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May 31, 2009 12:24 AM

HOLLY'S INBOX: Interview!

Remember Holly's Inbox? It all started with an addictive online email account, and later released as an equally unputdownable novel. The sequel, Scandal in the City, hit the shelves last year, and people like me didn't eat or move for a day until they'd finished it. Holly's Inbox is now due to hit the States with a brand new cover and website. Author Bill Hutton-Surie (yes, Holly Denham's really a man!) talked to us about writing, life, and being Holly...

Hi Holly! Well, Bill. Introduce yourself.
Hi Elle, Thank you so much for having me on your brilliant site, I’m Bill Hutton-Surie and I write women’s fiction – as a woman

Why did you decide to write a chick-lit book?
I didn’t actually. It was initially just a way of getting more candidates to register for our recruitment agency. It’s a specialist agency for reception staff...so I thought if I wrote something where the main character was a receptionist it might interest them more. It started only as a website.

Read more from Bill after the cut...

As Holly fans know, the books are about a receptionist, told in email format. Where did you get the idea for Holly's Inbox?
The idea for the site came when we had to search through a previous ex-employees work email account. The woman in question was single, extremely flirtatious and had always loved us to bits. We discovered she was married with four children, and couldn’t stand the sight of us. The life she was leading was so full of mystery, intrigue, romance (and many many lies) that it made me wonder what it would be like to read a story told in this way.

Was it hard writing the book in email form?
I’d like to say yes, but no. I think speech is the easiest part for me, description gives me nightmares and I admire how writers manage so well. I can hear voices though – my wife who’s just come in and read this - is saying; it would be nice if I could hear HER voice then occasionally (she gets very annoyed with me drifting off all the time to Holly’s friends but I guess this kind of thing happens a lot with writers and their partners) (oh apparently it doesn’t; it’s just me, because I’m ignorant and stupid) (It’s ok she doesn’t mean it) (oh yes apparently she does) (I don’t think you need to hear this anymore so I’m going to stop typing)

What is it like, writing as a woman? Has anything funny happened to you?
I continued to run the agency whilst writing Holly’s Inbox but became less and less aware of my surroundings, immersing myself in the characters often giggling and occasionally crying in the process. My wife’s favourite story was when she had been interviewing a candidate while just across office I sobbed uncontrollably. The worried candidate had asked her if everything was ok and she had laughed and said I was only crying because I’d finally discovered she was having an affair, then continued with the interview.

And have you done any book signings? Hehe.
I remember once I organised a Teddy Bears’ picnic for Holly fans as I wanted to go along and thank them and we were going to have such a laugh in Hyde park on a sunny afternoon, until my wife pointed out that I was Bill – not Holly – and how on earth was I going to go along? I hadn’t thought it through what so ever. So I cancelled it. Shame, but I think less scary than seeing me as Holly – oh sick, nasty image in my head aaaagh get out.

What do your friends and family think of your chick-lit writing career? Did you have to keep it a secret for long?
Not really – when I left school I told my Dad I was going to be a writer – and he’d told me to grow up and get a proper job – otherwise I’d have nothing to write about.

I didn’t listen of course and for a long time tried to get something published, failed miserably. I listened to him in the end and got into recruitment for reception staff – and the writing came from that. Annoying isn’t it when your parents turn out to be right. But thanks Dad.

Have you had anything published under your own name?
Not a word, nothing. Been trying for years.

Are you working on anything new at the moment? And if so, can you tell us?
I’m writing something – can’t say much about it yet, but it will of course be a comedy romance, as I love that kind of feel good thing.

Thanks, Bill!

You can find out more about the book at Holly's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 31, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 28, 2009 11:51 PM

BOOK NEWS: Star Struck

Judging by the success of shows such as X Factor and Britain's Got Talent (I'll admit it - I watch the auditions at the start. Mean, me?), it seems the nation loves the televised talent show. And even better, Anne-Marie O'Connor's new novel, Star Struck, focuses on just that.

All Catherine wants to do is sing, but a TV show is about to make her a star....

