Helen Cox's Blog, page 5

The Starlight Diner Short Story Box Set

A week today my first novel, Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner will be published by HarperCollins through their AvonBooksUK imprint.

To celebrate, I’m releasing a box set of the three, free Starlight Diner short stories which explore the history of the diner and how this fifties-themed restaurant finds a place in the hearts of all those who walk through the doorway.

A gifted friend of mine, Dan Evans, created the illustration for the front cover. It looks delicious, I’m sure you’ll agree!

You can access your free, Starlight Diner box set on Smashwords or you can download a free PDF copy here.. I hope you enjoy my stories. I’m immensely grateful for all the support I’ve had with my writing and am very excited about publication day!

If you’d like to join in with some more Starlight Diner fun, you could follow the Starlight Diner Twitter feed.

You can read some early reviews of Milkshakes and Heartbreaks here.

Britain: Where do we go from here?

“Understand we go hand in hand but we walk alone in fear.”

From the opening, stunned silence to the hurt, distrustful looks between people who thought they knew each other but are now having second thoughts. To me, this clip from Season Six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer sums up the mood in Britain since Thursday’s referendum vote better than any of the rhetoric buzzing around news channels.

Yes, all seven seasons of Buffy are something of a touchstone in my life, and yes, I’m OK with that.

I don’t mind sharing here that I voted remain and was deeply saddened by the result. But, what followed the result saddened me at a much deeper level.

I understand people are angry and scared.

I do.

I am too, but, to my mind, nothing can justify the intense hatred that has been shown to those who exercised their democratic right to vote and chose to vote leave.

Before writing further about this I’d like to underline, I’m not denying that a racist element exists within the leave voters. There is no pretending. That element is there and it is shameful. The media have done all they can to promote this element. Given them a mortifying amount of air-time that has skewed the perspective of millions. Please understand however, that it is not just leave voters who have been manipulated by the media, many remain voters have suffered the same fate. Because those with racist opinions have been given a soap box, many have assumed that is the over-riding reason why people voted leave.

Consequently 52% of the British population have been seemingly labelled ‘stupid racists’, anyone who has admitted regret over their vote has been publicly shamed for it and on top of this, I’ve seen online posts suggesting  more separatism. ‘Fun’ articles indicating people in Sunderland believe they’ll be living in a gleaming metropolis in the next five years or that London should disconnect itself from the rest of England so it can stay in the EU.

For those still baffled by the referendum result, that last point is essentially the crux of why we are in the situation we are in today. The fact that the irony of such posts hasn’t smacked people in the face has left me stunned.

If you’ve felt angry and frightened, as I have, over the last four days, you should know some people, largely though not exclusively outside London, have been feeling that way for four decades.

Many of these communities are far from Downing Street and they have voted for politician after politician who has promised they will invest in their area. That they will bring jobs and livelihoods and, with that, self-respect for the people who live in marginalised, downtrodden communities.

These politicians have failed all of us.

All they had to do was listen. Keep some of their promises. Instead those politicians brought in zero hour contracts and made cuts to infrastructure, before placing the blame for all this explicitly and squarely on immigration issues (when they weren’t busy blaming whoever was in power last instead of taking responsibility for the situation we were in).

I saw people posting to social media with phrases like, and as I don’t wish to hold this outpouring of grief against anyone I’m paraphrasing here to protect identities, what we had before was great. Why did leavers ruin all that?

Hate to break it to you, what we had before wasn’t great for everyone. This vote is proof of it and if you’re going to write all those people off as ‘stupid racists’ without considering their point of view then I’m afraid you’re part of the problem, not part of the solution. And on the off-chance that some of the people who voted leave do possess less intelligence than you, how cruel it is to berate them for it. How deeply vile to imply that people not gifted with intellect are worth any less as human beings when this is so obviously a failing of our social responsibility.

Before I wrote novels, I was a full-time English teacher for seven years. Every lesson there was an underlined title, date and starter activity waiting on the board for students. What was the first question I was almost always asked? ‘Miss, what’s the title?’

Was this exasperating? Yes. And the students quickly got used to my standard, dry response: ‘The title is on the board, after the word ‘title.’ It is also underlined to indicate to you it’s the title.’

