In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alice McIlroy about her psychological suspense novel The Glass Woman. We discuss her world-building in a novel where the technology is slightly more advanced than our own, writing about AI before it had hit public consciousness and the impact this had on trying to sell the novel and the challenge of switching between the private writer and the public author. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Glass Woman: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781915523044

Follow Alice: @alice_mcilroy

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

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In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Musih Tedji Xaviere about her contemporary novel These Letters End in Tears. We discuss how she was inspired by a courageous gay couple in Cameroon who stayed together despite the laws forbidding their love, the challenges of using second person and why she made the tough decision to relocate for her safety and career.  

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy These Letters End in Tears: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781914344381

Follow Xaviere: @MusihX

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

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In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Miranda Pountney about her contemporary novel How to Be Somebody Else. We discuss her “un”-coming of age story, why poetry encouraged her to be experimental and why it’s important not to rush the writing process. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy How to Be Somebody Else: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781914344381

Follow Miranda: @mirandapountney

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Toby Lloyd about his literary novel Fervour. We discuss we discuss taking inspiration from Bible stories, how he tried to represent a variety of Jewish experiences and why having your work critiqued is one of the most valuable things you can do when starting out.

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Fervour: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399724616

Follow Toby: @TobyLloyd19

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jodie Matthews about her contemporary novel Meet Me at the Surface. We discuss writing the weird and creepy but keeping the world grounded, researching the Cornish folklore of where Jodie grew up and why she loves Bookstagram and thinks finding a community of readers is just as important as a writing community. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Meet Me at the Surface: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008585006

Follow Jodie: @JodieRMatthews

Jodie's Instagram: @jodierhianmatthews

Heather Parry's Substack mentioned: https://open.substack.com/pub/heatherparry/p/things-have-to-happen

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Madeleine Grey about her literary novel Green Dot. We discuss writing the "other woman" in an affair with empathy, how Madeleine's work as a critic gave her an understanding of how novels work and the importance of keeping note of overheard conversations and funny observations. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Green Dot: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399612760

Follow Madeleine: @gray_madeleine_

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma Hinds about her historical novel The Knowing. We discuss giving her female characters agency in a Victorian era, her brilliant tips to find an agent, how she uses fanfiction as a playground and the long and difficult submission process she went through. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Knowing: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781915798138

Follow Emma:@EmmaLouisePH

https://emmahinds.com

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jennie Godfrey about her commercial novel The List of Suspicious Things. We discuss what it means to be a super lead and how it feels emotionally to know your book is primed for success but also what it's like to carry that pressure on your shoulders, how Jennie developed her characters when she realised they were a bit 2D and how to be mindful when you're writing about real life historical events in our recent past. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The List of Suspicious Things: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529153293

Follow Jennie: @jennieg_author

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Marsh about her historical novel A Sign of Her Own. We discuss how her novel was inspired by a part of history that’s not well known, putting a deaf woman at the heart of her novel and her career-changing prize success.  TRANSCRIPT: download

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy A Sign of Her Own: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035401611

Follow Sarah: @SarahCMarsh

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jessica Bull about her crime novel Miss Austen Investigates. We discuss why Jane Austen makes the perfect detective, how Jessica knew the time was right to query her dream agent and what it's like writing a novel that went onto sell in 18 territories.

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Miss Austen Investigates: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241642085

Follow Jessica: @NovelistJessica

Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms

Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms

chloetimms.co.uk 

*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.