Catherine Reilly is 24, single and still lives at home with her dad and two of her sisters. The only thing Catherine's ever been any good at is singing, but she has no connections, low confidence and isn't exactly glamorous. However, when she sees a TV ad for the latest series of "Star Maker" - the biggest talent show on national television she decides to enter. Catherine now has the best voice coach in the business, a team of sadistic trainers and stylists and the world's number one music mogul on her side. But can an ordinary girl's dreams really come true?

Star Struck will be released in August.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 27, 2009 11:43 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Life’s Too Short to Frost a Cupcake by Rosie Wilde

Reviewed by Dot.

This is the first book by Rosie Wilde and I think she is definitely off to a good start! It only took me a day to read this as once I had started I just couldn’t put it down.

Alice has got a good, solid job at Carmichael Music, an extremely reliable boyfriend and a family that doesn’t cause her too much trouble. However, this all changes when Alice’s boss from New York pays a visit to the London office. Alice is pretty certain that she is in the firing line yet instead she is offered a dream job opportunity in America. The only catch is that the aim of her new glamorous job is to persuade the once successful but now highly reclusive Wyatt Brown to record a new album.

Instead of finding herself in New York as she imagined, Alice is headed for Wyatt’s farm in Ohio and they don’t exactly hit it off. Alice’s new life is not what she expected at all, there is a cow called Mary Lou, a wannabe popstar and an extremely important Cupcake Frosting Competition. As her relationship with Wyatt develops, Alice has to admit that her feelings towards him are not truly professional and she begins to realise what she really wants from life.

Rosie Wilde’s book goes along at a fantastic pace as we meet the many colourful and memorable characters that she creates. By placing Alice in unfamiliar surroundings, where she knows no-one, we get to understand her very quickly. Wilde builds the relationship between Alice and Wyatt very carefully but she still manages to throw in a few surprises along the way. This book does have many funny parts but I found it really poignant as well. I think many of us have a point in our life where we stop and take stock of everything so that we can see what we want from the future and that is exactly what Alice has to do. Overall I thought this book was excellent, if you are looking for a quick, feel-good read then I would give this a try!

Book rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 27, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 26, 2009 11:55 AM

Win a dream holiday with Platinum!

 Summer's here, and we all love a good beach read, yes? Platinum by Jo Rees is set to become this summer's hottest book, and to celebrate, one lucky winner and a friend could be off to St Lucia for a week-long dream holiday.

Here's more about the book:

Three sassy, but very different heroines: knock-out brunette Peaches Gold, LA's most influential madam, who in her late thirties is certainly fooling everyone that she's much younger than she looks; twenty-something blonde South African yacht stewardess Frankie Willis, and English socialite Lady Emma Harvey - in her prime at nearly fifty. The hooker, the maid, and the lady. They have every reason to distrust and despise each other, but their hatred for one man will unite them. Forever.

That man is Yuri Khordinsky. He's typical of the new-comers to the ranks of the world's super-rich - a handsome,ludicrously wealthy, utterly ruthless Russian with a murky past, desperate for acceptance in society. And he'll stop at nothing to get it.

So if you fancy jetting off to St Lucia, check out the Platinum website for more details of the book and the competition.

Also, Trashionista has ten copies of Platinum to give away. To win, simply email the editor (elle.symonds [at] gmail [dot] com) with 'Platinum' in the subject line. The first ten to email will be sent a copy.

Good luck!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 26, 2009 in Competition, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 21, 2009 10:54 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Elizabeth Leiknes

Elizabeth Leiknes is author of the fabulous The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns (trust me, it's a must read!) Trashionista asked her some questions on life, writing and of course, the intriguing Lucy...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A good, but flawed woman commits hideous (yet justified) acts, and then finds redemption.

Where did you get the inspiration for Lucy Burns?
In graduate school I wrote a short story titled “The Furnace” in which a woman named Lucy Burns works as a Faustian henchwoman who escorts very bad people to her basement furnace and, ultimately, their death. My husband actually had a key role in helping create the story’s premise. But when I decided to expand the story into a full-length novel, I wanted Lucy to have a solid reason, one routed in goodness, for doing what she does, so I developed her back story and tempered it all with a healthy dose of Midwestern guilt.

Click over the cut to read more from Elizabeth,,,

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
My all-time favorite chick-lit book is a collection of short stories by Julia Slavin titled The Woman Who Cut Off Her Leg at the Maidstone Club and Other Stories. It is smart, surreal, and simultaneously sad and hilarious. I consider it chick-lit because every woman will see herself somewhere in these stories, and either laugh or cringe at what she sees.

