NK Chats To.... : Victoria Connelly
Victoria Connelly is the author of the Austen Addicts series. Her latest book, Happy Birthday, Mr Darcy? is available now.
Can you tell us about your new book, Happy Birthday, Mr Darcy?
Happy Birthday, Mr Darcy, is a light-hearted romantic novella. It’s the fifth book in my Austen Addicts series and takes place during the summer of 2013 when Warwick and Katherine are celebrating the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice by getting married. But can Katherine put aside her fears about the future and can Warwick put down his pen long enough to actually make it up the aisle?
What superpower would you like to have?
I’d choose to be able to fly so I could soar above the beautiful English countryside. Oh, and never have to use public transport again!
What’s your favourite word? Continue reading
by 
NK Chats To.... : Helen Phifer
Helen was a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme and her novel, The Ghost House is published today by Carina UK.
Helen, thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us about your latest novel, The Ghost House?
It is a time slip thriller set in 1886 and 2013. The story revolves around a Police Woman Annie Graham, a crumbling haunted mansion and a diary she discovers, which may lead her to the man killing young women in the town before he gets to her.
Do you plan?
I always try and do a basic plot; I know roughly what I want to happen and where I want the story to go. I then take my index cards and write a mini synopsis of each chapter on them and pin them onto the big cork board next to my desk. Do I follow them? Not always because stories seem to take on a life of their own.
How do you approach editing?
With great trepidation and a huge sigh, seriously though I print out a copy of my draft and then I take my trusty red pen and sit and read through it marking my way. I also use a big notebook and reference my page numbers into the book with more detailed notes of what needs changing.
by Book Corner :
Picador, 1996
To celebrate the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy being released in October, our Book Corner title this month is Bridget Jones’s Diary – the original best-selling novel by Helen Fielding.
The blurb:
Bridget Jones wants to have it all – and once she’s given up smoking and got down to 8st 7 she will. Based on Helen Fielding’s diary in the Independent newspaper, this is a novel about a year in the life of a single girl on an optimistic but doomed quest for self-improvement and Inner Poise.
by Writing Room : October’s Writing Room
Page 52.
For October’s Writing Room, go to page 52 of the book you’re currently reading. Go to the fifth sentence. That line is either your title or your first line. What does that inspire? Keep writing.
by NK Fiction Friday : A Curious Letter
Fiction Friday – 27th September 2013.
Prompt:
A hand delivered letter gets put through your letter box. It’s addressed to your spouse/partner or ex. Do you open it? If you don’t, do you fight not to open it? If you do open it, are you happy with what you find inside?
Write for five minutes and then keep going. When you are done, don’t edit, just post.
by My Best Writing Moment : Gill Paul’s Best Writing Moment…
Gill’s writing space.
Gill Paul is the author of Women and Children First and The Affair, both published by Avon. Gill tells us about her best writing moment so far, as well as the moment she got her book deal.
Every time I get a Tweet, an online review or a Facebook message from someone who likes my latest book, I’m blown away. These moments are utterly precious.
My book deal moment – I got a phone call from my agent and immediately collapsed in foetal position on the carpet, my heart beating so hard I couldn’t breathe. Once I calmed down, I rang my mum.
by NK Chats To.... : Amy Bird
Amy Bird
Hi Amy, thank you for joining us. Can you tell us about your latest book, Yours is Mine?
‘Yours is Mine’ is a psychological thriller about two women who exchange identities, masquerading as each other. One woman is persuaded to participate in the ‘experiment’ thinking it is part of a PhD study, and that it will help get her spark back while her military husband is overseas. The other woman, who planned it all, has a very different motivation, which unfortunately only becomes clear too late for our heroine. Although it’s very much in the thriller genre, the subject matter also really allows me to explore the idea of identity – and it all gets a bit existential.
What’s your writing day like?
I have quite a leisurely start – a sit-down breakfast, then a walk, and I’ll start to write at maybe 10.30. That way I know I am fully awake, and my brain has started to buzz with ideas. I’ll have a short lunch break around 1.30 and then back to it in the afternoon – and probably late into the evening. At the moment, because I’m working on a new novel, my time is broken up between writing and research.
