charley Says’ adverts, warning us away from dangerous places and menacing strangers? Despite these warnings, how many of us, as children, would still return to those forbidden locations time after time, in search of longed-for adventure? For me, it was the village dump, an illicit playground of abandoned cars and fridges and rusted bicycle wheels. We all knew it was unsafe, and we knew our parents would go spare if they caught us there. But it was an exciting place, rich and full of possibilities for a seven or eight year old child.
With age, I realise I have developed an ongoing fascination with derelict buildings and land; those neglected places that once rippled with life, but now lie to waste, fading away beneath vines and decay. In Hurry Up and Wait, I became quite obsessed with the abandoned Victorian building that once was my secondary school. I tracked down online photos of the interior in various states of decline, and found myself stalking the perimeters to snap a few shots to help inspire my writing …
by 13th August
On this day in 1931, Novelist and screenwriter William Goldman is born. He wrote the novel and screenplay for one of my favourite films, The Princess Bride.
by Adapting book into film?
When I read, I really tend to get into the story. I imagine what the characters look like, the environment they live in – my brain tries to fill in as much detail as possible. I think that’s why, when I see an adaptation of some of the books which are my favourites, I can be disappointed. The Lovely Bones was an example. I cried my eyes out (on my break whilst at work. It wasn’t my best look,) but the film just wasn’t how I pictured it and plus, some stuff was changed.
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic was another. I liked the film adaptation but it just wasn’t as magical as the book was when I read it.
However, Bridget Jones’ Diary is one of my favourite film adaptations along with Harry Potter.
Which film/book adaptation did you like? Dislike? Is there an adaptation you wished they’d not done or one you hope someone does adapt into a film?
by Ellie Campbell
Ellie Campbell is the pen name of sisters and collaborators, Lorraine Campbell and Pam Burks. One is based in the UK, the other the USA, they write together via e-mail and phone. Their latest book, Looking for LaLa was published in March 2013….
Can you tell us about your book, Looking For LaLa.
Looking for La La is the funny, crazy story of Cathy, a bored, unappreciated housewife and mother of two. Her world of school runs, ferrying children here and there, and the occasional nights out with friends is radically transformed by the arrival of a love postcard to her husband. What follows next takes Cathy on a wild ride of suspicion, temptations, marital breakdown and some very dangerous territory. It’s a comedy but with situations that many women can identify with and, be warned, it does have its dark murder mystery side.
What’s it like writing as a partnership? Does it bring its own challenges? Continue reading
by Harper Impulse get in the festive mood…
We may still be in the middle of August but Harper Impulse are already thinking about Christmas time (and I for one love Christmas,) and are launching their wonderful WINTER WONDERLAND competition.
They are looking for novels of any length, which have a Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year theme in them (and, of course, some kind of romance!).
by Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
The 40th Discworld Novel – Raising Steam. (Doubleday, 24th October 2013.)
Change is afoot in Ankh-Morpork – Discworld’s first steam engine has arrived, and once again Moist von Lipwig finds himself with a new and challenging job.
by 12th August 2013
Ian Fleming, the creator of 007 Spy James Bond, died on this day in 1964.
As well as writing the Bond novels, Fleming also wrote the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang novel.
by Win a copy of The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell.
We have TWO copies of The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell to give away.
Tindal Street, Aug 2013
To enter, comment on this post with your name and town. Also, just for fun, tell us where you would go if you could travel to any point in time.
The closing date is Friday 16th August 2013 at 23.59. Winners will be drawn at random from the entries and announced on Novel Kicks on Saturday 17th August 2013. Winners will also be notified via e-mail.
Good Luck.
by The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell.
The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell is released via Tindal Street and is available from 15th August 2013.
The Blurb:
Two girls are brought together under the worst of circumstances: a prison ship taking them from London to “parts beyond the sea. Barely surviving an appalling voyage, the two arrive just before Christmas into the blinding sun of the strange new island: Van Dieman’s Land. Here they are sent to work in the town’s nursery, where women of ill-repute give birth before being sent for correction. The nursery is run by corrupt, debauched Reverend and his idealistic son, who soon takes a fancy to Miriam. But Rose, her best friend and close confidant, watches jealously and makes plans to reverse their fortunes. This tale takes the reader on a thrilling Dickensian adventure to a Tasmanian “frontier town” where anything could happen and “morality” is made by monsters
The Night Flower tells the story of Rose (a well-educated Victorian governess,) and Miriam, a poor Gyspy girl, who are both transported to ‘the parts beyond the sea,’ for the crime of stealing. I found this book quite heavy at the beginning. The dialect used took me a little while to get used to but once I got into the rhythm of the book and the fact that each character gets an alternative chapter, I was hooked despite it being quite an uncomfortable read about prejudice and stigma. Continue reading
by Sarah Stovell Blog Tour: The Night Flower Characters
I am very happy to be taking part in the blog tour for The Night Flower by Sarah Stovell. Today, Sarah chats about whom she would like to cast as her characters:
Actors who would play characters:
Rose: Rebecca Hall – she played the vindictive, nasty Sylvia Tietjens in Parade’s End so well, I think she’d make a great Rose. I loved the way she played Beth Raymer in ‘Lay the Favourite’ – she survived in a brutal world through the force of her character and I think Rose is all about survival.