Where do you do most of your writing?
In my dreams and fantasies, I do most of my writing from an amazing, gothic-looking desk in front of a giant picture window, which overlooks a serene pond. All of this, of course, takes place in a forest with no distractions except for chirping birds and the occasional whistling of a teapot. In reality (because I am a full-time teacher and mother of two small boys) I write wherever I can, in short, frenetic chunks of time in-between lots of questions like “May I have more juice, Mama?” and “Could the Hulk beat up Superman?” In fact, in the middle of writing this response, I was summoned to the backyard to start the sprinklers for wet and wild merriment. Now, what was I saying?

Do you have a favourite female heroine?
Strangely, it would be a tie between Dorothy Gale and Elizabeth Bennet.

Are you working on anything new at the moment (and if so, can you tell us?)
Since Lucy, I’ve completed two other novels. Black-Eyed Susan is about a woman who finds out she has three months to live, and the journey she finds she must take. The Understory is about six broken characters who become serendipitously intertwined. Currently, I’m working on a fourth novel that is too early to talk about because I’m horribly superstitious.
 
Do you have any tips for our readers who want to become published authors?
Don’t listen to what I call the Anti-Muse—that mean-spirited voice in your head (and sometimes from real people!) that reminds you what a silly, often self-indulgent practice novel-writing is. Of course, that assertion is probably right, but you must believe in your work and the story you have to tell, or no one else will.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 21, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 18, 2009 2:39 PM

BOOK NEWS: Pop Tart

 Pop Tart, the new novel by Kira Coplin (pop culture journalist and US Weekly writer) and Julianne Kaye (LA celebrity makeup artist), is due to be released on 28th May. Here's the info!

She was America's sweetheart. Until the love affair ended with a bang! Young make-up artist Jackie Reilly has always dreamed of making it big in TinselTown, concealing the flaws of the rich and famous. Stuck in a rut with a crazy boss, she thinks her big break will never come - until she meets a girl who guarantees her life will never be the same again! 16-year-old Brooke Parker is bubbly, vivacious, charming - and about to become the world's most famous teenager. A pop singer on the verge of superstardom, Brooke instantly takes a shine to Jackie and draws her into a world of white-stretch limos, screaming fans and invitations to VIP events. But as Jackie quickly finds out, fame has its dark side. Forced to juggle the various egos of Brooke's entourage - from bitchy stylists to over-eager publicists and a manager that serves his own interests before all else - all preserving the golden girl image of brand Brooke. Caught in the tight grip of the P.R machine, Brooke starts to rebel, taking Jackie along for the ride. At first her bad girl antics are a blast, earning her even more column inches, but when her heavy partying brings Brooke's demons to the surface she begins to fall apart and soon, she is taking Jackie down with her. When Jackie is forced to learn the rules of showbusiness the hard way, her friendship with Brooke is put to the ultimate test - will she be yet another casualty of Brooke's increasing quest for fame? Or can she save herself - and Brooke?

This is set to be a fantastic read - review coming soon!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

May 14, 2009 11:52 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Sister Diaries

Karen Quinn, author of the fantastic Ivy Chronicles and Wife in the Fast Lane, has penned another offering that's due to be released shortly.

Here's the blurb:

Love her or loathe her, you need a sister by your side.

Although they couldn’t be more different, Amanda, Serena and Laura Moon have always been there for one another.

Amanda sizzles in the high stakes arena of New York City real estate - but drags herself home each night to a cold, empty bed. From top executive at Prada, Serena is now an over-the-top, stay-at-home Mum, plunging her marriage into crisis and her four-year-old into therapy. Laura spent the last six years caring for their dying mother. Now she is trying to breathe new life into her abandoned music career.

Emotions explode when the sisters learn that their mother left everything - the multi-million dollar family home and a priceless Willem de Kooning painting - to Serena. But why? In an effort to make sense of the bequest, the girls journey to glamorous East Hampton to unravel the mystery behind their mother’s past, setting off a chain of events that threatens the very core of their sisterhood.

The Sister Diaries will be out in July. For more information about Karen and her books, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 14, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 8, 2009 5:51 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The truth about Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell

Having read and enjoyed all Lisa Jewell’s other books I couldn’t wait to get started on her latest novel, The truth about Melody Browne, eager to see if it was as good as the others. And it is. Jewell has produced yet another book you simply won’t want to put down.

Melody Browne lost everything she owned when her house burned down when she was nine years old. Worse still, she also lost her memory of everything and anything that had happened to her before the fire. When she got pregnant at fifteen her parents' disapproval forced her to leave home and bring up her baby alone. Now in her early thirties Melody lives alone with her son and has not seen her parents since the day she walked out. Despite all this, Melody is happy enough with her life until a chance meeting changes everything and sends her on a bizarre and moving journey to find out who she really is.

On the way home from work on day, a good looking stranger sits next to her on the bus asks for her mobile number because she has amazing shoulders. He eventually persuades her that he is not mad and she agrees to go out with him. For their first date ( Melody’s first in years)  they go to see a hypnotist show where  Melody is picked from the audience and called up onto stage. On the count of five she becomes a five year old boy with a runny nose and a serious wind problem. It all stops being so funny though when she passes out and the show is called to a halt.

When she comes round she feels inexplicably different and in the days that follow she starts, very slowly to remember things from her early childhood. Just small fragments of unrelated flashbacks at first; an ice cream parlour, a big house in Broadstairs, another house in a small mews in London and a whole bunch of strangers who she feels should mean something to her. Slowly, little by little, Melody starts to piece together her early life and work out who she really is.

This is a warm and moving story so compelling that I guarantee you will be reading well into the early hours. Melody is a character that you really come  to care about and her story will stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. Lisa Jewell’s writing is so  readable that the only disappointment with this book is that you will finish it far too quickly and be left longing  for more.

If you enjoyed this and haven’t read any of Lisa Jewell’s other books then try Ralph’s Party, Thirty Nothing, One Hit Wonder,Vince and Joy and 31 Dream Street.

5/5

By Wendy Knowles

Posted by Aigua Media on May 8, 2009 in Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder by Holly McQueen

After weeks of waiting (actually, make that months), I finally grabbed a copy of the second Isabel Bookbinder novel as soon as it was released. Yep, Holly McQueen is back with another adventure - and another career scheme  - from the overly-ambitious Isabel.

After trying (and failing) at a career as a top novelist in the previous book, Isabel has abandoned her literary dreams - even if she didn't really write anything in the first place! - in exchange for a new life as a Top Fashion Designer. But her fantasies of seeing her designs on Keira Knightley and releasing her own fragrance line are temporarily quashed when she's rejected from a top university design course because, well, she can't actually sew. Well, fashion design can't be THAT hard, right?

Wrong...

Determined to prove friends and family wrong and actually do something right for a change, Isabel sets out on her path to become the next best thing in fashion design. And things are starting to look up when Isabel manages to land a job as assistant to top fashionista Nancy Tavistock, muse of moody famous designer Lucien Black. Despite being simply a PA, Isabel's intent on working her way up in the fashion world as quickly as possible.

With boyfriend Will doing excelling at his job as a lawyer, Isabel's relationship is going seemingly well...until Will heads off to the Cayman Islands and starts to become extremely close to colleague Julia. And it doesn't help when Isabel's brother re-introduces her to old school pal Ben Loxley - the same Ben who Isabel spent her teenage years lusting after. And he's still just as gorgeous, and equally interested...

Isabel is determined to become a designer, even if it means designing for her mum's friends and harboring what she thinks are drugs in her handbag for her new boss. And when Isabel suspects that something is amiss with the Tavistock business, it's up to her to save it...

Admittedly, I loved this book, mainly because of McQueen's highly addictive writing style and Isabel's penchant for getting into hilarious scrapes. Fans of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series will love the Isabel books as they're very similar.

However, I couldn't help but dislike Isabel, just a little. Sure, her painfully embarrassing moments provided endless laughs throughout the book, but Isabel's ditziness and lack of common sense seemed far too over-the-top and unbelievable. The book also relies heavily on coincidences.

