Q&A with Helen J Rolfe

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... 

Helen J Rolfe.

Helen J Rolfe writes romantic fiction and contemporary women's fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and community.

Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries where she thinks her readers might like to escape to.

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

For me, definitely Enid Blyton! I loved the adventures she took readers on, especially with the Magic Faraway Tree, that was my favourite, the whole make believe world she created had me totally gripped. As a teen I loved Judy Blume, she really seemed to ‘get’ how girls felt at certain ages, so it was easy to resonate with her characters. I’ve even bought some of her books for my teenagers too… 

 

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

I still remember telling my English teacher that I wanted to be a journalist and she warned me, never give up. She’d given up the dream and become a teacher! Somehow I ended up becoming a computer programmer but along the way I realised how much I wanted to write, took a couple of courses in journalism and writing and then began writing freelance articles for women’s health and fitness magazines. It was when my kids were both at school and I had more time on my hands that I realised I wanted to try writing a book. My first attempt was terrible! It will never see the light of day but was very much a learning experience I began in around 2011 … then I wrote The Friendship Tree which went on to be published in February 2015 and I haven’t looked back since.

 

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

My writing spaces have varied over the years – I worked at the kitchen table with headphones to block out the noise, at a desk in our bedroom, then in a walk in wardrobe, and now finally I have a lovely big desk with room for the computer and a place for the thousand and one pieces of paper I seem to have. You can always tell when I’m starting a new book as I have a real tidy and the desk looks lovely until I make notes everywhere and it gets a little chaotic once more.

 

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

The first draft of a book is quite painful for me, I really have to force myself to sit down and press on with it even though it’s quite hard and feels like I’ll never get there. There’s always a moment around 40,000 words where I think it’s really terrible and I almost want to start again but once I get past that it starts to flow a bit more.

 

For me, editing is the easier part, I really enjoy pulling apart what I’ve written and shaping it into something much better. I usually go through three times before I send it off to an editor who then returns it and we go through the process again.

 

5.      Which other authors are you influenced by?

I don’t think I’m really influenced by any other authors but I learn from every single author out there. When I read other books I learn about plotting, characterisation, writing dialogue, it extends my vocabulary and sometimes triggers thoughts about my work in progress.

 

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

I’m not sure about literary success but for my own success, it’s when I’m getting books out there, people are reading them, and more than that, they’re enjoying my stories. There’s nothing quite like receiving an email or message from a reader to say how much they loved a book and why. It’s a really special moment and those relationships I build with my readers make me feel successful in my career.

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

I find this so difficult! With book number 20 publishing December 6th I have so many characters already. I’ve got a spreadsheet with all the names and when I choose I tend to look at baby names via Google. Even then, it’s difficult. Sometimes I choose a name and when I’m writing I don’t feel like the name fits the character so then it’s back to the choosing game again!

 

For characters’ appearances and so I have a face in my head, I tend to go through programs I enjoy and pluck them from there or movies I’ve seen. If I can’t think of any off the top of my head I search online for actors around the age I need and choose that way.

 

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

This sounds like a fun thing to do, but no I haven’t done it unless you count some of the things that happen that I’ve plucked from memories over the years. My parents tend to spot all of those!

 

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

I love this question! If it was Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack I’d like to have Kara Killmer (she plays Sylvie on Chicago Fire) to play Lucy and Jesse Lee Soffer (he plays Jay Halstead on Chicago PD).

 

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

I hope my readers go on an emotional journey with my characters and lose themselves in Heritage Cove which is even more special at Christmas. I hope the book leaves them uplifted and smiling.

 

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? 

 

Well that would have to be waffles! 

Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack
Release date: 6th December 2020

It's December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new waffle shack is about to open. And its owner isn't a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey – as well as a few other locals he might have offended along the way.

Fairly new to the village, local blacksmith Lucy has kept up the pretence of being with her ex for the sake of his gran but she’s fed up with all the lies. Determined to come clean and live the life she wants to live, she’s devastated to find that her attraction to Daniel is tainted by the fact he’s hiding a few things of his own. And his secrets are ones she isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to get past.

Heritage Cove is full of friendship and community; it’s a welcoming place people visit and never want to leave. But will it work its magic for Daniel and Lucy?

Available to order HERE

Follow Helen on Twitter HERE

Q&A with Juliet Greenwood

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog... Juliet Greenwood

Juliet Greenwood has always been fascinated both by her Celtic heritage and the history of the women in her family. Her great-grandmother supported her family by nail making in Lye, in the Black Country, and her grandmother worked as a cook in a large country house.

After graduating in English from Lancaster University and Kings College, London, Juliet worked on a variety of jobs to support her ambition to be a full-time writer. These ranged from running a craft stall at Covent Garden to workshops in story-telling, along with spells of teaching and charity fundraising, and more recently as a freelance editor and proofreader.

Juliet now lives in a traditional quarryman’s cottage between the mountains and the sea in beautiful Snowdonia, North Wales, and is to be found dog walking in all weathers, always with a camera to hand. Her second book for Orion ‘The Girl with the Silver Clasp’ will be published in September 2021.

