Autumn’s Top Books

The Lost by Simon Beckett.

A brilliant and terrifying thriller. I could not put this down. Beautifully observed and tightly wound. Unmissable. I don’t normally read books about missing children but I loved this. You won’t see the twists coming. 

A MISSING CHILD

Ten years ago, the disappearance of firearms police officer Jonah Colley’s young son almost destroyed him.

A GRUESOME DISCOVERY

A plea for help from an old friend leads Jonah to Slaughter Quay, and the discovery of four bodies. Brutally attacked and left for dead, he is the only survivor.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

Under suspicion himself, he uncovers a network of secrets and lies about the people he thought he knew – forcing him to question what really happened all those years ago…

Available on 25 November..

dinner lady detective

The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy.

Gorgeous and quaint. Any fan of cosy crime will love this.

Murder is a dish best served ice cold…

Margery and Clementine are enjoying a peaceful middle-age together in the small, idyllic town of Dewstow, and eagerly awaiting retirement from their work on the front line serving meals to the students at Summerview secondary school.

Their calm life is shattered when their kitchen manager is found dead in the school’s walk-in freezer. The police are adamant that it’s an open-and-shut case of accidental death. Margery and Clementine are convinced there’s something far more nefarious going on, and they take it upon themselves to investigate.

As they inch closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep the pair quiet. Will the perpetrator get their just-desserts before their time runs out?

A delightful, quintessentially British cosy mystery perfect for fans of SJ Bennett and Robert Thorogood.

Published on 18th November 2021.

The Diamond Hunter by Fiona McIntosh.

A well-researched historical novel that whisks you away to another time and place. Beautiful storytelling from a master of her craft.  A rip-roaring story that grabs you by the throat and does not let go. 

During the 1870s diamond rush in southern Africa, Clementine is left to be raised by her destitute father following the death of her mother. Her care falls largely to their companion, Joseph, and the two form an unbreakable bond.

When the two men uncover a large, flawless diamond, a dark bargain is struck to ensure Clementine’s return to a respectable life in northern England. Her father believes he has finally secured their future, but the discovery of the gem comes at a considerable cost.

Years later, Clementine must confront long-buried memories of her childhood to solve the mystery of what happened to her loved ones all those years ago.

Can she find the justice she seeks?

Out Now.

The Chef, the Bird and the Blessing by Andrew Sharp. 

This is a luscious and original novel with beautiful storytelling. 

Compelling to the last page, The Chef, the Bird and the Blessing is a story about the power of suppressed memory, of friendship, and of our relationship with the natural world. Set within vivid images of a backwater in an unnamed African country, the novel is both poignant and funny.

Mozzy is a cook in a struggling safari business and dreams of escaping the perilous wilderness and his despised employer to become head chef in an upmarket restaurant in London. Spurred on by his wife, a member of a visionary religious sect, his fantasy becomes reality. But will his sanity and marriage survive in this new world? Can a small bird help him find his way?

Mozzy’s path takes him from Africa to London and back, but it is the painful journey of the heart that ultimately fulfils Mozzy’s destiny.

The Chef, the Bird and the Blessing is available here

shiver

Shiver by Allie Reynolds.

This book is so full of dark, delicious fun. Perfect to read at this time of year, this is a gripping, twisty debut that really draws you in. 

They don’t know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.

How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.

When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can’t seem to let go.

The five friends haven’t seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don’t know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.

In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.

Shiver is available here.

The Fifth Girl by Georgia Fancett.

This is a truly gripping thriller from the winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition. Perfect for fans of crime novels. 

When DC Rawls decided to take some time off work for his mental health, he thought he would need just a few days.

However, it’s been months since that terrible night and Rawls still hasn’t returned to the Somerset Police Dept. He can’t seem to shake the feeling that he might never be the same again.

But when a schoolgirl disappears and the police link her case to the disappearances of three other girls in Bath, it sends the media into a frenzy that places Rawls and his team at the heart of the storm.

