Celebrating another book birthday: Sugar and Snails turns four

One advantage of getting a new car on the day I published my first novel, is that I’ll always remember when it’s due its MOT. And taking the car for its MOT means I easily remember my book birthday. So what’s happening as my baby turns four? Read on for an interview with one of the minor characters thanks to one of Craig Boyack’s alter egos and an update on revamping the blurb.

I had such fun when Steve, the creepy criminal from my second novel, Underneath, was interviewed by a robot radio show host, I asked if Lisa Burton could do something similar for my debut novel, Sugar and Snails. This time, however, instead of giving the narrator, Diana, another chance to tell her story, I wanted to approach it from a different point of view.

Who to put forward for Lisa to interview? Her father, whose expectations of his wayward child were adversely affected by his own experiences as a prisoner of war? Her mother, who couldn’t instil in her a secure sense of self? The hippie social worker – or one of the teachers and health professionals – who both helped and hindered her adolescent transformation? The younger brother who called her a fruitcake or the older sister whose life seemed idyllic but out of reach? Her closest friends: Geraldine who ruled her childhood or Venus who stood by her as an adult? Or Simon, who provides the love interest, while provoking the crisis through his dream of visiting Cairo, or Garth, her annoying boss?

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I would’ve enjoyed helping any of them unpick the story, but who did I choose? There’s a clue in the image, but you’ll need to go over to Lisa Burton Radio to be sure.

The blurb accompanying the interview differs from the one on the paperback. That’s because, almost four years on from publication, I felt the original should, and could, be tighter, and quicker and easier for those browsing in bookshops or online to figure what it’s about. A few weeks ago, I shared my reflections on blurbs and asked for your help in selecting an alternative opening line.
 
An online poll identified a clear winner, although – surprise, surprise! – not everyone agreed.

Interestingly, the opinions gleaned at events were slightly differently distributed, although not enough to alter the overall result. Almost a third of face-to-face votes went for Thirty years ago, she abandoned her old life, but she’s still haunted by the shadow of her former self, as opposed to only 10% online. I can’t say whether this means my samples weren’t big enough (only 38 votes in total), the print readership differs from the digital or that the options were presented in randomised order for the online poll but not on paper. If you know anything about surveys, you won’t be surprised to learn that the most popular option was also the one at the top of the list.
 
Whatever it might mean, my publisher and I are both happy with the revised version, although it won’t appear on the books for a few weeks until the designer returns from his travels! (As it wasn’t finalised when Lisa interviewed Marmaduke, it’s slightly different to the one over there.) I hope you approve!

At fifteen, she made a life-changing decision. Thirty years on, it’s time to make another.

When Diana escaped her misfit childhood, she thought she’d chosen the easier path. But the past lingers on, etched beneath her skin, and life won’t be worth living if her secret gets out.

As an adult, she’s kept other people at a distance... until Simon sweeps in on a cloud of promise and possibility. But his work is taking him to Cairo, the city that transformed her life. She’ll lose Simon if she doesn’t join him. She’ll lose herself if she does.

Sugar and Snails describes Diana’s unusual journey, revealing the scars from her fight to be true to herself. A triumphant mid-life coming-of-age story about bridging the gap between who we are and who we feel we ought to be.

Earlier this month, I mentioned another online poll, where the cover of Sugar and Snails  was pitched against nine others. If you did, thanks for voting for the one you liked best. As you can see – or can you? apologies the image isn’t very sharp – mine came a respectable fourth, but with a miniscule proportion of the votes. Admittedly tastes differ, and it’s not worth worrying whether votes were cast for friendship rather than the design, but I feel I owe you an apology if I’ve wasted your time.
 
This, and the plethora of links in the first half of this post, reminds me of my gratitude for the friendship, and support for my writing, I’ve found online. A book birthday is an ideal time to say THANKS FOR SHARING THE JOURNEY WITH ME.

Some of my online friends in America have been meeting up for real this week. Norah – who came all the way from Australia to meet me in London (okay, not just me, and not primarily for our meeting) sent a proxy in the form of a koala, thereby catalysing this week’s flash fiction prompt. A koala? Well, if I can ventriloquise a cat from a serious novel, I should manage it …

When I mixed the current mini heatwave here in the UK, albeit a month late for Midsummer, with a scene from Sugar and Snails where my character, Diana is asked to read her friend’s daughter at bedtime story and the little girl sings “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic”, I thought my 99-word story would be light and fluffy. So if the ending takes you by surprise, you’re not the only one…

A Midsummer Night’s Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Reaching the clearing, we unpacked the hamper, while the girls danced their teddies around the fairy ring. In the balmy twilight, it couldn’t have been more magical if we’d staged it. If we’d already popped the champagne.

“The forest looks different.” Bean-pole trees, peeling blue-grey alligator bark.

“It smells different.” Like an antiseptic spray.

“It sounds different.” Like a gargling bull.

“That teddy’s climbing the tree!”

“That one’s eating it!”

“So cute! Can we take one home?”

The girls didn’t know about the diagnosis. We’d come to make memories; finding Koala Kingdom ensured she’d live on in their minds.