If you’re looking for summer reading ideas, then perhaps “Close of Play” by PJ Whiteley should be added to your list.  This lovely gentle, romantic novel portrays rural England to a T – cricket, church, pubs and walkers – and unusually it is a romance written from a male point of view to boot! I loved the novel and I could picture the characters clearly in my mind as they remind me of similar characters I’ve come across in life! I was lucky enough to interview the author himself recently … Hi Philip, welcome to the blog….

Hi, I’m Philip. I am a full-time writer: author, ghostwriter and journalist. I’ve written or co-authored eight non-fiction business books, the first in 2002. I’m fascinated by people’s beliefs, and idiosyncrasies, and eccentricities – how we come to view the world the way we do. Close of Play is my first novel, and it’s a romantic comedy.

Although you have other non – fiction books written under your name (Philip Whiteley) principally about management, you have just written your first novel, Close Of Play, under the name of P J Whiteley. It is a lovely romantic novel (I was lucky enough to read a preview copy :)) portraying rural England, cricket, church, pubs and walkers … all the characters are utterly believable and it’s refreshing to read a romance book written from a male point of view…So where did you get inspiration from to write this novel?

Thank you so much for reading it, and I’m glad you enjoyed the experience! The way it came to be written was through a very long evolution. I’ve always been fascinated by people’s beliefs – whether you go to church; which political party you vote for and why, etc. I wanted to explore these ideas by putting together two Christian individuals having doubts and troubles in middle years. He’s the better sort of Tory, she’s the better sort of left-winger. So they have differences. Originally, the romance was going to be the supporting role, and the faith issues dominant. But it was a bit too ambitious for me, and lacking in direction and narrative strength. So I turned it around to make the relationship central, and to introduce a bit of humour. Some passages were written 17 years ago, and were originally parts of different chapters, long discarded!

Your boyhood ambition was to represent Yorkshire Cricket Club, and although you have now retired from amateur cricket you still play five a side football. Close of Play is the first in a planned series of sports-themed novels that also encompass human emotions such as love, loss, hope, life’s risks etc. What sports are you hoping to cover? What’s the next idea on the list?

My next idea is to take six Leeds United fans, including two brothers, on a pub tour of Belgium in August 2014. The idea came to me when my wife and I stayed in Bruges last year. As well as enjoying themselves, they’re going to visit the grave of the great-granddad of the two brothers near Ieper for the centenary of the Great War. There will be men and women, and different ages. Because the team’s glory years were in the 1970s, the youngsters are sometimes jealous of the older ones. And yes, there will be some romance. But I’m not saying any more because it’s supposed to come as a surprise. As with all ‘setting off on a journey’ sagas, the back stories emerge slowly and the characters learn things about themselves on the way. I’ve written nearly 20,000 words and I’m pleased with it so far. Working title is Marching On Together.

As a child what books did you enjoy reading? What genre of books do you enjoy reading now?

Up to the age of around 14 I read very boyish books: the Adventure series by Willard Price – very strong on environmental protection and beautifully written. I enjoyed the Silver Sword, and B Flight – both wartime dramas; occasionally a detective book like Hound of the Baskervilles. Probably my favourite books were the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge because they were so funny. I was never really captured by fantasy or sci-fi. Then in my teens it was mostly sport before moving on to grown-up novels. Nowadays, I don’t select books by genre. I like romances and rom-coms; some historical fiction and thrillers, and contemporary fiction generally. I’m a huge fan of magical realism and Spanish-language literature generally.

If you were able to visit any place in the world to help give inspiration for a new novel, where would you choose?

Santiago de Chile: a fascinating place in a most beautiful country. I lived there for a few months in 1991 and I want to base my third novel, prequel to the second, in Chile. It would actually be set back in April 1991, when a Chilean football club won the South American trophy for the only time. The party that followed was quite something! But I’d want to go back for a visit to pick up on the lingo and history again.

As much as you like writing novels & business books, is there any genre you would like to dabble in that you haven’t yet tried?

Well, I’ve always done a lot of journalism, and an idea for a non-fiction book that I would like to consider – though the research budget might be beyond me – would be to explore some of the big stories that don’t get picked up by mainstream newspapers or websites. Some vested interest groups work hard to suppress media stories and we don’t really have a free press. I’ve come across this in my ghostwriting work and it’s quite a scandal.