Rawls isn’t sure that he’s ready to work on a case that hits so close to home, but he knows he can’t have any more blood on his hands. He has to find out the truth before it’s too late.

Who is behind these abductions?

And which girl will be taken next?

The Fifth Girl is available here.

The Final Child by Fran Dorricott.

This is a dark and frankly terrifying book about a serial killer. I don’t want to give too much away but it really does grab you by the throat and then does not let go. The idea is so clever and it is perfectly executed. This novel will give you whip lash. Fran Dorricott is one to watch: a brilliant writer with a stunning career ahead of her. 

He won’t forget her…

Erin and her brother Alex were the last children abducted by ‘the Father’, a serial killer who only ever took pairs of siblings. She escaped, but her brother was never seen again. Traumatised, Erin couldn’t remember anything about her ordeal, and the Father was never caught.

Eighteen years later, Erin has done her best to put the past behind her. But then she meets Harriet. Harriet’s young cousins were the Father’s first victims and, haunted by their deaths, she is writing a book about the disappearances and is desperate for an interview with the only survivor. At first, Erin wants nothing to do with her. But then she starts receiving sinister gifts, her house is broken into, and she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. After all these years, Erin believed that the Father was gone, but now she begins to wonder if he was only waiting…

A tense and emotive thriller, The Final Child is a powerful tale of a survivor being forced to confront her painful past.

The Final Child is available here.

 

The Queen of Monsters by Aria Mossi.

Perfect for fans of epic fantasy. 

Natalia comes from a past full of darkness and a horrific childhood spent in the Siberian taiga. Her Monsters are real, and they hide in every corner of her memory. Her state of mind, fragility and child-like innocence make both humans and aliens question her sanity.

In reality, Natalia is an inspiring young woman who owns her past and fears. Her determination shapes her new alien planet’s future, defeats a Sphinx and tames the scariest Monster of all. She may be afraid of her own shadow, but she is not scared to fight for love, even when it comes in the shape of her worst nightmare: a Monster.

Natalia owns her many weaknesses until they become her strengths. She fights darkness with light and unconditional love. As it turns out, those are the only weapons able to win the fight. Natalia’s dark past taught her the most important lesson of all: One is most likely to find their angels when running from Monsters.

The Queen of Monsters is the second book in The Tarrassian Saga. It features the inspiring story of one of the five Humans taken from Earth by alien slavers. The five books in the series are individual stories and do not end in cliffhangers. However, the stories are best enjoyed when read in order. The Tarrassian Saga is aimed at a mature audience.

The Queen of Monsters is available here.

White Christmas by Katie Flynn.

We love a saga at Frost and Katie Flynn is a master of the genre. This brand new festive romance is another glorious book, perfect to be read with a hot chocolate on a wintry day.  Katie Flynn was the pseudonym of Judy Turner who sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 82. Her daughter Holly, who used to collaborate with her mother, now writes these fantastic books. White Christmas is just glorious. 

United by diversity, divided by war . . .

December, 1938

Rozalin Sachs has grown up in the vibrant city of Frankfurt. But with the Nazi Revolution gaining power, her family is forced to flee Germany. When a tragic accident separates Roz from her parents, she finds herself aboard the Kindertransport bound for Holland.

Here Roz meets a young lad called Felix and they vow to stick together as their journey takes them to England. Eventually they find themselves in Liverpool with the promise of a new life, until a devastating incident takes Felix away. And, in a desperate attempt to escape the terrible situation she has found herself in, Roz decides to join the Women’s Land Army.

On the sprawling farm at Hollybank Roz meets Bernie, a dashing farmer’s son, who has more than just friendship on his mind. Roz is flattered by his affections, but will he win her heart, or will her love for Felix remain as strong as ever?

White Christmas by available here.

The Shadowing by Rhiannon Ward.

This is a wonderful, creepy novel. Fantastic historical gothic mystery is dished out in spades. 

