Catherine Isaac's Blog, page 3

Two weeks until publication day

I can hardly believe the moment is almost upon us, but my follow-up to ‘You Me Everything’ will finally be out in the UK in hardback, ebook and audiobook at the end of this month. I’ve been so busy working on my NEXT novel (more on that soon) that I’d almost forgotten about the small matter of an imminent book publication, until finished copies arrived at my house this week. I must admit, I’m pretty pleased with these beauties. ‘Messy, Wonderful Us’ opens with the discovery of a letter, sent to England from Italy i...

A sneak preview

I’ve broken away from writing this week to prepare for the UK paperback publication of ‘Messy, Wonderful Us’. You might think that Mother’s Day 2020 is ages away, but not in the publishing world! There are still lots of behind-the-scenes jobs to be done before the book hits the shelves and one of them is coming up with the blurb that appears on the back. The hope is that those words are so compelling that you simply can’t leave a bookshop without buying it (even if you already have way too ma...

Dorothy Koomson at the Maray Book Club

You might have seen me talking on social media about The Maray Book Club and wondered what it’s all about. I had the idea earlier this year to launch a regular event in my home city, combining excellent food with a visit from a guest author in the lovely atmosphere of one of my favourite restaurants, Maray. Tickets always include a selection of delicious dishes, a copy of the author’s new book and a glass of wine. The response has been wonderful and last night’s event with Dorothy Koomson w...

Talking newspapers on BBC Breakfast

If you were up early at the weekend you might have switched on the TV and spotted me on BBC Breakfast. I was invited to Media City for their weekend newspaper review - when a guest appears to chat to the presenters about the stories making the headlines. It’s something I’ve done before and was invited back, probably because as an ex-newspaper editor I don’t mind spouting an opinion or two about journalism.

Appearing on live telly is one of those things that you can only decide you’ve enjoyed...

Sun, sea, scuba diving . . . and where stories begin

At the Cala Pada Diving Centre, newly qualified and with my scuba dive logbook

One of the questions I’m most often asked at book events is: ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ The answer is usually frustratingly simple. They just come to me, at any time of day or night, often when I’m not even actively thinking about the book I’m working on.

Over the years, I’ve found that the more I write, the more it stimulates my imagination. I can’t guarantee that every idea is a good one, of course, but...

How do you create a beautiful cover?

One of the most exciting moments for any author is seeing the cover of their new book. But believe me, finding the right one for your novel is not always easy. A good jacket should hint at the feel of the story and stand out on the shelves. It doesn’t necessarily need to be beautiful, but it helps.

My publisher Simon and Schuster had tried various approaches with the artwork for my next novel, ‘Messy Wonderful Us’. I’d liked quite a few of them, but none prompted the instant, positive reacti...

Books, food and top authors, all in one room. Introducing the Maray Book Club...

I’m extremely excited to announce that, from next month, I’ll be teaming up with my favourite Liverpool restaurant for the inaugural Maray Book Club. Launching on Thursday June 13, I’ll be the regular host of a new event that combines great food and drink with an appearance by a top author. Our first guest is Catherine Steadman, Downton Abbey actress turned novelist, who I’ll be interviewing at the Allerton Road restaurant about the paperback release of her #1 New York Times bestseller SOMETH...

You Me Everything won at the Romantic Novel Awards!

Laura Wood, Catherine Isaac, Isabelle Broom, Louise Beech and Jill Mansell

In my reader newsletter last month I mentioned casually I’d been shortlisted at the Romantic Novelist’s Association awards, which were taking place at the Gladstone Library in London in March. I didn’t ever expect to win anything and was merely anticipating a lovely night in which I got to catch up on gossip with lots of author friends. Well, I DID catch up on gossip and I DID have a great evening. But I was flabberga...

48 hours in Oslo

A subtle bit of product placement in front of the Norwegian Royal Palace, Oslo

It’s easy to feel welcome in Norway when you’re an author. The country has a passion for books and reading that puts it at #2 in a comparison of world literacy levels (Finland came first), so it’s not hard to understand why someone who makes their living by writing novels simply loves to visit. 

 My trip to Oslo this week was the second in recent years. I first visited in 2017, on the eve of publication of my last...

Events, awards and a fabulous new initiative for book clubs

January is supposed to be the cruellest month but the new year has been extraordinarily good to me so far. First, I’m very happy to announce that I’ll be going on the road for a whole load of reader events between March and June 2019. The tour has come about after You Me Everything was selected as one of 12 ‘books by northern writers you MUST read in 2019’ for the Read Regional campaign. The initiative has celebrating books ever since it was launched by New Writing North in 2008 and I can’t...