Hypothetically speaking, if Close of Play was made into a film, what actors would you pick to be the main characters of Brian (Colin), Elizabeth and the vicar, Godfrey?

That’s easy: Bob Daws was always in mind to be Colin, and by a weird coincidence – or kismet – he’s now a friend of mine through the Ampthill Literary Festival, and is giving a read-through at my launch! I think Samantha Bond to play Elizabeth. Probably the best actor for Godfrey is Timothy Spall, but I guess he’s too big a star for a fairly minor role, so his understudy, perhaps! …

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I work from home, so often just tee-shirt and jeans, but I like to get suited up for a meeting in London. Single-breasted, Mod style preferably.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Bookshops, mostly! Waterstones.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

New skinny jeans.

Boots or Shoes? 

I can honestly say this is the first time in 12 years as an author that I’ve been asked this question! Doesn’t come up in management mags. Shoes, I guess, but I am a massive fan of mid-60s music so I just may splash out one day on Cuban heels to look like Bob Dylan or Pete Townshend circa 1965 (the best year ever for popular music).

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers of the blog can learn more about you and your novels.

Twitter: @Felipewh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philip.whiteley.96

Blog: https://felipewh.wordpress.com/

Added treat:  Here’s the YouTube video of TV actors Robert Daws and Amy Robbins ( a real-life married couple) reading from Chapter 11 of Close of Play, called ‘Clumsy Angel’.  The YouTube video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPlkephSMqM

Thank you very much for chatting about your book and life – I wish you great success with this and future novels.  Philip’s book is on promotion at the moment in WH Smith Travel until 3rd June 2015 – so don’t forget to grab a copy for some sweet summertime reading.  When you’ve read it, let me know what you thought of the book – did you enjoy it as much as I did?  I really hope so!

Linda x

Photo Credits: Natalie Creative. Kind permission to publish video/photos given by P J Whiteley.

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Lately there has been an awful lot in the press and media about “plus sized” women and their fashion dilemmas as well as a look at the other end of the spectrum, the size zero model.  Whilst the debate continues, it’s refreshing to find  a fab novel about some plus sized women who are basically having a good time. The message it brings is about self –  acceptance for your body size (fat or thin) and not being afraid to show the world who you are.  It is definitely a book to put on your summer reading list! Without further ado, come and meet lovely author Sarah..

Hi! I’m Sarah Clark, and I’m a freelance beauty, health and lifestyle writer with a penchant for writing books. I’m also plus sized – or in other words, fat. I live in Suffolk with my husband, Andy, and when I’m not writing, I’m quite often to be found passing the time of day on Twitter or Facebook. Oops.

Your 2nd book, “Viva Voluptuous”, is a novel about plus sized women who are basically having a good time – there’s a bit of rejection & heartache, a bit of sex, a lot of wine, a few flash mobs, the odd night out dressed up in burlesque gear at a gay bar in Brighton! The characters are real and engaging, the storyline is lighthearted whilst still covering some contemporary issues. Where did you get inspiration from to write this novel?

The inspiration came from my life, the lives of my friends and from a conversation I had with a friend online a few years ago about the way fat women were represented in the media as miserable slobs who rarely did anything else other than eat, were a bit thick, couldn’t get boyfriends and led really quite sad and pathetic lives. That didn’t sound like me! I said that I wished there was a fat super heroine who could sweep in and change the world. There wasn’t one – so I invented Ellie.

This story must have been a rollercoaster to write with its fun parts and its emotionally draining parts – one reviewer has said that “this book will resonate with those who ever felt the need to diet in order to date, to get that job, or to fit in in general”.Which parts of the book did you find most challenging to write and which parts have you enjoyed writing about the most?

I found some of the more emotional parts draining as I drew on experiences of myself and other women I knew who had been struggling with body image and eating disorders for years. I was very clear that I didn’t want the book to be a pity party for obesity, but at the same time I felt it would have been unrealistic to portray the life of a fat woman as being free from any kind of issues; that’s just not the case in the world we live in. There’s so much pressure on women to look and be perfect that if you’ve made a decision not to follow the rules, you’re going to get slated (look at Tess Holliday for example). It was great fun writing flash mob scenes, and parts of the book where Ellie and the girls were really having a good time. I loved imagining the festivals and celeb interviews, and the sex scenes were fun to write too! I actually wrote the book in 2012 when all the 50 shades of Grey hype was going a bit mad, and I wanted to make my sexy scenes more realistic, so I tried to write them as it is sometimes. You know how it is – you do things that don’t really work and just make you giggle, you feel a bit daft, you forget where you put the condoms in the heat of the moment, that sort of thing. They were fun to do, though.

