New Release! HOW MANY WRONGS MAKE A MR RIGHT? by Stella Hervey Birrell
Today, I have the privilege of hosting author Stella Hervey Birrell, whose romantic comedy
How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right?
is AVAILABLE NOW from Crooked Cat Publishing! Stella is so kind as to share with us a few inspirations behind this clever chick lit (that hooks me with the title alone!). Many congratulations to Stella on this new book release, and before I hand the blog over to her, let's peek at the story, shall we?
Sneak a look into Melissa’s present, past and future…
Her present: Living in Edinburgh certainly beats working two dead-end jobs, in a dead-end town, and staying with her Mum.
And thank goodness for her friends: Julie – her bestie – always has her back, even if she does have a new, boyfriend-shaped growth. Gerry regularly introduces her to eligible men, so it’s OK to ignore his belief that women belong in the kitchen. And the new guy James…perhaps he could be more than just a friend?
Her past: Melissa can’t stop thinking about things her dad said when he was alive. Re-playing warnings about teenage boyfriends and the over-use of the phone might not help, but it’s all she has left of him. Will obsessing about her past block the path to happy-ever-after?
Her future: Stressful days with a toddler, filled with love, paint, wee (or is it just water?) and ‘I’m not eating that!’ Is every day to be a solo-parenting day for Melissa?
It’s hard work searching for The One when you’re a modern, independent, strident, lonely feminist.
From noisy pub to folk club, from broken heart to new start, you’ll end up rooting for Melissa, despite her despicable decisions and massive mistakes.
A story about frog-kissing, bed-hopping, sliding off your lily-pad with embarrassment, and croaking with joy.
And now, without further ado...take it over, Stella!
~ * ~
My inspirations: five reasons why I wrote How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right?
1. I wanted to write about a main character with mental health problems
As someone who had been hospitalised with acute psychosis in my late teens and early twenties, I felt qualified to write about rehabilitation. I used to think that mental illness wasn’t something you could recover from, but I was lucky. Although some people around me may not think of me as particularly sane I suppose…
My main character, Melissa, goes on to have a so-called ‘normal’ life. But it’s clear from the book that it’s a hard road. Melissa is set apart from the care-free twenty-somethings around her by that darkness in her past.
2. I wanted to write a different trajectory from meet---hate---love
When I split up with a long term boyfriend in my 20s, so many people asked if we would be getting back together. ‘Getting back together’, and ‘full circle from hate to love’ are common themes in women’s fiction books as well as in real life.
But sometimes ships sail, moments are missed, and people move on.
3. I wanted to write a chick lit novel that wasn’t set in London
I think I was a bit late to the party here, as a lot of women’s fiction is now set in cosy villages, or maybe it’s because I’m older and I’m not reading the London stuff so much! But I’ve never lived in London. I used the setting of a market town for people like me. There’s such a strong microcosm, lots of pubs but usually just one nightclub, and limited access to new people.
4. I wanted to write a book about a liberal Christian
There’s not many of us liberal Christians about. And of course, we’re liberals, so we don’t shout about it. I think a lot of readers might find it hard to reconcile Melissa’s strong, church-going faith with what I term her ‘sexual incontinence.’ But I believe that Jesus preaches tolerance and inclusion, particularly in this bible story, which includes the line ‘whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone.’
5. I wanted to write a story with a happy ending
Of course, most chick-lit books have a happy ending. But my goodness, my writer’s group were scandalised! Personally, I love stories with happy endings. I want my writing to uplift. Happy ever after should and does seem unlikely, just like it does in real life sometimes. But it’s only when Melissa learns to stand still, instead of frantically chasing a dream she can’t catch, that love finally comes to find her.
My book, How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right? is available from the following places:
UK Amazon
US Amazon
Kobo
Nook
iBooks: search
‘How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right?’ in the iTunes Store.
How to find me: please come and say ‘hi’ in one or more of these places:
My blog space is https://atinylife140.wordpress.com/Twitter is @atinylife140I have a page on Facebook here.Email me at atinylife140@gmail.com.I can also be found wandering the streets of various East Lothian villages.
