Inspire Me with Aoife Walsh

I am pleased to welcome Aoife Walsh onto the blog today to discuss what inspired her to write about Too Close To Home, her second novel.

I don’t have to look too far to figure out my inspiration for Too Close To Home. It’s about a girl called Minny and her complicated, demanding family. Minny is truculent about her extra responsibilities: elder children in big families have always felt that way. My dad was the fifth of seven kids and his older sisters had to help bring him up (although I should disclose that those four women went on to have twenty-five children between them, so they can’t have been that disillusioned).

The thing is, sometimes in families where everybody is stretched just to manage the day to day, a child - of any age - can get sidelined. Perhaps the child that’s most likely to happen to is the one that everyone thinks is okay.

Minny isn’t, actually, the oldest in the family. Her sister Aisling is almost two years her senior - and only one school year up. By an astonishing coincidence, my two eldest have a similar gap (though they’re much younger), and, like Aisling, my eldest son is autistic. So is my youngest, as a matter of fact, though I didn’t know it when I started writing this book. My daughter is not.

Too Close To Home isn’t, obviously, about the mother of the family. Nor is it directly about Aisling. I should say outright that I absolutely agree with people who feel that there need to be more books with autistic MAIN characters, preferably written by autistic authors. 

This book, however, was always going to be about Minny, the middle child with all the pressures of the eldest. Autism is only one of the issues in Minny’s life - she’s trying to carve out an identity against a background of estranged fathers, half-sibling babies, religious scruples, elderly sex, self-obsessed friends, insensitive teachers, a boy she might fancy and a minor class struggle. 

But, to me, the relationship between Aisling and Minny is the heart of the book. And I think I wrote it mostly because I know I expect a lot of my daughter. Some evenings all she hears from me is: ‘Don’t snap at your brother like that, he gets that at school all day. Don’t ignore him even if he is telling you a fact you’ve heard seventy times before and weren’t remotely interested in the first time. Can’t you just sit in a room with him for a while, you know you’re his best friend, don’t you? Fair doesn’t mean everybody getting the same, it means everybody getting what they need…’

So this book started life as a way of paying some attention to my daughter. To my son too, and to the way they are with each other. His relationship with her, rocky though it sometimes is, is one of the most positive things in his life - and in hers, too. I guess the book is a love letter to that relationship. It’s also a way for me to tell her, I do know you have it rough sometimes. I know it’s hard to love somebody whose life is difficult, even when you’re an adult, let alone when you’re fourteen like Minny or ten like you. A lot of our family life is not set up for you. I may not always give you the positive attention you deserve, and there are times you get negative attention you don’t deserve. But I do think about you, and worry about you, and admire you and love you and even, sometimes, appreciate you.

Too Close to Home is published by Andersen Press and is available to buy now.

Summary

Meet Minny: her life is a complicated whirlwind of unbearable PE lessons, annoying friends and impossible-to-live-with siblings. Minny is desperate for some space in a house spilling over with family and hangers-on. She has to contend with her autistic sister Aisling's school bullies, whilst trying to keep her self-absorbed BFF Penny happy, and look normal in front of new boy Franklin. And on top of this, now Dad has announced that he’s returning to London - with his new girlfriend. 

Secrets, lies and home truths will out, frying pans will be burnt, and arguments will flare up in a story full of humour, honesty and minor household emergencies.

To find out more about Aoife Walsh:

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The Write Way with Holly Webb

I am a huge fan of Holly Webb, so I was absolutely delighted to be asked to take part in the blog tour for A Tiger Tale. Thankfully, the lovely ladies at Scholastic, let me interview Holly, to find out all her writing secrets.

1) A Tiger’s Tale is about to be published, can you tell us a little bit about it to whet our appetites?

Kate’s grandfather has died, and she is missing him terribly. He took her to school, chatted to her, cooked her cheese on toast. And he loved tigers just like she does. He gave her Amos, her toy tiger, and Kate is almost sure that Amos is more than just a toy.

2) Where did the idea for the book come from?