You are a freelance writer, editor and blogger too – in fact your first book, “Gorgeously Full Fat” was based on autobiographical blog posts and anecdotes. Did you enjoy writing stories as a child?

I really did, yes, and I was always doing it until I got to my teens when it wasn’t really cool to sit in your bedroom with a second hand typewriter making up stories.

Have you always wanted to pursue a career in writing or did you have other ambitions as a child?

I had a few ambitions job wise when I was younger; I wanted to be a surgeon because I was obsessed with the body and how it worked, then by secondary school I wanted to be either a fashion designer, writer or a lawyer. I actually used to produce a class magazine called ‘Girl’s Own’ when I was in junior school. I gave up wanting to be a surgeon when I realised that I didn’t like the sight of blood. I spent a while thinking maybe law would work for me, working in the court service and Trading Standards, and even went as far as to do an ILEX Paralegal Qualification. But in 2000 I started working as a writer for a beauty magazine, after spending time writing endless articles for start up websites when everyone thought having a website made you rich – and I was hooked. Now I write about health and beauty, feeding my obsession with the body and all its functions, and about law on the odd occasion, which covers the legal aspect. I also write about granite, driveways and paving, sometimes, which never really fitted into my plan! Never quite got to grips with fashion writing though.

Have you got plans to write other novels or books?

Yes, I’d love to do a sequel to Viva Voluptuous if I can find a publisher, and I have countless other book ideas but I never seem to get around to them!

What sort of book genre do you like reading? Favourite books or authors?

I love a bit of women’s fiction, and especially enjoy anything by Rowan Coleman, Lindsey Kelk and JoJo Moyes. My favourite book of all time is probably Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier. I wish I’d written that book! I’ve also started getting more into thrillers; I like the supernatural ones and have recently read Biblical by Christopher Galt, and The Three by Sarah Lotz. I also have a personal development book obsession. I bought e-Cubed by Pam Grout and I now have to work out how to make the universe bend in my favour…

I love your cheeky book cover! Who came up with the idea?

Me! I chose the cover from a stock photo website and the publisher liked it so we went with it. I wanted something that not only reflected the books and the story, but would also attract attention…

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I live in leggings because I work from home and I’m just way too lazy to dress up. I like wearing unusual tops and last year it was all about finding loud, bright skater dresses to wear over the top. I wear boots in winter, and in summer I’d love to say I wear something designer and elegant but I generally wear flats unless I’m at a posh do. I have one very old pair of Jimmy Choo sandals but they only get taken out of their box for weddings and parties…

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

I love the Joe Brown’s range from Simply Be, and I’m also buying more from places like ASOS Curve and Pink Clove these days. I buy most of my clothes online as I’m a size 22 and apparently don’t exist on the high street!

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Oooh tricky one. I want to find a perfect pair of jeans; but don’t we all? I’ve got a posh wedding to go to in May so I’ll soon be scouring online to see if I can find something that looks elegant and not frumpy in my size. I actually got my own wedding outfit from Simply Be in 2013, because unless I wanted to pay the price of a deposit on a small house to have a dress made, or take a chance on a Chinese sweatshop, there really were very few options for me. I’d LOVE to design a plus size fashion range but I wouldn’t know where to start.

Boots or Shoes?

Boots in winter as they look good with leggings. Shoes in the the summer…depends on my mood really,

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers of the blog can learn more about you and your novels.

Gorgeously Full Fat: http://www.gorgeouslyfullfat.com/ – https://www.facebook.com/GorgeouslyFullFat – https://twitter.com/GorgeousFullFat
The Word Boutique (copywriting) http://www.thewordboutique.org
My books: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Clark/e/B00EQ1JBLI

Thanks for speaking to us today Sarah – I really enjoyed reading about Ellie – it was a refreshing and fun read.  Viva Voluptuous – got your copy yet readers?

Linda x

All photos have been published with kind permission from Sarah Clark.

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Parenting – Traditional or Modern – which method is best when bringing up your offspring?  It is an age old argument amongst different generations that their methods are best.  Despite having 5 children of my own, who are currently aged 24 down to the youngest at just 8; each birth was accompanied by different sets of recommendations. Take weaning for example: with my eldest it was recommended to start weaning at 3 months …. by the time my youngest was born it was frowned upon any earlier than 6 months!  My personal opinion is to find a happy medium between the two styles that you and your offspring feel comfortable with ….and that’s why I was so excited to chat to this week’s guest on my blog, Liat Hughes Joshi, author of “New Old Fashioned Parenting” – a guide to help you find that balance between traditional and modern parenting. A big warm welcome, Liat….

Hi! I’m a writer and journalist from London but originally from Lancashire. I specialise in writing about parenting and family life, with clients including national newspapers, parenting magazines and websites. I’ve also popped up on TV and the radio providing comments about parenting matters.

Your 3rd book on parenting, published on 12th February 2015, is the “New Old-Fashioned Parenting” – a guide to help parents find the balance between traditional and modern parenting.What inspired you to write this guide?

There were a few incidents that particularly crystallised my thoughts on just how very child-centred and over-indulgent SOME parents can be these days and the contrast with when most of today’s parents were kids in the 70s to early 90s. One time, I was in a coffee shop waiting to come out and two toddlers were playing by the door in the way. I waited patiently, not wanting to spoil their fun too soon, but then waited and waited some more. It was very obvious I wanted to leave and they were blocking my way. The parents were right next to them and definitely saw me but didn’t say “guys move out of the way for the lady” or similar. They carried on and on and there was just none of the consideration for others that surely should be there. A few days later, I was in a busy train station and whilst the children I was with were sat down happily, those from the adjacent table’s group were hurtling round getting in everyone’s way. Again, the adults they were with made no effort to get them to stop. When did we end up with such low expectations of kids’ behaviour? They can still have lots of fun but be considerate when needs be.

What are the main themes in the book?

It works on two levels, I hope. On one, more general level it’s about taking a step back and asking ourselves what’s really best for our children. Parents are bombarded with all sorts of messages about how to bring their children up nowadays and I think we’ve lost sight of the fact that more than anything we’re here to prepare them to be happy, well-functioning adults. Of course we want them to be happy along the way too, but sometimes the right thing for the long term doesn’t always make them content now. I’m definitely not suggesting making anyone unhappy for the sake of it just that sometimes as a parent you have to take a hit for the long term and do something they’d rather you didn’t. On a day-to-day basis though, there’s also lots of practical advice on everything from getting them to do more chores to preventing fussy eating, how to get the right level of involvement in their education and looking at issues of screen time and them growing up too fast.That’s the paradoxical side of modern childhood – on the one hand, we’re wrapping them up in cotton wool and not letting them have much freedom, but on the other we’re pushing them academically harder than perhaps ever and they’re growing up faster than we all did too thanks to media and commercial influences. This is one of the dilemmas I hope the book helps parents with.

Having 5 children of my own that span from the ages of 8 to 24 (!) I have encountered many idea changes on parenting. You have, like me, a 9 year old son – what parenting issue(s) do you find most frustrating when it comes to conflicting advice?

Wow you must be busy.. I’m one of four in my family and it was pretty hectic, although the age gap wasn’t so wide. I think all the child health advice is probably the most confusing because it changes all the time and then you just end up feeling guilty about something you’ve done/ fed them.

You have written other parenting books – “Raising Children – The Primary Years” and “What to Buy For Your Baby” – as well as being columnist & feature writer for AOL’s parenting website (www.parentdish.co.uk). Have you always wanted to have a career in writing?

I did always love writing and it was something I wanted to do as a child but there were other ideas too. I wanted to be an interior designer at one stage and a lawyer at another. I’m also very interested in business so spent nine year as a management consultant before finally giving in to the urge to write in 2002.

You’re also a judge in the Annual Slow Toy Awards, launched at Selfridges in 2012, Harrods in 2013 and John Lewis in 2014. What toy(s) have you personally been most impressed with over the last 3 years?