When well-to-do Hester learns of her sister Mercy’s death at a Nottinghamshire workhouse, she travels to Southwell to find out how her sister ended up at such a place.

Haunted by her sister’s ghost, Hester sets out to uncover the truth, when the official story reported by the workhouse master proves to be untrue. Mercy was pregnant – both her and the baby are said to be dead of cholera, but the workhouse hasn’t had an outbreak for years.

Hester discovers a strange trend in the workhouse of children going missing. One woman tells her about the Pale Lady, a ghostly figure that steals babies in the night. Is this lady a myth or is something more sinister afoot at the Southwell poorhouse?

As Hester investigates, she uncovers a conspiracy, one that someone is determined to keep a secret, no matter the cost…

The Shadowing is available here.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner.

Lisa Gardner is one of my favourite novelists, full stop. This is her first stand alone novel in ten years and god, what a belter.  Gardner introduces Frankie Elkin, a forty-something former alcoholic who finds missing people. A new heroine is born. If there is any justice in this world Frankie will become a TV character soon, if ever a fictional character has to be brought to life on screen, it truly is Frankie. 

Lisa Gardner is a writer at the top of her game, as she has been for all of the books she has written. I raced through Before She Disappeared. My house was a state at the end but, needs must. Grab a copy now, you won’t regret it. 

A gripping thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten.

Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman with more regrets than belongings who spends her life doing what no one else will: searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking.

A new case brings Frankie to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier.

Resistance from the Boston PD and the victim’s wary family tells Frankie she’s on her own. And she soon learns she’s asking questions someone doesn’t want answered.

But Frankie will stop at nothing to discover the truth, even if it means the next person to go missing will be her …

Before She Disappeared is available here.

Song in The Key of Madeleine by Pauline Crame.

This is a beautiful and poetic book. Written with beauty. It is about a tender love story. Just lovely. 

Song in the Key of Madeleine is the story of the relationship between Madeleine and Shibu: two individuals from socially and culturally very different backgrounds.

They meet when Shibu moves into Madeleine’s house as her lodger. From the start it is clear they are attracted to each other, and soon they begin an affair. Before long, however, their burgeoning relationship is tarnished, as Shibu’s religious beliefs and cultural expectations begin to clash with Madeleine’s troubled past.

The relationship offers the opportunity for growth and new beginnings, but it is also fraught with danger. For Shibu the threat of alienation from his community. For Madeleine the risk of falling prey to her childhood experiences.

Will Shibu be able to disentangle himself from his beliefs and values? Is Madeleine capable of coming to terms with her past? Or will their differences divide them?

Song in The Key of Madeleine is available here.

perfect timing novel

Perfect Timing by Own Nicholls.

Perfect Timing is a pretty perfect novel. Both Jess and Tom are great characters, and the story is fantastic. I cannot recommend this book enough, it is so full of depth. A truly multi-layered book that will leave you racing through all the way to the last page. Glorious.

For Jess and Tom, timing is everything.

For her, it’s the moment she delivers the perfect punchline. For him, it’s the heartbeat in the music he makes with his band.

And from the night they meet, sharing the same stage at the Edinburgh Festival, their attraction is undeniable. At first, it seems their timing is as perfect in the wings as it is in front of a crowd.

But as Jess and Tom’s careers take off, the moment for true connection is always just out of reach. With fate pushing them together, only to pull them apart, will the timing ever be right?

After all, when it comes to love, the timing has to be perfect. . . Doesn’t it?

Perfect timing is available here.

 

Poetry for Hopefulness | Bright Poems for Dark Days

bright poems for dark days, poems, hope, poets, hopefulA fitting release for this years National Poetry Day theme of choice, Dr Sutherland’s curated collection features poetry from across globes and generations to find the perfect words of affirmationpositivity or hopefulness to aid you in moments of need or stress.

