100 Readers

Reader 21: Penny L

2010-10-29T09:10:00.000+01:00

Penny L is 48 and lives in Dorset in the U.K.

Describe yourself.

Happy,kind,disorganised,positive, sarcastic.

How important do you think art is?

Vitally important-what would the soul do without beautiful objects, buildings, paintings, music? I also see nature as art.

Do you do anything creative?

I knit, crochet, sew, think, bring up my children, create a home.

What are you working on at the moment?

My whole life is a work in progress. When it comes to "things" I am very good at starting things and rarely finish anything so the list includes patchwork quilts, a granny throw for my daughter, cross stitch pictures, appliqued wallhanging......

What's the best advice your parents gave you?

"You can't take it with you".

If you could live your life again, what would you do more/less of?

More running/less procrastinating.

When were you happiest?

I had a very happy childhood. I loved travelling just after we got married, I loved having small children, I love bits of now. I'm hoping I haven't had my happiest yet!

What is your favourite book?

Very difficult. I love The Secret Garden by F Hodgson-Burnett, All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville West, all of Miss Read's books, Richard Carlson's Don't sweat the Small Stuff books, Harry Potter.........

What have you learnt from books?

That I get very very twitchy if I don't have one about my person !

What's your guiltiest pleasure?

I really enjoy watching The X Factor and am happy that it's on Sunday as well this year.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

A better memory.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?

President Obama, my friend Sally, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Queen Victoria, Michael Mackintyre, Huw Fearnley-Whittingstall and my husband.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?

I genuinely loved reading it and managed to finish it in a couple of days. Holding it whilst stirring custard, reading it in the car whilst waiting for children... etc. I liked the characters, finding them very genuine and I liked that it reflected the fact that people's lives are never as they present themselves to the world.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?

I read Lucy's blog and she mentioned the book and the 100 readers project so I emailed her!!

(Fiona says: I'm still waiting for Lucy's answers and so we've cheated and skipped a person to get to Penny - I'll post Lucy's answers when they come through!)

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Thank you Penny - fine advice from your parents, and I liked your X-factor confession ; ) And I'd definitely have Hugh F-W at my dinner party too...

Reader 20: Gillian Anderson

2009-10-29T08:55:00.003Z

No, not that Gillian Anderson. This one is a 59 year old Masseur from Kilmacolm in Scotland.

Gillian has been married for 39 years and has 1 daughter, 1 son-in-law and 2 grand-daughters.

Tell me about yourself?
Tall, slim, hard-working, friendly, good with finances.

How would your friends describe you?
Reliable, loving, good friend, shy.

What do you do for a living?
Hot Stone & Swedish Therapy, Holistic Facial.

How important is work to you?
Very important.

Where do you live?
In a Victorian 4 bed house.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
Great book, really enjoyed it.

How do you know the person who passed the book to you?
I work with Mo Ferrington.

*

Thanks Gillian - I've never had a hot stone massage, but I do like the sound of them... next time I'm nearby maybe I'll pop in!

Reader 19: Marcia

2009-10-09T09:02:00.004+01:00

Marcia is a 66 yr old 'Enthusiastic retiree' living in San Diego, California.

How would your friends describe you?
I think they would say, I’m a: nature/animal lover; good cook; loyal friend; and, a soft-hearted, but tough, old bird.

What project are you working on at the moment?
Reviewing, organizing, and trying to figure out what to do with a stamp collection (accumulation) I inherited from my parents.

What is the most important object in your home/garden?
Our picture albums.

Do you do anything creative?
Not at the moment, but I plan to take up decoupage and (hopefully) learn to play a musical instrument.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
If you don’t have the money to buy something, you just don’t get it.

What have you learnt from books?
I’ve learned a lot about human nature and the many variations in life experiences. It’s also helped to broaden my vocabulary.

What are you reading at the moment?
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie and Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.

What is your greatest fear?
That my daughter will die before I do. No reason to think she will, but . . .

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
I love my 1998 Toyota Corolla, Princess Snowflake (obviously, she’s white).

What is your earliest memory?
Being woken up in the middle of the night to go clam digging with my parents and sister at a beach on Cape Cod.

Who is your hero?
Former US President, Jimmy Carter.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Cheetos.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?
My parents (now deceased), my sister (who has advanced Alzheimer’s) and her family, and my daughter -- all hale and hearty.

Who was your favourite character in The Blue Handbag?
I think it was Charlie; he was very ‘real’ and my kind of guy.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
About 30 years ago, I met Lynne through a mutual friend. Now, I consider both my very best friends.

*

Thank you Marcia, it's lovely to meet you. And that's good advice from your parents!

Reader 18: Kathryn

2009-10-08T09:00:00.004+01:00

Kathryn is a doctor living in Sheffield.

How important is your work to you?
My work constantly drives me to achieve more each day, but reminds me also how important it is to stop and enjoy everything while you can.

When were you happiest?
Just now.

What is your favourite book?
The Time Traveller's Wife.

What are your pets called?
Tallisker.

What is your earliest memory?
The flowers in my mum’s garden.

How do you relax?
Catching up with friends and putting the world to rights.

What keeps you awake at night?
Making lists of things I need to do.

How did you find reading The Blue Handbag?
I struggled to put the book down, always wanting to get to know Leonard better and to explain the mystery.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
A good friend who has always passed on to me suggestions for great books and music.

*

Thank you Kathryn, good to meet you (and Tallisker!)

Reader 17: Catherine

2009-10-06T10:20:00.000+01:00

Catherine is a counsellor and psychotherapist in her 30s living in Oxfordshire.

Describe yourself in five words.

Intuitive, thoughtful, driven, analytic, empathic.

How would your friends describe you?
Forthright.

Do you do anything creative?
Just day to day things – creating a home, making things with shells or paper, doodles, photography, an occasional painting or writing, sand sculptures at the beach.

What are you working on at the moment?
I collected hundreds of shells on a recent holiday and have just finished weaving them together with wire. A local lady spontaneously started to help me collect them. I thin k it’s interesting how the creative act can cut through social conformity and language barriers to unite people.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
My dad always said “When in doubt, don’t” referring to relationships.

What is your favourite book?
Enid Blyton ‘Mr Pinkwhistle’, C. S. Lewis ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, Harper Lee ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’, J.D. Salinger ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, H.E Bates ‘The Purple Plain’, David Niven ‘The Moon’s a Balloon’.

