Confessions of a Debut Novelist

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 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Louise Hegarty about her contemporary novel Fair Play. We discuss how absorbing so many Poirot novels helped her get the voice right for her detective, why she wanted to explore grief using a murder mystery and a puzzle box structure, and how her published stories attracted an agent. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Fair Play: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035036134Follow 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 Katie Buckley about her literary novel Hero. We discuss how she defines autofiction and why she loves it, what to do when you don’t have an instinct for plot and why she believes you need to be emotionally ready before you start querying agents.Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Hero: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035413072Follow 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 Bianca Gillam about her romance novel Bad Publicity. We discuss how her experience working within the publishing industry inspired her enemies to lovers romance, why she had to spend a few months away from the novel to get the ending right and why she thinks every aspiring author should think about having a clear vision for their book in terms of the cover and marketing package. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Bad Publicity: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526676443Follow Bianca: @biancagillamFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk *affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sanam Mahloudji about her contemporary novel The Persians. We discuss how this novel started life as a short story until Sanam realised there was so much more to say, why she began writing to free herself when she was working as a lawyer and how she impressed an agent at a book event by asking an insightful question.Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The Persians: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008589042Follow Sanam: @sanammahloudjiFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk *affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lucy Rose about her horror novel The Lamb. We discuss how her ADHD meant she had to find her own way to write without a routine, why film-making and working with a production designer has made her a better writer and because Lucy has created a whole brand around her novel using TikTok and Instagram I wanted to ask her advice about how to use social media to build a brand if you want to. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The Lamb: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399619714Follow Lucy: @lucyrosecreatesFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk *affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Salma Ibrahim about her speculative novel Salutation Road.  We discuss how she explored coming of age and migration with a parallel world twist, the challenge of writing the same character from two alternate worlds and why despite several agent rejections she decided to keep the speculative element. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Salutation Road: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035044344Follow Salma: @salma.s.ibrahimFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk *affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Handyside about her contemporary novel Instructions for Heartbreak. We discuss how her own heartbreak was the catalyst to write this book, why the device of including a handbook gave her a helpful way to structure the novel and how a longlisting in the Curtis Brown First Novel Award attracted her agent. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Instructions for Heartbreak: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035032754Follow Sarah: @sarahhandysideFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk *affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.