For a new reader, can you quickly describe your writing style? Continue reading
by Literary Fact : 26th September 2013
T.S Eliot (Thomas Stearns Eliot) was born on this day in 1888. He was born in the United States but became a British citizen in 1927.
by Book Reviews : The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Sphere, 17th September 2013.
Nicholas Sparks has this gift of being able to make me cry (in a good way.) The Longest Ride tells the story of three people – Ira, Luke and Sophia. Three strangers whose lives are about to come together in good but also tragic ways.
Ira’s story is the only one written in the first person. He’s just been in a car accident, he’s alone and in the aftermath, whilst he’s stuck in his car, he starts to see his beloved wife who has been dead for the last nine years. The wife who he has never stopped loving. The first person narrative helps with the immediacy of Ira’s story. His story is both tragic and beautiful and, as the story progresses, so does your empathy grow for his character and you find out what a wonderful man he is and why he was in his car in the middle of a snow storm. Continue reading
by My Best Writing Moment : Ellie Campbell
Ellie Campbell is the pseudonym for sisters and collaborators, Lorraine Campbell and Pam Burks. Their latest book, Looking for LaLa was published in March 2013 and they share with us their best writing moment so far…
There are two moments that stand out. One was finding our literary agent, Caroline Hardman. They often say it’s harder finding an agent than a publisher and we were thrilled when she agreed to represent us. Having a professional backer, who believes in you and who puts their reputation on the line, means so much.
 Lorriane’s Office |
 Pam’s Attic |
The second moment was having Caroline ring Pam up and tell her we’d been offered a two book contract with Arrow, an imprint of Random House. It was just unreal. Something we’d dreamed about but could never quite believe was going to happen. Going through our publishing journey together was tremendous.
by Diary of a Wannabe Writer, aged 32 :
This week has been a productive one, at least over the last 72 hours. After discovering 750 words.com, I have managed to write on there for the last five days. I have rediscovered Morning Pages. I had forgotten how much i liked doing them and how much of a help they are. It’s not work on my work in progress but it just allows me to get all of the baggage out of my head and onto the page. If you’ve never tried Morning Pages before then I recommend them.
As for the first draft of the novel, so far, so good. I have written just over 3,000 words since the beginning of the weekend. My problem now, is keeping the momentum going. As I may have mentioned before, I have a habit of reading what I’ve written too soon after writing it.
by Book News :
Published by Avon, 7th November 2013.
Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.
But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.
Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe?
by Literary Fact : 25th September 2013
William Faulkner was born on this day in 1987. He was the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
by Discussions :
It’s a decision every writer has to make. Third person or first person? I am going from one to the other at the moment, trying to decide which one fits best and, to be honest, which one I find the easiest to write and I’m at a bit of a loss.
I find the first person good for getting into the head of my character but is third person better for an inexperienced writer? I’ll write one way for a while and then switch, not being able to decide which one is better for me and which one suits my story.
Which one do you find the easiest? Do you favour one over the other?
by Competitions :
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win these goodies from Something Literary.
Well done to Mel Butcher from Lowerstoft who is the lucky winner.
by Literary Fact : 23rd September 2013
J.R.R Tolkien was marking students papers when he got inspired to write the first line of one of his famous books.
‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.’
by Competitions : And the Writers’ Forum Winner is…
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a ONE YEAR subscription to the fabulous Writers’ Forum Magazine.
Well done to…. Lynne Bipham. Your first issue will be on it’s way to you shortly.
For information on the magazine and subscriptions, click here.
by NK Chats To.... :
Margaret James is a novelist, journalist and teacher of creative writing. She is also one of the founders of the Exeter Novel Prize. Thank you for joining us today, Margaret.
Thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Laura. I’m very happy to be here.
You’re involved with The Exeter Novel Prize. Can you tell us a little about it?
