 Have
you noticed the number of "How To" books there
are on the shelves these days? Basically, you
can buy an "Idiot Guide" for practically anything
you ever remotely considered undertaking like
Triathlon Training (definitely not in the stars
for me!) and Fondues and Hot Dips (that's more
like it!) Now think about this…. Wouldn't it have
been handy if about fifteen years ago there had
been a guide on how to be a romantic when we all
were in the market for a mate? (I guess I am kind
of aging myself here!) Now there's a guide I think
would have potentially made it to The New
York Times Best Seller List. When it comes
to romance, the more help you can get the better!!
As we so often hear, bring it on!
This month's jewel took that idea and ran with
it. Gemma Townley's novel, The Hopeless Romantic's
Handbook, is a hilarious story about a woman
looking for love and hopelessly striking out UNTIL
she scores the ultimate guide. Then all of a sudden,
her life does a complete turn around and voilà!
Things are looking pretty good!! Of course, her
lead character, Kate, has some mishaps and problems
to contend with (or else we wouldn't have a story),
but reading about her adventures is most certainly
worth the trip!
As part of this interview, Gemma is giving away
five copies of her novel to my lucky readers,
so don’t forget to look for the trivia question
at the end. I hope you win!
Please go treat yourself to a cup of tea in honor
of our British guest and get to know my friend,
Gemma Townley. Find
her books in our catalog.
Jen: Please tell us
a little bit about your educational and professional
background.
Gemma: Well, I
always got in trouble at school for daydreaming,
but now I can look back and call it research…!
No, seriously, I did philosophy at university
– not the most practical of degrees, perhaps,
but very interesting and, I think a great workout
for the brain. From there, I went on to be a journalist,
working on financial magazines by day and writing
for music and style magazines by night.
Jen: I read that your
first book review was published when you were
only sixteen. How did that come about? Have you
always wanted to be a writer?
Gemma: My first
review came about after doing work experience
for Harpers & Queen in London (now Harpers
Bazaar, like its US cousin). I had the best time
and I really didn’t want to leave –
luckily, they kept in touch and got me to review
a book a few months later.
Jen: At what juncture
in your life did you decide to finally take a
stab at it and write a book? What was the title
of the book and was it ever published?
Gemma : My first
book actually came about because my career seemed
to be taking off a bit (I'd just got a promotion)
and my employers wanted me to do an MBA. Having
spent my life writing but never getting round
to writing anything longer than an article, I
figured that if I didn't write a book right then
I never would, so I bought a lap top and that
was that! I had a pretty busy time of it over
the next few months - I remember spending Saturdays
hunched over my laptop and Sundays making my way
through the heavy MBA reading list I'd been sent,
but it was completely worth it. The book was called
When in Rome and I never really expected
anything to come of it, but I sent it to a wonderful
agent called Dorie Simmonds (now my agent) and
the next thing I knew, I had a book deal!
Jen: From conception
to completion, about how long does it take for
you to complete a novel? What is the most difficult
part to write and why?
Gemma : I always
tell people that for me, writing a book is like
climbing a mountain. Not that I’ve ever
climbed a mountain, but let’s not quibble,
shall we?! I start off all enthusiastic, with
my map in front of me (my storyline), plenty of
supplies (cups of tea, chocolate biscuits), and
an absolute conviction that I’m going to
get to the top. And initially, it all seems great.
Then, round about the half way mark the weather
seems to change slightly. Suddenly the top of
the mountain isn’t visible anymore and I
start wondering if I’ve chosen the right
route. I get tired and cranky and sometimes I
have to go back to base camp and reconsider (in
other words, I realize that my plot/characters
aren’t entirely working and I need to rethink
a few things). There’s usually another tricky
moment about two thirds of the way through when
it’s like the fog has descended and I suddenly
can’t remember why on earth I thought that
this route, or even this mountain, was a good
idea (at this point, I’ve learnt to walk
away from my computer for a few days, otherwise
I end up pressing the ‘delete’ button
very aggressively... !) I get convinced that the
whole climb is going to have to be aborted and
that I’m never going to climb another mountain
in my whole life, EVER. Then, gradually, the sun
starts coming through and I realize that the top
isn’t actually that far away after all,
and that with one last push, I’m going to
make it.
Phew, I’m tired just thinking about it!
In terms of time, a book takes about a year for
me to write. Not all that time is spent writing
– a lot of time is spent planning and then
re-writing. Often, until something’s down
on paper, I don’t know if it’s really
going to work or not.
Jen: The Hopeless
Romantic's Handbook is your latest release
and I absolutely loved it! How did you arrive
at the premise?
Gemma : The idea
for The Hopeless Romantic’s Handbook
actually came from a lot of places. I wanted to
explore a character who has an idealized idea
of what love is, partly because I think we all
have a bit of that in us – we read romantic
novels, we fall in love with Mr. Darcy from Pride
and Prejudice, and then we have to try and reconcile
that with real life. But I also wanted to write
about a makeover show and reality television because
I think it’s such an interesting subject
area. People are so fame-obsessed these days and
the definition of a ‘celebrity’ is
getting looser by the week, so I think it’s
a wonderful backdrop for a novel.
Jen: How did you come
up with the lead character, Kate Hetherington?
In what ways, if any, is she like you?
Gemma : I love
Kate! I think we all have a little bit of her
in us, actually – she’s an optimist
who wants to make the world a better place and
can’t understand why everyone doesn’t
share her world view. I’m quite like her,
actually – I can get quite carried away
with enthusiasm at times and whilst I try to be
realistic, I’m not very good at being cynical.