Ma Dwyer: Helena Bonham Carter – because she plays cartoonish, larger-than-life characters brilliantly. I thought she made a fabulous landlady in ‘Les Miserables’ and I’m sure she could carry off a great Ma Dwyer.
Revered Sutton: Jim Broadbent – he’d so versatile and brilliant, he’d carry off a sleazy, hypocritical reverend better than anyone else. I really admired the way he played Lord Longford in the film ‘Longford’ which was about Lord Longford’s relationship with Myra Hindley and, in my very very wildest dreams, I’d love him to be in an adaptation of The Night Flower.
I really can’t think of anyone to play Miriam – all the young English actresses I can think of are all so posh and pretty. We need someone really gritty for her. And northern. She definitely needs to be northern
My review will be coming up soon and be sure to stop by the Reading in the Sunshine blog tomorrow for more content from Sarah.
by Claudia Carroll Winners.
Thank you to all who entered our competition to win a copy of Me & You by Claudia Carroll.
Avon, 1st August 2013.
Well done to Joanne from Herefordshire and Aileen from Wales who have both won a copy of the book.
by Catherine Alliott Winners.
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a copy of My Husband Next Door by Catherine Alliott.
Well done to Debbie from Worthing, Zarina from London and Rosie from Crawley who have all won a copy of the book.
by August: The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman.
This month’s Book Corner is reading The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman (Orion, July 2013.)
On 31st December 1999, ten-year-old Amy Archer went missing from her local playground. Her body was never found and the lives of her parents, Beth and Brian, were torn apart.
On the tenth anniversary of the disappearance, Beth is alone, still struggling with the enormity of her grief and the horror of not knowing the fate of her only child. But the fear and confusion have only just begun, and Beth’s world is turned upside down when a stranger knocks on her door, claiming to know what happened to Amy.
by Know Your Character.
For August’s Writing Room, we are focusing on character.
First, write your character’s name in the middle of a piece of paper. If you’ve not got a character immediately in mind, pick a random first and surname from a paper, some one you know… you get the picture. A writer I heard being interviewed tends to mash up names he’s heard from what he’s watching on TV.
Next, write everything about them. Start with age, birthday, physical attributes and then move on to education and employment. Then, keep going. Write about what makes them laugh, cry, favourite song, film, childhood memory etc.
Then, write 500 words in the first person and introduce your character.
If you like, you can post your 500 word piece in the comment box below.
by NK Chats To… Claudia Carroll.
Claudia is the author of A Very Accidental Love Story, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother. Her latest book, Me and You has just been released. Claudia stopped by Novel Kicks for a chat, as part of her blog tour. We talked about her typical writing day, who’d she have over for dinner and what makes her laugh.
Can you tell us about your new book, Me & You.
I’d be delighted to! ME AND YOU, centres around a heroine called Angie, who’s arranged to meet up with her best friend Kitty at a swanky health spa…only Kitty stands her up. No answer to her mobile or house phone, absolutely nothing. Which is so not like her. So Angie of course, does what any concerned pal would do, spirals off into a complete tailspin of panic. Calls just about every mutual friend they have, who all say, ‘but we thought Kitty was with you!’ Turns out though that no one has seen her in days, so Angie calls Kitty’s boyfriend Simon and between them they start searching, but yet again nothing. Just dead ends everywhere they turn. Course, pretty soon their initial concern morphs into full-blown panic. So in desperation, Angie and Simon go to the police and pretty soon, a nationwide search follows. But bubbling under it all is a whole other development; Simon and Angie’s
by Win a copy of Me & You by Claudia Carroll.
Thanks to the lovely ladies over at Avon, we’ve got TWO copies of Claudia Carroll’s new book, Me & You to give away.
Avon, 1st August 2013.
To enter:
Comment with your name, town and also, just for fun, tell us about your perfect girlie night. The closing date is Thursday 8th August 2013 at 23.59. The winners will be picked at random and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Friday 9th August 2013. Winners will also be notified by e-mail and once we have contact details, they will be passed on to Avon, Claudia’s publisher, who will be sending out the prizes. (Allow ample time for delivery.) UK and Ireland residents only.)
by Review: Me & You by Claudia Carroll
Avon, 1st August 2013.
