Author Suz deMello (
) has kindly asked me to take part in THE NEXT BIG THING – a question and answer interview. This is what she asked me:
WHAT IS THE WORKING TITLE OF YOUR BOOK?
Happy Families. It’s being published by Arrow in March under my pen name Janey Fraser.
WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM FOR THE BOOK
My own children and the world around me! It’s about the ups and downs of family life, told from the point of view of a mother; a new stay at home dad and a grandmother. It’s funny but also thought-provoking.
WHAT GENRE DOES YOUR BOOK FALL UNDER?
Romantic comedy with a dark streak.
WHICH ACTORS WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY YOUR CHARACTERS IN A MOVIE RENDITION?
Hugh Grant and Cameron Diaz. A winning combination in my mind!
WHAT IS THE ONE-SENTENCE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK?
Three families meet in a parenting class and get more than they bargained for.
WILL YOUR BOOK BE SELF-PUBLISHED OR REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY?
It’s published by Arrow which is part of Random House.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT?
Five months. I then revised for another two.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS WOULD YOU COMPARE THIS STORY TO, WITHIN YOUR GENRE?
Lisa Jewell. Katie Fforde. Trisha Ashley.
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
I was under contract to write another novel about families and I was intrigued by the current parenting class trend. When we buy a washing machine, it comes with a handbook. Babies need to have instructions too! I went to a class myself to pick up tips but came away feeling that my own wonderful children were much more challenging than everyone else’s! Still, I made some good friends which is what Happy Families is all about.
WHAT ELSE ABOUT YOUR BOOK MIGHT PIQUE THE READER’S INTEREST?
One of the characters is a young grandmother who suddenly finds herself in full charge of a six year old girl. My book also deals with the secrets that many families have...
If you enjoy my Janey Fraser books, you might also like my Sophie King novels (available on Amazon).
www.sophieking.info
www.janeyfraser.co.uk
Look out for Chrissie Loveday’s answers on December 19th.
http://kindle.chrissieloveday.com
http://thepocketeers.blogspot.com
http://www.chrissieloveday.com
And Sarah Tucker's answers will also be on her website on December 19th. (She has just written a book about going on holiday with teenagers!)
www.sarahtucker-website.com
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