Novelicious.com | The Women's Fiction Blog for Readers and Writers

Novelicious Chats to... Bernadette Strachan

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One of our favourite interviews yet!

 
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

I so want to fib here, but I'll be honest. My average writing day involves far too much noodling about on the internet, far too much tea drinking, far too much Jeremy Kyle and far too much looking out of the window 'thinking'. Somehow, in amongst these various activities, I write. I take my daughter to school, then return to have breakfast and do what my Mum used to call 'putting the house to rights' i.e. make beds, beat cushions, throw things in the dishwasher. Then I settle down at my laptop. I have a study at the back of the house, tiny but pretty, and I'm usually in situ by 10 or thereabouts. I write all day. It's as simple as that. Some days I have to shop, or meet a friend, or go to town for publishing-y reasons, but mostly I just write and write and write. It's how a book gets done.


When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

I wouldn't call it inspiration, but I do tend to cast my male love interest in my head. In my latest book, Why Do We Have To Live With Men?, I fashioned Will in to a convincing copy of Matthew MacFadyen. The character of Hugo, an older, rakish man, had a look of Bill Nighy. In the book I'm working on now, the male lead isn't based on anybody famous. Having sunday lunch at my best friend's house the other day, I realised my male love interest was her husband, Steve. I went a bit red then confessed. He was flattered, I think. And just a little scared.


What is your favourite Irish Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

The Queen, nay Empress, of Irish fiction is Edna O'Brien. She manages to combine earthy poetry with compelling human characters who are frail and who fail and who inspire great love in the reader. The Country Girls is a mighty book, one that was famously burned in her home town. When I was younger I ran barefoot through all Maeve Binchy's work. She has such an easy, unruffled style that sometimes you forget the formidable intellect click clacking along beneath it. Marian Keyes is outrageously talented, I think, and a gifted natural storyteller. I can rely on her to make me laugh, which is my number one requirement of a human being, but I also admire her liberal stance on, well, just about everything. She's positive about being a woman, and I like that.
 

What is your writing process? Do you plan first of dive in? How many drafts do you do?

Even hearing the words 'dive in' makes me hyper ventilate. I plan, then I rewrite the plan, then I cry over the plan, swear at it and start another plan. When I'm happy with the plan, I create a 'Character Sheet' for each of the main characters, setting out in order all their plot points. I'm extremely disciplined about this, as I can only let rip within the confines of a sensible plan.
 

The Cover of THE MAKING OF US by Lisa Jewell

  I love it. Same style as Lisa's After The Party paperback and a definite move away from her usual chick lit-y covers

What do you think?

P.S You can read an exclusive extract of this novel here!

Dublin Spots Made Famous by Chick Lit Legends by Anne Clarke

BY ANNE CLARKE

Dublin is the perfect spot for book-loving girls to re-fabulize themselves. I should mention that I work for Tourism Ireland but I've been saying this for years before I started there!

Chick lit writers have long been inspired by Dublin so here's a selection of great spots to visit - all of which have been immortalised by our favourite writers.

Have a walk around Trinity College Dublin and soak up the atmosphere (mentioned in Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern and of course Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy).

For designer gorgeousness, waft around the glossy Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street in the centre of Dublin city (as mentioned in Cecelia Ahern's PS I Love You). There, you can peruse the shoes and caress the Chanel. Personally, I find it very soothing!

For great shopping deals that aren't designer head into Dunnes Stores (as mentioned in Marian Keyes' Sushi For Beginners). There's a good Dunnes at the top of Grafton Street. Their Savida range is one to check out. Also mentioned in Sushi for Beginners is the sea at Dun laoghaire, which is a short journey (on bus or train) outside Dublin City centre. Marian actually writes some of the book from the perspective of the sea and once you take a walk on the pier you will see why. It's an amazing spot - and really blows away the cobwebs.

For some great drinks and maybe a bit of talent spotting of the male kind head to Hogan's Pub on George's Street (it features in This Charming Man by Marian).

I was only in Dublin the other weekend and I came back feeling like I'd been away for a week. My friend Jen and I went and our nails done in a nail bar on Camden and then we took them (our newly fabulized nails) out for cocktails!

DISCOVER IRELAND!

Novelicious Chats to...Shirley Benton

Shirley Benton's debut novel LOOKING FOR LEON is released in March. Here, she tells us about her writing process, and how being Irish influences her writing. Enjoy! 