Angie knows a lot about her best friend Kitty. She knows Kitty is mad and wild and loves to wear clashing colours. She knows she’s incredibly funny and generous but also very unreliable. And she knows that there is a perfect explanation for Kitty standing her up on her birthday. She thinks she knows everything about Kitty, except she doesn’t. Kitty knows that she is the happiest she has ever been. She knows she’s so lucky to have a lovely boyfriend, Simon and a best friend like Angie. But what she doesn’t know is that on this night, her past is finally going to catch up with her.
From the moment I received this book, I was looking forward to reading it. The cover was really cute and the story interesting – how could someone disappear into thin air? Why would they? Also, would we ever find out what happened? From the first page, I was hooked. There was mystery in the plot. I can’t resist a good mystery as I try to work out what has happened whilst I read. Angie is a warm, if slightly crazy character and, like her friends in the book, you can’t help but like her from the first page. Simon sounds like a lovely boyfriend to have and I also liked Jack; feeling there was more to him than first appeared and hoping it would be he if ended up with Angie (although you will have to read the book to find out if he does!) Written in part like a diary, this helped the plot along nicely (and helped establish between Angie and Kitty,) and I really felt as though I was on the same journey as the characters – like I was on a quest to find Kitty. I was intrigued to maybe know more of Kitty’s story once she left Ireland as I feel there’s a whole load of her story we didn’t get to see which, I understand wouldn’t have helped the pace of this book. I couldn’t put this book down (reading when I should have been packing up for a house move..oops.) I loved Me & You. It was my first proper introduction to Claudia’s books (there were others in my to read pile that are now definitely being pulled up the list,) and I’ve very firmly become a fan.
by Claudia Carroll.
I was HUGELY excited to be asked to take part in Claudia Carroll’s blog tour for her new book, Me & You (Avon, 1st August 2013.) In her guest post, exclusive to Novel Kicks, Claudia talks about writing her two main characters, Angie and Kitty…
Just to tell you a wee bit about the book, ME AND YOU, it all centres around a heroine called Angie, who’s arranged to meet up with her best friend Kitty at a swanky health spa…only Kitty stands her up. No answer to her mobile or house phone, absolutely nothing. Which is so not like her.
So Angie of course, does what any concerned pal would do, spirals off into a complete tailspin of panic. Calls just about every mutual friend they have, who all say, ‘but we thought Kitty was with you!’ Turns out though that no one has seen her in days, so Angie calls Kitty’s boyfriend Simon and between them they start searching, but yet again nothing. Just dead ends everywhere they turn.
by Catherine Alliott
I was very excited to have been asked to take part in Catherine Alliott’s blog tour. Her new book, My Husband Next Door (1st August, Trade paperback £12.99/ebook £7.99, Michael Joseph) was my introduction to Catherine’s books and very good it was too, (click here for my review.) In her guest post, exclusive to Novel Kicks, Catherine talks about her tips for having houseguests.
Top Tips for Having House Guests
1) I love having house guests but one or two ground rules need to be established before they stay, like for how long. A friend of my sons’ was still in his habitual spot at the kitchen table eating cereal as the taxi arrived to take us to the airport and thence the South of France. I fully expected to find Arthur still in the kitchen eating cereal on our return.
2) I fail miserably on this front but the correct response to “Can I bring anything?” is “Yes please” or, even better, “A pudding would be lovely “. Don’t, as the weekend approaches, sit on the kitchen floor and cry about how much there is to do, or kick the dog/ husband instead.
3) Some people start drinking the moment they cross the threshold and since we’ve already built up a head of steam and would hate to peak without them, we’re thrilled. More troubling are the “flinchers at the bottle” to borrow a splendid phrase. Should such a guest materialise and a frantic search of the larder reveals only a sticky bottle of Ribena circa 1998, jerk your head meaningfully at one of the teenagers to make haste to the village shop, ignoring assurances that “tap water will be fine!”
4) Visiting children tend to be on their best behaviour and no trouble at all. In fact these days some even suggest that they make you a gin and tonic and light your cigarette for you. The same, however, cannot be said for dogs. If a guest asks to bring a dog, swallow your disappointment and check it doesn’t chase chickens. “I’m not sure” means “Yes.” One Irish terrier appeared at the lunch table having clearly had tremendous fun with the poultry. Her owner leaped to her feet shrieking: “I didn’t know Billie could get such a big cock in her mouth!”
5) Still on dogs, owners swear blind they are housetrained, but they always get over-excited in a strange house and make unerringly for the Aubusson carpet in the drawing room – the only thing Aunt Marigold left you. As you trill “it couldn’t matter less!” and scrub away with a J cloth, suggest that Co-Co from Belgravia kips in the car for the night? As a look of horror crosses the owner’s face, agree that she can of course sleep by the Aga, but perhaps not on the spareroom bed where you’ve nervously noticed her velvet cushion has been placed.
