Interview took place over the phone, and largely consisted of the journalist (male) asking a series of questions which all related to sex. How much? Why was it necessary? How difficult was it to write about? And most bizarrely of all-- was I embarrassed at readers finding out what I got up to in the bedroom?
Confused dot com.
By this point my goodwill had kind of evaporated, and I rather curtly pointed out that I write fiction. Maybe he'd got me mixed up with someone else. That girl from Big Brother or someone.
12 comments:
Congrats on getting in the press.
I think the journalists may not know what sort of questions to ask...It is a bit like asking Baroness James how many murders she has committed...
Did you get the question -- so do you base your heroes on your husband?
I think my stock answer is being married and having three children means I should know the basic form and after that it is all about emotion. How the individual characters react. Then I turn the subject on to how male and female writers write the scnes differently and reader expectations. Long words. Heavy statistics.
I missed that one! Why wasn't a balloon raised above Crewe to inform us?
Michelle-- I had a page of statistics in front of me, and kept throwing them at him in an attempt to divert... Sadly he was interested in one thing only!! And after he'd ascertained that my husband is an accountant, I think he felt it was unnecessary to ask about whether the heroes were based on him....
As soon as I've finished this book I'm writing a press release, and I'll try to stay away from the questions for a while. The interview was written in kind of first-person, direct-speech form, making out that I'd said all of it in a straight narrative. It sounded utterly mad. Oh well, it's all part of the learning curve!
Sharon-- it's good to see you here!! And thank goodness you didn't catch it-- though at least it would have given you a laugh!
Blimey - that's a WHOLE PAGE with your book and your gorgeous self on it, as well as the interview itself! Go, you!
I always get the husband question. To which the answer is: 'Well, most of my heroes inherit his lovely blue eyes...'
Thanks for popping over to my blog. I got your email too - no need to apologise! Good luck with the final few chapters...
Love the spread. You look fabulous peeking out from behind your characters.
The experience and especially the publicity will stand you in good stead later. Well done!
P.S. Did you save me the article? Gotten the hang of the scanner yet, by any chance?
Kate-- the hugeness of the book cover was the best (in fact the only good thing!) about it. Though I guess the fact that the article itself was absolutely tiny is also a plus.
Helen-- what are you doing here?! Go and finish that last little bit of your book!!
Eva, I think you're right about the experience, but I'm not sure the publicity is going to be worth much. It really was a rubbish article. Thankfully we don't have a scanner so I can't send it to you! (it was online at one point, so perhaps I could try to find it and link you, but it might have disappeared by now-- hopefully!!)
I tried searching for it online, actually. With no success (you'll be happy to know!).
India, most unfair! You cannot tell us that an entire journal section has been devoted to you and your husband's goings-on in bed, then not photocopy the article and send it to those of us on the other side of the pond!
BBBBAAHHAAHHHAAHHHAAAHHHAA
I can just see you sitting there, sheets in hand saying, "Now, look, Mr. Over-Sexed, if you would just look at the latest study by Cambridge University, you'll see the statistics clearly show that 90% of women write sex scenes that are strong on emotion, whilst their male counterparts are concerned with the positions--74%, to be exact."
And whatshisname's going: "Yes, yes. On page 245 of The Italian's Defiant Mistress, I noticed the sex position seems to defy gravity. How did you and your husband manage it?"
And which point, I think he's quite lucky you couldn't reach through the phone and throttle him...just remember, your scribes always happy to lend an alibi: "No officer, we haven't seen that journalist."
Brown, that would be assuming he'd read it!! This I think was the fatal flaw in the article.... It was being written by someone who had no idea about and no interest in writing for women.
Grr. (think of a happy place, India...)
As a matter of interest, what did your daughters make of the article? (and don't say a hat)
Naturally they were disappointed by the shallow, cliche-ridden journalism and evident lack of a clear-cut angle....
(ooh, Annie. Must email to sort out lunch...)
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