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April 28, 2009 8:59 PM
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Alison Gaylin
Alison Gaylin's first novel, Hide Your Eyes, was released in 2005. Here Alison talks heroines, writing, and her latest book, You Kill Me...
Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
In the sequel to HIDE YOUR EYES, Samantha learns that love hurts -- and sometimes kills.
What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Of all time? I'd have to say Pride and Prejudice. I first read it in high school, and Mr. Darcy still makes me swoon.
Where do you like to write your books?
Ideally? Paris. But practically speaking, I'd have to say in my home office, after my daughter is either at school or asleep.
Do you have a favourite female heroine?
I have many. Elizabeth Bennet, Jo from Little Women, Mildred Pierce... I could go on and on.
Are you working on anything new at the moment? (And if so, can you tell us?)
Yes! Here in the States, I've recently signed a three-book deal with Harper for a new suspense series. The heroine is a missing persons investigator who suffers from a very unusual mental syndrome -- and I'm having a great time writing the first book!
Do you have any tips for readers who want to become published authors?
Don't give up trying -- but also don't give up writing. If you get a lot of rejections, go back to your manuscript and see how you can improve it. The first version of HIDE YOUR EYES was completely different from the one that wound up getting an agent and a publisher. That's the great thing about manuscripts -- you can rework, rewrite, improve.
For more info about Alison and her books, check out her website.
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 28, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 25, 2009 11:20 AM
BOOK NEWS: Celebrity Mother
Celebrity Mother, second novel of Olivia's Bliss author Deborah Wright, will be hitting the shelves in July. It sounds like a fabulous summer read, but judge for yourselves! Here's the info...
Funny, heartwarming and absolutely gripping: get ready for an emotional roller coaster, a sizzling celebrity scandal – and a little girl who just wants to be loved
Ex-girl-band-member-turned-PR-disaster Karina West didn’t see it coming. Her career’s history, her reputation’s in the gutter, and she’s completely on her own. She needs to get back in the gossip pages, and fast. How better to achieve it than by adopting a child, the sweet, ten-year-old Devika, from a far-off place? Karina and Devika are soon front-page news, but neither of them realise they are starting a journey that will change their lives – for ever.
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)
BOOK REVIEW: A Spring Affair by Milly Johnson
Reviewed by Chloe Spooner.
Elouise 'Lou' Winter is married to second hand car dealer Phil, but
their marriage is far from happy. Lou knows Phil has been unfaithful,
but he uses it to his own advantage, keeping Lou under his thumb. But
when Lou spots an article in a magazine about clearing out clutter, she
has no idea just how far how cleaning obsession is going to reach. Not
to mention the small crush she has on the man who brings her skips Tom
Broom, Lou is heading for a big lifestyle change, but is she ready to
take on everything that comes with it? Will Lou find her
happy-ever-after or is Phil Winter just too much in control for her to
break free?
It did sound slightly different to the other books that Milly Johnson had written, but to be honest that made me look forward to it even more - something different but from an author I trusted to write something brilliant once more. Johnson really chooses to focus on the relationships between people in her books, and the changes these go through as people change in life, and perhaps that is what makes her books so readable and appealing to her audience.
Johnson
always manages to write characters that I love reading about. For a
little while into the book, I do admit that I wasn't too fond of Lou.
She seemed a bit weak and too submissive for my liking and I wasn't
sure how it was going to go because of this. I wanted her to stand up
to her horrid husband yet she let him bully her and I really didn't
like that. However, things develop as the book continues and I really
began to like Lou a lot more, and felt for her dilemmas. Her husband
Phil is a complete creep, I hated him with a passion but he did make a
good "baddie" and was sat well with Lou. The other characters were also
very well written, as I have come to expect from Milly Johnson. What I
also really enjoyed about the book was the descriptive writing
throughout, and how it brought to life Lou and her world. Johnson
chooses to write in the third person, what I call "proper story
telling" and this lends itself to a really descriptive and enjoyable
novel.
