Kerry Hudson's Blog, page 13

Tony hogan Blog tour winners...its you!

Well that was quite a blog tour! I had an ace time visiting a range of lovely folks who kindly welcomed me onto their blogs to launch Tony Hogan.

And then I had an ace time reading the comments of many, many lovely folks who left a comment on them. Thank you to the lot of you for making the blog tour such a success - you’re all smashing!

So I wrote out the name of each and every commenter (sometimes more than once) and each and every host

Then I picked them out of a saucepan (I’m not a hat person…)

And these were the three that fate/me picked:

1st prize

Lech Mintowt-lzyz wins a three chapter critique from Juliet Pickering at the AP Watt Literary Agency, afternoon tea at beas of Bloomsbury to discuss and a signed copy of Tony Hogan

2nd prize

Lauren Howell wins three of my favourite writing theory books, some delicious chocolate and a signed copy of Tony Hogan

3rd Prize

Aaron Simon wins a signed copy of Tony Hogan (sorry about that, though I will throw in a Wham Bar too)

If you’re a winner please just drop me an email at kerrythudson@gmail.com to claim your goodies.

If for some reason these prizes go unclaimed I’ll rollover and redraw in a weeks time…just like the National Lottery me.

Well that was a fucking exciting weekend (I wandered around...

Well that was a fucking exciting weekend (I wandered around Tesco with the Financial Times nestling in my trolley next to a multi-pack of Discos…I think they both liked it)

Observer here

Financial Times here

Guardian Review here 

We Love This Book at your nearest wonderful bookshop

All the way from notts - niki valentine on the possessed blog tour

So, I am very happy to welcome Niki Valentine on her Possessed blog tour. I met Niki in person recently when I went up to talk to her students at Nottingham University and she is properly very lovely indeed. Also, I’ve just started reading Possessed and I can already tell it’s going to be an addictive bastard that keeps me up all night. 

Anyway, here are the questions Niki very kindly answered for me: 

You’re an incredibly prolific writer – do you have a specific routine for writing and if so, will you tell us all your secrets please?

I don’t really have a routine. I write a lot but mostly because I’m a bit obsessive about writing and can’t stop. It makes me do it! But I don’t force myself to write on the (admittedly few) occasions when I’m not feeling it. If there’s a secret then I reckon it’s that you do most of the work while you’re not looking. When you’re doing and thinking about other things, hanging out the washing, watching TV. The subconscious is incredibly important to the writing process. It’s not the usual perceived wisdom but something that I find helpful is switching between projects. If I come to a sticking point on one novel, I’ll do some work on the planning of something else, or write a short story or blog post. I think this is how I avoid writer’s block.

You write both literary fiction (under the name Nicola Monaghan) and commercial fiction (under married name Valentine) does your process differ depending on the genre?

Not particularly. I did assume, starting out on the Valentine books, that it would be quite different. But it wasn’t. I’ve always been quite a planner and I’m quite tight on plot anyway. Probably for a different literary writer, it might have been more of a change. As it was, my literary books are quite thrillerish in tone anyway and when I look at the themes, they’re similar too. The further I go with the two different genres, the more they feel the same.

There’s a gun to your head (sorry about this, it can get rough round my way…) which genre do you choose to write for the rest of your days?

Put that way, and it’s the psychological thrillers/horror, so the Niki Valentine books. I think there’s something elemental about these kinds of stories. Something important. I’ve said before that I accidentally ended up as a literary writer. My original plan for The Killing Jar was quite different, actually, with a big supernatural strand to the story. I found the very first synopsis the other day and it almost surprised me going back to it because I’d forgotten this. Besides, I want to be able to pay the bills and these books tend to help a little more with that!

Like me, you’re a proud and outspoken working class writer, have  you seen any changes since you published The Killing Jar in the treatment of working class fiction? And what do you think will help increase the profile of working class narratives?