I’d noticed how many children at my sons’ school were being taken home by grandparents, and I wanted to write about the grandparent and grandchild bond. I also had much-loved toys in my head as a theme. Then one of my lovely readers sent me a photo of her handsome tigerish cat…

3) Being an experienced writer, do you find the process gets easier with each book you write?

Sometimes, but not usually. This book was very difficult to write, as it was so sad. I didn’t want it to be a miserable book, but at the same time, Kate is devastated. It was hard to balance that.

4) Do you try and aim for a daily word target when writing?

Yeeees. Somewhere between 1500 to 3000 words. But I often don’t get there! And I do a lot of reading which counts as work as well. So I tell myself.

5) Do you edit as you go along or do you wait until the first draft is finished?

A bit of both. I usually start off by reading what I wrote the day before.

6) When is your ideal time to write? Morning, afternoon or evening?

I don’t have an ideal time. I don’t think I’m a lark or an owl, more a sort of sloth. I still write well in the evenings, though, as when I worked full-time as an editor, evenings were my writing time.

7) Which authors inspired you whilst growing up?

CS Lewis, I loved the Narnia books. Also Betsy Byars, Michelle Magorian, and I adored A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8) What are you working on right now?

Lots of things! A book about a mouse that looks like a chocolate truffle. A series with some very greedy guinea pigs, and a book set during the Second World War that’s a sort of sequel to The Secret Garden.

9) What advice would you give unpublished authors?

Don’t stop writing, read and read, and never throw away any ideas.

Summary

Kate loves her toy tiger, Amos.

He was  a present from Granddad, and holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away.

But she doesn’t expect Amos to turn into a real tiger! A big, comforting, friendly tiger who looks a bit like Granddad, and sounds like him too.

Author Biography

Holly was born and grew up in south-east London, but spent a lot of time on the Suffolk coast. As a child, she had two dogs, a cat, and at one point, nine gerbils (an accident). At about ten, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying Latin and Greek, and eventually to reading Classics at university. She worked for five years as a children's fiction editor, before deciding that writing was more fun, and easier to do from a sofa. Now living in Reading with her husband, three sons and one cat, Holly runs a Girl Guide group.

If you want to follow the blog tour for Holly Webb, then check out the dates and blogs below.

The Big Break with C.J Flood

Today as part of the Infinite Sky blog tour, I am so pleased to welcome debut author C.J. Flood on to the blog to talk about her journey into publishing.

