Archive for September 10th, 2009

Having loved Ellie Campbell’s second novel, When Good Friends Go Bad, and reviewing it here on the site, I got an email from Lorraine (Ellie Campbell are actually two sisters, Lorraine & Pam who write together) thanking me for my review and asking if we’d like to do an author interview with them. I jumped at the chance, and here it is! It’s a fab interview and well worth a read if you wonder exactly how two people can write one book…

1. Tell us about your latest novel When Good Friends Go Bad.

The story concerns four women who were best friends at school but time and unfortunate events have torn apart. There’s an attempt at a reunion ten years on but the one who arranged it fails to appear and after an evening of betrayals, deceptions and outrageous behaviour, the other three vow never to speak again. Yet many years later, while all are challenged by different crisis in their lives, they’re talked into a quest to find their missing friend – unearthing dangerous secrets, and even more dangerous emotions along the way. Among other things it deals with divorce, first love revisited, impossible choices, a mystery and, of course, a love story or two.

2. Please tell me you and Pam are working on your third book? Chloe and I both loved your first 2 books.

Thank you. We love hearing that. Yes we are working on a third. It’s all planned out and we’re about a quarter of the way through it. Not sure when it will be in the shops, but we’ll keep you posted on our new facebook fansite or on our Ellie Campbell website.

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This week’s Author of the Week is none other than the hilariously funny Chris Manby. I’m a huge fan of hers and can’t wait for her next book. Her biog doesn’t offer up much as it’s out of date but here it is anyway:

In 1995 Chris Manby met a New York psychic who told her she would write seven novels. She has just finished her eighth. Which means she probably won’t marry that millionaire, either! Raised in Gloucestershire, Chris now lives between London and Los Angeles. Her hobbies include reading in-flight magazines and she hopes that continually crossing time zones is an effective anti-aging strategy.

My favourite of Chris’s books is probably Spa Wars, I absolutely loved it and hope to get the chance to re-read it asap so I can review it. Her latest release was Crazy In Love which Chloe has reviewed. Chris’s next book will be called Getting Over Mr. Right and is due out on the 4th February 2010 and sounds like a great read:

After more than two years together, Ashleigh is just waiting for Michael to pop the question. She’s sure she’s met her Mr Right. But Michael has other things on his mind - namely, an interior designer from Brazil with big hair and an even bigger chest. Out of the blue, Ashleigh finds she’s dumped. Via Facebook. Ashleigh is not the sort of girl to take this news lying down. Instead, she embarks on a calamitous campaign to win Michael back. She’s staking everything she’s got. She may have lost her man, but has she also lost the plot?

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I’m halfway throught the brilliant debut novel by new Irish author Ciara Geraghty and already loving it, so when I saw she’s already got another book on the way I was pleased. Ciara’s second book, Becoming Scarlett, is due out on 7th January 2010 so we’ve got a bit of a wait but here’s the synopsis:

“Meet Scarlett O’Hara. She’s a woman with a plan. Until now…

Because Scarlett has moved back to her childhood home with her plan in tatters. And a baby on the way.

John Smith, actuary, proper grown-up and Scarlett’s boyfriend, has left her to join an archaeological dig in a tiny village somewhere in Brazil.

But that’s not the worst bit.

The worst bit is she can’t be sure who the father of the baby is . . . even though she’s slept with exactly four-and-a-half men in her entire 35 years.

As a distraction, Scarlett throws herself into her job as a wedding planner, but even that’s not going smoothly. Because of her growing feelings for her most important client’s husband-to-be . . .

In the end it’s the person she thought she knew best – herself – who surprises her the most. Join Scarlett as she tries, for the first time ever, to navigate life without a plan.”