🌸 Choose from 8 themes to fit your needs, from hope to nature & escape or joy to gratitude & comfort and more

🌸 Choose words and poems from literary greats, such as William Blake and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, to modern greats like Maya Angelou and Carol Ann Duffy to name just a few

🌸 With stunning full-colour, original illustrations from artist Carolyn Gavin (@carolynj)

bright poems for dark days

An anthology for hopefulness from William Blake to Warsan Shire

Dr Julie Sutherland
Illustrated by Carolyn Gavin

Bright Poems For Dark Days Published by Frances Lincoln | £12.99 | 19thth October 2021

We all have days when we find ourselves in need of some positivity and a few hopeful words of affirmation. This collection of poetry was carefully curated and compiled by bibliotherapist Dr Julie Sutherland, an expert in the healing power of words, along with original illustrations from Carolyn Gavin, make this beautifully-bound book a worthy aid to your mental wellbeing:

  • The collection is split into 8 themes: hope, resilience & courage, joy, nature & escape, love, tranquility, gratitude & comfort
  • A diverse range of writers and words are featured; from Oscar Wilde to Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson to Maya Angelou, William Blake to Warsan Shire
  • The selections are accompanied by explanations and illuminating context that reinforces the positive mental health message
  • Combining uplifting lines of verse with joyful illustrations means this unique book can provide a much-needed dose of hopefulness and happiness in turbulent moments
  • Perfect as a thoughtful gift for someone in need or a resource of solace that can turned to whenever needed
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In difficult times, the words of others can lift us up.

 

 

 

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Bright, joyful art to inspire hopefulness is combined with a curated collection of poems, chosen to lift the spirits through the healing power of words.

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Dr Julie Sutherland is a writer and editor based in Ontario, Canada. She is a bibliotherapist for the ReLit Foundation, facilitating and presenting a wide variety of reading for well-being events in Canada, the US, the UK and online. She is passionate about the capacity of literature to effect change in the human spirit.

Carolyn Gavin is a painter, illustrator and designer based in Toronto, Canada. Vibrant, playful and happy are perfect words to describe her style. She is principal designer for Ecojot, a family-run eco-friendly paper business and also licenses her work for fabric, homewares and packaging. Find her on IG @carolynj (460k followers).

A Poet For Every Day of the Year By Allie Esiri

A Poet For Every Day of the Year is an essential buy. The concept of this book is so clever: every day there is a new poet to discover. A biography of the poet and one of their poems is there to discover for every day of the year.

This book is gorgeous on the outside and just as gorgeous on the inside. Perfect for adults and children. I cannot recommend this well-researched and luscious book enough. Get your hands on a copy now.

Award-winning and bestselling poetry anthologist, ALLIE ESIRI has lit an explosion of interest in poetry, through her carefully curated anthologies and exciting live performances.

Allie’s books have sold over 250,000 copies in hardback

 

·       Her three poetry collections, A Poem for Every Day of the Year; A Poem for Every Night of the Year and Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year have been chosen as Books of the Year by The Times, The Observer and New Statesman and they have featured in the top five poetry titles every year since 2016.

 

·       Allie has been announced as the Chair of Judges for the CLiPPA Awards 2021, following in the footsteps of Michael Rosen and Roger McGough. She is also a judge for The Trussell Trust Food for Thought poetry competition 2021.

 

·       A Poem for Every Night of the Year had its best sales year in 2020 – five years after publication.

 

·       In 2020, THREE of the top ten children’s poetry titles were curated by Allie, though her books are enjoyed by all ages

 

Allie is the NUMBER ONE author across children’s poetry in 2021.

 

A Poet for Every Day of the Year, Allie’s newest anthology, is published by Macmillan Children’s Books. It introduces readers to 366 of the world’s greatest poets, juxtaposing diverse, exciting, vibrant new voices alongside the enduring giants of the form, with fascinating mini biographies of each writer.

 

The day-by-day format inspires readers to make poetry as much part of their daily routine as breakfast or bedtime. It encourages them to discover theinspirational, the life affirming, the provocative and the entertaining in each and every day.

