August 20, 2010 10:10 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sandy Lo (plus giveaway!)

We last spoke to Sandy Lo  last year, about the release of her debut novel Lost In You. Sandy's back, and this time she's penned her second book, Dream Catchers. We spoke to her about this latest release, and what she's been up to since her last interview!

 

Plus, Sandy Lo has three signed copies of Dream Catchers to give away! Simply send an email to the editor (elle.symonds [at] gmail.com) to be entered into the draw. Be sure to put 'Dream Catchers' in the subject heading. Good luck!

 

We last spoke to you early last year. What have you been up to?

Well, since we last spoke, I've done a few book events in New York, including an awesome release party in my hometown of Staten Island for "Dream Catchers" earlier this year.  Along with "Dream Catchers", I wrote a song for the book called "Haley's Letter" which is available on iTunes under the band name Tortured.  Other than that, I began my own web show with my friend called "The Sandy Squared Show", where we discuss entertainment and feature new talent.

 

Tell us more about Dream Catchers.

"Dream Catchers" is like a romantic comedy for young adults.  The main female character, Haley Foster, is a bit of an anxiety-ridden social misfit who is very wealthy and sheltered.  She basically is bored with her life and doesn't want to return home from college for the summer.  She winds up getting on the wrong bus going home, loses her wallet and her cell phone and meets Jordan Walsh, a laidback musician who's pretty much the opposite of her.  They push each other's buttons the entire bus ride until they're stranded together.  Jordan dares Haley to go with him to New York and break out of her rich girl bubble.  She surprisingly takes the dare and learns how to finally live her only life and experiences her first love.  For me, the book was so much to write and I've received great feedback from my readers saying how much they enjoyed the story and its characters.  They also said they didn't want it to end, which is why I'm currently writing the sequel!

 

What inspired you to write the book?

I actually wrote the first chapter in October 2001 while I was a freshman in college.  So many of Haley's emotions expressed in that chapter was what I was feeling at the time.  I went on to find myself and what I truly wanted out of life and who I am over the past nine years.  When I went back to writing the novel eight years later, I wanted to finish Haley's journey of self-discovery.  I wanted to prove dreams come true and it's okay to chase them, or catch them when they come soaring by.

We understand that you write for StarShine Magazine. Could you tell us more about that?

I am actually the founder and president of StarShine Magazine.  I began it as an e-mail newsletter back in 2001 to gain journalism experience, since at the time, that was my career path.  By June 2002, I turned the newsletter into a full-blown online magazine that interviewed stars like Goo Goo Dolls, Backstreet Boys, and Aaron Carter.  Now, after nine years, I'm still running StarShine Magazine and interviewing today's big stars like Lady Gaga, Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift.  In fact, I even got to interview one of my favorite bands 30 Seconds To Mars, who acted as my muse while I wrote "Dream Catchers".  I was able to tell them about the book and how they inspired my fictional band Tortured.  StarShine has helped bring out the best in me and introduced me to many friends and entertainers that I am honored to know.

How much success did you get with your first novel, Lost In You?

As a self-published author, it's very difficult to get your name out there.  I am fortunate to have a platform to publicize my books such as StarShine Magazine.  That being said, "Lost In You" has sold fairly well with what little resources I have.  Several publications/websites have raved about the book.  My favorite review was from Denise Solis, who is a fellow author and mother of Backstreet Boy, AJ McLean.  Since the book was influenced by the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees, it was an honor to have someone so close to them review the book.  Denise was also a character in the book and was flattered by that.  Overall, I was proud of what I accomplished with "Lost In You" and hope with each book, I gain more readers and keep the ones I have coming back for more.

Do you have any plans to write more? If so, can you give us any details?

I think I will always have plans to write more!  There wasn't a time in my life where I can remember me NOT writing something!  My next novel will be the sequel to "Dream Catchers", which will probably come out in early 2011.  After that, I plan to work on more of a supernatural book, "The Watch Dog", which takes place in Nashville, Tennessee, where I plan to move to next year.  That one means a lot to me since it will be dedicated to Brownie, the dog I grew up with.  She passed away when I was sixteen, but her memory is so much alive within me.  She was my protector and I feel she still watches over me.  So I'm taking that beautiful idea and working it into the theme of this book.

 

Thanks, Sandy!

 

You can find out more about Sandy Lo  over at her official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 20, 2010 in American Authors, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (6)

August 6, 2010 12:30 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Robert Rave

With new novel Waxed having just hit the shelves (click here to read our review!) Trashionista couldn't wait to interview author Robert Rave. We asked him about his inspirations, his tips for writing, and of course, what made him choose to delve into female fiction...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

Only 15? I feel like I'm Twitter! The pressure.

Three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York's hottest waxing salon. Obviously, hilarity ensues.

How's that? I think I barely made it...

What inspired you to write Waxed?

I always loved these three characters.  They kept popping into my head while I was editing my first novel, SPiN.  I thought about inserting them in that book somehow, but the more I explored these women the more I felt they deserved their own journey.  The setting came secondary to the characters--but I loved the idea of the types of personalities one would encounter at these waxing salons.  

It's always interesting to hear from a male who writes books aimed at women. What made you decide to write female fiction?

I don't know that I really set out to write female fiction at least not consciously. I simply wanted to write an entertaining story.  In books, film or television I'm always drawn to the female characters so it felt natural for me to write WAXED.  SPiN was very different because it was told from a first-person narrative that was male.  With WAXED, I liked the challenge of writing three very different women who have three very different journeys.  

Where do you do most of your writing?

I write in this little cubby hole in my bedroom that I think the previous owner used as a make-up table or something.  I used to have my desk in front of a huge window, however I would get distracted by everything.  I would be in the middle of writing and then see a dog walk by and my head would jump to the fact that I needed to give my dogs a bath, make an appointment at the vet, and then get lost in an entirely different tangent before returning back to the paragraph I was writing.  This was happening all the time.  I'm fully aware that it sounds completely insane, but it's true.   So, I had to make a change.  Now I stare at a white wall with a framed print that reads, "Get Excited and Make Things."

What is your favourite book?

Of all time? There's no way I could choose one.  That's like asking me what my favorite dessert is.  I can't limit myself to just one.

Which part of Waxed was the most fun to write?

As cliché as it sounds, the entire experience of writing WAXED was quite fun.  If you're not loving the story that you're telling or finding the sublime joy in the creation, it's time to move on.  I love the entire process of creating the characters, the world, everything--and the idea that a complete stranger is going to take the time to go there with you--well, that blows my mind.

What are you currently reading?

I recently finished Chelsea Handler's latest book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang.  I love her--she's absolutely hilarious.  I'm taking Beth Harbison's new book, Thin, Pretty, Rich with me on vacation and I can't wait to jump in. I just started One Day by David Nicholls.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

Focus on writing the story first.  Tell a story that you love.  Tell a story that excites you and that you're passionate about.  After you've finished, then focus on the publishing part.  Too many times, I think writers/authors get too wrapped up in the getting published part instead of the actual story.  Be prepared for a lot of "no's."  However, don't give up.  Believe in yourself and the work.  We are also living in such a fantastic time to be able to share our stories in so many different ways--whether it's a blog, a book from a major publisher, a self-published e-book--the technology is constantly changing and evolving to allow us create and more importantly SHARE!  

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell us?

I have a nonfiction book with St. Martin's that is coming out in the fall of 2011.  I'm not sure that exact release date, but if you join my page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter I'll post the information as soon as I know.

I've also started writing an entirely new project--a series of books.  It's one of those things that I kept trying to delay for whatever reason, but something inside of me kept telling me to start writing it.

Thanks, Robert!

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 6, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 16, 2010 10:12 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sloane Crosley

We recently reviewed How Did You Get This Number, a collection of essays by American journalist Sloane Crosley. Sloane recently featured in The Guardian, which announced that HBO are interested in creating a TV series about her. Impressive, yes? We were lucky enough to ask Sloane about her new book...

 

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.

A series of darkly funny essays about modern life that include circus mimes and ghosts.

What inspired you to write How Did You Get This Number?

The whole idea of writing a narrative nonfiction essay is to put the hindrance of the page in front of you and still try to get as close as possible to what you want to say.  I am happy with these essays because they are, in my estimation, closer to whatever humorously melancholy nuggets I want to get on paper.

Where do you do most of your writing?

On my floor in my apartment in Manhattan.  Also: on deadline.

What is your favourite book?

That's tough.  If there was some way to make The Secret Garden, White Noise and Dubliners have a love child...

Which part of How Did You Get This Number was the most fun to write?

There's a riff on malodorous taxicabs I'm partial to.  But the most enjoyable while also being a bit deeper and more rewarding?  Probably a tie between an essay called Light Pollution about the strange and mysterious land of Alaska and the final essay about heartbreak and furniture theft.  It's called Off The Back of a Truck.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

Read everything you can.  And don't be afraid to get started even if you're not quite sure what you're doing.

What are you currently reading?

The new Jonathan Franzen novel, Freedom, out in a few months.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell us?
Besides getting some sleep? A novel and more essays...

 

Thanks, Sloane!

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jul/15/sloane-crosley-essayist

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 16, 2010 in Interviews, Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 9, 2010 12:10 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Aliya S King

Back in June we published the news of entertainment journalist Aliya S King's debut novel, Platinum, which is due for release this month.  Trashionista was delighted to speak to Aliya about the upcoming title!

 

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.

Platinum is a saucy, sexy beach read about a group of four women in romantic relationships with entertainers.

What inspired you to write Platinum?

I was inspired to write Platinum after writing a story for VIBE magazine on the lives of rappers' wives. I was very intrigued by what I saw and after I handed in the story, I still had more to say. So I created composites and fictionalized the plot.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a wonderfully appointed office space that I rent out. And yet, I do most of my writing in my bed!

What is your favourite book?

I have many favorite books! I'm in love with Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor and I read it over and over again.

Which part of Platinum was the most fun to write?

I have to be honest, I looooved writing the sex scenes. I didn't know I had it in me!

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

If you want to be published, you have to write. A lot. Preferably every day. The first three books I tried to get published were all rejected. PLATINUM came out of sheer tenacity. I'm not an overnight success.

Who is your favourite heroine?

My favorite heroine of literature would be Sula Peace from Toni Morrison's Sula.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell us?

I'm working on the sequel to PLATINUM. And it's almost done!! And I'm in love with it!

 

Thanks, Aliya!

 

To find out more about Aliya S King (and read chapter one of Platinum!), check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 9, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 2, 2010 11:01 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Michele Gorman

Michele Gorman's fabulous new novel Single in the City was released at the end of June, and Trashionista couldn't wait to ask her all about it! Here Michele talks about her inspiration for Single in the City, her tips for aspiring authors, and some exciting new on future projects!

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.

A young American woman blunders her way into a new life in London.

 

What inspired you to write Single in the City?

Spite. I started life as a literary fiction writer, and had just had a book that

I'd worked on for two years rejected by my New York agent. On the way to

Italy on holiday I picked up my first chick-lit book. It was awful. It was a best-

seller. I figured I could write something better. It was a rash, rather wine-

fueled decision to change genres, and I outlined the idea for Single in the City

that night. Happily, I found my natural voice in chick-lit, and I love writing it.

Besides, I WAS a young American woman who blundered her way into a new

life in London!

 

Where do you do most of your writing?

Comfortably reclined. I'm not much of a desk person, so I write on my sofa,

or chair, or bed. When the weather is nice I also like to write in Regents Park.

All ensure that I am free to exercise my constitutional right to nap at any time.

 

What is your favourite book?

To Kill a Mockingbird, though Great British Wit is a close runner-up.

 

Which part of Single in the City was the most fun to write?

The 'fish out of water' experiences were most fun because they involved

remembering back to when I first arrived and everything was so alien to me.

The sex scenes were excruciating!

 

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published

authors?

Find a hungry agent. By this I don't mean someone who's starving. But you

want someone who has recently been promoted to agent, who is building her

list of writers, because she's going to put in the time and effort you'll need

as a new writer. Plus, her connections in the publishing houses will also be

new, rather than editors who already have a stable of established writers and

don't often look for new ones. Unfortunately few publishing houses take on

unsolicited manuscripts, so a good agent is worth her weight in gold. I would

literally ask my parents to adopt my agent if she didn't already have perfectly

healthy parents of her own.

 

Who is your favourite heroine?

Scarlett O'Hara. Margaret Mitchell created a complex heroine that I think of

as very early chick-lit. Scarlett is beautiful, surrounded by men who adore her,

but she's got her heart set on another, which causes no end of trouble. And

she has to use her own flawed attributes to overcome the roadblocks in front

of her.

 

What are you currently reading?

I always have a few books on the go, so I'm reading Cally Taylor's "Heaven

Can Wait" and Kiran Desai's "The Inheritance of Loss". I love them both.

 

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell

us?

I've got two books up my sleeve. Without wanting to spoil the end of Single

in the City, I can write a follow-up if it sells well. I'm also writing chick-lit for

an older audience. The heroine in that one is on the cusp of 40, but without

the usual cheating spouse, body issues, date-hindering children or deafening

biological clock. She's happy, well-adjusted and independent, optimistic and

enthusiastic about her future. I don't see much of this kind of writing, despite

all of the real-world women like this that I know. So I'm writing one for them.

Thanks, Michele!

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 2, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 4, 2010 10:40 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Catherine Ryan Howard

Last month we posted about Mousetrapped, Catherine Ryan Howard's new memoir about living the dream of working in Disneyland. Mousetrapped sounds like a brilliant read, so we interviewed Catherine about her move to Disneyland, self-publishing and of course, how it all started...

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.
Mousetrapped is a travel memoir about searching for happiness in the happiest place on earth. (I hope I get bonus points for it being exactly 15!) 

What inspired you to write Mousetrapped?
I'd always wanted to be a writer since a very young age, but I struggled with the time and discipline needed to write a novel. (I also, crucially, didn't have any good ideas for one!) Before I left for Florida one of my friends joked about how I could write a book about the experience and call it 'Mousetrapped', and when my Disney dream took a few wrong turns to begin with, I started writing it all down. Over time, Mousetrapped began to take shape. I never intended to write non-fiction in a million years, but now it's looking like it all might work out for the best.

Was moving to Disney World a lifelong dream, or was it a last-minute decision?
Somewhere in between. I wanted to do it for years but I didn't know how - citizens of the Irish Republic can't apply to Disney World's International program, whereas UK citizens (among others) can. I ended up applying for something called the American Cultural Resort program which could have landed me in a resort anywhere in the US, but luckily they happened to find me a position in Walt Disney World. I got the job in May 2006 and then had (what felt like) a long wait until I started that September. 

Where do you do most of your writing?
I was lucky enough to spend two months writing the first draft of my novel by myself in a lovely little holiday home by the sea, but that was most definitely an exception. While I, ahem, pursue my published writer dreams (my mum calls it 'being unemployed'), I'm back living with my parents in Ireland, so all my writing gets done at a desk in my tiny bedroom. (Imagine three phone boxes strung together.) It's not so bad, really. The rent's free and there's very few distractions! 

What is your favourite book?
I can't do better than a Top 10, but for the purposes of this interview I'll pick one at random... Okay. Let's go with One Day by David Nicholls. I wasn't expecting to love it but I did, and it's very rare a book actually makes me cry. The relationships in it were so honest and true-to-life; it wasn't a happy ever after story but typical of the twists and turns that real life takes.


What part of Mousetrapped was most fun to write?
You mean other than 'THE END'? That's the most fun part of any book to write, for me. (!) It was probably the two chapters that deal with my favourite subject, NASA and its manned exploration of space. The chapter 'Mission Space' is about my first visit to my favourite place in the world, Kennedy Space Centre, and 'Go for Launch' is about realising my lifelong dream of seeing a Space Shuttle launch up close. One of my goals in life is to make everyone else as astronuts as me and I think it's working - readers have told me that those are their favourite chapters. I hope one day to write a book solely about space. 

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
I've always ignored the statistics. You know, those horrible ones that say less than one percent of one percent of one percent, etc. etc. of all books written get published. That's probably true, but it includes all the bad books, the confused synopses, the misspelled query letters and the people who don't even try to published in the first place. I'm sure the  published percentage of great books written by sane, determined people who know how to pursue publication professionally and persist at it is a lot greater and, at the end of the day, someone has to get published. Right? 

And what about those who dream of working in the Magic Kingdom?
It's easier to get there than you think, and it'll be the experience of a lifetime. Certain countries can apply to work directly for Disney via their International and College Programs (https://www.disneyinternationalprograms.com) and the regional recruiter for the UK and Ireland is the wonderfully helpful Yummy Jobs of London (http://www.yummyjobs.com). Prepare to smile a lot though - even when you don't feel like it - and see fireworks on your way home from work every night. It's sounds like a cliché, but working there can be truly magical. (Sometimes!) 

What made you decide to self-publish Mousetrapped?
The realisation that no one else ever would. Mousetrapped did the rounds of a few agents and some Irish publishers, but they all said the same thing: they really liked it, but they didn't feel there was enough of a market for it. After about a year's worth of rejection letter's, I started to explore other options. I found that using a Print on Demand service (I used CreateSpace) was perfect for a book like Mousetrapped, and then I used outlets like blogging, Twitter and Facebook to promote it. 

What are you currently reading?
I'm having a crime spree at the moment, reading-wise. I discovered Karin Slaughter last week after picking up Genesis, so at the moment I'm working my way through her earlier books. I also read Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain - which I probably shouldn't have, because it was the third in the series - which is the first novel I've ever read featuring a female serial killer. It was quite gory, but really good. 

On your blog, you mention that you've been snapped up by an agent for your novel. Can you tell us more about this?

Thanks, Catherine!

You can find out more about Catherine and Mousetrapped by visiting Catherine's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 4, 2010 in Interviews, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 25, 2010 10:14 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Diane Chamberlain

Diane Chamberlain is the author of many novels, including Breaking the Silence and Before the Storm. Diane's latest book, The Lies We Told, is out today. Trashionista spoke to Diane about this new release, and just what inspires her to write.

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.

Devastating secrets test the bond between physician sisters Maya and Rebecca during disaster relief work.

What inspired you to write The Lies We Told?

My inspiration usually comes from several places at once. First, I wanted to explore this scenario: a man believes his wife is dead and as he grieves with his wife's best friend, they become a little too close. I changed the "friend" to the wife's "sister" to up the ante and also to be able to look at the relationship between sisters. Second, living in North Carolina where hurricanes are a yearly event, I wanted to imagine what would happen in the case of a disastrous hurricane on the coast. (I've since bought an oceanfront condo and have vowed never again to write about hurricanes!). Third, I've always been interested in the organization Doctors Without Borders, so I created the fictional Doctors International Disaster Aid Organization for the story. It was fascinating to me to pull these three threads of the story together.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I usually write in a coffee shop in the mornings. I seem to need the noise and chaos and caffeine! Over time, I've met other writers there, so it's a little like having co-workers. In the afternoon and evening, I work at home, usually at my desk or on the screened porch. Wherever I am in the house, you can bet my two dogs are by my side.

What is your favourite book?

My favorite book is one of the first I ever read: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Reading Charlotte's Web taught me early what's important in fiction: compelling story, believable sympathetic characters, life-altering conflict, perfect pacing, and the importance of compassion for others.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

Well, Charlotte, of course! She is a kick butt heroine if ever there was one. She's smart and creative and loving without being cloying about it.

What part of The Lies We Told was most fun to write?

The research! I visited the airport where the hurricane evacuees are housed and the island where Maya is trapped with the young couple she's not sure she can trust, and suddenly the story came to life for me. When you can picture your characters in a setting, it makes them so real.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

Learn everything you can about the craft of writing. Study your favorite books to see how the author structures a good story. Take a class in novel writing. Join a critique group to get feedback on your writing. . . and if your writing is not up to par, take a basic writing class so that you're able to share the story you love in a seamless and beautiful way. Write about something you're passionate about; the passion will shine through. Remember that writing a book is hard work; I write at least five drafts. And finally, if this is your dream, persevere!

What are you currently reading?

Quite honestly, the only thing I have time to read right now is a draft of my next book, The Midwife's Confession, which will be out in 2011. I look forward to having some recreational reading time for myself soon!

Thanks, Diane!

You can find out more about Diane and her books (and read an excerpt of The Lies We Told) by checking out Diane's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 21, 2010 3:41 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Kate Rockland

Kate Rockland's debut novel, Falling Is Like This, was released in early May, and is a brillaint read (review coming next week!). Trashionista spoke to Kate about Falling, her inspiration for the novel and her tips for new writers!

Please describe your books in 15 words or fewer.
Falling Is Like This is the tale of 23 year-old Harper Rostov and her journey around the ever-changing, vividly-painted East Village.

What inspired you to write Falling Is Like This?
I was unemployed and needed to work. I would go to Mud cafe in the East Village and sit and plink away at my laptop. I was also doing a lot of writing about bands for the NY Times, and got a few crushes on boys in bands and found them interesting subject matter, almost like they wrote the part of Nick for me because their lives are so different than ours, travelling the world, their close bonds that run deeper than even what they share with wives or girlfriends. I wanted to write a real-life love story, the way I see love stories, which are not always over years. Sometimes when you are young you can fall in and out of love in one week, truly.

Where do you do most of your writing?
At coffee shops. I love caffeine!

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Watermelon, by Mariane Keyes.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
I have to be boring here, and go with Bridget Jones. She's just so frickin' funny.

What part of Falling Is Like This was most fun to write?
The sex scenes! I tried to make them funny, because sex can be kind of funny at times.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
You have to really believe all the while that you are sitting your butt down to read that your book will get published. You have to be bold and believe your work is worth being read to a larger audience then your cats, who I read the first draft of "Falling Is Like This" to. Stephen King has a great book to encourage writers called "On Writing." Also author Jennifer Weiner has a great section of her website where she is very encouraging. I read it like, 500 times.

What are you currently reading?
The new Elizabeth George book. Also the new Zoe Heller book.

