Interview with Jill Mansell, You and Me, Always blog tour

On the morning of Lily's twenty-fifth birthday, it's time to open the very last letter written to her by her beloved mother, who died when she was eight.

Learning more about the first and only real love of her mum's life is a revelation. On the same day, Lily also meets Eddie Tessler, a man fleeing fame who just might have the ability to change her world in unimaginable ways. But her childhood friend Dan has his own reasons for not wanting Lily to get too carried away by Eddie's attentions.

Before long, secrets begin to emerge and Lily's friends and family become involved. In the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton Langley, nothing will ever be the same again...

Hi Jill

Thank you for answering my questions today.

Can you tell us about your latest book, You and Me, Always?

Have you ever wondered what it might be like if you were to discover that an A-list celebrity has moved into a house around the corner from you? No? Just me then! This is what happens to Lily at the beginning of the book, and it ends up affecting quite a few people's lives in the Cotswold village where she lives. (I wish it would happen to me!)

Looking at your back catalogue you have over twenty books to your name. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Oh, I'm constantly on the search for interesting new ideas. I'll scour newspapers, magazines, the Internet and sometimes my own friends' lives. With their permission, of course! It does get more difficult to think of plot situations that I haven't used before, but I do my best not to repeat myself.

If you had to write a bio for yourself, what would it say? (5 words or less) 

Sparkly writer, loves snacks.

How old were you when you started writing?

Oh, very young - I used to write long happy stories where nothing bad ever happened, back when I was nine or ten. I was always trauma-averse as a child!

Are any of your characters based on people you know?

Never ever. It would feel far too weird to even attempt to write fiction about people I know. I like my characters to be entirely made up. (Needless to say, this doesn't stop people telling me they recognise themselves as characters in my books. And when I  tell them they've made a mistake, they never believe me…)

Have you/would you ever consider teaching a creative writing course?

This isn't something I've ever considered – I think some people are natural teachers and some aren't. Apart from anything else, I wouldn't feel remotely qualified, because I only know how I like to write, and all the successful authors I know have different working methods. I could never tell someone their way of writing was wrong!

Can you tell us about your writing process?

I have my initial starting-off idea, and I take a bunch of characters, and from there the storyline is made up pretty much as I go along. If I planned an entire book out in advance, better ideas would occur to me as I got further into it, and then the initial plan would no longer work - so for me, doing it that way would just be a waste of time.

But I write the book by hand, divide it up into chapters afterwards, and then my daughter types it up for me. That's the process!

If one of your books was made into a film/TV series, who would you like as the leading lady/man?

This is one of those questions I simply can't answer – I never know what my characters look like and have no clue as to who would play them in a film. I kind of wish I did!

Do you have a process for planning your book, ie do you talk over an idea with a friend or a partner?

Oh goodness, never never! I really couldn't bear to discuss my books with anyone before they were written – the very idea makes me squirm with embarrassment!

Tell us something about yourself that readers won’t know from reading your books or web page?

I always like to wear clothes that are too big for me.

What's the best/worst thing about social media?

The best is undoubtedly the fantastic amount of contact we writers can now have with our readers. Most of the time it's an absolute joy!

And the worst? Well, the same thing of course - but it's so much less fun when people haven't enjoyed reading your books! I think the Amazon reviews are the worst, particularly when they're from disgruntled readers giving your book a one star review purely because they ordered it secondhand and it arrived with a torn cover.

Have you ever heard a strange/different story that you thought would be great in a book?

Oh, dozens of times. Every single new novel of mine starts as a result of this happening. And that moment when you realise you've just found the pivotal idea for the next book feels like magic!

Thanks

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including THE ONE YOUR REALLY WANT, DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING and THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME won the Romantic Novelists' Association's Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award.

She lives in Bristol with her family.

Jill keeps in touch with her readers on Twitter - @JillMansell - and Facebook - /OfficialJillMansell. 

Interview with Sarah Stephenson

Hi Sarah

Welcome to Comet Babes Books.

Thank you for having me on your blog today

Can you tell me about you book Dougal’s Diary?

It’s about a dog dealing with the complexities of modern life and the unusual characters he comes across.

When Dougal leaves the quiet of Kent for Greenwich, he has no idea what sort of dog he’ll turn into, no clue about London life, or whether he’s chosen his owner well and landed on his paws. Dougal documents the first 18 months of his life through the highs of Wimbledon, the Olympic, birthday parties, bonfire night, playing a sheep in a nativity play and getting into trouble with his young mate, Jacob. And the lows of puppy classes, dealing with a chaotic owner and her eccentric friends, going on a booze cruise to Calais and coping with his own obsessions; his health, balls, eating socks and Sat Nav skills.  Dougal is convinced writing his diary, saved his sanity.