This year’s big find from Slow Toys for me was this cool magnetic wooden block toy called Tegu. It’s been a pleasure to be part of it. It’s been interesting to see the awards evolve since 2012 and the entries and shortlist have got so strong – there were some brilliant toys entered this year. Outside of Slow Toys, LEGO is timeless and never fails to impress – I’m often going on about it but it’s the basic piles of bricks and people I’m into rather than prescribed models as they tend to get made and then what does a child do with them? They might play with them a bit or rebuild them once or twice but it’s much less imaginative.

You are currently writing another book, due for publishing in May 2015, called “How To Unplug Your Child”. Can you tell us a bit more about that book?

It’s very simply 101 ideas to get children of all ages away from screens more. There are other kids’ activity books out there but this has the digital generation in mind and toddlers to teens, whereas most of the existing ones focus on the younger end. I’ve tried to have something to suit all kids in there too as a lot of the book’s competitors have a focus on arty and crafty activities. I have a deeply un-arty son myself so know it’s not everyone’s thing. Overall I don’t think we should fight screens altogether though as they can be brilliant in lots of ways and are part of our lives now – these are just ideas to get them away more rather than something preachy about getting them to give up gadgets altogether. It’s about sensible use rather than panicking that it’s all bad.

What sort of book genre do you like reading? Favourite books or authors?

My Kindle is loaded with contemporary fiction (I was really anti- e-readers at first but absolutely love it now). A favourite read of recent years was The Hundred-Year Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Utterly charming and very funny and I kept buying copies for people I know. (That’s one of my favourite books too, Liat)  

What was the best piece of parenting advice you ever received? And dare I say it, the worst (in respect that you followed the advice but it didn’t work out as you hoped)?

It’s a Mumsnet thing: “this too shall pass”. As in most of the stuff we stress about when they are babies and toddlers will be a short-lived problem. And believe me I did do lots of stressing when my son was a baby (why thank you colic!) The worst was simply the ‘thou shalt breastfeed no matter what’ pressure when my son was born. Of course evidence shows that it’s better wherever possible but that pressure can go too far and make you feel guilty about something that circumstances, health and the like sometimes get in the way of no matter how much you want it to work out.

A little bird told me that you are passionate about tennis – have you ever been tempted to write about tennis or do you play purely to rewind?

I don’t really understand enough about the professional game to write about the circuit and pros – I prefer to just play – but I have done a few features about tennis holidays/ resorts and used to edit the travel pages of a tennis magazine. It was not exactly hard work doing the testing of all these amazing resorts! A dream job for me in fact.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I am stuck in a fashion rut and this has got worse since we got a puppy this last year.. I throw on skinny jeans, a longish top and then boots before dashing down to let him out in the morning and it all needs to be suitable for walking the dog (I.e. getting covered in mud). I’m still determined not to be become a ‘frumpy dog lady’ so am trying to keep a vague element of style to it all with a bit of luxe knitwear and nice scarves at the moment.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

I’m pretty boring – high street stores such as Gap and John Lewis (especially John Lewis, I do love it) do me fine. If I won the lottery (which would be especially lucky given I don’t actually bother playing it), I might head to Paul Smith or Nicole Fahri more but really I’m happy with high street so wouldn’t change that.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Things that get me out of this jeans/ long tops rut. I’ve got a personal styling session booked with a fashion writer colleague turned stylist called Jo Payton soon and I’m hoping she will push my boundaries! And I so need a new pair of specs. They are kind of a trademark of mine but I have had these ones too long.

Boots or Shoes?

Wellington boots for the dog walking. Otherwise heels but ones I can walk in easily as I am short so need a height boost.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers of the blog can learn more about you and your books.

My website is liathughesjoshi.co.uk and I’m on Twitter at @liathughesjoshi.
The books should be hitting bookshops with savvy buyers soon and are available on Amazon and Waterstones websites for pre-order before publication:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Old-Fashioned-Parenting-Balance-Traditional/dp/1849536724/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1407160295&sr=8-4&keywords=liat+hughes+joshi

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Unplug-Your-Child-Gadgets/dp/1849537194/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420580462&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+unplug+your+child

It has been smashing chatting to you Liat and I wish you much success with your books.  So, dear readers, what aspects of parenting or parenting ideas do you find bemusing?! Do share your views, I’ll love to know…

Linda x

All photos have been published with kind permission of Liat Hughes Joshi

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