Are you working on anything at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
Yes! I am writing another novel for chicks that delves into the world of blogging about women's weight issues. One blogger is heavy, the other skinny, and they are at cross-purposes. Or at least, they appear to be. Hopefully I can find a way for them to become friends by the end of the book!

Thanks, Kate!

To check out Kate Rockland's website, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 21, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 11, 2010 9:51 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Keris Stainton

It's always exciting when someone you know has a dream come true! You may remember Keris Stainton as one of the previous Trashionista editors. Now, however, she'll be answering the questions as her debut novel, Della Says, has just been released. We spoke to Keris about her brand new novel, the inspiration behind it, and what she'll be working on next!

To check out the Della Says blog tour, click here.

Please describe your books in 15 words or fewer.
Della's diary's missing. How can she enjoy first love when someone is spreading her secrets?
(That was hard!)

What inspired you to write Della Says?
My own diary going missing when I was a teenager! My sister had a party when our parents were away and the next day I couldn't find my diary. It eventually turned up, but in the meantime, I was expecting someone to use it to humiliate me (cos that's the kind of paranoid teenager I was!) So then I started thinking about how much worse that would be if you were a teenager now, with so many more opportunities to share information.

Where do you do most of your writing?
In my office (the front room of our house). It's very messy and I'm surrounded by piles of washing, bags of stuff to go to the charity shop, my 5-year-old's bike... And in the summer ants come in from the front garden and scurry all over my desk!

As you were previously editor here at Trashionista, I have to ask: What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing. Every detail is perfect. I love the characters and the setting. I could happily read it over and over.

And what about your favourite YA?
The Princess Diaries series. I know that's cheating, picking a whole series, but I couldn't choose just one book. It's so sweet and funny and Mia Thermopolis is such a great character.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Probably Mia. I love her so much that if my son had been a girl, I was planning to name him Mia.

Do you write in any other genre?
Not so much, no. I've written an adult book, but that's chick lit too. It's what I (mostly) read, so it's also what I write.

What part of Della Says was most fun to write?
I love Della's parents, so I had fun writing any of their scenes. But really all of it was fun apart from the actual diary extracts, which I found really hard. They have to be embarrassing to Della, which meant they were embarrassing to me too. I had to get over it, but I still cringe thinking about them.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
Join a writing group. An online one is fine if you're self-conscious about reading your work aloud (which is also fine, btw - I still can't do it). If you can't find one that suits, start your own. I founded a chick lit writing group a few years ago and it was the best thing I did for my writing.

What are you currently reading?
I'm re-reading Meg Cabot's All-American Girl: Ready or Not. And after that I'll be reading Judy Blume's Deenie and the a book called Pop by Aury Wallington. And if anyone knows what those three books have in common (the reason I'm reading them, I mean, rather than that they're all YA or by American authors or whatever), then I'll send them a copy of my book!

Are you working on anything at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
At the moment I'm spending so much time promoting Della that I haven't really got time for anything else. But soon - very soon - I'll have to knuckle down and get on with the next book, which will hopefully be out next summer. It's about Jessie who, after having her heart broken, goes to New York for the summer, and an American boy named Finn who is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Working title is 'Jessie *hearts* NYC'.

Thanks, Keris!

To find out more about Keris and Della Says, check out Keris's website!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 11, 2010 in Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (4)

May 7, 2010 12:15 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ronni Cooper

Back in March we posted about Ronni Cooper's exciting new novel, Rock Chicks. Rock Chicks is set to be published in June and will most likely be one of the best reads this summer! We spoke to Ronni about her favoured music, Jackie Collins, and of course, the inspiration behind the novel.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

Scandalously provocative story about three women in a world of sex, drugs & 80s rock. 

What inspired you to write Rock Chicks?

Throughout my teenage years I worshipped at the temple of Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran, Judith Krantz and Jacqueline Susann. In the early nineties I made a career out of managing nightclubs across the globe, when the rock world was at its gloriously decadent best. Bon Jovi, Springsteen, Guns & Roses - I loved the music, the attitudes and the men who came with a bottle of Jack Daniels and unfeasibly tight leather trousers. I was always far too ruthlessly business-minded to lose myself in the hedonism of the scene, but the temptation was there and sometimes I wondered...

I knew then that one day I'd write a no-holds-barred novel about life in that world. I adore chicklit and many of the current crop of bonkbusters are fabulous - but I wanted to write something that was raunchy, sexy... a book for every female who ever had just a glimmer of a wild side, or who wondered what it would be like to wake up on a tour bus next to Jon Bon Jovi and keep on partying. 

Where do you write your books?
 
It varies depending on the time of day. In the afternoons I write at my desk, but mornings and night I write in bed, coffee at the side, music on loud.

What is your favourite chick-lit book?

Oooh, too many to choose, so I'll stick with the original classics: Valley of The Dolls, The Stud and Lace.  Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

It has to be Jackie's Lucky Santangelo - I like a character that combines power, sass and sexuality.

What part of Rock Chicks was the most fun to write?

There's something incredibly intoxicating about writing kick-ass women who live their lives on their own terms, and who really don't give a damn about what anyone else thinks. Other than that? Those men! For several hours every day I was living with two outrageously attractive, rock star sex gods and I could make them do whatever I wanted. That's a job you've got to love....

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?

There are some great books out there by people with the inside track on the best ways to maximise publication potential. In the UK, Carole Blake's From Pitch To Publication and The Insider's Guide To Getting Published by Rachael Stock are excellent guides, and of course The Writer's & Artist's Yearbook is an invaluable reference tool.

What are you currently reading?

Queen Takes King by Gigi Levangie Grazer - it's a story about a high-powered New York divorce and I'm a huge fan - I love the dialogue and the wry humour in Grazer's work.  
Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us? I'm working on two novels at the moment - one is a rom com and the other a hard-core bonkbuster in the same vein as Rock Chicks. I'm close to deadline on both so my fingers go faster, the coffee gets stronger and the music gets louder. Bring on the sex gods...

Thanks, Ronni!

To check out Ronni Cooper's website, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 7, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 9, 2010 11:13 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Martel Maxwell

We recently posted about Martel Maxwell's upcoming novel, Scandalous, which is due for release on April 15th (click here for the synopsis!). Trashionista interviewed Martel about her debut novel, her inspirations and some insightful writing tips.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

Can I quote Piers Morgan for show-off value? 'A waspish, funny, insightful portrayal of the mad, bad, hilarious world of Planet Showbiz.'

If not, my description - 'A romantic comedy that lifts the lid on London's showbiz scene.'   

What inspired you to write Scandalous?

A friend introduced me to my agent with the words 'you should write a bonkbuster.' I wrote three chapters, my agent Diana thought it had legs, I trusted her so wrote the whole book. I started it on a beach in Kenya while on holiday with my mum. There's something about being somewhere hot and beautiful that frees the mind. The first few pages I wrote lovingly in longhand in my pink notebook pretty much stand as the opening scene in Scandalous. My showbiz reporting days on The Sun's Bizarre desk were (and I guess still are) so fresh, so the experiences flowed and I got lost in a world of fantasy and real memories. I've always been a writer - my first job was as The Sun's first graduate but I never thought I'd write a novel. The idea of penning so many words didn't appeal. But the moment I started, I realised it was what I'm meant to do.   
 
Where do you write your books? (ie coffee shop, in bed...)

Everywhere and anywhere. I wake up and think 'where can I picture myself writing today?' If I'm hungry and crave eggs benedict from the Rivington, a restaurant in Greenwich, I toddle off with my laptop and drink five pots of tea and write. Thankfully the staff are lovely and know what I'm doing. When I visit my family in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, mum pours me a glass of red or makes a pot of tea, puts on the log fire in Winter and I sit in the lounge for hours writing. I'm a bit of a nomad and love to party, so finding somewhere I feel totally relaxed is key - otherwise I'm distracted, thinking about phoning friends to go out or listening to music which I love. I have to have total silence to concentrate fully. I travel between Scotland and London lots by train. So long as it's not too busy, I love tapping away on my laptop for hours, stopping to watch the countryside whiz by. I'm always inspired when I travel somewhere beautiful but that's an annual treat..for now! 

What is your favourite chick-lit book?

Does it sound like a cliché to say Jilly Cooper's Riders? Well, it's true so I guess it doesn't matter. I loved everything about it. I read it when I was very young and while I've enjoyed great chick lit books, nothing's surpassed that for sheer naughtiness, cleverness and daring. It's a classic. I only recently found out she penned the first version in 1970 and left it on a bus. Now that's a bad day. It took her over a decade to start it again and so many women are so glad she did. I'd love to go back to it and see what I think of it now. In fact, that's just what I'll do. I don't know if I'm your normal chick lit reader. Yes I'm a fan but I love dark, funny, weird novels that take you out of the banal - Irvine Welsh is a favourite and you definitely couldn't class him as chick lit. I don't like my chick lit too frothy.   
 
Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

I thought about this for a long time. My first instinct was Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables. I tried desperately to think of another more grown up heroin so you'd think me sophisticated but I'm sticking with Anne because she meant something to me, affected me most. I read the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery when I was 12 or 13. Mum had loved it when she was young and was sure I would. She was right. Not only did I learn fabulous new words which impressed my English teacher, I read about a girl with red hair who was a rather naughty but well-meaning. That was me! I identified with her and loved her. She made me see an adventurous soul is a beautiful thing. I like to think my female characters, like Max in Scandalous, are like adult Annes but have never lost their spirit and still have a wild streak.  

  What part of Scandalous was the most fun to write?

Being Lady Bridget Beames was thrilling. She's the badie in Scandalous and God is she bad. She's not a main character and you just get flashes of her throughout the book but I loved being her because she was so extreme. Dreaming up what utterly horrific thing she'd do next was great fun..because I'd like to think she's extremely far removed from my actual self but I guess we've all got a dark side and exploring that is very interesting. I loved being all the more minor, extreme characters like the kiss and tell girl Shagger Sheri and the Hollywood lothario Kirk Kelner. Being bad can feel very good, maybe because it's so different to real life. While I wrote as each character, I truly was them in my head so I took cocaine and had threesomes - and that's not something I do in real life!! Reliving what it was like to be a showbiz reporter as Max, my main character along with her half-sister Lucy, was fun too. It made me realise I had a hell of a party as a showbiz writer for years. Sorry, that's not one part is it!  

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?

Finish it. So many people want to write/have started writing/are writing novel or book. The thing that separates you from so many is completing it. You hear these fairytale stories of people writing three chapters and being given an advance that will keep them in Crème de la Mer for life. I fantasised about that happening to me but I'd wager that's pretty rare. Have something you are happy to submit in its entirety and you'll know you've given yourself the best shot possible. It must be a hell of a risk for a publisher to take a chance on you if you've only completed a fraction of your first book with no track record. I was lucky with my agent Diana because she had previously been an editor at a big publishing house for years, so she helped me understand how to make Scandalous read well - simple things like I used the word 'honey' too much, to describe colour, smell, as a term of affection. By trusting her Scandalous was in good shape by the time we sent it out. When writing, believe that what you are putting on the page is good - it's going to make someone laugh or cry or think. It is! Don't rush sending out - make sure you're happy with it and that you grab your reader by the balls in the first three chapters. I think editors make up their minds in the first few pages so make them count.   

What are you currently reading?

I have a few friends with books out so I'm dipping in and out of them - it's the least you can do as a friend and I'm very proud of them. Like Venetia who's written non-fiction account of a year she spent in the City called Gross Misconduct - not my normal read but it's great. Fiction? I've just started Charming Man by Marian Keyes. I love her. She touches dark subjects others don't - sometimes with humour and always in a way that endears or touches. Finding out I was on the same label, Michael Joseph at Penguin, as Keyes, was one of the highlights of my career. The same publishing house as Marian Keyes and Jane Green? Are you having a laugh? Thankfully they weren't.  

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?

The second book. I'm three-quarters of the way through but going over what I've done to improve it before I carry on. I write a weekly opinion column for The Scottish Sun which I adore, I'm on Sky News regularly as a showbiz commentator and sometimes host events. I'm also working on not partying as much. That's what they call a work in progress!

Thanks, Martel!

To find out more about Martel and Scandalous, head on over to Martel Maxwell's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 9, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

April 2, 2010 1:51 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Allie Spencer

Allie Spencer, author of Tug of Love, has brought us a new, hilarious (and blatantly unputdownable) read - The Not So Secret Diary of a City Girl. (Watch this space for a review of this brand new release!) Here, Allie talks about sassy sisters, the perfect heroine, and also offers some great writing tips.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer

That's hard. 'What happens if your meddling sister finds your diary and uploads it onto the internet'? (And lots of other things!)

What inspired you to write Not So Secret Diary?

After Tug of Love, which is full of lawyers, I thought it might be fun to set a book in the City, but I didn't have any concrete ideas. However, then the banking crisis erupted and I thought, 'right - there has to be a story in this'. The actual 'feel' of the novel, though (in particular the relationship between Laura and Alex) was inspired by the Hollywood 'screwball' comedies of the 30s and 40s, where the hero and heroine spend most of their time arguing madly with one another and pretending they aren't really in love! The tension and energy generated by two characters in complete denial over their feelings has the potential for loads of emotional depth as well as some good comic moments.

Where do you write your books? (ie coffee shop, in bed...)

I write sitting on my bed with a hot-water bottle tucked into the small of my back and my lap-top resting on my knee. I'm sure this is hideously bad for me, but it's soooo much more comfy than sitting at a desk - and being in the bedroom has the added advantage that I can't see the messy rooms downstairs and be tempted to spend my writing time clearing up!

What is your favourite chick-lit book?

Another really tough question... I love Marian Keyes, particularly the way she can make you howl with laughter one minute and want to burst into tears the next; and, until quite recently, I would have said that Rachel's Holiday and Is There Anybody Out There? were my joint favourite chick-lits. However, I recently read Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl. I am a big fan of all her books but this one seems to have a little extra something that marks it out as being extra special - so I think Twenties Girl just wins.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

I like heroines who are clever, witty and fun - so it probably has to be Elizabeth Bennett: you've got to go a long way to beat our Lizzie.

What part of Not So Secret Diary was the most fun to write?

I have to say that any scene involving Mel was excellent fun: she's a bit of a loose cannon and I never quite knew what was going to come out of her mouth next! I also enjoyed creating the scene in the second half of the book where Laura runs away from her flat in the middle of the night - the pace was fast moving and I had to try and keep a sense of danger and suspense whilst attempting to work a bit of humour in here and there: it was a real challenge to keep all those different balls in the air and I really hope I managed to pull it off!

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?

I think the most important thing is to never give up: polish your work until you feel there is nothing more you can do to improve it, then start sending it out to publishers and literary agencies; if you get rejections, then send it out somewhere else. Have faith in yourself and your writing and believe that sooner or later it will land on the right person's desk. Networking is also really important, so think about joining groups such as the Romantic Novelists' Association (there are always lots of industry professionals at their parties and meetings) or go to writers' conferences and workshops that offer one-to-one sessions with agents and editors. Good luck!!

What are you currently reading?

I usually have more than one book on the go at once and right now is no exception. I'm part way through Muriel Zagha's excellent debut novel Finding Monsieur Right: a witty, stylish romantic comedy set in London and Paris; and I'm also reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Science, a totally riveting non-fiction book. Next up on my 'to read' list is Julie Cohen's brilliant-sounding new novel Nina Jones and the Temple of Doom - I can't wait!

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?

Mmmmm...there are things happening but nothing I can talk about at the moment. I am, however, crossing my fingers and toes very hard!

Thanks, Allie!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 2, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 26, 2010 1:45 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Julia Hoban

I'm currently reading Willow, the new young adult novel by Julia Hoban. I actually had the chance to get an email interview with Julia, and ask her all about Willow and the inspiration behind this new release.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

Cutter and crew team member stuck in library stacks discuss Claude Levi Strauss and learn to love.

You will grant me clemency, and call that fifteen words, as Claude Levi Strauss is a proper name, and could (if we are being indulgent!) be counted as one word.

Now I'm sure the above made absolutely NO sense. It's my riff on a rather infamous description of the multiple Oscar winning film KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. The movie is an absolute masterpiece, but it wasn't an easy sell. It tells the story of two men, one a political prisoner, the other gay, who are in jail in some nameless South American country. The gay man is a movie buff, and attempts to distract the two of them from their plight by talking about his favorite films. The producer described it as a "marketing nightmare" and said that studio execs summed it up in the following manner: "Queer and Commie stuck in prison cell discuss old movies and learn to love." I thought of that film, and the difficulties the producers faced when WILLOW was rejected again, and again, and again..... I actually used to repeat the description that I gave you (Of WILLOW) in my head all the time!

What inspired you to write Willow?

I wanted to write a book for all of us with self destructive urges, a book that would take one person from a place of self harm to a place of healing, and in doing so possibly make people question their own damaging behaviors. I chose to make Willow a cutter because it is a very dramatic and obvious form of self injury, but it could just as easily have been a book about overeating or doing drugs, or even something as innocent as watching too much television.

Where do you write your books?

Although the laziest person in the world (I do everything in bed) I'm actually reasonably disciplined about where I work. I have my own office in my apartment -- don't be impressed, it's tiny. But it is a rather beautiful shade of cornflower blue, and I designed my desk, it's in the French Provincial style, and has hand painted silver roses in the corners. I'm sure that sounds fearsomely over the top, will it bring things back to earth if I tell you that I always work in pajamas?

What is your favourite book?

I have hundreds of favorite books! Really, everything from Anna Karenina to The Cake Bible --- I don't think my husband would have married me if I hadn't mastered the "perfect all American chocolate butter cake with burnt orange silk meringue buttercream!" Honestly, I couldn't possibly name all of the ones I adore, so I'll just mention a few: The Sound and the Fury, the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, I truly don't understand people who don't like Sherlock, One Hundred Years of Solitude.... Pretty much everything by Dickens.... Tell me when to stop! But lately I find myself recommending one book in particular, a book that never fails to move me: "The Railway Children" by Evelyn Nesbitt. It's a middle grade novel, but it can be read and appreciated by anyone of any age. One of the things I love most about it is that it can be enjoyed on so many levels: it's a delicious read to snuggle down with under the covers on a rainy day, and it's also a profound work with many important life lessons.

 

 

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

Well, the answer to that is very fluid, depending on when and where you get me in my reading and writing life. There are many female characters that I adore, but right now the one I'm thinking about is Hardy's beautiful, doomed Tess. I can't really articulate what I love about her exactly. Maybe it's her resilience, her vulnerability, her tremendous emotional honesty, maybe it's just the fact that Hardy so clearly cherished her.

What part of Willow was the most fun to write?

You're going to make me blush, but the naughty bit was the most fun! I really enjoyed working on the scene where Willow and Guy lose their virginity together. Your readers are going to think they're in for something quite steamy, but it's rather tame! Blink and you miss it! What I like about it is the tenderness and awkwardness between the two of them.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?

If it's something you really want, then under no circumstances should you give up! Never, never, never, never, never ( just to throw in a quote from King Lear, another work I could have cited as a favorite). I went through a tremendous amount of rejection before WILLOW was accepted. It took three years, several broken computers, and my husband threatening divorce. I hope it's easier for other writers, but if it isn't, just keep going!

What are you currently reading?

I'm ashamed to say I'm not reading anything, you know why? I've reached a critical point in my new book, and I can't have someone else's voice in my head, which brings us to....

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?

I am working on another project, and I'm afraid that I have to give the same stock answer that I've given other interviewers, I'm WAY too superstitious to talk about it until it's finished. However, I can add something a little new this time --- I'm 75% done, and will be able to talk about it soon! I hope you'll invite me back to discuss it!

 

Thanks, Julia! 

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 26, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 19, 2010 11:57 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Bethany Maines

We recently posted the news of a fab new spy novel called Bulletproof Mascara, and were delighted to interview author Bethany Maines. Here Bethany talks about stunts, sequels and Princess Leia!

If you'd like to find out more about Bulletproof Mascara, check out Bethany's website.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

An unemployed girl becomes a spy for an all female agency.

What inspired you to write Bulletproof Mascara?

I accidentally stumbled into a recruiting meeting for Mary Kay and the speaker seemed a tad on the militant side, which reminded me of Frau Farbissina "founder of the militant wing of the Salvation Army." Which made me think "What if Mary Kay had a militant wing?" From there the idea sort of snowballed in on itself. I told my friends about it at the next girls night and they laughed, but were highly enthusiastic. They helped me invent a giant a make-up company named Carrie Mae and even made up a Carrie Mae salute.

Where do you write your books?

I write on a laptop, so I tend to move from room to room as I get bored with the scenery. But hardly ever at a desk; that feels too much like working. Coffee shops are pretty good for writing as long as they have wifi. The problem is that I usually finish my drink before I'm done writing and for whatever reason my feet get cold in coffee shops. I also like writing outside if it's sunny. Although, being in Washington State, the odds on sunny aren't exactly good.

 What is your favourite chick-lit book?

I really enjoyed Size 12 is Not Fat, and the Stephanie Plum books are usually fun, but my favorite recent discovery was Souless by Gail Carriger. Not sure if it was chick-lit exactly, but it was a great read. 

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?

Of all time? Tough one... Because I mean, Eowyn, slayer of the Nazgul King, sort of has to rank up there on the favorite of all time list. And who didn't want to be Princess Leia? But I think the one that resonates from childhood is probably Trixie Belden, a tomboy girl detective who wasn't rich (unlike Nancy Drew) and who was in love with her red-headed neighbor.

What part of Bulletproof Mascara was the most fun to write?
The dialogue. I love the old Cary Grant movies where the dialogue flies fast and furious.  If I could write something half as witty and slick as those movies I think I'd be doing pretty good.  I also had a good time with the action sequences. I really love action movies, and this was my chance to write stunts they way I wanted to see them done. 

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
Be willing to re-write your book, but don't be a push over - keep what's important to you. Be persistent, but flexible.  And most of all - write.  Writing anything is an absolute impossibility if you don't write something. 