1.       Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

There used to be such a thing as an average writing day for me, encompassing such sensible ideas as designated writing time – oh, I remember it with fondness – but I had a baby in December and now no two writing days are the same for me. In general, evenings are my best time to write because my toddler is in bed and my husband is at home to look after the baby, but writing plans can easily go out the window when there’s an eight-week old in the house, so I have to be hugely disciplined and make up that time somewhere else in the following day if that happens. Since December, I tend to write literally whenever I get the opportunity – fifteen minutes here, fifteen minutes there rather than in a block of three hours. It’s not as hard as it sounds, because I find that I’m plotting things out in my head while I’m doing mundane things like loading the dishwasher, and by the time I get to my laptop, the work is already written in my head and it’s just a matter of getting it down on screen. I do find that I often stay up late to write as well. It’s better to get your work done early in the morning really, but that just doesn’t suit my schedule at the moment.

2. When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

No, I’ve never tried to create a character that was based on or inspired by someone I know or have met. I find that I create the type of characters that I feel are needed to drive the plot. Writers are often asked if character or plot comes first for them, and I think it’s different for everyone - but for me, the answer is definitely plot. My characters are complete works of fiction that fit around the story I want to tell.

3. What is your favourite Irish Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

It’s definitely Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes, not because of the storyline but because of the quality of writing. It has everything. It’s hilarious, it’s touching, it’s got depth, it’s a page-turner, it has amazing characters – the list of positives is endless.

4. What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you
do?

I always start with a concept. If I think the concept has legs, I’ll write a blurb for it so that I can define for myself what this book is going to be about in just a few paragraphs. Then I start planning. I’ll write a long outline for the book, teasing the whole concept out more and breaking it down into a discernible introduction, main part and resolution. I’ll then do a chapter-by-chapter plan for each of these sections, making sure the flow and pacing seems correct at a high level. I try to do character outlines before I start writing scenes, but again, they’re usually quite high level – main personality characteristics and general physical description more so than down to the level of what song this character would want to be played at their funeral! Then I start writing the chapters. It might sound structured, but I really leave myself wide open to changing things as I go along – I definitely don’t stick rigidly to my plan. I often find that I’ll get new or better ideas once I get stuck into the book. As for the amount of drafts I do, I did four drafts for Looking for Leon – the first was just getting the entire story written, the second was a tightening up exercise, the third was for consistency and accuracy and the fourth was a proofread. I’m just coming to the end of the first draft of my second book, so I’ll probably follow the same process for this one. I think the writing process is so, so different for every writer though, and as with everything else, it’s a case of whatever works!

5. What was your journey to being a published author?

It took a while! I started writing in 2004, but as I was working full-time, it was hard to find the time to get a novel together. I eventually finished a book in 2006 and submitted it to various agents, but didn’t get representation. I then sent the novel to Poolbeg, who are now my publishers, and they very kindly sent me a letter explaining where they felt the book wasn’t working and suggesting that I rewrite these areas before resubmitting. By then, it was 2007. I was working on a children’s book and I resolved to rework my women’s fiction book when my work on the children’s book was done. All of that was well and good until I got severe morning sickness in pregnancy, and it decided to stay around for the entire pregnancy instead of just buggering off at 12 weeks like I’d hoped it would. Between the jigs and the reels, it was 2008 before I was in a position to either finish the children’s book or make the changes to the women’s fiction book. But by then, I had the idea for Looking for Leon and was itching to get started on writing it. I finished it in 2009 and was offered a three-book publishing deal with Poolbeg in 2010. So it’s now a seven-year journey, but worth every moment of those seven years of trying!

 

Friday's Ireland Goodie Bag Winner!

Friday's winner (picked at random) was a twitter entrant! Congratulations

@Teantoast77

 THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED! Thank you for all of your entries and to Discover Ireland!

for providing the prizes!

 

Novelicious chats to... Sarah Webb!

Sarah Webb writes A LOT. Non fiction, chick lit, young adult, she's pretty prolific. And she had a chat with us! Enjoy...

 1. Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

I have three children (16, 7 and 4), so I’ve once I’ve got them all to school I go for a walk and then sit down at my desk. While walking I try to think about the scene I’m about to write that day and stay focused on the characters. I sit down at about 10am and work until 2ish without a break. Then I have lunch, spend some time with the younger children. And later in the afternoon and in the evening I do my admin – blogs, websites (2 of each), Facebook, Twitter, emails etc.

2. When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

No, not really. My characters tend to be created from a mish mash of different things, but not directly influenced by any particular people.