Great characters, a lovely, touching and quite realistic story and a great writing style all combine to create more fictional magic that will delight not only fans of Johnson's earlier books but will certainly bring even more fans to her books. I just cannot complement this book enough, it was an utterly charming tale of finding yourself despite bad circumstances, and of what can happen when you decide to declutter your life. Johnson writes from the heart and with such feeling that you are going along with Lou with every emotion she's going through. Really superb, definitely recommended and a must-read from me!
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 25, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 19, 2009 9:24 PM
Interview with Monday Books
So, I've yet to read Catherine Sanderson's Petite Anglaise. Many a trip to Waterstones has resulted in me exiting empty-handed due to self-restraint reasons and a 'to be read' pile that rivals Everest. But I'm a sucker for the blog-to-book offerings and so it's only a matter of time before Catherine's French tale is in my hands.
Since blogging took off (rather a long time ago, now!), many popular bloggers have been offered book deals, with loads more aspiring writers hoping their daily web diaries will land them with similar luck. I got hold of Dan Collins of Monday Books, publishers of many a blog-based novel including Diary of an On-Call Girl, to ask just what perks a publisher's interest...
Hi, Dan! How many blogs has Monday Books put to print so far?
In order of appearance:
http://frankchalk.blogspot.com/ (It's Your Time You're Wasting)
http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/ (Wasting Police Time)
http://pcbloggs.blogspot.com/ (Diary of an On Call Girl)
http://theparamedicsdiary.blogspot.com/ (A Paramedic's Diary)
http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/ (Perverting The Course Of Justice)
Did you approach these writers?
Yes. We do get lots of approaches to us, too, but it just happens that these were all the other way.
Click over the cut to read more from Dan...
When did Monday Books start up?
Our first book appeared in August 2006. Prior to that I had been a journalist and then a sports agent (representing most of the England rugby team which won the 2003 Rugby World Cup). During my time as a sports agent, I ghost-wrote several rugby autobiographies, including that of the England captain (and now manager) Martin Johnson. After the RWC victory, we were approached to sell the business and after we did that in 2005 I had to think about what I would do next. A good friend of mine from my journalism days, Pete Walsh, runs Milo Books near Blackpool, and with some advice from him and my experience of the rugby books I decided to go into publishing full time.
So are you the only ones who know the true identity of EE Bloggs?
I think her parents and boyfriend know who she is, plus her sister and one close friend. And my wife.
Do you get many submissions from hopeful bloggers?
We get a few but although we have published a number of blog books we don't just do blog books. I'd say we get up to a dozen approaches a month.
If so, tell us some of the best (or weirdest. Your call...)
As someone who has had his own submissions rejected (back when I was a journalist), I know how painful it can be so wouldn't like to talk about those we have rejected.
Except to say that a rejection is often not a comment on the writing, in our case it has more to do with a) my subjective view as to whether I think a book will sell (and like all publishers, even major ones, I am sure I am often wrong) and b) timing, ie when the submission comes in in our business cycle.
Right now, with the recession underway and a lot of books stacked up like planes above an airport, we are rejecting pretty much everything and anything. In 12 months' time, we might suddenly be short of decent material. (Though this may well be more a function of us being a small and still relatively new and inexperienced publisher, than a situation you'd find across the board.) What I'm trying to say in a round about way is people shouldn't be disappointed if they are rejected - try, try and try again.
What do you look for when considering a blog for publication?
In this order:
Non-fiction - fiction is way too hard to get right for us.
Subject matter - is it something we believe in or find interesting? When we published Wasting Police Time, no-one had really talked about the effect of targets and bureaucracy on policing. Copperfield made it funny, revelatory and interesting. Conversely, there are lots of very interesting and well-written blogs which just wouldn't interest us (but would certainly interest other publishers).
Originality - if someone else has said it all, it's less likely that you will get interest from a publisher.
Readership - Copperfield at his height was getting 5,000 readers a day, and 100+ comments. That is a massive indication of interest and potential buyers.
Writing - it helps, obviously, if a blogger can write (though it's not essential if they don't mind being edited).
Not all can, and not all who can can write a book (there's a lot of difference, in terms of scale, scope and structure, between blogging 300 words every few days and writing a 100,000 word book which hangs together and reads coherently.)