What are you currently reading?
I'm currently reading this fabulous book called The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry. It's a slightly surreal, quirky mystery about a clerk who gets promoted unexpectedly to the level of a detective. It's a bit like reading an Edward Hopper painting.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
I'm working on the sequel to Bulletproof Mascara (out next March, very excited about it!) and also a noir take on my hometown with fairy tale elements that is pretty much for my own amusement.  I tend to take the mob marriage approach to writing: when one story becomes trying, I can run off and cheat on it with the other story.

 

Thanks, Bethany!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 19, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 12, 2010 11:05 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Chrissie Manby

I recently finished reading Getting Over Mr Right - Chrissie Manby's latest novel - and admittedly, it's the funniest book I have read in a while! Chrissie has written many novels including Spa Wars, Crazy In Love and Ready or Not?, and Getting Over Mr Right will be released in July.

The book is about a newly-dumped female who's so intent on getting the love of her life back that it turns into a dangerous obsession. I asked author Chrissie about writing, internet stalking and favourite fictional heroines...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A girl goes to extreme lengths to get over a break-up. Voodoo, crazy cyber-stalking extreme!

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Not exactly a fictional heroine, I know, but I adore Liz Jones and devoured her 'Exmoor Files' last year. My friends and I analyse her love-life mistakes endlessly and would love to have the chance to fix her up with someone nice and kind.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 12, 2010 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 1, 2010 7:37 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Isobella Jade

We recently posted about Isobella Jade's new modeling memoir, Almost 5'4". Trashionista spoke to Isobella about her modeling dreams, her graphic novel and aspirations. Isobella also offers some tips for not only authors but aspiring models as well - read on for more!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A short girl's turbulent journey of striving as a model and overcoming the odds.

Tell us a little more about yourself.
The way to my heart is high heels, and I could climb a tree in high heels. However there was a time when I was pulling my running shoe out of the mud on the X-Country trail. I love mascara and grill cheese, movies of the 1940 and 50's, one-of-a-kind jewelry and limited edition art, and Anthony John Gray's oils intrigue me. I am a crazy history buff; and fascinated by stories of the 1800's and early 1900's and how things were made and done then. Seabiscuit is my hero. I love my iPhone. And although I am very tech savvy, I still use a pen every single day. I am a coffee addict. When I meet someone I don't ask "what do you do?" I ask "what do you like to do." I'd rather eat dessert before dinner. Want to buy me dessert?

When did you start writing Almost 5'4"?
I started writing the memoir in the fall 2005. I was really broke and since I was already using the Apple store as a place to check my email; and as an office, I figured it would be a perfect place to write. I decided to include that experience in the book as well. By March 2006, I had a manuscript, and I told the store manager what I had done in an urge to thank someone for letting me use the store and wear it out. The result was being asked to do a reading in the store. It wasn't until I had about 300 pages and a reading at the Apple store, that I thought, "Maybe this could be a published book."

I first wrote it as a source of therapy, I guess, and relied on my journals as a sequential timeline and reference.  Looking at my older photos also helped. I'd look at a photo and write about that experience, or I'd see a certain date and location scribbled in my journal and the details of that experience would come alive again and I'd write.  I was writing about a lot of not so glamorous modeling experiences that I hadn't told anyone about, and things I even hid from my family and friends. So although the book is now one of my greatest achievements, at the time of writing it it was a way to move on from my modeling mistakes. Get it off my chest. I felt that by writing I was putting some gritty things I had encountered in the past. Like a period at the end of a sentence.  While writing I found that there was an inspirational message in the book about not giving up even when others doubt you, which wasn't obvious to me when I started writing it, but now that message IS the purpose of the book for me.

What made you decide to be a model?
My journey as a model was at first a curiosity and something for my ego.  After first Googling the word model and making a lot of mistakes in front of the wrong lens, I spent years striving to work with good agencies, photographers, products, magazines and brands. At the beginning, the idea of "calling myself a model" was appealing and the first part of Almost 5'4" is about this mindset, but calling yourself one doesn't mean you truly are one. After I realized modeling is about "modeling something," I started to notice that models are not all tall, and although I might be the tiniest girl out there, if I marketed what I did have, I could make my own opportunities. It has been a day by day process, year by year growth.  Being a model when you are a short girl is really based on the person's want to be one, and the will to try. There was no guarantee I'd find any of the success I eventually found, but I thrived on the chase and the challenge of it. I was willing to do the work, and accept the rejection.

Every product out there needs a model and height isn't everything. But you do have to have professional photography that highlights your assets, you do need a marketing mindset and you do need to be realistic.  Only a small percent of working models are tall giraffe Supermodels, but most models in ads and in TV commercials are not fashion height, and no one talks about that, so I started blogging, podcasting and writing about it.

You have a graphic novel out about your modeling life - tell us more!
While writing Almost 5'4"I had a lot of visuals come to me, so putting an illustrated book out there that was inspired by my adventures as a short model made sense. Also I noticed how there weren't many graphic novels with a female heroine, I thought bringing the fashion world and a model character to the graphic novel world would be a trendy way to inspire girls of all shapes and sizes about the highs and lows of being a model.  What developed was my fashion illustrated graphic novel called Model Life: The Journey of a Pint-Size Fashion Warrior.

I worked aside illustrator Jazmin Ruotolo, who I reached out to because of her background in fashion illustration. Model Life is a mixed media graphic novel. It involves photography and hand written journals and there are many Internet-age elements in the graphic novel. Communication between characters is done mostly through email, text messages, and social media is a big part of the story for the reader to engage in.

Where do you write your books?
I write everywhere. Inspiration is everywhere. The start of my writing normally happens in my journal. I will write down ideas, a concept, a plot, an experience, and then evolve it in front of my computer at home. I write at night usually.

Also, I sleep next to my journal and my phone. Often after a long day if I am too tired to hold a pen I text myself the words, sentence, or thought.  I write all the time and everywhere, there is not a certain hour that I write, it is an all the time thing, whether it be on street corners, inside retail stores, on airplanes.

What is your favourite book?   
I Pass Like Night, by Jonathan Ames. I love books that are not afraid to be honest, he does that well.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
Yes, the more you know what is interesting about you or your book and why a newspaper, magazine, radio or television show would like it, the better. I think an author has to wear many hats, especially at the start of the marketing that goes into getting an agent, a publisher and selling a book, especially in this Internet-age. I think the more of a marketer the author is the better. The world has become one. It's based on connectivity, and communicating and self promotion is a major asset for an author.

What about models? Do you have any advice for those who want to get into modeling?
My biggest advice is to skip the Internet. For modeling, what's on the Internet is mainly amateur-ville. It is best, hence the experiences I share in Almost 5'4", to not rely on a model site, or social site or website as a launch pad to be discovered as a model. Most of the people who linger on these sites are amateur. Anna Wintour of Vogue and Sarah Doukas of Storm Models are not looking for models on amateur modeling websites.   In many ways the old fashion way is still the way. And for a shorter model it comes down to snail mailing print modeling agencies your comp card.  Mainly, you have to know what is marketable about yourself and ask yourself "how does what I have translate into modeling products and for ad campaigns," and "what products and ads could I realistically model for?" You have to be realistic, and you have to understand that a shorter girl has to do a lot more hands-on work behind the scenes than a fashion model. A shorter model can find opportunities working with a commercial print modeling agency or talent agency, however getting in the door involves her making her marketing material; comp cards and portfolio.

What are you currently reading?
On my iPhone I am reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I mainly read non-fiction or biographies; I usually don't get excited about fiction. I look at and buy a lot of coffee table photography books. I also read a lot of newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, WWD, and tons of magazines. Also I read through my Google stats often.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
I am working on a how-to-model book, and planning to turn Model Life into a series, along with some screenwriting as well. The beat goes on.

Thanks, Isobella!

You can find out more about Isobella Jade and her books by visiting Isobella's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 1, 2010 in Interviews, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 16, 2010 8:38 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ruth Saberton

Having recently read Ruth Saberton's upcoming novel Katy Carter Wants a Hero, I have to say that I can't WAIT until the official release - this book is absolutely fantastic (and Ruth's writing is hilarious.) We'll have to wait until April, but recently Trashionista interviewed Ruth about her dreams, her writing and her ver own hero!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
Goodness, this is really hard!  No wonder I write novels with thousands of words to play with!  OK, here goes:

"A story about friendship, family, following dreams and realising love is found in unexpected places."

What inspired you to write Katy Carter Wants a Hero?
I've always wanted to be a writer and when I was a child I wrote loads of really dire pony stories that I forced my poor parents to read.  After discovering Jilly Cooper and Jackie Collins I progressed onto bodice rippers that were equally dire and although I still have them will NEVER see the light of day.

A few years ago I decided that rather than just dreaming about being an author I was going to really go for it.  I wrote a novel called Clover in about five months and writing it was the easy bit.  There then followed endless rejections from agents and publishers and it was soul destroying.  Some people were helpful and encouraging but my impressive collection of rejection letters was starting to get me down to say the least.  I was on the brink of hurling my manuscript and myself off the nearest cliff - rather too easy to do when you live in Cornwall - when I decided to abandon writing about exotic locations and the super rich to concentrate on something a bit closer to home. Writing about what I knew was the key and soon I'd started Katy Carter Wants a Hero, the very fictional tale (honestly!) of an English teacher who dreams of being a best selling novelist. I worked away night after night and all my friends forgot who I was but it was worth it because this manuscript attracted the attention of literary agents and publishers.  Lots of editing, despair and rewriting later the hard work paid off and Orion bought the book! 

Do you have a hero of your own?
Let's hope my husband doesn't read this interview because his head will never again fit through the door, but he truly is my real life hero.  He's a genuine Cornish fisherman and goes out deep sea trawling, which is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world so I guess he's also pretty brave.  I get seasick in the bath!  Fishing's very physical and all the lifting fish boxes and hauling nets means he's really muscled and fit, unlike little spaghetti arms me. (Sitting down typing for hours doesn't exactly tone you up and I probably burn more scented candles than calories)  We've been together for over ten years now but my stomach still flips when I catch sight of him.  Sorry!  That's really quite sick making!  Anyway, I've used him as the inspiration for one of the heroes that Katy Carter meets on her travels.  When you read the book I'm sure you won't find it very hard to spot which hero this is!
Where do you write your books?
To be honest there isn't one place because I write everywhere!  Writing's a bit of an addiction with me and I don't really feel myself if I'm not tapping away on my laptop or scribbling in a notebook.  If I'm at home I'll write straight onto the laptop either from my favourite corner of the sofa (I have to push the cat off which really annoys him) or, if its really cold, propped up in bed with the electric blanket cranked up to full power and the feather duvet up to my ears.  I also do lots of train journeys up to London to visit my family or my publisher so great chunks of my novels have been written while travelling over the Liskeard to Paddington stretch of railway track.  If I'm on the go I'll have a notebook in my bag and I'll carry on writing long hand then type it up later.  It's actually really nice when I'm editing and rewriting to read a section and remember where I was when I wrote it - especially if it was by a pool somewhere hot and sunny!

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
I absolutely adore chick-lit as a genre and I get really annoyed when the mass media sneer at it. I suppose this is because it's a women's genre.  Grrr.  Don't get me started on that issue!  Anyway, I read pretty much everything chick- lit that comes out and I have lots of favourite authors, Catherine Alliott and Sophie Kinsella for example, but if I really was pinned down and forced to pick my favourite chick lit book then it would have to be the mummy of the genre, Bridget Jones's Diary.  That novel really captured the zeitgeist and opened the door for lots of new authors.  Suddenly it was fine to write about all the things that really concern young women, which I really believe was an incredibly freeing moment in literary history.  And come on, who hasn't had a big pants day?

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
I know she isn't strictly a chick lit author but I absolutely love Jilly Cooper and I must have read every single novel of hers about ten times. My favourite heroine has to be Taggie Campbell Black from Rivals because she's a bit of a Cinderella figure.  She's sweet, kind, loves her family who totally take her for granted, and spends a lot of the story nursing a broken heart. Taggie's also dyslexic and Jilly Cooper does a really good job of conveying her embarrassment and distress when other characters treat her as though she's stupid.  Although she's often put down and ignored Taggie is never bitchy and eventually her kindness wins through when gets her well deserved happy ever after.  I'm not ashamed to admit I still cry when I read the bit where she finally gets together with the super sexy Rupert. I guess I like to believe the underdog can triumph! 

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
   1. Write about what you know and what interests you, not just what you think might sell.  You need to write with conviction if you're to succeed.  Boy wizards and vampires are all very well but are you really an expert on these?  It was only when I started to use my own world as inspiration that I found success with Katy Carter Wants a Hero.
   2. Read.  Read.  Read.  Be an expert on the type of book you want to write.  See how other authors use language.  Don't copy them but take away an understanding of what works and what doesn't.
   3. Write.  Sorry to be boring but there's no getting away from this bit.  The difference between published writers and people who think about being published is that published writers sit down and make themselves write.  Even when they don't want to.  Especially when they don't want to.  Ignore Facebook/ebay/the biscuit tin and just get writing!
   4. Never give up! If you are rejected take it on the chin and move on.  Be angry, be disappointed, be sad.  Then pick yourself up and move on. Publishing is full of stories about writers who've had zillions of rejections but gone on to have fantastic success.  Just ask J K Rowling!  I bet all the agents and publishers who turned her down are still kicking them selves! If you've got talent somebody will spot it.  You just have to believe in yourself and keep going.

What are you currently reading?
I'm a real bookworm!  I must get through about four books a week and my husband always jokes that a drug habit would work out cheaper! (at least I think he's joking) At the minute I'm half way through the Booker Prize winning "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel.  It's all about the life of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's Master Secretary, who has always been a rather shadowy figure.  It's a really complex novel charting Cromwell's rise to favour as he clears the way for Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn.  I love anything to do with the Tudors and this huge tome is a real treat.  I'll be sad when it ends.

I'm also reading "Fairytale of New York" by Miranda Dickinson.  This is a lovely romantic comedy and beautifully written.  Although I'm only fifty pages in I'm already in love with the characters and am dying to know what happens next.   I've got a terrible habit of reading the ends of books first but I'm trying to resist in this case!

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
I'm really busy with all the publicity for "Katy Carter Wants a Hero" at the minute.  I've got a column with a newspaper in the pipeline as well as a slot blogging for Now Magazine Online as "The Real Carrie Bradshaw"(!!)  In terms of novels I'm working on my next book for Orion.  It's called "Second Thoughts" and is about a girl who gets cold feet on the eve of her wedding and starts to wonder whether she's chosen to marry the right boyfriend.  That's not based on fact, I promise!  I also write for Little Black Dress under the pen name Jessica Fox.  I've written the Hen Night Prophecies series for them and right now I'm half way through book number four which is called "Unlucky in Love".  And I'm still teaching English at Bodmin College so I'm marking lots of coursework! Phew!

Thanks, Ruth!

You can read more abour Ruth Saberton and her books at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 16, 2010 in British Authors, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 27, 2010 8:38 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jackie Dolamore

Jackie Dolamore is the author of recently released novel Magic Under Glass. Here Jackie talks about her love for the Victorian era, her inspiration, and her own magical tale.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A dancing girl discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman trapped inside a clockwork automaton.

What inspired you to write Magic Under Glass?
A lifelong fascination with the Victorian era, and novels set in creepy old houses full of secrets, most notably Jane Eyre. The structure of Jane Eyre was certainly an inspiration for the structure of Magic Under Glass, although it takes some very different turns. Also The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. The automata aspect of the book, on the other hand, was inspired by an exhibit of Japanese automata I saw at a museum, and an exhibit of mechanical music.

Where do you write your books?
At a desk. Yawn. A very messy cheap IKEA desk. Sometimes with my big heavy boy cat on my lap, getting his paws in the way.

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Hmm, that's a hard question. I think chick-lit was a big trend here in America and then the market got oversaturated and now people don't use the term "chick-lit" much. I tend to veer more toward historical and fantasy anyway. Sorry for the lousy answer!

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Emily Byrd Starr, from L. M. Montgomery's Emily books. I identified so fiercely with her love of writing, for one thing, but it was more than that...she had a sort of spirit and pride that I understood, that I felt as a child too, which adults rarely seemed to understand or capture, but L. M. Montgomery did. It was never overwrought or unrealistic.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
The best thing you can do is strive for active improvement. Learn how to edit and take it seriously. Find some good critique partners... or at least some mediocre ones, if you can't find good ones right away. You'll learn as much from critiquing their work as you well from their critiques of yours. And don't be afraid to put your work out there.

What are you currently reading?
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey, and the comic book series Fables.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
My next book is a starcrossed romance between a mermaid and a winged man. I'm about to work on revising that with my editor, along with working on the first draft to a Magic Under Glass sequel!

Thanks, Jackie!

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 27, 2010 in Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 21, 2009 6:39 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Gemma Burgess

Right now I'm reading your blog, Name That Bastard. What made you decide to set this up? 
Thanks! Naming, for me, is one of the most irritatingly difficult parts of writing. When naming the character who is now Rick in The Dating Detox, I sent an email titled 'Name That Bastard' to all my friends asking them for help. I got hilarious emails back from them and their sisters and friends and coworkers saying why I should pick a certain name. So I thought, for the second book, that I'd do it again - just on a bigger scale - so I started a blog on www.namethatbastard.com - I'm getting hilarious entries from all over the world and it's only been up a few weeks! And the strapline, 'Revenge is print', makes me laugh. 

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors? 

Hmmm - well I'm really no expert, but this advice would have helped me: Keep writing till you find a voice that you're comfortable with; one that feels real and is easy and just flows out of your fingers. Write a good cover letter when you send out your manuscript, saying what you want the book to be and why - the concept of the book. Ooh, and get on Twitter. There's a very supportive publishing community - I only started using it properly about a month ago and I wish I'd started earlier. I don't tweet much yet, I'm the girl in the corner of the Twitter party sipping her drink thoughtfully and watching everyone else have a good time, but I'm slowly getting more involved. You can find me on @gkateb.  

What are you currently reading? 
I'm the kind of person who will read a toothpaste tube if there's nothing else to read, so I tend to have a few books on the go at once as I'm constantly misplacing them. Right now my main book is The Group by Mary McCarthy. It's brilliant. I'm also dipping in and out of Rivals by Jilly Cooper because I wanted to look at that longing-love feeling between Rupert and Taggie. I started Super Freakonomics a few weeks ago and pick it up whenever I'm in the kitchen waiting for my coffee and porridge. It's easy to dive into and skim for a few minutes. 

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?  

Yes! It's called The Late Starter (or The Dating Virgin - what do you think?). It's about a girl who, at 27, ends a seven year-relationship and has to learn the rules of singledom from scratch. She suffers stomach-churningly bad dating experiences until her new flatmate, a notorious lothario, teaches her how to date like a man, or more specifically, how to be a bastard. And then, well, you'll have to wait and see.... I'm having a lot of fun with it. 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 21, 2009 in Interviews, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 11, 2009 4:03 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sibelle Hodge

Sibelle Hodge is a UK-based self-published author, whose novel, The Fashion Police, is available now. I spoke to Sibele about work, writing and her plans for the future.

In addition, Sibelle has 5 e-book copies of her book to give away. To be in with  chance of winning, simply leave a comment and the first five will be sent The Fashion Polic. (Please ensure that you leave your email address.)

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
It's a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and chick-lit.

What inspired you to write The Fashion Police?
I worked for Hertfordshire Constabulary for ten years as a communications officer and coroner's officer, and having a sense of humour was a very important part of keeping you sane, so it felt natural for me to write comedy. I love reading romantic comedies, but I also love mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels. My first novel was a romantic comedy and I wanted to try out a comedy mystery. I love screwball humour, which is still immensely popular, particularly on the big screen. What better way to eliminate the stress of our modern lives than by laughing it away? The idea for the Fashion Police just came to me one day while watching Tara Banks's reality supermodel show.

Where do you write your books?
My husband seems to have stolen my office desk, so at the moment I write anywhere - at the kitchen table, the sofa, in bed. Usually several of my rescue cats are fighting for prize position on my knee at the time. No ideal really, but when a girl's gotta write, a girl's gotta write!

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Oh, God! What a hard question. With so many great chick-lit authors out there, it's impossible to choose one.
Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
It would probably have to be a huge favourite of most women: Bridget Jones. She's funny, sweet, completely accident-prone, and slightly nuts! What a fab combination.

What made you decide to self-publish your books?
Unfortunately a book could be brilliantly written, have fantastic characters and plot, have great commercial potential, and yet still not be taken up by a publisher. I think publishers are afraid to take risks on new writers; they want to stick with established authors who already have a large readership. With the existing economic crises as well, this further decreases the opportunities for new authors to break through and become published. But there is a real change in the attitude of readers, retailers, and mainstream publishers to self-published books. In fact, many self published titles are gaining a lot of publicity and sales and these authors have been signed by major publishing houses. My novels have been recognized through literary awards such as the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and The Yeovil Literary Prize 2009.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
You have to have a thick skin to be prepared for all the rejection letters (no matter how nice and full of praise they are.) You have to try, try, try, and yep...keep trying. Many well know authors were writing for years before they got a lucky break. You also have to try and create a buzz about your work so that someone will eventually notice your potential.

What are you currently reading?
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
I have so much that I want to do. Of course I'd love my ebooks to be picked up by a mainstream publisher to sell in paperback version. I'm planning a series of books following on from the Fashion Police that will send Amber Fox on various adventures. I'm also planning to write a sequel to Fourteen Days Later that will be set in North Cyprus. Several literary consultants and editors have suggested that I turn both novels into film scripts, and this is something I'm currently working on.

Thanks, Sibelle!

For more information about The Fashion Police, check out Sibelle's Lulu storefront.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 11, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 13, 2009 9:52 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jessica Ruston

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
Risk, addiction, betrayal and revenge, in London, Manhattan and on an exclusive private island.

