Jacqueline Ward's Blog, page 7

Perfect Ten Christmas Giveaway!

I’ve got ONE SIGNED COPY ONLY of the trade paperback of Perfect Ten left to giveaway. When the mass market paperback is released with a different cover this will become a ‘limited edition’!

The Daily Mail describes Perfect ten as ‘Wildly entertaining’.

Would YOU like to win this final SIGNED copy of the trade paperback? Here’s how you can enter:

Comment on this post orLike my Facebook page and share the post – comment ‘shared’ and tag two friends who would love this giveaway in the comment sectionYou can enter the giveaway through Twitter @jacquiannc And Instagram too! @jacquiannc_ 

Winners will be chosen at random and contacted on 21st December 2018. (UK only, please).

If you can’t wait you can buy the kindle version here for £1.99   

#PERFECTTEN – WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Caroline Atkinson is powerless and angry. She has lost more than most – her marriage, her reputation, even her children. Then one day, she receives an unusual delivery: lost luggage belonging to the very man who is responsible, her estranged husband Jack.

In a leather holdall, Caroline unearths a dark secret, one that finally confirms her worst suspicions. Jack has kept a detailed diary of all his affairs; every name, every meeting, every lie is recorded. He even marks the women out of ten.

Caroline decides it’s time to even the score. She will make this man pay, even if it means risking everything…

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Pay It Forward: Best Ten Top Writing Tips I Learned in 2018

 

I love writing but it can be very isolating. So in 2018 I have been out and about at writing festivals, book launches and writers groups. It has been an education. Chats with authors, agents and publishers have been illuminating and there is still so very much left for me to learn. I have compiled the best ten top writing tips that have been passed on to me in 2018:

 

Read you work out loud. When you have finished your short story or novel, read it out loud to yourself. It picks up any missing words, irregularities in sentences and, best of all, sense. It is time consuming but so worth it. If you can’t read it out loud, listen to it. You can listen to and uploaded Word document by enabling text to voice, or upload a word document to your Kindle. Choose the least robotic accent!
Submit short stories to anthologies. Not the expensive paid anthologies, the charity anthologies and those organised for a cause or by a writing groups. More than one agent told me that they scout them for talent.
Find a plotting chart that allows you to move your story on as well as detailing characters, worlds and timelines in multiple strands. Add a column at the end that shows how the scene/chapter progresses the story.
Listen to other writers. How they work, how thy got started. On fabulous link passed to me is BestsellerExperiment Podcasts  Lots of bestselling authors sharing their tips. Joanne Harris on Twitter has some fabulous writing tip lists @Joannechocolat. You absolutely cannot beat experience.
One gem that was passed on at a writing group was Psychic Distance. I was already aware of it through Emma Darwin’s excellent writing website This Itch of Writing and it is invaluable.  Emma’s website is crammed with writing advice explained in the clearest ways. Well worth a look.
Use an online proofreader. Nothing can ever take the place of the human eye on a document, but before you sent your novel to your editor run it through something like Ginger Proofreader or ProWritingAid  I was very impressed by both.
Read, read, read. It’s difficult to put time into reading when you are focused on writing. But it is essential. Keeping up to date with writers and their books is a way to keep up with trends and the ever important zeitgeist It also gives writers head space to percolate ideas and to pull their own story together. My best ideas come when I am not thinking about my own writing.
Join ALCS (Authors Licencing Collection Service) and PLR (Public Lending Right)  Register your work. Academic, fiction, non-fiction, even photographs – authors receive payments in lieu of university and library lending.
Join the Society of Authors. A writing friend recommended this. she told me about all the benefits including reduced membership of ALCS. I joined and the Society keeps me fully up to date with everything writing.
Last but not least – write! It sounds so obvious, but there are so many other things positioned around writing. Groups, forums and festivals are fabulous places to meet other writers but make sure you write every day. I train myself to do this each November with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). You may be more disciplined, but I find other writers so interesting that I become distracted from my writing if I don’t focus on writing every day.

That’s it! This is what I have learned in 2018. It’s been a fabulous writing year for me, with my debut psychological thriller Perfect Ten becoming a bestseller. These tips have worked for me while I write my next book; I hope they are useful to you too!

 

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Bestseller Random Acts of Unkindness is on sale at $0.99…

American friends, DS Jan Pearce Bestseller Random Acts Of Unkindness is $0.99 from 11/12 t0 11/19.