The Exeter Novel Prize is for an unpublished novel, but authors can have had other novels commercially published, or have published their work themselves. The team at CreativeWritingMatters – Cathie Hartigan, Sophie Duffy and I – are all teachers of creative writing. We felt that while there are very many short story and flash competitions, novelists are rather hard done by in this respect. We’re well aware that winning or being listed in writing competitions can help the authors along the road to publishing success. We are looking for submissions in any genre except children’s. Here’s the link: http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk/the-exeter-novel-prize.html. As with any competition, please read the rules carefully before entering.
by Writing Room : Useful Writing Sites and Tools
I am always trying to find ways to help with my writing and productivity as I am the Queen of Procrastination. There are quite a few things out there that claim to help you but here are three sites/tools that I’ve found most helpful…
I’ve only been using this one for about a week and I’m already wondering how I managed without it. I LOVE IT. I’m not sure how I managed to not hear about it until now. (I overheard someone speak about it a queue for a writing event.)
by Book Reviews : I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk
Published by Harper, June 2012.
Angela Clark has fallen in love with New York but when home calls, Angela finds herself back in London where she keeps running into her ex boyfriend, Mark, her friend is dealing with a new baby and where her mother keeps talking to her as though she’s still a teenager. Can the arrival of her boyfriend and best friend make Angela feel better about being home?
by Literary Fact : 20th September 2013
Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Author, George. R. R. Martin was born in this day in 1948. He wrote the Fire & Ice series which was adapted for HBO’s Game of Thrones.
by NK Fiction Friday :
Fiction Friday: 20th September 2013.
Today’s prompt: After getting out of a serious relationship, you get talked into going speed dating. What happens? Maybe your ex is there? Write in the first person. Write for five minutes and then keep going. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post.
by Diary of a Wannabe Writer, aged 32 : Getting Past The First Sentence
It’s been a quiet week where the word counts are concerned, mostly because we went away for the weekend on a two night cruise over to Bruges. Despite the weather, it seemed like a lovely city and the view from the top of the Belfry was stunning (the stairs up there… not so good. 366 stairs in total.) The tour guide, Mary was a great character and very funny (inspiration for a fictional character, that’s for sure.) I did take a notebook and managed about 100 words.
Last week, I did also get the opportunity to attend the Red Network ‘How To Write a Beach Read,’ and I found it very inspiring. On the panel was Lisa Jewell (I just love her,) Tasmina Perry and Flic Everett.
It was very encouraging to hear that these best-selling novelists suffer false starts as this has been my main nemesis. I have word documents – some a couple of pages, some only a paragraph. There is only one thing to it, I am going to have to disable my delete key.
If you’re interested in writing fiction, these Red Events are so helpful, especially if you’re just starting out.
Continue reading
by Book News : How To Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
Published by HarperCollins, 7th November 2013.
She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.
Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump.
Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him that before then she can show him life is worth living .
Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But is that all that’s happening… ?
by Literary Fact : 17th September 2013
American author, Ken Kesey was born on this day in 1935. His most famous novel was One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
by Discussions : Would You Use A Pseudonym?
Pseudonym’s are used by many authors when publishing work. JK Rowling caused a media storm when she became Robert Galbraith. Was it a publicity stunt or was she simply giving her writing a chance for a fair review?
Ruth Rendell has also been known as Barbara Vine, Charlotte Bronte was Currer Bell and Nicci French is actually the husband and wife team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.
I can see the benefit of pseudonym’s especially if, like Rowan Coleman and Sophie Kinsella, you’re writing in more than one genre.
Have you used a pseudonym? What made you choose to use one? Would you ever consider using one in the future? If so why? If not, why?
by Book Reviews :
Sphere, July 2013.
Waverley would do anything for her two best friends except tell them the truth about what’s going on in her life. She is not only about to loose her bakery but her house too.
She is envious of her two best friends – Kate, whose husband is running for Governor of Virginia and Amy, who has a beautiful daughter and a seemingly happy marriage.
Waverley is not only about to loose her business but possibly her house as well. With all this going on, she almost misses things going on with her friends that are happening right in front of her and tries to help before it’s too late.