What inspired you to write Luxury?
I was in a meeting with someone who said what they wanted to read was a really good, juicy, proper blockbuster like they used to do in the 80s.  And it got me thinking about all the big, fat books that I used to love so much - Savages and Lace and Riders and Polo.  I wanted to write a big book, with lots going on - lots of characters, lots of fabulous locations, and masses of drama.

Where do you write your books?
At my kitchen table, on the sofa, in bed, in my big bright pink velvet armchair... occasionally in cafes.  anywhere my trusty Macbook can go!


What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Is Penny Vincenzi strictly chick-lit?  I'm never sure, but I just love her writing. The Spoils of Time trilogy is a massive accomplishment - it spans decads and generations and is just delicious.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
I can't choose one from my adult reading easily, so I will go for one from the books that I devoured throughout my childhood - Laura from the Little House on the Prairie series.  The books are about a pioneer family living on a homestead in Kansas, and Laura became one of those characters that I wanted to be - I used to spend hours pretending to tap maple syrup and hide from 'Injuns' when I was about 8.

Do you have any tips for any of our readers who'd like to become published authors?
Read - but not just for pleasure, read with an eye to what the writer is doing.  And find your own, unique voice - think about what you want to write, the sort of books that inspire you and spark off ideas... In the end, the only way to achieve your goal of getting published is to write, and keep writing.  Learn from your mistakes and take criticism on the chin - it's what will help you grow.

What are you currently reading?
Um, mostly magazines at the moment! I am right in the middle of my second novel at the moment and find it really hard to concentrate on other novels when I'm writing like that.  So I am reading mags, and some bits and pieces of things like essays which can be read in short gulps - I just read David Sedaris's latest collection and loved it, he's so funny and clever.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
Yes, as I mentioned I'm writing my second novel. The title is currently unfinalised but it's a very different story to Luxury - it's about a woman who is a very successful couture milliner who is convinced her family is cursed and that she has brought that curse upon herself.  There's lots about where that belief comes from and the various tragedies and traumas that have beset her and her loved ones.  So still in the same genre but a whole new set of characters and challenges - especially as it spans a big period of time, from the 1960s to the present day, and takes in London, Russia, East Africa along the way...

Thanks, Jessica!

You can find out more about Jessica and Luxury by visiting Jessica's website. In addition, check out Reading Circle for a Luxury competition and extra material.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 13, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 9, 2009 4:15 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Nicky Schmidt

I absolutely loved Nicky Schmidt's hilarious debut Naked in Knightsbridge - the story of Jools, a London lady who in desparation, decides to put herself up on eBay for a marriage of convenience. Here, Nicky talks to Trashionista about her book, her writing and future projects...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
Jools Grand decides to auction herself online in a marriage of convenience, with disastrous results.

What inspired you to write Naked in Knightsbridge?
I read of someone who auctioned their life on eBay, and a woman who auctioned her virginity, so I wondered what could happen if a girl down on her luck sold herself, in the nicest possible way, to save herself from homelessness.

Where do you write your books?
Coffee shops. Sometimes you can overhear the most incredible things, which in turn can be inspiration. For example, the woman telling her friend that her husband draws hair on his nipples. I have yet to use that precious nugget!
What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Got to be anything by Marian Keyes, probably because I met her (ages ago at a book signing) and she is absolutely hilarious.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
I have to be boring and say Bridget Jones, because of those large pants. And because she isn't perfect and doesn't have a radical makeover or transformation into someone thinner and better looking.    

Do you have any tips for any of our readers who'd like to become published authors?
Well, my advice would be to write, write, write until you have a great book, no matter how many doughnuts and cupcakes it takes. I find consuming large amounts of sugary food makes me far more productive.

What are you currently reading?
Jodi Piccoult's Songs of the Humpback Whale.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
Definitely, Marrying Out of Money, about a girl who tries to turn her back on her family's immense fortune, only to have love get in the way.

Thanks, Nicky!

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 9, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 23, 2009 4:34 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jaishree Misra

Jaishree Misra is the author of Secrets and Lies, a novel about friendship and mystery that's due for release on 25th June. (And trust me, it's going to be one of this summer's most addictive reads!)

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
‘Secrets & Lies’ is about four women who share a terrible secret from their schooldays. 

What inspired you to write ‘Secrets & Lies’?
My own girlfriends, and the realization that women are capable of going to great lengths in the name of friendship. It’s a sort of celebration of female friendship, really, but with a dark heart.

Where do you do most of your writing? 
Sounds decadent, but I do like writing in bed. Mostly because my bedroom’s got a cupola on the ceiling through which morning sunlight pours in on good days. Then, before the rays reach a certain part of the wall, I have to get up and go to work! The rest of the day’s writing is scrappy and unpredictable, depending on work, hubby, daughter, home, social stuff etc etc. A friend once described the pressures faced by women authors as ‘writing between two whistles of a pressure cooker’.  

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
I enjoyed ‘Ralph’s Party’ by Lisa Jewell and I like everything Marian Keyes says and does. Humour takes precedence over romance for me, I have to say.

Do you have a favourite heroine?
I remember identifying, for all kinds of curious reasons, with Fanny in Austen’s ‘Mansfield Park’ – this, when I was a teenager growing up in Delhi and 19th century England couldn’t have been further away! Much as I tried liking Elizabeth Bennett, Fanny always came across as nicer, possibly because she wasn’t setting her cap at the richest man in the neighborhood!

Are you working on anything new at the moment? 
I’m working on my next book for Avon Harper Collins - it’s a story about hooking up with old flames, exploring the thrills and spills that can follow.  

Do you have any tips for readers who want to become published authors?
Persevere, if you really believe in your writing and know how to enjoy it even for very little reward. Then, when the manuscript is complete to a high standard (making sure there are no grammatical errors) send it around to carefully chosen agents who have had success with the kind of book you have written. Don’t be disheartened by a few rejections. If it all seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time, use the delay to start writing your next book (I did say you’d have to enjoy writing enough!). If your work is any good, an agent will soon appear on your horizon who will be doubly delighted if you have two manuscripts to show, rather than one. The rest will fall into place pretty quick. Good luck!

Thanks, Jaishree!

To find out more, visit Jaishree’s website. Or to pre-order a copy of Secrets and Lies, head on over to Amazon.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 23, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 10, 2009 10:01 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cathy Yardley

Recently I posted the news of Cathy Yardley's new novel, Turning Japanese, and was thrilled when Cathy agreed to an interview! Here, Cathy talks books, manga, and the 'hapa' experience...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
An artist travels to Tokyo to follow her dream.

The manga industry doesn't appear to be represented much in chick-lit. Was it difficult to convey this to readers who don't know much about manga?
It was a little difficult to describe to editors who weren't manga fans.  I'm hoping that readers who don't know manga will try some after this!

What inspired you to write a chick-lit book set in this industry?
Two things inspired this book. I have enjoyed manga and American comic books for years: I still have my original copies of AKIRA, and the graphic novel collections of Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series (and God, that man can write!)  Then my brother was working at an anime house, on the business side of it, and I saw what it was like to be half-Asian working for an Asian company (and specifically a Japanese company, at that.)  I'm Vietnamese-Irish-American, and I wanted to be able to capture the "hapa" (half-Asian) experience.

Where do you do most of your writing?
At home, when my son's asleep.  But I try to sneak off and write in libraries or bookstores when I get the chance and have childcare!

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
I can never pick just one!  I always loved Caren Lissner's voice in CARRIE PILBY.  I've been reading a lot of paranormal lately, and I love the Chick Lit feel of Mary Janice Davidson's UNDEAD series (UNDEAD AND UNWED, UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED, etc.)

And what's your favourite manga? (Come on, I had to ask!) 
AKIRA is my all-time favorite (I'm geekishly thrilled to see a live action coming out with Leonardo DiCaprio in it!) but I have a soft spot in my heart for THE WALLFLOWER series. It's very "My Fair Lady" in the most strange, Japanese, manga-way possible.

Do you have a favourite heroine?
Too many to name! :)

Are you working on anything new at the moment? (And if so, can you tell us?) 
I'm finishing up a trilogy for Harlequin Blaze, and I've got two more projects in the work that are more hush-hush: one paranormal, one YA.  Fingers crossed!

Do you have any tips for our readers who want to become published authors?
Get into a critique group: meet with other writers who are actively writing, at least once a week if you can, but no less than every two weeks.  The accountability and support will help you finish your projects and help you weather the inevitable rough spots.

Thanks, Cathy!

To read more about Cathy and her books, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 10, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 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)

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 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)

March 27, 2009 7:09 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Julie Cohen

I told you I had a few author interviews up my sleeve didn't I? Well today I'm delighted to say Julie Cohen, fab author of Little Black Dress books One Night Stand and Honey Trap (I adored both of them), is our interviewee. Her latest release, Girl From Mars, is out in June.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A female comic book artist takes a vow (in Klingon) not to get a boyfriend. 

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

My lovely iMac is set up on the dining room table of our tiny two-up, two-down Victorian terraced house.  I write most of my books right there, in the scant hours when my toddler isn’t racing his cars around me.  If I get stuck, I move to writing in a notebook, and I try to go somewhere else in the house.  When I’m very lucky, I get to go to a coffee shop to write for an hour or two.  I have a great Brazilian café near me which is lovely and airy to work in. 

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I’m a huge fan of everything Marian Keyes has written, but my absolute favourite has to be Rachel's Holiday.  I can read that book over and over.  I think it’s so brilliant that though Rachel the heroine is seriously flawed, Keyes totally makes us care and shows us her heroine’s journey from self-deceiving addict to honest, loving woman.  Reading that book years ago really opened my eyes to intelligent, emotional chick-lit.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I really do love flawed heroines, so my favourite all-time heroine is probably Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse.  She’s insufferably smug, spoilt and naïve and yet you like her so much, even as you’re laughing at her.  And when she does realise her faults, it’s genuine and touching.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

The most important thing is to read a lot and to write a lot.  Don’t wait for inspiration; use the time you’ve got and write your heart out.  Then write some more.  You don’t have to get it right the first time, because you can revise and edit later.  The more you write, the more you learn.

What are you reading at the moment?

Getting Rid Of Matthew by Jane Fallon.  I started it yesterday and I’m about halfway through.  The heroine, Helen, is another flawed woman who’s made a lot of bad choices and I’m looking forward to seeing how she gets out of the mess she’s made.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’ve got two more Little Black Dress novels to come (Girl From Mars, and Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom) and after that, I’ve got a mainstream commercial women’s fiction novel coming out with Headline Review, in 2010.  I’m working on that now.  It doesn’t have a title yet, but it’s about a failed actress who takes over her identical twin sister’s life when her sister disappears.  It involves ice cream, soap operas and a transvestite sheep.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

 

Q: Superman or Batman?

A: Totally Batman.  Okay, Superman has amazing alien powers and you have to admit that Clark Kent is really, really hot, especially with those glasses, but Batman rids Gotham of evil with nothing more than a skin-tight costume, a kick-ass car and a near-pathological obsession with avenging his parents’ deaths.  Plus midnight blue is way sexier than bright blue.

 

Thanks, Julie!

 

For more check out her website.

 

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 27, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 25, 2009 7:00 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Rowan Coleman

I've got one or two author interviews up my sleeve and I'm delighted to say that Rowan Coleman is the subject of today's. Rowan is an author I have admired for some time. Not only does she write successful books such as The Baby Group and The Accidental Wife, but she also writes the Ruby Parker series of books for girls.

Hi Rowan, welcome back to Trashionista! Tell us about your latest book, The Accidental Family.

The Accidental Family is a follow up novel to The Accidental Mother. It picks up the story of Sophie, Louis, Bella and Izzy about six months after Sophie gives up her whole life to go and join Louis and his daughters in Cornwall. It explores their developing romance and what happens when reality comes crashing in to complicate things.

Had you always planned to write a sequel to The Accidental Mother?

I never planned to write a sequel to any of my novels! It's not something that would normally appeal to me. I have a head so full of ideas that it seems a bit mad to go back to an old one. But readers from all over the world kept asking me what happened next to Sophie and Louis and after a while I started to think about it and I found that the characters kept telling me their story and they wouldn't shut up! So in the end I relented and gave into them. I think it works as a stand alone book too, but I'm glad to be able to give the readers what they've been asking for.

Did you find it easier writing a sequel?

It was fun to be back with characters that I am so fond of again, but if anything writing a sequel is harder - you have to keep the same narrative pitch and make sure that the characters ring true and keep faith with the original. I wrote The Accidental Mother about four years ago now, so that was tricky!

What is coming next from Rowan Coleman (if you can tell us)?

I can't tell you the title because it's so brilliant I don't want anyone to steal it - it hasn't got 'accidental' in it though!! And I find it really hard to talk about a book while I'm writing it, suffice to say I am really enjoying working on it, possibly more than I've enjoyed any of my other books and I hope it will be a fun, romantic, compelling read!

Thanks, Rowan!

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 25, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 19, 2009 7:33 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cally Taylor

Now I know I use the phrase "I'm so excited..." quite a lot here on Trashionista. In my defence it is with good reason as I do get incredibly excited about good books. However, today, with this post, I have something that I think is extra special. An interview with newly signed author Cally Taylor. And it isn't because I know her (as I do, just a little bit) but because I think she has a fantastic career ahead of her as a writer. Her book, Haunting For Beginners, is out in October this year and this is her first ever interview.

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer:

Lucy is dead and desperately trying to be reunited with the man she loves.

How were you ‘discovered’?

I bought a copy of the Writers and Artists Yearbook and wrote a list of all the agents who accepted chick-lit and women's fiction. The first one on my list was Darley Anderson (I really liked his name. I also thought he was a woman!) so I sent him my synopsis and first three chapters. That was on a Friday morning. The next Monday afternoon he rang me up and asked me for the whole manuscript. I was so excited I thought I might pass out but managed to get myself together enough to print it off, read it through (again) for typos and send it off. Six weeks later he rang me back. He liked it and it had a lot of potential, he said, but it needed some more work. I was absolutely gutted (I’d convinced myself that he'd send me a letter if he hated it and only ring if he wanted to sign me!) but, after a couple of weeks of sulking, I started to make the changes he’d requested and sent it back five months after his second phone call. Three months after that I received a phone call from Madeleine Buston. She told me that Darley had given her my revised manuscript to read on the train to Scotland and that she’d fallen in love with it. We talked about the book and her plans for it for a while and then I (tentatively) asked, “So are you my agent then?” and she said yes!

Have you always been a writer?

Yes, I guess so. As child I loved writing stories and making up plays and sent my first ‘book’ (an ‘illustrated’ story about The Evil Weed and his flower friends) to Penguin Publishers when I was eight. I even bound it myself – in pink wool! It was rejected, of course, but I wasn’t deterred.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Before I start writing my books I scribble down lots of notes in the notebooks that I carry around with me everywhere. Ideas for characters and plot developments pop into my head while I’m on the train, walking to town and even in the pub and I always have to stop to write them down otherwise they’re lost forever. When I actually start writing a book I type straight onto the laptop which is on my very messy desk in my tiny, cluttered bedroom.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Tough one! It’s a toss-up between Ralph’s Party by Lisa Jewell and Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Those were the first two chick-lit books I ever read and they opened up a whole new world of literature to me. I realised that yes, you could write books about modern women with flaws and dreams and complicated love lives, and that other women wanted to read about them too.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

My favourite female heroine ever or my favourite chick-lit heroine? My favourite female heroine ever would have to be Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. My favourite female chick-lit heroine is Cannie in Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read a lot, write a lot, get your novel critiqued by people you aren’t related to or friends with, and then polish it until it gleams before sending it out to agents.

Develop a thick skin. Criticism and rejection sting like hell but you have to learn from them, bounce back and keep writing.

One more thing - put your novel to one side for at least 3 weeks before you start editing it and then read it aloud – it will sound very different to the way it did in your head when you wrote it, and you’ll find it easier to spot the mistakes.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I think it was a Trashionista review that made me buy it in the first place and I’m loving it. I’ve only just started it and it’s already wonderfully magical and compelling.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’m working on my second book, currently titled “Dead Romantic”. It’s about two single people in Brighton and what happens when a couple of hapless guardian angels are tasked with making them happy.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

If you died how long would you want your partner to wait before he moved on?

Well I’d probably tell him that two years would be just about acceptable but secretly I’d want him to mourn me forever and never love anyone as much as he’d loved me!

Thanks, Cally!

To find out more visit her website at www.callytaylor.co.uk

The following is the blurb for Haunting For Beginners,

'"What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?" he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn't get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn't. By the end of the next day, I'd be dead. Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she's less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem. But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands - if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task. How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie's only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma. But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on ...

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 19, 2009 in Book News, Brand new authors, British Authors, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 14, 2009 8:48 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Alison Kervin

We loved The WAG's Diary and interviewed author Alison Kervin back in 2007. After reading the news of her upcoming novel Celebrity Bride, I wanted to ask her some more questions!

How long have you been writing novels and biographies?

I wrote my first book in 1997, but I was working as a journalist prior to that (I went into journalism straight after graduating) so I've always written in one form or another. I've just finished my ninth book (three novels, the rest non-fiction). I'm much happier writing fiction rather than non-fiction now because you can just make it all up. If you make it all up in journalism, you get into a hell of a lot of trouble!

Tell us what your latest book is about.

It's a romantic comedy. A modern Cinderella story about a beautiful but lowly girl (Kelly Monsoon) who meets the richest and most successful actor on te planet (Rufus George) and they fall in love. It's all wonderful, but then she discovers that life in his celebrity world is not all roses and champagne. There's murder, intrigue, devastation, joy and delight as the couple struggle to make their unusual relationship work in the spotlight. Very funny but moving, touching and shocking at times!

Where do you write your books?

All over the place. On trains, in bed, in the garden, at the Hampton Court Palace Rose Garden - the Rose Garden even features in my latest book because I spent so much time writing there...I used to chat to te gardener as he pruned the roses, and he even found his way into the book! (Tip...if you see me, don't come and talk to me, because you probably will end up in a novel somewhere. My poor friend Charlie is scared to tell me anything any more for fear that one of my characters will be doing it in the next book).

What is your favourite chick-lit book?

Horrible question...ahhh...what's chick-lit? What counts as a chick-lit book? I'll say anything by Marian Keyes though is she chick-lit? She writes beautiful, funny books with real heart and compassion. I loved the interplay between the most serious subjects and the lighter/frothier elements of her books. She pulls it off so well that it seems easy but it's really not. It's something I've done in Celebrity Bride - I've got a heroine who lived in a fun flat in Twickenham with her two mates and all their dating stories and silly tales are told, making for very humorous reading, but then there's a huge swing in the book half way through when something deeply shocking happens. I wanted to contrast the two moods within the book and have people genuinely surprised by the turn of events. This is something that I think Marian does very well.

What other writers inspire you?

This isn't the sort of question you can give a one-word answer to, so here's a selection. Graham Greene is a genius (read the first few pages of End of The Affair and look at the beauty of the language, the rhythms and simplicity of the images he creates). I’m slightly obsessed with GK Chesterton at the moment (more his journalism than his fiction). Margaret Attwood is blindingly good. I also enjoy Vikram Seth, mainly because of his impossibly clever book The Golden Gate – written in rhyme, it's funny and original and just plain showing-off. I love J.M. Coetzee and am reading a book by Bryan Magee at the moment called Wagner and Philosophy – it is stunning, a shining example of how to take a vastly complicated subject and make it human, colourful, fascinating and alive. Whether you're interested in philosophy, interested in Wagner, or interested in neither, it's a great book by a very natural writer.

Are you working on anything else at the moment?

Yes…I’ve started the next novel…it’s a big book (twice the size of my usual novel) – a dramatic tale about three very different women leading very different lives but all bound by one terrifying secret...

Do you have any advice for our readers who wish to become published authors?

It’s very hard to give sensible advice because writing’s such a personal thing. My little boy, George, comes home from school and says ‘mummy, what did the people in your head do today?’ and if you think about it – writing is an obscure way to make a living…transferring the images, thoughts, characters and situations that exist entirely in your mind, onto paper, in the hope that people will want to read about them! Since everyone’s mind is different, I guess there are always going to be different ways of doing that.

But, for what it’s worth, I think you’ve just got to sit down and do it…try and write something every day. If you write just one page a day you’ll have a book written this time next year. Make sure you read a lot too; it’s vitally important to read everything you can get your hands on. Every time you read and write you learn, so do it whenever you can.

When it comes to the actual writing, I think the key to making fiction work is to have strong, compelling characters; they drive everything. If your characters are right, you can take the book anywhere, without good characters you’re very limited. I spend most of my time before writing novels working out exactly what sort of people my characters will be. I have big sheets of paper on the wall at home with outlines of what the characters look like, where they work, what their parents do for a living, when they were born, and I’ve got pictures cut from magazines illustrating what they look like, and floor-plan sketches of their homes. As I said, all writers work differently, but for me it begins and ends with characterisation above all else.

Finally, the piece of advice frequently given to novelists is "show, don't tell". This is vitally important and distinguishes good fiction from bad fiction in so many ways. It applies to non-fiction too, and to journalism. If there's a way of getting your point across using an illustration rather than a statement, always do it. It's the little vignettes that stay in people's minds when they put a book/newspaper down. Don’t say ‘he’s brave’ – show him being brave. Don’t say ‘he was tall’ show him ducking under a door to illustrate how tall he is. It always works much better. Good luck!

Thanks, Alison!

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 14, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 11, 2009 7:15 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Caroline Smailes

In Search of Adam was probably the most mind blowing book I read in 2007, both in terms of the subject matter and the sheer genius that is Caroline’s writing. Her second novel, Black Boxes (she has also written a novella for charity), is out now in paperback and I wanted to catch up with Caroline to see what her new book is all about and how her life has changed since we last interviewed her nearly two years ago.

What is Black Boxes all about?

Black Boxes tells the story of Ana Lewis, a 37 year old single mum living with her two children, Pip and Davie. Right at the beginning of the novel, the reader learns that Ana has taken an overdose of pills and that she is dying. Black Boxes is the story of Ana, of Pip and of Davie. But (as this is all sounding a bit too depressing) there is a glimmer of hope in there too, honest.

