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

Win a KleverCase!

Electronic readers have become a staple for many of us and revolutionised the way we read. Of course, there’s no getting around the fact that they’re not as pretty as a good, old-fashioned classic book cover. That’s why we love KleverCase, which not only provides tech covers to protect our bosom reading buddies from bumps and scrapes, but it makes them look beautiful.

It all began with the launch of the Kindle. Philip Bradburns, expert bookbinder for over 40 years, saw a way to combine his love of old books and technology by creating a case to house the eReader. And thus, KleverCase, the British maker of book-themed eReader, tablet and iPhone cases, was born. (There’s also some pretty gorgeous stationery!)

Dates For Your Diary – October 2015

by Zarina de Ruiter

A conversation with debut authors and pizza in London, a literary afternoon tea in Manchester, and fizz and fabulous company in Sherborne... We're sensing a foodie theme to the bookish goodness in October and we're loving it!

28 September-4 October – We mentioned Henley Literary Festival last month, as it started in September, but we want to reiterate some of the fabulous events happening in early October: Proof Party with Tinder Press (1 October, £9), Book Club Friday with our very own Cesca Major (2 October, £7), and a Writing Workshop with Claire McGowan and Tasmina Perry (4 October, £7).    

1 October-2 December – Off the Shelf in Sheffield is one of the largest literary festivals in the UK. Events we're particularly excited for include: a discussion with Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author Karen Joy Fowler (7 October, free), A Slice of Sheffield with local author Susan Elliot Wright (10 October, £4), DIY Publishing (13 October, free), Fictionalising Your Own Experience workshop (17 October, £8) and Novel Slam 2015, where you can pitch your novel in front of a panel of published writers and have the opportunity to get your novel read by a literary agent (27 October, £5)!  

2-11 October – Wimbledon will be taken over by Bookfest 2015 this month, boosting plenty of events across the ten days it is running for. For women's fiction readers and writers of particular interest will be a conversation with author Lisa Genova (8 October, £12.50) and a panel on How to Get Published (11 October, £10).

Novelicious Chats To...Kendra Smith

Kendra Smith’s debut novel, Jacaranda Wife, was a runaway Amazon bestseller this summer. Kendra joins us now to talk about what it took to get her book there including eight drafts, two agents and lots of tears and wine.

Tell us about Jacaranda Wife.

Jacaranda Wife is about a family who journey to Australia and replant themselves Downunder. Our home-loving heroine, Katie, finds herself tightening her seatbelt on a plane to Sydney – and her grip on the armrest. She doesn’t much like heat, can’t swim properly and finds herself further outside the M25 than she feels is strictly necessary. Who she meets, and how she copes with a move 10,000 miles from home, forms the basis of the book. There are quite a few obstacles in her way, including a Sydney yummy mummy with a competition-level cleavage, eyeing up her husband, then there’s her fear of spiders and bouts of homesickness, and that’s before she tackles her terror of the ocean.

I discovered that Jacaranda Wife had hit the #1 spot in the Australian Kindle charts whilst at the dentist; it was all I could do to not kiss the guy! To say I have been a little excited finding that out, is like saying that Prince George is a bit cute.

Where do you find inspiration for your books?

From life. For Jacaranda Wife my inspiration came from the fact that I have lived in Australia for almost 10 years in total, if you count all the boomeranging back and forth I’ve done. I wanted to explore the issue of ‘where is home?’ and create a likeable heroine, who is real and has flaws. One of my reviews has said, ‘there is a bit of Katie in everyone,’ so I do hope that many readers will identify with her. Another big inspiration has been my children. They make me laugh and cry! I love them to bits, and wanted to capture the highs and lows of parenting in my book.   

