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 buy now Jill Mansell’s new novel: ‘Rumour Has It’ published June 2009. ‘This is chick lit at it’s best and so well written’ The Daily Mail When newly single Tilly Cole impulsively quits her London job for a fresh start in the Cotswolds she finds she’s arrived in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue and rampant rivalry for the most desirable men. Tilly has no intention of joining in – she’s happy with her new Girl Friday job. Then she meets Jack Lucas. Jack is irresistible… and he’s got his eye on Tilly. But there are shocking rumours about his wicked reputation. Tilly doesn’t want to be just another notch on anyone’s bedpost. But is she being mature and sensible – or is she running away from the love of her life? Jill Mansell Jill Mansell is one of this country’s top selling female authors. Jill is based in Bristol, where she’s lived all her life. She lives with her partner and two children. Before writing she worked at Burden Neurological Hospital as an ‘electroencephalographic’ technician, she made sense of the readings from electrodes attached to people’s heads to investigate brain activity. She’s been writing full-time since 1992, although that’s not strictly true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires rugby players in the field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write. Falling for You - buy now NHS specs, unfortunate hair and wonky teeth were the curse of Maddy Harvey’s teenage years. Thankfully she’s blossomed since then. But when she meets Kerr McKinnon one starry summer’s night… well, that’s when the problems really start. Because everyone in Ashcombe knows what happened eleven years ago and her mother, Marcella, would rather tear that family to pieces with her bare hands than see Maddy with a McKinnon. And, OK, maybe Marcella isn’t her real mother, but Maddy owes her so much. How can she possibly go against Marcella’s wishes? It’s Romeo and Juliet all over again. Quick, hide those sharp knives and that little bottle of poison… Thinking of You - buy now When Ginny’s only daughter Jem, heads off to university in Bristol, Ginny is at a loss. Stuck in the house all alone, she’s inspired to place an ad for a lodger. The perfect one, Perry, appears, only for him to be replaced by his older, depressed sister, Laurel, who has recently been dumped and is in no mood to cheer Ginny up from the departure of her daughter. Throw in a best friend, antiques guy Finn, who accuses Ginny of shoplifting and laughs, tears and love ensue. Will it end in happiness for Ginny? What gives this novel its edge over others is that it has quirky, funny moments that are easily relatable to. A feel good romantic comedy with the knock backs received in everyday life that is easy to read. Read with caution. Once started, you won’t be able to put it down! The One You Really Want - buy now Nancy can’t quite believe it when her Christmas present from her husband turns out to be a lawnmower. She knows for a fact that Jonathan’s been spending a lot of money on jewellery. So who’s got the diamonds? Nancy’s best friend, Carmen, gave up on romance when she lost her adored husband. What Carmen really needs is a man to wake her up – but choosing the right one isn’t going to be easy. Mia’s just arrived in London to live with her dad. Once she’s met the potential stepmother-from-hell he’s dating, she’s determined to play Cupid – but her wayward arrows are just as likely to cause chaos as to ease the path of true love… Making your Mind Up - buy now Lottie Carlyle isn't looking for love when she meets her new boss, Tyler Klein. Living in a beautiful cottage with her two adorable - sometimes - kids in an idyllic village in the Cotswolds, on good terms with her ex-husband and with friends all around, she's happy enough with her lot. But Tyler's perfect for Lottie and quickly she falls for him - and he for her. Unfortunately, there's a problem. For reasons that are totally unfair, Lottie's children HATE Tyler. When a rival for Lottie's affections comes on the scene in the shape of charmer Seb, the children adore him, and he's certainly a distraction. But he's not Tyler - and he's not even at all what he seems. Lottie's got a problem - but thanks, in classic Jill Mansell style, to a tobogganing accident and a delicious series of mix-ups, all will be revealed and true love will find a way. Chicklit writer Sophie Barnes managed to catch up with Jill on one of her wine gum breaks... When did you decide you were going to write your first book? I started young, when I was eleven. I used to write happy stories where nothing bad ever happened. They starred me being given lots of presents, usually. As an adult, I was in my twenties when I decided to join a local evening class in creative writing. It was lovely and so friendly and supportive. Several of us are still in touch today. Were you working at the time? Yes, I worked in a neurological hospital, recording the electrical activity in people's brains. A wonderful job, different every day. I worked full time and we took it in turns to be on-call at weekends. I worked in prisons, intensive care units and operating theatres. My life now is pretty humdrum in comparison! Did you always want to be a writer? I didn't think I'd ever be able to earn a living by writing - that never occurred to me. It was a dream but I didn't expect it to come true. I carried on working in the hospital at first, then gave up to write full time following the birth of my first child. (I thought that would be easier than it turned out to be...) What inspired you to start writing? An article in the colour supplement of the Sunday Express. I still have the original copy. It was a piece about women writing romantic fiction and changing their lives as a result, becoming hugely successful and wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. So I thought I'd give it a go and see if it might work for me too! What writers do you read? I love reading and get through lots of books. I love Marian Keyes, Veronica Henry, Katie Fforde, Sophie Kinsella, Christina Jones...and so many more! If you had to pick a character in a book (not yours) that personified you, who would it be? Ooh, good question! OK, I'm going to say Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic books because she thinks like me and I'm always getting myself into muddles. But I'd be Becky without the clothes-shopping addiction, because I love buying weird and quirky things but I've never spent much on clothes. I don't even own any shoes - I just wear boots in winter and glittery flip-flops in summer. Becky would be shocked by me. I like charity shops too. Spending a fortune on designer outfits just seems weird! How do you plan your novel - do you plan meticulously or just wait and see where the story takes you? I've been experimenting a bit lately. I used to write into-the-mist, having no idea what was going to happen next. But now I'm starting to plan more and leave the plot developments less to chance. It's a fine line, though. If you plan everything beforehand, a better idea will come along at a later date and ambush you, ruining everything. But if you don't organize your plot, you can reach a point where you discover you've made a huge mistake and need to rewrite the last hundred pages. (I feel sick just thinking about the last time that happened!) These days I use a time line with post-it notes to keep me on course. How have your friends and family reacted to your success? Everyone's been brilliant. It's happened slowly, over many years, so we've all had time to get used to it. My kids used to be embarrassed, of course, but that's all part of the fun! Do you ever use your own experience in your novels? All the time. My daughter couldn't bear to read my books because they sounded so much like me. All my characters talk like I do! Now she's typing them for me (I still write by hand, like a cave-woman) so she's had to get over the squirm factor. The good news is, she's found she actually enjoys them. By the way, she doesn't type them for nothing. I have to pay her. So much for daughterly love... What is your favourite book that you have written? I have soft spots for Staying at Daisy's, Miranda's Big Mistake and Perfect Timing, but it's so long since I wrote them - and therefore read them - that I can no longer remember why. Oh, don't ask me this - I like them all!!! What would your advice be to someone starting out as a writer? Don't be daunted by the idea of producing a whole book. Just set out to write the first twenty pages. Choose a few characters, set up a situation, get them interacting and ask yourself what could happen next. Write the next twenty pages. Ask yourself what could happen next. If you ever get stuck, throw in a new character to stir things up. Then write the next twenty pages and ask yourself what could happen next. Keep going until you reach the end. Et voila, you've written your book! |
| Posted: 17/07/2009 12:38:26 Last Updated: 17/07/2009 13:39:06 |
Chick Lit > Chick Lit Authors :: Jill Mansell