DS Jan Pearce has a big problem. Her fifteen year old son, Aiden, is missing. Jan draws together the threads of missing person cases spanning fifty years and finds tragic connections and unsolved questions.

Bessy Swain, an elderly woman that Jan finds dead on her search for Aiden, and whose own son, Thomas, was also missing, may have the answers.

Jan uses Bessy’s information and her own skills and instinct to track down the missing boys. But is it too late for Aiden?

Set in the North West of England, with the notorious Saddleworth Moor as a backdrop, Random Acts of Unkindness is a story about motherhood, love and loss and how families of missing people suffer the consequences of major crimes involving their loved ones.

Random Acts of Unkindness is the second in the DS Jan Pearce series of novels. Find my other books here 

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NaNoWriMo comes to Oldham! Join us in November…

In conjunction with Oldham Libraries I’m bringing NaNoWriMo to Oldham. If you want to write your novel with us during Worldwide National Novel Writing Month in November sign up as follows:

– If you’re not already a member, sign up here https://nanowrimo.org

– Make your ‘Home region’ Europe: England: Elsewhere

– Find the forum thread ‘Welcome to Oldham’ and introduce yourself there

There are also write-ins on Thursday evenings – the first one is 25th October and is a Start-Up where you can com e along and ask us anything about NaNoWriMo and writing. It’s free, but places are limited so get your ticket here

What will happen?

Whether you are joining us online or in person you will write every day and upload your wordcount to the site.

The forum is available for chat and we will also interact on Twitter and Instagram with the #NaNoWriMoOldham hashtag

During November 2018 we will attempt to write 50000 words. That sounds a lot doesn’t it? But if you divide it out it’s 1667 words per day. Still sound a lot? DON’T WORRY! You can write as much or as little as you like, the important thing is to get into a ‘writing habit’.

There will be fun activities like word prompts and word races and ‘plotter or pantster’ discussions. You’ll meet other writers, me for a start, virtually or in person and have the opportunity to see just how many people love writing from every corner of the world.

I haven’t written anything before.

This can be where you start. This can be the beginning of your beautiful relationship with writing, where you will discover your talent and your commitment and dedication and persistence. This could be where you find your voice and are able to express yourself in a way your could not before. Give it a go. If it isn’t, you haven’t lost anything.

What if I miss a day?

It doesn’t matter! You can either catch up or not. It’s up to you and it’s just for fun. If you are up for the challenge you could even have a higher target, or a lower one.

Can my novel be about anything?

Yes. It can be any genre, any subject.

Will I have to read it out loud?

If you come to the write-ins there may be an opportunity to read a small extract of your novel, but only if you want to. Many people are not ready to share their work, and we fully respect that.

We want this experience to be fun. There is no pressure to complete 50k words, any target is fine. It’s a great opportunity to network with other writers and to chat about writing. Any level of writing experience is welcome and if you don’t want to attend in person please consider signing up to our region and contributing words – if we get enough participants in 2o18, Oldham will have its own official region in 2019.

See you there!

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Exciting week and exciting news…

It’s been a very exciting week for me and Perfect Ten. The official launch date was earlier in September, but the launch party was on the 21st September at Chapter One Books in Manchester. On Friday, it was reviewed in the Daily Mail! Perfect Ten has gone national!

In the fantastic review in their books section it was described as a ‘This compelling debut from a psychologist is about revenge in the age of social media’ and ‘wildly exciting’. The Daily Mail loved it!

The launch of Perfect Ten also exceeded my expectations. Chapter One Bookshop in Manchester is a lovely setting for writing but it has been my dream to hold a book launch there and it was finally fulfilled. My fabulous agent, Judith Murray, and Kirsty Doole from Atlantic Books came along as well and dozens of my friends and family. It was a truly fabulous evening and I will remember it forever.

We also raised money for Women’s Aid during the day with an online link to donate and also a collection on the evening. I am grateful to everyone who attended and those who couldn’t be there but donated online.

Before Perfect Ten was released I was a little nervous about whether people would ‘get it’ in terms of psychological abuse and domestic violence. I wrote it from the heart and tried to show that while many lives look perfect, with great jobs, lovely kids, nice houses and cars, underneath there is a constant nightmare of abuse.