3. How does Ireland inspire your work?

Everyone in Ireland is mad about books and reading, teachers, nurses, taxi drivers, television presenters – we’re a nation of book fanatics. And we love talking about books – I find this very inspiring. We also love telling stories – especially funny or tragic ones!
The scenery in West Cork inspires me also, it’s truly beautiful.

4. What is your favourite Irish Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I adore it. It’s sweet, funny and wise. Closely followed by That Charming Man by Marian Keyes which is laugh out loud funny in parts, but turn a page and you’ll be sobbing. Both fantastic books.

Thursday's Goodie Bag Winner!

Thursday's winner (picked at random) was a twitter entrant! Congratulations @jo_thomas01

 

We'll be picking another winner tomorrow, you can enter again by doing the same thing!

Following Novelicious on Twitter and tweeting the following:

WIN!A lovely Irish Goodie bag by following @novelicious and RT this! http://bit.ly/ffX4i0

OR

Liking our Competition Status on Facebook!

UK ONLY

 Discover Ireland!

Good luck!

Review - Why Do We Have to Live with Men? by Bernadette Strachan

 
Why do we have to live with men? As another evening with her best friends and a few bottles of wine comes to an end, Cat O'Connor is left pondering this very question. And, escaping from a ruined love affair, she is about to find the answer. When Cat joins a group of women in a huge, decaying farmhouse deep in the countryside, she prepares to embark on six months without men. Cat is promised a nirvana of serenity where the chores are done without mutinous mutterings, where nourishing food simmers on the Aga and where feelings are taken seriously. But Cat soon discovers that women are no saints either ...

Oh, I loved this book. It's well documented that I prefer my chick lit with a big helping of comedy and this book really delivers it.

A most original concept (in which a group of very different women go to the countryside on a man sabbatical and learn that living with women can bring just as many problems as living with men) gave the novel a real fresh vibe.

This book was beautifully written. The nifty pacing ensured that I was never bored and I eagerly turned the pages, finishing the book in one go. The sensitive issues were well handled, the characters were fully rounded personalities(and Sarge in particular - hilarious!) and like I mentioned - it was bloody funny - the situations the women found themselves in, the snarky dialogue between very different characters, the very fact that there was a pig called Dave. Funny funny funny.

Bernadette Strachan is a unique, sharp, witty voice in Chick Lit and I look forward to reading her next book (and probably her back list too.)

9/10

Buy This Book

Visit Bernadette's Website

I Want to Stroke It - Looking for Leon by Shirley Benton

The cover of Looking for Leon is similar in style and colour to this Paige Toon book (another one of my faves), but a whole lot sparklier!

What's inside looks pretty damn good too...

What would you do to find the one that got away? Andie hadn't gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers love it and a local TV station flies her back to Vegas to take up the hunt for the man she can t forget. What starts off as a simple low-budget documentary, spirals into a frenzied national media search. With the world's most ambitious PR agent on board, Andie becomes a heroine for those who are looking for love. But does Leon want to be found?

Looking for Leon is the first book of a three book deal with Poolbeg and will be released in March 2011

Wednesday's Ireland Goodie Bag Winner!

Wednesday's winner (picked at random) was a facebook entry! Congrats to  Keith Coverdale

We'll be picking another winner tomorrow, you can enter again by doing the same thing!

Following Novelicious on Twitter and tweeting the following:

WIN!A lovely Irish Goodie bag by following @novelicious and RT this! http://bit.ly/ffX4i0

OR

Liking our Competition Status on Facebook!

UK ONLY

Discover Ireland!

Good luck!

Novelicious chats to... Clodagh Murphy!

It's our pleasure to bring you this interview with the wonderfully warm Clodagh Murphy! Her newest book Girl in a Spin is out in March

 

Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

I have a day job, so it's more a case of writing nights.  I'll stay up late rather than get up early.  I've tried it, and I'm not good at getting up early.  Otherwise, my writing days are at the weekend, and they're also my days for shopping, laundry, socialising, etc.  I don't really have a routine - I just try to fit writing in where I can.  If I'm being disciplined (which doesn't happen often) I'll come in from work and get down to writing straight away, take a break for dinner and some TV, and then make a pot of strong coffee and work late into the night.  Luckily I'm not a stickler for getting eight hours' sleep.

 

When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

Yes, I do.  A lot of characters are purely from my imagination, but my heroes do tend to be inspired by celebrities.  I do that a lot when I'm reading too – it helps to fix the character in your mind if you can't get a clear image of them.  I'm a bit reluctant to talk about it, though, because people's tastes are so different.  For instance, I wrote Dev in Girl in a Spin with Richard Armitage in mind, but in a Twitter conversation recently I was shocked to discover that some women don’t fancy him at all – imagine!  (Personally, I think their membership of the female sex should be reviewed.)