Firstly, can I thank you for joining me today on my blog.
Thank you for having me! I’m very happy to be here.
Did you always want to be a writer?
I think I did, though not in a serious way. When I was a kid, I used to write lots of stories, and I always loved English at school. I didn’t consider it as a proper career path until after university, when I realised that there really wasn’t much else I was good at, or fancied doing, and so I began to put all of my efforts into getting better at writing.
 How long did it take you to write your debut novel ‘Infinite Sky’?
It took about three years. I started the book about six months before I began an MA at the University of East Anglia, worked on it intensively throughout the course, and finished it about a year and a half after graduating. 
Tell us about your inspiration for writing ‘Infinite Sky’?
The main inspiration for the book was the farm that I spent half my childhood at, my dad’s house, which Silverweed Farm is based on. I also drew a lot from my teenage memories, from friendships I had then, and my relationship with my older brother.
What was your first reaction when you found out that your book was to be published?
 It was a very strange feeling. Almost too surreal to grasp. It had been a dream of mine for so long, that when it happened it was almost unsettling. I felt, for the first time in my life, that perhaps anything (within reason) was possible, and that made me feel a bit nervous and weird. Of course, I should have just been excited, I realise that.  
How long did it take for your book to reach publication after the initial agreement? 
We sold the book in September 2011, and Infinite Sky publishes February 2013, so a year and a halfish.
What was happening to your manuscript during this time?
It was going through edits, which were fairly light, though still took a long time because I had a lot of ideas about things I wanted to change. It was a fairly delightful process actually, as my editor and I agreed pretty much unanimously on everything. Then there were copy edits and proofreading.
How did you keep yourself occupied as you waited for publication day?
I played an extraordinary amount of table tennis and became addicted to Twitter. 
I absolutely DID NOT google myself or obsessively scour the Internet and GoodReads for advance reviews. The reasons I didn’t do that are multiple: I have more dignity than that; I don’t have the time to waste on such pursuits; I am not that self-obsessed; and I
realise that no matter how many people love or hate the book it will always only be as good or as bad as it ever was.
How will you celebrate on publication day?
I am going out for lunch with two of my dear friends and their tiny baby, and for tea with another much loved friend. I am also going to go to Waterstones and Foyles and sniff the hell out of any copies of Infinite Sky that I find there.
‘Infinite Sky’ is already receiving excellent reviews, how does that make you feel?
It makes me feel very marvellous. I am so happy when I hear that people are enjoying it. I’ve had a few emails from readers, and a handwritten letter too, and really these people just make my day. Always write to authors when you loved their book.
Can you tell us anything about the next book you have planned?
Yes! My second novel is a story about a teenage girl’s search for her missing brother. He’s a soldier, due back from his first tour in Afghanistan, only he hasn’t come home. When his little sister hears that he has been spotted in the woods where they used to play as kids, she sets out with her friends to try and find him, and bring him home. But, of course, it isn’t that easy. It’s about friendship and adventure and bravery, and I think that readers who liked Infinite Sky, will enjoy it.
Do you write full time now?
I do. 
Tell us what a typical writing day would be like?
My writing days change depending at what point I am with a novel. When I’m thinking of ideas, I don’t necessarily need to be clocking in at my desk so routinely. I still have done in the past, but I’m thinking on book three, I will try to change this. It’s often just a waste of time, and I write loads of words that just get thrown away in this period. I think I’d be better off being out in the world or reading, trying to get inspired.
In the main writing days, I get to my desk at ten, and write until about two, and then do all the admin/social media stuff until about six. But as deadline approaches I’m at my desk, or more likely typing in bed, until much, much later than that.
In the editing days, I work for hours and hours at a time, day and night, reading and re-reading my manuscript until I feel quite mad, and can’t believe that anyone could ever find anything to enjoy in it.
And at all stages, I think about the book even when I’m not at my desk. I’ll steal a mannerism from a friend, or an annoying trait from myself that. I might see a red leaf spinning at the centre of a cobweb or white petals floating over the top of a flooded drain, and write them down for my character to notice later.
What advice would you give to aspiring and unpublished authors?
Read and write a lot. Keep a diary of your experiences, but write them as fiction. This is the main way I learned to write. Be yourself. Don’t adopt a ‘writerly voice’ because anyone can do that, while only you can write as you. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true! Write as you would speak, or as you have heard other people speak if your narrator is nothing like you. Be prepared for it not to happen really quickly, and to be rejected a lot. Don’t give up. Unless it is making you more miserable than you think giving up would make you.

Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood is published today! 14th of February! It is published by Simon and Schuster and available on Amazon for £6.89!
To find out more about C.J. Flood:
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The Light Behind the Window by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Sophie Duffy

Published by Pan, August 2012

529 pages

Gassin, South of France, Spring 1998

Emilie felt the pressure on her hand relax and looked down at her mother. As she watched, it seemed that, whilst Valerie’s soul departed her body, the pain which had contorted her features was disappearing too, enabling Emilie to look past the emaciated face and remember the beauty her mother had once possessed.

Goodreads Summary

The present

Emilie de la Martiniéres has always fought against her aristocratic background, but after the death of her glamorous, distant mother, she finds herself alone in the world and sole inheritor of her grand childhood home in the south of France. An old notebook of poems leads her in search of the mysterious and beautiful Sophia, whose tragic love affair changed the course of her family history. As Emilie unravels the story, she too embarks on her own journey of discovery, realising that the château may provide clues to her own difficult past and finally unlock the future.

The past

London 1943. A young office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is drafted into the SOE, arriving in occupied Paris during the climax of the conflict. Separated from her contact in her very first hours in France, she stumbles into the heart of a wealthy family who are caught up in a deadly game of secrets and lies. Forced to surrender her identity and all ties to her homeland and her beloved husband, Constance finds herself drawn into a complex web of deception, the repercussions of which will affect generations to come.

