Confessions of a Debut Novelist

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lisa Smith about her historical novel Jamaica Road. We discuss how the idea for this novel came from a creative writing exercise and voices that wouldn't leave her alone, using real newspaper extracts to make the political backdrop come alive and how a cancer diagnosis and a competition inspired her to take her writing seriously.Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Jamaica Road: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349703572Follow Lisa: @lisa4884smithhttps://www.lisa-smith.co.ukFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Seán Hewitt about his literary novel Open, Heaven. We discuss having to transport himself back to the intensity and naivety of teenage years, using 1st person perspective to explore what love feels like when you don't know whether the other person feels the same and why you should frame a query letter as you giving agents an amazing opportunity.  Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Open, Heaven: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781787335196Follow Seán: @seanehewitthttps://www.seanehewitt.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin about her contemporary novel Ordinary Saints. We discuss how her inspiration came from a true story about a modern-day teenager being made into a saint, why she deleted her first 20k words and how entering a competition to give herself a deadline changed her life. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Ordinary Saints: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781786584236Follow Niamh: @niamhsquaredhttps://www.niamhnimhaoileoin.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Claire Gleeson about her contemporary novel Show Me Where It Hurts. We discuss how she was inspired to write a story of survival after a shocking act of familicide, writing intense grief and high emotion in a restrained way, and how she does all her writing in snatched moments between work and parenting. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Show Me Where It Hurts: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399734721Follow Claire: @clairegleeson_writerhttps://www.clairegleeson.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Chris Bridges about his psychological suspense novel Sick to Death. We discuss how Chris subverted tropes of having a sick protagonist, why almost 60 rejections from agents inspired him to write a more personal story and how having MS impacts his writing. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy  Sick to Death: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008698140Follow Chris: @chrisbridgeswriterFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niloufar Lamakan about her romance novel Aged To Perfection. We discuss changing the narrative by putting women in their 60s in the spotlight and writing them truthfully, why as a complete novice how a diary form helped her find structure and her experience working with One More Chapter, a digital first publisher who accepts unagented submissions. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Aged to Perfection: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008685492Follow Niloufar: @nlamakanFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Kemp about her crime novel The Grapevine. We discuss why she used a murder to explore a range of women in a 1970s suburban community, the challenge of writing from a 12-year-old narrator and how using social media to learn about the publishing industry helped her take the plunge to take her writing seriously. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The Grapevine: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399618977Follow Kate: @kate.kemp.writerFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

Hi everyone! Just to let you know Confessions of a Debut Novelist will be going on a short break while I recover from pneumonia. Thank you so much for the wonderful Jennie Godfrey for recording this announcement for me. I look forward to sharing the best new books and authors with you soon.Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The List of Suspicious Things: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529153293Follow Jennie: @jennieg_authorFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Celia Silvani about her psychological suspense novel Baby Teeth. We discuss how her research helped her delve into the world of internet forums and cults, the challenge of writing an unbiased and empathetic approach to the radical beliefs of her characters and why you should never send out the first draft of your manuscript to agents. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Baby Teeth: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398714410Follow Celia: @celiasilvaniauthorFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk