An Interview with Fredrik Backman

I was so excited  when I was asked by Nikki Barrow at Sceptre Books if, I would like to meet Fredrik Backman, author of ‘A Man Called Ove’ and ‘My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises’. Both books are amongst the best I’ve ever read.

It’s slightly disconcerting when you are about to meet a writing hero. Will they be as wonderful as their writing suggests? fortunately yes – and more. It turns out Fredrik Backman is not only a highly talented writer whose books are some of my most favourite ever, but he’s also charming, witty and a fabulous raconteur in real life too.

Here are some of the things he told me:

Fredrik began writing seriously in about 2007 when he was working in a fruit and vegetable warehouse in a friend’s business  and driving a forklift truck. He knew he loved writing and wanted to do it more and more so he even offered to write for free for publications. Bit by bit he began to be paid for his efforts and became quite proficient in writing about tanning salons!

It took him about a year each to write both ‘A Man Called Ove’ and ‘My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises’ and at one time he was working 14 hours a day at weekends to fund his time to write during the week.

It was whilst attending a book fair in Sweden, that Fredrik got a call telling him a German publisher wanted to publish his book and give him an advance on the next. This meant he could write full time.

It wasn’t long before Fredrik Backman had gone from offering to write for free to having books published in at least 32 countries with a film of ‘Ove’ being made and a third novel ‘Britt-Marie Was Here’ (to be published in the UK in 2016) on its way.

What I found so delightful about Fredrik Backman is that he doesn’t see himself as an intellectual craftsman. He just likes to tell stories. He begins with character and loves to have a joke or some humour to start. If you find yourself in the same space as Fredrik watch out – he may be observing your traits for a new book. The opening of ‘A Man Called Ove’ was suggested by overhearing a conversation in a store.

I asked Fredrik if there was an autobiographical element to his work. He said there definitely is. He’s rather like Ove in lots of ways as he can respond in a disproportionate way to problems and he feels Ove would regard him rather as he regards Patrick in the book. In’ My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises’, Elsa is very much the seven-year-old going on eight child Fredrik was too. It was interesting to hear that Fredrik is completely involved with his characters, laughing and crying with them as he writes. Fredrik also told me that there are other members of his family represented in the story. His wife had a similar experience to Parvaneh when learning to drive and the character of Parvaneh might just have a bit of his own wife and her aunts in her! Ove’s reaction to Parvaneh’s inability to derive echoed Fredrik’s own when he found his own wife couldn’t drive. It was beyond comprehension.

I loved the notion that Ove’s is a love story with one half of the couple absent. When I asked if it was difficult to write a story from two such different perspectives in his books  – a young girl and a middle aged man – Fredrik said that they are people, not genders, and  he finds these age groups interesting as they are less likely to conform to social norms through embarrassment and he believes that accepting reality is not your only choice. Fredrik Backman cares about his characters as people so that we care about them too.

What struck me as typical of this self effacing and generous man was his comment about the books when they are completed. He said ‘The book doesn’t belong to me once it’s left the printing house. It’s yours.’

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking with this warm, lovely man who has his feet firmly on the ground but his imagination flying freely. I can’t wait for his next book to be released in the UK. In the mean time, as he wrote in my copy of ‘A Man Called Ove’, along with Ove and Fredrik Backman, we should ‘remember to always read the signs!’

My grateful thanks to Bookbridgr, and Frances Gough at Headline for providing a review copy of ‘The Last Honeytrap.’

Private Investigator Florence Love is the debut creation of Louise Lee in the first of a series of books and is published on 4th June 2015.

Florence is witty, attractive and devious and spends her time trapping unfaithful men in compromising situations for their suspicious partners. She works alongside her brother Michael who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum. The two of them contrive to obtain video and photographic evidence of their targets. Florence has one golden entrapment rule; ‘one kiss, with tongues, five seconds’ and no more. However, when she is asked by Alice to ensnare the gorgeous Scot ‘Scat’ Delaney, Florence finds she gets more than she bargained for – including some surprises about her own past.

Initially I did not enjoy this book. I thought Florence was acerbic rather than sassy and I didn’t warm to her. However, the more I read, the more intrigued I became – and I actually realised I was rather jealous of Florence. I realised that waspish attitude was part of the act. The more I read, the more I came to love this book and to understand what a talented writer Louise Lee is.