*********

Lucinda Riley is a good old-fashioned story-teller who writes from the heart. The Light Behind the Window is her third novel and is an engaging read. Fans of Anita Shreve, Kate Morton and Amelia Carr should enjoy this book.

The Light Behind the Window is ambitious in its scope and technicality. Not only is there a split narrative between WW2 and the 1990s but the action is also divided between France and England, town and country. Riley weaves a deftly-crafted novel and threads it through with intrigue and tension galore, adding enough period detail for authenticity, but not too much to overwhelm.

Constance, the main character from the 1940s narrative, is plucked from her day job as a clerk and recruited into the Special Operatives Executive (also known as Churchill’s Secret Army). She rises to the task, knowing there is a great risk to her life if she passes the

training, which she does with flying colours. As she lands in France, her world is thrown into confusion and she must live by her wits.

Emilie has just lost her mother and has inherited a massive estate which includes a chateau in the south of France. She lacks self-esteem as she was neglected as a child, so she must learn to take control of her life. And then Sebastian comes along...

We know that Constance and Emilie are somehow connected to each other, despite the distance of time. We also suspect that the chateau and its library of rare books will play an important part. The dual time frame comes together nicely in the latter part of the novel and the final reveal brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

The massive themes of love and war, betrayal and forgiveness and its large cast of characters - including two sets of twins - make The Light Behind the Window perfect for a TV drama. (I still remember Secret Army from the 1970s, the Belgian-based WW2 resistance series that was the inspiration for the parody sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo.)

If you like a ‘big’ novel with plenty of drama, suspense, narrative drive, twists and turns, and if you want a story with strong female characters, then read The Light Behind the Window.

The Earth Hums In B Flat by Mari Strachan

Pages 327

Published in 2009 by Canongate

Challenge - What's In a Name challenge and Young Adult Challenge.

I fly in my sleep every night. When I was little I could fly without being asleep; now I can't, even though I practise and practise. And after what I saw last night I want more than ever to fly wide- awake. Mam always says: I want never gets. Is that true?

This is the story of young Gwenni Morgan who believes she has the gift of flight. The book looks at the world from her perspective throughout. She is very intelligent, but most people thinks she little odd. She loves detective stories and is always curious as the world around her. When a neighbour disappears, Gwenni takes on the role of detective in order to help solve his disappearance. As she pursues the truth, upsetting people with her questions, she brings to light a lot of dark family truths that perhaps should have stayed buried.

This is a delightful story showing the world through a child's eyes on the brink of coming of age. Gwenni is a lovely character who has to cope with a mother who is on the verge on a nervous breakdown. She has to learn a lot of home truths fast which really change the world she lives in.

The book is set in the 1950's in a little Welsh town on the brink of change. The families still cook on fire rather than a normal oven, no central heating or indoor bathrooms have reached the town yet. There is a reluctant air within the town to move into the modern age. The community they live in, is very close knit and everyone knows everyone else's business. All except Gwenni and her sister, who have to face a lot of hidden truths as the book progresses.

Secret by secret they all crawl out of the woodwork, sending Gwenni's mother completely over the top. She is a woman, who has always tried to keep a lid on her secrets, but her pot has just boiled over.

I did enjoy this book and it reminded me a little of my childhood; not the setting, as I can assure I wasn't around in the 50's, but instead the way family secrets come out by accident and you end up finding out things you are really not supposed to know. Every family has it's own dirty laundry that somehow gets exposed at times.

For a debut novel, I thought it was very well written, I fell in love with Gwenni right from the start and I wanted to cocoon her from her mother's wrath. She is full of spirit and insight into the world around you. She won't take no for an answer and pursues the truth, without fear.

The only part I didn't quite get, was the business of Gwenni flying. I never really understood whether or not she could actually fly, or was it all in her day dreaming. I never really saw the purpose of it either, within the book. I wonder if it was just added to give Gwenni' a bit of quirkiness.

This is definitely a charming book about coming of age and family life and definitely worth a read. There is definitely a little magic hidden within the pages of the book that needs to be let out to sparkle in it's own right.