Can you tell us the inspiration for the story?

I do have a dog called Dougal. The moment I got him home, I realised he was very different from any I’d had before.  He was a lover of life and adventure: a social animal, a party goer – rather more human than dog. I felt his character was asking for a story.

What are your future book plans?

I’m planning a series of cozy crime thrillers set in various home in Britain, Europe and the states. Recipe for Death (working title) is set in Gloucestershire, another in Palm Beach and one in Mallorca

Tilly Carey, a recently trained chef is sent to work for various client. Her own family run through all the books, so does her assistant, a student from Tbilisi. A young man Scottish man, she meets on a train brings in the love interest.

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

I was told Dougal’s Diary would be hard to place. It didn’t fall into any particular genre. It wasn’t a non-fiction story about a cute Labrador, nor a fictional children’s book.

Luckily for me, Elaine Everest saw that Crooked Cat Publishing, a young ebook company was open for submissions and suggested I sent it in. Funnily enough, although they have a cat logo Crooked Cat had meant Crooked Category, and was originally for books that fell between the usual genres. They were the first people I sent it to.

How long have you been writing?

When I was young and couldn’t write, I made up stories that my brother and I acted out. They went on for days. As a young adult, I wrote long letters, followed by a diary which turned into a vast meandering, chaotic memoire. Then I started on a treatment for a film.  The hero was a hamster working in the kitchen of a recording studio.  It was a rodents and humans versus the enemy, story.  I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. Then, three years ago I was lucky enough for find a wonderful writing class, The Write Place run by writer, Elaine Everest. Thanks to Elaine I have a far better idea of what I’m meant to be doing.

Who are your writing hero's?

Edward Albee. Jane Gardam. Tom Sharp. Paul Scott. Alan Bennett. PD James. Angela Carter.

Which best selling books of all time do you wish you had written?

The Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend or Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

What's on your desk/writing area?

Piles of exercise books filled with scribble that’s waiting to go onto my laptop. I write in long-hand first. A dictionary, thesaurus, pencils and pens.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a book?

Don’t dither about, just do it. Start small; a short story or even flash fiction. Nothing too daunting: something achievable. Join a class if you can and subscribe to a writing magazine. They are packed with useful information and loaded with competitions.

If you were invisible for a day what would you do?

I’d probably hang out with a bunch of homeless people in The Strand or under the arches at Waterloo. Hear their stories and find out exactly what their lives are like.

Can you share a peek at what you're writing at the mo?

We’re frequently told to write what you know. So, having spent the last twenty years as a free-lance chef; cooking in Britain, Europe and the States in the homes of the very wealthy. I am sending Tilly Carey, a young inexperienced chef down to a crumbling mansion in Gloucestershire to cook for a funeral. She arrives to a frosty reception and a quarrelling aristocratic family. Death occurs. Poison. Was she to blame? In order to clear her name and prevent further deaths, she needs to discover what’s really going on. Can she do it in time?

Best/worst thing about social media?

 Best.

I’ve caught up with old friends from school and colleagues I worked with in France and other parts of the world. It’s great for keeping in touch.

Worst

It can take up hours of one’s time, become a dreadful duty or guilt-making machine. You feel bad if you haven’t posted something, read something or missed someone’s birthday.  I have a love /hate relationship with it.

 

Thank you for answering my questions today.

Has he chosen his owner well and landed on his paws? Dougal the Labradoodle puppy, a complete hypochondriac and Boris Johnson’s No 1 fan, arrives in Greenwich with great expectations. 

He longs to travel the world on Virgin Atlantic, dine at royal banquets and either become a superstar and party the night away or work as a doorman at the Savoy. 

Behaviour classes were never on his wish-list, neither were cliff-hanging experiences on the Thames, booze cruises to Calais or obsessions for eating socks. 

Can he survive life with a chaotic owner and her eccentric friends? Can he deal with his jealousy when a foster puppy comes to stay? And as for his dreams, will they ever come true? 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dougals-Diary-Its-Dogs-Life-ebook/dp/B019BCEVMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450085771&sr=1-1&keywords=Dougal%27s+diary+sarah+stephenson

Christmas Quiz by Debbie Johnson

The Big, Happy Harper Christmas Quiz!

In my latest book, Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper, our hero and heroine are forced to spend endless nights together in over Christmas following a cycling accident.

As our leading man, Marco Cavelli, is the funniest, kindest, most gorgeous-est (yes, I made that up) man in the world, that’s not too much of a hardship for seamstress Maggie. He even accompanies her, on crutches, to the weddings of loved-up brides she’s created dresses for.