Anonymity - is the blogger prepared at some point to reveal their ID, or risk it being revealed? Frank Chalk would never reveal his ID, even to journalists in confidence to prove his bona fides as a teacher (ie not just someone who was making it all up). We were offered a doube page spread in the Sunday Telegraph, for instance, and interviews on Simon Mayo and Newsnight. But he wouldn't do any of it because he didn't want his identity at risk. The same is true of Inspector Gadget - this week alone we have turned down the PM programme and You and Yours (both Radio 4). This obviously means less PR and therefore fewer sales.
Copperfield and Bloggs took the opposite approach - Copperfield did absolutely everything, at great risk to his job, from Newsnight, GMTV, local TV news down to national and local newspapers. As a result, we have sold not far off 100,000 copies of his book.
Stuart Gray - the Paramedic - blogs and writes under his real name, so less of an issue.
Personality - assuming you get the publicity, will the blogger be credible, articulate, amusing etc on radio or TV or in print.
Any tips for hopeful bloggers?
Don't write a blog desperate to see it published. Write it for fun, in the knowledge that if something comes of it that's great but if it doesn't that's not the end of the world. Life is a long game, which I think a lot of people forget these days.
Do you have any other upcoming projects?
A few non-blog books, one or two blogs we're interested in. Blogs are not our main focus - they just happened to come along at once at the start of the business, probably because we needed material and I had time to look around for it. The rights to WPC Bloggs' book have been bought by John Hannah's production company and we're hoping to see that as a BBC2 comedy next year. (Hoping being the operative word.) She's also working on a follow-up for us, which I will try not to ruin with the wrong cover and title as I did the first!
Thanks, Dan!
To see more from Monday Books, check out the website.
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 19, 2009 in Interviews, Non Fiction, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 18, 2009 4:17 PM
BOOK NEWS: Sapphire by Katie Price
Admittedly, I haven't yet picked up any of Jordan's...sorry, Katie's...novels. But from what I've heard, the Angel and Crystal aren't bad reads. Katie's fourth book, Sapphire, is out in July. Here's the info...
Sapphire Jones doesn't believe in relationships anymore - not since she caught her husband in bed with another woman. Now Sapphire only sees men on her terms which is why her current lover is younger than her, good looking, doesn't place any emotional demands on her [so far, fingers crossed] and is great in bed. What more does a girl need? Sapphire puts all her passion into running her own business - a high end lingerie and hen weekend company. She is doing well and life seems pretty good until she meets a very handsome, charming businessman who seems more than a match for Sapphire. Then things go badly wrong at the hen party she has planned for a soap star and tabloid darling. The evening is one that everyone will be talking about for all the wrong reasons and Sapphire faces front page headlines all of her own...Suddenly her business is in jeopardy, her well-controlled private life is falling apart, and in the middle of all this Sapphire realises that she is not immune to love after all, but has she left it too late?
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)
April 13, 2009 7:38 PM
BOOK NEWS: After the Break
Judging by the reviews of her debut novel Coming Up Next, it seemed as though Penny Smith's writing career wasn't off to a promising start. But the GMTV presenter is back with a second book, After the Break. Despite finding Coming Up Next very disappointing, I just might give the sequel another chance.
After the Break is set to be released on 25th June. Here's the info, courtesy of Borders...
Katie Fisher, one-time presenter of breakfast TV show Hello Britain!, nearly has her life in perfect order. She's recovered from her humiliating dismissal, improved her relationship with the drinks cabinet and, most importantly, found a gorgeous new TV producer boyfriend. But her dream job as a chat show host has come to an end and there doesn't seem to be much work around - she's starting to get worried.
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 13, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 11, 2009 2:47 PM
BOOK REVIEW: Diary of an On-Call Girl by WPC E.E. Bloggs
We previously had a look at some of the top career non-fiction , and frankly, Diary of an On-Call Girl just had to be featured on this list.
You guessed it - this isn't about everyone's favourite call-girl Belle, but instead an anonymous female police officer named WPC Ellie Bloggs. Based on her blog, A Twenty-First Century Police Officer, Ellie's hilarious memoir focuses on life in the Force and why sometimes, it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Based in the town of Blandmore in the county of Blandshire (could it be my town? Hmm...) PC Bloggs goes up against some of the town's bad guys on a daily basis. And we'll use that term loosely, because sometimes the criminals aren't as scary as they seem. Going from the lesser domestic disputes to the more serious, Ellie describes exactly what happens when there's a public emergency. But even though you'll probably be laughing at her police tales, some of it can shock you!
