In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rajasree Variyar about her contemporary novel The Daughters of Madurai. We discuss how she was inspired by a shocking news story about infanticide which she remembered from her childhood, why her intense research trip to India made her complex characters more authentic, and finding a way to give agency to historically and culturally oppressed female characters. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Daughters of Madurai: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398707269

Follow Rajasree: @Raji_Warrior

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 Jenny Mustard about her contemporary novel Okay Days. This is a really interesting episode because I asked Jenny if she thinks her large following had any impact on her sales and we talk a lot about social media and whether writers should worry about the size of their following. We also discuss how she wrote the first draft in eight weeks and how it took her a while to realise she was writing in the wrong genre at first.  

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Okay Days: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399713467

Follow Jenny: @jenny_mustard

https://www.youtube.com/@JennyMustard

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 Claire Daverley about her contemporary novel Talking at Night. We discuss how the characters of her novel lived in her head for years before she found a way to put them on the page, why she made the contentious decision not to use speech marks and why this novel was third time lucky in getting an agent. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Talking at Night: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241604830

Follow Claire: @ClaireDaverley

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 Jost about her contemporary novel One Last Chance. We discuss writing as a non-native speaker, the challenges of writing a time loop love story and how Sarah tries to practise what she calls “writers’ mindfulness” to cope with the challenges of being published. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy One Last Chance: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349431536

Follow Sarah: @swissSarahUK

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 Alex Hay about his historical novel The Housekeepers. We discuss creating an ensemble cast of characters, how it took a clear idea and a story that felt fun and more “him” to attract an agent and how this novel turned him into a mega planner. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Housekeepers: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472299338

Follow Alex: @AlexHayBooks

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 Jenna Clake about her literary novel Disturbance. We discuss using witchcraft to write about female agency, the challenges of novel writing vs poetry and how Jenna Whatsapps herself notes on the go to keep her ideas alive. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Disturbance: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398712072

Follow Jenna: @jennaclake

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 Margaret Meyer about her historical novel The Witching Tide. We discuss why she was inspired by women who had been wiped from the history books, writing a non-verbal character and how working in male prisons taught her the power of story. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Witching Tide: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399605854

Follow Margaret: @Margaret_Meyer

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 Pim Wangtechawat about her literary novel The Moon Represents My Heart. We discuss how she set up the rules for time travel in her novel, the challenges of writing in her second language and what it’s like when your book’s optioned by Hollywood star Gemma Chan. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Moon Represents My Heart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780861544684

Follow Pim: @PimsupaW

https://pimwangtechawat.net

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 Alice Bell about her crime novel Grave Expectations. We discuss how she created her crime solving duo of a medium and a teenage ghost, how she works out whodunnit and why then works backwards and why now that she's published bookshops have become a place of fear. 

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy Grave Expectations: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781838958398

Follow Alice: @ABeeWords

https://alicebellauthor.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 Aoife Fitzpatrick about her historical novel The Red Bird Sings. We discuss the unbelievable true story that inspired her gothic novel, how her research trip to West Virginia helped her get the tone and the voice right and why she applied for arts council funding.

Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*

Buy The Red Bird Sings: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349016641

Follow Aoife: @aoifefitz_

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.