That said, The Fabulously Fashionable Life... is still a hilarious read. If you're looking for something fun and addictive this summer, then this book is a must-read.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 8, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 5, 2009 2:58 AM

Out this month: The World's Worst Wife

Polly Williams, author of A Good Girl Comes Undone and A Bad Bride's Tale, is back for another offering. The World's Worst Wife is set to hit the shelves on May 14th. Here's some info!

Don't try this at home ...Sadie Drew thinks she may actually be the world's worst wife. She only needs to walk into a room to make it untidy. There are always leeks liquefying in her fridge. And her three-year-old son is now the love of her life. Husband doesn't seem to mind so much, until he gets a big high-pressure job and things change. She suspects he's cheating. The marriage starts to fall apart and, as mother-in-law smugly points out, Sadie faces a stark choice: risk losing everything or up her game. Can she transform herself into the perfect wife? And ultimately is this a game worth winning?

To read more about Polly and her books, head over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 5, 2009 in New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 2, 2009 10:12 PM

BOOK NEWS: Valentine

Valentine, the first novel of Katie Price's ghostwriter Rebecca Farnworth, is due to be released next week. Here's the info...

Will a shocking secret cause a rising star to fall? Valentine Fleming dreams of making it as an actress but after years of failed auditions and bit parts her hopes are fading fast - so too is her self-esteem. She is staring into the abyss and a large jar of peanut butter. Her love life is faring no better, with too much time wasted with an ex who has bad news written all over him. So when she gets a call from her agent telling her she has a part in a play with a sexy leading man, she's over the moon. She's not packing her bags for the Hollywood hills just yet but could this be her lucky break? But just as it seems that her luck might be set to change she learns a shocking secret and Valentine's world is turned upside down...Rebecca Farnworth's first novel is an enchanting page turner with a heroine who you just can't help warming to, however many mistakes she makes.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 2, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 1, 2009 12:35 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Mummy Said the F Word by Fiona Gibson

 Having not yet read any of Fiona Gibson's previous books, I was curious as to what Mummy Said the F Word had to offer. And it's downright hilarious.

Caitlin Brown's life is suddenly turned upside down when her husband announces he's leaving her – for a woman he met at work. Landed with the task of raising her children alone, Caitlin decides to do her best despite the dramatic change of circumstances.

As if life wasn't bad enough, Caitlin's job isn't exactly going fantastically, either. Trying to make wart creams and other such products sound appealing for a website was never exactly exiting in the first place, but it pays the bills.

However, things change when her magazine editor friend offers Caitlin the job of agony aunt for parenting magazine, Bambino. Replacing the former renowned parenting columnist seems like a hard act to follow, especially as Caitlin's parenting is far from the organic-eating Supernanny methods that Bambino seems to feature. Friends are supportive of her new venture, but Caitlin isn't so sure. After all, Bambino's ideas are a world away from her own...

Granted, Cait isn't partial to the idea of being an agony aunt at first, but seeing as the problem-solving gig is only temporary, how hard can it be?

But Caitlin soon finds that Bambino's problem page is more popular than she thinks, and she's soon inundated with problems helpless readers across the country, all with similar issues to herself. Seeing her husband with new girlfriend and pink-princess stepdaughter is heartbreaking, and only spurs Caitlin on further to assist the needs of Bambino readers with nowhere else to turn. It's not long before she becomes a small celebrity.

Meanwhile, son Jake is becoming obsessed with cleaning and Cait's ex is seemingly devoting more time to his new family than his own kids. Throw in single-dad friend Sam, and life seems to be getting even more complicated for Caitlin. And when she's offered the Bambino job full-time, what an she do? Readers are starting to adore her straight-talking approach to motherhood. Especially anonymous emailer R, with whom Cait seems to instantly click. She's been warned about meeting readers, but is it a chance she's willing to take? What about her feelings for Sam? And despite being the nation's favourite parenting expert, can she manage to keep her own family stable and happy?

Mummy Said the F Word takes a hilarious look at single motherhood. Fiona Gibson conveys family issues seriously, yet at the very same time, laugh out loud funny. Caitlin is a down-to-earth, sarcastic heroine with a lovely heart and a great, feelgood tale.

Rating: 5/5

If you liked this, you might like: The Motherhood Walk of Fame by Shari Low.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 1, 2009 in Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)