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

Review - Looking For Fireworks by Holly Cavendish

Reviewed by Kira Slaughter

Looking For Fireworks opens on city girl Laney on another blind date. From the first chapter, you get the immediate impression that she’s not lucky in love, and that this date she’s on is just one in a long line of bad dates.  Life takes a turn for the worse when Laney's father falls ill and Laney moves to the Cotswolds to care for him.

This novel seemed a bit rushed, initially. There was little character set up but a load of huge events occured in the first ten pages. The storyline eventually slowed a little bit and I was able to grasp what was going on and actually acquainted with the main characters.

 Laney stumbles across various obstacles that hinder her attempts to settle in to country life, yet she soon finds herself making friends and becoming the centre of some gossip.

I felt that the romance between two of the main characters seemed rushed and wasn’t really given any time to blossom. It seemed to me that they clashed at first and then, bam, they’re suddenly madly attracted to each other. It left me slightly blindsided, felt a bit cliched and I would have like to see a more realistic development.

Overall, the book was a light-hearted read that did keep me turning the pages. I would have liked more time spent building the main characters' relationships so that I felt more satisfied by the conclusions of their stories. The beautiful setting helped to make this book more enjoyable.

6/10

MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK

My Book Deal Moment - Charity Norman

Charity Norman is the author of Freeing Grace and the upcoming After The Fall

When I was eight years old, I was fascinated by the tale of how Charlotte Bronte delivered Jane Eyre to an enthusiastic publisher and became an Overnight Sensation. I remember thinking that I would like to be an Overnight Sensation, whatever that was. Perhaps it was this absurdly unrealistic idea that led me – thirty years later - to abandon a perfectly sensible career, drape myself over a laptop and try to write a novel. If I’d known then what I know now, I’m not sure whether I’d have taken such a wildly irresponsible step. Wait – what am I saying? Of course I would.

The career change involved moving self and family to New Zealand, on the basis that starving in a garret is comfier in a warmish country. Then I cracked my knuckles and began to write. And write. Looking back, I’m open-mouthed at my sheer naivety. The family would head to school and work, leaving me tapping maniacally. They’d come home to find I hadn’t moved. After thousands of hours’ work, Freeing Grace was ready to be sent to a literary agent who’d been recommended. She took me on, and from that moment a glimmer of hope twinkled coquettishly at the far end of a very long tunnel.

Mind you, it was only a very faint glimmer. My agent warned me that the publishing world was a tough place. Before she would send it out, Freeing Grace must be polished until it shone. So over the next year or more the book was rewritten and rewritten again; the delete button became smooth and worn with constant use – it’s still by far the busiest key on my laptop. Finally my pride and joy was sent out into the wild woods of the publishing world to roam, knocking on doors and searching for a warm home.

My Writing Room - Rebecca Chance

Let's have a look into the writing space of Rebecca Chance. Rebecca's latest book is Bad Angels and you can read our review here.

MY WRITING ROOM BY REBECCA CHANCE

Welcome to the sofa corner on which I sit for around five hours a day, writing. When I've finished work, the Core seat is ritually removed, to signify that I don't need to sit up straight any more and that lounging can commence. It was recommended by a brilliant physio at my gym and it's invaluable for keeping my posture good. Ironically, I have a little built-in desk area just next to it - you can see the start of it on the right - but I never sit there, because it tends to be piled with paperwork and copies of my books, so it's too cluttered for me to focus! Whereas I have to tidy the leather pouffe thing every day, because otherwise my husband will start yelling about the mess.

Top 5 Writing Tips from Siobhan McKenna

Siobhan McKenna is the author of The Lingerie Designer and The Other Woman. Read our full interview here.

Just Do It. My partner wrote those words on a piece of paper and I taped them to the wall beside my computer screen. When I was inclined to wander off or get distracted, his words would get me back on track. It worked for me; I believe I finished my first manuscript because of it.

 

Invest in a professional editorial service before you submit to agents or publishers. I know it is hard to hand over money when you aren’t earning a living from writing yet, but look at it as an investment. A good editor will whip your manuscript into shape and be able to give advice on what publishers want. Ideally, get a recommendation or a list of accredited editors in your country.

 

 Read, read and keep reading. Note what you like, dislike and what works in a book for you. That said, I never read while I’m writing. I find it too distracting and I don’t want to be influenced by another author’s voice. That means I have approximately a ten week window to read a year’s worth of books! On more than one occasion people have said to me they’d like to write a book, but they don’t read themselves. That always strikes me as odd. To be a writer you have to be passionate about books - yours and other peoples. It’s never to late to start a reading habit.