There is a great plot that twists and turns so that the reader is jolted by revelations along the way. The characters are brilliant. Michael may need Florence to look after him, but she certainly needs him too. There are some real villains here, but we don’t always know who the villain is!

The writing is creative, very intelligent and incredibly well researched. I found there were so many small details dropped in to the text I wanted to follow them up (and I now know about Ayurveda!). Florence educates as well as entertains.

It’s difficult not to reveal the plot, so all I’ll say is that my initial reaction to the first 20 pages was entirely MY mistake. ‘The Last Honeytrap’ is a hugely entertaining read and I shall definitely be buying the next in the series – ‘The Last Bigamist’.

I was lucky to receive a copy of ‘The Island Escape’, published on 21st May 2015, through @AvonBooksUK on Twitter.

Octavia and Roberta have been unlikely friends since their school days, when Octavia was the rebel that conservative Roberta would have liked to be. Now grown up, married and with children of their own, life is about to show them that we can’t always take our situation for granted and that happiness may not be where we’re looking.

I absolutely adored ‘The Island Escape’ and having tried hard to be objective and find fault, the only aspect that disappointed was the fact I couldn’t be in Corsica to read it! I read it in a day because it appealed so much.

Kerry Fisher understands and conveys perfectly what it is to be a woman. As the first person narrative switches between Roberta and Octavia in each chapter, the reader feels as if they are simply catching up with old friends because they are so realistic. One of the elements that contributed to this realism was the ease and naturalness of direct speech. I could hear Scott’s temper and Roberta’s haughtiness.

Some aspects of the narrative made me wonder if Kerry Fisher had been reading my mind as she laid out what often felt like my own thoughts. I found myself cheering out loud, laughing, shouting ‘Oh no!’ and even shedding a tear as I read. There is true emotional warmth in both characters and narrative.

The style is witty, thoroughly engaging and uplifting without being sugary or contrived. Indeed, there are some serious issues underlying the romantic prose, with loyalty, adultery, underage sex and grief subtly explored so that there is a richness to the writing that I found hugely satisfying.

Kerry Fisher’s ‘The Island Escape’ is undoubtedly the perfect summer read.

My very great thanks to http://www.lovereading.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/books.literarycontemporary?ref=ts&fref=ts @lovereadinguk for providing a reader panel copy of ‘Whispering Shadows’.

I absolutely adored ‘The Art of Hearing Heartbeats’ by Jan-Philipp Sendker and as I began reading ‘Whispering Shadows’ the emotion of the prologue as Paul contemplates the death of his son, Justin, made me think I would enjoy this book just as much. However, I was slightly disappointed. I don’t know if there was a different translator, but the writing didn’t seem to flow as fluidly and I didn’t get the same emotional pull.

However, the story is a strong and intriguing one and the book is well worth reading. The murky world of corrupt officialdom and business is very effectively described and I found the practices very distasteful as Paul Leibovich and Zhang try to discover who really murdered Michael Owen.

Descriptions of the food and the setting make this a very vivid read. There are themes of love and trust that resonate with us all so that Paul’s rehabilitation into the world becomes important to the reader. Having read ‘Whispering Shadows’ I want to know what will become of Paul and Christine in the future.

I think that readers of John Grisham would enjoy ‘Whispering Shadows’ very much indeed.

I am incredibly grateful to Lizzie Masters at Headline, Tinder Press and Bookbridgr for my review copy of Sarah Leipciger’s ‘The Mountain Can Wait’ which was published in hardback on 7th May 2015.

Tom Berry is a fixer. From a dripping tap to a bicycle, Tom can turn his hand to mending anything. However, he isn’t as talented at running his relationships with his grown up children, Curtis and Erin, whom he had been left to bring up alone when his wife Elka disappeared. When Curtis kills a girl in a hit and run accident, Tom’s life running tree planting is seriously affected. Always used to hunting, Tom finds it is his son he is now chasing.

I absolutely loved ‘The Mountain Can Wait’. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this debut novel, but it exceeded my expectations in every way.

The plot is relatively simple, opening with the hit and run accident and in a sense, very little happens after this. Sarah Leipciger turns this simplicity to profound effect. The underlying emotions in the narrative are heart wrenching. I even had to stop reading at about the halfway point to stop myself being overwhelmed. The writing is taut with feeling.

