Joan Ellis's Blog, page 5
January 26, 2015
Discover why I dedicated my thriller to a killer at The Purbeck Literary Festival.
I can’t wait for Crime at the Castle at Durlston, Saturday, February 28 at 6pm. It’s dinner with crime and screen writer, Lee Compton, and yours truly.
If you love nothing better than losing yourself in the pages of a messy murder why not come along, have a few drinks and nibbles in a stunning location overlooking the sea and hear how a killer turned me into a thriller writer.
Here’s the link, if you’d like to book tickets:
http://www.purbeckliteraryfestival.in...
Would be wonderful to see you there.
love joanie x
January 18, 2015
I am Ella. Buy me is ‘one of the most entertaining books ever’ says Goodreads reviewer
‘SUPER, SUPER FUNNY’ Srikari Downey Jr, Goodreads reviewer
I can’t believe it took me this long to get to this book! It was one of the most entertaining books ever!
This book, set in the 80s(my favourite!) is about a confused yet (I feel) confident ella. She is a copywriter in CBA, under Peter ( read: the sexist and STD filled Peter!). Let’s face it, being a copywriter as a woman is hard till this day and imagine in the male dominated worls of the 80s? Ella was kickass! Her ideas were turned down, stolen and laughed upon. She is also threatened to be fired by Peter, unless… drumroll… she agrees with their little arrangement, yeah u guessed right, it involves the Std filled bed of Peter’s. Ella needs this job bad, she needs money for paying the mortgage and supporting her mother (she is very novel I tell you!) but she wants to stay as far away as possible from Peter’s ‘very’ cozy bed! so does she or doesn’t she? Yeah right, like I will tell you that!
This book had an amazing protagonist, she is someone I had come to respect through the book. She was witty, snarky and super super funny! I laughed like never before throughout the book! Ella was an iron-hearted woman, she didn’t let the male dominated world get to her! I love it when a woman is portrayed this strong, it’s not just entertaining but inspirational! She reminded me of Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada!
The writing in this book was just perfect! It made u laugh when it was required, sad when it got kinda darkand thoughtful when she faced dilemmas! It was so realistically portrayed and I love that about this book! I also heard that Ms Ellis added her real life experiences in the advertising world and boy did that just make the books whole lot better!
Well the negatives I found in this book were PETER! I EFFING HATE that son of a bitch… urghhh… but it’s supposed to be that way I guess.
I kinda lost interest in the plot in the middle so that’s why I cut 1.5 stars! but al said I still couldn’t put the book down! It took me just days to finish! It’s a must buy for people who are sick of the same old cliched stories! It was very entertaining and I would sincerely like to thank Ms Ellis for providing me with this book!
Rating: 3.5 stars
January 6, 2015
December 12, 2014
Talking murder with Alex Dyke, BBC Radio Solent
Earlier today, I found myself in a small cupboard doubling as BBC Radio Solent’s studio in Newport on the Isle of Wight awaiting my interview with presenter Alex Dyke. The studio was unmanned so it was just me, some whizzy-looking equipment and a set of instructions stuck on the wall. I followed them to the letter and flicked the big red switch, then waited for the system to burst into life. Nothing. I turned the switch off and on again rapidly in the hope of stunning it into action. Still nothing. Keeping as calm as a luddite can confronted by technology not doing what it’s supposed to do, I telephoned the BBC engineer who explained the electrics had tripped and to seek help. I checked the time. 10.05am. With my interview due to start in five minutes, I ran out of the cupboard and bumped straight into a very nice man.
‘That’s the wrong switch,’ he told me,indicating the big red one. ‘This is the one you want.’ He bent down and flicked on the socket on the other wall. The lights lit up, as red as my face. The nice man left and I relaxed into the large black leather seat. Confident we were good to go, I phoned through to the Southampton studio.
‘Alex will call you back in five. Sit tight,’ the producer instructed.
Sitting tight was the only way to sit in such a confined space. I was getting hot and took off my coat. Then, I felt a bit chilly and put it on again. I read and reread the instructions on the wall, twiddling various knobs and watching the lights go from green to red. I peered at the phone, willing it to ring. Silence.
