I was delighted to join a list of very impressive authors on Holly’s ‘Bookaholic Confessions,’ Blog. It’s a real treasure trove of all things books and writers. Many thanks to Holly, a true pro!
The interview is here:
And here you go if the link is misbehaving!
I am delighted to welcome Faith Hogan to Bookaholic Confessions on the publication day of her debut novel, My Husband’s Wives. I am massively excited about reading this – it sounds wonderful and I have a slight inkling that it might be a bit of a tear jerker (tissues at the ready!) Here the lovely Faith gives us the low-down on her novel, shares the inspiration behind her book and reveals her own favorite authors…
Hi Faith, welcome to Bookaholic Confessions! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself…?
Where to start! Like everyone else here, I’m a reader first, my love of words was born before I really had any choice, with bed time stories and books that absorbed me (some of my teachers might say, distracted me!) I live in the west of Ireland, with my husband, four children and a fat cat called Norris.
Can you tell us a bit about your new novel, My Husband’s Wives (released June 2016 with Head of Zeus)?
My Husband’s Wives, started on the idea of what might happen if…
In this case, Grace Kennedy finds her life turned upside down when her daughter answers the front door one afternoon. Like in life, Grace learns that sometimes the worst things that can happen can lead to wonderful unforeseen changes in life. Ultimately, that’s what the book is about; how change can help us to grow into the people we’ve always wanted to be, and maybe we should dare to dream the dream.
What was your inspiration behind the story?
I wanted to write something light, something contemporary, something uplifting.
The book is on the one hand, a tale of jealousy and misunderstanding, but it is also one of love and unlikely friendships.
It began, with a few strong voices who quite simply would not be quiet until they got their own story. They have been somewhat silenced now while I’m getting along with the next book, but I do miss them occasionally and wonder if they’ll come back to visit again!
Are any of the characters in My Husband’s Wives based on anyone in real life or are they entirely fictional?
No, I’m afraid they are all completely fictional.
Most writers will tell you that they learn their craft long before they become published authors, in my case I played around with the crime novel genre – now there you can meet a few people that I once crossed paths with. Generally, physical descriptions for people I didn’t much care for in life were allowed to sit on the shoulders of the not so nice characters in my books. It’s a great stress reliever and since I’d never let them see the light of day – there is no harm done!
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been a writer – as in, whether I’d have been published or not, I’d probably have continued to write. Like so many people out there, I wrote even when I had no idea that I’d be published. The idea, even still of people actually reading what I’ve written scared the life out of me. As a child it was my ambition to be either a farmer or a judge – noble professions, I think. Unfortunately, by the time it came to choose a profession, I hadn’t a clue what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up,’ and that stayed with me until Aria came knocking at the door. My agent has opened up the possibilities of what’s out there now, but I suppose, I didn’t think that real people became writers – there you go!
What advice would you give to any aspiring novelists out there?
Just write. I mean, all the other stuff, the ideas, the syntax, even the typing speeds and the sore arms, they will all come your way if you write regularly.
The other very important thing is, that there is no point in wanting to be a novelist if you don’t want to write! So, get to it! If you love it, it’s not hard to lose an hour or two in a story.
And, finally, if it is really terrible, you can always start again!
Have you ever experienced writers block? If so, how did you overcome it?
I can truly say, the only thing that has blocked me from writing is having the time.
A number of years ago, I worked in a job that was rather stressful and this took up way too much of my time and my thinking space – luckily I had the chance to change jobs and I was off again… merrily typing away!
I’m not saying that everything I typed was brilliant, but having it down, no matter how good or bad; it’s progress and all new lap tops come complete with delete keys.
Who are your favourite authors and which type of books do you enjoy reading?
Over the years there have been some great favourites. I loved Ivanhoe, anything by Jane Austen and of course, more recently, Kate Atkinson, Olivia Glazebrook, Susan Hill, Kate Morton and Maeve Binchey.
In the last year, memorable titles included Elizabeth Is Missing (Emma Healey), Eggshells (Catriona Lally) and In Bitter Chill (Sarah Ward)
And finally – can you tell us a bit about what you’re up to at the moment?
Well, I should be… editing book number 2 for Aria Fiction, but I got a little distracted with a great blog called bookaholic confessions….
Seriously, Book number 2 is written, we are agreeing a title and I have some changes that I’d like to make and I have to say, I’m really excited about it!
Oh yes, and I’m a little bit angsty about book 3, you see I have a great idea for it…..
More of that another day! Thanks for having me Holly, it’s been a pleasure!
A huge thank you to Faith for answering my questions. ♥
Get hold of your copy of My Husband’s Wives, available in ebook now.