It does feel like there is quite a lot of fiction about either working class or marginalised characters, actually written by people who grew up on estates and know the world they’re describing. There are also books that I’d describe as ‘mockney’ style imitators, mostly written by middle-class men. These irritate me a bit but I guess at least they’re not the same old stuff about people drinking chardonnay in London bars. (She says, remembering how much chardonnay was put away in London bars by characters in her second novel!) I think it’s great that people are interested in reading about the lives of people other than the white middle classes. The Killing Jar won an award called the Waverton Good Read, which was scored and voted for by villagers in a very affluent part of Cheshire. This place couldn’t be further removed from the estate where I grew up but, not only were they reading about the Broxtowe Estate, they were voting for my book! I think that’s fantastic.

If you weren’t writing or lecturing what would you be doing instead (I would probably be a librarian/pastry chef so feel free to aim high…)?

I loved music growing up and taught myself to play the piano, something that fed into my ideas for Possessed, which is set in a music conservatoire at a University. I would have loved to be a pianist, or a musician of any kind really. Either that or a pilot, as I love flying. To be fair, though, I’ve already had three different careers before this one (maths teacher, finance exec, software sales/design/marketing) so I’m definitely a bit greedy about these things.

Any tips for someone like me who’s new to the noveling game and has no idea of the rules?

My main advice would be to write what you’re passionate about and what you really want to, rather than worrying too much about what the market wants, or what you think your editor or agent would like you to. And some advice that I was given by Alan Sillitoe, who I was lucky enough to meet a few times before he died. In a letter, he told me to ‘Keep on keeping on.’ The longer I do this noveling thing for, the more I realise just what great advice that was.

And finally, the question on everyone’s lips…Daddy or chips?

Ah, yes, that brings back the memories. I’m a very famous chip hoover-upperer in our household and do love them. Still, it’s definitely Daddy. My Dad’s great. He held me when I was first born and apparently he said ‘This little girl can do anything she wants.’ It completely melts me when I think about that.   

Possessed is available for download at Amazon…go, go, go!  

Ignore the typos just look at the time

So I am just nipping in to tell you I have an events page and a press and reviews page over at The Other Place. So if you’re curious about where I’ve been, where I’m going, what I’ve been babbling on about that’s the place (I’m using it to keep track myself). 

I won’t lie and say that the last two and a half weeks haven’t been knackering or a bit overwhelming for me, they have, but there have also been wonderful things that I’d never anticipated. Here are my best bits so far: 

*** There are so many people who have been so generous and kind that the list is too long to type here (and at this time of night…I have the sleeping pattern of a toddler/pensioner hybrid) but people have gotten behind Tony Hogan in an overwhelming way and I’m so heartened and grateful for that. 

*** In particular my fellow country(wo)men have tooted the Tony Hogan trumpet like I cannae believe. I was front page of The Scotsman this weekend. Front page…just me and a naked rambler who was apprehended in Fife. And then there was frankly bloody lovely Herald interview a few weeks back. Hell, I’m thinking about painting a blue streak across my face and moving back up there. 

*** Reading at stuff. I’ve done a few readings now (below is a piccie from The Book Stops Here though it has to be said Bookseller Crow had the best seats and snacks) and the people are always smashing and it turns out that BTEC in Performing Arts wasn’t wasted because I love reading to an audience even though I have to apologise for both my duff Scots accent and the liberal cunting that goes on at my readings. Those who know me will know that me enjoying reading in public is possibly a small modern miracle but amazingly I do.

*** Best of all is hearing stories of people passing Tony Hogan from person to person. One reader gave it to her Mum, who gave it to her Mum, who gave it to her sister. One mother had it commandeered by her 13 year old daughter. Someone else’s Nan is reading it now. I cannot tell you how incredibly happy that has made me. Really. 

So, that’s it to be honest, tired but happy. Come back soon and I’ll be prattling on about chips again, promise. 

So my book was published on 5th July. There was A LOT of food...

So my book was published on 5th July. There was A LOT of food involved (and a few Corona too). If you want to know more about launch day and the read-a-thon madness then I’ve told the whole story, cake related nervous breakdowns and all, over at the Vintage blog.