This was undoubtedly the most-asked question of my teaching career. I’d much rather it was ‘Miss, what are your views on Macbeth as an anti-feminist play?’ or ‘What significance did Maya Angelou have to later authors from similar backgrounds?’ I was asked those too, but ‘what’s the title?’ is firmly in the number one spot.

Did I get angry at these children and call them stupid? No. Never. For two reasons. Firstly, they were asking because these children had a sense they weren’t as gifted as other children. How could they not the way we segregate ‘bright’ and ‘weak’ students in our education system? And they were asking because they were frightened of getting things wrong. Because they’d got used to getting things wrong. All day, every day, and they’d been taught getting things wrong was the worst thing they could do since year dot.

So they looked to others they trusted for guidance so that they wouldn’t get it wrong.

If you truly believe that all people who voted leave are stupid, which I emphatically do not, ask yourself this question: who did these people have to look to during the shameful media circus that preceded the vote? Where were the calm, clear voices of reason they needed to explain what the EU was, exactly what we gained and lost by being part of it, or what would happen if we left?

There were no such calm, clear voices and that is our collective failing.

People were given a choice between ‘project hate’ and ‘project fear’. What kind of choice is that for anyone?

The second reason I resisted getting angry with students who asked basic questions was because I knew the education system, dictated by the government, was rigged for them to fail and that they were suffering from a learned helplessness generated by that failing system. It rewards those who excel at assessment and excelling at assessment is held up as the pinnacle of all achievements. The value and power of learning unto itself is barely touched upon, and the worst thing you can do is make a mistake.

As children avoid making mistakes at all costs, they never learn from them and miss out on developing resilience, independence and a sense of discovery. This means, they are more likely to be swayed by the opinions of other people. In a world in which the media can dispense its toxic opinions twenty-four hours a day this is a dangerous prospect.

For those thinking: that argument about failing politicians is all well and good but the poorest of the leave voters will pay the highest price for this decision. Why do that to yourselves? You’re probably right. But, so what? Is being right really the most important thing just now?

More than half the population voted leave, and many did so out of desperation for some kind of change. Any kind of change. Regardless of the consequences. Snapping after years of feeling neglected and unvalued isn’t an admirable thing to do but it is a very, very human thing to do.  Isn’t it more important to show compassion? To try and heal these wounds rather than pour salt in them?

As for asking how people could do this to themselves, you try feeling like you have the last four days for the next four decades and see how easy decision-making is for you.

Certainly, when I was rejected for a job at an O2 call centre on the outskirts of Leeds in 2003, I wasn’t feeling so rational. I’d just achieved a 2.1. in Psychology at the University of Teesside. I’d just racked up a mountain of debt because I was told by the government I’d need a degree to get a good job. Like millions of others, I’d found there were no jobs that were even a third cousin twice removed to the kind of jobs I’d been promised. So, wanting to pay my way, and with a rent bill due, I’d applied for any available job and as it happened I couldn’t even get one of those. The guy who broke the news to me that I wasn’t going to have a bright future climbing the ladder at one of the UK’s biggest mobile networks didn’t even stop stuffing his face with a bag of Mini Cheddars as he broke the news to me.

That was a low. And many similar lows followed. If I’d stayed in the North and been this disenfranchised for the last fifteen years, I’m not sure what kind of person I’d be or how I’d even begin to cope with that.

I have no complaints about my life. Hell, my life is charmed in comparison to many of the other people I know who stayed in the North East. But I had to move to London to make it so. For almost a decade, I left behind the home I love because I couldn’t find the work that I’d aspired to as a young girl. Some truly magnificent things happened to me in the capital and I met many people who continue to change the course of my life even now that I’ve moved back to York.

If I hadn’t left the North however, I know my life would look very different today and not everybody is willing to move away from their family and friends to forge a career. Why should they have to? Shouldn’t opportunities be given to people all over the country? Aren’t we all part of Great Britain? Don’t we all count?

Most people I knew told me I’d never be a writer and in their defense, the odds didn’t look great for me. I was a hard worker but I wasn’t an A* student. I’ve never had an A* or a first or a distinction in my life. Based on my academic mediocrity and my social class, I wouldn’t have put money on me achieving great things. But I never gave up and I moved to places where I knew there were opportunities even though, in my heart, that was the last thing I wanted.

