Karen1 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Can you tell us what you're working on next? Two things: I'm writing my next book, to be published in May of next year. It's called The Secret Shopper's Revenge and is about mystery shoppers, who are PAID to go shopping undercover and snoop on bad service. It's a fun subject, but the three women I feature each have big secrets of their own. They're forced to work together, like Charlie's Angels, and it's about female friendship - and shopping. I have quite an ambivalent attitude to shopping - I hate it when you walk into a shop and you feel like you don't belong or you're too plump/old or whatever to shop there and I wanted to have some fun with that. This sounds great. I love the synopsis for it and even just the title alone sounds like fun...which brings me on to another question - hope you don't mind. How and when do you come up with your titles? Do you get the basis of the story and plot outlines first and then think of a title (which I imagine to be the case) or have you thought up a title and then liked it so much that you've then had to come up with a plot to fit it? Oh and do your titles ever change as the book progresses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 Kate, I hope you weren't planning on doing anything else today!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen1 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Kate, I hope you weren't planning on doing anything else today!? Whoops! Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 Not at all Karen - it's nice to see these threads used so well. And I'm nice enough to allow Kate a break for breakfast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateHarrison Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Oh no, I just typed a really long answer to the questions and it came up 'cannot find server' and I lost the lot! Reminder to self: always copy your answers before submitting! Back later to do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 Sorry Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateHarrison Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Right, let's try again! 3. Would you like to see any of your novels made into movies? 4. What tips do you have for aspiring writers? Oh and one more... 5. I really like the cover of The Self-Preservation Society, how much influence do you have over the covers? Do you get the final okay on it? Movies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateHarrison Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 How and when do you come up with your titles? Do you get the basis of the story and plot outlines first and then think of a title (which I imagine to be the case) or have you thought up a title and then liked it so much that you've then had to come up with a plot to fit it? Oh and do your titles ever change as the book progresses? Oh, another interesting one! It Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen1 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Thank you for answering all of my many questions Kate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2007 Author Share Posted July 31, 2007 I would like to say thank you to Kate for her time here, and her detailed replies. Please feel free to hang around.. we'd love to have you as a member; and all the best with your future releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateHarrison Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Thanks, Michelle, for asking me on here, and to everyone else who took the trouble to post a question - they really got me thinking! Kate x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 I learned a lesson from my first book, Old School Ties, which features a distinctly arch, bitchy central character. I totally understood why she was the way she was, but quite a few people said to me that she was too unlikeable and hard to identify with. So now I work harder at showing the human side of everyone, even my villains. That doesn't mean making everyone cute and adorable, but it does mean making them understandable... Kate, if you're still popping in, I just wanted to say that I started Old School Ties last night, and so far I love the central character.. she's making me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 I finally got round to finishing Old School Ties today, and I have to say that I enjoyed it. I'm not a big fan on chick lit with a young, ditzy lead character, who's only concern is which boyfriend to choose, and which pair of shoes to buy next.. I much prefer the ones that are a little different, such as older characters with real histories, and real concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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