Suddenly, I heard a voice. A teeny, tiny voice. ‘Joan! Joan! Joan!’ It was like having one of the Borrowers in there with me. I put my ear to the desk, then scrabbled about on the floor, double-checking underneath the chair. The voice, still as faint, was becoming more urgent. ‘Joan! Can you hear me?’
I grabbed the phone. ‘Hello?’ I yelled into the receiver. ‘I can’t hear you.’
‘Well, I can hear you,’ said the baby voice. ‘Try adjusting the buttons.’
I twiddled. No difference. ‘That’s better,’ I said, hoping to fool the owner of the tiny voice into thinking I was not a complete idiot.
‘Alex will call you in ten. We’ve got a big news item before you,’ the weeny voice said before hanging up.
I was just delighted she hadn’t sussed me as a complete fool and cut me off. Panicking about doing an interview without hearing a word Alex said, I wondered how I could tune my ears to dog frequency.
It was then I noticed the headphones, great big things, next to the great big mic. I put them on. Hurray! I could hear Alex’s show, loud and clear. I discovered the latest thinking about antibiotics, found out all there was to know about the state of the south coast traffic and got the gen on the approaching weather bomb. It was quite relaxing, like listening to the radio at home but without the cat and nice cup of tea. So imagine my surprise when Alex actually spoke to me!
‘Hello, Joan.’
‘Hello, Alex,’ I said sitting bolt upright and almost swallowing the mic in my eagerness.
We had a lovely chat about two of my books. Alex was interested in ‘I am Ella. Buy me,’ and we reminisced about sexy Soho in the 80s Adland. But when I told him about my chance meeting with a self-confessed murderer on a train which was the inspiration for ‘The Killing of Mummy’s Boy’, it was his turn to sit up and take notice.
Have a listen to what happened next: Click on the link. BBC Radio Solent. Search for Alex Dyke, 11 December show. Slide the timer to 0.23.
December 8, 2014
December 2, 2014
On air, on Vectis Radio
Spent a very enjoyable hour at Vectis Radio chatting to Ian AKA ‘Macca’ about The Killing of Mummy’s Boy. He was intigued by how a chance meeting with a killer on a train proved the inspiration for my first psychological thriller. When I write, I like to get under the skin of my characters. For this book, I had to think like a killer. Ian asked if my husband was in fear of his life and ‘slept with one eye open’.
Here’s what I told him. Enjoy!
December 1, 2014
7 things I should never have done with celebrities
Oh look what happened when I proposed to Julian Clary! http://connect.chicklitclub.com/wp/20... …
November 24, 2014
How a killer turned me into a thriller writer.
One minute, I was happily penning funny, flip chick lit, the next my pen was dripping blood! Read what happened when I tried my hand at murder!
October 25, 2014
Dreaming With Open Eyes Author Interview
Hello Joan and welcome to Dreaming With Open Eyes. First of all, tell us a bit about yourself
I spent years penning letters from dogs. As an award-winning copywriter, you have to be adaptable! With a full-time job in a London advertising agency and a new baby, I did what any right-minded woman would’ve done and set up a comedy club. I even appeared on the same bill as Jo Brand. Once. As a university lecturer, I taught comedian Noel Fielding all he knows about advertising. I also tutored Wordsworth’s great-grandson in the art: Buy a host of golden daffodils. Get a yellow one, free! I also wrote a column in a fashionable glossie about my young daughter. She is eighteen now and has never read a word of them. A Londoner, I now live beside the sea-side and eat mainly cream teas.
What can you tell us about I am Ella. Buy Me that will pique the reader’s interest?
‘I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse.’
The opening lines set the tone for a funny, fast-paced novel set against a backdrop of 80s London where money trumps morals and lust is a must. As a girl in man’s world, Ella battles her lothario boss, Peter on her way to the top. Faced with losing her job or sleeping with him, she turns to her friend, Adam. Can love help her go from a girl in the firing line to a woman calling the shots? Ella doesn’t always make the right choices – she’s as real as you or me. She’s Bridget Jones meets Peggy from Mad Men; it’s chic lit with extras.
Do you have a favorite quote or passage you would be happy to share with us?
