The Hub - Nicola May

 

ONE TURKEY FARM, FIVE WILD COLLEAGUES AND A BARN FULL OF MYSTERY

When jilted crime writer August Saunders returns from London to her roots in rural Wiltshire, she feels lost and lacking in inspiration. Determined to reignite her writing mojo, she responds to an advert for a shared workspace in a converted barn.

At the Hub, with its ill-equipped gym, inedible catering and motley array of fellow users, including a matchmaker more interested in her own conquests and a TikToker with a dodgy nocturnal sideline, August is confronted with a real-life mystery to solve.

Why is Max Ronson, the handsome but volatile owner of the Hub, so evasive about his past? And who or what is he hiding on the premises? She is determined to find out – but will her curiosity snuff out the spark of romance?

Nicola May mixes mischief with mystery in a fast-paced rural romp which will make Futtingbrook Farm as beloved a location as Ferry Lane Market or Cockleberry Bay.

Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Cathy Bramley.

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/

My Review:

Nicola May is one of my ‘go to’ authors, I love every book and recommend them to everyone I meet. I am always hooked from page one and ‘The Hub’ was no different.

I am such a fan of her style of writing and the ability to make serious issues be delicately woven with comedy, romance, and the odd bit of drama here and there. Tackling some potentially upsetting themes, The Hub, is another book that presents them carefully and thoughtfully as part of the story and not just for the sake of it.

Our main character is author, August, and I think she is brilliant; she says it like it is but without hurting people’s feelings, she is empathetic and kind, it isn’t surprising that people seem to warm to her instantly.

Meeting the characters who also work from The Hub was a highlight, what a great group of characters who each bring their own element of fun. I loved they were all different yet down to earth and fun.

Max is a puzzle, so up and down. It is clear that he is hiding something but what and why remains a mystery, but one August is keen to solve.

Highs and lows, fun and sadness. Turkeys, police raids and matchmaking! I absolutely LOVED every second of reading The Hub. 

Author Bio:

Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. She is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Her books are translated into fourteen languages. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK, across all genres, in January 2019, and was Amazon’s third-bestselling novel in that year. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press.

 

Social Media Links:

T: https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

W: www.nicolamay.com

Nicola May - Home | Facebook

i: https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

Q&A with Helen Edwards

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... Helen Edwards 

Originally from North Wales, Helen currently lives in Shropshire with her husband and their dog. Helen worked for many years in the public sector and has an administrative background. She writes both fiction* and non-fiction. As well as being an indie author, Helen is a self-publishing assistant, offering editorial, self-publishing, and writing services. To find out more, please go to: www.helen-edwards.co.uk

*The novelettes are written under the name Helen Libby

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

That would have to be Enid Blyton for The Magic Faraway Tree collection, as well as Malory Towers and The Twins at St. Clare’s.

 

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?

Ever since I was a young child, I have enjoyed writing stories. As an adult I’ve written on and off for years. I first self-published in 2015. That was a novelette; more novelettes followed as writing shorter length fiction became my niche.

 

When I became a puppy parent in 2016, and after being overwhelmed with anxiety during those early weeks with my new furry friend, I decided to write a book about my experiences with him in a bid to help other new puppy parents. The book was published in 2018.

 

The book proved helpful to other people judging by all the comments and reviews I received. I loved writing about Archie and so I wrote a sequel, which was released in 2019. In both books I included some comments from my dog, Archie. People told me they loved hearing from him, which sparked the idea for a fictional diary.

 

The Secret Diary of Archie the Zuchon is based on all the places we’ve taken Archie. Whenever we go anywhere, I try to pick out something of note, something humorous. I love writing as Archie!

 

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos?

Creative chaos. Every now and then I’ll have a blitz and my desk is neat, but it doesn’t take long to get messy again, mostly because of all the writing pads and notes I have scattered around.

 

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 

The easiest part for me is writing the first draft, when I can just go with the flow. It doesn’t matter if it’s a load of rubbish, because it can be re-written/edited. The hardest part for me is editing because it requires more concentration.

 

5.      Which other authors do you admire?

I take my hat off to authors like Trisha Ashley, Juliet Ashton, Lucy Dillon, Ali McNamara, and Sue Moorcroft to name but a few. I could never write like that in a million years.

