Blog tour: My One Month Marriage
Welcome to
my date on the blog tour for Shari Low’s My One Month Marriage, where I am
lucky to be able to share a Q&A with the author of this delightful new
novel!
Hi Shari!
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of My
One Month Marriage! Can
you please briefly tell us what it is about?
A: The book opens a month after Zoe’s marriage, and she’s plonked in the midst of a pile of wedding gifts that need to be returned. Her husband is gone, kicked out after Zoe discovered he’d spent the night with someone else. Thankfully, her three sisters – Marina, Verity and Yvie – have all arrived bearing food and neon pink cocktails to cheer her up. But the comfort is short lived. While they’re dissecting her marital woes, Zoe gets a call that gives her a clue as to who husband cheated with. And to her horror, it seems that it might be one of the three women sitting in front of her.
Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page?
A: I’m mortified to say that I’m now 25 books in and I still plan absolutely nothing ahead of writing it. Honestly, I’ve tried, but even on the couple of occasions that I’ve written a plan, my mind has gone off on a tangent and I’ve been completely unable to stick to it. The fear of the blank page makes sitting down at the laptop fairly terrifying every day, but it’s also exciting because the way events unfold is all a complete surprise to me too.
If this novel was going to be turned into a film, who would you cast in the role of Zoe?
A: I’m going to shoot for the stars and say if it’s an American movie, Jennifer Lawrence. And if it’s a British movie, then Gemma Arterton or Kelly McDonald. But it’s an ensemble piece with more or less equal parts for all four sisters and their mother, so I also saw Rose Leslie, Karen Gillan, Nicola Coughlan and – wait for it – either Joely Richardson or Catherine Zeta Jones as their mum. I can dream!
Without giving too much away, can you tell us about a scene in the book that you love or that was particularly difficult to write?
A: No spoilers, but it’s a back story that unfolds throughout the book and culminates in a scene near the end that absolutely broke my heart. I wrote it with big fat tears dripping on the keyboard. The readers will know when they’re there.
Is there anything that didn’t make it into the final version of the book?
A: No. But there was some extra stuff that went in there after feedback from my fantastic editor, and I definitely think it added more depth to the story.
If you are already working on your next writing project, would you mind giving us a little anticipation of what we are to expect?
A: My next book will be out in summer 2020, so I’m working on that now. It’s about a woman who feels lost and has reached a stage when she has the freedom to explore how she wants to live the next chapter of her life.
What are you reading at the moment?
A: I don’t read while I’m writing, because I get lost in my book and spend every available minute in my imaginary world. This will be my first book with Boldwood, so in my gaps between my own novels, I’m working my way through all the fabulous titles already on their list. The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning is next on my kindle.
Due to the popularity of social networking websites, interacting with readers – be it via Twitter, Facebook Instagram etc. – is becoming increasingly important. How do you cope with these new demands on authors and do you think that they somehow disrupt your writing schedule?
A: I do love interacting with readers on social media – it still thrills me to bits when someone says they love one of my books. However, with social media in general, I’ve learned to be very disciplined, otherwise I spend a couple of minutes writing a post and then an hour later I’m still there, watching cute videos and weeping happy tears over videos of dogs being rescued.
What one piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A: I always say the same thing when I’m asked this question. Just write. Don’t wait for the right time because it never comes. I wrote most of my last ten books sitting in car parks outside leisure centres, drinking polystyrene cups of tea while my sons were at basketball practice or the gym. There’s no perfect place or environment, so just snatch whatever time you have and put the words on the page.
Thank you for your time!
A: The book opens a month after Zoe’s marriage, and she’s plonked in the midst of a pile of wedding gifts that need to be returned. Her husband is gone, kicked out after Zoe discovered he’d spent the night with someone else. Thankfully, her three sisters – Marina, Verity and Yvie – have all arrived bearing food and neon pink cocktails to cheer her up. But the comfort is short lived. While they’re dissecting her marital woes, Zoe gets a call that gives her a clue as to who husband cheated with. And to her horror, it seems that it might be one of the three women sitting in front of her.
Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page?
A: I’m mortified to say that I’m now 25 books in and I still plan absolutely nothing ahead of writing it. Honestly, I’ve tried, but even on the couple of occasions that I’ve written a plan, my mind has gone off on a tangent and I’ve been completely unable to stick to it. The fear of the blank page makes sitting down at the laptop fairly terrifying every day, but it’s also exciting because the way events unfold is all a complete surprise to me too.
If this novel was going to be turned into a film, who would you cast in the role of Zoe?
A: I’m going to shoot for the stars and say if it’s an American movie, Jennifer Lawrence. And if it’s a British movie, then Gemma Arterton or Kelly McDonald. But it’s an ensemble piece with more or less equal parts for all four sisters and their mother, so I also saw Rose Leslie, Karen Gillan, Nicola Coughlan and – wait for it – either Joely Richardson or Catherine Zeta Jones as their mum. I can dream!
Without giving too much away, can you tell us about a scene in the book that you love or that was particularly difficult to write?
A: No spoilers, but it’s a back story that unfolds throughout the book and culminates in a scene near the end that absolutely broke my heart. I wrote it with big fat tears dripping on the keyboard. The readers will know when they’re there.
Is there anything that didn’t make it into the final version of the book?
A: No. But there was some extra stuff that went in there after feedback from my fantastic editor, and I definitely think it added more depth to the story.
If you are already working on your next writing project, would you mind giving us a little anticipation of what we are to expect?
A: My next book will be out in summer 2020, so I’m working on that now. It’s about a woman who feels lost and has reached a stage when she has the freedom to explore how she wants to live the next chapter of her life.
What are you reading at the moment?
A: I don’t read while I’m writing, because I get lost in my book and spend every available minute in my imaginary world. This will be my first book with Boldwood, so in my gaps between my own novels, I’m working my way through all the fabulous titles already on their list. The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning is next on my kindle.
Due to the popularity of social networking websites, interacting with readers – be it via Twitter, Facebook Instagram etc. – is becoming increasingly important. How do you cope with these new demands on authors and do you think that they somehow disrupt your writing schedule?
A: I do love interacting with readers on social media – it still thrills me to bits when someone says they love one of my books. However, with social media in general, I’ve learned to be very disciplined, otherwise I spend a couple of minutes writing a post and then an hour later I’m still there, watching cute videos and weeping happy tears over videos of dogs being rescued.
What one piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A: I always say the same thing when I’m asked this question. Just write. Don’t wait for the right time because it never comes. I wrote most of my last ten books sitting in car parks outside leisure centres, drinking polystyrene cups of tea while my sons were at basketball practice or the gym. There’s no perfect place or environment, so just snatch whatever time you have and put the words on the page.
Thank you for your time!
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