How many books do you read a month?
Less than one.

What would your super power be?
Telepathy.

What are your spiritual beliefs?
I’m mainly Christian/Catholic, Buddhist and Atheist. Yes, really.

What is your earliest memory?
Aged 2/3? Deciding whether to write with my left or right hand. I opted for my left.

Who is your hero?
My dad and Winston Churchill.

What keeps you awake at night?
My neighbour Jane singing “I want to ride on a star, if you stay with me girl we can rule the world” at 3am. Otherwise I sleep well.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?
Agatha Christie, Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine, Emmeline Pankhurst, Yoda (from Star Wars) or Ja Ja Binks, Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy), The Minogue sisters.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I enjoyed it. It made me feel homely, like wearing a favourite old jumper and slippers, and it brought back warm memories of my teenage years in my family home.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
Fiona is a friend. We met nearly 5 years ago when we worked at the same counselling service.

Thanks Catherine, definitely worth the wait : ) and very illuminating.

Reader 16: Dasha Andrews

2009-10-02T10:23:00.003+01:00

Dasha is a 43 yr old mother and wanna go back to work therapist (homeopath/ craniosacral therapist) living in Hampshire in the UK.

How would your friends describe you?
Difficult!, at times reserved, messy, very sensitive, artistic, honest.

What do you do for a living?
I’m a kept woman.

What project are you working on at the moment?
Preparing a ‘German experience’ for the kids at my son’s nursery (Montessori).

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
Watch your company perhaps.

If you could live your life again, what would you do more of/less of?
More travelling, studying, meditating, laughing, singing, being creative in different ways.

Sum up your life so far in twenty words or less.
Never quite at home.

When were you happiest?
After spending some time at an ashram in India.

What is your favourite book?
What is the What.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Perhaps that I sang in a garage rock band and played the electric guitar (badly-but loud).

What is your greatest fear?
To be rejected.

What would your super power be?
Unconditional love.

What are your spiritual beliefs?
Perhaps mainly influenced by Vedic teachings – life is a quest of non-duality.

What is your earliest memory?
My grandmother dying of breast cancer in a dark room.

How do you relax?
I can’t.

What person has been the greatest influence over you/who is your hero?
Sai Baba.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Having time to myself and switching off the world for a while.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Working in a butchery.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
First, I was impatient because of the slow and detailed beginning. In the end, however, I appreciated how well developed the characters and the story actually were. Overall, a refreshingly ordinary story of ordinary people.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
Patrick is my husband.

*

Thank you Dasha. I love that photo, and that's the best super power so far...

Reader 15: Lynne Williams

2009-09-24T08:04:00.004+01:00

Lynne Williams describes herself as 'young at heart' and is currently passing through Ukiah, California on her way back from San Diego, which was home for most of her life; she lives most of the year in Port Townsend, Washington.

Describe yourself in five words
Retired late blooming flower child.

Describe your house.
Moved into my house on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State about six months ago. The kitchen is cornflower blue. Lots of crystals and mirrored dingle-dangles hang from a driftwood branch over the west-facing window. It’s beautiful when the sun is low; the adjacent dining area is terra-cotta orange and also gets splashed with the rainbows and sparkles in the late afternoon. These rooms are magical that time of day.

How important do you think art is?
For me, art is right up there with the necessities. There’s a bumper sticker around town that says ART SAVES LIVES. Art inspires us to reach beyond ourselves and provides an outlet for creative expression of our individuality in a non-competitive way.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
That my creativity needs a lot of space and light and fresh air to blossom.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
My friend’s dad included me in his now-that-you’re-getting-married talk with his daughter and said, "Don’t ever get yourself in debt. When you owe money, you’ve aren’t in control of your own life."

If you could live your life again, what would you do more of/less of?
I’d get more education, dance with anybody who asked me, take more risks, have more children, stop at more lemonade stands, eat more vegetables, do more yoga.

Sum up your life so far in twenty words or less.
Adult child of alcoholic, invisible, frightened, abandoned. Blessed with good friends, healing, feeling, figuring out who I REALLY am.

When were you happiest?
Living alone, working at home, no TV, lots of Joni Mitchell.

What are you reading at the moment?
The Monk Downstairs. ‘ Just finished Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky – FABULOUS! And she intended it to be twice as long – amazing.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
The things I picture doing to careless, rude drivers.

What are your pets called?
Charlie; Chuck, King Charles; my orange cat from the pound.

What is your greatest fear?
That I’ll never live in Paris.

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
I drive a 12-year-old Toyota Camry, Carly Sage, and I absolutely love her. She’s one of my best friends.

What are your spiritual beliefs?
A combination Christian-Buddhist-Muslim Beatles mystical approach: we’re all divine and all we need is love.

What is your earliest memory?
Sitting in a jumper seat in an attic as my mother hung clothes on a line; light was pouring in from somewhere and I was watching dust motes dancing in the slanting sunlight.

Describe The Blue Handbag in five words.
Compelling puzzler with believable characters.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
Heather is the daughter of my dear friend Nancy. Her older brother is my god-son and it felt like Heather was my god-daughter.

*

Thank you Heather - what with Carly Sage and Chuck, I feel like I know you now...

Reader 14: Caroline

2009-09-17T08:33:00.004+01:00

Caroline is a retired medical-librarian who describes herself as 'ancient' and who lives in Surrey.

How would your friends describe you?

Busy, takes on too much, involved in local choirs, U3A, NADFAS etc, etc.

How important is your work to you?
Ex medical-librarian. Job was very important, still trying to come to terms with retirement.

What is the most important object in your home?

My books, c 3,000, and clothes, too many of those too.

What are you working on at the moment?

Building and furnishing a dolls house.

What is your favourite book?

Too many to mention, Jane Austen’s Persuasion if pushed, but I’d hate to confine it to 1.

What are you reading at the moment?

Travel books about Syria (off there next week), Amelia Edwards’ Voyage up the Nile, Emma Darwin’s 2nd novel, A Secret Alchemy, Obama Dreams from my father, re-reading Mary Stewart The Gabriel Hounds (the Syrian connection again).

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?

Alfa Romeo GTV coupe, I love it dearly.

What are your spiritual beliefs?

Anglo catholic CofE.

What is your earliest memory?

Swans on the Thames.

What keeps you awake at night?

Global warming.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?

This is a difficult one. I sat next to Simon Raven once at a National Book League Cricket match lunch. I wanted to talk about his books, he wanted to talk about cricket! And once next to a nursing sister from Holloway prison, who wouldn’t talk about her job. So I am afraid anybody I choose might be a disappointment. Katharine Whitehorn would probably be OK, apart from that any good conversationalist.

Who would play you in a film of your life?

I’d love to think it would be Juliet Stephenson, but I fear it would be more likely to be Imelda Staunton.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

I’ve never had a bad job.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I liked the way the plot revealed itself slowly, and came to a satisfactory ending. I did find it difficult to like any of the characters much, got very irritated with Pickles the dog, and bored with the plants. That sounds rather damning, sorry. I shall read your next one with interest, I think the way you handle the plot will see you through.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?

He is my son.

Thank you for your answers, Caroline. Pickles seems to be a bit like marmite ; )

The end of the Summer....

2009-09-09T10:25:00.004+01:00

Everything stops over the summer, and it seems like this project has been having a rest too.

I'm back at work now, and I'm hoping to get some more 100 Reader interviews posted soon. I'm also still looking for mini-interviews from people who've read the book.

You can read a few reviews at Amazon UK now, and if you're not in the UK then The Book Depository is probably still the easiest way to get your hands on a copy. You can change the currency at the top right.

Here's to a little bit more sun before autumn descends...

Mini-interview 2: Donna Safford

2009-07-30T09:22:00.006+01:00

Donna Safford is 52 and works as office staff in the Admission Office of a Liberal Arts College in Western MA, USA. Her website is Books and such (here's Donna's review of The Blue Handbag).

How would your friends describe you?
Avid reader, fiercely loyal, family oriented, organized, compassionate, hard-working.

If you could live your life again, what would you do more of/less of?
Love more, complain less.

Sum up your life so far in twenty words or less.
Daughter, wife, mother; lover of God, family, nature, animals, travel, books, and music. Looking forward!

What is your greatest fear?
The death of one of my sons.

What is your favourite book?
The Bible.

What do you drive and how do you feel about them?
We have two Saturns (an Ion and Vue) – good on gas, love them.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
To slow down.

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Thank you Donna! Slow down - I need that advice.

Mini-interview 1: Joanna Swainson

2009-07-28T07:57:00.003+01:00

Joanna Swainson is a 36 year old reader / Jack of All Trades who lives in London.

Tell me about yourself.
I'm a mother of three. I lead a strange double life where I'm a full time mum one minute and a worker / wannabe writer / guitar strumming singer / whatever-I-want- to-be the next. That's because the children spend half the time with their father from whom I separated over five years ago. Also, I am a twin. I think that accounts for a lot of things about me.

What do you do for a living?
I read. A lot! I am a reader for a glitzy London literary agency. I also freelance for a couple of other agents and do odd graphic design and typing jobs on the side.

What is the most important object in your home?
My bedroom door. That's what it's like when you've got three young-ish children, bless them.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
We create our own chances.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
Mum: be flexible.
Dad: if you're going on holiday in that rusty old camper van, get European breakdown cover.

Who was your favourite character in The Blue Handbag?
I really liked the men in the pub. I loved their 'most impossible wife' competition and Malky's Valentines story. It made me laugh and summed up precisely how women's minds work. I can say that because I am one!

*

Thanks Joanna. This is the first of our 'mini-interviews' which will be six questions long - when you've read The Blue Handbag I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to be featured. Get in touch!

Reader 13: Kath Glover

2009-07-22T14:10:00.000+01:00

Kath Glover is 26 and lives in an old terraced house in Manchester near a beautiful big park which she visits every day. Her most recent job was in an occult book shop serving all kinds of interesting (and often crazy) people. Sadly the shop has now closed for various reasons including the current recession. Here is her lovely Etsy website, Six Swans.

Tell me about yourself.
I am an avid knitter and spinner and have recently started putting together some of my own patterns. I'm mad about dogs and all things doggy especially my own cute canine, Wilma who is a staffordshire bull terrier. I am very interested in the campaign against breed specific legislation. Ban the deed not the breed, people!

I also have a strong interest in theology and belief and I myself am a vodouisant. I have always been fascinated by mythology and religious belief, in particular why people believe the things they do. In my personal exploration of faiths I have been part of a Wiccan coven and spoken to many people of different faiths who have shared their practices with me. I became a vodouisant about 6 or 7 years ago after I met a French priest at the occult book shop I worked in and spending a lot of time with him learning about the tradition and its roots.

I suffer from Hyper-mobility syndrome and fibromyalgia so I often have a lot of time to spend reading or knitting/spinning. I also love jazz, blues and modern folk music and am a total geek.

What project are you working on at the moment?
I am hoping we can get a yarn co-operative going here in Manchester, that would be great. There is a huge amount of knitting groups but hardly anywhere to buy yarn especially interesting stuff that isn't made of acrylic. It would be lovely to have a place where we can all come together and knit and spin.

Do you do anything creative?
I am very interested in fibre arts and love knitting, crochet, spinning and even sewing and embroidery. I also sometimes paint, recently I completed my first icon which is based on an image of the Black Madonna known as Santa Barbara Africana. I'm not happy unless I'm making something!

What are you working on at the moment?
I have just finished knitting a top and am about to crochet a corsage for it. I am planning a cotton cabled cardigan for my next big project, and I am currently working on designing another sock pattern.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
To rely on and be myself.

What is your favourite book?
I couldn't possibly choose a favourite, there are so many that I love. At the moment the book that is popping into my head is 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' by Wade Davis which is an anthropological type of thing about Haiti and vodou. I do tend to read more non-fiction than fiction these days but I have so many books I think they may be what is holding my house up!
What are you reading at the moment?: 'Spiritual Merchants: Religion, Magic, and Commerce' by Carolyn Morrow Long & 'Living Dead in Dallas' by Charlaine Harris.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I don't often tell people I meet about being a vodouisant, the word voodoo scares people. Popular ideas of zombies and blood thirsty ceremonies still abound.

What are your pets called?
Wilma is my beautiful dog, I also have two large goldfish called Kali and Spud and an axolotl named Tiamat.

What is your earliest memory?
Being in a hospital cot with whooping cough at 13/14 months of age and being collected to go home by my aunt and uncle who were the only family members with a car at the time. They seemed like angels rescuing me.

Who is your hero?
I greatly admire singer and musician Nina Simone who highlighted the American civil rights movement and racism through her music. She also spoke and performed at many civil rights rallies.

What keeps you awake at night?
Everything I have forgotten to do or say that day and things I ought to have done differently.

Who was your favourite character in The Blue Handbag?
Does Pickles count? Thought not! I was intrigued by the story of Raine and Ed and how her knowledge of Rose's Tuesday afternoons affected her and their relationship. I also really liked Lily's honesty at the back end of the book, after Leonard had effectively dumped her without realising it! Typical bloke eh?

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
Katie Rathfelder and I go to the same knitting group in Manchester.

*

Thank you Kath, interesting answers - good luck with setting your co-operative up!

Reader 12: Heather Anastasiu

2009-07-20T08:21:00.005+01:00

Heather Anastasiu is a 27 year old student in Austin, Texas. Her blog is here.

Tell me about yourself.
I’m just starting grad school this fall, getting my Masters in Literature. I’m married and have a cutie-pie four ½ year old little boy.

What project are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on a novel of mythology for young adults about Persephone. It’s something I’ve been working on, off and on, for about four years now. It was my first ever serious attempt at writing. All of the writing I did on it the first year was horrible, but I was just figuring out how to actually start writing, making a daily discipline of it, learning how to write dialogue, etc. I took a year off from the manuscript and worked on some other projects, and have just recently come back and re-written it. I don’t think there’s a sentence from the first draft that is still in the latest one, but it’s an exciting learning process.

When were you happiest?
I hope today, then tomorrow, then the week after that! I’m generally a happy person, and I want to enjoy life as much as possible. Even when life is stressful and hard, I try to find ways to have moments of happiness, especially with my husband and kiddo.

What is your favourite book?
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

How many books do you read a month?
Lately, I’ve been reading about 8-10 a month, because I’ve had the time during the summer and also because I’m just devouring a bunch of shorter young adult novels. I can’t keep away from the used book store, and the library, and as a last recourse when I really want a certain book, the regular full price book stores. I really need to have a whole bracket in my budget each month for buying books!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
My first kiss EVER was on my wedding day. No joke. We were extremely religious and conservative at the time.

What would your super power be?
I have some chronic health problems, so I think if I could choose a superpower, it would be to have infinite strength and endurance.

What person has been the greatest influence over you?
My husband. We married young (I was 19) and are almost coming up on our 8th wedding anniversary. Because we were so young, we were very adaptive. We’d never really been out on our own before we were married and doing it together. So all those first experiences of "real" life – paying rent, bills, having jobs – we learned to do it as a team. He’s also a very open person, always says what’s on his mind, never plays mind games or tries to manipulate. I’d grown up in a family where we just bottled everything up and never talked about things, so being married to him at first was shocking, and also really freeing. I’d be mad at him about something, and he’d force me to talk it out, rather than just doing passive aggressive things to get back at him. No one had ever done that with me before – wanted everything laid out on the table – complete honesty all the time. It’s only one of the many reasons I love him. Each of us has changed so much since we met each other (I was a quiet, conservative girl in Bible college when he met me, and now I have big tattoos and pink hair!), but I think it’s because of that openness that we’ve been able to change and grow in ways that remain compatible with the changes in the other.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Getting new tattoos! I try to limit myself to getting only one a year.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Working as a phone customer service rep in a call center, where mainly we dealt with angry customers wanting refunds. I got cussed out by angry people over the phone more times than I could count!

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I found the scenes the chaos of Leonard’s daughter’s house the most endearing, and enjoyed seeing him as the doting grandfather. I also like the big reveal of the secrets at the end of the book after so many pages of anticipation.

Finally – How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
The beautiful Erin Pringle is one of my best friends. I met her at a coffee shop where we both spend a ridiculous amount of time.

*

Thank you Heather - great interview. And I'm very jealous of your hair.

Reader 11: Erin Pringle

2009-06-22T07:00:00.001+01:00

Erin Pringle is a writer and a teacher from San Marcos, TX. Her site is here.

What project are you working on at the moment?
My first book, a collection of short stories, was just released by Two Ravens Press. I’m about to go on a book tour and further wear down the front tires on my car that GoodYear told me last week need replaced. (Erin's book The Floating Order is available here).

What is the most important object in your garden?
My clothesline. I enjoy hanging out all my clothes and don’t have a dryer on purpose. However, I have a hard time taking the clothes down and putting them away, so sometimes the lines will remain full for several rains and sunny days.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
Fiction can’t save a life.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
My mother would often say, Bored people are boring people. It seems akin to the saying about Idle hands being the devil’s work.

What is your favourite book?
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

What is your favourite film?
Winter Light or Fight Club.

What have you learnt from books?
Everything.

What are your pets called?
Gretta, Molly, and Isla (three dogs), and a stray cat named NotMyCat.

What is your greatest fear?
Living longer than everyone I love.

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
It’s more like what my husband and friends think about my driving: they think I drive to close to the side of the road, too fast (though I really do stick to the speed limit), and too chaotically (I call it strategic driving). In retrospect, I guess my mother gripping the armrest when I was first learning to drive wasn’t necessarily just her fear of seeing her teenager drive. I prefer riding my bike to driving, though.

What is your earliest memory?
Sitting in my swinging chair (the one that an adult has to crank to make it swing), and my sister running up the stairs and then down the stairs and putting her sunglasses on me.

Since The Blue Handbag features a marriage and you’re married, how did you and your husband meet?
He was living in the apartment above mine when I moved to Texas. I was talking to his roommate when he came through the door.

How did you find reading The Blue Handbag?
Throughout the book I kept hoping that Fiona Robyn has a manuscript for a young-adult novel either in a drawer that she’ll open soon or in the works, as her interest in children’s literature is woven throughout the novel, from the retelling of Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl” to childhood rhymes. I’m very much excited to see in what parts of the bookstore I’ll find Robyn’s future books, as I think the writing is an interesting mix of Charlotte Bronte, Agatha Christie, and Jane Yolen.

How do you know the person who passed the book on to you?
Michael Kimball. I think I know him because he’s famous. :)

*

Lovely to meet you, Erin. There aren't any of those manuscripts in my drawers but I do love books for children - and The Little Match Girl always breaks my heart... Thank you for being my eleventh reader!

