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It Began There, All This Book Business by Mark Haysom

Mark Haysom had a 30-year career in newspapers ending up as managing director of Mirror Group. His first book Love, Love Me Do is published today.

Their voices wake me in the small hours: I know them so well, I carry them with me at all times. Once awake, I let them rehearse what they have to say, what they need to do. And sometimes they surprise me.

Yes, of course, Truman would do that; Christie would react that way; Baxter would say that; Strachan would flex his shoulders at that point; but for Abby to do that? Then?

They are the five principal characters of the book I’m currently working on – and four of them featured in my first book Love, Love Me Do. And they invariably wake me before dawn.

One of the things I didn’t fully realise when I first started writing is that you have to try to know your characters almost as well as you know yourself, you have to let them possess you. For me it all begins with characters.

Review – Her by Harriet Lane

Reviewed by Susan Lobban

You don’t remember her but she remembers you.

Emma is feeling isolated as she spends her days in a fugue with her toddler and another on the way. She has no real friends and her husband is not really interested in how she spends her days.

Nina is glamorous and has her life in check. She is Emma’s saviour, both literally and figuratively, when she ‘finds’ her purse and an unlikely friendship is struck between the two.

It is clear to see what Emma gets from the friendship but Nina’s intentions get murkier by the day. As the saying goes: keep your friends close but your enemies closer!

I found this book to be a roller coaster of a read. It starts off slow and then begins to build up pace as the tension mounts, only to slow down again to a bit of an anti-climax, speeding up again until it reaches an abrupt stop. As soon as I found out that Nina knew Emma from somewhere else and that she had ulterior motives for befriending her, I was compelled to read on. Each chapter alternates between the two women’s viewpoints, which was highly effective in that it highlighted just how oblivious to Nina’s actions Emma was. Once you find out how the women are linked, it shows that what is inconsequential and insignificant for one is worth holding a long-standing grudge over for another.

Novelicious Chats To...Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica's novel, The Good Girl, is out tomorrow, but today she's answering a few questions for our Novelicious readers about her writing process and somewhat unusual path to publication a little ahead of launch day.

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

I’m definitely an early bird. I wake up at 5am everyday to get some writing done before my kids are awake. Once the family is up, writing can be much more difficult and much less planned. Depending on whether or not my kids are in school, or what other obligations I have for the day, two hours of writing each morning may be all that I have. As my children head off for full day school this fall, I’m looking forward to much more writing time in the future!

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

What a great question! I don’t necessarily model my characters off of celebrities or people I know, and yet my characters are certainly a motley of people I’ve encountered or situations I’ve experienced in my life.

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

This is such a hard question! There are so many Women’s Fiction books I adore. I love Jodi Picoult, Jeannette Walls, Alice Hoffman, Ann Hood and more – I could go on and on. But one book that grabbed me when I read it, and has stuck with me for the many, many years since, is The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve. An ingenious novel! The ending left me heartbroken and blindsided all at the same time – in a way that not every book can do. I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Shreve at my local bookstore during her Stella Bain book tour. What a thrill! It was truly an honor.

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

I dive right in! I don’t outline and I rarely take notes. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and so I have trouble moving past a chapter until it’s in tiptop shape. I stick to one, maybe two, drafts, revising as I go so that by the time I reach the end I have a solid manuscript. Then I read this over once or twice – making some minor changes as I go – and it’s off to my editor!       

What was your journey to being a published author?

I believe my journey to being a published author is a bit unique – and will hopefully offer some inspiration for aspiring authors. After I finished The Good Girl, I submitted it to numerous literary agencies and, although there was some interest, it was declined by all. I was convinced that any hope of a writing career was through.

Review – The Masterful Mr Montague by Stephanie Laurens

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Violet Matcham is a dedicated lady-companion to Lady Halstead. Fearing she doesn’t have long left to live, Lady Halstead decides to put her affairs in order while she can and is confused when she discovers a substantial sum in her bank balance, much more than should be there. With Violet’s help, Lady Halstead is determined to get to the bottom of the matter, but when she is murdered, it is up to Violet to track down her killer. With the help of Mr Montague, Violet races to find the killer and bring them to justice.

I found it quite difficult to get into The Masterful Mr Montague and didn’t really connect with any of the characters, which made the book quite hard going. Even though it is a murder mystery, I was never compelled to pick the book up to find out who the killer was. I found the book quite slow and was hoping the pace would pick up once the plot got going but, unfortunately for me, it didn’t and I was left feeling frustrated.

I thought the quality of the writing was ok, as well as the regency time period, but I think the characters lacked any real spark and the pacing issues were too much for me to really enjoy the book.

Win! A Rainbow Rowell Fangirl Necklace from Tatty Devine!