 

I sometimes use people I know as inspiration too, but not in the literal way people seem to imagine.  I'd use aspects of someone's personality mingled with other made-up bits.  What ends up on the page is quite far removed from any real person.

 

What is your favourite Women's Fiction book of all time and why?

That's a tough question, but I'd have to say Rivals by Jilly Cooper.  I love it because it's big fat escapist fun, full of gorgeous men, big drinks, amazing houses and beautiful food.  What's not to love?  It's pure self-indulgent pleasure, like a big box of chocolates.  And I like that Jilly Cooper writes proper unreconstructed alpha males.  I loved Riders, but Rivals is even better because it's the one where Rupert Campbell-Black falls properly in love.  He's completely besotted and it's so romantic.

 

What is your writing process?  Do you plan first or dive in?  How many drafts do you do?

I don't plan at all on paper.  I've tried, but I just can't get on with it.  However, I do spend a lot of time daydreaming my book, imagining scenes and dialogue.  I run it in my head all the time like a film while I'm going about my daily activities.  So that's all the planning I do.  I know the basic story arc before I start – the beginning and end, and usually a key turning point or two in the middle and then I just dive in.

I don't really write drafts.  I rewrite and edit as I go along, so there's really only one draft that gets constantly reworked.  Of course, when I get editorial feedback, that's another draft – sometimes two.

Novel News - Martina Reilly's A Moment Like Forever

Martina Reilly's next novel A Moment Like Forever will be released in Early March of this year. Look out for a review coming soon!

Synopsis...

Andrea and Lexi thought they would be best friends for ever. Through thick and thin, growing pains and wild nights out, they were inseparable. But it was their biggest adventure that was to tear them apart: travelling through Australia, Andrea and Lexi are involved in a catastrophic accident. Andrea is left scarred but her best friend is nowhere to be found. What happened to Lexi? Two years later, Andy's scar means she's too scared to go out into the real world. Instead, she spends her time with her grumpy cat Baz and her hopeless boss Alistair. And Lexi still hasn't been in touch. When Andy's sister needs somewhere to stay, bringing her boyfriend and all their dramas with them, Andy realises she's been hiding for too long. Just because she's keeping some home truths buried doesn't mean they'll stay that way ...

Buy A Moment Like Forever

Visit Martina's Website

Review - The Loving Kind by Sarah Webb

REVIEWED BY KIRA SLAUGHTER 

Life can’t get much worse for romance writer Libby Holliday. She’s been dumped by her agent and her publisher, and now she’s discovered her fiancé Jeremy, is seeing their mutual friend, the shameless Ruth-Ann, behind her back.

So when broken-hearted Libby’s offered the chance to ghost-write a novel for model and reality show darling Lulabelle Ryan, she leaps at the chance. Lulabelle is in the middle of filming her new TV show about plastic surgery- which means five star travel for her entourage to San Francisco, Paris and Antigua. And, even better, Libby’s best friend Celeste O’Connor is coming along for the ride.

Lulabelle proves to be the diva of divas, but there are some benefits- her handsome and enigmatic manager, Leo, to name just one. If only Libby could forget about her other male addiction...

I first bought this book a few months ago and it has been lying on my To Be Read pile ever since, so when I heard about Irish Chick Lit week I was like, this is the perfect opportunity to start reading this book.

At first I found it quite hard to get into as the main character, Libby, was having a romantic crisis and I thought to myself ‘I hope this isn’t going to be the whole basis of the book’ as sometimes I can find those storylines a bit tiresome. Thankfully that was not to be the case. Although the situation with Libby’s fiancé does pop up at times throughout the book, it did not detract from the brilliant story of Lulabelle, the tiresome reality TV star.

After reading one chapter about Lulabelle I wanted to give her a slap, as the way she spoke to Libby really irritated me! However, as I read on and began to understand more about her character, I knew that she wasn’t as bad as she was first made out to be.

Tuesday's Ireland Goodie Bag Winner!

Afternoon, sorry this is a bit late coming...

 

Tuesday's winner (picked at random) was another entrant from Twitter @rocknrollreader

We'll be picking another winner tomorrow, you can enter again by doing the same thing!

Following Novelicious on Twitter and tweeting the following:

WIN!A lovely Irish Goodie bag by following @novelicious and RT this! http://bit.ly/ffX4i0

OR

Liking our Competition Status on Facebook!

Good luck!