Reader 10: Mo Ferrington

2009-06-18T07:00:00.002+01:00

Mo Ferrington works as a full time Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist in Renfrewshire near Edinburgh. Mo said that's in Spain but I think that might be a fib. Her website is here.

How would your friends describe you?
I am a dynamic, positive full of the joy’s of spring person. Driven, focused and full of enthusiasm.

What project are you working on at the moment?
Building a National & International Practice. I host a radio show and work with music in Hypnosis as well. IF you have not seen the film August Rush then DO.

Where do you live?
In an Old Scottish Farmhouse up in the hills in Renfrewshire, with plenty room, and I have an office at home as well as the usual.

What is the most important object in your home/garden?
A photograph of my Mother. Beside Dexter Ferringtons my last adorable dog. And my Dog. Kizzy the Airedale.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
That regardless of what happens there is always a way to solve things.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
Always remember the little people and be yourself.

If you could live your life again, what would you do more of/less of?
I would possibly Play more and work less.

When were you happiest?
When I was a Station Master for British Rail running Dalmeny Railway Station in South Queensferry.

What is your favourite book?
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

What are you reading at the moment?
The Latest Clive Cussler Book. ( I love him )

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That I am quite shy.

What are your pets called?
We have lost dear Dexter and now have Kizzy.

What is your greatest fear?
I don’t do Fear.

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
A fab old SAAb H reg TDI and I adore it.

What is your earliest memory?
Robin the pony standing on my Muffin the Mule puppet.

What keeps you awake at night?
Concerns, Owls, Cows and a good Book.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?
Hilary Clinton, Dame Judy Dench, Santa Sebag-Montefiore, Colleen Dewhurst,
Stephen Fry, Denham Elliot, Andre Botchelli and Morgan Freeman.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Cleaner in a meat dept. of Woolworths.

Describe The Blue Handbag in five words.
A Treat for the Imagination.

*

Thank you Mo - here's to playing more and working less.

Reader 9: Clare Grant

2009-06-15T11:09:00.003+01:00

Clare is a 31 year old writer and soon-to-be-unemployed sub-editor from Tunbridge Wells in the UK. You might know Clare better as the author of the blog Three Beautiful Things where every day she writes about three things that have given her pleasure.

How would your friends describe you?
My friends would describe me as:
Flighty, self-absorbed, amusing, talkative and highly-strung.

What do you do for a living?
I was sub editor on a local newspaper until last week; but the trade is dying by degrees, and now is an awful time to be jobhunting. So I'm turning my full attention to my writing, and I'm hoping that when the sun comes out again, I'll have some writing to sell.

What project are you working on at the moment?
The Three Beautiful Things book is due out in October, published by Long Barn. I've been putting the last touches to it; and thinking about helping to publicise it. I've got a couple of radio plays (steampunk chase involving bio technology and a man with a clockwork brain; and an adventure about two love rivals racing to be the first man on the moon) almost ready to send out. And then I'd really like to get a story in People's Friend.

How important is your work to you?
My writing is very important to me -- I think my head would probably explode if I didn't write.

Where do you live?
In a batchelor flat with my fiance. He says that this is his worst nightmare, owing to all the female undergarments drying in the kitchen. We're getting a little house soon, with a garden.

Describe your house/living room/kitchen/office.
My office is a corner of the kitchen table. Each morning at 6am I put everything that is covering my space into the in-tray, and do whatever table-top work is required. At breakfast time, it becomes kitchen table again. Every so often, the pile in the in-tray slides off -- an avalanche of bills, bankstatements, receipts, plates, books, pressed flowers, needlework, napkins and newspapers. That means it's time to distribute it all round the flat again.

What is the most important object in your home/garden?
Maybe the computer. Or the bookshelves and the bed -- I've tried living without them before, and it's not pretty. Actually -- I think it's my engagement ring: it's a constant reminder of the huge and joyful step I've promised to take this winter.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
Even if you don't think you deserve good things, they will happen. It's best just to appreciate them and not worry too much about the hows and the whys.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
My father once looked over my shoulder at a picture I was doing on the paint app that came with Windows 3.1 and said: 'The important thing with art is to know when it's finished.'

If you could live your life again, what would you do more of/less of?
More writing, less worry.

What are you reading at the moment?
The Thackeray T Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases; and Galileo's Daughter; and Twisted Wing by Ruth Newman.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
More opportunities to forage for wild food.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I had a really good time babysitting when I was a teenager. But a low point was the night the cat did a large, smelly and runny poo in the child's bedroom. It was also the night the dog ate the remains of the Christmas turkey then knocked over the Christmas cake and a flower arrangement, before running off into the pitch black forest surrounding the house.

How did you find reading The Blue Handbag?
I loved reading The Blue Handbag because of all the simple pleasures that Leonard enjoys (such as his pineapple juice); and his joy in his job. I particularly like books in which people dig up family mysteries -- The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine is another one of that sort that I enjoyed.

*

Thank you Clare - really lovely to have you here. I'm glad I read your worse job answer AFTER eating my breakfast.

Reader 8: Heather Fowler

2009-06-11T11:43:00.005+01:00

Heather is a writer with a dayjob living in Sunny San Diego in California - her website is here.

How would your friends describe you?
My friends would describe me as a reader and a writer, a lit freak, who likes to laugh.

What do you do for a living?
Raise my kids and work. Also, I write stories and poems and plays for theatre and any number of things. At the moment I'm working on eight books of short stories and three novels. Also, edits on some formal poetry.

Describe your house/living room/kitchen/office.
My house is a blue and white family dwelling with a scalloped picket fence and large windows. My office is a room of instruments, a large roll top desk, bookshelves, and chocolate brown leather couches.

What is the most important object in your home/garden?
My children. Lexie 5, Aiden 3, and Mersade 15.

How important do you think art is?
I cannot breathe without it.

Do you do anything creative?
All. The. Time.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
I’ve learned this year that the people nearest are the only ones who matter. Too much time is spent trying to please those less relevant. I want to be closer to my family and kids these days. Pursue more joy. Less business. Spend less time with strangers.

Sum up your life so far in twenty words or less.
Girl accidentally finds stable happy life yet must support her family so sacrifices her art. Girl reclaims it. With effort.