This looks at the complex friendship between three women and does this well. Waverley seems like the strong person keeping her friendship circle together but seems to become less together as the story unfolds.
by Competitions :
Thanks to the lovely people from Something Literary, we’ve got these goodies to give away for one lucky winner.
Included is an Upside Down’ notebook, a ‘Read’ postcard, a little Book keyring, and a collage framed picture (the background is a page from Pride & Prejudice and the quote is Louisa M. Alcott.
To enter:
Comment on this post with your name and town before the closing date which is Sunday 22nd September 2013 at 23.59. The winner will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Monday 23rd September 2013 and the winner will also be contacted via the e-mail address they provide when entering.
UK and Ireland only.
Good Luck.
by Literary Fact : 16th September 2013
At the time of it’s release, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown had a printing of 6.5 million (the largest in Doubleday’s history up to that point,) and it was also the fastest selling adult novel, selling one million on its first day.
by Competitions : Through it All Winners
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a copy of Through It All by Kristyn Lewis.
Sphere, July 2013.
Well done to Amanda Graham from Cardiff and Natalie Collett from Manchester who have both won a copy of the book.
by NK Fiction Friday : Fact with Fiction
Fiction Friday: Friday 13th September 2013.
Pick your favourite or least favourite historical character and then create a fictional piece around them. For example, what if Elizabeth I did get married? Write for five minutes and then keep going. Don’t edit, just post.
by Book News : An Epic Tale from Nicholas Sparks
The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. Published by Sphere, 17th September 2013.
From the man who has a gift for making me cry (in a good way) comes a tale of two couples, two love stories.
About the book:
Ninety-one-year-old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, with his mind fading, an image of his adored – and long-dead – wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together – how they met, the dark days of WWII and its unrelenting effect on their families.
A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko’s life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke is keeping a secret that could destroy it all.
Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected – and shocking – of ways.
by Diary of a Wannabe Writer, aged 32 : Getting to Know You.
I’ve been working on the first draft of my book for a long time now and it’s been plagued with its share of false starts. There have been moments where I’ve wanted to give up altogether but if there’s been one thing that has stopped me from abandoning it, it’s my main character.
Carrie is like a constant voice in my head – a voice that refuses to shut up. It’s similar to having a legitimate imaginary friend except that this one is constantly nagging me to write.
When I submitted my first RNA New Writers Scheme project last year, one of the comments from the reader was that my characters needed development. I didn’t know Carrie very well and I should do.
by Literary Fact : 11th September 2013
David Herbert Lawrence, known as D.H Lawrence was born on this day in 1885 in the town of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.
He was a novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter. His novels include The Rainbow, Sons and Lovers and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
by Discussions : Casting Characters.
Despite the fact that I am at the beginning stages of my novel, I do have an idea of what my characters should look like. I do like to have a visual idea of my characters physical attributes and therefore, I cast them.
For example, my main character, Carrie, looks a little like Ginnifer Goodwin when she was in Something Borrowed. My male lead is the lovely Tom Hiddleston (not with the Loki haircut though.) Carrie’s ex boyfriend is currently Patrick Dempsey (not that the character is as nice as Dr. Shepherd.)
I find casting them helps me. Do you cast your characters? Do you find it helps? Do you not cast them and why?
by Competitions :
Sphere, July 2013.
We’ve got two copies of Through it All by Kristyn Lewis to give away.
About the book:
The first step is the hardest . . .
Waverly Brown is the anchor that keeps her tight circle of friends together. Loyal and generous with her time, she would do anything for Kate and Amy but she can’t bring herself to tell even her best friends the truth about her bakery and her increasing debt. She’s so consumed with her own worries that she almost misses what is right in front of her; something is wrong with Amy, terribly wrong.
Try as they might to reach out, Waverly and Kate can’t make Amy open up to them. She refuses to admit there’s anything wrong but Waverly is convinced Amy is in trouble and she’s terrified. Can Waverly convince her friend to save herself before it’s too late?
To enter:
Commet on this post with your name and town before the closing date: Sunday 15th September 2013 at 23.59. Two winners will be picked at random from the entries. The winners will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Monday 16th September 2013 as well as being contacted via the e-mail supplied when entering.