 

“Allie Esiri’s books take you by the hand with poems to restore you and make your toes tingle, that will take you away for a little while and home again, with your spirits a little higher than before.”

Helena Bonham Carter

 

Allie Esiri, on her new anthology, A Poet for Every Day of the Year:

 

Poetry at its best has always enabled us to see different worlds, or rather, our own world differently, without ever having to leave our home. It has articulated our muddled thoughts, given a voice to the voiceless and lent an ear to the otherwise unheard. But most of the anthologies we have at our disposal seem to view poetry as an almost exclusively white, western, male craft, almost untouched by women or anyone from another background or ethnicity. I think now is the time to redress this.

In this book, you’ll not only find a great poem for every day of the year, but you’ll also learn about the life, times, and work of each poet, and discover connections between writers that transcend the established canon and chronology.

I hope readers of all ages and backgrounds will be inspired by the poets they find within this anthology. As the mother of mixed-race children, I’m especially and personally proud to present a book that represents them, and countless other diverse readers like them.

A POET FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR , poems, poets, books,  Allie Esiri

Poets featured in A Poet for Every Day of the Year include:


Maya Angelou

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Brian Bilston

Eavan Boland

Lord Byron

William Carlos Williams

Lewis Carroll

Wendy Cope

Imtiaz Dharker

Georgia Douglas Johnson

Helen Dunmore

Bob Dylan

Louise Glück

Jackie Kay

Michael Rosen

Christina Rossetti

Stevie Smith

Ocean Vuong

William Wordsworth

 

 

 

ALLIE ESIRI is an accomplished curator and host of live poetry events, featuring some of our best-known actors – from Helena Bonham Carter to Dominic West – at the National Theatre, the Bridge Theatre, and major literary festivals.

 

She lives in London with her husband and three children.

The book is available here.

How I got a Literary Agent.

In January this year one of the most amazing things happened to me: I got a literary agent. Having an agent was always something beyond my wildest dreams, more than that, my agent is the amazing Susan Yearwood. Champagne popping time indeed.

I spent the months in the run up to Christmas researching agents and sending off submissions. I went through The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook with precision, choosing ten agents to send my book off to. I researched every agent heavily and Susan called to me. There are a few interviews I found in which Susan and her ethos resonated with me. I knew she was The One.  In fact, before her email asking to schedule a call with her, I had a dream she was my agent and we were being interviewed at a literary festival together.

In the end I sent my first novel off to a lot of agents and publishers. I got a lot of good feedback and a few full manuscript requests. I also got a wonderful rejection from Harper Collins, who read the entire thing and sent me four paragraphs of feedback. They even asked me to send them anything else I wrote. In the end Susan passed on my first novel, but she liked my writing enough to ask if I had anything else I could send her. Thankfully I did. I always write a first draft of a book and then get started on another one while I let the other one sit. Then I go back to it with fresh eyes, alternating my drafts. I did not think the other book was ready and had spent hundreds sending it off to a professional editing agency for feedback. By the time the feedback came back Susan had been my agent for three months! It may have been a waste of money, but I have no complaints.

Susan loved the book and took my on as a client after our phone call. I was a true pinch me moment. For anyone who wants an agent and does not have one yet I would say the following things:

  • Write a good book. Send off the first three chapters, along with a synopsis that really grabs.
  • Collate all of the writing you have done and any awards you have won. Write a paragraph about yourself that sells all you have to offer. Covering letters are important.
  • Get a copy of The Write”s and Artists’ Yearbook and research what agents work in your genre.
  • Start submitting.
  • Keep submitting.
  • Take rejection in your stride.
  • Listen to all feedback.
  • Redo your submission to suit various agents.
  • Start writing your new book.

 

Good luck!

 

Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks Book Review

How to review Sebastian Faulks’ new novel? That is the question. Sebastian Faulk is one of the best novelists writing today and his books are eagerly awaited. Snow County is a sublime novel. Full of poetry and intelligence. I found myself re-reading pages and paragraphs as I fell in love with the book. Snow Country is the novel that Sebastian has wanted to write for ten years and I am glad he has. It is an epic, wistful,  love story, full of yearning and gorgeous atmosphere. I really felt that I was transported to 1910/20s Vienna.