The thing is, it shouldn’t have to be this way. Which is what, I believe, was the resounding message of Thursday night’s vote.

Despite the picture the media is painting, I choose to see my fellow British citizens as people and not judge them on one point of view or perspective they may have because I want us to unite, not separate. Because what truly underpins the British way is tolerance to others, and if I’m not seeing the tolerance I want to see from other people, the best thing I can do is lead by example.

The second-best thing I can do is point you at this speech by Verna Myers on overcoming our biases. It is a profound and moving speech that is well worth seventeen minutes of your life.

 

Craft and Stationery Social Media Give Away

I’m giving away a bumper stash of stationery and craft goods to three lucky winners in this blog giveaway. I will send these prizes anywhere in the world. This is an international competition.

All you have to do to enter is follow me on Twitter and retweet this competition (be sure to tag me @Helenography if you write a new tweet so I know you’ve entered).

Alternatively, you can like my Facebook page and share the competition.

If you already follow me on Twitter and have liked my author Facebook page, you just need to retweet or share to enter.

Anyone who follows me knows I love both stationery and crafting, but because my novel-writing schedule is so tight for the foreseeable future, I’ve had to admit I’m not going to use all the lovely things I’ve been hoarding all these years.

This made me sad but I cheered up when I thought about how cool it would be to pass some of these lovely things on to my super-supportive following.

Each craft and stationery bundle will include: a notebook, stickers, craft stock paper, washi tape, ribbon, envelopes and a range of other paper and fabric embellishments. I’ve done the sums and each pack is worth roughly £15 in value.

The closing date is Wednesday 29th June. Winners will be announced on social media on Thursday 30th June.

Good luck in the competition!

You can find this and other competitions at theprizefinder.com

 

Soundcloud Broadcast 1: How do I make my writing original?

Welcome to my first ever attempt at recording my voice and streaming it over the internet.

Recently, I was asked by an aspiring author about originality. They wanted to know how they could ensure their writing stood out from the crowd. During this recording, I offer my perspective on this topic through, among other things, the clever use of a cake analogy.

If you can’t access the recording via the preview above, the direct link is here.

Links to books and films mentioned in the recording

How to Get Hitched in 10 Days by Samantha Tonge

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner by Helen Cox

Frankie and Johnny, a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Thanks to Mark Searby for the recommendation.

Three’s a Crowd at the Starlight Diner: Free Short Story

One month today, my first novel: Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner will be published by HarperCollins. To say I’m a little bit excited would be a bit like saying Michael Bay is a little bit fond of committing big explosions to celluloid.

To celebrate the fact that very, very soon people will be able to read a full-length Starlight Diner story, I’m releasing the third and final installment in the series of little prequels I’ve penned.

Set in New York in 1990, this third short story delves into the problematic love life of Starlight Diner regular Angela Harris.

You can download a PDF copy here. Or you can access it on Smashwords, Kobo, Scribd, or on Wattpad. I really hope you enjoy reading it, I certainly had a great deal of fun writing it.

Thanks to everybody who read the first two short stories and took the time to tell me how much they loved them. I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of downloads these stories have had and by the deeply positive feedback I’ve had from them. It means so much to me.

If you’ve missed the first two short stories, fear not. They’re still available for free and you can access them here.

For fun tweets about diner food, fifties music and New York City life, why not follow the Starlight Diner staff on their Twitter feed @MilkshakesNYC?

Much gratitude to Joanna Swainson, Dean Cummings, Jo Pugh, Pheobe Morgan, Helena Sheffield and Ellie Wood for their insightful feedback and editorial guidance on this story.

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner: The Soundtrack

To celebrate the release of Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner on the 4th July, I, with the help of Avon Books UK, have created a free soundtrack to accompany the novel.

As The Starlight Diner has a 1950s theme to it, there are, as you might expect, quite a few songs from that era on the list. Some of the songs selected are mentioned in the book by title, some were released in or around the year the book is set (1990) while others reflect the thoughts or feelings of the characters.

The one thing all these tracks have in common? They’re wonderful to listen to. So, whatever you’re doing today, why not have the sounds of The Starlight Diner playing in the background? And if you get up and dance once or twice, well we won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with us.