Good Luck.
by Competitions : Katherine Webb Winners.
Thank you to all of you who entered our competition to win a copy of The Misbegotten by Katherine Webb.
Orion, 2013.
Well done to Katherine De Riera, Andy Cooke and Rebecca Scott who have all won a copy of the book.
by Competitions :
Thanks to the lovely people at Writers’ Forum Magazine, we have a ONE YEAR subscription to give away.
Each month Writers’ Forum helps thousands of new and aspiring writers to achieve their dreams. It’s packed with up-to-date market information, advice from experts in the publishing industry and inspiring stories and tips from fellow authors and writers.
To enter:
Comment on this post with your name and town before the closing date of 20th September 2013 at 23.59. The winner will then be picked at random from the entries. The winner will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Saturday 21st September 2013. The winner will also be contacted via the e-mail address you supply when you enter. UK only.
Good Luck.
For more information on the Writers’ Forum Magazine, visit their website.
by My Best Writing Moment :
Jane Fallon, the author of Getting Rid of Matthew, Foursome and The Ugly Sister, shares her best writing moment so far.
I find that writing comes in waves, so any period when the words are flowing easily counts as one of my favourite writing moments. There was a period, though, that is pretty unrivalled in my memory of the times I have enjoyed my work the most. When Penguin bought Getting Rid of Matthew, my first book, I had written 30,000 words of an eventual 100,000.
 Jane Fallon |
 I love my little office up in the attic. I’m surrounded by my favourite things. Notice my small furry assistant in the bottom left hand corner. |
The few months after were blissful. Someone – and not just someone, but Penguin, the publishers I had always dreamed of being associated with – liked my work enough to want to publish it. I had no concept then of the attention the book would get, or the self-conscious second guessing that would inevitably come when writing another book after the first has been an unexpected success. I didn’t think about how it would be received, or whether my publishers would like what I was writing. I just wrote.
Obviously it’s impossible to ever go back to that naïve and stress free approach but that doesn’t mean I don’t still get enormous satisfaction from what I do. I still consider myself the luckiest person in the world. It’s just that sometimes it gets harder to lose yourself so completely in what you’re writing.
by Literary Fact : 6th September 2013
NK Fiction Friday : Empty Room
Fiction Friday: 6th September 2013.
You find yourself sitting in a chair in an empty room and you have no idea how you got there.
Write for five minutes and then keep going. Once you’re finished, post on here.
by Book News : Bernard Cornwell
The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell – HarperCollins, 26th September 2013.
The new novel in Bernard Cornwell’s number one bestselling series The Warrior Chronicles, on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Alfred the Great is dead and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex survives but peace cannot hold. The Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs.
Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favour with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, that great Northumbrian fortress, Bebbanburg.
Loyalties will be divided and men will fall, as every Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes; a war which will decide the fate of every king, and the entire English nation.
by Book Reviews : The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman
Orion, July 2013.
Released by Orion, July 2013.
I wanted to read this from the moment I read the blurb. I found the story idea so interesting. How could a child, who had been missing suddenly reappear after ten years – having not aged a day? Straight away, it pulls you into a mystery you’re immediately trying to solve.
I couldn’t put this book down (even when I was supposed to be doing other things, like sleeping.)
The Second Life of Amy Archer follows Beth’s story. It’s told entirely from her viewpoint so you do get a really good look into her mental state. It helps bring across the loneliness she is feeling at the beginning of the book as you start to learn about Amy’s disappearance.
Libby arrives on Beth’s doorstep ten years after Amy disappeared with the news that her ten-year-old daughter, Esme, is in fact, Amy.
Beth then goes on a rollercoaster of emotions, Continue reading
by Literary Fact : 5th September 2013
Viking Press, 1957
Jack Kerouac’s novel, On The Road was published by Viking Press on this day in 1957. Kerouac originally finished it 1951 but it took until 1957 to find a publisher.
by Competitions :
Orion, 2013.
We have three copies of The Misbegotten by Katherine Webb to give away.