Sebastian Faulk is a master storyteller and this is the perfect book to curl up with this Autumn. It is definitely one of my favourite books. Snow Country is the second book in a planned trilogy. The first was Human Traces. It can be read as a standalone novel. Get your hands on a copy now.  I will definitely be reading this again.

snow country, sebastian faulks, book review, catherine balavage

1914: Young Anton Heideck has arrived in Vienna, eager to make his name as a journalist. While working part-time as a private tutor, he encounters Delphine, a woman who mixes startling candour with deep reserve. Entranced by the light of first love, Anton feels himself blessed. Until his country declares war on hers.

 

1927: For Lena, life with a drunken mother in a small town has been impoverished and cold. She is convinced she can amount to nothing until a young lawyer, Rudolf Plischke, spirits her away to Vienna. But the capital proves unforgiving. Lena leaves her metropolitan dream behind to take a menial job at the snow-bound sanatorium, the Schloss Seeblick.

 

1933: Still struggling to come terms with the loss of so many friends on the Eastern Front, Anton, now an established writer, is commissioned by a magazine to visit the mysterious Schloss Seeblick. In this place of healing, on the banks of a silvery lake, where the depths of human suffering and the chances of redemption are explored, two people will see each other as if for the first time.

 

Sweeping across Europe as it recovers from one war and hides its face from the coming of another, SNOW COUNTRY is a landmark novel of exquisite yearnings, dreams of youth and the sanctity of hope. In elegant, shimmering prose, SebastianFaulks has produced a work of timeless resonance.

Snow Country is available here.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet By Sophie Cousens Book Review

Sophie Cousens’s debut novel This Time Next Year was one of 2020’s standout novels. It was a well-deserved runaway success and gave Sophie Cousens her rightful place as a writer to watch. Yes, she has done it again with Just Haven’t Met You Yet. Another blinder of a novel, it tells the story of romance-obsessed Laura and her quest to meet The One. I saw one reviewer call it “rom-com perfection” and it is hard to think of a more fitting description.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet is another corker from Cousens, you will love the characters just as much as I did. I love the Jersey setting, you really get immersed in the island. I learned so much and want to go now. Just Haven’t Met You Yet is a wonderful, clever novel. You will read it with a smile on your face. Brilliant.

just haven't met you yet, sophie cousens

Tell me the story of how you two met…

Laura has built a career out of interviewing people about their epic real life love stories.

When she picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, Laura wonders if this could be the start of something that’s written in the stars.

From piano sheet-music to a battered copy of her favourite book, Laura finds in the bag evidence of everything she could hope for in a partner.

If Laura’s job has taught her anything it’s that when it comes to love, you can’t let opportunity pass you by. Now Laura is determined to track down the owner of the suitcase, and her own happy ending.

But what if fate has other ideas?
Just Haven’t Met You Yet is available here.

A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris Book Review

Joanne Harris is one of our greatest novelists. It is hard for anyone to argue with this statement and A Narrow Door asserts her place once again.  Such is the richness of her language, and the mastery of her skills as a storyteller, that I could not put this book down. It is such a rich story of suspense and betrayal.  

You will never see the twists coming and they will take your breathe away. This is a stunning and clever book. I suggest you grab a copy as soon as you can, it is sure to be the hit of the summer. This is definitely one of my favourite books of the year. 

From the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling, multi prize-winning author Joanne Harris, comes A NARROW DOOR – an explosive psychological thriller about one woman who, having carved out her own path to power, is now intent on tearing apart the elite world that tried to hold her back . . . piece by piece.

A Narrow Door, Joanne Harris, Book, book review

 

Now I’m in charge, the gates are my gates. The rules are my rules. 
It’s an incendiary moment for St Oswald’s school. For the first time in its history, a headmistress is in power, the gates opening to girls.