I like to see the best in people!
Jen: In the novel,
Kate works on a make-over show similar to
Extreme Make-over here in the U.S. Are you
a big fan of make-over shows or are you just interested
in interior design? Is that why you chose it as
Kate’s career?
Gemma : I love
interior design, and that was definitely one reason
I chose it as Kate’s career. Having said
that, whilst I love all the color charts and developing
themes, I am absolutely terrible at anything practical,
so I would say that the interior design world
is definitely a better place without me!
In terms of reality television, I’m part-fascinated
and part-horrified by it… I ended up on
a show myself a couple of years ago because a
friend from school had become a mini-celebrity
here in the UK; she invited me and some other
old friends to help her refurbish a house in London
so that the parents of children at the nearby
specialist cancer hospital could have somewhere
to stay whilst their children underwent treatment.
I agreed to take part in the show because it seemed
like a really important project, but it really
opened my eyes to the world of television –
stroppy presenters, builders doing all the work
behind the scenes, cover-up jobs to make things
‘presentable’, and the way people
change when they’re on camera. I had fun
doing the program, but I’ve never looked
at reality television in the same way since.
Jen: A question I just
have to ask… Are you a Hopeless Romantic?
Gemma : Romantic,
yes. Hopeless? Not entirely. But I did definitely
always have Kate’s approach to relationships
in that I would rather have stayed single than
settle for someone who wasn’t just right.
It wasn’t like I had a tick list; I just
wanted someone who I couldn’t bear to be
apart from. And when I first met my husband, it
was definitely love at first sight – in
fact, apart from George Clooney, I haven’t
looked at another man since!!
Jen: Besides Kate, who
is your favorite character in the book and why?
Gemma : Oh, that’s
like asking a mother to choose between her children!
I love all the characters – the good ones
because I like them and the bad ones because they
are just so wonderfully mean! The great thing
about writing is that you can dive into different
people’s heads and pretend to be them for
a day. I loved writing Penny and Joe’s scenes,
but I also loved writing from Tom and Sal’s
perspectives, too. The hard thing is saying goodbye
when the book is written!
Jen: In relation to
your craft, how have you grown as a writer comparing
your first novel, When in Rome, compared to your
latest release? What has been your greatest accomplishment?
Gemma : Now that’s
a difficult question, and probably one that my
readers should answer instead of me! I’ve
certainly enjoyed the process of writing and re-writing
my books – each one has taught me something
about writing, about myself, about characterization
and plot. But what I don’t think has changed
is my love of a good storyline. At the end of
the day, I want readers to really want to turn
the page – I love that feeling when I’m
reading a book myself and I just don’t want
to put it down. If I achieve that, then I consider
it a success!
Jen: In your opinion,
what is the major difference in the publishing
business comparing Great Britain to the U.S.?
Also, what has surprised you most about the publishing
business in general?
Gemma : That’s
an interesting question. I think there are a lot
of similarities – at the end of the day
it’s about bringing books to market and
convincing people that they want to read them.
The marketing of books can be quite different,
though – in the UK, we’re seeing more
and more television ads for books which is quite
an interesting development, I think; in the US,
book groups are enormous so there’s obviously
a great deal of focus on that side of things.
In terms of surprise, I guess it’s the sheer
volume of books that are published. But that’s
a great thing, too. I love books – I think
the world is a better place because of them.
Jen: I read that you
are an accomplished singer, cellist, and bassist
and that you are in a band called Blueboy!
An author as well as a musician! WOW!!! I’m
impressed! Do you mind telling us a little bit
about your band?
Gemma : Hey, I
never said I was accomplished…!
The band was great fun, actually. My whole family
is quite musical – I played cello and piano
when I was at school and was always in the orchestra.
So when I went to university, I thought I’d
like to branch out a bit and that’s when
I joined Blueboy. We got signed to a very small
independent label in the UK, and at first I sang
and played keyboards, then when the bassist left,
I decided that I’d teach myself to play.
I have to say, playing the bass feels very rock’n’roll
and I loved walking around the stage with it slung
over my neck! But all good things come to an end
– and I always knew that writing was my
real passion.
Jen: Are you currently
at work on another novel? If so, what can you
tell us about it?
Gemma : I’m
working on the first of a trilogy at the moment
– I’m also pregnant and expecting
my first child this summer, actually any minute
now, so my husband’s taking bets on which
I deliver first…!
Jen: Do you have a website?
Blog? Mailing list?
Gemma :Not right
now, but I’m working on it… and on
getting myself on MySpace. Books and bumps keep
getting in the way, but I’m onto it, honestly…
Jen: Any public appearances
scheduled for the U.S.?
Gemma : Nothing
planned at the moment, but I’ll definitely
keep you posted!
Jen: Gemma, thanks
so much for agreeing to be interviewed. It has
been a pleasure getting to know you better. I
love your books and I can’t wait for the
next one! Best of luck in your future and please
keep in touch!
Gemma : Thank
you so much and I will!
I hope you enjoyed my interview with Gemma. Okay…the
first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com
with the correct answer to the following question
will win a copy of her book: All the books are
gone. Congratulations to Anne K., Katie F., Beth
O., Debbie R., and Diane C.
What is the name of Gemma’s first book?
Next month, I will be bringing to you an interview
with Michael Gates Gill, author of How
Starbucks Saved My Life. You really won’t
want to miss it!
Until next month….Jen
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Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels