Do you ever feel like you know someone when you meet them? As in a separated at birth moment??? Or maybe if you believe in that afterlife stuff that you knew each other in a previous life? This is a little how I felt when the very lovely Cesca Major sat in my chair. Dark hair, fringe, same sense of humour. Think we were more alike than my older sister and I! Cesca had asked through the Twittersphere whether I’d cut her hair. Obviously the answer was yes, as I LOVE having book people in my chair.
Cesca’s debut The Silent Hours published by Corvus, is out on 5th November in paperback, for those of you that haven’t read it I highly recommend you do. I’m a huge geeky fan of wartime set novels and this is based on a true event that happened in France. The story takes place during and after the war and is told from different viewpoints. With dual timescale and varied voices this was a big thumbs up for me. It’s definitely not an easy read, and made me feel horrified and sad at times, but a book that evokes such strong emotions is a book worth reading!
Cesca has stunning hair and reiterates my theory that writing is good for the follicles! We talked books (surprise surprise). The ones we love and why? How big the TBR pile gets sometimes…….and saying which ones should be popped to the top of the pile. As Cesca was off on a holiday soonish we discussed the intricacy of picking the right books to take. We also giggled a lot when she was telling me about her books written under Rosie Blake. I even volunteered my friend Emma for research purposes as to hunting down your exes. (Yes, she did!!!!)
I had a wonderful time with her in my chair and she left with happy hair!!
Where are you going on holiday?
Well I have just come back from the most incredible holiday in the Maldives so am yet to plan the next one. I keep thinking back to it though. We saw turtles, sharks, rays… it was a stunning place.
How many books would you take for a week away?
I took 5 away and that was only just OK..! One was a 750 page Jilly Cooper too so I am a book worm. Fortunately the husband was reading the latest Jack Reacher so I stole that too.
What shampoo do you use?
Same as before..! The brunette one… I forget the name… (John Frieda)
Are you doing anything nice at the weekend?
This weekend I am working furiously on edits for THE LAST NIGHT – I went back to Devon to do some more research last month and now I am working on the ‘Historical Note’ at the back of the book. A large part of the book is based on a true story from 1952 and the details are quite harrowing.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I’m currently reading Sarra Manning’s AFTER THE LAST DANCE – very, very slowly due to editing. It is a lovely read so far.
If anyone alive or dead could tweet about your book, who would you like it to be?
I think if the lovely Mary Shaffer who co-wrote my favourite novel THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY had been able to read it I definitely would have wanted to know what she thought.
notesfromthechair 