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

Hmmm. There isn’t too much of an ‘average’; it depends what else is going on (hockey matches, swimming galas, football tournaments, people needing fed – sometimes). On my writing days (the days left over from pairing odd socks), I try to work from about 10ish to school pick up, about 2.30pm. Of course, however, some of that time is spent doing ‘research and promotion’ – that’s Facebook and Twitter. The secret is to do that after you’ve done your writing. The other secret? Never tell the family what you plan to make for dinner. Never say,  ‘Oh, I think we’ll have seared chicken fillet fajitas with sour cream teamed with a coriander and tomato relish tonight!’ Don’t do this. Because when you produce beans on toast for the third night running, as you have been writing, their expectations won’t be set too high.  

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

Now that would be telling! Yes of course, I do use mannerisms or traits in people I know, from time to time, but I amalgamate them and add them to my characters, who are very firmly formed in my head. I never use celebrities, however. But what I do do, and Sophie King taught me this, is I will search through papers and magazines for a face that ‘fits’ my character, cut it out and put it in my writing scrapbook. When I look at that person, I feel I am looking directly at my character.

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

Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It. I just loved it when I read it, as I was in my early parenting days and juggling freelance writing and the book seemed to speak to me.

What female writer has inspired you?

Quite a few have, can I have more than one, please? Obviously Allison Pearson (see above), and I used to love her columns in The Evening Standard, and now the Telegraph. I enjoyed Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones when it first came out, and I also read Wife In The North by Judith O’Reilly and much of what she’d gone through chimed with me. When I was in my teens, I used to steal my mum’s Joanna Trollope books and they probably kick started my love of commercial women’s fiction. I also enjoy Nikki Gemmell's writing style style, as well as Kate Atkinson.

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

For Jacaranda Wife I did about eight drafts. And I also, having taken advice, changed the point of view entirely in the whole book, at a very late stage. This was a painstaking re-write of the novel, but I think it ended up better for it. I wrote scenes and planned a bit as I went.

Review – A Better Man by Leah McLaren

Reviewed by Jenny Banks

Nick Wakefield has everything. A loving wife, Maya, and twins, a great home and his own company. But Nick Wakefield isn’t happy and doesn’t want everything. He wants a divorce, and he wants it to be as cheap as possible. Under advice from a friend, Nick starts to act like a better man to ensure a cheaper pay-out and encourages Maya to be more self-sufficient. He comes home early, he doesn’t work weekends, and he whisks Maya away on holiday. Things are so great, in fact, that suddenly Nick isn’t just acting like a better man – he has become one. Everything is going according to plan – until Maya finds out, that is…

Leah McLaren’s novel has a very intriguing plot and I was looking forward to getting started. I found it quite hard, however, to properly engage with the book at the beginning. I quickly disliked Nick and I felt ambivalent towards Maya. Nick isn’t caring or empathetic enough for the reader, in turn, to care about him. He has pushed Maya and the twins aside, as he aspires to be single and free. Maya seems slightly detached from her environment. After leaving work following the birth of her twins she has thrown herself into exercise, healthy eating and various regular appointments. Nick and Maya are just existing and barely communicating.

As the novel progresses, however, I did become more interested in what the outcome would be. Nick does change. The better man he turns into still isn’t the best version that Maya and the twins, Isla and Foster, deserve, but he certainly improves. Maya also changes and takes back control of her life by returning to work. Nick and Maya became so out of sync, it was fun to see them reunite and be the couple they used to be as college sweethearts. Maya’s personality starts to come through more too, as the antithesis of Nick’s worst self: she is kind and convivial. McLaren writes with evident insight into her characters’ minds and motivations, and I soon came to better understand both Nick and Maya.

Nostalgic Summer Re-Read Review: Forever by Judy Blume

Reviewed by Susan Lobban

When Katherine met Michael she was not expecting to fall in love, but that’s what happened. It is not long before they feel they know each other inside out, but Katherine is in no rush to take their relationship to the next level. However, when the opportunity arises it feels right. They are both in this forever, but then forever is such a long time.