What is your favourite book?
It’s a toss-up. I mean, Orwell’s 1984, Plath’s The Bell Jar, Shakespeare’s collected plays, Flannery O’Connor’s stories. Any of these are fine things. Lately though, my favourite new book is Rick Moody’s Purple America. His prose is dense and fine. Vivid.

What is your greatest fear?
I fear being lost—mentally or physically. I fear losing myself in apathy. I fear a lack of pleasure. I fear the sort of solitude that’s undesirable. Those things.

What would your super power be?
I am good at flying kites. Also, I would like the superpower to read the thoughts of others, or tune them out.

How do you relax?
Coffee. Conversation. Reading. Writing. Hot-tubbing. A perfect lemon-drop martini on occasion.

What person has been the greatest influence over you?
Probably my mother.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
My writing. Having small children who eliminate quiet windows is hard on a writer—taking that art time back is harder still.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
A family cook! Also, to be free of the enormous mortgage I slave for each month.

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?
The Mad Hatter. A Talking Dragon. Chaucer. Freud. Christina Rossetti.

How did you find reading The Blue Handbag?
What I loved about reading The Blue Handbag was that it helped me escape the urban surroundings where I lived and gave me a lot of pleasure in contemplating plants and gardens. I loved the descriptions of the botany--and also the descriptions of the food, which were criminally good. When the scene happens with the cocoa, for example, I went to get a cup of cocoa. Haven’t had cocoa in years! I felt I had to have some, while I was reading. It’s nice to be swept into a narrative. I felt I could really just let the book take me places that seemed fresh and natural—as well as giving me that satisfaction in following likeable characters.

*

Thank you Heather - a pleasure to have you here.

Reader 7: Michael Kimball

2009-06-05T09:29:00.005+01:00

Michael Kimball made me cry. He is a 42 year old writer/editor who lives in Baltimore, Maryland, in the good old US of A. Here is his website.

Tell me about yourself.
I’m a writer who reads a lot. I also make little films. I live in an old rowhouse in Baltimore (aka Charm City) with my charming wife and our three wonderful cats.

What project are you working on at the moment?
I just finished putting together a manuscript for the postcard life story project that I’ve been working on for a little over a year.

What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I’m finishing up a short film (with my friend Luca Dipierro) called I Will Smash You. And I’m starting a new book.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
The postcard life story project taught me that everybody is amazing. Everybody has something amazing to tell you. You just have to ask the right questions.

What are you reading at the moment?
I’m rereading some stories in The Apocalypse Reader, a wonderful anthology of stories about the end times, edited by Justin Taylor.

How many books do you read a month?
I read a few books at a time and finish a few books a week, so I’m going to say 12.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I look exactly like my author photo.

What are your pets called?
Wulf, Moose, El Ducque.

What is your earliest memory?
Drawing on the walls of my bedroom with crayons.

How do you relax?
I ride my mountain bike on all the hidden green trails in Baltimore.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
I love sugar – especially in the form of doughnuts, cake, pie, cookies, or Coke.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I was the night clerk at a 7-11 one summer. It was the worst job I ever had, but it was also pretty great sometimes.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
Fiona Robyn is a thoughtful and moving writer who has a great sense of human emotion.

*

I had the best brown sugar and cinnamon doughnut at the weekend, Michael - you would have loved it. Thank you so much for your answers.

Reader 6: Nicola Weller

2009-05-31T06:00:00.001+01:00

Nicola is 31, lives in London, and manages the children’s service at a violence against women charity.

How important is your work to you?
I love my work- it is part of who I am. It’s amazing to be able to put my politics in to action every day.

What is the most important object in your home?
Photographs - everything else is replaceable

What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment my creativity is focused on my work and studying for an MA. I am looking forward to the autumn when I will have more time and energy for this part of my life.

What is your favourite book?
Too many - The Waves, Midnight’s Children, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Half of a Yellow Sun... The writers are all really strong story tellers with an interesting use of language.

What are you reading at the moment?
Other than lots of academic work on young people and sexual violence... I have just bought a couple of the Orange Prize shortlisted titles.

What would your super power be?
To fly.

How do you relax?
I love to spend time near the sea, I find it incredibly calming.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Good quality chocolate.

What keeps you awake at night?
Making “to do” lists in my head.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Working at an insurance company, selling corporate vehicle insurance. I was there for a few weeks before I managed to get a job working on a Summer Playscheme, a job which changed my life.

Who was your favourite character in The Blue Handbag?
Leonard and Lilly were wonderful characters to get to know, but I found Raine really interesting. I would love to know more about her life, her relationships with her mum and Ed, and also whether her life changes after the book’s end. Despite some difficult subject matter, the book was quite a gentle read. Leonard’s pearls of wisdom seemed to give the book another layer.

Reader 5: Katie Rathfelder

2009-05-26T08:33:00.009+01:00

Katie Rathfelder, 24, lives in Manchester and describes herself as 'mild-mannered administrator by day, wannabe globetrotter and writer by night.'

Describe yourself in five words
Geeky, queer, enthusiastic, pinko liberal.

How would your friends describe you?
I'm a well-meaning white girl with a severe case of geekiness. My friends tell me that my most obvious characteristic is overwhelming enthusiasm.

What do you do for a living?
Mostly whatever people will pay me to do that won’t get me arrested. At the moment, that’d be admin for the Leaving Care Service in Manchester.

Where do you live?
I live in a big, rambly house on a road lined with trees. It's filled with people and stuff, and there's a balcony where my four year old brother can declaim to his subjects.

What is the most important object in your home/garden?
My computer, because I am a child of the technologically dependent generation and miss it like a limb whenever it's broken.

How important do you think art is?
If every culture has had art, quite possibly right back even to before humans had anything we'd consider language, then that says to me that it's pretty fundamental to how we cope with our lives.

What are you working on at the moment?
I generally write short stories, but at the moment I am mostly *gulp* working on a novel.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
That the possibilities really are much greater than I ever thought. This is an ongoing lesson that will hopefully one day actually sink in.

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
Don’t eat worms. It’s stood me in good stead to this day.

When were you happiest?
Recently, has to be the trip I took to Newcastle. It was low-key, just visiting friends, but catching up with people I missed while walking along a beautiful stretch of beach that was empty of pretty much everything but us and the silly messages we were writing in the sand.. it was fantastic.

What is your favourite book?
Can I object to this question on the grounds that it’s cruel and unusual punishment?

