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| Claire Huston - Author |
Hello
Claire – I’m so pleased you were keen to appear as a guest on the blog. And it’s
always a pleasure to make contact with fellow authors when it comes to sharing
news about books. But before we discover more about your debut novel Art and Soul,
here are a few questions which will hopefully give your readers and followers an insight
into some of the things that matter to you.
Arabella: We all love
the creativity of writing – otherwise we wouldn’t spend hours at a keyboard
pounding away in the hope someone will read and enjoy our novels. But what do
you like most about our craft?
The editing and
proofreading, the author/reader relationship, promotional book signings, or is
there something else that has you hooked to the world of books?
Claire:
I know many authors hate it, but I quite enjoy the editing stage. Making
changes to existing writing isn’t usually as difficult as filling the blank
page. And, after the book is out in the world, it’s wonderful when someone tells
you they enjoyed it! Knowing you’ve created a few hours of happy escapism for
others is a terrific feeling.
Arabella: Who or what
inspired you to write your debut novel, Art and Soul?
Claire:
It all began with me misremembering something from Marlowe’s version of Doctor Faustus. I had got it into my
head that at some point in the play Mephistopheles expresses sorrow for
Faustus, and then I wondered what would happen in a version of the story in
which the demon grows fond of his master over the years he’s serving him. It
was a (relatively) short imaginative journey from there to a story about a
highly capable woman (who isn’t a demon or supernatural in any way) working to
realise the dreams of a man (who isn’t a Faustian megalomaniac) and falling in
love with him along the way.
My
working title for the drafts of the book was Modern Mephistopheles, although obviously that doesn’t exactly roll
off the tongue, hence why the book is called Art and Soul.
To
give you an idea of what Art and Soul is
about, here’s a short blurb…
An expert at solving
other people’s problems, single mum Becky is hired to help artist Charlie get
out of his creative slump. But when she starts falling for her client, will she
be able to fix her own love life?
Arabella: Some authors
cannot work without a business planner, others cannot write without an editing
app… Are there any “essentials” you need
to help your writing move forward?
Claire: After
a while, staring at a white screen trying to force inspiration to strike stops
being productive. I’ve always enjoyed writing by hand and love a nice notebook
and pen (I’m a big fan of beautiful stationery!). Going back to “analogue”
writing methods has often helped me solve a problem in a story or move a scene
forward when I’ve been stuck.
Arabella: If the person
of your dreams, (husband/wife/partner/or superstar), were to take you out for
the night, where would they take you and what would you do?
Claire: This
is going to be such a boring answer. Sorry! As a mum of two small people, I
very rarely get to go out anywhere. So if my husband and I were child-free for
an evening, I would like to go to a quiet restaurant and eat all my dessert
myself without having to share it. Then I’d love to go to the cinema. I used to
go to the movies a lot and hope to be back there at least once a week once the
kids leave home!
Arabella: Do you have
any great writing, publishing, or marketing tips you would like to share to
“want-to-be” authors starting out on their writing journey?
Claire: Prepare
yourself for rejection and criticism. Writing is an incredibly subjective
business. You may have written the story of the century, but not everyone is
going to like it. If you don’t believe this, visit Amazon or Goodreads and
check out some of the negative reviews for all-time classics and huge
best-sellers. It will make you feel better!
However,
this also means that you shouldn’t give up if you get a few negative comments
or a handful of rejections. If you’ve received positive feedback about your
writing and you believe in your story, keep going!
Thank you for featuring
me and Art and Soul!
Claire, it was lovely
to have you as a guest on the blog and I hope you continue to enjoy your fetish
desire for beautiful stationery.
All the best for your
debut release: Art and Soul and wishing you lots more happy-ever-after writing.
Arabella
About Claire Huston
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| Claire Huston - Author |
Claire Huston lives in
Warwickshire with her husband and two children. Art and Soul is her first novel.
A keen amateur baker,
she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them.
You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul at www.clairehuston.co.uk
along with over 100 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and
reviews books.
Social
Media
linktr.ee/clairehuston_author
Book
Blurb: Art
and Soul
There’s no
problem Becky Watson can’t fix. Except her own love life…
Struggling
single mother Becky Watson longs to revive her career as a life-fixer, working
miracles to solve her clients’ problems, no matter how big or small. Since the
birth of her two-year-old son she has been stuck preventing wedding fiascos for
the richest and rudest residents of the Comptons, a charming, leafy area of
southern England known for its artistic heritage.
So when
semi-reclusive local artist Charlie Handren reluctantly hires Becky to fix his
six-year creative slump, she’s delighted to set him up with a come-back
exhibition and Rachel Stone, the woman of his dreams.
Though they get off to a rocky start, Becky and Charlie
soon become close. But as the beautiful Rachel becomes Charlie’s muse, Becky is
forced to wonder: will giving Charlie everything he wants mean giving up her
own happily ever after?
Art
and Soul is Claire Huston’s debut novel and it
was published in ebook and paperback on 23rd April 2020.
BUY
LINKS:
Universal buy link:
getbook.at/ClaireHustonAandS
Thank you so much for featuring me and Art and Soul! Will share far and wide when I get my computer back f4om home school activities later :-)
ReplyDeleteClaire - Once again, thank you for being a super guest on the blog. And at the moment, I'm in exactly the same position as you when it comes to "computer" share.
DeleteMy computer is the only one in the household with a working audio Zoom connection!
Planng the working day around social interaction and not the WIP is exhausting.
Wishing you all the best for your debut novel: Art and Soul
Arabella