6) Keep the fathers off the trampoline after Sunday lunch. We’ve been to A & E too often.
7) By all means have a visitors book, but be prepared for guests like my husband, who, after a heavenly week in a luxurious chalet in the Alps, wrote in our hosts’ tome: “Satisfactory.”
8) Likewise keep a dinner party book if you must. (You didn’t know they existed? They do). I found mine the other day. Clearly bought in a flush of young bridal enthusiasm twenty five years ago, a single entry records that on the 21st January 1989 I subjected eight people – who’s names, apart from my brother’s, mean nothing to me – to Chicken Marengo followed by pineapple cheesecake. The snowy white pages that follow suggest this wasn’t a resounding success.
9) Weekend guests always want to know how to leave the bed, which is lovely, but strippers are a bore. If they’ve stripped before you can shout “Leave it!” try not to mind. It means you can’t just flip the duvet, check the bottom sheet for watch springs and leave it for the next visiting teenager, but you’ll feel virtuous as you carry the pile of sheets down to be washed on Monday.
NB – I always change for grown ups. Standards must be maintained.
10) Even more about dogs. Hopefully your houseguests won’t fight after a long and intoxicating weekend, but your canine guests will. Just as when the children were young, your own dogs have to learn that a visiting dog can do no wrong and it is ALWAYS their fault. On no account put your hand into the teeth-gnashing fray, and if you must set about with the turquoise espadrille, make sure you only whack the home team.
NB – just like the dogs, you too will be tired and emotional and keen to see the back of your very dear friends, but on no account should you bite anyone.
11) A word about presents and recycling them, in particular, chocolates deemed Too Nice to scoff in front of Morse repeats. I recently took a recycled box of Charbonnet and Walker to a friend’s party and left them on the hall table. Unaware they were from me, she brought them back to my own dinner party three weeks later. The girl who’d originally given them to me was present. She told us she hadn’t bought them either. When we opened them, they were grey with age.
12) If you have very smart friends they might leave a tenner on the bedside table for your Daily. Resist the temptation to hoover it up yourself, muttering darkly about there only being one person who does any REAL work around here, and threaten any teenagers who loiter knowingly outside the spare room door. Instead, on Monday morning, pass the money on to the intended recipient, who will almost pass out with shock. Your warm glow will last about twenty seconds.
Buy Catherine’s new book, My Husband Next Door.
Buy A Crowded Marriage & The Wedding Day for a special offer price of £1.99 each.
Tomorrow, head along to Chick Lit Chloe for more exclusive content.
by Win a copy of My Husband Next Door by Catherine Alliott.
Thanks to the lovely people at Michael Joseph, we have three copies of Catherine Alliott’s new book, My Husband Next Door to give away.
To enter:
by My Husband Next Door by Catherine Alliott.
When Ella married the handsome, celebrated artist Sebastian Montclair at just nineteen she was madly in love. Now, those blissful years of marriage have turned into the very definition of an unconventional set-up. Separated in every way but distance, Sebastian resides in an outhouse across the lawn from Ella’s ramshackle farmhouse. With an ex-husband living under her nose and a home crowded by hostile teenaged children, gender-confused chickens – not to mention her hyper critical mother whose own marriage slips spectacularly off the rails -Ella finds comfort in the company of the very charming gardener, Ludo. Then out of the blue Sebastian decides to move on, catching Ella horribly unawares. How much longer can she hide from what really destroyed her marriage . . . and the secret she continues to keep?
My Husband Next Door was my introduction to Catherine Alliott’s books so I wasn’t entirely sure what to except. It was an interesting premise. At the beginning of the book, I wasn’t sure where it was going to go but the further I got into the story, the more I couldn’t put it down.
The plot rolls out well but not slow enough that I lost interest.
Ella is a very conflicted character. At the start of her story, you think she has it very together when in fact, she’s not aware of what effect her actions are having on her family and it was heartbreaking to read at times. There were moments when I was cheering for her and other moments when she was frustrating the hell out of me.
There’s a great cast of supporting characters, which help the plot along nicely.
By the end, I was hoping everything was going to be OK for everyone. There were some sad moments, happy moments and parts, which made me full on laugh out loud.
Fans of Catherine I’m sure will love it and, if you, like me have never read one of her books before, give this one a go.
(My Husband Next Door by Catherine Alliott. 1st August, Trade paperback £12.99/ebook £7.99, Michael Joseph)
by Week Nine: Your List.
For this week’s Fiction Friday, choose something you’ve always wanted to do (something on your bucket list,) and then write a story where your character experiences it.
The rules:
Write for the minimum of five minutes and then keep going.
Don’t edit, just post.
(Fiction Friday, 2nd August 2013.)
by Book Club