To enter, comment in the box below with your name and town by the closing date which is Monday 9th September 2013 at 23.59. The winners will be picked at random from the entries and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Tuesday 10th September 2013. Winners will also be notified via e-mail. Good Luck.
About the book:
Dark truths. Beautiful lies.
Bath, England, 1821. Rachel Crofton escapes the binds of her unhappy employment as a governess by marrying a charming self-made businessman. She sees a chance to create the family and home she has so long been without, but her new life soon takes an unexpected turn. Continue reading
by NK Chats To.... : Katherine Webb
Katherine Webb. (Photo Credit, Andrew Morris.)
Katherine is the author of The Legacy and The Unseen. Her latest, The Misbegotten, is available now.
Hello Katherine and thank you for joining Novel Kicks today… Hi Laura! Thanks for having me.
Can you tell us a little about your latest book, The Misbegotten?
It’s set in 1821 in Bath, and centres on a disparate group of people who find themselves drawn together – however unwillingly – by the disappearance of a young woman twelve years earlier. Some of them want to find out the truth about what happened to her, and some will go to any lengths to make sure that the truth stays buried…
How do you start a new book? Do you have any rituals? Do you plan?
No real rituals, but a strong habit – at the desk by 9AM, 2000 words minimum per day. I plan a bit. I do a lot of research for my historical settings, which results in a lot of notes, which I have next to me even if I don’t look at them that day. I have an outline of the plot – an idea of where each character and the plot will start and end up, but the way they get there tends to evolve as I’m writing. I certainly can’t write chapter plans or anything like that –I just work my way through it. Sometimes that means going back because I’ve left out something important, or because something I wanted to include doesn’t actually work, but that’s fine.
by Competitions : Liane Moriarty Winners.
Penguin, August 2013.
Thank you to all who entered our competition to win a copy of The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty.
Well done to Susan Andrews and Katie Guest who have both won a copy.
Liane is still on her blog tour. Check out the banner on the right for information on her current stop.
by Literary Fact : 3rd September 2013
John Steinbeck wrote the novel, Of Mice and Men. Apparently, an early draft of this book was eaten by Steinbeck’s dog, Max. Oh dear!
by Discussions : Which one?
There are many books that could be put into my top ten (far too many for me to pick just ten.) It depends on my mood. However, not many have stuck with me. I can remember what song I was listening to the most when I read The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood. Bridget Jones Diary because, at the time I read it, it struck a chord and I will always have a place for the Malory Towers books as my sister used to read them to me.
Is there one I’d wish I’d written? I’m pretty sure, somewhere along the line I wished I’d come up with Harry Potter because of the intricate connections between the books. The Help had such strong, female characters. Bridget is such a loveable heroine. I’d like to be able to produce something that have the elements I liked about these books.
Is there one book that you wish you’d written?
by Writing Room : September: Random Sentence.
Pick a random page in the book you’re currently reading. The first sentence you read is the title for your piece. Then, pick another random page. The first sentence you read is your first line.
Try and write for ten minutes or 1,000 words. Continue reading
by Book Corner :
Penguin, 2010
Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups?
Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn’t on it – even though she’s just become his latest ex. He’s got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behave as if Laura never mattered. But Rob finds he can’t move on. He’s stuck in a really deep groove – and it’s called Laura. Soon, he’s asking himself some big questions: about love, about life – and about why we choose to share ours with the people we do.
by Competitions :
Penguin, August 2013.
We have two copies of The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty to give away.
For your chance to win a copy, enter your details (name and town) in the comments box below before the closing date of Wednesday 4th September 2013 at 23.59. The two winners will be picked at random from the entries and will be announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Thursday 5th September 2013. Winners will also be contacted via e-mail.
About the book:
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 The Husband’s Secret Blog Tour: Review.
Penguin, August 2013.
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty.
Penguin, August 2013.
The Husband’s Secret firstly focuses on Cecelia who seems to have it all – a wonderful husband and perfect children. However, when she finds a sealed envelope addressed to her, in her husband’s handwriting saying ‘To my wife. To be opened in the event of my death,’ hidden among his things, she battles with the choice to open it.