We do love a good competition on hump day. It livens things up, doesn’t it? This week, as well as an absolutely swoon-worthy prize, we have an extra special treat for you.

It’s no secret that we’re massive Rainbow Rowell fans here at Novelicious. In fact, we chose her latest book, Landline, as our Novelicious Book Club pick for July. (There’s still time to read and join in, if you haven’t already.)

Before there was Landline, however, there was Fangirl – the coming-of-age story of two twins who grew up in the world of internet fandom. Like the rest of Rowell’s books, it’s charming, it’s relatable, it’s funny and we’re pretty sure you’ll love it.

Get Your Book and Film Nerd On with SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep #bookvsfilmclub

One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year is undoubtedly Before I Go to Sleep, an adaptation of SJ Watson's 2011 psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. The story focusses on Christine, a woman whose amnesia takes an unusual form: her memories are erased every time she goes to sleep.

If you’ve already devoured the book, you’ll be counting the days until the adaptation’s release. If you haven’t, there’s still time before the film hits big screens on September 5. Either way, Amanda is here to tell you how you can get your book and film nerd on with a group of like-minded literary folks on Twitter (or in person).

By Amanda Keats

My fascination with adaptations is no secret. It’s my twitter handle (@filmvsbook) and blog name. Last year, it become my book club. Well, book vs film club. I found a few people on Twitter who were interested in the idea of reading a book and then meeting up to see the film adaptation and discuss both versions – and the book vs film club was born. So far, we have discussed The Great Gatsby, The Book Thief, Austenland and The Fault in Our Stars. This time we have lined up Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson – and Novelicious readers are invited to join in!

Feasting on Romantic Comedy – Buttered Popcorn from Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner is about a group of women and what happens after they have had their happily ever after. For these women are embarking on their journey into motherhood. We have Becky, a plump, sexy chef and her overworked husband. Kelly, an incredibly busy event planner and a not so busy husband and Ayinde, wife to a famous basketball star, but with infidelity threatening their marriage. And then there is Lia. She has recently gone through an incredibly distressing time. So she left her husband, Sam, and the life they shared together in California, and returned back to Northeast Philadelphia. Her home city and the place where her mother lives.

Lia is immediately consumed by memories. Memories made more tangible, more real when she recalls the food that went with them. Happy memories. Many of which don't actually involve her mother but her father. She recalls the times her father would take her into Philadelphia. Three times a year they'd go into town together and he'd buy her a treat: a hot chocolate or a strawberry ice-cream cone. Then he'd take her to the movies. Her mother wouldn't take her to the movies – they were trash or brain rot according to her. But Lia's father did take her and he would buy her buttered popcorn – making sure all evidence of its consumption was wiped from her face before returning home.

Novelicious Chats To...Judy Astley

Judy Astley has come a long way since she was fired from her job as a secretary at Heathrow Airport, aged 19, for putting personal story-writing use of the office typewriter way above the airline's Lost Cargo reports. Eighteen books later and she remains a firm favourite in the women’s fiction community with her much-loved first novel, Just for the Summer, reissued by Transworld Books today. Judy joins us now to talk about all things writing including waiting for characters to 'leave home' between manuscripts.

Where do you find inspiration for your books?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. A whole book can come from something as small as an overheard remark. My next book, It Must Have been The Mistletoe, was loosely (very loosely!) based on a big family bank holiday reunion weekend last summer. In The Summertime is a twenty-years on continuation of my first book, Just For The Summer, which was the result of watching the interaction of visitors to a Cornish village over a very wet three weeks. Book two (Pleasant Vices) started with a comment from my sister-in-law that she’d put a card in a newsagent’s window, offering flute lessons. The replies she got were all from eager gentlemen wanting something completely unconnected with music, which was rather a surprise to her.

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

I’m a terrible procrastinator but there’s some sense to it. I like to get everything non-writing that needs to be done out of the way first so I can then get properly immersed in work without thinking I still need to buy food/take cat to vet/run out for essential nail varnish etc. But by at least 4pm I can settle at the computer and do a few fast hours. There’s such a buzz when you emerge at the end, if it’s all gone right.

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

I don’t use famous people. For one thing, often a year or two later they could be way off the fame radar and a reader coming late to the book will be left thinking, “who?”.

Review – The No-Kids Club by Talli Roland

Reviewed by Kay Brooks

Children are simply not part of Clare Donoghue’s life plan. Her busy career working in the Accident and Emergency Department takes up far too much time. As she approaches the age of 40 it seems that her friends' lives are becoming more swallowed up by the notion of parenthood. Everyone else is planning children, hoping for them, pregnant or already navigating the troubled course of parenthood. Feeling completely misunderstood and left behind, Clare starts a Facebook group for people without children. The aim is to provide a child-free zone where people not interested in parenting can discuss other areas of their lives without feeling like social outcasts who are missing out on something. When the No-Kids Club starts to attract a wider variety of people, Clare starts to question her own aversion to motherhood.

My first impression was that the novel would revolve around a woman who would see the positives in having children and change who she was accordingly. It has been done before and I won’t deny expecting a cliché. Luckily there is some depth to Clare once you get past her judgemental exterior. Also, the novel does explore more than the basic benefits of parenthood through the use of other characters. There’s Anna who has forsaken hope of children to please her selfish husband and the intriguing couple, Poppy and Alistair, who agree they want children but have been emotionally battered by repeated failed IVF. In comparison, Clare does seem somewhat one-dimensional for a lot of the action. The novel really started to become more fun to read when she stopped judging those around her for wanting children. Ironically, she complains a lot about this being done to her for not wanting to be a mother. When she starts to see that being a parent isn’t a black and white issue, she becomes far less selfish and more likable.

News – To Kill a Mockingbird Named as Most Life-Changing Book by a Woman

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, about a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, has topped a list of the most influential books by women.

The selection of 20 titles – chosen by the public – was unveiled today and culminates the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction’s new #ThisBook campaign, which has been inspiring book lovers to share their favourite, life-changing books by women using the hashtag on Twitter.

Kate Mosse, co-founder and chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Board said the project was “a wonderful way to encourage readers to share their #ThisBook stories via social media” and “an exciting opportunity to identify the books that people are actually reading, talking about and recommending to other people right now”.

Of To Kill a Mockingbird, Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, who has also been announced as chair of the judging panel for next year's Baileys prize, said: "With human rights under attack the world over, the enduring appeal of Harper Lee's great tale gives hope that justice and equality might yet triumph over prejudice."

The top 20 most influential books by women, as voted for by the public:

My Bedside Table by Sam of The Book Corner

Primary school teacher by day and book blogger by night, Sam of The Book Corner is here with us now, to talk about the current reads on her bedside table.

Here is my bedside table. As you can see, it’s not really a bedside table, more a storage type box that I use as one. It’s pretty great though – it can double up as a table or a stool and inside I keep other items I feel I may need next to my bed. So, let me talk you through what is on top of my ‘table’.

News – Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch to Be Made Into a Film

Success continues for Donna Tartt’s third novel, The Goldfinch, with the news that Warner Bros has acquired film rights to the book, and a feature film is in the works.

The novel, which follows a grieving 13-year-old boy, whose fate becomes entwined with a mysteriously captivating 17th century painting that ultimately draws him into the underworld of art, has already attracted award nominations galore and a Pulitzer Prize.

Brett Ratner, who directed Red Dragon and Rush Hour, is believed to be co-producing with Nina Jacobson, the award-winning producer of The Hunger Games.

Exciting stuff. Who would you like to see cast in the film adaptation?

Sarah Vaughan's Top Five Writing Tips

1. Read widely and critically. At one point, I went through two books that had done incredibly well and analysed what happened, chapter by chapter. That really helped me see the shape of two successful novels.

2. Know when to stop reading. Sometimes reading other novels doesn’t help. During the first draft of my first novel, I read JK Rowling’s A Casual Vacancy and Dickens’ David Copperfield in quick succession. Funnily enough, a narrator kept intruding into my copy! When I started on the first draft of my second novel I felt completely stymied as I worried everything had been said before. Sometimes, you need silence to develop your own voice.

Manuscript Wishlist – Bryony Woods of DKW Literary Agency

I’ve always loved books – ever since I was a child, I’ve adored those rainy days when I could curl up somewhere quiet and get lost within the pages of a story. I’ve carried this love throughout my career, first in libraries, then bookshops, through my Masters degree in Publishing and now into my career as a literary agent.

I set up DKW Literary Agency in late 2012, along with my fellow agent Ella Diamond Kahn, after working for three years at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. In 2013 both Ella and I were selected as ‘Rising Stars’ by The Bookseller. I now represent a wonderfully varied and exceptionally talented list of authors, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new and exciting voices.

My tastes in fiction are very broad – above all, what I look for is a compelling and original story that is beautifully told. So far my list spans from historical fiction to literary fiction to thought-provoking commercial women’s fiction, as well as fiction for older children and young adults.

As an agent, people always ask me what I’m looking for in a manuscript. But it’s almost impossible to define that ‘spark’ that has me turning the pages breathlessly and reading late into the night. I won’t truly know until I’ve found it, but I’ve tried my best to sum it up here.

I’ll always have a soft spot for gothic novels, or stories with a darker edge. My client SE Lister’s debut novel Hideous Creatures, published in May this year, is a good example of this – the Guardian recently described it as a ‘gothic road novel’. As a teenager my favourite novels were Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, and Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, and I’d love to find something new in that vein – a compelling ghost story or gothic mystery.