The reviews and personal feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly understanding. People do get it and several people have mentioned that they recognised themselves in Caroline in past relationships and only now realised that they were being controlled. So once again, here is the National Domestic Violence Helpline – please get help and support if this is you or you recognise this in someone’s relationship 0808 2000 247.

My exciting news, apart from the above, is that my next book is finished! I can’t reveal the title yet but there is a tentative publication date of late 2019 and I cannot wait for you to meet the characters. Meanwhile, I am busy writing book three.

It’s been an exciting time, and I want to thank everyone who has read Perfect Ten – if that is you please take a moment to review it – I am genuinely interested in what you think about Caroline and her behaviour – good or bad!

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Visiting Forever Manchester

A couple of weeks ago my daughter rang me at work and asked me if I  would like to do a podcast for Forever Manchester. She is an ambassador for them and has contributed a podcast herself, and she thought it might be fun.

I thought I would find out a bit more about Forever Manchester:

Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester. We help local people do extraordinary things together. We fund and support a huge range of activities that help young people, older people and disabled people, as well as homelessness, sports, environmental, education, and cancer support projects, plus everything in between. We work with our local communities to inspire and encourage projects that they want to see, to make their neighbourhoods happier, healthier and safer places to be. This is Charity… The Mancunian Way.

Manchester

As you may know if you are a regular reader of my blog or even my novels, I love Manchester. So I accepted the challenge. In the usual haphazard, chaotic manner of someone who is trying to do several jobs at once, I prepared only at the last minute; in fact, on the bus on the way there.

So what happens when you records a podcast? I was met by Terry Snowden MBE who made me a brew (full Manc marks for that!) and explained that it would just be a chat.

We went into the studio and he showed me the recording equipment. Terry had gathered some information about me, and when he switched on the microphone we just chatted about all kinds of things like my weird CV, my love of the Arndale Centre and writing.

Thirty minutes later it was all done. Here’s the result! Scroll down to see the podcast.

If you enjoyed the podcast and the others on the site (I am COMPLETELY STARSTRUCK by them…) then please consider donating to Forever Manchester.

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Perfect Ten is Published!

I am very pleased to announce that Perfect Ten has now been published in paperback and ebook.

I would like to thank my agent Judith Murray and everyone at Greene and Heaton for their support. Also my editor Sara O’Keefe and Susannah Hamilton, Kirsty Doole and Jamie Forrest and everyone at Corvus Atlantic Books for their dedication and commitment  to Perfect Ten and for believing in me. You have all made this journey so much fun!

Massive thanks to readers and reviewers. I have recently taken part in The PigeonHole, which all readers should check out, and Random Things Blog Tour, organised by the wonderful Anne Cater. It has been an absolute joy to read alongside people who then comment, such an insight into what readers see and think – thank you!

The reviews are rolling in and a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed Perfect Ten. I always intended the reaction to the book to be varied, and am pleased that this has, for some people, opened a discussion.

Please grab a copy, please leave a review and please let me know what you think about the subtext – I am interested in ALL comments – tweet me @jacquiannc or message me Instagram jacquiannc_, or on my Facebook page.

I know that most of the people who reviewed Perfect Ten understood the context of psychological abuse and domestic violence. Women’s Aid have kindly allowed me to use their logo in association with the Perfect Ten book launch and I want to share the Domestic Violence National Helpline – please pass on to anyone you recognise is suffering.

 

The 24hr freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge) is available on 0808 2000 247 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

 

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Perfect Ten: What is ‘gaslighting’?

Perfect Ten has been read in an online book club this last week and one of the question that has been asked most is: what is gaslighting?

Perfect Ten

This also raises the question of what Perfect Ten is really about. On the surface it’s about a woman’s quest for revenge on her ex-husband for his infidelity. But deeply embedded Caroline’s story is something much more sinister. To highlight this gaslighting and it’s meaning, I am supporting Women’s Aid at the launch of Perfect Ten – if you think it is happening to you contact them or the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline 0808 2000 247

Many of the elements of domestic abuse are very difficult to identify, even for the person on the receiving end. This is because they are often psychological and can be disguised as ‘for their own good’. Things like controlling someone’s behaviour and dress, restricting finance and movement, are often framed as being ‘part of a couple’.

When this controlling behaviour by the perpetrator is called out, and it often is initially because women are strong and resilient rather than passive, this is when ‘gaslighting’ begins. The perpetrator will socially isolate their prey and make the believe that they are mistaken by telling them that they are ‘mad’, ‘insane’, ‘imagining it’, ‘need medication’, and with no one to ask for reassurance, they start to believe it.

This psychological cruelty is extremely damaging. It lowers self-esteem, can induce feelings of paranoia and is very difficult to prove in court. Eventually, the person who experiences this psychological abuse questions reality as they see it.

The term “gaslighting” comes from a 1938 play. Playwright Patrick Hamilton created “Gas Light,” a mystery/thriller that premiered in London and played there for six months followed by a 1944 film adaptation. In the story, a husband convinces his wife she has gone mad by making her think that she stealing and hearing noises. He fixes the gas burners in the house to dim and light automatically, but convinces her that it’s ‘all in her head’ as no one could be doing it.

Perfect Ten

In the film, the wife escapes, but in real life survival of this situation is much more difficult. Because it is a very complex situation, those experiencing gaslighting are often not believed. This is typified in the #metoo era, where, despite clear evidence of abuse, perpetrators blame the victim, and the victim is not believed. It is also at the root of ‘Fake News’ and the facts are bent and reality changed until the world starts to believe a made-up version of life.

In Perfect Ten, Jack has told Caroline lies in order to cover up his affairs. It has destroyed her, driving her to binge drinking and drunken shopping. Her life is in ruins until she realises that she was right. She was lied to and she can prove it.

The journey back from this is a difficult one and, from the comments in the book club, sometimes difficult to believe. Readers have found it hard to accept Caroline’s behaviour, yet have found Jack’s much more ‘normal’; this leads me to conclude that gaslighting is much more widespread and even cultural and a woman fighting back against it faces  even more doubt.

But readers do get it. Many readers have told me that it’s a difficult read because they have experienced it and Caroline’s journey mirrored theirs. They get it.

One recent review has commented that ‘I think the author wants us to think about that the next time we pass judgement too quickly or decide sitting on the bench is better than supporting someone in genuine need of a helping hand.’ I do. I wanted to write and entertaining book, but I also wanted to raise awareness of this terrible problem, and to highlight that ‘gaslighting’ is real and happening around us.

If you know someone who is suffering, tell them that you believe them and tell them that there is help out there. That they are not mad and they are understood. Give them resources to get out. Most important, don’t give up on them and leave them alone, because isolation is a weapon in a gaslighter’s toolkit of abuse.

24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline 0808 2000 247

Women’s Aid 

 

 

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‘Bunny-boiler’? – NOW seems a good time to write about Perfect Ten and domestic abuse…

With reviews coming in thick and fast for Perfect Ten, I wanted to dig a little deeper into Caroline’s character and her choices.

Right from the outset, from my submission to agents and then editors, there were worries over Caroline’s choices about getting revenge on her philandering husband Jack. Would she be sympathetic enough? I intentionally wrote Caroline as an educated woman with a good job because I am tired of the endless passive women in commercial fiction involving domestic abuse stereotype, helpless and waiting to be saved. I wanted to write about a flawed woman who saves herself against all the odds.

There is nothing passive about psychological abuse. It has devastating consequences that skews the world of these affected and affects even their everyday behaviour.  Some early reviewers have noted that Caroline appears ‘mad’ in the first part of the book and wonder of Jack is right about her. Which means that although we do not see Jack, his work is done. Caroline is so damaged by Jack’s abusive behaviour that she loses all self esteem and retreats within herself.

When you are a victim of psychological abuse, at first you doubt yourself. How can this person I love and claims to love me be so cruel? You are living a surface life outside, at work, shopping, picking the kids up, but underneath it is a different story. Inside, you are full of fear, wondering what is happening in your relationship, and what would happen next.

You try to please them.

You start to ignore your suspicions because they make fun of them, suggest medication, therapy. You are imagining it. They express concerns over your mental health, wondering if you are ‘good enough’ or ‘well enough’ to do day to day tasks, then constantly criticise. They are always right, because if you think they are wrong, they punish you – no money, no freedom to talk to others, no sex, too much sex, restricting movement.