Click here to access your free soundtrack to Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner.

Read my first Q&A as a fiction author!

With my publication date of 4th July fast approaching, things are starting to heat up in the world of The Starlight Diner. Not only is the first review of my novel now available for all to read but I’ve also completed my first Q&A as a fiction writer.

You can read the full interview on Shaz’s Book Blog, in which I offer some tips for travelling round New York City on a budget, discuss the rationale behind setting my novel in 1990 and, perhaps most importantly, reveal my favourite milkshake flavours.

If you like what you read over the course of the interview, you might be pleased to discover that The Starlight Diner has a dedicated page on my blog and has its own dedicated Twitter feed.

NYC Diner Tour: The Skylight Diner, 34th Street

An extract from my travel journal, November 3rd 2015



The Skylight Diner on 34th Street has an almost identical name to the diner featured in my fiction work: The Starlight Diner. Today, I stumbled across it, quite by accident, and on seeing its blue, neon sign blazing at me, I nearly squealed.

Alright. I really squealed but it was a one time thing.

Inside, The Skylight Diner boasts an impressive amount of razzmatazz. The seats are upholstered in a black fabric with silver glitter woven into it. The floor is tiled rather than covered in tatty lino, and neon lights have been fitted to brighten the scene. Artistic, black and white photographs of various New York landmarks adorn the walls. All of the fixtures are silver – probably aluminium – and gleam in the light.

Such small, but dazzling, details are uplifting on a day like today. When outside the sky is overcast with the gauze of low cloud and a grey filter darkens the city. Is there anywhere I’d rather be than New York right now? No. But when you’re a stranger, alone in Manhattan on a dismal day, the clatter and rumble of subway trains and police helicopters can shake you that little bit harder. The relentless shove of people, time and bleating traffic can leave you disgruntled and dizzy.

I order a Diet Coke and a slice of vanilla cheesecake. The waiter, who has dark hair, bronzed skin and a warm smile, pays me a compliment about my accent that, right away, takes the edge off the homesickness I woke up with this morning.

While he’s fixing my drink, I close my eyes and remember that I’m perfectly fine with just the city for company. That my relationship with New York is one of the most significant relationships of my life and, even if she is looking a little bit ill today, I still love her.  I never asked her to be perfect; I don’t need her to be perfect, and besides: she’s only reflecting my own loneliness back at me through her tall shop windows. She’s only showing me who I am deep down, like she always has, as long as I’ve known her.

The waiter brings my food over and, whilst devouring the cheesecake, I stare at a man slouching at the counter in a blue, chequered shirt. He’s clinking his spoon so hard against the sides of his coffee cup it seems like he’s about to make a speech. Instead he just checks the waitress definitely heard him ask for white toast when he ordered his eggs. She gives him a sharp nod while serving up breakfast plates to a handful of other regulars. It may be three in the afternoon but breakfast foods are available at any time of day or night in any half-decent diner. As this place is a 24-hour joint, that means you can eat bacon and eggs at 3am if you want to.

It also means the door is always open here. A comforting thought for anyone but particularly for me, today while I wander the sunless city by myself.

This extract is part of the travel journal I kept whilst I was out in America researching my first novel: Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner. 

If you enjoyed this extract, you may also enjoy reading about The Westway Diner, 9th Avenue.

Further extracts and photographs that capture the atmosphere of diners around New York City will be posted in the coming weeks.

Snail Mail Sunday: Pocket Letters

Pocket Letters are a snail mail approach developed by Janette Lane that essentially uses collector card pockets to organise different treats for your pen pals. Above is a pocket letter I sent to penpal and fellow writer Karen who I met through the International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club.

This is what it looked like on the reverse. In each pocket, I try to put something I think my pen pal will appreciate. One or two of the pockets hold the letter itself – it’s supposed to fit in one pocket but I ramble on and ON so I sometimes have to split it into two parts and take up two pockets.

Part of the challenge is coming up with flat-ish things to put in the pockets. So far I’ve thought of: stickers, tea, small bookmarks, badges, stamps, recipes, writing prompts, maps, washi samples, shampoo samples, puzzles, colouring sheets, craft embellishments, a list of facts, ribbon and buttons. Happy to hear anymore suggestions!