What inspired you to write it?

I was still a student when I found myself pregnant with my first child and I had to postpone my studies because of the pregnancy. I struggled with childbirth, with postnatal depression and the feeling that I had failed academically. This was my inspiration for Black Boxes. I took this seed of my life and twisted it into fiction. I looked at my past and thought about another path, one where I was swallowed by my depression and my children's emotional needs slipped away from my grasp. Black Boxes explores what could have been.

You finished your first book, In Search of Adam, in 2006 then created a website and a blog, went on to be found by a publisher and published the following year. How has your life changed since then?

Gosh, these last 30 months have seen so many ups and downs. My daughter started school, which brought with it structure to my days and more writing time. I wrote Black Boxes. My publisher went into liquidation and my writing future seemed very uncertain. The Friday project rose again, as an imprint of HarperCollins, and Black Boxes was published. I wrote my third novel, Like Bees to Honey and also my novella Disraeli Avenue was published. But I guess the biggest change since 2006 is that I no longer lecture in linguistics. My career path has changed completely and I now divide my weeks between writing and editing.

And finally, what can we expect next from you?

We’re at the ‘negotiations stage’ for Like Bees to Honey, which is all a bit terrifying and I'm currently writing my fourth novel.

Thanks, Caroline 

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 11, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 5, 2009 9:41 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anne Donovan

Anne Donovan is the writer of numerous short stories, but also the author of Buddha Da, and Being Emily (previously reviewed by Robyn!) We asked Anne a few questions about her writing...

Introduce yourself!
I'm Anne Donovan. I'm a writer of short stories and novels.

Describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
Fiona's family is nothing like the Brontes, but her life resembles a Victorian novel.

Where do you write your books?
On my laptop in the living room. I don't have a study.

Where do you get the inspiration for your books?
Everywhere. Voices, things I see. Small things. Usually I start from character and voice - it develops from there.

Click over the cut for more from Anne...

What are your favourite books?
Too many to say. Wuthering Heights, Daniel Deronda, Great Expectations, Anna Karenina - all those big Victorian novels. Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. Also poetry - the Romantic poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins. Many short story writers - Alistair MacLeod is just one. And I'm currently going through an obsession with Willa Cather's novels and reading Dante's Divine Comedy in translation ( just about to get to Paradise!)

Do any other writers inspire you?
Greatly. Lots of them.  I don't know how much it directly influences my writing style though I think Lewis Grassic Gibbon's approach to writing in Scots has an influence, as does the poetry of some Scottish writers like Liz Lochhead and Tom Leonard.  But writing of any kind which is powerful and does something with language is always inspirational.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?
I've been working on short stories because I'm always doing that, even when I'm writing a novel. Even if no one wants them! I'm also working on two longer pieces and I'm not sure which is going to work out, if either. But I'm at the stage I probably like most in writing, which is something with no real idea of how it's working, just following the characters and their story.

Do you have any advice for our readers who want to become published authors?
Read lots. Ideally try to read a variety of authors. If you want to write short stories do read them - it's a very different form from the novel. Set aside a regular time for your writing, even if it's only once a week (when I started it was just Sunday afternoons as I had no other time) and stick to it. If it's impossible for you to work at home because of family commitments you may want to go somewhere else, like the library.

For your first draft, just write - some of my best work has come from just writing and tapping into the unconscious part of the mind. Don't worry too much about fixing it up and don't be critical of it or you probably won't write much! When you have got a reasonable draft of a story or a poem, that is the time to be critical - work on the draft till it's the best you can possibly do.  Criticise the draft, not yourself. It can be helpful to leave a piece of writing for a few weeks or longer then go back to it with a fresh eye. Many people find it helpful to join a writing group or go to a class or course. They can be wonderful but don't be discouraged if the group or class doesn't suit you - find one which does.

When you've got a finished piece, send it somewhere - a competition or anthology is a great start. (It's a bit harder if you've written a novel as you need to send it to an agent.) Make sure anything you send off is as good as you can make it and is presented well.

Don't be discouraged - keep going!

Thanks, Anne!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 5, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 22, 2009 10:43 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jill Marshall

Jill Marshall's new book, As It Is On Telly, has recently been released. I've yet to read it, and am really looking forward to it! So here's an interview with the fabulous Jill...

When was your book released?
It's out now! Pub date was 1st Feb, so it's been in the shops for a little over a week.

Describe your book in 15 words or fewer.
Bunty needs a new husband as the current one's playing away - but where to go?

Where do you write your books?
It varies: sometimes in my office looking towards Auckland's Sky Tower, sometimes at the wonderful Michael King Writers Centre, and occasionally in a cafe with a large latte to hand. One of my favourite coffee-and-writing spots actually features in Telly...

Click over the cut to read more from Jill...

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Probably 'Is Anybody Out There' by Ms Keyes, although I really loved the quirkiness of Animal Husbandry which became the film Someone Like You.

Which other writers inspire you?
I actually tend to prefer male authors, and anyone who's funny. So male and funny works well - Nick Hornby, David Nicholls, Steve Martin's novels, Bill Bryson...female and funny works for me too - Marian Keyes, obviously, Kathy Lette, early Helen Fielding!

Are you working on anything else at the moment?
I'm currently editing the first of my new children's series, DOGHEAD, and then I'm about to get my teeth into my third chick-lit novel.

Do you have any advice for our readers who want to become published authors?
Work at your craft, get expert advice, and don't give up the day job for a while.

Thanks, Jill!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 22, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 14, 2009 10:37 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Lorelei Mathias

It's Valentines Day! Whether you like it or hate it, it's here. So I talked to Lorelei Mathias, author of fab books Step on It, Cupid! and Lost for Words, all about romance, writing - and of course, her favourite Valentine reads.

 

What gave you the inspiration for your books? 
 

Most of my ideas come to me at weird times when I least expect it – so I’m never without a little notebook of some sort. My inspiration is always a mixture of what happens in my life, talking to friends about their experiences, and what goes on in my imagination/daydreams.  

 

When I’m not writing novels, I work in an ad agency. So I got a lot of my inspiration for Amelie from being around other creatives and just observing things. With my first book I was struck by the similarity between advertising and so many new forms of dating. I mean, online dating and speed-dating, they’re all essentially about trying to sell yourself in the best way, trying to dig out your USP and make people love you in 3 minutes. Much like what brands do in their ads.  

 

Similarly, with Lost for Words I got a lot of inspiration from when I worked in a big publishing house a few years ago. Again I was able to base the fictional Mercury Publishing House on all the observations I’d jotted down, and some of the people I met! 

 

Click over the cut to read more from Lorelei...

Step on it, Cupid focused on the aspect of speed dating. So, 'fess up...have you ever tried it? And what was it like?

Yes, twice. Two of the two longest nights of my life! I’m sure it’s been a really good catalyst for many couples, but it definitely wasn’t for me!

 

When I first heard about speed-dating as a phenomenon, I was fascinated by it – it seemed such a curious idea to have people organise your love life in such a regimental way, complete with name-badges, a school bell and a rehearsed 90 second pitch about yourself. The more I heard about it, the more I decided I had to write a book about it.  

 

So like Amelie I had to undertake some hilarious (but very repetitive) research… I went to two different events in London with friends, and the experience was very similar to how I’ve recounted it through Amelie’s eyes. I remember being so tickled by the email I got when I first registered: “Registration starts at 18:30. Dating starts promptly at 19.00.” It just seemed such a deeply unromantic notion that you can force a connection to start at an exact moment - one that is anathema to everything I believe in (being the hopeless romantic that I am). As Amelie puts it – ‘The institutional way the whole event seems to be organised – it makes you feel as though you couldn’t organise your love life by yourself, so you had to resort to getting figures of authority to do it.’  

Of course, Amelie’s interpretation is pretty scathing and unkind in places - I’m sure some people enjoy it much more than she does and are less critical about the men that sit across the table from them every three minutes, but that’s all part of her character’s journey. 

 

Do you like Valentines Day? Are you the kind of girl who likes to be pampered? 
 

Not to sound like a total cynic, I’m really not a fan of Valentines day. I’m not bitter (I’m fortunate enough to be happy in love), but I just struggle to see the reason for it! Its pointlessness seems to me to be three-pronged. It’s redundant for those in happy relationships; it’s an awkward hurdle to those in unhappy relationships; and it’s a cruel, mocking depressant to anyone single!  

If you’re really in love, you shouldn’t need an enforced commercial ‘special day’ to tell you so. The other day, my boy and I ended up having the loveliest spontaneous evening, you know when everything just randomly works out really well, better than when you plan it and it’s a bit of a let-down. So we decided to declare that our surrogate Valentines Day.  

 

 

But having also been single when it’s Valentines Day, I know it’s a nightmare on the streets – you can’t walk anywhere for all the smug couples’ linked arms barricading you from walking through them. If you’ve recently broken up with someone, it’s the last thing you need to rub salt in the wounds.  

Having said that, yep I do like a bit of pampering – but I just prefer spontaneity and surprises - any time of the year! 

 

Do you think that you can find love, or that it comes naturally? 

 

I love this question… It’s been at the back of my mind for most of my love life, and certainly most of my writing. It’s the main theme of ‘Step on it, Cupid’, and I guess if you follow the logic of that novel then the answer is the latter. But then there is also the minor character in the book, Sally, who did find love with Derek via “Fast Love”. And, if the testimonials on the speed-dating websites are anything to go by, then yes you can definitely find love in 3 minutes… 

 

On the whole I think the answer is both. I know people who have gone out and found love – whether it’s on mysinglefriend.com or by answering an ad in Time Out. But I also know many more stories of where people have got together in the most mind-blowingly romantic ways. Chance meetings where fate has stepped in, in a way so bizarre that if you read about it in a romance novel, you wouldn’t even believe it. I could go into more detail but I’ll save my friend’s the embarrassment I think!  

 

With the exception of one dodgy blind date, I’ve always waited for love to happen naturally. I think it’s so much more satisfying that way, if that makes sense?! There’s a bit in ‘Cupid’ where Amelie’s having a rant, she puts it like this: 

 

These days the quest for true love is turning into a frantic mish-mash of scorecards and pens, kisses over ketchup, marriages over mayonnaise... Has Cupid got bored of us all and gone off to play on an X-Box somewhere? 

 

I’m always asking people how they met. It’s one of the first questions I ask a couple – possibly it’s an occupational hazard, after making up romantic stories all day, I love hearing about the ‘real-life’ ways people can be brought together. Even if a couple have met online or through other modern ways, it could still be fate that led to them going online. And you never know, they might have met anyway by other means. I guess it depends if you believe people are meant to be together or not – whether there is a ‘one’ or not. I like to believe that there is. And speaking from experience, it’s good to hold out hope. You’ll find them when the timing’s right.  

 

Got any dating tips for the single ladies among us at Valentines? 

 

The best Valentines Day I ever had was last year – a whole bunch of friends who had all broken up with people all gathered round and had a love-in. By that I mean we all gave each other ‘Secret Cupid’ cards, wrote silly poems to each other and had to guess the author of each of them. It was the best night we’d had in ages, and it also became a germ of inspiration for the novel I’m writing now.  

 

So my advice to any single girl is, unless you’re feeling tough enough to brave the meat-markets and go on the pull on a night when it’s pretty obvious you’re single, you’ll have a much better night if you hide indoors (away from all the smug marrieds) with some glasses of wine, a nice rom com and your best friends. Unless of course all your friends are smug marrieds, in which case...um, maybe curl up with a nice book?!  
 

And here at Trashionista we're all about chick-lit, so what are your top five romantic reads? 

 

Possession by AS Byatt

Come Together,  Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Reese

The French Lieutenant’s Woman, John Fowles

An Equal Music, Vikram Seth

And it’s not a novel, but in terms of just being able to dip into romance in one of its purest forms, Shakespeare’s Sonnets or anything from Byron.

Thanks, Lorelei!

 

You can read more about Lorelei and her books at www.loreleimathias.com.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 14, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 3, 2009 2:43 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sandy Lo

When did you start writing Lost in You?

I started writing Lost In You out of boredom in 2004, but was working on other projects at the time so I pushed it to the side until I could focus on it fully.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 3, 2009 in Debut Novels, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 24, 2009 4:56 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cesca Martin

After self-publishing her book, Agony Angel, Cesca Martin appeared in various newspapers and a double-page feature in Cosmpolitan magazine (cue the green-eyed monster from me!). She's had great reviews of her book so far, so I decided to ask Cesca what it's all about, and what it's like to be a self-published author...

When did you start writing your novel, Agony Angel?

After finising university in 2003. I worked on it in between freelance jobs in television and finally settled down to finishing it a couple of years after that. Then I spent a good year editing it which basically involved me cutting bits of it, giving it to my sister to look over and her putting them back in.

Continue below the cut to find out what Agony Angel is all about...

Tell us what the book is about.

It's a classic chick lit tale. It centres around Angel, an Agony Aunt on a teenage magazine, who's stuck in an office doling out advice to worried teens. Boyfriend troubles, sordid affairs, bullying, bodily functions - they're all seeking her help and advice. The trouble is, Angel has got problems of her own. A City slicker boyfriend who doesn't call, an unemployed flatmate, psychosomatic best friend, noises late at night, a neighbour with a pet python and a worrying case of insomnia...we follow Angel as she tries to sort out her problems before she thinks about theirs…

What made you decide to self-publish?

Various friends and friends of friends had read bits and been really positive, I wasn't getting anywhere finding an agent and I was changing career so had time to spare. I hoped it would sell, I hoped it would get good reviews and I hoped people would enjoiy it.

What writers inspire you?

I love many of the male chick-lit style writers. Danny Wallace is my hero. William Sutcliffe, Emlyn Rees/Josie Lloyd and Richard Asplin have all been brilliant reads. Genuinely amusing. Obviously you have to mention the mother of chick-lit Helen Fielding too, she's wonderful.

Is your main character, Angel, anything like you?

NO! My older sister has claimed that she is based on her. And she is (although I won't admit that to my lawyers).

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Stick with one idea and write that book. Don't be my Dad (18 first chapters and not a novel in sight - love you pa!!).

Are you planning on writing anything else?

Um... I'm writing two! (WHAT?!) I'm currently three-quarters of the way through my second novel 'Valentines Day Virgin' and am working on a joint book with my male best friend. He's well funny... oh and this time round I'll be seeking an agent.

Thanks, Cesca!

To read an extract of Cesca's book (and buy a copy!) visit www.agonyangel.info.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 24, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 12, 2008 11:21 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Katherine Center

I've probably wittered on about Katherine Center (author of The Bright Side of Disaster) quite enough, so her interview needs no introduction (which is good, because I don't like writing 'em):

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A love story about what happens after happily ever after.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

In bed, baby! I try to do pretty much everything in bed.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I read Marisa de los Santos's Love Walked In not too long ago and loved it. [Me too. And her second, Belong to Me, is even better - Keris]

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Probably Elizabeth Bennett.  I love how smart and steady she is, despite everything. The first time I read Pride & Prejudice was in school. My older sister found it in my backpack and said, "You're going to love this book." And then she sat down on my bed and read me the first chapter. And I was hooked. 

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Start a blog!  It's such a great way to find readers--and other writers--and keep yourself in practice.  Some blogs have truly breathtaking writing. 

What are you reading at the moment?

Steve Martin's Born Standing Up.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I am finishing up my third novel, Get Lucky. It's a romantic comedy about a woman who offers to have a baby for her sister.

Do you have a theme song?

Right now I am loving the song "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" by Cake. The lyrics are so sharply written, and I love how feisty that girl in the song is.  Plus the horn section totally rocks. Watch it here.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

My neighbor the other day asked, "How do you get it all done?"

And I had to tell her that I don't. I don't get it all done. I'm a terrible housewife, and there are piles papers everywhere. But there are only so many hours in the day. Spending time with my kids, writing as much as I can, and joking around with my husband are the only things that are vital every day. All the other stuff? I get to it when I can. (And that's not all that often!)

Thanks, Katherine!

Posted by Keris on November 12, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 22, 2008 10:42 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sharon Owens

I haven't yet read any of Sharon Owens' books, but Trashi fave Claire Allan *raves* about them. Sharon answers our probing questions below:

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

It Must Be Love is about a runaway bride called Sarah Quinn.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I write at a small desk in the corner of our bedroom because it’s quiet and cosy.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Enchanting Alice, by Anne Dunlop. I’ve just finished reviewing it for the Belfast Telegraph. A lovely story set in the countryside. A nice change from all the city-based stories.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Jane from Enchanting Alice was a lovely, determined yet whimsical girl. I liked her a lot.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Get organised! Create a pretty corner for yourself to work in, ban anyone else from using it and type out a strict work plan. Then you’ll know that if you write 10 pages or one chapter every weekend you’ll almost have a book written in 30 weeks. Oh, and get an agent to read the contract before you sign it. 

What are you reading at the moment?

Land Without Stars by the late Benedict Kiely. He was my great-uncle and a Saoi of Aosdana, which is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any Irish author, artist or musician.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My new book is called The Seven Secrets of Happiness and it’s a love story between a widow called Ruby and a widower called Martin. It’ll be out in 2009.

Do you have a theme song?

My Way, as sung by Sid Vicious. I usually sing it to myself before I have to do any PR, which fills me with absolute terror. And this song takes the edge off my fear. Slightly.   

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Q: Did you ever imagine Nicolas Cage would option one of your novels and make it into a major, critically-acclaimed  film?

A: No, but I’m very glad he did… 

Thanks, Sharon!

Don't forget about Sharon's competition to win one of 25 gorgeous velvet bags.

Posted by Keris on October 22, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 8, 2008 11:53 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Melissa Hill

Melissa Hill has the BEST ideas for novels and (unlike another author who shall remain nameless *cough*) is actually a really good writer too. Read on for one of my favourite author interviews yet.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Woman tries to fight memory loss by having the most unforgettable year of her life.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I love to write outside and if the weather’s good, I take my laptop out in the garden or down by the sea. But as I live in Ireland and not St Tropez, unfortunately most books are written inside at my desk.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

There are so many its difficult to chose just one, but I think it has to be Patricia Scanlan’s City Girls. It was the first chicklit book I ever read and it had a huge effect on me.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

It’s actually not a chicklit heroine but one from a thriller; Amelia Sachs from Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme novels. She’s a real tough cookie, drives a really fast car, has an amazingly cool job (forensic cop), cover-girl looks and is shit-hot with a gun – everything I wish I could be!

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read as much as you can and read critically.  Study what works for you and what doesn't but don't make too many comparisons to your own writing as you are on a learning curve.  While I'm on the first draft of a novel, I will not  - under any circumstances - allow myself to read another women's fiction novel. I'll read thrillers to beat the band but nothing like I'm writing myself, otherwise, I get really disheartened despite the fact that mine is still a work-in-progress.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve just finished Jodi Picoult’s Songs of the Humpback Whale, which I really enjoyed. The narrative timeline is all over the place, which really shouldn’t work but somehow does. The woman is so good she could write ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ and make it work.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’m just finished the first draft of my next book Please Forgive Me, which is about a woman who rents a house in San Francisco and stumbles across a box of letters left behind by someone else. All are signed off with the words ‘Please Forgive Me’ so she tries to find out the story behind them.

Do you have a theme song?

I think it would have to be 'Rock the Boat' (make of that what you will!)

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been?

Q: Does it bother you that your books are labelled chicklit? (can you believe I’ve never been asked that?)

A: The answer is no, it doesn’t bother me at all. I consider it a simple, snappy catchphrase that encompasses all kinds of woman’s fiction and see no reason to come over all precious  about it. The way I see it, I’m incredibly lucky to be doing a job that I absolutely love, so I’m certainly not going to start whinging about labels. The way I see it, the only label I need to worry about my books being called is ‘shite’!

Thanks, Melissa!

Posted by Keris on October 8, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

October 3, 2008 12:50 PM

INTERVIEW: Meg Cabot! (and competition winner)

So, as you all know, last week I had the huge privilege of meeting the wonderful Meg Cabot and asking her your questions!

Read her answers below and then, at the end, find out who is the winner of the two Meg Cabot books!

Emily: Are you still shocked by the number of fans you have?

Yes! And do you know what I'm more shocked by? The diversity. Especially here in London, I have so many fans from all different cultures and I think it's great.

Emily: Have you ever thought of setting a book in an English high school? And would you like to spend a day in my school for research purposes?

[Laughs] Well, I would need to because I don't understand anything about how they work at all. I don't think I can, because I just don't know enough about them that I would just make so many mistakes it wouldn't be believable. I'd have to spend a significant amount of time and I don't think I'd blend as a student - I'd have to be a librarian or a teacher or something. And I wouldn't want to do it in a girls' school, I'd need to go to a co-ed school so there would be potential for romance.

Andrea: Which of your characters would you say is most like you?

Well, they're all a little bit of me, but I can't say any of them are *exactly* like me. Like, Mia [from the Princess Diaries] is a vegetarian and I'm definitely not a vegetarian. Samantha Madison [from All American Girl] is in mourning for the world because she always wears black and I don't *always* wear black. And even Emerson [from Airhead]: she dresses a bit more slobbily than I do, but we have a lot in common with our attitude.

Probably the one who is most like me would be Suze from The Mediator because she likes fashion but she's also kind of a smart aleck and has a bit of a bad attitude, but she's ultimately, I think, kind to people.

Margay: How do you balance your writing between the adult and the young adult books?

Well, I write my books one at a time. Writing is my hobby and it's also my job so that when I have time off I'm, like, what shall I do? Oh, I'll write a book! That one book I've been really wanting to write, but I've never had time. But I have a publishing schedule that I have to stick to, so whatever's next on that is the one that I write.

Margay: How do you decide which story idea is better suited to which age group?

That takes some doing. I wish I knew. I actually have one right now that I'm juggling in my head and I haven't been able to figure it out. Part of it is what's on my schedule as to what's coming out next, but they really can go either way. If Margay figures it out, I would like to know, because I don't know.

