A little while ago I was delighted to read and review The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard in a post you will find here. When the book was first released I was lucky enough to host an extract that you can read here too.

Today, 12th July 2018, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is released in paperback and I am thrilled that Frances is staying in with me to tell me more about it.

Staying in with Frances Maynard

I’m just thrilled to welcome you to Linda’s Book Bag, Frances. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. 

Looking forwards to it, Linda!  Thanks for inviting me.

Tell me (as if I didn’t know) which of your books have you brought along to share?

I’ve brought along my first novel, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr.  I’ve chosen it because it’s an uplifting and thought-provoking read – ideal for the summer.

(I quite agree! Linda’s Book Bag readers can read the opening to The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr here.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr?

From an evening in with the book we can expect a tender, funny story about a young woman conquering boundaries and stereotypes to come into her own.  Readers have kindly said: ‘I adored every moment I spent with Elvira.  Still think about her today.  Some books just stay with you.  This is one of those.’ And: ‘I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody.  It is heart-warming, informative and wonderful.’

(And they are absolutely right Frances. My own review is here.)

What else have you brought along this evening and why?

I’ve got a large tea-pot with me and a tin of Fox’s Favourites biscuits.  My central character, Elvira, is an expert on biscuits and their packaging: ‘I liked trying out different brands and varieties and comparing them.  It added another dimension to my life’.

(You needn’t have worried about bringing a teapot. There’s always tea on the go in this house. I think the biscuits are a good idea though…)

I’d also like to introduce two very special guests to you, Linda: David Attenborough (Elvira is a big fan and repeats the words from his animal documentaries in moments of stress), and Delia Smith, whose fail-safe recipes, and liking for cardigans, Elvira finds comforting.  In fact Delia is wearing a cardigan this evening.

(Oh my goodness  – what wonderful guests. David Attenborough is one of my favourite people on the planet. My husband even bought me a trilobite fossil because David Attenborough collects them. Hang on a minute and I’ll fetch it …)

I’ve also brought along something that inspired the story: a netsuke (a small, Japanese toggle, often carved in the shape of an animal).

Elvira discovers that the netsukes brought back from Japan by her father actually came from a museum gift-shop, and it is unravelling this mystery that leads to her having to reconsider everything she had taken for granted, and to finding a new path for herself.

Thanks so much for staying in with me, bringing all those biscuits and such wonderful guests Frances. I’ve so enjoyed hearing more about Elvira because I loved meeting her and her seven imperfect rules when I read the book!

Thanks Linda.  Now we’ve sampled every biscuit in that tin I think it’s time for me to go home!

(Or I could put the kettle on again…)

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is the perfect story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven and neuro-atypical. Her father – who she suspects was in the secret service – has passed away and, after several Unfortunate Incidents growing up, she now spends most of her time at home with her overbearing mother. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself or risk ending up in Sheltered Accommodation. Armed with her Seven Rules, which she puts together after online research, Elvira hopes to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of people she doesn’t understand. Not even the Seven Rules can help her, however, when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, and is faced with solving a mystery she didn’t even know existed . . .

Published by Pan Macmillan, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

About Frances Maynard

Frances teaches English part-time to adults with learning difficulties, including Asperger’s. She is married with one grown-up daughter and lives in Dorset.

You can follow Frances on Twitter @perkinsfran1 and visit her website.