 

 Get an agent. This will take time and perseverance and may require you going to conferences or workshops to have a chance of meeting them face to face. Having a good agent, who believes in your work, will make all the difference in negotiating the publishing minefield. Also, publishers are more likely to take your manuscript seriously if a respected agent presents it to them. Do your research on the right agent for you and follow their submission guidelines and remember to follow up. They’re busy people, don’t make a nuisance of yourself, but do show your dedication.

 

  Let your creativity flow. I got this tip from Stephen King’s book On Writing - a must read for every aspiring author. You can tidy up the details later but for the first draft just let your imagination loose. I keep this draft private. That means I can write freely but I do think of my ‘ideal reader’ in the back of my mind. They act as a subconscious voice when I’m writing - like a muse. I try not to think about Auntie Mary in Cork when I’m writing sex scenes (sorry, auntie Mary!) Or I end up scrapping them. So use your discretion on this tip - keep your reader in mind, let that act as a guide but try don’t let it inhibit you.  By the second draft do get feedback on your manuscript from someone you trust and who you know will be honest with you (so probably not your mother, if she’s anything like mine she’ll be your biggest fan no matter what you write.) The creative process is a fantastic experience, relish it. 

The Secret Dreamworld of an Aspiring Author by Anna Bell - To Be Cheeky or Not To Be Cheeky

As an aspiring author I sometimes feel that I walk a tight rope between being pushy and not being pushy enough. In an ideal world a publisher would automatically find me and give me a ludicrously lovely six figure book deal. But we all know this aspiring author gig is far from ideal. The thing I struggle with is finding a balance between sitting back and waiting for things to happen, and actually being proactive. 

Some of the best experiences and opportunities I’ve had on my road to publication have come from when I sent a cheeky or speculative email. Take this very column that you’re reading. I was reading the personal blog of Emily Tootsweet (who used to write the column) and she mentioned that she had hung up her reins on Novelicious as she was moving away from writing chick lit. It just so happened that I’d had a large glass of wine that night, and I decided to be big and brave and to email Kirsty to see if I could do the column. At the time I remember agonising over the email before I sent it. Would she laugh in my face? Would she even reply? And then that little voice in my head that comes out to play after wine (the one that has got me into a lot of trouble over the years) said what’s the worst that can happen?’ So I scrunched my eyes shut and I hit send. Then a couple of sample columns later and a few emails with Kirsty and voilà - I got my weekly column. 

Review - Frisky Business by Clodagh Murphy

Romy Fitzgerald always planned to go the conventional route: boyfriend, marriage, children. Motherhood via cupboard sex at a costume party with a stranger dressed as Darth Vader didn't feature on her to-do list. But when she gives birth to her son Luke nine months later, he turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. As Luke gets older however, Romy knows that at some point she's goiong to have to tell him about his father. Trouble is, she never found out 'Darth's' real name. But when an old flame arrives back in her life, the plot thickens. Kit Masterson was always 'the one who got away' and now he's back from New York and seems intent on playing happy families with Romy and Luke. But Kit has his own secrets to hide . . . As Romy begins to wonder if she'll ever find her mystery man from the party, she learns that in real life secrets rarely stay hidden, especially when it comes to love. But will Romy find her dark knight or will she be left to raise Luke (Han) solo?

 Clodagh Murphy’s first two books placed her firmly in my romcom must read lists and I was excited to read her third – Frisky Business.

I blummin loved this book. There were Star Wars references, an absolutely stellar mystery thread, secrets, kinky sex and quips a plenty. How could I not love it?!

Murphy is a genuinely cracking writer who is becoming more accomplished with each new book. This is really showcased in Frisky Business; the prose is lively and confident, the descriptions vivid and original and the main characters fully realised, sympathetic and colourful.

Review - From Notting Hill to New York...Actually by Ali McNamara

Reviewed by Kirsty Nicole Pole

It’s coming round to that time of year where it’s completely acceptable to cosy up on the sofa and indulge in the Christmassy wonder that is ‘Love Actually’ and become blissfully embroiled in the love stories of each character, joyfully blubbing into our hot chocolate. So the arrival of Ali McNamara’s ‘From Notting Hill to New York Actually’ couldn’t be more perfectly timed.

 The follow up to the incredibly popular ‘From Notting Hill with Love Actually’ sees Scarlett O’Brien, utterly addicted to romantic films, finally happy with her leading man….but can romance really be like the movies?