Of course, some of it has to do with the sexual content, so if it's going to be a really sexy book then it should be an adult book. And part of it is, if there's going to be a dance then it's got to be a teen book cos there aren't so many dances for adults - sadly!

Charlotte: Did you ever wish you could go undercover as the characters you write about, i.e. a princess, a PI, a wedding dress refurbisher?

Oh yes! You have to fantasise that you're the character to make it believable and you get to escape your own life.

Violet: If you had to stop writing for young people or adults, which would you have to go with.

That's a really tough question. I can't say. I don't even want to think about that.

Brenda: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read a lot, obviously. Write a lot, obviously. Get the Writers Guide to the Market and write to every person in it begging them to take your book! I had to write to every single person in there three or four times before somebody finally took me on, so don't give up. I wanted to give up a lot of times and I didn't, but if I had I wouldn't be here so that's probably the most important thing: don't give up.

Deanna: Why did you take another name - Patricia Cabot - for some of your books and not for other categories?

Those were very smutty books that I didn't want my grandmother to find out about. Sadly, she did, but she loves them actually. In fact, she had a book party for me. So it was fine.

Jennifer: What's one book you think every teen girl should read?

Apart from mine? [Laughs] I actually think every teen girl should read Jane Eyre. Or watch the movie because it's hotter.

Lizzy: Of all the books you've written, which of the main characters is your favourite and why?

I can't say that, that would hurt all the other main characters' feelings!

Lizzy: In your blog you've talked about some parents who haven't screened Princess Diaries being upset about Mia thinking about sex. What's your reaction to those parents who want to ban your books?

I'm thankful to them, because the more you tell a kid not to read a book, the more they want to read it. They'll just read them secretly behind their parents' backs. My parents never told me not to read any book because there was nothing I couldn't talk about with my parents. All that does is make the book seem more exciting, so they're actually doing the opposite of what they intend to do.

And certainly in every single school and on every single television channel they're seeing much worse than I'm writing about and I'm writing about it in a responsible way. So I will continue to write about it in a way that I believe parents should be talking about it.

Thanks, Meg and thanks to everyone for such great questions.

Meg's favourite question was "Have you ever thought of setting a book in an English high school? And would you like to spend a day in my school for research purposes?" and so the winner of Airhead and Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: the New Girl is Emily Bloom. Congratulations, Emily!

And if that's not enough Meg for ya, check out Chicklish (Luisa from Chicklish was at the interview too).

Posted by Keris on October 3, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 1, 2008 2:17 PM

INTERVIEW: Meg Cabot Part I (and potentially big Mia news!)

Okay, I've accepted that if I don't start uploading this Meg Cabot interview bit by bit it's never going to happen (in my defence, I'm six months pregnant and am spending most of my days eating chocolate digestives, watching Strictly Come Dancing and complaining...).

But I wanted to share the first question and, more importantly, an intriguing aspect of Meg's answer:

If you could bring one of your characters to life, which would you choose?

I always think they'd punch me in the face for what I've done to them! But I think it would be okay to bring Mia to life, because she's done. [The final book in the Princess Diaries series is due out in January.]

Although I don't know if she is done, because I keep feeling like I want to bring her back for the college years... don't you think that would be great?

I adore Princess Mia so I would love to have further books in the series. But what do you think? Are you happy to leave Mia at book 10 and wish her a happy, unrecorded, life or would you too like to follow her to college?

Related posts: Princess Diaries to the Nines | Princess Diaries After Eight

Posted by Keris on October 1, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 26, 2008 11:36 AM

Meg Cabot interview coming soon!

Yes, I was lucky enough to meet the wonderful Meg Cabot on Tuesday (and, yes, I *am* very short).

She answered all of your questions (and more) and was, as expected, totally gracious and lovely. I'll put the interview up (and announce the winner of the books) next week, but I just wanted to let you know it was on the way!

Posted by Keris on September 26, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 11, 2008 4:01 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & COMPETITION: Jane Beaton

Helen and I both got very excited when we heard about Jane Beaton's debut novel, Class. I'll be reviewing it soon (maybe even tomorrow...), but in the meantime, here's an interview with Jane (her FIRST interview, in fact!). No photo though; she must be shy.

Oh and make sure you read right to the end, where there's a chance to win one of five copies of Class.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Class is an updated, romantic, teachers-eye view Malory Towers-esque boarding school book for grown ups.

I say hyphens count as one word!

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

In a small corner of my bedroom.

I've adored the Shopaholic Books, I Don't Know How She Does it, Jilly Cooper of course; One Hit Wonder and I like Mil Millington although he'd probably object to the description. [Don't worry, Jane, I made him an honorary chick litter ages ago! - Keris]

Well, I'd like to be Thursday Next from the Jasper fforde books- the literary detective who gets to jump in and out of books at will. How great would that be?

Well, I don't know that I'd be any use at giving advice, but I just wrote the book I really really wanted to read and couldn't find anywhere - it felt like a guilty secret that even though I'd gone to a really normal school, I'd read every boarding school book I could get my hands on and dreamt about it all the time!

I have just finished The Suspicions of Mr Wicher by Kate Summerscale, which was wonderful; Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella- as usual, brilliant; and I'm currently enjoying Being Emily by Anne Donovan..

I'm writing the second in the Class series - I'm hoping there will be six eventually! - and really enjoying it.

Oh, Wuthering Heights. Does everyone say that?

Well, this is my first interview, so I suppose anything! I suppose people would want to know if I actually did my research at a real boarding school, and I would have to say no - I did my research reading Enid Blyton, Elinor Brent-Dyer, Susan Coolidge, Antonia White, JK Rowling, and Charlotte Bronte!

Thanks, Jane!

To be in with a chance of winning one of five copies of Class, please email your name and address to editor@trashionista.com before midnight GMT on the 25th September. UK only, I'm afraid. Good luck.

Posted by Keris on September 11, 2008 in Competition, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 2, 2008 3:28 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Joanne Rendell

I loved Joanne Rendell's debut novel, The Professors' Wives' Club and now she answers our questions!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Four professors' wives do battle with a ruthless dean to save a university garden.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

At my desk, while my son sleeps. We live in an apartment with extremely thin walls, so I have to type very quietly indeed!

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Bridget Jones' Diary (cliché, but true)

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Lisa Simpson. She's smart, she's a feminist, plus she unabashedly loves pop culture.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Join a writer's group - on or offline. You can learn so much from other writers. Not just about the craft itself, but also useful tips about the publishing business. I started off writing without joining a group and made mistakes which I think I just wouldn't have made if I had had other writer's advising me.

What are you reading at the moment?

Monica Pradhan's The Hindi-Bindi Club. I love books about Indian culture. The book also has some amazing recipes (which leave me so hungry, I want to eat the book itself!). Also, I always have an audio book dowloaded on my ipod for when I go to the gym. My current audiobook is Alison Larkin's The English American. As a Brit living in New York, it's particularly funny and resonant for me.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I've just finished my second novel which will come out with New American Library/Penguin next summer (title, tba). It's about two female professors in an English Department. One is a Sylvia Plath scholar, the other loves chick lit. The two of them really don't get along! I'm also working on a new book about a professor (yes, another professor!) who believes she shares ancestry with Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

Do you have a theme song?

"Bob the Builder." My son was three when I wrote The Professors' Wives' Club and Bob the Builder was his favorite show. If I slapped a couple of Bob DVDs in the machine, voila, I suddenly found I had an extra hour of writing time!

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

"How do you stay so slim and beautiful?" Only kidding. The question I haven't been asked much, surprisingly, is "How much of The Professors' Wives' Club is true?" Here's my answer:  My husband is a professor at NYU; we live in university housing; I know some university deans. So, of course, real life sneaks into the novel here and there. But I'm not telling exactly where. My husband likes his job at the university too much!

Thanks, Joanne!

Posted by Keris on September 2, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 23, 2008 10:29 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Rosy Thornton

I loved Rosy Thornton's first book, More Than Love Letters, and, as I've already said, I haven't even been able to read her second, Hearts and Minds, yet, since it's been snaffled!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Man appointed to head women’s Cambridge college – to the virulent opposition of the feminist dons. (Phew – exactly 15!)

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Having a full-time day job and a young family, the only time I routinely have free to write is early mornings, before the kids get up. So it’s usually a case of clearing a space at the kitchen table, once I’ve made the packed lunches.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I’m one of those people who claim Jane Austen as the original chick-lit author, and I love the classics… so, horribly unoriginal though it is, it would have to be Pride and Prejudice. 

I also love the novels of a friend and publishers’ stablemate of mine, Phillipa Ashley - cool, upbeat, sexy and very funny. 

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

So many come to mind! Yes, Lizzy Bennet. And also Hermione Granger (because I was a swot at school, too). But probably my favourite female character of all time is Harriet Vane from the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries: a thoroughly modern heroine who wants romantic fulfillment, but only on her own terms - and fights the hero tooth and nail to get there.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read as much as you can, and in a wide range of genres. I like to read books by people who write far better than I ever could, in the vain hope that some of it might rub off. 

Er, that’s it, really. Read a lot; write a lot; repeat as necessary.   

What are you reading at the moment?

Marie Phillips’s wonderful Gods Behaving Badly. I loved the premise, but feared it might be one of those books that have just the one joke. But it’s not – so far she sustains it brilliantly. I’m half way through and loving it.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My next novel, Crossed Wires, comes out in hardback in December. It’s a romantic comedy: the story of a Cambridge don who crashes his car while swerving to avoid a cat, and falls in love with the girl at the Sheffield call centre who deals with his insurance claim.

I am three-quarters of the way through the one after that at the moment, but it’s very much a work in progress, so I won’t tempt fate!

Do you have a theme song? 

I like songs with clever lyrics (maybe it’s a writer thing) and was a great admirer of Kirsty MacColl. So how about her song, He Never Mentioned Love? A brilliant commentary on the male inability to talk about the things which matter.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!) 

“Please could you explain the rule against inalienability?”

This is the kind of question I get asked all the time in my day job, teaching Law. And to be honest, it is much easier than answering all these difficult things about myself and my writing!

Thanks, Rosy!

Posted by Keris on July 23, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 22, 2008 11:36 AM

Christa Ann Bannister interview

This is a first for Trashi... so it may not work, but let's give it a go. Our regular inspirational fiction (and more) reviewer, Jill Hart, interviewed author Christa Ann Bannister and we have the audio!

Listen now or download to listen at your leisure. And fingers crossed it works! (Thanks, Jill and Christa!)

Posted by Keris on July 22, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008 9:44 AM

Janelle Brown on Jezebel

Not long after we featured the interview with Janelle Brown (and I'm talking hours, because it was only yesterday), I read an interview with her on Jezebel.

In response to "Because your novel has female protagonists and a baby blue cover, it seems that some people have categorized it as chick lit, which felt reductive to me", Janelle said:

It is reductive! It’s also dismissive. “Chick lit” is a catch all for everything that’s not “hard” literature written by a woman. It implies that the male experience is universal, while the female experience is something only other women would be interested in. Even Joyce Carol Oates’ last book got the disembodied female head cover treatment! I understand where the term comes from – [books about] female protagonists looking for love in the big city – but my book has nothing to do with finding a man. Companies know that women are really the only ones who still buy books, which is good, but there has to be a better way to market them.

A few things. First of all, chick lit books aren't necessarily books about "finding a man". Marian Keyes is surely the Queen of chick lit and her books aren't about finding a man.

I can't find the Joyce Carol Oates book to which Brown refers - none of the covers look even remotely chick lit to me - but anyway the chick lit cover trend isn't a "disembodied female head", it's the opposite: a beheaded female body. (I'm not sure which of those sounds more unpleasant.)

As for the last sentence and "there has to be a better way to market them", well I wish there was too, but if there was a better way, the publishers would be doing it. Publishing is a business after all.

But the thing that bugged me most about this - and this may well just be me reading it from behind the chip on my shoulder (which is murder on the neck) was the tone seemed to be that, rather than being "just" a chick lit author as people may have though, Janelle Brown is, in fact, a serious, literary writer. But nothing she says about chick lit is anything new; in fact, we printed something very similar written by Megan Crane on this blog not long ago.

I suppose I just get annoyed at the idea that chick lit writers are dumbed down, antifeminist, and unaware of the inherent problems with the term "chick lit", while "serious" writers gain credibility by criticising it.

Or, like I said, it might just be me.

Oh and I just want to add that I'm not having a go at Janelle Brown, who seems very nice, just this whole "chick lit" versus "serious fiction" thing that really gets my goat.

Posted by Aigua Media on July 17, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 16, 2008 11:42 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Janelle Brown

We've been discussing Janelle Brown's book cover and now it's time for Janelle to tell us about the book - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything - (and more)!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Suburban family goes into freefall after dad divorces mom on the day they make it rich.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

A cafe, absolutely. It's the only place I can unplug from my cell phone, the Internet, and the siren song of dishes that could be done, house that could be cleaned, books that could be read. I'm a procrastinator and you can't procrastinate at a cafe: It's just you and your laptop.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I'm never sure how to define chick-lit -- nor am I really crazy about that term. But if you go by the general guiding principle of a book about women, written by a woman, with romance at its center, then I'd have to say Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Bronte was the pioneer of fiction about women, and she certainly captured the torments of love.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I'm not sure she's a heroine in the classical sense, but I do have a deep and abiding love for the strange, shallow, and ultimately endearing Holly Golightly, from Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Be patient. Writing fiction takes longer than you think - my novel took five years from inception to publication. And be willing to revise, revise, revise.

What are you reading at the moment?

More Than It Hurts You by Darin Strauss, about a woman who suffers from Munchausen by proxy (where a mother hurts her own baby in order to get attention). It's beautifully written and extraordinarily creepy.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

A novel about a married couple whose lives are falling apart. Beyond that, my lips are zipped.

Do you have a theme song?

Not really - my music library is vast and changes frequently - though lately I've had a song by 1970's soul singer Gwen McCrae on heavy rotation on my iPod - 90% of Me Is You.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

No one has ever asked me what I would have been if I wasn't a writer.

I think the answer would be that I would love to be either a) a movie producer or b) a chef. Not that I would be good at either, but I like to fantasize, sometimes.

Thanks, Janelle!

Posted by Aigua Media on July 16, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 11, 2008 2:29 PM

LIVE CHAT with DeLaune Michel

Updated: We've finished chatting. It was mostly just me - where were you all? Still, DeLaune was wonderful so click on the comments and have a read.

Let me start by welcoming author DeLaune Michel. I had prepared a bunch of questions on books and publishing and writing and then I read the bio on her website. Once I'd picked my jaw off the floor, I wrote some new questions...

Thrilling personal details aside, DeLaune has written two books: Aftermath of Dreaming and Safety of Secrets.

Posted by Aigua Media on July 11, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (26)

July 9, 2008 11:01 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Belinda Jones

Belinda Jones is surely an author who needs no introduction, so...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

These alternative titles say it all: Kiss me Aegean! Crete Expectations! Athens I'm in Love!

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

As my books are all set abroad, I would like to write them 'on location' but in reality I'm splayed on the sofa, propped up with an assortment of cushions. Business letters and emails I can do sat up but I have to be horizontal to write fiction!

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Misadventures in the 213. I hope this qualifies because it's actually written by a guy - Dennis Hensley - but he's extremely gay and hilarious and heart-tweaking which I think compensates. 213 is a Los Angeles area code and this is the most charming insight into the quirkier side of that unreal city. When I accidentally had coffee on Sunset Boulevard with the author (turned out he was the friend of a friend) and I realised who he was, my jaw just hit the floor - I can't remember the last time I was more thrilled and in awe!

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

This is a strange one but I loved Lorelei Lee in Gentleman Prefer Blondes, probably because the writer, Anita Loos, put such a witty spin on her gold-digging commentary!

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Go as deep as you can with your emotions - really have a good root around! Every time I think I've over-exposed my feelings, my editor cries 'More!' I know this is a commercial arena but don't try to be too generic or crowd-pleasing - you have to find your own unique voice to tell your story. And don't think you're not a natural if you can't dash off three chapters in an afternoon - all the best writers I know fret and get in tangles and are riddled with insecurities! So take time to enjoy the sensation when you actually feel proud of a sentence, it's that buzz that will propel you forward!

What are you reading at the moment?

The biography of sexy Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta!

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

It's a dance-themed book - tangoing in Buenos Aires, flamencoing in Seville, salsaing in Havana (hence the Acosta bio!) I actually just had a private Dirty Dancing lesson at Kellermans in Virginia which the highlight of the research!

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

I want someone to ask me the craziest thing I've done to promote a book so I can talk about the time I was peddalled around Amsterdam in a wooden crate typically used to transport beer. Thanks for asking!!

Thanks, Belinda!

Posted by Aigua Media on July 9, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (4)

July 2, 2008 9:20 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Grace Dent

You may know Grace Dent's hilarious young adult books. Or you may know her hilarious soap column (World of Lather) in the Guardian's TV Guide. Or perhaps you read her (hilarious) Big Brother column in the Radio Times. If you haven't read her at all, what are you waiting for? You can start now, with her latest book, Shiraz: the Ibiza Diaries. And this interview, of course.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Shiraz Bailey Wood (Duchess of Essex) and the usual suspects go to Ibiza for a fortnight of fun. Seriously, WHAT could go wrong?

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I write a lot in bed. I'm not ashamed to say that any more. It's one of the biggest perks of being an author. There's no way lying horizontal in bed can ever truly feel like work.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Hollywood Wives - Jackie Collins.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Helen Burn in Jane Eyre.  She's Jane's first, best and truest friend. I still get upset thinking about their last evening.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Write. Don't sit about talking about how you'd really like to do it. It's the cheapest most accessible hobby in the world. Get on with it.

What are you reading at the moment?

Speaking For Myself by Cherie Blair.

What are you working on now?
I'm writing the new Shiraz book (out in October 2008). I'm writing a Big Brother 9 blog and I'm writing a television show.

Do you have a theme song?

Obstacle Number 1 by Interpol.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been?

Why have you failed your driving test 7 times?

Because apparently I don't 'drive' to the 'suggested standards' of the so-called 'DVLA'  and their 'requirements'. The swines.

Thanks, Grace!

Posted by Aigua Media on July 2, 2008 in British Authors, Interviews, Series, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 25, 2008 12:26 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Liz Rettig

Liz Rettig's written a bunch of popular books for teens and I've just really enjoyed her latest, Jumping to Confusions.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Jumping to Confusions: A tangled tale of romantic confusions unravels to reveal the truth – an ugly duckling story with a twist. 

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I’d like to write my books on a balcony overlooking the ocean in the Maldives but a cramped corner of my bedroom will have to do for now.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

This is a difficult one but I think Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes – seriously funny.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice of course – a feisty, witty woman who speaks her mind. And she’s got the same first name as me so I can melt when Mr Darcy says, “Dearest, loveliest Elizabeth”. Sigh! 

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Writers are prone to alcoholism, depression and suicide so don’t do it. But, okay, if you’re mad enough not to be put off by this then you’ve probably got writing potential so here goes. 

Write a good book. If it’s fiction try to get an agent before approaching publishers. Don’t be put off by rejections, they happen to all of us at times, and keep your fingers and toes crossed. While you’re waiting, write another good book. . . 

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve just finished reading Before I Die by Jenny Downham. It’s one of the most moving stories I’ve ever read but so intense I needed time to recover afterwards. No time to read right now but I’m looking forward to Marian Keyes latest This Charming Man when I’m not so busy.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’m just putting the finishing touches to a Kelly Ann prequel of my Desperate Love Diary. Prequels are very tricky to write but, hey, they worked for Star Wars so I hope Kelly Ann fans will enjoy this. 

Do you have a theme song?

(I've Had) The Time of My Life – from Dirty Dancing. 

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Would adults enjoy reading your teenage romantic comedy books?

Absolutely, there is a lot of humour in these for grown ups so grab a copy from your wee sister or daughter and have a laugh.

Thanks, Liz!

Posted by Aigua Media on June 25, 2008 in Interviews, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 18, 2008 11:11 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Marcia Preston

US author Marcia Preston's debut novel, The Butterfly House, was a huge seller and her new book, West of the Wall, was published last month and sounds amazing (although I won't be able to read it - as you'll see from the answer to the first question). 

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A devoted young mother is separated from her baby by the Berlin Wall.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I often get ideas or snippets of dialogue while on road trips when my husband is driving. I scribble them in a little notebook as the scenery flashes past. But for the sustained work I love my comfy office, where I have four lovely windows, my computer and a coffee warmer.

Your favourite book?

I couldn't possibly name just one. So I'll narrow it to living authors, and several books I wish I'd written:

The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood
The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
Sometimes a Great Notion, by Ken Kesey
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard
Eats, Shoots and Leaves, by Lynne Truss

Your favourite female heroine and why?

I have to say Lenora Jaines, from The Butterfly House. I realize that may sound self-serving, but truly it's because Lenora sprang full-blown into my head and I lived with her for seven years while writing the book. She lives in my head still, because she's the kind of self-actualized and slightly mysterious woman I'd like to be.

Other favorites would be Dagny Taggart, from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and Taylor Greer, from Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Practice, practice, practice, and never never never give up.

What are you reading at the moment?

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. And a whole stack of other fiction for a contest I'm helping to judge.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I'm working on a book set in my native Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. The story takes place on a wind farm and cattle ranch. It's about a woman's devotion to the land and what's left of her family, and the ways people are affected by the loneliness of such an isolated environment.

Do you have a theme song?

If I did, it would probably be Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time. It contains a line about a woman who's "scared she'll run out of time."

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Well, no one's ever asked me if I'd like to come stay at their villa overlooking the sea while I write my next book -- and the answer is YES!

Thanks, Marcia.

Posted by Aigua Media on June 18, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 11, 2008 12:10 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jess Riley

Jess Riley's debut, Driving Sideways, is getting raves everywhere - not least from Jen Lancaster and, on the book's cover, Marian Keyes! Jess answers our questions below.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A kidney transplant gives a young woman the courage to take a life-changing cross-country roadtrip. 

