Introducing Ian Wilfred

An extra blog post this week as I would like to introduce you to a gentleman friend of mine, Mr Ian Wilfred.

Ian has just released his first chicklit novel ‘Putting Right the Past’.  It can be found on Amazon for Kindle and will also be released in paperback on April 1^st.

Here's the blurb:

Carole Harding is in her 50s. She divorced her husband after he cheated on her with a prostitute. She hated her life – working in a Bristol supermarket – and the only exciting thing she’d done was to go on holiday (to Scotland in a caravan).

Then she inherited 2 million pounds.

Now she lives in an apartment in a plush complex in Tenerife, but it seems all her neighbours have problems and Carole finds herself helping to change their lives...

Nadean is the actress who hit the headlines and had to go into hiding; Victoria, a model, why did her family turn against her? Hamilton spent his life traveling the world, earning so much money, but was so lonely; Riley gave up everything for love... Then there are Peter and Paul, who only seem to be happy when having a crisis and Jeremy – who has secrets from his wife and from the law.

As Carole gets involved with the lives of her neighbours, she blossoms into the woman she’d always longed to be... when she meets Robson, can Carole make the biggest transformation of her life? 

Ian and I met on Twitter last year (you can follow him @ian_wilfred) and I was interested to learn that he was about to publish his debut novel. I feel that us Indies need all the support we can get when we begin on our writing journey so I invited Ian to feature on my blog and tell people a little bit about himself.

As a male chick-lit writer do you find it difficult to find a ‘woman's voice’?

I don't really have to try very hard - I just release my inner woman, if you know what I mean?!

Name three books you wish you had written.

Oh Amanda let's think. Three books I wish I had written but not necessarily my all time favourite reads:

'The Bridges of Madison County' by Robert James Waller. This was the one that started me reading woman's fiction.

'Delia's Complete Cookery Course'. So easy to read and follow the recipes and it's helped save my life for twenty odd years.

'Olive Trilogy' by Carole Drinkwater because I would have loved to have experienced everything she has in her books.

Over the past few weeks you’ve blogged about how and why you wrote ‘Putting Right the Past’. Have you enjoyed doing that? (Ian's blog can be found here.)

Yes.  I was nervous because you are opening yourself up so much but I think it has helped people to see who I am and has also hopefully helped sell some Kindle copies.

If money was no object and you could have any launch party you wanted, where would you have it and what would you do?

My dream would be at Claridge's with fab and glam people (including yourself of course), lots of bubbly and Lizzie Kramer (agent) introducing me and my book to everyone.

If you didn't write chick-lit what other genre would you choose?

It would have to be travel books as I could then spend months of the year travelling the world away from the wet British weather.

Were you nervous about your book coming out?

Nervous and excited.  The thing that I don't want to happen is that friends and family feel they have to read it just because they know me - I just want people to read it because they want to .

If you were giving a dream dinner party who would you invite (dead or alive) and what would you serve?

It would have to be all the Bs. Betty Davis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and the fabulous Beverley Knight. The food would be lobster thermidor followed by a crème brûlée.

I know you're a huge fan of 'Loose Women'. If they asked you to feature on the show, would you?

Oh yes, like a shot!  I’d love to be on the show on the same day as Sherrie Hewson and Janet Street Porter.  That would be a dream come true and after the show it would be fantastic to have lunch with them.  (I wish!)

Name one song that sums up your book.

It would have to be 'No One Ever Loves In Vain' by Beverley Knight - the reason for this is because this song is mentioned in ‘Putting Right The Past’.

How will you celebrate your book launch?

I have no plans myself but I’m secretly hoping for a surprise.  Although the paperback is released on April Fool’s day!   Lets hope I'm not an April Fool.

Has your partner read Putting Right The Past’?

Yes, when he first read it he couldn't work out where it had come from or how I managed to write it.  After reading it what seems a hundred times or more, as we worked on it together, he still can't quite believe I've done it.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS

Jeans or suit?

Prefer jeans but look slimmer in a suit.

Pudding or cheese?

Cheese every time but must be with Cornish Wafers.

Night in or night out?

Night out if food was involved.

Bath or shower?

Shower.

Dancer or watcher?

Depends if red wine has been consumed.

Comedy or drama?

A mixture of both.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs.

Lover or fighter?

Lover. I avoid a fight at all costs as I don't like confrontation.

Thank you for joining me today, Ian.  I wish you every success with your book and any writing ventures in the future.

Ian’s book can be found at Amazon UK here or .com here.

The Misfit and Mr Wilfred

Today I’m being interviewed by Twitter friend, Ian Wilfred.  Ian is well worth a follow as he’ll always cheer you up and give you a giggle.  He’s also one of a very select group of males who choose to write chicklit and his debut novel ‘Putting Right the Past’ will be published in April. Watch this space.  I can't wait to read it.

Over to Ian …

So Amanda, can you remember the first thing you ever wrote that you were proud of?

Oh yes, I most definitely can, Ian!  I was about seven and we were told to write an essay about fireworks. Well, let me tell you, I became those fireworks!  I wrote it from their perspective as they all waited in the box before the big event.  I think it was about six pages long and I was so unbelievably proud of myself.  The icing on the cake was when I was sent to the Headmaster to get a star stamped on my forehead for good work - I swear I worked harder on the days the star survived on my unwashed face.  Now there’s a thought … I might get hubbie to start whacking a gold star on me at the end of a good day’s writing!

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I don’t want to tempt fate here, so I’ll whisper it … I don’t really ever get it, shush!  I sit down to write in the morning and I always know where I need to be taking the story on that day.  Most nights will see me planning in my head as I lie in bed - it beats worrying about everyday life and stuff you can’t change!  So by the time I’m at my desk, I’m ready to go.  My characters always tell me where they need to go next and I simply follow them along their path.  On the days that I’m woolly-headed or slow, I get up, make coffee, put some washing on, pluck an eyebrow or two and suddenly I find I’m good to go again.

Why do you avoid sex scenes?

As most of my books contain a certain amount of humour, I don’t feel they are suited to explicit scenes so the act is alluded to and left at the bedroom door.  I’m certainly no prude, and am quite partial to a little smutty read on occasions, but it’s not my writing style and I don’t believe my readers expect it or feel shafted (pardon the pun) that it’s not there.

A reader of ‘Stilettos & Stubble’ was a little miffed that there was no real reference to the gays’ sex lives.  What’s your take on this?

I have to say that review left me a little confused.  As I mentioned before, all sex is left at the bedroom door so it would have been a little odd to start writing graphic gay scenes.  I feel that the love between various drag queens in the book is written fully and with sensitivity - I hope I made the reader feel their commitment and loyalty and realise that, through that, a little more than hand holding takes place!  In any event the main action focuses on Persephone and Luke and, as with most books, the shenanigans of others remain on the periphery.

If a publisher offered you a book deal now, would you bite their hand off?

I’d have to be totally mercenary here and say, ‘How much?’  Working as an Indie suits me just fine at the moment and I know that, aside from the small cut that goes to Amazon and Lulu, all the profits are mine.  OK that also means that I have to do all my own promoting and general flogging but I’m my own boss, working at my own pace.  Aside from my writing, I have a husband, teenage son and elderly mother to think about - which means I’m not always in a position to drop everything and go to a book signing in Outer Mongolia.  Saying that though, I’m an excellent juggler and could easily manage a few extra balls if a six figure offer was thrown into the mix.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2013?

I plan to release two new novels - June and December - and a Christmas novella in October.  ‘Christmas Deliverance’ was very well received but I regret not bringing it out earlier last year - you live and learn.

I’d like to earn enough to get our leaky roof fixed and redecorate the house - I LOVE painting so this will be a huge pleasure.  In reality, I’ll be happy to earn enough to just keep the leaky roof over our heads.

I’d like to have a short break - just a couple of days by the sea.  Unlikely, but I can dream.

I hope my son finishes his final year at school with A level results that he’s pleased with and a rough idea of where he’s heading in life.  I just want him to be happy.

I want all my family and friends to be happy, healthy and safe.

Thanks for the interview, Ian, it’s been fun and I fully intend to return the favour when your novel hits the shelves.  I can’t wait to delve into your head a little further and find out what makes a guy write chicklit!