Scarlett and Sean are happy. Scarlett is convinced that she’s found Mr.Right, the happy couple are now living together but the reality of day-to-day life isn’t quite as exciting as Scarlett hoped it would be. Sean works away on business a lot and Scarlett is trying to occupy both her time and her addiction to celebrities, even going so far as to join a local gym because she thinks Jude Law works there...

When Sean notices that she’s becoming ‘bored’ with her life he suggests going to New York to visit her father. Scarlett  reluctantly agrees (whilst secretly worrying that he seems a little too keen on the idea of her not being around) and before you can say ‘Big Apple’ she’s on a plane on her way to the place itself, flamboyant best friend Oscar by her side.

Novelicious Chats To...Janet Gilsdorf

Janet Gilsdorf, author of Ten Days, recently answered a few questions for our Novelicious readers. Here's Jennifer Joyce's review from last week's Alternative Thursday. 

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

I don’t have a writing routine, as I must wedge it into my otherwise busy life.  Evenings, when I’m low on creative energy, I usually focus on revisions. My best new writing comes on the weekends and on vacation from work, when I have longer stretches of time to, first, settle myself into my “writing head” and, then, actually get something accomplished. Surprisingly, I can sometimes do a lot of new writing, with a pencil and a legal pad, while on long haul airplane trips or waiting in airports. There’s something about the hum of the engines, the absence of easy distractions, and the anonymity of the people around me that stirs my creative juices.

That said I’m actually subconsciously writing all the time, such as while driving. I keep a notebook in my car to jot down, while stopped at red lights, ideas that come at the wheel, because I’m likely to forget them by the time I get home or to my office. Likewise, I jot down notes (sometimes on those “fly away” advertisement cards inserted into magazines) while knitting or reading in my favorite easy chair. There is something about the action of knitting that nurtures good ideas for me. Maybe it’s the rhythm of the needles or the merging of the colors of the yarn, stitch by stitch, row by row. I even keep a little note pad on my bedside table, alongside a pen with a built-in light so I don’t bother my husband, to keep track of nighttime thoughts, as they will surely disappear by morning. 

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

I imagine the characters but, since those imaginings come from my head, they are sometimes built on things I know or have observed about friends or acquaintances or even family members. Thus my characters are often composites of many people, as I mix and match appearances, personalities, quirks, interests, talents, and flaws of those around me. 

My writing inspiration comes from reading the works of outstanding authors. Sometimes I open their books to random pages and read several paragraphs, examining how they make transitions, use words to build powerful images, create effective dialogue. 

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

Hard question. There are so many I enjoy. One of my favorite women authors is Lorrie Moore and her story collection, Birds of America, is superb. The story, “Dance in America”, is, in my view, a perfect short story, perfect pace, perfect narration, perfect poignant theme. The beginning is the best I have ever read, soaring, compelling, funny. The ending is a satisfying cap to the complex tale as it seizes the energy of the moment while cast against the backdrop of a bleak future.  Lorrie writes in a raw, real-to-the-bone way, with breathtaking, but sometimes subtle, emotional honesty. She digs into the hearts of her characters and exposes everything there, the light matter and the dark. 

Review - Poppy Day by Amanda Prowse

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Poppy Day and Martin Cricket have had equally bad upbringings, but they formed a friendship as children, developing an unbreakable bond. Their lives at home were terrible, but they had each other for support. Now, as adults, they still have each other, however, they are about to be separated as Martin is leaving to go and fight in Afghanistan. Poppy never wanted her husband to sign up for the army but Martin wants a better life for them and for them to move out of their cramped flat with drug users on the doorstep. Now Poppy is on her own in their flat with only her best friend, Jenna for company and her nan, suffering from dementia and living in a nearby care home.

Poppy is at the flat making lunch when there is a knock at the door. She sees the two uniformed soldiers on the doorstep and knows immediately that something terrible has happened to Martin. Martin has been captured during an ambush while out of their compound with a group of American soldiers and the army have no idea whether he is alive or dead. Poppy is forced to sit back and wait for news of her husband, the days turning into weeks with no obvious signs of progress or answers. Poppy fears the army have given up on Martin and that she is the only one who cares whether he is rescued or not. So she decides to take matters into her own hands. No longer able to sit back and do nothing, Poppy takes action. If the army won’t rescue her husband, she’ll fly to Afghanistan and bring him home herself.

Novelicious Chats To... Siobhan McKenna

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

 When I’m writing I write six days per week. I treat it like a job - with extra long hours.  But then I get long breaks too, once a manuscript is finished. I aim to be settled down to writing by 9.30 each morning. Some days flow better than others but I stay sitting at the screen, as though glued to the chair. I turn my phone off and avoid the Internet. I should take more breaks, but I don’t as I become absorbed in the story and I find stopping interrupts my train of thought. If I’m close to a deadline or on a roll, I’ll work through the night.

 

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

 I definitely don’t use celebrities – it never occurred to me to do so. My Italian partner owns a café wine bar. Sometimes I go down and sit there for a while and observe the banter and the colourful characters that wander in and out. They might spark an idea, but I find once I start writing a character they quickly take on their own idiosyncrasies and turn of phrase. 

 

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

 Just one? That’s difficult to answer! I love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Bridget Jones’s Dairy by Helen Fielding, so you can see where I’m coming from - a classic and a modern version of that classic. However, I’m more likely to re-watch Bridget Jones on TV than reread the book, so Pride and Prejudice has to be my answer. I think I will always pick it from my bookcase, on a lazy Sunday afternoon or when I need a smile.

 

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

 I spend a long time planning and each new book gets a new A4 hardback notebook. I even spend time searching for the right notebook – it can’t be a dull school-issue one.  I start with an idea, toying with it before tweaking it by making mind maps for myself, which I jot down. Next comes the title, the main character, and synopsis. Only after making endless notes do I start to write on my computer. However, once I start writing I try not to get caught up in technicalities. I believe it’s better to let the creativity flow and work out the details later. Which, brings me to the next part of your question – I write about three drafts of the manuscript. Two before submission to the publisher and a final one when working with my editor.

Review - Oh Dear Silvia by Dawn French

Reviewed by Jenny Banks

Silvia Shute is in a spot of bother. She’s currently in Coma Suite Number 5, following a nasty fall from a balcony, an accident that has a question mark hovering close by. Why is Silvia, a mother, wife, friend, sister and lover, there? Who exactly is Silvia Shute?

Oh Dear Silvia was a truly unique novel. I’ve never before read a book in which the central protagonist doesn’t speak, or hold any communication with another person, as they lie comatose. It’s a brilliant scenario, and one that Dawn French executes with panache. Each family member or friend who visits Silvia is captured through an inimitable personality. There’s ex-husband Ed, downtrodden, kind and wondering what happened to the wife he married, the woman who threw pregnant daughter, Cassie and troubled son, Jamie out of the family home. Unfortunately, there’s Cat, a manipulative, monstrous woman who has her claws into Silvia. She hates everyone and in turn is detested, not least by Jo, bonkers, well-meaning big sister to Silvia. Finally there’s Nurse Winnie, who is praying and hoping for a miracle and Silvia’s gossip-mongering cleaning lady, Tia. Although Silvia is the main character, the assorted motley family members and friends that crowd around her bed are made just as, if not more, important. Dawn French creates a kaleidoscope of incredibly vivid and colourful characters, through which the novel is played out.

Making the Perfect Christmas Dinner - A Guest Post by Carole Matthews

 

I must say at the outset, that I haven’t quite cracked this one yet. I have, over time and through bitter experience, got considerably better. But I still don’t know whether it is better to roll my roast potatoes in semolina (Nigella) or just wang them in goose fat and be damned (Jamie).

      I love my Christmas dinner. It is the very best meal of the year. So why have I never quite got the hand of it? The first Christmas dinner I ever cooked was not an unmitigated success and that has somehow set the tone for my Christmas dinner career.

      At the age of twenty-one and new bride, I was very excited to cook my first turkey. What I hadn’t appreciated was how much difference there was between said turkey and a chicken - which I had happily roasted most Sundays. So I popped the monumental turkey in the oven for an hour and a half and whacked on the rest of the vegetables at the same time too. Result: an excellent meal of veg and roast potatoes for dinner at seven, followed by turkey sandwiches at half past eleven at night when the damn thing was finally ready. Who knew that a turkey would take hours and hours to cook!

      Sprouts. They’re a mystery too, aren’t they? My mother puts the sprouts on in July and let’s them percolate on a slow simmer until Christmas day. I didn’t realise until I went to someone else’s house for Christmas dinner that sprouts could be anything other than a noxious grey puree.  I have, however, followed in her footsteps and eschew every recipe that advises me to stir fry them with lardons and white wine. I boil them. To oblivion. And no one in the house likes them anyway, so I don’t even know why I do that!

       Our current Christmas morning ritual is to go to our next door neighbour’s at ten o’clock and start the big day with a sociable round or two of bucks fizz. I thoroughly enjoy it. Some years a bit too much. Due to imbibing fizzy wine and orange juice, I have dropped two Christmas dinners just as I was about to serve them. One year I pulled both shelves out of the oven at once to inspect the roast potatoes and veg. Both slid in slow motion to the floor before my drink-fuddled reactions could kick in. The next year I did exactly the same but, for added effect, stumbled backwards and knocked the resting turkey to the floor too.

