My guest today is another author from the Urbane stable. Julie Newman has written three novels: Beware the Cuckoo, The Kindness of Strangers and Cast No Shadow all published by Urbane Publications.
Welcome Julie, good to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I offer you?
J: Hi Anne thanks for inviting me. I’m rather partial to a cocktail and my favourite is a Negroni, so I‘ll have one of those please.
We seem to have known each other for a while. Do you remember where we first meet?
J: I remember it well. Our paths first crossed at the launch for Dancers in the Wind; your first Hannah Weybridge novel. I had just signed my contract with Urbane and Matthew invited me along to the launch. I think we hit it off straightaway. Despite being busy as it was your launch you took time to chat to me and put me at my ease. By the time I left we had exchanged contact details and agreed to meet up at some point.
J: Subsequently we have got together on several occasions and soon realised we had much in common. Not only do we share a publisher but we share Essex connections and both have a love of theatre and of course the written word. Although our writing styles are different we both enjoy writing strong female protagonists. And we both enjoy a glass of something from time to time too…
J: I’m looking forward to Hannah’s next outing, having enjoyed her first four adventures. How is that coming along?
Slowly but I am happy to be back in the 1990s away from lockdown. How about you? Are you able to concentrate on writing at the moment?
J: Yes, I am. My current WIP is very different to my previous books, however the main character is again female and she has a lot to say. This story also requires more research than my previous works. I have no deadline or date for the next book but my hope is that it will be ready for publication sometime next year. Although obviously the current climate makes it harder to plan things.
What are you looking forward to when lockdown is lifted?
J: I think when the lockdown is lifted, apart from hugging my kids and seeing family and friends, I am most looking forward to being able to make and have plans once more. I find it rather depressing looking at my empty diary pages or worse the days I’ve had to put a line through as the entry that was listed is no longer happening.
One thing lockdown has made you think about/want to do?
J: If there is one thing it’s made me think about it is how quickly life can change and therefore I should embrace it more. As I said earlier I don’t like an empty diary but I often used to worry about having too much to do. I would find excuses not to do things/go to places that I was invited to. I’m definitely going to be saying yes more often.
J: How about you Anne, what are you looking forward to?
Seeing friends and socialising. Hugging and more hugging. So many book events I was looking forward to have been cancelled so it will be great when we can plan for these as well.
J: I am also missing literary events, not just taking part but attending as an audience member too. It will be good when book events can resume once more and I hope that you and I can take part in an event together.
What would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panellists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
J: I’d love to be part of a panel that would include Joanne Harris, Ali Smith and Jill Dawson. All very different writers but firm favourites of mine. I’d particularly like to chat to Jill Dawson about Patricia Highsmith; another writer I love who is also a favourite of Jill’s.
A fabulous choice of authors, Julie and thank you so much for joining me today.