1.      What was your favourite childhood book/author? 

I adored Rosemary Sutcliff, and her historical novels like ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’ and ‘The Shield Ring’. I loved the way the stories took me away to another time and place and made me really feel what it was like to live there, along with an element of adventure that took me right away from school and everyday life.  

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

I was such a bookworm as a child, I soon started to make up my own stories. I can clearly remember writing my first novel aged ten, a historical epic set in Saxon times. My ambition was always to be a writer, but I failed miserably in my first attempt when I was in my twenties.  That was when I discovered that just reading and studying literature isn’t enough to be able to write a book, you need to have lived a bit of life too! So life, earning a living and all the rest took over, and it was just over fifteen years ago that I decided it was now or never and seriously go for it. Since then, I’ve gradually built up my experience, from magazine stories to being published with a small press, and I finally managed to get an agent and a two-book deal with Orion last year. I’m really thankful for that experience. There are so many skills to be learnt for writing a novel, as well as all the practical publishing aspects like dealing with the various edits and publicity, I was so glad I was (fairly!) confident I knew what I was doing when I started working with Orion. It’s been quite a journey!

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

I live in a traditional quarryman’s cottage on a hillside at the edge of a Welsh village in Snowdonia. My office is in the ‘crog’ loft, a small space in the attic where the children would have slept in Victorian times. I’m lucky that a previous owner put in a window, so I have a view over my garden and towards Anglesey, with amazing sunsets. Because it’s so tiny I try to keep it fairly organised. It starts that way when I begin a new book, but by the end it’s tending towards my natural penchant for creative chaos, when discarded notes are strewn on every surface for my cat to sit on and all the coffee cups somehow disappear. It used to be my totally private space (the stairs are as steep as the original ladder), but now I have to keep some kind of order for zoom calls, so one corner retains some semblance of neatness – I just have to remember not to adjust the computer so anything else can be seen!

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

I find the easiest is the first draft. Mine are always like rough sketches for a painting, just blocking out the story and are always utterly and embarrassingly dire, but the good thing is it doesn’t matter. I go right the way through without stopping, even if a character changes sex or a new one appears out of nowhere. The pressure is off because it’s the version no one will ever see and anything can happen and nothing about it is fixed. I find the hardest part is the editing, the bit when you bash that original brilliant idea (which by now feels like the worst in the world) into shape. It might be the hardest, but this is the part I love, especially when it gets towards the end and I start getting input from my editor. It’s such a buzz when the amorphousness of the first draft takes shape and all the niggles are banished, and finally a book appears. It’s a long, meticulous and exhausting process, but also hugely satisfying. And chocolate is obligatory, naturally.

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

When I see readers have enjoyed my books! And when I can feel that I am growing as a writer with the new book, as well as stretching myself in new directions, trying to be the best I can be. My ultimate aim is to become a full-time writer and make my living from what I love doing best – that looks like the best literary success to me!

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

I make sure they fit in with the period – and the period in which they were born, of course (easy to forget). Then the most important thing is to make sure they can’t be confused with each other, which is mainly making sure they don’t have the same first letter or sound too similar. So I make lists of the letters I haven’t used and go back through my lists again. Some characters appear with a name that’s just perfect, which is wonderful – even when it means I have to change the others around again!

 

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

I love Hester, the heroine of ‘The Ferryman’s Daughter’, my first book for Orion. She is fiercely protective of her family, but also utterly determined to follow her dream, despite the constraints of her time and the arrival of WW1 that changes her world forever. Hester was largely inspired by the history of women that, until recently, has been largely forgotten, or seen as irrelevant. All those amazing women who were inventors, artists, mountain climbers, nurses under fire and spies behind the front line in WW1, as well as those who kept the world turning at home whatever life threw at them, and became business woman and career women when marriage was no longer an option, so creating the opportunities we have today. Hester was also inspired by the determination of my own grandmother and great-grandmother to escape poverty and take control of their lives. She is a hugely positive and resilient character - I hope my readers are cheering her on all the way, just as I was. I unexpectedly found her an inspiration myself, when the pandemic appeared just as the book was in its final stages. Whenever I had a wobble, I had the strongest sense of not wanting to let Hester down. Whatever life throws at her, Hester picks herself up, dusts herself down and carries on, more determined than ever. It’s a female trait that should definitely be celebrated.

 

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?

 

It has to be a slice of the exquisite apple cake made by Hester, who is a passionate cook. The recipe is included at the back of the book and comes from a friend, who has a magical way with flavours. It has a touch of lemon running through and is the best apple cake I’ve ever tasted. Especially when accompanied by clotted cream, of course!

The Ferryman's Daughter 

1908: Hester always loved her mother best, her father had always been a hard man to like, spending more time (and money) in the local than with his family. After her mother's sudden death, followed by an injury forcing her father to give up his job as the ferryman, Hester is placed in the position of care-giver for her young brother and sister. 

As the years pass Hester must row the ferry night and day to keep them all from starvation, while her hopes of working in a kitchen and one day becoming a cook, slip further and further away. 

But just how far is Hester willing to go to make her dream a reality? And as the threat of war comes ever closer to the Cornish coast, will it bring opportunities or despair for Hester and her family?

Available HERE

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

Please visit Nicola's website or social media for more:

https://nicolagill.com

Instagram: nicolagillauthor

Twitter: @Nicola_J_Gill