What have you learnt from books?
Lots of things, including: always know where your towel is, sometimes the dog didn’t bark in the night time, and the people you thought were bad guys probably have a whole life and backstory of their own.

What are you reading at the moment?
I have been accused of having the attention span of a gnat with ADHD, so I’ve got three books on the go at the moment: one on contemporary Russia (brushing up on my history before an upcoming trip to Moscow), Naomi Novik’s Empire of Ivory (because the Napoleonic Wars really would have been more awesome with sarcastic talking dragons), and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian (because my friend Freya told me to).

How many books do you read a month?
I am deeply sad and started keeping a log of this, so I can tell you that it's so far been between six and fifteen, averaging about ten.

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
I don't, mostly because I find the idea of being in charge of four tonnes of moving metal deeply unsettling!

What are your spiritual beliefs?
Atheist with a frisson of Pastafarianism.

How do you relax?
Chocolate, geeky television, a good book. Occasionally these things are combined with either knitting or a hot bath (but never both). If I’m really stressed, then it’s either dancing madly to very loud music or going on a long stompy walk.

What person has been the greatest influence over you?
If I'm going to pick one, it's got to be my dad, because he's a total rock star.

How did you find reading The Blue Handbag?
I really enjoyed it. It's not the sort of thing I would typically have picked up myself - I suspect the cover would have made me think 'chick lit' and put me off. Also, my typical reading matter of choice is rather more to the escapist end of the spectrum than this. But I found myself engaged with Leonard; I liked him as a quiet but believable sort of character, I loved his silly moments and the details of his life with Rose, and I ended up really wanting to hear more about him and his world.

Finally – how do you know Annie Clarkson?
If I told you, I’d have to kill y- no, wait, Annie and I work together.

*

Thank you Katie. I look forward to that novel - I have a feeling it'll be pretty funny!

Reader 4: Annie Clarkson

2009-05-17T09:50:00.006+01:00

Annie is a 35 year old Poet, Social Worker and Short Fiction Writer who lives in Manchester in the UK. Her fine blog is forgetting the time (and here's a book you might recognise!)

Describe yourself in five words:
Bookish. Intense. Thoughtful. Kind. Enthusiastic.

How important is your home/garden?
I love my home, it is my place of escape, comfort and is crammed with everything I love: books, photographs, blankets, letters, pots, plants, music, clothes. I love pottering. I love my back yard that I have been busy planting with herbs and flowers. I have shells, driftwood and a Belfast sink and all kinds of weird little things to keep me amused.

What are you working on at the moment?
I am writing prose poems, here and there. I hope to build them into a collection. I love very short fiction and prose poems. There is something very exciting for me about small blocks of intense prose on a page.

When were you happiest?
Six days in Essaouira in Morocco last year. It was the most heavenly six days filled with sweet mint tea, tagines, stray cats, wandering around the souk buying spices, spluttering up dusty roads on a moped, walking on the windy beach, reading, sitting on the window seat in our riad, writing in my notebook, talking, eating lobster at a fish stall, watching the fishermen untangle their nets, dipping bread in argan oil. It was idyllic.

What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading a wonderful book of connected short stories by Mark Illis called Tender.

What are your pets called?
Sissy is a year old. She is turning from a gorgeous kitten into a sleek lady cat. She really is the love of my life. A feline version of Pickles.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Quadruple chocolate butter cookies and chocolate truffle cheesecake.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I loved it. I enjoyed getting to know Leonard, who I think is a very endearing character. I felt quite emotional as I followed his search for information about Rose. The novel is tender and moving, I felt, and it brought a smile to my face many times.

Finally, how do you know Michelle McGrane?
Michelle is a blogging friend. I read her blog Peony Moon, and she reads Forgetting the Time. We've emailed eachother about poetry things, but I've never met her in real life...!

*

Thank you Annie. LOVE that photo. And can I have the recipe for those cookies?

Reader 3: Patrick Andrews

2009-05-13T06:00:00.003+01:00

Patrick is a 45 year old entrepreneur, husband and father who lives near the New Forest in Hampshire, the UK. His website here.

Describe yourself in five words.
Poet, entrepreneur, idealist, enthusiast, walker.

What do you do for a living?
Corporate engineering.

What project are you working on at the moment?
Building a new car company that will transform the auto industry.

How important is your work to you?
Indispensable.

Where do you live?
In a village in the middle of a forest.

How important is your home?
Very important.

What is the most important object in your home?
I don't consider objects to be important.

How important is art?
Indispensable.

Do you do anything creative?
I see my life as my creative work.

Do you believe in God?
Yes, although I don't tend to call her by that name.

What are your spiritual beliefs?
A mixture of Zen Buddhism and Gaia.

How do your spiritual beliefs help you on a day to day basis?
They allow me to let go of worries and get on with living.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
That it is not always enough to sit at home and try to act in the right way – that sometimes you have to stand up and be counted.

What is your favourite book?
One Straw Revolution by by Masanobu Fukuoka.

What have you learnt from books?
The power of words.

What are you reading at the moment?
“A Modern History of Britain” Andrew Marr and “Sacred Commerce”.

How many books do you read a month?
2 or 3.

When were you happiest?
Now!

If you could edit your past, what would you change?
Nothing.

What would your super power be?
To fly.

What keeps you awake at night?
Not a lot.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Trainee solicitor.

How do you look after yourself when things get difficult?
Go for a walk.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I enjoyed the development of the story and the quirkiness of the writing.

*

Thank you Patrick. You definitely win the most obscure favourite book award ; )

Welcome and a free competition to win books

2009-05-12T08:06:00.006+01:00

If you're new here, a warm welcome!

You might have surfed over from Clare's Three Beautiful Things, or from the SnowBlog. You might have travelled from my other blog, Planting Words. Or you might have found it through a friend of a friend, or one of those blog to blog hopscotches you do when you should be working instead. Whatever your method of arrival, I'm very happy to have you here.

If you're interested in winning a signed hardback of The Blue Handbag, then you've come to the right place. All you need to do is send an email titled 'handbag' to fiona@fionarobyn.com before the end of May - I've got three to give away. Easy. I'm happy to send them around the world.

All comments and feedback are very welcome either here on the comments or to my email, and I'd also be grateful for anyone would could help me to spread the word by adding me to your blogroll or doing a little post pointing people here.

Thank you - have a lovely Tuesday. Another interview will be going up tomorrow.