Rebecca Buckfast has spilled blood to reach this position. Barely forty, she is just starting to reap the harvest of her ambition. As the new regime takes on the old guard, the ground shifts. And with it, the remains of a body are discovered.

But Rebecca is here to make her mark. She’ll bury the past so deep it will evade even her own memory, just like she has done before. After all…

You can’t keep a good woman down.

Available to pre-order now!

A Narrow Door is available here.

 

Anna Kent My Writing Process

Anna Kent, author, writer, What you have written, past and present?

I was a journalist before I became an author, so I’ve written an awful lot of articles for publications in the UK and the UAE, and I was also a columnist for The Telegraph for six years and for Stylist Arabia for a year.

In terms of fiction, I have four psychological suspense novels out under my own name, Annabel Kantaria. They are Coming Home, The Disappearance, The One That Got Away and I Know You.

My fifth novel, called The House of Whispers under the pen name of Anna Kent, is due to be published on August 5.

I’m currently writing my sixth novel. It’s yet to get a title but I’m really excited about the premise!

What you are promoting now?

I’m promoting The House of Whispers by Anna Kent.

Tell us a bit about your process of writing?

I try to treat writing as I would an office job, so I have a strict routine: I put in about three or four solid hours in the morning, then I try to go to the gym or do an exercise class before lunch, then I fit in another hour or so of writing before it’s time to pick up my son from school. 

If I can, I’ll work again in the afternoon but it’s not always possible. I never work at night and I try not to work at the weekend, too.

In terms of the writing process, every book begins with the seed of an idea: sometimes it’s the ending, sometimes the twist, or, in the case of the book I’m currently working on, it was the inciting incident – the event that kicks off the whole story. I try and flesh this out, sketching out how the character will change throughout the story, and working out a plot that will carry that internal change and also allow room for a few duplicitous scenes, red herrings and twists.

I try to use a system where I write scenes on index cards and move them about but, generally, once I’ve got a foggy idea of the story in my head, I just want to start writing. It’s a mistake to start too soon, though, as I invariably then get stuck about 20,000 words in because I haven’t planned enough.

There’s always a point, about halfway or three quarters of the way into a manuscript that I lose faith and start to doubt myself. Writing is a solitary process and it can be a challenge to keep up both the momentum and the self-belief. You just have to push on through and trust the process. Having a good support network of friends and family really helps.

How do you do structure your books?

They’re all different. Most of them have multiple viewpoints because I love seeing events through different people’s eyes. 

In The House of Whispers, interviews with one of the characters are interlaced throughout the narrative, only you don’t know who is interviewing the person, nor why – you just know that something major has happened. The Disappearance started half-way through then tracked back, and it also had two timelines set about 50 years apart. I Know You was told with the benefit of hindsight, which allowed me to do a lot of foreshadowing to keep up the suspense, and The One That Got Away had alternate chapters from the points of view of a husband and wife. 

I do love a clever structure, but they can be very tricky to pull off.

What do you find hard about writing?

The hardest thing for me is trying to come up with that million-dollar best-selling idea: the high-concept story that becomes the most talked-about book of the year!

I also hate it when I get stuck in my plot. It happens at some point in every book, and I’m antsy and stressed until I get through that block and start writing properly again.

Other than that, just trying to be creative, day in, day out, with little or no feedback on how I’m doing, and no colleagues to bounce ideas off. Keeping faith in myself that I can do it. Not knowing if my book is any good or not until I submit it to my agent when it’s finished. That’s tough. 

What do you love about writing?

I love the creative freedom at the start of a new book, when the world really is your oyster. It’s like playing God. You have the power to create a whole world, and to populate it with whomever you like, and to make whatever you want happen to those people. There’s nothing like starting a fresh story. Even better if you know it’s a really fabulous idea! 

Days when the words flow and the story just comes flying out through my fingers are also fabulous. There’s no feeling like it.