Archive for October 27th, 2010

Once Jane and Alexandra were inseparable – sharing adventures, secrets and big dreams for the future. But when Jane got pregnant at seventeen, they drifted apart. Seventeen years later, Jane discovers Alexandra has disappeared and she sets about helping Alexandra’s broken-hearted husband, Tom, to find his wife.

But in searching for Alexandra Jane is about to confront some big questions about herself. Like, what happened to the high-spirited seventeen-year-old she once was? What will happen if she stops trying to control the world? And does love really mean letting people go? Two fractured people come together accidentally and in one another they find strength, friendship – and even the beginnings of hope …

Please note that this book is also titled So What If I’m Broken and Alexandra, Gone!

(more…)

Earlier this year, in May in fact, I got the chance to read Clodagh Murphy’s hugely enjoyable debut novel and after that, I got to ask Clodagh some questions! It’s taken me a while to get this up (I was aiming for the paperback release of her new book Girl In A Spin but it’s been delayed) so here it is, and we’ll hopefully be reviewing her new book soon!

1. Tell us about your debut novel The Disengagement Ring.

The Disengagement Ring is about a girl whose family decide to interfere when she gets engaged. Kate O’Neill’s family can’t stand her boyfriend, Brian, so when she decides to marry him, they think she’s making a big mistake. Rather than accepting it and hoping for the best, they decide to take action and try to get her to call it off. They throw in Will Sargent, the unrequited love of Kate’s life, as a diversion, and Will takes Kate to Tuscany for the summer to cook for Walking Wounded, the band he manages. There are high-maintenance celebs and sexy rock stars, and the book unashamedly celebrates the good things in life – family, friendship, romance, beautiful food and lots of sunshine, even in Ireland (well, it is fiction).

2. What can you tell us about your second book Girl In A Spin?

Girl in a Spin is a romantic comedy set in London about a party girl, a Conservative Party leader, and a spin doctor. Jenny Hannigan is a rootless party girl, who craves a life of domestic bliss. She thinks she’s found her perfect match in Richard Allam, the Leader of the Conservative Party. But Jenny isn’t exactly perfect PM’s wife material, and Richard’s spin doctor, Dev Tennant, has his work cut out trying to keep the door closed on all the skeletons in Jenny’s closet in the run-up to the election. There’s also Richard’s ex-wife Julia, who may or may not want him back. But essentially it’s Jenny’s story and it’s about a girl who hasn’t had a very happy beginning in life, but is determined to find her happy ending.

(more…)