Five, four, three, two...

Well here I sit at 7am, wearing the sweatshirt featuring animals in hats and ties, writing a blog before I’ve even had a sip of tea. It must be launch week then.

Thankfully, I’ve absolutely no time to scale the rock-face of mounting anxiety and self-doubt because I am so busy. Except for a brief thank you lunch with a friend I haven’t eaten sitting down in about a week and half. Instead, food is shoved into my gob and I power-walk through London, thumb frantically scurrying across my phone’s screen. 

I’m not complaining though, I’m am excited and so grateful that this week my book will be published. Far more excited than I might have been had I had time to indulge in my usual I Am Scared athletics, Besides, nice exciting things are happening:

Thursday - Tony Hogan was Foyles Web Editor, Jonathan Ruppin, pick of July. Jonathan knows his book onions and I am There’s also an interview I did for Foyles up on the website.

Saturday - My interview with Rosemary Goring, Literary Editor of The Herald Scotland, was published. It was such a huge pleasure meeting her and the resulting interview (the first I did) probably speaks volumes for how much I enjoyed it and how at ease Rosemary made me. Sashaying writers own.

Sunday - My friend and I spent the day putting up posters and thrusting flyers into people’s hands advertising my Tony Hogan Read-a-thon Launch at the Stoke Newington Bookshop on Thursday 5th July from 10.30-5.30pm.  It’s free, there will be tea and cake and words. If you’re about you should definitely come.  

Monday - I get to see the final cut of my book trailer made my the hugely talented Wuese at MoshBreakBoogie Productions. She’s done an incredible job…I can’t wait to show it to you all…I also got a lovely review from Lisa at Between the Lines. Have a gander.  

Right, now I’m going to sit (sit!) and eat a bowl of porridge, think about putting a brush through my hair, changing my animal sweatshirt for something more office appropriate and heading off to the money job. Go, go, GO!

I leave you with a picture of my dream hat…just look at that. Look. 

the observer are watching

So I got my first bit of press and it is a lovely bit at that. It is true you can see up my skirt a bit in my author picture but I’ve been assured that, fittingly, I’m still leaving everything to the imagination. 

There’s also a digital version for your perusal here…

this blog isn't called chatterbox for nothing

Hello, it is two weeks until you (or anyone) can buy Tony Hogan from all good book shops….are you guys enjoying my infernal counting-down as much as I am?…Ok, moving on.

So, over the last few days I did three interviews and a photo shoot. I was nervous (oh so inevitably) about the first one. We met at the St Pancras International Hotel and I was sure I was going to be stopped from entering though I’d used the iron that morning and everything. Amazingly, they let me in. Even more amazingly I loved that first interview and then the two that followed on Monday. Actually, genuinely really enjoyed them.

I think I forgot that I wrote Tony Hogan because I had things I really wanted to say and have people listen and the interviewers had such interesting, thoughtful questions about the book and my reasons for writing it that it’s been a pleasure. I’ve been so grateful for the whole experience - not just the publicity part which is obviously grand and dandy - but for just getting to have a chat with people who’ve read the book and were curious to know a bit more. 

Except for my Dallas-eque fright-wig for the photo shoot - a symptom of an impulse blow-dry, luckily the photographer put me right at ease to the extent he couldn’t get a ‘serious’ shot out of me - it’s all been a blast so far.  

So that was the week that was. Don’t worry, I’ll be blowing up all your social media dashboards with links as soon as they’re up and in the meantime here are some Tony Hogan bookmark and postcards porn from me to you. Enjoy.

Crumpets and other best bits

Things I didn’t know before this Monday: 

You can buy crumpets with Marmite and a nice cup of tea for £3.20 in Nottingham and this is reason enough to move there as far I’m concerned
I find signing my book a strange and moderately mortifying experience - I’m guessing that gets easier
I can talk for two and a half hours on a single subject and actually really bloody enjoy it (if the subject is books and publishing) 

On Monday I went to speak to the BA Creative Writing students at Nottingham University. It was my first writing gig and it was two and a half hours long. Two and a half hour is a LONG TIME so I spent much of last week and the weekend making sure that they would be decent ones - that I wouldn’t just end up staring slack-jawed at the sea of faces. No one wants to fall on their arse during their first author talk. 