Diary of an On-Call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line is written in diary format, similar to the blog. But it's funnier. For anyone who's ever been curious as to what life as a police officer is like, this is a must-read.
Ellie tells of her day-to-day work, from the serious issues to the...well, not so serious. And there are plenty of the latter. As Ellie deals with man troubles and collegaues, she's out trying to catch the criminals which can somehow be a bit tiresome what with all the paperwork that's involved. And despite most of Ellie's anecdotes being laugh-out-loud funny, there's a darker side to the story - the truth about modern policing.
WPC Bloggs is a brilliantly witty writer who spills the beans on the profession perfectly.
Rating: 4/5
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 11, 2009 in Memoirs, Rating: 4/5, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 10, 2009 1:04 PM
BOOK NEWS: Flawless by Tilly Bagshawe
Here's some news for fans of Tilly Bagshawe - her new novel, Flawless, will be released next month. Read on for the blurb...
In the glitteringly ruthless diamond business, Scarlett Drummond Murray is a force to be reckoned with. As stunningly beautiful as the diamonds she works with, Scarlett is determined to make her mark on the industry with her fabulous jewellery creations. But to do so she must battle through a world that is steeped in greed and corruption. Blazing a trail from London to Beverly Hills, Scarlett is plunged into the world of shady diamond dealers and the stunningly beautiful women for whom they all compete, in business and in bed. All of them are prepared to sacrifice everything in pursuit of that one, elusive, perfect stone. No matter what the cost. Will Scarlett be blinded by the brilliance of the temptation that surrounds her? Or can she keep her nerve - and her principles - and make it to the top with her heart and her business intact?
For more info about Tilly and her books, check out her website.
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 9, 2009 7:25 PM
BOOK NEWS: If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back
Having just finished reading Claudia Carroll's brilliantly funny Do You Want To Know a Secret? (Review coming soon!) I was delighted to hear the news of Claudia's latest offering - If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back - which is due to hit the shelves in June.
Okay, so we've got a while to wait, but judging by the blurb, it's going to be good...
Charlotte Grey is hovering between life and death, but the weird thing is, it's taken a coma for her to finally open her eyes and see things clearly. Namely that she's made a complete mess of her short time on Earth, and don't even get her started on the five precious dating years she's just wasted on the worthless, faithless James Kane. But after a quick peek at the afterlife, she decides that it's not all it's cracked up to be either. Kind of like a big retirement home in the sky, with an awful lot of bingo and bridge and absolutely no sign of Elvis/Princess Di/Kurt Cobain or anyone it would actually be nice to spend eternity with. So when Charlotte is offered a chance to go back to Earth, this time as a bonafide angel, she jumps at it. But there's a catch. The person she's assigned to watch over is ...a certain James Kane; which is where the fun really starts. Well, just because she's passed on doesn't necessarily mean she's moved on, does it?
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 9, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)
April 7, 2009 7:58 PM
May releases from Little Black Dress
Following this month's Little Black Dress releases (I'm just about to pick up Niamh Shaw's Smart Casual!), LBD have updated their site with new releases for May, including You Kill Me by Alison Gaylin, Jessica Fox's The Hen Night Prophecies - The One That Got Away, and True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson.
Heartache, hockey and heavenly bodies – get ready for another red-hot read from Rachel Gibson.
When money-bags Virgil Duffy leaves his widow a stash of cash and his beloved ice-hockey team in his will, team captain Ty ‘Saint’ Savage is fu';/rious. The Chinooks are set to win the biggest prize of the season, and a beautiful young ex-stripper taking over the reins is the last thing he needs. Even if Faith, former playmate of the year, is the sexiest woman he’s ever laid on. Soon tensions are mounting between the Saint and the Sinner from Vegas – but maybe Ty’s forgotten the first rule of play: never underestimate your opponent...
Head on over to the Little Black Dress website for more book news!
Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)