It then turns to Tess who has just found out that her husband has fallen in love with someone else. Trying to escape the betrayal she feels, she takes her son and retreats back to her mother’s house in Sydney.
Finally, we have Rachel whose daughter was murdered many years before. Her main focus is now on her small grandson whose parents now want to take him out of the country.
These three women are soon bound together by this letter. The first part of the book sets up the characters and looks at their lives before Cecelia opens the letter. The second half is dealing with the aftermath once the letter is opened. I have to admit, when the book first began to focus on these three women, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go. I love a good mystery though and once I’d got my head around who everyone was, I was hooked to the story and couldn’t put the book down.
It poses a very interesting question. If you found a letter addressed to you but with instructions not to open it, would you? I’m not sure I’d be able to resist.
Rachel’s and Tess’ stories are heart-breaking and although she was my least favourite character, I felt sorry for Cecelia when having to make a difficult choice – the truth or protecting her family and her life. It’s hard to know what anyone of us would do in that situation. The revelation in the letter I didn’t see coming straight away and I actually liked the fact that the secret was only revealed half way through. It established the characters well and the plot was well thought out – not giving too much away too soon.
I was intrigued as to how it was all going to be resolved at the end. I enjoyed this book and recommend it as a good holiday book.
by The Husband’s Secret Blog Tour: NK chats to Liane Moriarty
I was very pleased to be included in the blog tour for Liane Moriarty’s new novel, The Husband’s Secret. Liane lives in Australia and is the author of Three Wishes and What Alice Forgot as well as three books for children, The Space Brigade.
Hello Liane. Thanks for joining us today. How did you get the idea for The Husband’s Secret?
Two years ago I stumbled upon a fascinating article about real-life deathbed confessions. I learned about Christian Spurling, who confessed on his deathbed to faking a notorious photo of the Loch Ness Monster. There was a famous songwriter who was dying of cancer who wrote a letter admitting, after years of adamant denials, that she had plagiarized a lullaby melody. Then there was the hapless man who, after suffering a stroke, confessed he’d killed his neighbour thirty years earlier. The only problem was that he didn’t end up dying. After he was released from hospital, he went straight to jail. These stories, particularly the one about the man who didn’t die, got me thinking. I was intrigued by that overwhelming desire to share your darkest secret. So I came up with the idea of a man who feels such a powerful desire to share a secret that he sits down and writes a letter to his wife, to be opened in the event of his death. It’s a deathbed confession, except he’s not dead.
So far, what’s the best thing about being a writer?
The first memory is of sitting on a Sydney ferry and seeing the woman next to me open her handbag and pull out a copy of my first novel, Three Wishes. She then proceeded to read it. As if it was a real book! Until then I’d secretly wondered whether the whole process of publication had been a giant (cruel) practical joke.
The second memory is of sitting on my back steps watching my son play in the yard, while I was on a conference call with my literary agent, a film agent, and a Hollywood film producer. The producer was buying the film rights for What Alice Forgot. “We were thinking of someone like Jennifer Aniston or Reese Witherspoon for the role of Alice,” he said, just as my little boy bellowed, “I’m hungry!” It was quite surreal.
Which superpower would you have?
To fly. I know everybody has dreams about flying, but mine feel so very real. Each time I dream-fly, I think, “That’s right, of course I can fly—how could I have forgotten!”
What do you do in your spare time when you’re not writing?
I read in bed, read in the bath, read in the TV commercials, sleep, eat chocolate, work off all that chocolate in gym classes, ski (not that I ski every weekend, but I thought I should mention something outdoorsy), and now it occurs to me that I haven’t mentioned my children, and I don’t know how I could have forgotten them, because they are currently with the babysitter, screaming their darling little heads off in the hallway just outside my office door. What I actually do when I’m not writing is take care of my five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, and I like that very much.
The next tour stop is The Friendly Shelf.
by The Husband’s Secret Blog Tour.
NK Chats To.... : 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 Literary Fact : 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 Book News : 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 NK Fiction Friday : 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 Competitions : 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 Book Club
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