Mainly, though, theirs is a friendship that develops at home – watching TV, chatting, playing games, and eating pizza under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, looking out at a snow-bound Oxford from their window.

I like to imagine them watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas songs, and making the most of their enforced captivity. I love nights in over Christmas myself – they’re sometimes just as good as a party! As a family we play a lot of board games, and enjoy puzzles,word games and quizzes. It may not be cool, but I always believe in that saying: people who play together stay together.

So when I was asked to come up with a post to celebrate Happy Harper Christmas for the lovely Jo at Comet Babe Books, I thought a sparkling Christmas quiz might be just the ticket. So, get your thinking hats on – and if they have reindeer antlers, all the better – and enjoy the Happy Harper Christmas Quiz!

MUSIC:

1, Who recorded the drum section of the 1984 Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?

2, Most of us know the Nat King Cole lyric ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire’ – but what is the actual name of the song?

3, In the traditional song 12 Days of Christmas, what was sent on the third day?

4, Complete the lyric from the Wham! Song Last Christmas: “But if you kissed me now, I know you’d XXXX me again.”

5, Who recorded the original version of Santa Baby, which has since been recorded by Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift and Madonna?

MOVIES:

6, What is the name of Will Ferrell’s Elf?

7, Philip Van Doren Stern published a short story called The Greatest Gift in 1943 that inspired one of the most famous Christmas films of all time – which one?

8, In the 1990 movie Home Alone, Kevin McAllister gets left behind while his family goes on holiday – where do they go?

9, In what film does a struggling inventor buy a furry creature called a Mogwai as a Christmas gift for his son?

10, Bridget Jones is horrified by Mark Darcy’s Christmas jumper in the movie – do you remember what the design is?

MIXED BAG:

11, When is St Stephen’s Day?

12, Three of Santa’s reindeer's have names that are also things you can do. Can you name them?

13, What are the names of the three Wise Men?

14, In what country would you find Lapland?

15, What food item is traditionally used to make a Christingle?

The quiz is just for fun, if you put your answers in the comments I will post them at the end of Happy Harper Christmas!

ANSWERS:

1, Phil Collins

2, The Christmas Song

3, Three French Hens

4, Fool

5, Eartha Kitt

6, Buddy

7, It’s A Wonderful Life

8, Paris

9, Gremlins

10, A reindeer

11, Boxing Day

12, Dasher, Dancer and Prancer

13, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar

14, Finland

15, An orange

 

You’ve seen Mark Darcy in his reindeer jumper, now meet Marco Cavelli in this season’s Christmas knit!

For single mum Maggie, Christmas has always been a family occasion – her daughter Ellen filling the house with her bubbly warmth and mistletoe, her dad Paddy having one too many festive tipples, and the traditional family Christmas tree looking like a drunken elf vomited a rainbow all over it.

But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.

Until walking the snowy streets of Oxford, Marco Cavelli quite literally crashes into her life – and, complete with broken leg, becomes her unexpected house guest. All dreamy brown eyes and 6’5” of gorgeousness, the man is hotter and more delicious than a freshly baked mince pie.

Though Maggie always thought it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper?

The next FABULOUS book from Debbie Johnson, author of best-selling Christmas number one, ‘Cold Feet at Christmas’ and the summer hit ‘Pippa’s Cornish Dream’.

Debbie Johnson lives and works in Liverpool, where she divides her time between writing, caring for a small tribe of children and animals, and not doing the housework.She writes romance, fantasy and crime - which is as confusing as it sounds!

Her first humorous contemporary romance, Cold Feet At Christmas, a seasonal tale of snow-bound fun, was released by HarperImpulse last year, and became an Amazon top ten best-seller. Her latest, Never Kiss A Man In A Christmas Jumper, is out now. 

You can also find her supernatural crime thriller, Fear No Evil, featuring Liverpool PI Jayne McCartney, on Amazon, published by Maze/Avon Books.

Debbie also writes urban fantasy, set in modern day Liverpool. Dark Vision and the follow-up Dark Touch are published by Del Rey UK, and earned her the title 'a Liverpudlian Charlaine Harris' from The Guardian.

You can find out more at www.debbiejohnsonauthor.com, or at www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor

Interview with Jamie Admans

Hi Jaimie

Welcome to Comet Babes Books

Can you tell us about your story in Christmas Wish Come True?