~ * ~
Thanks so much for these special insights, Stella, and for introducing us to your fabulous book. I cannot wait to read it, and I encourage everyone to do the same!
Sneak a look into Melissa’s present, past and future…Her present: Living in Edinburgh certainly beats working two dead-end jobs, in a dead-end town, and staying with her Mum.
And thank goodness for her friends: Julie – her bestie – always has her back, even if she does have a new, boyfriend-shaped growth. Gerry regularly introduces her to eligible men, so it’s OK to ignore his belief that women belong in the kitchen. And the new guy James…perhaps he could be more than just a friend?
Her past: Melissa can’t stop thinking about things her dad said when he was alive. Re-playing warnings about teenage boyfriends and the over-use of the phone might not help, but it’s all she has left of him. Will obsessing about her past block the path to happy-ever-after?
Her future: Stressful days with a toddler, filled with love, paint, wee (or is it just water?) and ‘I’m not eating that!’ Is every day to be a solo-parenting day for Melissa?
It’s hard work searching for The One when you’re a modern, independent, strident, lonely feminist.
From noisy pub to folk club, from broken heart to new start, you’ll end up rooting for Melissa, despite her despicable decisions and massive mistakes.
A story about frog-kissing, bed-hopping, sliding off your lily-pad with embarrassment, and croaking with joy.
And now, without further ado...take it over, Stella!
~ * ~
My inspirations: five reasons why I wrote How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right?
1. I wanted to write about a main character with mental health problems
As someone who had been hospitalised with acute psychosis in my late teens and early twenties, I felt qualified to write about rehabilitation. I used to think that mental illness wasn’t something you could recover from, but I was lucky. Although some people around me may not think of me as particularly sane I suppose… My main character, Melissa, goes on to have a so-called ‘normal’ life. But it’s clear from the book that it’s a hard road. Melissa is set apart from the care-free twenty-somethings around her by that darkness in her past.
2. I wanted to write a different trajectory from meet---hate---love
When I split up with a long term boyfriend in my 20s, so many people asked if we would be getting back together. ‘Getting back together’, and ‘full circle from hate to love’ are common themes in women’s fiction books as well as in real life.
But sometimes ships sail, moments are missed, and people move on.
3. I wanted to write a chick lit novel that wasn’t set in London
I think I was a bit late to the party here, as a lot of women’s fiction is now set in cosy villages, or maybe it’s because I’m older and I’m not reading the London stuff so much! But I’ve never lived in London. I used the setting of a market town for people like me. There’s such a strong microcosm, lots of pubs but usually just one nightclub, and limited access to new people.
4. I wanted to write a book about a liberal Christian
There’s not many of us liberal Christians about. And of course, we’re liberals, so we don’t shout about it. I think a lot of readers might find it hard to reconcile Melissa’s strong, church-going faith with what I term her ‘sexual incontinence.’ But I believe that Jesus preaches tolerance and inclusion, particularly in this bible story, which includes the line ‘whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone.’
5. I wanted to write a story with a happy ending
Of course, most chick-lit books have a happy ending. But my goodness, my writer’s group were scandalised! Personally, I love stories with happy endings. I want my writing to uplift. Happy ever after should and does seem unlikely, just like it does in real life sometimes. But it’s only when Melissa learns to stand still, instead of frantically chasing a dream she can’t catch, that love finally comes to find her.
My book, How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right? is available from the following places:
UK Amazon
US Amazon
Kobo
Nook
iBooks: search
‘How Many Wrongs make a Mr Right?’ in the iTunes Store.
How to find me: please come and say ‘hi’ in one or more of these places:
My blog space is https://atinylife140.wordpress.com/Twitter is @atinylife140I have a page on Facebook here.Email me at atinylife140@gmail.com.I can also be found wandering the streets of various East Lothian villages.
~ * ~
Thanks so much for these special insights, Stella, and for introducing us to your fabulous book. I cannot wait to read it, and I encourage everyone to do the same!
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