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I write at home, tucked into a cluttered office near my living room. But I may break down and start writing in a coffee shop soon, if only to get me showered and out of the house when I’m deep into a project.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I love Children of God Go Bowling by Shannon Olson—Shannon is a fellow Midwesterner, and such a talented, funny writer. If I lived in her neighborhood, I might stalk her.

Just kidding, Shannon.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I love quirky and edgy with a little smart, sick humor tossed in for flavor, so I’m going to go with Jennifer Belle’s Rebekah Kettle from Little Stalker.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Write daily, read daily, always work to improve your craft, support and befriend other authors, and write for yourself first. If you write, you are a writer whether or not you become published. Being published, I’m learning, is a whole different animal altogether. 

What are you reading at the moment?

My stack of books-to-read is fairly formidable. Some that I can’t wait to get back into include Julie Buxbaum’s The Opposite of Love, Jen Lancaster’s Such a Pretty Fat, and Emily Giffin’s Love the One You’re With. I just finished Suzanne Finnamore’s Split: A Memoir of Divorce and loved it so much I immediately wanted to reread it.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My current novel-in-progress is a story set in a medium-security men’s prison, told through the points of view of two people who work there: a social worker in a wheelchair and the teacher he falls for. Essentially, it examines how you rebuild your life after one of the worst kinds of romantic betrayals imaginable, with plenty of the same warped humor that found its way into Driving Sideways. I worked as a teaching assistant in a prison in college, and my parents actually ‘met’ while both working in the same prison. So, you could say it’s the family business. (Although now my Dad is an English professor.)

Do you have a theme song?

You know, I never really thought about it. So I’m going to go with, “Carry on my Wayward Son” by Kansas, because I love those cheesy, larger-than-life power ballads from the seventies. 

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

This is tough! But I like this one: “Is being published anything like you thought it would be?”

And that answer is this: Not at all! Nothing, nothing, nothing at all like my pre-pub perception. The worst part is that initial feeling of vulnerability (the ‘naked in a grocery store’ feeling), just after the book is released, when you know people you’ve never met are reading it. When you know your grandmother is reading the line about the guy whose boy part is the size and shape of a baby carrot, and then you read something beautiful and amazing from another author and think, OhmygodI’llneverbethisgoodwhydoIevenbother. This is the time when you kind of want to hide in a large box and never write again. But then you do write again, because you are addicted to it. And gradually the clouds part and you feel great: Hey, you have a book out! You never thought you’d EVER get to this point! And you imagine Eddie Murphy saying to you, “Have a Coke and a smile and shut the f—up!”

The best part is getting emails from those people you’ve never met, in which they tell you (hopefully) how much they enjoyed it, how it reflected their lives or affected them. I only recently started emailing authors I love to tell them how much I adore their work, and I don’t know why it took me so long.

Thanks, Jess!

Posted by Keris on June 11, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 28, 2008 1:39 PM

Jackie Collins on chick lit

Jackie Collins is a legend. So when I was given the chance to ask her a question to be answered on video, I leaped at it. What did I ask? "What do you think of chick lit?" of course. And her answer is ... well, see for yourself (and please leave a comment - I'd love to know what you think!).

Posted by Aigua Media on May 28, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

May 7, 2008 10:24 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Tracy Culleton

Tracy Culleton has not only written three novels, she's a writer's mentor, runs writing holidays and has written a book about using EFT to cure writer's block. And she's answered our questions!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

More Than Friends: Sally lost her heart to Chris, but is she now losing her mind?

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

On the sofa snuggled up. I do have a desk but somehow the laptop's always in the sitting room. I often write with one of my favourite musicals on the telly while I write: Evita, Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. I'm not sure this is cool, but it's how it is.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Daughter of Lir by Diane Norman.  A wonderfully written, funny and stirring, story of a woman in Ireland during Norman times, and her struggle for autonomy.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Finn from Daughter of Lir. And of course, gotta love Scarlett O'Hara. Both of these are women living life on their own terms even when it's difficult and society wants them to submit and conform.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

To check out my website www.fiction-writers-mentor.com, which is (though it's me wot sez it) a treasure trove of information for writers. I'm sharing everything I know about writing.

What are you reading at the moment?

What with doing my website, writing my own novel and home-schooling my son, along with a couple of other projects, I haven't had time to read any fiction. Sad but true.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

A book provisionally called The Speed of Darkness, all about family secrets. A theme I've always enjoyed reading, but one which I have never written about before.

Do you have a theme song?

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Jefferson Starship.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Q: What's the best thing about writing?

A: Being God. The Power! But seriously, the sheer pleasure of creating something from nothing; of getting characters and plots and situations and story out of the recesses of my creativity - stuff that's a total surprise to me and I didn't realise I was thinking it.

Thanks, Tracy!

Posted by Aigua Media on May 7, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008 10:21 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Luisa Plaja

Luisa Plaja is probably my best writer buddy. I love her and I love her first book, Split by a Kiss (but not just because I love her, because it's brilliant), so it was only a matter of time before I had to interview her, wasn't it? Well, that time is now!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Brit kisses super-hot American boy and splits into two girls: one cool, one not.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Anywhere interruption-free, which is more a matter of timing (ie, children asleep!) than location.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Grown-up chick lit: Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes.

Young Grown-up chick lit: oooh, tough, so very very tough. It's a tie between Becoming Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty, Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart and Hadley by Sarra Manning. (And Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning... but maybe I rate being made to laugh more highly than being made to cry!) And Devilish by Maureen Johnson and A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone and What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones and anything by Helen Salter, Sara Hantz, Amanda Ashby, Keris Stainton... [*blush* - Keris] Oh, did you want me to single out one book? Aaargh, I can't do it!

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Mia Thermopolis. (I don't have to tell you which series she's from, do I?!) I admire the way she deals with everything life and princess-hood throws at her. Or maybe Shiraz Bailey Wood from Grace Dent's Diary of a Chav series - she's so wonderfully big-hearted. Or maybe... OK, I'll stop, but again, I can't choose just one!

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

1. Enjoy it! Writing is fun, not torture. Honestly. Mostly.

2. Try NaNoWriMo.

3. Be pretentious about it. Example: Pose with a notebook in a soft play area, exclaiming, "Aha!" and scribbling intermittently while those around you hit you with colourful plastic balls.

What are you reading at the moment?

The fourth in Sarra Manning's Fashionistas series (oops - nearly wrote 'Trashionistas' there!) It's called Candy and it's fantastic, just like the previous three books.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

Book Two, also for teenagers, and loosely inspired by this site.

And several other ideas, especially a first draft I've written whose characters won't leave me alone. (See point 3 above.)

Do you have a theme song?

I've had a different theme song for each book I've worked on but they're either too embarrassing or too obscure to mention!

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

I think I've been asked all the best questions! My favourites so far (oh! apart from these, crawlie crawl crawl!) have been, "Can you ice skate?" which actually has an interesting and not strictly yes/no answer and Pink World's question about the Split by a Kiss soundtrack - I'd been dying for someone to ask me that.

Um, OK... How about: What's your favourite book review site? Answer: It's a tie between Trashionista (so cool), Chicklish (so teen, and so, um, me) and Vulpes Libris (so mind-expanding). :)

Thanks, Luisa! Did I mention that I love you?

Posted by Aigua Media on April 30, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 23, 2008 11:02 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Heather and Rose

Twins! Who've written a book together! They're Heather and Rose MacDowell, their book is called Turning Tables and I'll be reviewing it soon!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Heather and Rose:  Manhattanite loses marketing job, gets waitressing position at demanding, high-end restaurant. Disaster and love ensue!

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Heather: At a laptop in my tiny home office and on the couch next to my cat.

Rose: In an alcove off my living room.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Heather and Rose: Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser – witty, fun love story, great recipes!

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Heather and Rose: The unnamed narrator in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. She’s someone every woman can relate to, thrown into wonderful and terrifying circumstances. You don’t just read about her, you feel like you’re actually experiencing her life at the mysterious Manderley.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Heather and Rose: Read a lot, choose a topic you know and care about, and write and revise until you can’t stand it anymore!

What are you reading at the moment?

Heather: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls for my book club.

Rose: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella    

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

Heather and Rose: A novel involving Rachel, the friend of our main character in Turning Tables. Rachel is hired by an extremely wealthy family to take care of their pampered dog while they’re away. She promptly loses him in the middle of Manhattan!   

Do you have a theme song?

Heather and Rose: Any song by Astrud Gilberto 

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Question: Have either one of you ever had sex in a restaurant during a dinner shift like your main character in Turning Tables?

Heather and Rose: No comment.

Thanks, Heather and Rose!

Posted by Keris on April 23, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 16, 2008 11:03 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

I loved Wendy Nelson Tokunaga's debut, Midori By Moonlight and can't wait to read her next book. She answers our questions below.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Fresh from Japan Midori gets lost in translation in San Francisco searching for her American dream.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I write in my home office on the computer but I often print out what I write and then take off to a coffee house to edit on paper what I have written.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Keep practicing your craft and share your writing with supportive readers who know what they’re talking about and can give you spot-on constructive criticism.

What are you reading at the moment?

I just finished Run River by Joan Didion.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I just completed my second manuscript, and here is the blurb I wrote for it:

After receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysteries, 33-year-old fledgling singer Celeste Duncan is off to Japan to search for a long, lost relative who could hold the key to the identity of the father she never knew. Lost in translation, she stumbles head first into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems; a land of gaijin worshippers, karaoke boxes, sushi fortune tellers, and unbearably perky TV stars. But when she learns to sing a Japanese song called “The Wishing Star” Celeste finds herself on a path to finding real love, understanding the true meaning of family and, most of all, discovering her own voice.

Do you have a theme song?

Well, I do have favorite songs that change about every month and my current one is “Some Kinda Rush” by Bootyluv.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been?

What is your favorite sushi?
Ikura nigiri.

Thanks, Wendy!

Posted by Aigua Media on April 16, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2008 12:01 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW SPECIAL: Jennifer Weiner

I am thrilled to be featuring an interview with one of our favourite authors, Jennifer Weiner! She really needs no more introduction so I'll just launch straight in!

I loved Certain Girls, but I found it quite different to your other books. (It reminded me more of Elizabeth Berg - who I also love - than of any chick lit authors.) What made you decide to write a follow-up to Good In Bed and did you intentionally make it less "chick lit"?

First of all, I’m glad you liked the book. In terms of the book feeling different, that’s very interesting, and possibly birthday-related…I turn thirty-eight and I stop sounding like Sophie Kinsella and start sounding like Elizabeth Berg. God only knows who I’ll morph into by my next birthday. Maeve Binchy, anyone?

Anyhow. I always knew I wanted to come back to Cannie’s story, and I always knew that I wanted to pick it up at some point other than “it’s six weeks after we last left her.” I wanted to see her at a different moment in her life, and see her through different eyes – namely, her daughter’s, a character who is entirely unimpressed with and unamused by her Mom.

In terms of “is this book chick lit,” I’m not sure I’m the best one to answer that, or that I can say for sure that the book is anything other than a Jennifer Weiner book.

Personally, I tend to think that what makes chick lit chick lit is the voice and the tone, as opposed to the subject matter. I never try to intentionally make my books more or less anything, because I am entirely convinced that it’s a fool’s errand: what books get called or how they get reviewed or classified or sold in bookstores is entirely out of the author’s hands and has more to do with the cover, the publicity pitch, the marketing team and the booksellers. So instead of fretting about what my books are going to get called, how they’ll be viewed, where they’ll be shelved, I just try to write the best books I can. Sometimes they’ll be about single girls looking for love, sometimes they’ll be about married mothers looking for a good night’s sleep, and maybe someday I’ll attempt a book from a guy’s perspective.

As in Good In Bed, I was confused by the name "Maxi Ryder" as I feel confident you would expect readers to immediately think the character is based on Minnie Driver. Was that really your intention and, if so, why?

I think the character kind of works as a spoof of a certain type of late-90’s Hollywood starlet whether or not you associate her with Minnie Driver, although I thought the my-boyfriend-dumped-me-on-Oprah was a pretty big clue. Or maybe I’m the only one who has incredibly detailed and vivid memories of how Matt Damon did that do her, back in the 1990’s?

Anyhow. Yes, Maxi was Minnie, who I was supposed to interview long ago. I never got to meet her (her publicist summarily cancelled our appointment after I declined to take an oath in blood that I wouldn’t ask her about Matt), but every time I read about her now, I smile.

There are very few novels by and for women which feature an overweight character who doesn't lose the weight and become happy. But Cannie has pretty good self-esteem to start with. Was it a conscious decision to write her that way?

It absolutely was a conscious decision to write about a quote-unquote larger woman who has some self-doubt and insecurity but also knows that she’s funny, smart and desirable to at least a small segment of American men. I got so fed up (pun intended) with reading about or seeing plus-size women who were either the sassy sidekick, the tragic best friend, or had to magically drop a hundred and six pounds before they got their happy endings. Cannie was very much a deliberate response to those characters, as was the title: I loved calling the book GOOD IN BED and having a pair of big, curvy legs on the cover!

It also makes me really happy that GOOD IN BED made the world safe, in some small way, for other writers to have bigger-than-a-breadbox protagonists in their own books.

Do you think the media representation of overweight women has got worse or better between Good In Bed and Certain Girls?

I think it’s one step forward, two steps back. For every “Ugly Betty,” where there’s a character who looks at least closer to someone you might actually know, there’s a show where every single person, including the quote-unquote quirky best friend looks like she just stepped off the runway. And there’s the continued plague of movies and TV shows in which the average-to-schlubby guy is paired with a hotter-than-hot young thang, and we’re all supposed to accept this without question or protest.

As my blog readers know, I’m a reality-TV junkie, but even reality TV can break a big girl’s heart. The plus-size girls on “America’s Next Top Model” are maybe all of a size ten, and there’s rarely anyone who doesn’t look like she could be a model on the other reality shows, even the ones where looks aren’t supposed to be the point.

I hope that my books are part of the solution. I hope that my willingness to be photographed without hiding behind large kitchen appliances is, too. But it’s a deeply entrenched problem that’s generating a lot of money for a lot of different industries (where would the plastic surgery/diet pill peddlers be if women actually felt good about themselves?), so it won’t disappear overnight.

I wanted to ask you if you'd heard from Curtis Sittenfeld after your hilarious commentary on her review of Melissa Bank's The Wonder Spot, but then I noticed you thank her for reading Certain Girls in the acknowledgments. Would you mind telling us a bit more about how that came about?

Curtis asked me to participate in a LITPAC event, for which I give her a world of credit, because it must have taken a lot of guts for her to invite me (I wonder if she expected her keyboard to explode into hot-pink flames. We talked at the event, and after, and while there are things that we agree to disagree about on the chick lit/literary fiction debate, there are things we agree on as well…and we’ve both had some of the same strange, weird, awkward, funny experiences that go along with sending that first book out into the world. And now I have a writer friend, which is cool. She was kind enough to read a draft of CERTAIN GIRLS and give me some notes that I found incredibly helpful, and I read her forthcoming novel, and suggested that she send all of the characters shoe-shopping at least once (kidding!)

When I was reading In Her Shoes, I seriously considered taking a sick day, I was enjoying it so much (that was before I read books for a living!). Will you ever return to Rose and Maggie?

Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked it. In terms of a sequel, maybe someday. I never say never.

Marian Keyes think women writers should reclaim the phrase "chick lit", that it should be a badge of honour - do you agree?

I think there are writers who already see it as a badge of honor…for instance, imprints like Red Dress Ink and Strapless and The Five Spot publish books that are unabashedly, unapologetically chick lit: they make no excuses, offer no apologies, and readers know exactly what they’re getting in terms of the breezy tone, the romantic complications, the flawed-but-lovable heroine and the happy ending. The fact that places like the New York Times are always going to use “chick lit” as an insult matters not a whit to those publishers, those authors, and, most importantly, the readers who love their books.

What new writers do you like?

In the chick lit genre, I’m a fan of Johanna Edwards, Liza Palmer and Beth Harbison. I like Jonathan Tropper’s books a lot, and Kavita Daswani’s, especially THE VILLAGE BRIDE OF BEVERLY HILLS. I love love love Marc Acito (“How I Paid for College” and the forthcoming “Attack of the Theater People.”)

Your favourite chick lit book?

"Bridget Jones’s Diary" is, of course, the modern classic, but I also love Suzanne Finnamore’s “Otherwise Engaged” and Laura Zigman’s “Animal Husbandry,” which were both early chick lit books that I read back when I was young and single, and colored my hair because I wanted to, not because I had to…and when I’m kicking it old-school, I love to recommend “Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York.”

What are you working on next?

I’m playing around with a few different things: one is a novel, the other’s non-fiction. We shall see. Honestly, the thing I’m working on now is a party for my new daughter’s Hebrew naming ceremony. It’s on Saturday. We rented a bouncy castle. Good times!

Do you have a theme song?

Doesn’t everyone? But mine changes a lot. Sometimes it’s “Every Day I Write the Book,” or “If They Asked Me (I Could Write a Book).” Sometimes it’s “Welcome to the Jungle.”

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Hmm. At this point, I think I’ve been asked pretty much everything. The other day, someone asked whether I was a celebrity at my synagogue. At first I was like, “No! Absolutely not! People treat me just like everyone else!” But then I thought about it and realized that it isn’t true. My daughter Lucy has these spectacular Shirley Temple ringlets (as opposed to my new baby, Phoebe, who is basically bald). Lucy went to preschool at the synagogue, so I actually am famous there, as the mother of the girl with the curly hair.

Thanks, Jennifer!

(And thanks to former co-editor Diane for additional questions.)

Posted by Keris on April 11, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (18)

April 9, 2008 11:26 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sarah Stovell

Trashionista's Sarah Painter loved Sarah Stovell's Mothernight, calling it a "startlingly accomplished ... page-turner with soul". Now Sarah (Stovell, not Painter!) answers our questions...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A child is accused of murdering her baby half-brother and sent away from home.  Now 17, she’s returning to her family for the first time.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

In bed, on my shiny pink laptop.

Do you have a favourite book and/or author?

My favourite book is Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Your favourite fictional heroine?

Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights)

The details in Mothernight ring very true: Did you do a lot of research?

Yes.  I didn’t go to boarding school, and as a considerable chunk of the novel is set in one, I had to find out lots of detail to make it convincing.  I even phoned Roedean and pretended I was a parent thinking of sending my daughter there.  They invited me for a tour of the school, but as I was only 27 at the time and exuding writerly poverty, I thought I might not be convincing. 

I also did a lot of research into grief, particularly parental grief.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Have faith in what you’re doing, and keep going.

What are you reading at the moment?

An unpublished manuscript by a friend.  (It won’t be unpublished for long!)

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My second novel.  It’s set in 1849 and is the story of a girl who is kidnapped from her native Africa, taken to the USA and sold to a Missouri farmer.  The novel opens at the end of the story – she is in prison, waiting to be hanged, as she has been convicted of murdering her master.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Is Mothernight autobiographical?

No one has asked me this in an interview, but other people ask me all the time.  The answer is No, it’s not.  I have never killed a baby.

Thanks, Sarah. And, um, glad to hear it!

Posted by Keris on April 9, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 2, 2008 10:26 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Carrie & Danielle

If you've been reading Trashionista for a while, you may have picked up on the fact that I have a somewhat obsessive personality. When I discover a book or author I love I become kind of evangelical about it and won't rest until everyone shares my opinion (bend to my will!). One such obsession is Carrie & Danielle's Style Statement.

I discovered the company a while ago, began reading their Friday Focus emails and have been waiting impatiently for the Style Statement book. Well, it's out in less than a month (1 May) and not only have Carrie and Danielle answered our questions, they've given us a copy to give away.

Carry on over the cut for the interview and your chance to win a copy.

The Style Statement is such a fabulous idea. How did you come up with it?

Thanks! Carrie was an interior designer and wanted to create a more meaningful approach to designing people's homes; design based on authenticity rather than dictatorship. So she began Style Statement as a simple questionnaire about what people loved in their living space. The process has since evolved into a deep and playful inquiry that covers every area of life-from your living room to your relationships, your career and your wellness plan!

How have your own Style Statements made a different in your life?

Carrie: My Style Statement is Refined Treasure, and it is my compass in everything I do. It reminds me to Treasure myself, my body, my time, and the people around me. It's a great filter for how I shop and what I bring into my home...and my whole life. The focus of it creates so much ease for me.

Danielle: I'm Sacred Dramatic. Style Statement works on the 80/20 principle: the first word represents your 80%, your foundation, the 2nd words is the 20%---your creative edge. In this way, mine really helps me to bring all of me to what I do-to embrace my contradictions. Things have got to be meaningful and impactful. I'm and introvert who feels at home on stage, a soul-seeking philosopher who loves trashy magazines and disco.

What can we expect from the book? Are readers going to be able to define our own Style Statements?

Yes! The book, Style Statement Live By Your Own Design, is a Discover-It-Yourself process. Guided by our Life Style Map, you'll ask yourself questions you've never asked yourself before. This is the place where you get to consider your choices in shoes, lovers, and careers!

Everything matters when you're taking your authentic self into consideration. You'll see patterns in what's working and not working for you in your wardrobe and your life at large, and with our Style Vocabulary as a jumping off point, you'll distill all of that down the two words that most meaningfully describe your genuine self. The book is an experience - a chance to define yourself on your own terms.

And...it's simply GORGEOUS!

Can you tell me more about your forthcoming e-magazine, CARRIE & DANIELLE?

Our e-magazine, www.CarrieandDanielle.com (launching in April) is really unique in that it's going to be an interactive newsletter. So, while we're offering inspiration and recommendations on everything from everyday Buddhism to eco-friendly jeans, we'll also be asking our subscribers what they recommend and desire and what inspires them. Of course, this is the beginning of an incredibly cool social site...watch out!

Do you get a chance to read? What are you reading at the moment?

