The sun is shining (somewhere) and there are eggs to be hunted down so I’ll keep this short and snappy.
Kiki Archer‘s much anticipated chicklit sequel to One Foot onto the Ice is out. When You Know shot straight to number one in the Amazon UK lesfic charts. (The trailer’s here.)
Fans of her books really shouldn’t miss out on this one. Here’s what reviewer Terry Baker made of it:
“in my honest opinion, this is one of the most hilarious books I’ve read in ages. This book is written by a British author, but I’m more than certain that wherever you are from, you’ll be laughing at the antics of some of these characters in this book…This book is crying out for a sequel. It simply has to have one. When you read it, you’ll see why.”
You can read the rest of the review here.
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Meanwhile, Rachel Dax has turned her pen, voice and camera to a children’s story for adults with strong LGBTQ themes. The audio story of Gabriel the singing goose is available here on YouTube, where you experience Rachel’s impressive range of talents.
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Kerry Hudson (author of Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma) has set up a new mentoring project for female writers. The aim of the WoMentoring Project is to address the lack of peer mentoring available for women, professional services being prohibitively expensive for most. It’s an unfunded project run on goodwill and author, editor and agent mentors offer their skills for free to women just starting out. Here’s the link for more information.
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On to a multitude of pieces on Frog Music by Emma Donoghue.
The New Yorker has an excellent post by Emma Donoghue on the cultural influences on Frog Music.
“I drew on so many visual sources: maps, oil paintings, fashion plates, newspaper cartoons, jewelry, and children’s toys. But it was photography—the thrilling new art of the nineteenth century—that I found most inspiring, not just for the information it captured but for the mood of the times.”
There’s also an interview with Emma on Goodreads where she answers questions about her latest book, Room and how she works, and a more general interview with the Huffington Post about what makes a good story and her background as a writer. She’s also grilled on her reading taste in this interview on the New York Times site.
If you’re in any doubt about reading Frog Music check the review on C-Spot which starts:
“The latest work from Emma Donoghue is one that will stick with you for a while. Frog Music is a gem. Set in the scalding summer of 1876 in the midst of a smallpox epidemic, Donoghue’s story surrounding the little-known unsolved murder of Jenny Bonnet unfolds. From the very beginning, she pulls the reader into the heat and the period with imagery that isn’t verbose but also doesn’t leave you wanting.”
Read the rest of the review here.
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Announcements have started for this year’s Goldie shortlists. The YA category is already up and Amy Dunne (Secrets and Lies) and KE Payne (The Road to Her) are finalists. I Beacham‘s The Rarest Rose has also been selected in Paranormal/Horror and Rachel Dax‘s The Legend of Pope Joan in the historical category. Congratulations everyone! It’s fantastic to see so many Brits short-listed. You can keep up with the announcements here.
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That is all, except to wish you a Happy Easter, or a Happy Ishtar, and hope that you celebrate this weekend of renewal, or fertility and sex, in an appropriate and enjoyable manner. For me that involves chocolate. Ta ra.
UK Lesbian Fiction 