As soon as the #NostalgicSummerReread was mentioned I knew which book I wanted to re-read: Forever by Judy Blume. Between the ages of 10 to my early teens I devoured all of Judy Blume’s books and, although this was not my favourite, whenever I saw it on the school library shelf I would check it out. Once upon a time, it was the much talked about book amongst teenage girls – it became legendary – and even though I was reading a good 20 years after it was released, it was still current and didn’t seem dated. Nowadays though it is more than likely no big deal for teenage girls to read Forever, as everything is so much more sexualised than it was when I was that age in the 90s. All these years later I can still see the ambiguous cover in my head, which was an illustration of a teenage boy and girl with a blue sky and rainbow above them. Now the cover that appears on my Kindle is very obvious of boy and girl’s legs entwined on a bed! How times have changed!

This time around I found Michael to be overbearing and Katherine to be empowered and wise beyond her years. Whereas when I was a teenager I was intrigued by the details of a long-term relationship rather than the people involved in it.

Ali McNamara’s Top 5 Writing Tips

1. Always write something you’d like to read yourself. If you like it, the chances are someone else will too.

2. It doesn’t matter how much you write as long as you do it. Its great to knock up 2,000 words a day, but better to do a few hundred well, than 5,000 badly. A little something every day soon adds up.

3. Write in a way that suits you, not in the way your favourite author does. If you want to edit as you go along then do! If you need an office with complete silence, or Barry Manilow crooning away in your earphones in a busy coffee shop to work at your best, then go for it! (Silence for me. Def not Barry!)

4.  The ‘experts’ aren’t always right. I’ll leave that with you …

5. Don’t give up if the going gets tough!

The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara is out now.

My Writing Room by Mike Gayle

One of the reasons my wife and I bought our home was that it had three reception rooms meaning I could claim one as a study. After all, we thought, who could possibly need three reception rooms? Unfortunately the answer to that question turned out to be ‘we do’ and within a year I was turfed out of my beautiful, high-ceiled spacious study to make way for the kids’ new X-Box/piano/mates-coming-over to watch a DVD room. By way of compensation I was handed the smallest bedroom in the house (formerly occupied by my youngest daughter) and told to make it work. Despite its disco pink walls and diminutive stature I’ve actually come to love my little study.

For one, it’s got a great view of the garden meaning that a source of distraction is only ever a head turn away. At the moment I’m doing edits for my latest book and having to provide answers to lots of tricky questions posed by my editor (“On page 101 you tell us that your protagonist is allergic to ginger cake and yet three pages later he’s eating the aforementioned cake to no ill effects, why???”) and so I’m always up for being sidetracked. Currently my favourite form of distraction is the squirrel that has been ransacking our plum tree. Whenever I spot him I leap from my desk, run downstairs and spend the next half hour chasing after him, yelling abuse. By the time I’ve seen him off my property not only have I had my exercise for the day (the writing life is nothing if not sedentary) but more often than not I’ve come up with a solution to my editing problem (“Dear Editor, my protagonist is allergic to ginger cake but the ginger cake in question doesn’t actually contain any ginger. Sorry for the confusion”).

The Secret Dreamworld of an Aspiring Author – Dismissing My Work

by Anna Bell

There has been a lot of talk on social media and blogs recently about the need to redefine the terms used for modern women’s fiction. It has made me question how I define my own work, and I’ve realised that I use derogatory terms to dismiss my writing when I’m embarrassed and talking to people in the real world.

It’s funny as, up until recently, I hadn’t considered ‘chick lit’ to be a dirty term. But the more that’s been written on the topic, the more I’ve started to look at my own use of it. I’ve realised that I use it because it’s an easy term to use – people largely know that I’m talking about light-hearted, easy-to-read novels about women. Now, people have better explained why this label is so wrong. Marian Keyes has been vocal on the need to change the the terminology, and literary agent Lizzy Kremer has talked about how commercial women’s fiction should be celebrated. But the reason I’m cross with myself is not the label I use, but the way I’m using it.

Whenever I meet new people I’m proud to say I’m an author as it sounds pretty cool, but then they ask me what I write, and I go all shy and embarrassment and fear kicks in. I tell them that I write trashy chick lit romance, novels. I don’t know why I say it like that, but I always do. It’s almost like I’m scared that if I describe it normally without making it sound trashy they’ll want to read it, and the thought of people that I know (or people I’m getting to know) picking up one of my books really scares me. It’s crazy because I love readers reading my book and it fills me with joy when I get emails and tweets from people I don’t know that tell me they’ve enjoyed my books. So why do I get so embarrassed in the real world?

Win! A Beautiful Bundle of The Sea Between Us Goodies with The Novelicious Book Club

To celebrate the release of The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall – this month’s Novelicious Book Club pick – we’re running an exclusive competition to win this gorgeous bundle of goodies.

With Emylia’s new novel sweeping us away to the coast of Cornwall, our first port of call for prizes was Cream Cornwall, which offers a plethora of homewares inspired by the sea, sheltered bays and windswept moors of the captivating West Country county.

One lucky winner will win three Cornish harbour scenes jugs and a set of Cornish harbour scenes notebooks from Cream Cornwall as well as a string of soft and delicate Cable & Cotton fairy lights. (You'll find a matching set on the stunning cover of The Sea Between Us. Pretty, eh?)

The Novelicious Book Club Pick for September – The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall

Welcome to the Novelicious Book Club, our fun and friendly digital get together for book nerds! Like most book clubs, it’s a great way to discover new books, meet new people, have great discussions and generally geek out over all things bookish.

This month, we’re in windswept Cornwall with our September pick: The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall.

From the author of the Richard and Judy book club pick The Book of Summers comes a captivating, moving novel of love and family which will sweep you away to the beautiful coast of Cornwall.

In a remote Cornish cove, on one of the last days of summer, Robyn Swinton is drowning. She is saved – just – by local boy Jago Winters, and it is a moment that will change both of them forever.

Over the next seven years, Robyn and Jago's paths lead them in different directions, to city streets and foreign shores. Will the bond forged that day Jago dragged Robyn in from the sea be strong enough to bring them back to one another, or has life already pulled them too far apart?

So, how do you take part in The Novelicious Book Club? Let us count the ways.

1. Pick up a copy of The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall.

2. Leave a link to your blog or Twitter handle in the comments so we can connect with you. Or come and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

3. Read the book and tweet your thoughts as you go (no spoilers!) using the #NoveliciousBookClub hashtag. We’ll be retweeting and featuring our favourites.

4. Once you’ve finished the book, you can send a brief 100 word review to kerry@novelicious.com for potential inclusion in a preliminary book discussion, which will be published here on Novelicious on Tuesday 27 October.

Novelicious Picks...5 Books That Will Stay With You

For many readers, a really great book lingers a little once you've read that last page and closed the book. You think about the characters, you mourn for the loss, or smile at the events you've just been witness to.

And then comes a book that not only lingers, it stays. It gets under your skin, upsets you, enrages you, excites you. It forms roots and sets up camp.

Here are the books still haunting team Novelicious from their bookshelves:

Shifting Colours by Fiona Sussman

Jennifer says: It's a beautifully written book centred around such an horrific subject. I knew very little about apartheid in South Africa and was shocked that it was allowed to continue until 1994. Sussman's story was so tragic and moving that it was difficult to simply leave it on a shelf with the book.

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill

Amanda says: This book has a haunting after-effect that gets under your skin and stays there indefinitely. The novel is alarmingly realistic and current, given that it’s written in a futuristic world, and the themes really resonate today, making the reader enraged at the injustice of peer pressure and ridiculous ideas of beauty.

Review – The Beachside Guest House by Vanessa Greene

Reviewed by Zarina de Ruiter

More than three years ago I read an utterly charming debut novel, The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene, which was a lovely and inspirational read about new friendships and vintage teacups. I loved it so much that I still find myself frequently recommending it to people, so you can imagine my delight when I had the opportunity to review the author's latest book: The Beachside Guesthouse.  