Hi Jo, thanks for having me! My story in the anthology was originally called A Santa for Christmas but has since been renamed as Christmas Every Day. It’s about Emma - her life is pretty dull and the highlight of her day is saying hello to Gorgeous Dog Walker, a man she passes when she takes her dog out each night. She doesn’t even know his name, but all that changes when she (accidentally!) pushes him under a bus and he ends up in a coma, and Emma finds herself talking over his very unusual job and learning the secret of his very unusual identity!

I have previously read North Pole Reform School, can you tell me if there will be Zombies in Christmas Wish?

Hah! There are no zombies in this one (unfortunately!) There is a very grouchy elf though so I hope he’ll make up for the lack of zombies!

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Oh, what isn’t my favourite thing about Christmas?! I love this time of year! The music, the films, the festive treats and ‘limited edition’ winter goodies, the baking, the chocolate, the scented candles, the cold nights, warm blankets, and winter boots!

And, of course, all the lovely festive books that are out!

What are your future book plans?

I’m currently planning and starting work on another Christmas book, a full length one this time. I try to save a Christmas story to write around this time of year as it’s much easier to get into the festive feeling now than in the summer! I also have a completed novella that I’d like to expand into a full-length novel, and about nine million YA ideas screaming for attention!

What inspired you to take up writing?

I don’t know! I’ve been writing on and off since I was a child, but the turning point was about eight years ago when I actually finished my first novel. I’d been writing bits and pieces of it here and there, and without me realising, it had become an 80,000-word novel. Of course, it was absolutely dire and will never, ever see the light of day, but just the act of realising I could finish a novel changed the way I viewed writing. I suddenly realised I could write books!

Are any of your characters based on people you know?

Not ‘based on’ as such, but all parts of my own life end up sneaking into my writing. Most characters are an amalgamation of people you know, strangers you pass in the street, celebs on the TV, etc, so while no characters are specifically based on any one person, all characters are influenced by who and what I see on a daily basis.

I would hate anyone I know to think a character was based on them. Sometimes I’ll write a sentence and think ‘this sounds exactly like something so-and-so would say, I hope he doesn’t think this character is supposed to be him!’

Do you have a support network for your writing?

I think Twitter is the greatest support when it comes to writing! I know a lot of other writers on there, and lots of book bloggers and people who love reading, and I think it’s so nice to be able to post an update and have people cheering you on, whether you’re struggling through a scene, blasting through a first draft, or drowning under a pile of revisions! Away from the internet, I don’t like to talk about works in progress until they’re finished, so if people ask me what I’m working on, they usually get a vague one-sentence answer which ends the conversation. I find it much easier to be open online, especially with other writers and book lovers who understand just how frustrating writing can be when it goes wrong and how exhilarating it can be when it goes right!

What items are on your desk/where you write?

My desk is so small that there’s not much room for stuff! I’ve got a notebook and pen, a couple of USB sticks for backing up, and a bottle of water! My laptop takes up the rest of the space. I’ve been promising myself a new desk for years!

What's the worst advice you have ever received?

Worst advice? That’s an interesting one! The first piece would probably be from a career advisor at school who told me that writing was a waste of time and would never be a real job. (The same man claimed any job in the IT industry was pointless as the internet would never take off – this was the late 90s/early 00s so before the internet took off but it shows how valid his claims were!)

The second bit was probably ‘save your work directly to a USB stick’ – no! I learned this lesson the hard way. Save your work to your computer and immediately copy it over to a USB stick, because if the stick chooses to crash mid-save, you lose a lot of work!

What's the best/worst thing about social media?

The best thing is absolutely the support network, and how close it lets you get to people who are far away. I’ve made some true friends through social media, people I’ll probably never meet because we live too far away, but the distance is unimportant because they’re never further away than a DM or mention!

The worst thing about it is when you’re on a deadline, and you either have to force yourself not to open Twitter, or you go in ‘just for a quick check’ and you’re still there three hours later, nattering away and following links to Buzzfeed and Youtube, and you’ve got absolutely no work done whatsoever!

Have you ever heard a strange/different story that you thought would be great in a book?

Many! I save anything that piques my interest. There’s a part of my brain that’s always on the lookout for new stories and I feel like my ears prick up at the mention of something interesting, and I think ‘this would be great for a story’ so I always save links and pictures and stuff, even if I can’t use them immediately, there’s plenty of stories still to come that they might be a perfect fit for!

You mentioned North Pole Reform School earlier, that whole book was born from a newspaper article about a window cleaner dressed as an elf who refused to wear a safety harness. The headline was ‘Elf & Safety’ and it led to all sorts of ideas about an elf school, which quickly snowballed into North Pole Reform School!

Thank You!