Yes, love to. Meet Ella and her sleazy boss, Peter.
‘Time for a drinkie-poo,’ Peter says, pulling on his fashionably over-sized, over-priced overcoat.
The silk lining is hot pink to match his cashmere scarf. One of the art-directors tried to strangle him with it earlier this week. Now I know why. I can’t think of anything I’d less like to do than have a drinkie-poo with this piece of doggie-do but we’re in a recession, best not to argue.
‘Okay, Peter, let’s have a quick one,’ I sigh.
I see his salacious expression, realise what I’ve said and want to fall on the nib of my Mont Blanc. But that would be a pointless waste of a very good pen.
We head for Kettner’s Champagne Bar. The cafes and bars on Old Compton Street are filling up with suits flexing the company plastic. Peter pauses to look in the window of one of the many sex shops. There’s not much on display, just a few risqué videos. The hard-core stuff is inside, under-the-counter. When we arrive at the bar, it’s standing room only. I order a Kir Royale as compensation for having to spend a minute more than I am contractually obliged to with Peter Richards. The heady mix of champagne and Cassis slips down easily and my glass soon empties. I watch Peter’s reflection in the enormous gilt-framed mirror as he nods at the barman to pour me another. To my horror, he leans his head on my shoulder and whispers something urgently in my ear as his hand rides up my thigh, slipping underneath my skirt.
‘I’ve never had you, have I?’ he asks with an unflattering level of uncertainty.
‘No and you never will,’ I say, draining my glass and leaving.
What inspired you to write this novel?
The book is based on my experiences in Soho’s mad, bad Adland in the 80s, a bizarre place, like real life on e-numbers. I wanted to write about a woman in a man’s world, swimming against a tide of testosterone. Ella has to act tough at work to survive but love means more to her than money. The idea of a friendship between a man and a woman is always fun to explore!
How would you describe your style of writing?
I enjoy bringing my characters to life through dialogue, revealing their true motives and emotions. I don’t describe every aspect of their appearance but give sufficient clues for the reader to build up their own picture.
I am Ella. Buy me, is funny, flip and sad – like real life.
The Killing of Mummy’s Boy and Guilt are both psychological thrillers. Obviously, the writing style is dark but characters remained rooted in reality, with emotions everyone can all relate to.
Now tell us, what is the best thing of being an author? And the worst one?
Playing with life through words is fun and it’s lovely when people say Ella made them laugh. That makes the worst bit, endless hours tapping away at the keyboard, worth it. I never learned to type at school. Now I know why.
Which authors inspire you?
Garrison Keillor, Harper Lee, Gerald Durrell, Alan Bennett, J.D. Salinger, Jerome K. Jerome, Dodie Smith, Edna O’Brien, George Orwell, Laurie Lee, D.H. Lawrence, Iain Banks, Helen Fielding and my friends Jeanne Willis, Paul Burke and E.L. James. Erika’s success gave me the kick I needed to publish.
What do you do and enjoy when you’re not writing?
Laughing with family and friends, swimming in the sea, eating too much Italian ice-cream, browsing for glorious retro finds in charity shops and watching great theatre.
Describe a typical day in your life!
Who am I today? A cold-bloodied killer? A woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown? A lovelorn lad? That’s another great thing about being a writer, there’s no such thing as a typical day.
What are you working on at the moment?
My second psychological thriller: Guilt. It is a powerful emotion. In the novel it impacts on a young girl’s life in unimaginable and toxic ways. I’ve nearly finished which is a shame as the characters are writing this one for me!
I’d love to hear what your readers think of my books, please stop by my website and let me know.
Thank you so much. It’s been brilliant!
October 24, 2014
Bookaholic Confessions Author Interview
I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for the fantastic Joan Ellis and her novel, I Am Ella. Buy Me (You can get your copy here) As well as reviewing Joan’s brilliant novel later on today, I have been lucky enough to ask Joan about her writing career as she shares her experiences working as a copywriter, and her love for almond croissants…
Hi Joan, welcome to Bookaholic Confessions! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself…?