The action has moved from Britain to the more exotic location of Greece, the island of Paros to be exact. Bee, Rosa and Iona used to be best friends and after finishing high school they spent a magical summer together on the island, enjoying the sunshine, food and the scrumptious men that crossed their paths that holiday. It was one of the best times of their lives and the three friends were inseparable yet, after the trip, they each go their separate ways and while Rosa and Bee still see each other, they haven't spoken to Iona in years – and they really miss her. Now a decade later, Bee is gearing up to get married to the man she started going out with as soon as the friends returned from Greece, when she comes across an ad showing her that the windmill they stayed in during their holiday is for sale.

Bee starts to reminisce about the past and not only does it make her doubt that she is making the right decision by marrying Stuart, she also talks to Rosa about the ad, planting a seed in her friend's brain that leads to Rosa putting an offer in for the place.

The Novelicious Book Club: What We Thought of Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley

As you’ll see from the mini reviews below, escaping to the rolling hills of Cumbria with this month’s Novelicious Book Club pick was a sheer delight. We all loved Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley and we’re looking forward to hearing how you enjoyed the book during our #NoveliciousBookClub chat on Twitter at 8pm GMT tonight.

But first, here are some thoughts from members of the team and one of our readers Petra, who blogs at The Nest of Books Review.

Jennifer:

Appleby Farm has such warmth and charm and I thought Freya was a fantastic leading character. She has such a positive attitude and although she doesn't know much about farming, she is determined to help her aunt and uncle save the farm. I loved Freya’s ideas and enjoyed seeing how each new venture turned out. Cathy Bramley's previous novel, Ivy Lane was such a fantastic read so it was nice to catch up with some of the Kingsfield characters as well as meeting a whole new set in Lovedale.

Susan:

Loved this book from start to finish. With Ivy Lane Cathy Bramley made me want to get an allotment and she has done it again as now I want to spend time somewhere like Appleby Farm. Brimming with lovable characters it was an absolute joy to read. It also gave me great pleasure to see a couple's first wedding dance was the same as mine!

Zarina:

As soon as I started reading about Freya, I was swept away first back to the lovely allotments at Ivy Lane and soon after to the lush, rolling countryside of the Lake District. Cathy has a really wonderful way of creating atmospheric settings for her novels that make you wish you were right there with the characters, and Appleby Farm is the most magical location yet. Despite all the troubles that hit Freya and her family along the way, all you really want to do as a reader is pack your suitcase and visit this delightful place yourself.

Novelicious Chats To...Brigid Coady

When Brigid Coady won the Katie Fforde bursary, she knew she couldn't give up on her writing dreams. These days, she writes YA series and rom-coms for HarperImpulse, the latest of which, No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham, is out now.

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

I try to ensure that my average working day includes writing. Most of my writing is done on the commute to and from work. I get up at 5am and I’m at Victoria Station just past 6am. I get the largest decaf latte from Starbucks and get on the 6.36am train. I know it is a ridiculously early start but it means I get a table. Out comes my iPad, the sound cancelling headphones and before we've left the station I'm writing. I get about fifty minutes concentrated writing in. On the way home in the evening, if I get a table I try and get about twenty minutes done.

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

I very rarely use celebrities as inspiration but I do use events or little things from other people as inspiration. In No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham, the hero, Jack Twist, has a brightly coloured suit lining, this was 'borrowed' from a lovely ex who wore a beautiful bespoke suit with a bright lining. It fitted the idea I had of Jack Twist perfectly.

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

My favourite Women's Fiction book is Frederica by Georgette Heyer. I was brought up on Georgette Heyer and for years Arabella or The Devil's Cub were my favourites but as I grew older I realised Frederica is where it was at. She is a 'managing female' who doesn't see herself as a heroine. I loved the way she and the Alverstoke fall in love, both are fighting it and are unsure. She feels like a very modern heroine to me, it could be period chick lit.

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

My process is I leap upwards and start my dive and then halfway through the air, as I’m about to hit the page, I start planning. I usually start with an idea, or a scene and then start writing. After a few thousand words, enough to get an idea of the voice and tone, I start to plan and look at the theme of the book.