Violence – physical and/or psychological

Sometimes obvious, sometimes so subtle that you even doubt that, but enough to make you scared of what might happen next. They insinuate that your behaviour is ‘bad’ – you eat too much, you look at other men, you smell, you laugh too loud. You are ugly, really. Old. Fat. Stupid. Then they isolate, because what if someone spots what they are doing? They tell you everyone else is a liar and that no one cares. As you lose sight of the outside world and focus on the person who is hurting you because the are operating a Pavolv’s dog type reward system, you stop believing even yourself. Your strength ebbs and 100% of your time is spent in fear, trying to avoid the punishment by ‘being good’.

You change

Your decision making process is influenced by the abuse you have been or are suffering – you are mentally unstable. It isn’t just a ‘pull yourself together’ unstable, it’s the consequences of trauma and abuse. You pull up the last bit of strength you have and try to tell people what is happening to you  everyday in your own home, but it is too late. You abuser has whispered your madness, and they are ready for poor, needy, insane, ‘bunny-boiler’ you. They turn away, because you are wrong, bad, you are desperate and they don’t want to get involved.

You are invisible.

What you do next is a direct consequence of what this abuse has done to you, not madness or badness. It is a last ditch attempt to save your ‘self’ as you feel yourself slipping into – nothing.

Bunny-boiler?

Those words entered the dictionary because of the 1997 film Fatal Attraction, where Alex Forrest boils the pet rabbit of the man she is pursuing. Glen Close, who plays Alex Forrest in the film, says this about her:

“I took the script to several different psychologists and said, ‘Please tell me if this behaviour is possible?’ ” says Close.  And the answer? “Oh, yeah.”

Close’s theory on Alex’s backstory: She was a victim of incest in childhood, prompting her mental instability.

“And it was that exploration that made me really love Alex and allowed me to have great empathy with her,” says Close. “I have never thought of her as one of the great evil characters in the 20th century.”

#TeamCaro or #TeamJack?

I would contend that the demonising of women who take revenge or act out of character after psychological abuse is part of the cycle of abuse and control but on a larger scale – one that many people are caught up in. Not only is Jack telling Caroline she is mad, but he is telling their friends as well. And when she breaks down because of his abuse, they nod and sigh and agree with Jack, because he is right, isn’t he? She IS mad. She IS incapable.

The dramatic value of revenge in the entertainment industry, along with the objectification of women, has perpetuated this cycle to such an extent that it has become cultural. It has normalised women’s behaviour as sweet and patient and passive so someone like Caroline or Alex Forrest is ‘other’ – abnormal and therefore worthy of even more critique, while the abusive men in their lives are accepted as the boys-will-be-boys ‘norm’. For example, some readers are outraged that Caroline sleeps with married men after her divorce, but do not mention Jack sleeping with married women during their marriage and keeping a journal and photographs.

Psychological abuse as subtext

In Perfect Ten, the issue of psychological abuse is the subtext behind the rollercoater ride of revenge that Caroline embarks on. I wanted to write outside that cultural appropriation of the ‘mad woman’ or the ‘bunny-boiler’ and dig deeper into why those choices are made. I am not defending them, or endorsing that behaviour, rather, asking readers to glimpse the reason why. Enough people in publishing – my wonderful agent and editors – saw this and understood.

It remains to be seen how many readers will see the subtext, or if they will perceive Caroline exactly as Jack wants them to.

I will be engaging with readers in the coming months to find out more about what they think about these issues, and after publication readers will be able to have their say – watch social media for clues. Leave your reviews on the deeper issues of Perfect Ten – I am interested in ALL reviews.

 

 

 

The post ‘Bunny-boiler’? – NOW seems a good time to write about Perfect Ten and domestic abuse… appeared first on Jacqueline Ward.

‘Bunny-boiler’? – NOW seems a good time to write about Perfect Ten and psychological abuse…

With two weeks until the trade paperback release of Perfect Ten, I wanted to dig a little deeper into Caroline’s character and her choices.

Right from the outset, from my submission to agents and then editors, there were worries over Caroline’s choices about getting revenge on her philandering husband Jack. Would she be sympathetic enough? I intentionally wrote Caroline as an educated woman with a good job because I am tired of the endless passive women in commercial fiction involving domestic abuse stereotype, helpless and waiting to be saved. I wanted to write about a flawed woman who saves herself against all the odds.

There is nothing passive about psychological abuse. It has devastating consequences that skews the world of these affected and affects even their everyday behaviour.  Some early reviewers have noted that Caroline appears ‘mad’ in the first part of the book and wonder of Jack is right about her. Which means that although we do not see Jack, his work is done. Caroline is so damaged by Jack’s abusive behaviour that she loses all self esteem and retreats within herself.

When you are a victim of psychological abuse, at first you doubt yourself. How can this person I love and claims to love me be so cruel? You are living a surface life outside, at work, shopping, picking the kids up, but underneath it is a different story. Inside, you are full of fear, wondering what is happening in your relationship, and what would happen next.

You try to please them.

You start to ignore your suspicions because they make fun of them, suggest medication, therapy. You are imagining it. They express concerns over your mental health, wondering if you are ‘good enough’ or ‘well enough’ to do day to day tasks, then constantly criticise. They are always right, because if you think they are wrong, they punish you – no money, no freedom to talk to others, no sex, too much sex, restricting movement.

Violence – physical and/or psychological

Sometimes obvious, sometimes so subtle that you even doubt that, but ennough to make you scared of what might happen next. They insinuate that your behaviour is ‘bad’ – you eat too much, you look at other men, you smell, you laugh too loud. You are ugly, really. Old. Fat. Stupid. Then they isolate, because what if someone spots what they are doing? They tell you everyone else is a liar and that no one cares. As you lose sight of the outside world and focus on the person who is hurting you because the are operating a Pavolv’s dog type reward system, you stop believing even yourself. Your strength ebbs and 100% of your time is spent in fear, trying to avoid the punishment by ‘being good’.

You change

Your decision making process is influenced by the abuse you have been or are suffering – you are mentally unstable. It isn’t just a ‘pull yourself together’ unstable, it’s the consequences of trauma and abuse. You pull up the last bit of strength you have and try to tell people what is happening to you  everyday in your own home, but it is too late. You abuser has whispered your madness, and they are ready for poor, needy, insane, ‘bunny-boiler’ you. They turn away, because you are wrong, bad, you are desperate and they don’t want to get involved.

You are invisible.

What you do next is a direct consequence of what this abuse has done to you, not madness or badness. It is a last ditch attempt to save your ‘self’ as you feel yourself slipping into – nothing.

Bunny-boiler?

Those words entered the dictionary because of the 1997 film Fatal Attraction, where Alex Forrest boils the pet rabbit of the man she is pursuing. Glen Close, who plays Alex Forrest in the film, says this about her:

“I took the script to several different psychologists and said, ‘Please tell me if this behaviour is possible?’ ” says Close.  And the answer? “Oh, yeah.”

Close’s theory on Alex’s backstory: She was a victim of incest in childhood, prompting her mental instability.

“And it was that exploration that made me really love Alex and allowed me to have great empathy with her,” says Close. “I have never thought of her as one of the great evil characters in the 20th century.”

#TeamCaro or #TeamJack?

I would contend that the demonising of women who take revenge or act out of character after psychological abuse is part of the cycle of abuse and control but on a larger scale – one that many people are caught up in. Not only is Jack telling Caroline she is mad, but he is telling their friends as well. And when she breaks down because of his abuse, they nod and sigh and agree with Jack, because he is right, isn’t he? She IS mad. She IS incapable.

The dramatic value of revenge in the entertainment industry, along with the objectification of women, has perpetuated this cycle to such an extent that it has become cultural. It has normalised women’s behaviour as sweet and patient and passive so someone like Caroline or Alex Forrest is ‘other’ – abnormal and therefore worthy of even more critique, while the abusive men in their lives are accepted as the boys-will-be-boys ‘norm’. For example, some readers are outraged that Caroline sleeps with married men after her divorce, but do not mention Jack sleeping with married women during their marriage and keeping a journal and photographs.

Psychological abuse as subtext

In Perfect Ten, the issue of psychological abuse is the subtext behind the rollercoater ride of revenge that Caroline embarks on. I wanted to write outside that cultural appropriation of the ‘mad woman’ or the ‘bunny-boiler’ and dig deeper into why those choices are made. I am not defending them, or endorsing that behaviour, rather, asking readers to glimpse the reason why. Enough people in publishing – my wonderful agent and editors – saw this and understood.

It remains to be seen how many readers will see the subtext, or if they will perceive Caroline exactly as Jack wants them to.

I will be engaging with readers in the coming months to find out more about what they think about these issues, and after publication readers will be able to have their say watch social media for clues. In the meantime, sign up for Perfect Ten on The Pigeonhole – I’ll be reading along and you can comment there.

 

 

 

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