Carrie: Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose is possibly the best book I've ever read. It's all about the space to "be." It's a lovely clear message - Accept Awake Aware - and I can feel myself expanding with it. I'm impressed that Oprah has created the seminar series (I just signed up). I want Eckhart to be my new best friend!

Danielle: Magazines are like an essential food group to me, and with all of the action around our book and new site launch, mags are where it's at for me this season. My essentials: Dwell, Fast Company and Inc., O, and Marie Claire can be smart. A friend just gave me Abigail Thomas' A Three Dog Life - it's waiting for my next holiday.

Who is your favourite fictional heroine and are you able to define her Style Statement?

Danielle: My favourite fictional heroine...Scout Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. She was a little badass with a big heart and her daddy's integrity. Inspiring. As for her Style Statement...we never, ever dare to guess. Seriously.

Carrie: Nancy Drew - she's young, strong, independent and kind.

Do you have a theme song?

Carrie: "Let It Be" by the Beatles, but I absolutely love the version by Carol Woods from the film Across the Universe.

Danielle: it's a cross between Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and The Commodore's Brick House << owww! >

Thanks so much, Carrie and Danielle!

For the chance to win a copy of Style Statement (and I'd recommend it because it really is gorgeous), just email us at editor @ trashionista . com (remove spaces) with your name and address and the words "Style Statement" in the subject line. Closing date is 30 April and it's UK contestants only, I'm afraid (it's really heavy!).

(Don't worry, this isn't today's competition, there'll be another one - open to all - along later.)

Posted by Keris on April 2, 2008 in American Authors, Interviews, New Releases, Non Fiction, Self development | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 26, 2008 12:30 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Elise Chidley

Elise Chidley's debut The Wrong Sort of Wife? is getting rave reviews, so we were delighted to have her answer our questions:

Describe your book in 15 words or fewer?

Fairy-tale ending goes pear-shaped when motherhood wreaks havoc on Lizzie Buckley’s joie de vivre.

OR

Lizzie marries her prince, has twins—then wants to sleep for a hundred years!

Where do you like to write your books?

I used to write in a dismal attic surrounded by junk, so that the children wouldn’t bother me. They much preferred the sunny playroom complete with TV downstairs. We’ve moved house and there’s no attic, so now I write on my laptop, mostly lying on my bed, but sometimes sitting cross-legged watching my son at soccer practice, or even at the car wash. My dream is to write in Starbucks, but I never seem to manage to get there before the school bus brings the children home.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Catherine Alliott’s latest (A Crowded Marriage) made me laugh out loud. There’s an absolutely hysterical  scene where the heroine raises a false alarm about foot-and-mouth disease. Her portrayal of motherhood in the book is both touching and hilarious.

Your favourite female heroine and why?

I love Bridget Jones for charming us with her imperfections.

Tips for readers who may want to become writers?

Be prepared to work hard when you don’t feel inspired. Inspiration often comes after you’ve picked up your pen and paper, or opened your Word file. Try to make constructive use of any rejections you receive; the comments of a rejecting agent are often priceless in helping you edit your work. If you don’t get any useful feedback, send your manuscript to an objective third party such as The Literary Consultancy. Above all, if you think you have talent, don’t give up.

What are you reading at the moment?

At the moment I’m reading Josie Smith in Spring by Madgalen Nabb with my eight-year-old daughter. When I’m in the middle of writing something, I find that reading anything in the same genre is too distracting. 

What are you working on now?

I’ve nearly completed my second novel, which is about a woman who has to morph from busy publisher into stay-at-home mum when she marries a widower with a young daughter. A bit like I Don’t Know How She Does It in reverse.

Do you have a theme song?

My husband says it’s Irving Berlin’s “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning.”

Thanks, Elise!

Posted by Keris on March 26, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 20, 2008 10:59 AM

Why chick lit authors love Lizzie Bennet

In our weekly interview, we always ask authors to name their favourite heroine. Some say Bridget Jones, others Jane Eyre, one even chose her own granny, but the most common response by a long chalk is Pride & Prejudice's Lizzie Bennet.

"I'm sure that I am in no way alone in this choice," said Zoe Rice, perceptively, "but my favorite will always be the very first chick-lit heroine: the feisty, intelligent, warm-hearted, and witty Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice."

Glossing over Jane Green's answer - "I feel like I ought to say someone like Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, but that feels horribly pretentious" - I thought I'd take a look at the reasons the authors give for loving Miss Bennet.   

Tanya Lee Stone: Because she's strong and stubborn, speaks her mind, follows her heart, and is brave - including, brave enough to swallow her pride when she is wrong and right things properly.

Laura Ruby: It's her wit and generosity that make her beautiful. After the book was published, Jane Austen herself said, "I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know."

Polly Williams: Her intelligence, wit and withering asides.

Lorelei Mathias: She knows her own mind, and she doesn't give up on things.

Libby Street: She is confident and smart, but willing to recognize that she has faults. I want to be just like her.

Other Elizabeth fans include Sarah Webb, Gil McNeil, Shannon Hale, Sarah Bilston, Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

If you too love Elizabeth Bennet, tell us why. (And if you can't stand her, we'd love to hear about that as well!)

Posted by Keris on March 20, 2008 in Classic Novels, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Lee Harrington

I loved Lee Harrington's memoir, Rex and the City and Lee did this interview ages ago, but I haven't had a chance to put it up until now. I know I seem to be saying this more and more, but it's a good thing, really - it's because so many authors want to answer our questions. No really! They're clamouring! Anyway, back to Lee...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A witty city memoir about adopting an abused spaniel that has been called "The ‘Sex and the City’ for the dog set."

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I do my best writing at Starbucks in Soho in New York City. Something about the lethal strength of their French roast coffee, combined with the presence of so many artists, writers, trendsters, and hipsters, really gets my writer-brain whirring. 

When I am upstate (I live part time in Woodstock, NY and part time in New York City), I write in a gorgeous office with huge windows facing pine trees, birch trees, elms and oaks, and a well-landscaped lawn that slopes down toward a little swimming hole. (Well, it used to be a swimming hole; now it’s more of a frog pond).

This is quite different from Starbucks in Soho, needless to say, and the writing I do in this space is softer and more languid. 

Oddly enough, I always have to be facing south when I write. No matter where I am. It has something to do with the energies of the planet, I think, or the polarities or something. I’m no scientist, but I would advise anyone who is interested in writing to face South!   

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I still think Jane Austen writes the best chick-lit out there, especially because her heroines are plain and bookish, and yet they always get to marry wealthy, titled, English lords who love their heroines for their wit and brains.  Beauty, in Jane Austen’s world, is secondary. I think women really respond to that, because even the greatest beauties among us are still convinced we have some hideous physical flaw. Austen leads us to believe that goodness is the most essential quality—in men as well as women. And who doesn’t lust after good, rich Mr. Darcy??

I also often cite Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City as a seminal chick lit book for me. I was lucky enough to have been living in NYC when Candace was a columnist for the New York Observer.  (Her first book was a collection of these columns). She has a wacky, cunning sense of humor, that Candace. And her columns were full of what the eventual TV series is famous for: a focus on food, friends, fashion, and useless men.  What I loved about Candace’s writing is her eye for detail, and, again, that wacky humor that often only a real New Yorker will get. And I loved that all of the “characters” she wrote about in that column (who were real) were so matter-of-factly and unapologetically shallow. New York is full of shallow people—crammed with them, as a matter of fact. But Candace was one of the first trendsters to admit that.

In fact, I loved this notion—of the unapologetically shallow narrator—so much that I decided to mimic it in my own book, REX AND THE CITY. That’s why we chose that title, after all. It’s sort of an homage to Candace.   

When I first adopted my dog, I was a completely shallow, money-hungry, clothes-and-status obsessed city chic.  I was so shallow I didn’t even realize I was shallow. If you’re a dog person, you’re going to understand how my dog cured me of all that. If you’re not, well, read the book anyway and see!

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I love Bridget Jones. I wish I could be more like her, but I don’t smoke or drink (all that much). I also love Elizabeth Bennett and Jane Eyre, but you better believe I would never have left Mr. Rochester the way she did. And I love Carrie Bradshaw, for aforementioned reasons.  I love how she used to date men she didn’t like just so that she could spend the summer at their Hamptons beach houses (and meet other men at parties)!

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

You’re asking a writer who secretly wants to be a rock star! Can anyone out there tell me how to become a rock star?

But seriously, I’ve always like the maxim: “Success is 10% talent and 90% applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” If you want to be a writer, sit down and write. I hate to be simplistic, but now that I am approaching Middle Age, I am encouraging people to just sit down and do what you say you want to do. That’s why I am forming a rock band called MidLife Crisis.

What are you reading at the moment?

I actually just re-read Jane Eyre! It’s a good hole-up-by-the-fire-in-the-winter book. Right now, in the States, PBS is airing all sorts of programs based-on-popular-Victorian-romance-novels. This month Masterpiece Theater is doing a different Jane Austen novel every week. They must know that, in winter, in New England, everyone wants to shoot him/herself because of the darkness and the cold, and that the only thing that can cheer us up is to watch period pieces set in Great Britain. 

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’m working on a literary novel called NOTHING KEEPS A FRENCHMAN FROM HIS LUNCH. Well, I’m calling it literary but the plot is definitely chick lit! It’s about a jilted woman—her lover breaks up with her on page one—who decides at the spur of the moment to move to the South of France, hoping that he’ll follow her and beg her to come back. Instead, he moves in with another woman; leaving Gayle, my main character, stranded in France. She decides to stay there, and befriends a bunch of kooky British ex-pats, and has her fair share of affairs, shenanigans, etc.  She meets a good man, a bad man, and a very old man, and ultimately has to choose among the three. Blah blah blah. See, I’ve already said too much--

Goodness, books sound so stupid when you try to describe them. This is why a lot of writers choose to say nothing until the book is done. NOTHING KEEPS A FRENCHMAN FROM HIS LUNCH also includes lots of sex, attempts at lucid dreaming and astral projection, lots of food and wine (it’s set in France after all), and trips on yachts with gorgeous male triathletes, none of whom Gayle sleeps with.   

Do you have a theme song?

I love this question! No one has ever asked me that before! I have at least a hundred theme songs, for the hundred different moods I can cycle through in a month (or sometimes all in one day if I have PMS.) Two musicians have also written songs about me, but I cannot disclose the bands or the song titles, for the sake of preserving my reputation.  Today, this minute, my theme song is “Celebration” by Led Zeppelin. 

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Q: What’s it like being married to Viggo Mortensen?

A: I’ll never tell. :)

Thanks, Lee!

Posted by Keris on March 20, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2008 12:06 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Tanya Lee Stone

After choosing A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl as one of my favourite books of 2007, I was supposed to run this interview in early 2008 ... March is still early isn't it? Anyway, my tardiness means that I can use this interview as an excuse to show you the new, beautiful cover, of Tanya Lee Stone's fabulous book, which is out in the UK next month! There! Now over to Tanya...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

I can do it in 9: Three girls. One guy. Who comes out on top?

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I go back and forth between my favorite chair and my bed, pretty much always working on a laptop.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I'm not positive it's categorized as chick lit, but I love Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, of course! Because she's strong and stubborn, speaks her mind, follows her heart, and is brave--including, brave enough to swallow her pride when she is wrong and right things properly.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

It's a bit cliche, but I truly believe that it is quite difficult to write in any particular genre until you are very well read in it. I would say read at least 100 books of the type you intend to write. The other piece of advice is to have a trusted reader or two who can read your best draft and not be afraid to point out its flaws as well as its strengths.

What are you reading at the moment?

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I am revising a YA novel, which I hope to finish this week, and just putting the finishing touches on a picture book.

Do you have a theme song?

No, I don't, but I'm becoming increasingly aware of the fact that I should! Any suggestions?

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

I adore this question because it invites me to be bad. I have never been asked: "To where shall I address these chocolates?" The answer would be most forthcoming!

Thanks, Tanya!

Posted by Keris on March 12, 2008 in Interviews, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 5, 2008 12:06 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Heather McElhatton

When I asked for reader recommendations way back at the end of last year, one name kept coming up and that was Heather McElhatton's Pretty Little Mistakes. I'm reading it at the moment and it's a mind-boggling achievement. Heather answers our questions below.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

It's a choose-your-own-adventure book with over 150 different endings.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Where I like to write changes almost every day. I really have to just go with what I feel like. I have a lovely desk with an expensive chair and fantastic lighting, but some days I walk into my office and I think to myself "It's not here."

I don't know exactly what "It" is, maybe it's something like "the current," or "the muse," or "the beat?" Anyway, some days I crawl right back into bed with my laptop and write there. Other days I go to a coffee shop and a few times I've actually sat in my empty bathtub. It's one of those old clawfoot ones with high sides that come up to your ears. I like how quiet it is in there.  (I'm so embarrassed to admit this, but I really want to encourage any writers out there to do whatever it takes to write, including weird stuff!)

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I still love Bridget Jones! Also anything by Meg Cabot, Nora Ephron and Amy Sedaris.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I really love strong female characters that fight back. There are so many great female characters out there, but I think my all-time favorite female character hasn't been written yet. I want to see a woman who really kicks the world on it's head and takes over completely.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Write, no matter what it takes for you to do that. EVERY day. No exceptions. You musn't wait to be inspired or "feel" like writing, you must do it every day and learn to be really disciplined.

NO ONE is going to remind you or encourage you to write. In fact, lots of your friends, even close ones, will say things like "Come on, Let's go out. You can write later." They don't understand writing is your job, just like a job at an office. You must show up, you must be on time and you must get your work done if you expect it to pay off.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading and re-reading my current manuscript. Uck! When I'm hot on the trail of a book, I rarely have time to read anything else, which is a shame because I love reading and think it's essential for any writer to read lots and lots.

The last book I read though was Amy Sedaris' book "I like you: Hospitality Under The Influence." It's a hysterical cookbook that made cry laughing.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

HarperCollins called me with this really fantastic idea for a book called "Average American Female." It's a companion book to one that's already been published called "Average American Male," by Chad Kultgen.

Basically the entire book is one day in one woman's life. Jennifer Johnson. She works in a the marketing department of an mid-range department store in Des Moines. A store that has a "Plus-Size Prom Dress" section.

The book takes us through all the zillions of self-loathing overly-analytical thoughts lots of women put themselves through. She chases the wrong guy, worries about her looks, judges other women, and ends up sleeping around on the first date! She's essentially a satire, a portrait of the woman all of us should strive NOT to be. I'm having so much fun writing it.

Do you have a theme song?

Definitely. It's an oldie but a goodie. Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." I defy anyone to put that song on loud and not get happy!

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Well, you could ask me what gets me through a "bad" writing day, and the answer to that would be my ridiculous adorable pug, Walter.

He distracts me by doing goofy things and demanding walks and treats.

Lots of days when I just don't want to get up, Walter licks my face and harrasses me until I do. I just love him. He even has a blog at www.walterthepug.blogspot.com which I work on when I'm really procrastinating.

I think most writers have a "familiar," a pet or animal or creature that stays with them even when they aren't fit for human company, which for me, is often.

Thanks, Heather!

Posted by Keris on March 5, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 27, 2008 4:47 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Pauline McLynn

Pauline McLynn is probably still best known as the fabulous Mrs Doyle in the much-missed Father Ted, but she's also a best-selling author. A review of her latest novel, Bright Lights and Promises, is coming soon. In the meantime here's an interview!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

What happens when you lie for a living, can't control your son and your mother comes to live (18 words and it doesn't BEGIN to cover it!!).

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I am currently stuck to the kitchen table where I can spread out - we have been having dinner on our laps for months now...

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Anything by Marian Keyes

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Scarlett O'Hara - indomitable spirit, gorgeous and a great dress sense.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become  writers?

Just do it, don't talk about it - there is no substitute for actually writing it down.

What are you reading at the moment?

My copious, scattered and sometimes illegible notes for my next novel - a painful experience.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

A novel about a woman with Alzheimers and her daughter

Do you have a theme song?

Depends on the day/mood/crisis that's in it

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

There are plenty of questions I could have been asked, I guess, whatever about should have, but I am glad they remain unspoken ... hope this makes me sound a little mysterious (though I am not).

Thanks, Pauline!

Posted by Keris on February 27, 2008 in Interviews, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 20, 2008 3:00 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Lesley Lokko

We're huge fans of Lesley Lokko's books here at Trashionista and here she is, answering our questions!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Three girls from very different backgrounds search for a place to call home.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

In my ‘office’ at home in Accra, overlooking the garden and the cashew-nut tree just outside my window. Bliss! Alternatively, in my study in Hackney, overlooking a fire station. 

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Does Lace count? Or is that pre-chick-lit? If not, anything by Marian Keyes.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

It’s got to be Hillela Capran in Nadine Gordimer’s novel, A Sport of Nature. I read it when I was in my early twenties and was absolutely taken by the story of a wayward beach girl who becomes a President’s wife, becoming so many things along the way…dancer, aid worker, revolutionary, lecturer…a real Renaissance woman, fearless in her choices. 

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Stick at it. Nothing compensates for hard work. 

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve got a fairly short attention span so I tend to read several things at once (though not simultaneously!). Next to my bed I’ve got Michael Ondaatje’s new novel, Divisadero, Madeleine Thien’s Certainty, The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies, Theft by Peter Carey and The Mitfords, a collection of letters between the six Mitford sisters … a lovely Christmas present.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

A novel about four brothers and the women they bring into a wealthy, middle-class English family … a couple of cats amongst the pigeons in there!

Do you have a theme song?

Er, no. 

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Q. What went through your mind when your father announced he’d just read your first novel?

A.  Horror. How on earth had I acquired such in-depth knowledge about the birds and the bees…?

Thanks, Lesley!

Posted by Keris on February 20, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 13, 2008 11:15 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Donna Storey

I read and loved Donna Storey's Amorous Woman a while ago and Donna was kind enough to answer our questions:

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Amorous Woman is about (start counting words here, please!):  a woman's love affair with Japan, rather like Memoirs of a Geisha with more sex.

Where do you like to write your books?

Mostly at my computer in my creatively untidy sun porch office, but key revisions happen on my sofa with a cup of cinnamon spice tea.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Mary McCarthy's The Group.  It's chick lit at its finest, which for me is like spending time with one of my best girlfriends - I laugh a lot, learn a lot about life and end up feeling understood.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Melanie Hamilton from Gone With the Wind.  We only know her through Scarlett's eyes, and she of course is too busy lusting after Ashley to see straight.  I know there are societies and foundations to rehabilitate Richard III's reputation.  I think we need one for Melanie, too.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Follow your passion.  If a writer finds her subject fascinating or uncanny or terrifying or touching, that excitement translates to the page and then to the reader.  Unlike orgasm, it's impossible to fake a compelling story.

What are you reading at the moment?

Pattie Boyd's memoir Wonderful Tonight.  Pattie was indeed one of the most beautiful birds of Britain in the glamorous 1960s, but her experiences as the main squeeze of rock's greatest talents weren't so pretty.

What are you working on now?

An erotic romance novel that is a peek through the bedroom keyhole of American history in the 20th century.  There's something sexy about more repressed times and I'll pay homage to Sally Rand, the famous 1930s burlesque dancer, Bettie Page and camera clubs in the 1950s, John Updike's spouse-swapping suburbia and lots more. [This sounds amazing! - Keris]

Do you have a theme song?

"When Am I Going to Make a Living" by Sade.  I'm definitely hungry, but I won't give in - most of the time.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

"Well, Storey-san, how does it feel to have been awarded a Medal of Honor from the government of Japan for your skillful adaptation of their erotic classic in your novel, Amorous Woman, and your extraordinary contribution to international understanding and good will?"

"It feels great, thanks."

Thanks, Donna!

Posted by Keris on February 13, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 7, 2008 1:28 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Kate Long

Kate Long's debut novel, The Bad Mother's Handbook, was not only a bestseller, it was also made into a TV drama starring Catherine Tate. Kate's latest book, The Daughter Game, is out at the beginning of next month.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Unhappily married teacher Anna forms an unhealthy attachment to a female pupil under her care.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)? 

At long last I have my own computer – no more waiting for sons to get off Bamzooki or husband to finish looking at kit cars on ebay – but I don’t have anything as grand as an office. I work at a desk in our front room, with guinea pigs frolicking round my feet.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I enjoyed The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus enormously. Blimey, how the other half live! And, for similar reasons, Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Esther Summerson in Dickens’ Bleak House. I read the book in my early twenties and found her simple goodness tremendously affecting; the scene where she looks for the first time at her scarred face is the one that sticks most in my memory. And it’s odd, because normally I like my heroines flawed and messy. I guess there’s something very strong about her: I don’t know how else to put it but to say she shines off the page.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read widely and for love; write every day, if you can; be cautious about showing your work too early as the wrong kind of critical reaction can be damaging. Try not to dwell too much on rejections because every writer gets them. Believe in yourself, and in your own voice.

What are you reading at the moment? 

A novel I’ve been sent for review, The Great North Road by Annabel Doré. I’m only a few pages in, but I know I’m going to love it. The way the narrator addresses the reader directly reminds me of Kate Atkinson, and I always love a story based round a family mystery.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

A novel about a fifty-something woman who’s denied access to her beloved grandson after a row with her daughter. The story follows the grandma’s fight to get her grandson back, and her efforts to heal the fractured relationship she’s always had with her daughter. In a sense it’s about how it is possible redeem the past, if we have the courage to confront our failings head-on.

Do you have a theme song?

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, without a doubt.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

I believe your other great passion is riparian wildlife. Tell us why you’re particularly interested in water voles, and what we can do to help these charming but endangered animals. 

(Answer here, if you’re inspired!)

Posted by Keris on February 7, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (6)

January 30, 2008 10:55 AM

BEST OF 2007 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Claire Allan

Claire Allan's debut, Rainy Days & Tuesdays was a big Trashi favourite (and one of Jill's best reads of 2007) so we had to interview her, didn't we?

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Slummy mummy cries a lot and then gets happy.  And