The characterisation is exquisite. At the start of the novel I didn’t particularly warm to Curtis. By the end I felt I needed to take him in my arms and hold him as I felt desperately sorry for him. I was devastated at the sacrifices Tom had to make on Curtis’ behalf too. Tom has to learn that the mountain can wait, but his children can’t. However, I think the most convincing character of all is nature. Sarah Leipciger’s writing is poetic, lyrical and beautiful. Her descriptions are cinematic and evocative without being intrusive. I can see this novel being made into a film.

The themes explored – of parent/child relationships, loyalty, trust and love are woven so intricately that I feel ‘The Mountain Can Wait’ will become a classic returned to by readers time and time again. I was so enthralled by the writing that I read the novel in one day and I’m sure I have missed some of the subtleties and nuances.

‘The Mountain Can Wait’ is fantastic. I defy anyone who reads it not to be moved by it.

I was very pleased to be asked by Jill Knapp to read ‘What Happens to Men When They Move to Manhattan?’ in return for an honest review.

Amalia Hastings is a very fortunate girl. She has a boyfriend, Nicholas, a high quality apartment in New York and is receiving a first class education at NYU. She meets regularly with her acerbic best friend Cassandra and their other friend Olivia in a variety of bars. What could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately for Amalia, her university friend Michael, is beginning to feel like more than a friend and when she fights with Nicholas, life is going to get complicated.

‘What Happens to Men When They Move to Manhattan?’ is high quality chick lit. It is well written and erudite. I especially liked the descriptions of New York as they reminded me of the time I worked there and I could easily picture the bars and apartments. They felt highly realistic. What also makes this extremely good writing is the variety of paragraph and sentence length to keep the narrative flowing smoothly. There were a couple of typos in this proof copy, but they did not spoil my enjoyment of the story.

Whilst the plot is quite low key, it fits well around the major events like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day and Jill Knapp illustrates very effectively how emotions can be affected by dates and our expectations of them.

The characters are well rounded and believable. It is the female characters who take the lead in this novel and I thought Cassandra in particular was a triumph. All the women have their secrets, their strengths and their vulnerabilities so that the reader gets to know them as individuals and cares about what happens to them. What happens to the men when they move to Manhattan is that they become in need of sorting out! I also found the dialogue natural and effective.

One element I found awkward was the seemingly American tendency to describe what characters are wearing, often coupled with the phrase ‘to pull it all together’ and frequently matched with what feels a bit like product placement (mentions of Chanel, La Perla, Armani and so on), but this may just be a British reader’s perspective. I did thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of food – indeed they made me hungry!

The novel ends very satisfactorily, but with the reader still wanting more.Will Amalia ever really find true happiness? I think those who enjoy well written romantic fiction will thoroughly enjoy reading Jill Knapp’s ‘What Happens to Men When They Move to Manhattan?

My enormous thanks to Alison Barrow at Transworld Publishers for providing a review copy of ‘Disclaimer’ by Renee Knight.

When their adult son Nicholas moves out of the family home, Robert and Catherine downsize their house. In the melee of moving, a book ‘The Perfect Stranger’ appears next to the bed and Catherine begins to read. To her horror, the book is about her and reveals a secret she thought she’d buried years before.

There has been so much praise for Renee Knight’s debut novel, ‘Diclaimer’ that I thought much of it must just be publisher hype and I was prepared to be hugely disappointed. How wrong can you be? I am worried about writing this review as I don’t think I have sufficient vocabulary to describe how brilliant ‘Disclaimer’ is without using cliches. it is impossible to believe this is a debut novel.

There is a reduced palette of characters so that the reader is entirely absorbed into their world and the events that surround them. The events themselves add layer upon layer of detail and perspective with one twist and shock following another. I found my heart racing as I read. Renee Knight so manipulated my opinions of the characters that my head was reeling by the time I’d finished reading.

The structure switches between Catherine’s story told in the present tense third person and Stephen’s story told from his first person point of view. The changes of perspective are utterly convincing.

Another feature that makes ‘Disclaimer’ such an incredible read is the quality of Renee Knight’s prose. She paints such a convincing picture that I felt I was witnessing events with my own eyes. I was spellbound.

I can honestly say that if you don’t read ‘Disclaimer’ you will genuinely have missed out.