Are You Feeling Festive?

Hi everyone, sorry I have been away all week, but I do feel much better for taking a week out. I have managed to do all my Christmas shopping and I have nearly wrapped them too. The decorations are all up and the house is looking really festive. All I have left to do is buy the food and drink for Christmas.

So now that I am gradually moving into the festive spirit, I thought it only best to review one of the Christmas books I managed to read this weekend.

The Christmas Box is a relatively short book and can be read easily in one sitting. It may be a very short book, but it packs one hell of a punch at the end.

The story is about a young family who are struggling to make ends meet and get an offer to move into an old mansion with a lonely widow. The move benefits everyone in the household. The family begin to turn their finances around, even though Paul struggles to fit in family life with the growing amount of work. Mary, the widow benefits from the company of the family, especially the little girl. The story follows their lives in the run up to Christmas and you find yourself immersed in a lovely American way of life.

Within the book a couple of important questions are asked and both of these questions stuck with me.

The first one asked was 'Which of your senses is most affected by Christmas?

For me, I knew instantly that my sense of smell was the most affected. I love nothing more than the smell of cinnamon and oranges wafting around the house. I buy scented oils to burn and I love the aroma they give off. I also love the smell of the turkey cooking on Christmas evening, tantalizing my taste buds at the same time. Also the smell of mulled wine, warming on the stove.

I love the smell of crisp frosty mornings, that actually hurt your nose when you inhale. Also the smell of the freshly cut Christmas trees at the garden centres waiting to be taken home and decorated by a family that will love them right through the festive season.

As a child, the smells that I remember clearly are the ones of my mum cooking. I used to love it, when she began cooking sausage rolls and mince pies the week before Christmas.

Now you know which of my senses is affected the most, I would love to know which of your senses is affected the most and why?

The second question asked in the book was 'What was the first Christmas gift given?

Now I knew the answer, but it didn't come to me straight away. The answer was a parent's love.

The passage from the book said,

'The first gift of Christmas was love. A parent's love. Pure as the first snows of Christmas. For God so loved his children that He sent His son, that we might someday return to Him.'

Now you know I am not religious, but I found that really powerful and it made me think about what is really important at Christmas. It is not the presents,not the cards, not the cleaning of the house, but spending time with the people you love.

I loved this book, I thought it was absolutely beautiful and I would recommend it to any parent who is struggling with the run up to Christmas. This book makes you realise what is really important in life. You need to look at what you have around you and feel blessed to be so lucky. I read this book and felt very emotional when I finished. I know I spend my life rushing here, there and everywhere and never really appreciate what is under my nose. This book has definitely made me reevaluate the important things in life.

Dress Circle by Laurie Graham

Pages 218

Published by Black Swan in 1998

I was lucky enough to be lent this book by my friend Fiona. She had loved it and thought I would enjoy it. I love to read books that have been recommended by others and this one was no exception.

Bob and Barbara are the main characters of the book. They are a couple in their mature years and enjoying the rewards of their business. They are surrounded by a loving family, grandchildren and friends. Everything seems positively rosy as they prepare for their daughter's wedding.

However Bob is not as settled as Barbara thought he was and Barbara starts to worry what he is keeping from her. What is his secret?

Spoiler Alert Spoiler Alert.

Bob has a big secret, he likes to dress in women's clothing. He has lived with this secret all his life and he can no longer live a lie. He wants to be able to wear women's clothes out in public. All hell breaks lose within the family. Barbara struggles to cope with living with Bob dressed as a woman. His children freeze him out and his friends are not sure what which to turn.

This book deals with some life changing events, yet all the characters work hard to pull through these situations and they definitely see the brighter side of life. In fact, whilst reading I felt myself humming, Monty Python's ' Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life'. This book makes you realise that you can overcome the worst things that happen in life and eventually you will move on.

Bob's cross dressing is dealt with very well, the mixed reactions from his family are completely believable. Bob's son actually punches his dad and accuses him of being a paedophile. I would imagine that this could be a common misconception for cross dressers and I find that really sad. Unfortunately society in general, finds this a difficult choice to understand and it is seen as being socially unacceptable. Bob takes the criticism well as he just wants to live his life without lies. You can only hope that eventually his son overcomes his animosity.