 

6.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

Not a message as such, but in my collection of novelettes, which I released last year, I linked the stories (albeit very loosely), by repeating certain lines. A robin appeared in every story.

 

7.      What do you hope your readers take away from your book, The Secret Diary of Archie the Zuchon?

I hope they will feel uplifted. I hope Archie’s stories raise a smile or two. I think the stories will resonate with dog owners, but you don’t have to have a dog to enjoy this book. It’s a gentle read, one which is suitable for people who love dogs.

 

Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book? 

 

A chocolate brownie. I love them. During the first lockdown I started baking them myself, which is no doubt fatal for my waistline!

The Secret Diary of Archie the Zuchon

Welcome to the secret diary of Archie the Zuchon.

What are Zuchons?

Zuchons are very special dogs, as you’ll find out.

Read about Archie’s ad-ven-tures and get a dog’s perspective on the world.

A must-read for all dog lovers.

Available HERE

Social media links:

Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @helibedw

Archie has his own Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArchietheZuchon

Book extract:

Guess what? Mum took me to the village shop today. It’s a shop and a Post Office, actually. I’ve been in there lots of times, and the nice lady at the counter always gives me a treat.

Mum posted her parcel and I ate my treat, but on the way out I disgraced myself.

We passed a sack of potatoes, you see, and there was a lovely smell by it. I had to stop and in-ves-ti-gate. It was a message from a fellow dog (I can’t tell you what it said – we dogs are allowed some secrets), and well, it would have been rude of me not to leave a reply. I cocked my leg before Mum could stop me.

She was mortified. She went up to the lady and told her what I’d done, apologising far too many times in my opinion, and offered to clean up after me.

And do you know what? The lady just laughed and told Mum another dog had done the same thing. You see? That’s the only reason I did it, because you know, I’m a good boy.

She had it cleaned up in a jiffy and wouldn’t hear of Mum helping. Thankfully, I hadn’t wet the sack of potatoes, just the floor nearby. Phew!

Mum joked that I’d be banned from the shop, and the lady said they’d put up a “wanted” poster. Well, really!

I haven’t been banned and Mum’s taken me in there since then, but she held me in her arms the whole time. She’s not convinced I won’t do it again.

I’ll try not to, Mum, but if someone leaves a message, you have to leave an RSVP, don’t you? Ha ha.

 

Q&A with Tracy Rees

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... Tracy Rees

Tracy Rees was born in Swansea. She studied languages at Jesus College, Cambridge, then moved to London. She worked in medical publishing for eight years then retrained and worked as a counsellor for people with cancer and their families for five years. She has also been a waitress, bartender, shop assistant, estate agent, classroom assistant, university lecturer and workshop leader. Tracy lives on the Gower Peninsula of Wales, dividing her time between Wales and London. She was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and the Love Stories Best Historical Read award and was shortlisted for the RNA Epic Romantic Novel of the Year award.

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

Oh so many!! I was a total bookworm, always immersed in a fictional world. Among many others, I absolutely loved the Jinny books by Patricia Leitch. I read and re-read the whole series and have done so since as an adult! I adored the bond between headstrong Jinny and her wild horse Shantih, and the themes of the beauty, fragility and importance of the natural world, and art, and creativity. Just gorgeous stuff.

 

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 
One way or another I’ve always written – I think because I’ve always read. When I was about three I started scribbling down short poems, inspired by the Flower Fairies books by Cicely M Barker. Those were my earliest reads along with Enid Blyton and I loved being in those magical worlds so much it seemed second nature to try to create my own. But it took a LONG time before my ability came anywhere close to my passion. In fact even now all my ideas seem far more wonderful in my head than when I actually write them down. I tried writing at intervals over the years but life, jobs etc always got in the way. I was forty before I started really taking myself seriously. I think before that I always thought it was a vain fancy – I think a lot of people who long to write dismiss their dream in that way. Once I did start prioritising it, though, things started happening very quickly – a poem shortlisted here, a short story published there… Then a year or so later I won the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition, Amy Snow was published and the rest in history. It was a long journey to get to that point but completely worth every step.

