Tag: Julie Newman

Julie Newman

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.

Holiday Reading

My thoughts on some of the novels I’ve recently read.

The Summer of Impossible Things

by Rowan Colman (Ebury Press)

A beautifully written, accomplished novel that captivated me from the very first pages. Narrated by Luna who, with her sister, Pia, makes a trip to Brooklyn after their mother’s suicide to sell off the building that had been her home and workplace. There they find their mother had sent them film reels, the first of which reveals she was the victim of a violent rape and that Henry who has brought Lana up, is not her biological father. Coupled with this horrifying revelation is Lana’s discovery that she can slip from her present back to 1977 where she meets her mother pre-rape. Lana is determined to change the course of history, to save her mother even if it means wiping out her own existence. Go with the flow on this one and fall in love with the characters delivered with such beautiful prose and brilliant structure.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

by Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins)

Judging by some readers’ comments, this is every much a Marmite book and fortunately I love Marmite. I bought the book as a treat for myself after Christmas and before it became a prizewinner. I love the narrative style and the quirky protagonist. Although I guessed most of the “surprises”, it didn’t detract from my appreciation as the quality of writing is superlative and the path Eleanor treads is captivating. A superbly accomplished début.

Reservoir 13

by Jon McGregor (Fourth Estate)

Another book I bought as a treat – and I knew nothing about the author or the premise of the book which, it transpired, is how the disappearance of a teenage girl on holiday in the area affects that community over a number of years. Each chapter begins with New Years Eve and the celebrations – or lack of them. Each year the inhabitants of the small village reveal a little more of their lives and how they have been changed. I found the writing spellbinding, reminiscent of Dylan Thomas.

Her Secret

by Kelly Florentia (Urbane Publications)

Although this is the sequel to No Way Back, which I haven’t read, I felt it read well as a standalone and there is plenty of backstory interwoven into the narrative to inform the reader. The protagonist, Audrey Fox, is newly married and enjoying life until she is told a secret that has enormous repercussions on her life and marriage. Lies are revealed and lives are shattered. Not my usual genre but perfect if you prefer mature (in age) heroines.

Whistle in the Wind

by Emma Healey (Viking Books)

Initially I found Emma Healey’s second novel difficult to get in to – it was a slow start for me. It deals with the disappearance then reappearance of a teenage girl on a painting holiday with her mother. Lana, aged 15, has been severely depressed and her mother, Jen, is at her wits end but determined to do or try anything to find out what happened to her daughter during the days she was missing. Lana gives up on school, her friends and sleeps with her light on. I didn’t particularly empathise with the mother whose actions and reactions irritated me at times. By far the most sympathetic character is the father. However it was the quality of the writing which kept me reading – and (no spoilers) the climax of the novel makes it all worthwhile.

Wayland’s Revenge

by Lesley Lodge (Matador)

Historical fiction isn’t my usual read and I wasn’t sure what to expect with Wayland’s Revenge. However, I needn’t have worried as after the first chapter or so I was totally engrossed. The narrative is fast moving and the characters sympathetically portrayed especially the bereaved Wayland and his traumatised son. Teaming up with his friend, Alun, a Welsh Baker, Wayland and his son set off on a quest to find his dead wife’s murderer only to end up trapped in the Siege of Colchester where their own lives are threatened.

The Kindness of Strangers

by Julie Newman (Urbane Publications)

If you look at the front cover of this book, you’ll see I rather enjoyed it! “An intricate portrayal of love and loss, redemption and revenge which will stay with you long after the final page.” This is another book for those who like characters who are mature and come from a variety of backgrounds. Be prepared for a narrative that will shock and surprise you.