Christmas Every Day by Jaimie Admans

Emma loves bumping into Gorgeous Dog Walker, Nick, every evening. But when he ends up in a coma (partly her fault), she ends up taking care of ‘his job’…and his dog! Emma stopped believing in Santa years ago, but this Christmas her world is about to be turned upside down!

Jaimie is a 30-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she sounds like a dying hyena. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots.

She has been writing for years, but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Kismetology is her debut novel and she wants you to know that the mum in this book is nothing like her own mum!

She is also the author of young adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.

Find out more on www.jaimieadmans.com or connect on Twitter @be_the_spark

Interview with Gina Rochelle

Hi Gina

Welcome to Comet Babes Books

Can you tell us about your story in Christmas Wish Come True?

My story is titled All I Want For Christmas, and is about a recently jilted schoolteacher, her orphaned student, and his emotionally frozen uncle.

After a devastating breakup with her fiancé, schoolteacher Isabella Stevens has come to Denver to start a new life and a new substitute teaching job. Despite the holiday season, her student, Tyler Butler, seems unusually sad. Hoping to inspire some joy in him, Isabella persuades Tyler to write a letter to Santa – by agreeing to write one herself. Keeping to their deal, she recklessly writes her wish for the man of her dreams to come to her for Christmas.

When Isabella learns Tyler's wish to Santa – to bring his recently deceased parents back for Christmas – she feels responsible for creating an impossible situation for his emotionally distant and totally gorgeous uncle, Jordan Butler. In the hopes of setting things right, Isabella reluctantly agrees to join forces with Jordan through the holidays – for Tyler’s sake.

Isabella has one month to prove to Jordan that Tyler belongs with him. Though she’s putting her own heart on the line, she feels Tyler and Jordan’s happiness is worth the risk.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I love the feelings the season inspires. Hope, love, wonder, faith, happiness – and the memories of my mom, who always made Christmas so special when I was a child. But I also love the beauty of Christmas. Snow, twinkle lights, trees, ornaments, Christmas music…what’s not to love?

What are your future book plans?

I plan to submit the novels I’ve completed, and keep writing new ones, of course!

What inspired you to take up writing?

Love. I’m a hopeless romantic and writing was the best way to express myself. Even before I got hooked on Harlequin Romances, I wrote poetry. Once I discovered romance novels, I was a goner.

Are any of your characters based on people you know?

No, not at all. Although I do use famous people for inspiration for my characters’ looks. I create story boards on Pinterest for my novels, as well.

Do you have a support network for your writing?

Yes. I met several aspiring and published authors through the Harlequin.com boards, and I’ve carried on those friendships through social media, as well. They have been a tremendous source of support to me.

What items are on your desk/where you write?

My laptop, of course. A stuffed bear. A jar of faux daisies. A small Tiffany lamp. And I recently found a soy candle tin at a flea market that’s the same color and shape as the little blue box on the cover of Christmas Wish Come True.  

What's the worst advice you have ever received?

Oh, that’s a hard one. Hmmm. I suppose it was the naysayers, telling me that becoming a published author was just a dream, and it would never happen. 

What's the best/worst thing about social media?

The best thing is keeping up with the daily events in the lives of my friends and family. And also the authors I interact with. The worst thing is when people force their opinions on you – or post things that put others down.

Have you ever heard a strange/different story that you thought would be great in a book?

I get inspiration all the time from unusual stories on the news or from the words of a song.

Can you share a sneak peak at what you're working on at the moment?

I have several projects in the works, but here’s a blurb for (tentatively titled) Wake Me Up Inside ~ the sequel to All I Want For Christmas.

Derek Butler awakens in a Calgary hospital without his memory and all alone – except for his beautiful rescuer, Layla Wright. He must battle the demons of his past, and his feelings for Layla, as his memories slowly return.

Layla Wright lost her husband, and her dream of a family, to another woman. When Derek moves in and begins to renovate her inn, Layla must fight the temptation of falling for her possibly married – and impossibly attractive – houseguest.

Flashes of his memory show Derek that he must let Layla go, he doesn’t deserve her love. Can Layla convince him that he’s nothing like the man who betrayed her?

Thank You!

All I Want for Christmas by Gina Rochelle

Ditching her faithless fiancé, schoolteacher Isabella plans to spend the holidays alone. But when she unintentionally inspires a young pupil to make an impossible wish, she joins forces with his – totally gorgeous – uncle to put things right! Could two wishes come true this Christmas?

Gina Rochelle is a writer, born and raised in Iowa, now living in the beautiful state of Colorado. In love with the world, magical stories, and happily-ever-afters, she gets endless inspiration from the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, and is so grateful to have the career of her dreams, writing romance.