PS don't forget the Facebook group here, and I've just set up a Twitterfeed so you can follow 100 Readers on Twitter here!

Reader 2: Geoff Sawers

2009-05-10T14:00:00.002+01:00

Geoff Sawers is a 42 year old full-time father of three, and a poet when he gets the chance. He lives in Reading in the UK.

Do you have a website?
I do a weblog, supposedly about the books I read, but often it gets distracted into talking about my children (the reasons why I don’t read): Pioden

What project are you working on at the moment?
Believe it or not, I am writing a collaborative novel with my friend Goober. Whether we’ll ever finish it, I have no idea…

What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
Do the best you can and don’t worry. I can’t live up to either part of this, but I aspire to.

What is your favourite book?
Welsh Dictionary

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I had an unusual upbringing; I didn’t meet a girl until I was about 17. An odd combination of single-sex schools, male cousins, sibling and neighbours… I imagined girls would be like something from another planet. I was amazed to discover they were just like boys. Some were even as boring.

What are your pets called?
I love dogs, but my wife is allergic to them.

What is your greatest fear?
When you have children, you discover a new dimension to fear; that bad things could happen to your children. My worst fear is that one of them should die, feeling alone and abandoned.

What would your super power be?
To calm tantruming toddlers.

What do you drive and how do you feel about it?
Don’t drive a car. I push a double buggy.

What are your spiritual beliefs?
Christian, but fairly unorthodox. I’m a Quaker, actually

What is your earliest memory?
Arguing with my mum! She was nipping out for something. “I’ll be five minutes” “It’s too long!” “It’s not a long time” “It is!” I was probably about 3.

How do you relax?
I wish I knew.

What keeps you awake at night?
A crying baby.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I worked in a bank for 6 weeks a few years ago. It was miserable.

What did you think of The Blue Handbag?
I really enjoyed this book; I thought it was well-paced, with genuinely believable, convincing characters. And the ending moved me a lot. Without wanting to give too much away, it had a particular resonance for me as the father of a disabled child; the feeling that you have to make sure you outlive them is incredibly strong.

I do have a criticism though: I felt the scene where he discovers about the mother (page 112 or so) seemed weak. There are so many questions that would arise immediately – like what to say to his daughter – that just didn’t seem to occur. I only mention it because these things are usually handled so much better in your books!

*

Thank you Geoff. I reckon you already have that super-power...

Reader 1: Michelle McGrane

2009-05-07T13:31:00.002+01:00

Michelle McGrane is 34 yrs old and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. She blogs at peony moon.

Describe yourself in five words.
Creative, generous, impatient, intense, loyal.

Where do you live? How important is your home?
My partner and I live in a ground floor apartment in a leafy Johannesburg suburb. Our avenue is lined with plane trees. It's autumn now, so the leaves are a blaze of amber, golden yellows and rich browns. Home is very important to me. It's my sanctuary, the place where I relax, the space where my creativity thrives. And I'm incredibly lucky to have a study, a room of my own.

What are you working on at the moment?
I'm finalising my third poetry collection, The Suitable Girl, which will be published by Pindrop Press and launched in London in the Spring of 2010.

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt this year?
I lost my father at the beginning of the year. Death and grief have reiterated the importance of kindness and love, that they're all that matter.

What are you reading at the moment?
I've just finished Angela Carter's Burning Your Boats: The Collected Short Stories. The volume includes stories from her previous collections: Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces, The Bloody Chamber, Black Venus (also known as Saints and Strangers), American Ghosts and Old World Wonders, as well as six uncollected stories. Her richly textured prose and bawdy humour are not to everyone's taste, but she dazzles me.

How many books do you read a month?
Between six and eight books, I think …

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I depend on a certain amount of solitude to keep sane. It's crucial to my well-being.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
Kate Beckinsale. My biopic would be a piece of cake for her. She's been Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm, Emma Woodhouse, Charlotte in The Last Days of Disco, Alice in Alice Through the Looking Glass, Ava Gardner in The Aviator and Anna Valerious in Van Helsing. How can you not like someone who says: “If someone had told me years ago that sharing a sense of humour was so vital to partnerships, I could have avoided a lot of sex.” She speaks Russian too.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
I would love a dog – or two – but no one's at home during the day and our lawn is the size of a handkerchief. Pickles, from The Blue Handbag, is first on my adoption list though.

Who was your favourite character in The Blue Handbag?
Leonard is my favourite character. He's still very much alive for me. He's walking around an English garden right now, testing the moisture content of the beds, marvelling at new growth and talking to the indefatigable Pickles.

Thank you Michelle. I'll send Pickles over on the next flight ; )

Nearly there....

2009-05-07T12:56:00.000+01:00

The first two interviews are in! You'll get to meet our very first reader before the end of the day...

I've also set up a group at Facebook - click here to join - and do introduce yourself there.

Any help in letting people know about the project would be much appreciated - a little post on your blog, or an email to your friends - and I'll feel more loved once I've got a follower or two - do click on the right hand side.

Thank you lovely people!

How to subscribe, and an update

2009-04-30T10:47:00.000+01:00

If you put your email address into the box on the right and click '100 Readers' I'll send you an email to let you know when we kick off.

While you're there you can also subscribe to my occasional updates (which I send a few times a year and which usually include a free competition to win books) or weekly emails from my other blogs at Planting Words (my life as a writer), a small stone (small snippets of daily writing) or a handful of stones (other people's small stones).

The ten first readers have now been chosen and the books are winging their way around the UK, to South Africa and to America. The first interview should appear by the end of May. Exciting!

Welcome!

2009-04-10T17:41:00.001+01:00

A very warm welcome to 100 Readers.

This blog will feature interviews with 100 readers of my novel, The Blue Handbag. I've sent copies out to ten initial readers. When they're done they'll each pass their book on to a friend, who will pass the book on to a friend...

I'll be asking my 100 readers questions about the best advice their parents gave them, their favourite book, the most important thing they've learnt this year and much more. Everyone is interesting - everybody has a story, and something important to tell us. We just need to ask the right questions.

100 Readers also features mini-interviews with other readers - that could be you! If you'd like to get involved, then you can pre-order The Blue Handbag from Amazon UK or direct from Snowbooks. When you've read it, drop me an email.

I've also created a group for 100 Readers on Facebook - here it is - do come and say hello.