I talked to the students for the first half about the whole long and complicated journey of publishing your first book. I tried to include the crazy, interesting, secret bits you only normally find out when you’re in the thick of it and your head’s spinning. I think it was the equivalent of telling an outsider the Free Masons handshake. Much of it was about being professional, a bit scrappy, nice to interact with.    

The second half was about how you personally represent your books and yourself as a writer. Can you explain what you’re writing about succinctly and why you’re writing about that and how that relates to your own experience? We looked at what’s normally interesting to those hoping you will help promote your book, elevator pitching and then the best resources I’ve found for keeping up to date with the business side of things and for starting to build a writing community around you. 

It was a small group (England vs France - thanks for stealing my punters) but they were all so engaged, articulate, interested and interesting. All the students were writing very different sorts of books but I think they were all able to take something from the talk. I’d also been dying to meet the Course Leader Nicola Monaghan because she wrote The Killing Jar - one of the best ‘council estate’ books I’ve ever read - and she was as lovely and funny as I’d expected.  

I am so happy that Nottingham University was my first author talk because I left buzzing, looking forward to the next one and meeting more writers and readers. That’s really the best bit after all, not me blowing hot air for two-plus hours. 

Since my last post I’ve decided I’m really just going to have to dive into this; enjoy the good bits, interesting chats, lovely people and new places. The more I appreciate all of those things the smaller the Bits-That-Make-Me-Feel-Nervous seem. 

Appropriately the basement bar across from my flat has just changed it’s sign. Amen to that folks.  

Not Fucking it all up (contains swears)

It is four weeks today until my book comes out. The Waterstones website helpfully tells me it is 28 days until publication. 28 days. Holy shite.

And things are going well. People who have read the book are liking it and then passing it onto other people who might also like it. The publicity side is going great guns. I’ve been invited to speak at events. Sometimes I’ll walk into a bookshop and make a little finger-wide slot where my book might sit with the other H’s and genuinely, I am dizzy with gratitude. For that reason I am also terrified of Fucking It All Up. What I am saying is that I am nervous. Can you tell? I really don’t want to Fuck It All Up. Will you all help me not Fuck It All Up please?

The funny thing is, I really think the book can fight it’s own battles, it’s tough old thing or at least it hides its soft parts well, it’s me that’s the rogue element in all this. I spill things. I say the wrong thing (especially when saying the right thing is important). I trip over. A lot. If I have something important to go to I will definitely get caught in the rain on the way and arrive looking like I should be a resident of Fraggle Rock. I am stunned when anyone says anything nice about Tony Hogan and so just say ‘thank you, thank you, very kind of you, thank you’ repetitively like I’m Rainman. I still find it hard to introduce myself as a writer even when I’m at an event where people have my book in their goodie bags.

Maybe this all makes more sense if I say that I grew up in environments where the highest aspirations you were allowed to aim for was to become a Supervisor at your local Freezer Shop then convince the bank to give you a new car loan so you could buy yourself some big boobs for your holiday in Ibiza. Now I have a stack of my books on my windowsill but that girl from the council estate is here too (not that she ever wanted fake boobs by the way) and she is bewildered by all of this. Kids from my background were told growing up that we had nothing to say worth listening to, nothing to give to society worth having. I didn’t listen to that then, which is why I’m here now, but it doesn’t make my reversal in fortune any less strange to me. It’s hard to explain really. Can we add inarticulate to the list above?  

So, in the next 28 days I’ll work hard and be kind. I’ll run a lot, drink Guinness, look at the sky, eat Twisters and toast and pet bulldogs in the street. I’ll remember that even if I do Fuck It All Up I’ve been doing that my whole life and then laughing it off and getting on with it. And I’ll probably just keep on doing that.