Hi! I spent years penning letters from dogs. As an award-winning copywriter, you have to be adaptable! With a full-time job in a London advertising agency and a new baby, I did what any right-minded woman would’ve done and set up a comedy club. I even appeared on the same bill as Jo Brand. Once. As a university lecturer I taught advertising to comedian Noel Fielding and Wordsworth’s great-grandson. One of his slogans might be: Buy a host of golden daffodils and get a yellow one. Free! I also wrote a regular column in a fashionable glossie about my young daughter. She is eighteen now and has never read a word of them. A Londoner, I now live beside the sea-side and eat mainly cream teas.
Can you tell us a bit about your novel, I am Ella. Buy Me. (Released 20th July 2014)
‘I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse.’
The opening lines set the tone for a funny, fast-paced novel set against a backdrop of 80s London when money trumps morals and lust is a must. As a girl in man’s world, Ella battles her lothario boss, Peter on her way to the top. Faced with losing her job or sleeping with him, she turns to her friend, Adam. Can love help her go from a girl in the firing line to a woman calling the shots? Ella doesn’t always make the right choices but she values love over money. She’s as real as you or me. She’s Bridget Jones meets Peggy from Mad Men; it’s chic lit with extras.
I love the synopsis for the book and I read that the novel is based on your own experiences as working as a copywriter for a top London ad agency. What was that career like? Do you miss it at all?
Soho’s mad, bad Adland in the 80s and 90s was a man’s world – real life on e-numbers. I got to work with talent like film director, Tony Kaye. Harry Enfield, Paula Yates and Jennifer Saunders brought my words to life. I even cast a cat as John Wayne! It doesn’t get much better than that.
I miss the people – smart, funny and inspiring – and getting paid to eat Milky Bars by the truckload.
It seems as though you have a lot of strings to your bow and you’ve been a comedian too – what’s your favourite joke?
Anything written by Ricky Gervais or Micky Flanagan, and Noel Fielding is a comedy legend.
What was the best thing about writing a romantic comedy?
The characters got to say the smart, funny stuff I can never think of in real life.
You’ve written three books in total, can you tell us a bit more about The Killing of Mummy’s Boy and The Things You Missed While You Were Away?
‘I slit someone’s throat,’ the man told the woman on the 4.20 from Waterloo to Portsmouth.
Any normal person would have moved. Not me. When the man on the train casually dropped into conversation he had slit someone’s throat, my first thought was not to run but to listen. Here was the beginning of my next novel. In the sixty minutes that followed, I was sickened, shocked but never bored by what he told me. He wanted me to go off with him. In real life I declined but hiding between the pages of my novel, The Killing of Mummy’s Boy, I gave it a try.
The things you missed while you were away couldn’t be more different. It’s an autobiography, comparing my daughter’s childhood in the 90s with my upbringing in the 60s. As neither of us knew what it was like to have our Dads at home, the book is written as a letter to my Father highlighting the moments he never got to share. It can be read by anyone who has been a child, if only to prove when we lose someone special, love comes from unexpected places to fill the space in our hearts.
‘Dear Dad,
Since you’ve been away, you missed so much – some of it funny, some of it sad, all of it magical.’
Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication?
Rewrite. Edit. Repeat.
What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t a writer?
Eating more almond croissants.
Who are your favourite authors and what kind of books do you enjoy reading?
Garrison Keillor, Harper Lee, Gerald Durrell, Alan Bennett, J.D. Salinger, Jerome K. Jerome, Dodie Smith, Edna O’Brien, Helen Fielding, George Orwell, Laurie Lee, D.H. Lawrence, Iain Banks and my friends Jeanne Willis and Paul Burke.
I love books that make me laugh out loud when I shouldn’t.
And finally – what are you working on at the moment?
My second psychological thriller: Guilt. Guilt is a powerful and poisonous emotion. In the novel it impacts on a young girl’s life in unimaginable ways. I’ve nearly finished which is a shame as the characters are writing this one for me!
If anyone wants to share their thoughts on my work, please stop by my website and send me an email.
Thank you so much. I’ve had a great time!
A huge thank you to Joan for participating in this interview, and to Leah from Girls Love To Read for organising the I Am Ella. Buy Me blog tour. ♥
