Nine in March

I read nine books in March:

And the Land Lay Still by James Robertson. Read for book group. 672 pages. A political history of Scotland over the last fifty or so years – in the form of a novel. Let’s just say that didn’t work for me.

As a complete change from the above I re-read three of Jane Gardam’s YA novels in quick succession – A Long Way from Verona (published by Abacus), The Summer after the Funeral and (my favourite of the three) Bilgewater (both Peacock (Penguin) titles) – although the term YA had not been coined when the books were published in the 1970s. Even for this age group Jane Gardam’s writing takes no prisoners and you find yourself concentrating on reading every single word. Her heroines are either very beautiful or (in their own estimation) very plain but they are all eccentric, doughty and fiercely intelligent. Isn't this a gorgeous cover? I don't think the newer edition is so striking.

Who Was Sylvia? by Judy Gardiner. This is the last of the books I bought at the Christian Aid sale last year. I was intrigued by the title and then by the blurb on the back: Why did Sylvia Coryn suddenly leave home one weekend on the eve of World War II? The question obsesses her younger sister Kit … The story was originally published in Woman’s Realm magazine in 1982 – but if you think this means a cosy, predictable ending you’d be quite wrong. What Kit finds out about Sylvia is genuinely shocking. I see that there are copies for 0.1p on Amazon and the book is now available on Kindle.

ThankYou for the Music by Jennifer Young. A romance with a dark edge set in St Andrews and Majorca, published by Tirgearr Publishing. I interviewed Edinburgh-based Jennifer about the novel and about her writing here.

A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming. A page-turning spy story. Tom Kell is an agent on the trail of the newly appointed head of MI6, Amelia Levene,who has disappeared while on holiday.

Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay. Poet and novelist Jackie Kay’s encounters with her birth parents in Milton Keynes and Nigeria. Funny, sad, thoughtful – and of course most beautifully written.

From Writing with Love by Avril Joy. By the winner of the first Costa Short Story Prize (chosen by public vote). She’s also a novelist and teacher. The book (available in paperback and Kindle), full of inspirational quotes as well as excellent practical advice for writers, includes her Costa-winning story Millie and Bird and has so far gained thirteen five-star reviews on Amazon.

Interview with Jennifer Young

Edinburgh-based writer Jennifer Young’s first novel Thank You for the Music was published as an e-book in February 2014 by Tirgearr Publishing. I asked Jennifer some questions about the novel and about her writing. STOP PRESS Thank you for the Music has just been short-listed for the Joan Hessayon Award.

Jennifer, congratulations on the publication of Thank You for the Music. Can you pitch the book to us – in 140 characters?

Jilted Abby’s off to Majorca to recover. Will she choose repentant Edward or charming pianist Rafa? And what’s Edward’s secret?

Tell us how the novel came about – and are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’ve always been very strongly influenced by place and most of my novels are inspired by either places or situations. We were on holiday and Majorca and I was able to spend some time sitting and people-watching, thinking about them, why were there and so on. Inevitably, a plot emerged.

As to plot or pants…it depends on my mood! Sometimes I plot and sometimes I just write. I haven’t found a foolproof method yet. Thank You For the Music was written from half a plot. I didn’t realise the twist in the tale (I won’t give it away) myself until I got there — I was genuinely surprised at what Abby discovered about someone she thought she loved.

The novel is published by Tirgearr Publishing in Ireland. How did you find the publishing experience?

It was an absolute dream. I kept thinking things would go wrong or get complicated but nothing did. Everyone involved was terrific.

Did you listen to Abba while you were writing it?

I should have done but I didn’t! I did have a playlist for when I was writing it, though — one that included Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance. And actually the song which probably describes the plot best (though perhaps not its theme) is Christina Perri’s Jar of Hearts.

I love Feather Carmen Paterson’s name. How did you decide on that?

I didn’t quite steal it from someone I know, though I almost did. There is a real Feather out there in the world, though she bears no relation to the fictional Feather Carmen Paterson, who turned out to be one of those characters you can’t reign in. I began with the name but the character took off in a completely different direction.

Set in balmy Majorca, the book has a great sense of place. Is it somewhere you know well?

We’ve spent several family holidays there and it’s a place I really love. I find it relaxing and it’s when I’m relaxed that I have most of my ideas. So it’s somewhere I associate very strongly with writing and creativity. It seems natural to set a story there (and in fact I’m working on another set in the same area).

I think it’s true to say that traditionally romantic novels did not include a male point of view but it is a requirement of some publishers now. Did you know from the beginning that you were going to include Rafa’s pov?

To be honest, I can’t remember. I do know that the original version was mainly Abby’s point of view but at some point early on I must have thought that the plot needed something from Rafa to explain his background before they met. And I think you need a balance — 90% from one point of view and the rest from another feels wrong — so I consciously rewrote some scenes to take his PoV when they were originally from Abby’s. And yes, I was aware when I did it that some publishers like that. But it did work for me. I think the balance is about 2:1 in her favour.

What are you writing at the moment?

I usually have at least two on the go. I’m polishing up a romantic suspense book (for which I’m struggling with a title) also set in Majorca. I’ve never written in this genre before and it’s not easy trying to merge the romantic structure and the suspense structure, though I’m enjoying it. When that’s done I need to work on the other current novel, which is a romance but with a slightly darker theme – the heroine has a dangerously possessive ex-husband and the hero has a guilty secret. Oh, and I had another idea last week that I need to work up into something.

Where can we buy Thank You for the Music?

You can get it from Amazon and Smashwords and various other places - there are links to all outlets are on the Tirgearr website.

Thank you for answering my questions, Jennifer. Look forward to your next novel(s). Where can we find your website/blog/twitter?

I’m on Facebook and Twitter @JYnovelist and I blog, on Reading Writing and Wandering (just me) and on Novel Points of View (with four others).