I originally posted this review on http://www.lovereading.co.uk who kindly provided a review copy of ‘The Way Back Home’. It’s out now!

The story of finding what home really means – people, places, emotions and memory. ‘The Way Back Home’ follows the return of Oriana Taylor from San Francisco to the huge Windward House and all the intricate feelings and memories involving the characters who once lived there.

Having read several of Freya North’s books, initially this one felt more challenging and somehow spiky. However, within a few pages, North’s ability to define character so fully that the reader can picture, believe in and have an emotional reaction to each one, means that this is a totally absorbing read. Both male and female characters are strongly represented so that the writing would appeal to both sexes.

Throughout the text there is a gradual revealing of the past providing a real sense of mystery with a perfect balance of the third person present tense and italicised first person past tense which also helps to build the character of Oriana even further.

I also loved the sense of place and what ‘home’ actually means which is so skilfully achieved.

‘The Way Back Home’ would appeal to lovers of literary modern fiction who want to finish a book with a real sense of satisfaction (and maybe even a few tears).

Huge thanks go to @Bookbridgr @TwoRoadsBooks and Yassine Belkacemi @johnmurrays for providing a review copy of ‘At The Water’s Edge’

Maddie, her husband Ellis, and their closest friend Hank, live a spoiled high society life. On New Year’s Eve 1944 they make utter fools of themselves at a society party and are disowned by Ellis’s family. Utterly rashly, Ellis decides to cross the Atlantic during its most dangerous times during World War II to search for the Loch Ness monster – a feat in which his father failed some years before. This decision changes their lives for ever.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘At The Water’s Edge’. So skilful was Sara Gruen’s writing that I completely agreed with society that Maddie, Ellis and Hank should be ostracised. Their behaviour at the initial party and when they arrive in Scotland is dreadful. However, what is so clever is the way in which the relationship between Maddie and Ellis changes, how we realise Ellis is struggling with his sexuality and how Maddie develops so that her first person viewpoint leads us through the narrative as if we are there with her. I hated all three main characters at the start of the novel, grew to care deeply about Maddie and forgave Hank but, although I sympathised with Ellis, he retained my loathing throughout. It became clear as I read that Sara Gruen has more than one monster in mind for her reader.

The secondary characters are equally well depicted, even the dog Conall and especially Ann, Meg and Angus. I wish I knew them personally.

Based around the themes of deception and what it is to be monstrous and set in the final months of the Second World War, ‘At The Water’s Edge’ is thoroughly researched, captivatingly written and a thoroughly satisfying read. The blend of factual detail woven into the daily lives of the community gives an authenticity and depth so that the reader is transported to the Scottish Highlands with Maddie.

I’d really recommend ‘At The Water’s Edge’ if you want a completely absorbing and powerful read.

I was lucky enough to be able to give away special edition copies of Sara Gruen’s ‘Water For Elephants’ for World Book Night. It has been sitting on my shelf to read. Now it’s moving to the top of the pile. Can’t wait!

I recently read and enjoyed Liesel Schmidt’s novel ‘The Secret of Us’ so I was delighted when she agreed to be interviewed for my blog. Let’s begin by finding out a bit about her:

Liesel Schmidt lives in Pensacola, Florida, where she spends her time writing, drawing, and reading everything she can possibly get her hands on. She’s currently working on her next novel in between doing the job that keeps the bills paid, busily freelance writing for a list of local magazines that sometimes keeps her head spinning in a dizzy attempt to keep all the deadlines straight! When she has a few free moments, Liesel plunks away at her blog, Finding Words (http://fyoword.blogspot.com/) where she posts product reviews and offers her readers a peek at the inner-musings of a writer slogging her way through the challenges of a creative career.

Having harboured a passionate dread of writing assignments when she was in school, Liesel never imagined that she would make a living at putting words on paper, but life sometimes has a funny way of working out… When she’s not writing, reading or drawing, Liesel likes to indulge her guilty pleasure of watching competition television shows like Top Chef, Chopped, and Project Runway.

Follow her on Twitter at @laswrites or pick up a copy of her novels, ‘Coming Home to You’ and ‘The Secret of Us’, available at amazon.co.uk, amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com

So, let’s see what Liesel told me:

What is your first memory of wanting to be a writer?