 

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 
Um… creative chaos…

 

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 
The easiest part for me is dreaming up ideas and starting new stories, new worlds. The hardest part is halfway through when the doubts start setting in. I have to be really bull-headed to plunge ahead at that point. Then it gets all lovely and joyous again towards the end of a first draft, when I sense it all coming together. Second draft and editing stages also have their own challenges and rewards. It’s a very different headspace, much more analytical, which sometimes can be a relief, because progress is more tangible and measurable, but sometimes feels a little dull in comparison to the creative flow!

 

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?
Again, so many! In fact, I would say “other authors” in general – because it’s so very inspiring and nourishing to read the wide variety of literature that’s out there. I think it’s important to read in my own genre and outside it as well. I love to read old favourites I know I can rely on, as well as new authors – sometimes I’m disappointed, sometimes thrilled. It all feeds in to what I’m doing as a writer. Some of my favourites are Tracy Chevalier, Salley Vickers, Elizabeth Berg, Sarah Addison Allen, Mke Gayle… I could go on…

 

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?
For me it’s two things really. The first is practical – to be able to earn enough money to keep writing. Of course more would be lovely, but as long as I can just about afford to keep earning my living as an author, keep writing my stories every day, I really am happy. The other aspect to it is to have a measure of creative freedom. We hear a lot about “brands” and “genres” these days and commercial wisdom encourages us to build a brand. I do this to some extent but I also try to vary what I do within my genre and also, when opportunity allows, branch out and try new things. That way, the thing I most love doesn’t become workaday or repetitive. I do feel really, really blessed to be in a position to write the books I do.

 

7.      How do you select the names of your characters?
Oh gosh, names! I love names! I’m a bit strange like that. Names are very often the first thing that pop into my head – the starting point. Sometimes they appear in my head out of nowhere. I love that. Other times, I need a name for a minor character and I’ll leaf through a book of baby names trying to find the right fit. (I usually end up spying several other names I really want to use too, and so my cast of characters grows and grows!).

 

8.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 
I don’t think I’ve done that yet but now you’ve suggested it…

 

9.      What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
I hope that my books are heart-warming, escapist and ultimately uplifting. I would love readers to take away a warm feeling, a sense that good things are possible no matter what difficulties occur in life, and hopefully a sense that the characters are friends. I love it when people tell me that my books got them through a bad week, or that they’re missing the characters now that they’ve finished reading. Those are the things books have done for me as a reader so it feels like the highest praise.

 

Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book? 

I think the perfect sweet treat would be a chocolate brownie made by Gower Cottage Brownies. They’re made locally to me and are quite literally the BEST brownies I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve tasted plenty!

The House at Silvermoor

It’s the story of Tommy and Josie, who are brought up in neighbouring villages on the south Yorkshire coalfield at the turn of the century. Both their fates are carved in stone: Tommy must go down the mines to earn a living at the age of fourteen; Josie will grow up and marry a miner. They will never leave the mining life. But Tommy has always dreamed of more and they’re both fascinated by the local aristocratic families who have their keeping, and over time they become entangled in the fates and secrets of the grand houses.

AVAILABLE HERE

Website: www.tracyrees.com

Twitter: @AuthorTracyRees

Q&A with Emma Bennet

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog.. Emma Bennet 

Emma grew up and lived in London, before falling in love and moving to Wales to marry her own hero. Emma now lives with her husband, for children, and many animals a few miles outside of a small Welsh market town. She can often be found in rivers attempting to control two overexcited chocolate labradors.

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 
Definitely Enid Blyton! I adored the Faraway Tree and the Famous Five, but I think the St Clare’s stories were my absolute favourite – I longed for midnight feasts, tennis matches, and the record player in the common room.

 

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 
I think I’ve just always loved reading and writing, and writing was a very natural occupation for me to turn to.
I began sketching out some ideas for books for pre-schoolers when my eldest son was a baby. Fast forward 16 years, and I have 4 full length contemporary romances published and 2 novellas as well as a children’s book called ‘The Snotty Princess’, released under my real name a couple of months ago.
I was first published about 7 years ago; I self-published my first romance, ‘The Green Hills of Home’, and was then with a publishing company for a few years before setting up my own publishers and bringing all my books out under that label, with ‘Starstruck’ being released at the beginning of 2020.

 

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 
Definitely neat and ordered! I’m a bit of a Monica and can never work surrounded by mess. In fact, my main procrastination when I should be knuckling down to write is cleaning and tidying.
I have 4 children and 2 dogs and I usually write at the dining room table so I can be in the middle of the action - I hate to feel like I’m missing out!

 

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 
The easiest part for me is coming up with an idea and sketching out the storyline – it’s my favourite part of the process. The hardest is probably final edits because they’re so bloomin’ fiddly.

 

5.      What does literary success “look” like to you?
It’s a dream come true for me to be an author, I don’t think I’ll ever fail to smile when I see my books for sale.
I write my books to bring a little joy into the world and so, for me, literary success is when a reader lets me know how much they’ve enjoyed one of my books, especially if it’s helped them through a rough time.

 

6.      How do you select the names of your characters?
The names usually come to me when the characters are beginning to come to life when I begin writing my first notes about whatever story has decided to start melding itself together in my head.
Sometimes I’ll ask on social media for suggestions. I did this when I needed a name for my hero’s estranged wife in ‘Starstruck’ – Genevieve Moore was the resulting name. Isn’t that just perfect for a movie star who thinks rather too much of herself?

 

7.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 
Not usually, but there is an appearance in ‘Starstruck’ by a character from my novella, ‘Just Desserts’, which I hope readers will enjoy! I wanted to add a little more to his story, and update his fans on what has gone on in his life after his happy ever after!

 

8.      What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
My books are pure escapism – you might not be sure how I’ll get there, but my characters will have their happy ending. I hope that readers can use my books to step outside of their troubles and worries and become immersed in my story, safe in the knowledge that everything will be alright in the end.

 

Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book? 

 I make AMAZING cinnamon rolls, pop round for a cuppa, and I’ll make sure there are some still warm from the oven!

    Starstruck 

When newly divorced Kate finds school friend, now super famous rock star Joseph Wild, on her doorstep, her whole quiet, ordinary life is thrown into disarray.

Joseph has broken up with glamorous actress Genevieve Moore, and needs somewhere to retreat to until the paparazzi interest in his marriage calms down. Kate agrees to help him out and drawn to his simple, self-effacing charm, soon finds herself falling in love.

But can she cope with the problems a relationship with such a high profile celebrity brings? What happens when he jets back to his regular life of stardom in L.A.?

And how will Genevieve react when she finds out Joseph has moved on? She can’t possibly allow anything to sully her ever-so carefully crafted public image.

Falling in love with a rock star is tougher than you’d think…

AVAILABLE HERE 

For more information:

www.emma-bennet.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/emmabennetwriter

https://www.instagram.com/romanceemma/

https://twitter.com/romanceemma

Q&A with Maxine Morrey

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... Maxine Morrey 

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.

As time went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her first romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts and audio books. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found out walking (although preferably one without too many hills).

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

I absolutely loved the Enid Blyton books, especially ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ series and loved all the adventures they had. As I got a little older, I discovered The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and went through a phase of reading all I could of those from the library each week. It was only a tiny little temporary building (that was still there the last time I checked!) but it felt like a TARDIS inside.

  

2.      What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 

I think just being a voracious reader from a very young age. I was writing little stories from the time I was able and just sort of carried on! I got my first fiction contract in 2015 so let’s just say it’s taken a while!

 

3.      Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 

Well, I don’t really have a space as such. I tend to move around, depending on how I’m feeling. Wherever I am though, I don’t do well in chaos! It really stresses me out, so a calm, tidy environment is far more conducive to creativity for me personally.

 

4.      What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 

The easiest part is writing The End! And the hardest is all the rest! Ha Ha!

But seriously, some days it can feel like it’s going ok and some days you just feel like you’re writing through treacle, the word count creeps up so slowly and you feel like you’re probably going to end up deleting most of it anyway. It really does vary – for me anyway. Writing a synopsis is not one of my favourite tasks either, and I know a few of my fellow writer pals feel the same about that particular task.

 

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?