      On both occasions we had our soup and then a very, very long wait. Now I buy an emergency, back-up Christmas dinner. Bernard Matthews’ turkey roll, Aunt Bessie’s roast spuds and parsnips. If all else fails, we can eat that.

      One year , for a change, we had a three bird roast which was a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey. Which was, indeed, every bit as bizarre as it sounds. I’ve never had the nerve to tackle a goose.

      For the last few years, I’ve tried to put aside the temptation of creating a gorgeous, groaning feast as peddled to us by Gordon Ramsay and the like. I’ve bought in most of my dinner pre-prepared. Marks and Spencers are the housewives’ friend. I buy all my veg peeled and cut into appealing shapes. I buy my gravy ready made and my cranberry sauce. Heston Bloomingheck does my Christmas pudding (thank you, Waitrose!) and Mr Kipling will do my mince pies.

      This year I am going to bake and ice my own Christmas cake for the first time! I fear it may be a step too far.

      Hope you enjoy making your own Christmas dinner whatever you have. Anyway, must go, have to get the sprouts on!

Good luck with the Christmas Cake, Carole!

Carole's latest novel is With Love at Christmas

Christmas photo via here

Top 5 Writing Tips from Claudia Carroll

The lovely Claudia Carroll gives us her tips for aspiring writers.

So many people say to me, ‘oh I’d love to write, if I had the time.’ You can make the time. The late, great Maeve Binchy used to advise anyone time-poor to just get up two hours earlier in the morning and work then, when the house is quiet and no one is bothering you. You’d be amazed at the clarity of thinking you get in the early hours and it’ll be worth the exhaustion when you see your published baby sitting on a shelf!

I would highly recommend doing out a skeleton outline for your story before you really get stuck in. So often, you might think, oh I’ve a great idea for a book, but then when you actually sit down to block it out chapter by chapter, a bit like a road map, you realise actually it’s unsuitable for a full-length book. Also character biographies I find are a great help in really fleshing out a character and making them as 3-D as possible.

Charles Dickens was a master of the cliff hanger chapter ending, and the best piece of advice I ever got was to end each chapter of your story with a good cliff hanger, just so that the reader will genuinely want to turn over the page and read on. In fact Dickens’ stories were originally printed in serial form, I suppose a bit like a forerunner to a modern day soap opera!

Oscar Wilde said, ‘be yourself. Everyone else is taken.’ Thing is, there are so many different voices out there now in women’s’ commercial fiction, all brilliant and yet all very different and unique. I sometimes have people saying to me, ‘I want to write a book like Patricia Scanlan or Sophie Kinsella,’ and I just think it can be a huge mistake to try to write what you think the market wants, just because it’s already out there. I really believe it should be the other way round; far best to write in your own voice, in your own unique style.

Another thing, there are far more literary agents now than there were certainly when I was starting out. An agent will mind you, encourage you and immediately know which is the best publisher to pitch your work to. I’d advice anyone to send their chapters to an agent first and work from there.
Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

Claudia' latest nove' A Very Accidental Love Story is out now.

The Secret Dreamworld of an Aspiring Author by Anna Bell - Self Publishing: Where To Go

Thinking about taking the plunge into self publishing but you don’t know your MOBI file from your EIN number? This week’s column should help you. Having been horrified this week when I spoke to someone I know in the real world who was just about to publish on Amazon using Smashwords (a distribution service), I thought that maybe people needed a few signposts for where to go to get self publishing information. 

Picking Platforms

I’m assuming at this point you’ve had your manuscript copy edited (at the very least), you’ve had your cover professionally designed and you’re ready to publish. As a newbie to self publishing I would recommend that you start with Amazon, it is by far the easiest site to negotiate and it doesn’t require you to buy your own ISBNs, submit through an aggregator or have a US tax code. You can always worry about the other sites later once you’ve found your feet. And if you’re going to get into bed with Amazon then visit their Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) site. It gives you a pretty good overview of the process and how to get started.

Preparing your book 

To put your book on Amazon (or any of the other self publishing sites) you need to property format your manuscript to their requirements. There are a set of really helpful YouTube videos on this subject. Unruly Guides is one of them and they will take you step by step through this process. Their videos also show you how to use freeware MOBI Pocket Creator which is really simple to use and will help you create MOBI files which is one of the Amazon preferred formats. (N.b there isn’t a MOBI Pocket Creator for Mac, so you’ll have to make do with Calibre, or if you’re me you cheat and use your husband’s PC).