I think the idea has been in my head, in some form or another, since I was in high school; but back then I just kind of played around with writing stories. I never thought it would actually lead anywhere. Mostly, it was just a hobby; and I had a horrible habit of never finishing a story once I’d started writing it!

What is your writing routine? Do you have a particular time when you write?

My writing routine is the same everyday, so I guess you could say I’m the most boring person on the planet! I officially start my workday at around 9:00 a.m., after I do my devotions, and I write according to whatever assignments are on my calendar, whether that means web content for the website development company I work with or an article for a magazine. Unfortunately at this stage of the game, my name isn’t well known enough in the book world that I can focus all of my attention on a manuscript, so right now that writing falls to the back burner to be picked up when I have a little bit of free space in the day! Not much of that exists, though; I keep at it until 6:00 p,m., usually. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a workaholic.

What comes first for you, character or plot?

I’m not really sure…the characters develop as the story unfolds, but I start with a general idea of both.

Do your characters ever behave in ways that surprise you?

All the time! It’s funny, because sometimes they do something that completely makes me frustrated, sometimes that do things that make me feel like crying. And there are, of course, many times that reaffirm just why I love them and why I want so badly for others to love them.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

How much time do you have? I love to read novels that have deep, emotional plot lines and well developed characters like the ones written by Jane Green and Fannie Flagg; but I also love the more fun stories that authors like Janet Evanovich, Emily Giffin, Beth Harbison, and Claire Cook write. A love a good book centered around a sassy Southern woman, and I can’t even begin to name all of the British authors I adore. If I’m reading non-fiction, I’m a huge fan of humorous memoirs, so Jen Lancaster is one of my favorites.

If you had a speed date of 1 minute with a reader, what would you tell them about your books?

That they might want to have a few tissues closeby, and that nothing in my books runs to the cliched plot. They’ll think they know what’s going to happen, only to be surprised by what actually does.

What was it like completing your first novel ‘Coming Home to You?’ How did you feel?

Like I’d crossed a major finish line or had a baby! In a way, I did, because each of my books really is my baby.

Both ‘Coming Home to You’ and ‘The Secret of Us’ have references to the military and loss. How much did you need to research these themes and how much are they part of your own experiences?

I didn’t really have to research either one, actually. My father is retired from the Air Force, and the area where I live is greatly centered around the military culture; with that being so much a part of my own life and the way I grew up, it lent itself well to developing my story lines. When it came to the emotional roller coaster of loss, well…I hadn’t actually been through the death of a lover or a husband at that point, but I’m a very imaginative person, and I emulate well with others. When I started writing Coming Home to You, I’d never been in a serious relationship…I’d been through the emotional wringer of loving someone who didn’t love me back and having to deal with the death of a dream in regards to that, but I had to take that pain and put it into the realm of actually losing a lover to death. By the time I finished writing the manuscript, I had had to deal with the unexpected loss of a dear friend, so I built on that as I wrote on. It was kind of therapeutic. In writing ‘The Secret of Us’, I had to draw much more on my imagination, but I still had the foundational emotions and military-life experiences to use. There are definitely many ways that the emotional struggles in the books mirror what was going on in my own head and heart as I wrote, so all of my work is deeply personal.

In ‘The Secret of Us’ Eira has a very close relationship with her mother and sister. Do you think family support is essential for a happy life?

Beyond a shadow of a doubt. There are so many things in my life that I would have never been able to deal with on my own, had I not had their support and strength.

Would people who know you recognize themselves in your writing?

Perhaps, if they looked deep enough…but that’s all I’m going to say on that one!

What are you working on now?

A third manuscript, that I’m dedicating to my grandmother. She was such a special woman, and I don’t think she ever really knew just how special she was. To find out more, you’ll just have to wait and read it when it’s finished!

If you could cast people in a film of your work, who would you choose?

I’d love to have Diane Keaton or Meryl Streep play the role of the mother in either one of my books; Emma Stone would be so perfect as Zoe, but I also think she’d bring Eira to life and make everyone fall in love with her…Unfortunately, most of my favorite actors are too old to play the main characters, so I’d have to do a bit more hunting to know just who to cast for each role.

I’d really like to thank Liesel for spending the time in giving such fantastic responses to my questions. Please check out her links:

@laswrites

http://fyoword.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Liesel%20Schmidt&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/liesel-schmidt