I’m a complete Austenite and I first read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ when I was about ten or so, I think, and absolutely fell in love. I love her wit and emotion. I’m a big fan of great dialogue and some of my favourite authors like Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie are brilliant at this. Harlan Coben can be wonderfully, sarcastically funny which totally appeals to me and although I’m not a huge thriller reader, I always grab his new releases as soon as I can.

 

6.      What does literary success “look” like to you?

Wow, that’s a really hard question. I think it can also be one of those things that the goalposts move on too. Firstly, you think, if I could just get published, then it’s a certain chart position, and then that number gets lower and so on, so it’s a really hard one to answer as I don’t think any of us are ever that easy on ourselves. Being able to earn a decent living from writing would be a real achievement. And, of course, there’s getting that golden Netflix deal…

 

7.      How do you select the names of your characters?

I find naming characters really hard! I don’t know why. And then you think of a name and it just doesn’t feel right. As strange as it sounds it’s like the character is refusing to act as they should because they don’t like their name. And then the right one comes along and it’s like ‘Aaaah! That’s the one!’

 

I do listen out for names I like and have a couple od baby names books on my shelf that I turn to for inspiration.

 

8.      Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

Oh, that sounds interesting. I wish I did, ha ha! But no. The only thing I did for a couple of books was to pinch surnames from some characters in the series ‘Strike Back’ because, as above, I’m horrible at naming characters and surnames are even more hard! I loved that programmes (massive crush on the one of the main characters!) so if anyone was a big fan they might have picked up on that. Otherwise, no, the messages and themes in my books are all pretty much there for everyone to see.

  

9.      If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role? 

Oh dear. I’m not terribly good at questions like this. I’m not very good with actors as I don’t watch a whole lot of telly or films and if I do, I have no idea who the actors are! The only book I could really ‘cast’ is #NoFilter because I think Armie Hammer would be absolutely perfect for Charlie.

  

10.   What do you hope your readers take away from your book?

When someone contacts me to say that they were having a rubbish day and reading my book cheered them up, it’s just the most wonderful feeling. I really just want people to be able to escape into the books and I think at the moment, we could all do with a bit of that. So, I’d say the main things I’d like them to come away with would be joy and comfort.

 

Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book? 

Our local little garden centre used to do a toffee and caramel cake. Oh my goodness, it was the best! So that would have to be the one I’d recommend.

Winter at Wishington Bay 

Eighteen months ago, Sophia Jones finally walked out on her unhappy life.

With a tricky divorce ongoing, money is tight and so when friends offer her a housekeeping job while they're away travelling, she accepts.

Nate McKinley is hesitant when his brother, Gabe, offers him the use of their home in the picturesque village of Wishington Bay. But he has a book to a write and an imploded marriage to recover from, so maybe a change of scene is exactly what he needs.

As Wishington Bay works its magic, friendship blossoms between Sophia and Nate. For Nate, finally feeling able to be himself with someone who is honest and down to earth is a revelation.

But Sophia has a secret and a jealous colleague is determined to blow her cover. Can she really keep her old life in the past or is it destined to destroy this new, happy one too?

Take a trip back to Wishington Bay this winter and find out...

AVAILABLE HERE - OUT NOW!

Instagram        @scribbler_maxi  (This is where she is to be found most)

Twitter            @Scribbler_Maxi

Facebook        www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest          ScribblerMaxi

Website           www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

Email              scribblermaxi@outlook.com

Author’s Note:

If you have read and enjoyed this book, could I ask for a moment of your time to pop a review on Amazon. One line is plenty! Ever single one really does make a difference, helping books to have a greater chance of noticed by more readers. Thank you so much!  

Q&A with Nicola Gill

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog...
Nicola Gill

Nicola Gill lives in London with her husband and two sons. At the age of five, when all of the other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, she decided she wanted to be an author. Her ballet teacher was very relieved.

When she’s not at her desk, you can usually find Nicola reading, cooking up vast vats of food for friends and family or watching box sets. Occasionally she even leaves the house…

1.  What was your favourite childhood book/author? 
My earliest reading memory is falling in love with Enid Blyton’s Mr Meddle series when I was four. I was living in South Africa with my mum for six months and desperately missed my dad (my parents were divorced). Every week, Dad would send me a Mr Meddle book.

 

2.   What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point? 
Well, I was five when I first announced I wanted to be an author (weird kid!) so I’m not sure exactly what inspired me. I think I just always liked telling stories.

 

It’s taken me a *while* to get to this point. I didn’t start trying to write fiction until I was nearly forty. I think this was for all the usual reasons – family, work – but also because I lacked the confidence to try. When I did eventually start writing, like most authors, I had a long and bumpy journey to publication.

3.  Describe your writing space - neat and ordered or creative chaos? 
I’m normally quite tidy but when I’m getting near to the end of a draft, my desk gets messier and messier and I start to feel as if I’m drowning in post-it notes.

4.   What is the easiest and hardest part of the writing process? 
I think the easiest part of the writing process is when your book really takes hold and almost seems to be ‘writing itself’. You know the characters and the story well and it’s just a matter of getting it down on the page.

 

Conversely, the hardest part of writing is when you feel that nothing is flowing and that you don’t know what to write next. When this happens you just have to force yourself to keep going and have a lot of tea and biscuits!

 

5. Which other authors are you influenced by?
Ooh, lots! I’m an avid reader and love lots of different genres. Here are a few of my favourite authors: David Nicholls, Nick Hornby, Curtis Sittenfeld, Katherine Heiny, Jonathan Tropper, Celeste Ng, Marian Keyes, Anne Tyler. I could go on!

 

 

6. What does literary success “look” like to you?
That’s a really interesting question and I think the truth is that it’s human nature to move to move the goalposts. What I mean by that is that it’s easy to think: I will be proud of myself when I finish a book/ get an agent/ get a publishing deal and then forget to feel like that when you achieve those things.

It would obviously be lovely to sell a gazillion books worldwide, be massively critically acclaimed and have my books adapted for the screen. But, in the meantime, I think it’s important to celebrate all the milestones along the way.

 7.      How do you select the names of your characters?

My process for selecting character names is quite random and I often just ‘feel’ that a certain first name suits someone. That said, it’s important to take into account things like age and background. I try to avoid names of close family and friends too

8. Do you hide any secret ‘messages’ in your book that only a few people will understand? 

I don’t knowingly hide ‘messages’ for the select few but it is interesting to see what different readers take from a story. For example, I got a really lovely message from someone who had been inspired to call her estranged sister after reading We Are Family. I felt enormously touched by that.

 

9.  If your book was to be made into a film/TV programme, which actors would play which role? 
If we choosing actors for We Are Family, I’d love Roisin Connaty to play Laura and Felicity Jones to play Jess. Oh, and we’d need someone fabulous to play their uber-difficult mum – maybe Kirstin Scott-Thomas?

 

If I’m allowed to pick actors for my other book, The Neighbours (please, I love this game!), I’d go for Karen Gillan as Ginny and Patsy Kensit as Cassie.

 

10.  What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
As long as readers enjoy the book, I’m happy. That said, I’d love it if it helps anyone to understand that there is no ‘right’ way to deal with grief and that it’s not linear.

 

Lastly, Jenn (The Comfy Chair) likes to enjoy a good read snuggled up with a cup of tea and piece of cake... what cake or sweet treat would you suggest to accompany your book? 

 

I agree that a good book, a cup of tea and a piece of cake is the perfect combination. My favourite types of cakes are the plain, unshowy looking ones that taste fab. I’m not mad about buttercream icing which means I don’t really like cupcakes. However, a nice slice of lemon drizzle, or banana cake or the coconut and raspberry slice from the Roasting Tin cookbook … mmm!

WE ARE FAMILY 

Released 3rd September 2020

Laura and Jess might be sisters, but they’re very different people. Laura is laid-back, eats cheese in bed, and takes life as it comes. Jess, meanwhile, is the classic overachiever: Chief of Chivvying, Queen of all WhatsApp groups. They’re family, but they’re not exactly friends.

When their mum dies, the sisters struggle to agree on anything, from where to scatter the ashes to whether “passed away” is an acceptable term. 

Will they realise how much they need each other before it’s too late?

AVAILABLE HERE

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