I loved this book. It was sad, yet so funny as well . The characters were full of hilarious eccentricities. I felt like I knew them all. They came across as characters from a very English show I used to love to watch called 'Keeping Up Appearances', which had a comical character called Hyacinth Bouquet in. The characters in the book have typically Essex traits and being a former Essex girl, I felt like I had stepped back in time to my Essex roots. I grew up surrounded by families like this, where everyone had to have the latest technology, the latest designer clothes and so forth.

This book is British humour at its best. If you enjoy watching typical British comedies such as Only Fools and Horses and The Office, you will love this. I read it in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down. I would advise that you don't read it in public places, as you end up looking really daft when you either get a fit of the giggles or tears of sadness.

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshlyn Jackson

Pages 311

Published by Hodder and Stoughton in 2008

Challenges - RIP, Reliquiae and 100 books

First paragraph

Until the drowned girl came to Laurel's bedroom, ghosts had never walked in Victorianna. The houses were only twenty years old, with no accumulated history to put creaks in the hardwood floors or rattle at the pipes. The backyards had tall fences, and there were no cracks in the white sidewalks. Victorianna had a heavy wrought-iron gate guarding its entrance.

Don't you just love a good ghost story? I do and this wasn't it. It was good book, a real thriller and it had ghosts in it, but the ghosts in this book were purely there to help the main character Laurel make decisions in her life, similar to personal visions.

Here is a bit about the story, before I start waffling.

Laurel Hawthorne is woken up in the middle of the night by a ghost of a young girl staring at her in her bedroom. Laurel follows the ghost to the window and then notices the body of 14 year Molly floating dead in her swimming pool.

Every one in the gated community of Victorianna is convinced that it is an accident, even the police have decided it is an accident too. Yet Laurel feels that their is something more sinister going on. Everything around Laurel starts to fall apart and she calls upon the help of her rather destructive sister Thalia to help her discover what really happened to Molly.

They embark on a journey to solve the death of Molly, along the way Laurel also discovers some home truths about her family and finally what did happen in the woods all those years ago.

This was a fabulous plot. I honestly thought it was very well crafted. As you read the book, you watch as the story slowly unfolds, just like an oragami folded flower, where each time you unfold a piece the whole thing looks different to before.

Laurel starts off as quite a weak character, she has spent years learning to live within her comfort zone and learning to wear blinkers to certain aspects of her life. By the end of the book, Laurel has learnt to kick ass! She stands up to the members of her family who have kept her under their thumbs for years. Laurel comes to realise that she is happy with her lot and no amount of meddling by her sister will change the fact.

Thalia is the sister, you would rather not have. Thalia comes to her sister's rescue with one intent close to her heart, to destroy her sister's marriage, which she believes is not the life her sister really wants. Personally, I think marriage is hard enough, without having a member of your close knit family poking sticks into your relationship, till all the marbles fall out like in Ker Plunk! and you are left with an empty shell of a marriage. By the end of the book, the relationship between Thalia and Laurel is repaired and they bounce back stronger as if they had been bonded by Superglue. I don't think I would forgive my sister so easily, but hey I am British.

There are some stir crazy minor characters whose unusual activities tend to make you raise your eyebrows.

I was trying to think about another book I felt this one reminded me of and then it came to me. Years ago I read Paullina Simons book Tully and I found a lot of similarities to this one and her other book Red Leaves. Now I really love Paullina Simons, when I first read her books I found her style of writing refreshing and unique, so finding a comparison to her is definitely a winning new author to me.

This book was much more of a thriller than a ghost story and a very dark one at that. It touches on taboo areas such as child abuse, alcoholism and prostitution, but in a light hearted way, so you don't feel uncomfortable reading about them.

I would highly recommend reading it. I also have her first book in my collection, Gods In Alabama to read, so I can't wait to dive into that one too.

Other reviews of this book

Lou's Pages

Everything Distills Into Reading

Socrates Book Reviews

Bookfan Mary

Peeking Between The Pages