If you fold it twice, a pocket letter will usually fit neatly in a DL envelope. I hand-made this one out of paper I bought from Paperchase and then decorated it with various stamps and stickers.

5 New York Minutes With Kevin Maher

One of the best things about writing a book is the people it connects you with and as my fiction is set in New York, I’ve had the opportunity to chat with a number of New York residents in the name of research.

This week, I’m sharing an interview I conducted with Emmy nominated writer and comedian Kevin Maher. His work has appeared on Comedy Central, HBO and AMC. His short films have been shown everywhere from MOMA to Troma, with screenings outside of Sundance and Cannes, and these are just a few of the impressive credits Kevin has to his name.

Currently, Kevin hosts a thematic, video variety show called Kevin Geeks Out in which audience members are invited to become ‘pop culture adventurers.’ The night involves obscure film clips, offbeat commentary, guest experts, games and curiosities. In short, it sounds awesome.

Kevin graciously took some time out of his schedule to answer a few questions I had about life in New York City.

Helen: How long have you lived in NYC and what kind of relationship do you feel you have with the city? 

Kevin: I’ve lived in New York City since August 1997. New York is like a friend/coach/teacher who can be harsh, but is just pushing you to do your best.

And how you respond to being pushed will tell you a lot about yourself.

Helen: What do you feel you know about New York that people from outside the city don’t?

Kevin: Stay out of Times Square. People used to avoid it like it was a den of sin and vice (porn theaters, sex shops, crime and drugs.) Now it’s a different kind of vice (corporate greed, chain restaurants, costumed walk-abouts.)

When people ask me “You live in New York?!” I think they imagine me raising my family on the corner of Broadway and 48th Street. That’s a tourist trap (with some office buildings.) There are plenty of neighborhoods and even some small-towns within the city.

People think New Yorkers are scary or mean. Some are, but most of us are kind on the inside. People will give you directions and help you out. Everyone here remembers what it was like to be new to the city.

Helen:  What have your experiences of raising a child in the city been like?

Kevin: I haven’t raised children anywhere else, so I have nothing to compare it to.

I live in a very family-friendly neighborhood in Brooklyn. People call it “Stroller Central” and the New York Times compared my neighborhood to Sesame Street. (In a good way.) Like any other area you encounter obnoxious parents. Maybe more-so in New York?

I like that my sons are in contact with all different kinds of people and lifestyles. And all those people are living together, one way or another. They see people finding a commonality, even if it’s just that we all live in the same city.

My kids also like pizza, bagels and bread – and they don’t realize how good they have it here.

Helen: How does living in New York contribute to or inspire your work?

Kevin: I produce live shows and I try to be inclusive with my guests and my audiences. Stay non-judgmental and open to other points of view. New York is a city of diverse people and the live shows should reflect that spectrum of attitudes, experiences and points-of-view.

I’m very fortunate that the people who come to my shows like to be challenged. I’m sure there are people all over the world who like to be challenged. (If that describes you, then come to Brooklyn and see one of my shows!)

I like that when I do a show I can make an obscure joke figuring someone will get it – and it turns out several people get it. I like that I can take risks and the audiences goes with me, they’ve followed me when I go to strange places.

Helen: What would you say was at the heart of New York City?

Kevin: This sounds like I’m running for office, but the people are great. Now you might think, how are New Yorkers any better than the people in my town?

Well, a friend of mine moved to New Jersey and said that when he goes places people look at him like he’s the weirdest guy in the room. In New York you can be different and most people won’t even blink. Even if they don’t actively celebrate or accept you, they’re not freaked out by you.

New Yorkers act like they’ve seen it all (even if they haven’t), so they’re not shocked or impressed. And when you see a celebrity in New York you play it cool and don’t acknowledge them. Some out-of-towners might characterize this general disinterest as “rude” – but it’s like being in a crowded Men’s Room and you’re standing at your urinal decidedly not looking at the guy standing next to you. That’s not rude, it’s just respecting someone’s limited privacy in a city of 8 million people.

The Kevin Geeks Out Facebook Page can be found here.

More information about Kevin and his work can be found on his website.

My first, New York-set novel: Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner will be released on the 4th of July.