Author Q and A with Giselle Green

Handsome, 28-year old, Nate Hardman is a frontline reporter with a big problem. Suffering from shell-shock and unable to leave his house, he’s already lost his social life and his girlfriend. Now his career prospects are sinking fast.

9 year-old Adam Boxley who lives alone with his ageing nan, also has big problems. Neglected at home and bullied at school, he’s desperate to reach out to his dad – and that’s when he sends his first letter to Nate. Only Nate’s not who he thinks he is. Will he help? More importantly – can he?

Across town meanwhile, caring but impulsive teacher Jenna Tierney really wants to help Adam - except the feisty redhead has already had enough of teaching. Recently hurt by yet another cheating boyfriend, Jenna’s now set her sights on pursuing a dream career abroad ... only she’s about to meet Nate - her dream man who’ll make her re-think everything.

The big question is; can three people desperate to find love, ever find happiness when they’re only connected by one big lie?
Author:          Giselle Green
Title:               Dear Dad
Published by: Yule Press
Date:               31st March 2016
Links; Uk:  Amazon US:  Amazon

Giselle joins us on the blog to talk about the book and tell us a little about herself.

Welcome to Sincerely Book Angels blog.

What was the inspiration behind this novel?

I read a compelling piece in the newspaper about a guy who acted in loco parentis for a young child, who had mistakenly kept calling him ‘Dad’. I know these days we’re all primed to be vigilant around children and who has contact with them – not a bad thing – but we shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater either. Not all children are privileged enough to have adults who are looking out for them. It set me thinking about all the great guys there are out there who are willing to step into the breach and act as someone’s father when, for whatever reason, the biological dad isn’t around.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Definitely – from about age nine, that’s what I decided I wanted to be. I was pretty clear about it – I sent my first ms off to a children’s publisher when I was eleven!

How did it feel when your first novel was published?

The best feeling in the world, because I’d waited for it so long – I was forty-eight when my debut novel Pandora’s Box came out.

 
Have you ever had writer's block? If so how did you overcome it?

 That’s a tricky one to answer. When I’m in the middle of a book I do sometimes have panic moments when I think ‘Heck what is going to happen now, I have no idea?’ But those are never too long-lasting – I just have to let go of the fear of not knowing. My husband is a great cheerleader in that respect because he’s so unfailingly confident in my work. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating – writing takes a lot of faith – it’s such a leap into the unknown. Cultivating a strong sense of faith in your own ability to complete the task is essential.  

The bigger question for me is always; ‘what am I going to write about next?’ When you go for months without knowing the answer to that one, it can feel like writer’s block, but I don’t really ever think of it that way. I tend to feel that when the time is right, the right book idea will present itself and away I will go. Nowadays, I write when I feel the desire to do so. When I’m into a book that will be every day. In between books, I can go a while, but it doesn’t feel like writer’s block as such. 

What motivates you to keep writing?

Once I’ve started a project, I tend to have a strong inbuilt desire to reach the end of it. The further you progress into a novel, the more the characters become absolutely real to you. You want to see them through whatever situation you’ve put them in. One thing I never know at the outset is how I’m going to get them out of their dilemmas. What I do generally know how my characters are going to have to change inside, in order to find whatever it is they’re looking for. It’s a journey of discovery for me as well as the reader. It’s both scary and exciting!       

Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa?

Some books definitely affect you more that others – it depends on the tone of the book. Writing Little Miracles – about a mother’s search for her child who’s gone missing - was horrendously stressful. I could only manage two hours at a time on that one. The follow-up Finding You was also pretty intense. I made a deliberate decision to go for a lighter tone in the current book, Dear Dad. It’s sad in places, but it’s got some humour in it too. Writing characters going through turmoil is exactly the same as living with them. You go through it vicariously, yourself ... so yes, it does affect your mood! I imagine it’s a bit like acting. You have to find a way to disengage.  

What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Write what you want to write, not what you feel you ‘should’ be writing.

Be perseverant - keep the faith in what you’re trying to achieve, however how long it takes (it took me 39 years!)

No matter what stage you’re at, be generous to other writers whenever you can.

Which authors inspire you?

Any author who writes beautifully – like Margaret Leroy, for instance. And anyone who can appear to make writing effortless – I’m going through a Jojo Moyes phase at the moment. I know that writing beautifully and apparently effortlessly takes an enormous amount of work, persistence and faith in your own abilities. Hats off to anyone who can do it consistently! 

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes which I’m very much enjoying, and about to dip into Finding Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace which I promised to review – looks most intriguing!

If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?

It would definitely be something by Ludovico Einaudi. His piano pieces have inspired many scenes in my books! His music is so powerfully evocative and emotive.  

Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book?

I’d love Emilia Clarke to play schoolteacher/tattoist Jenna Tierney. She’s got the perfect young-and-cheeky, feisty-but-vulnerable combination. She’d have to dye her hair red but I think it would suit her!

What is your next book about?

I wish I knew! It’ll probably come in as soon as I’ve put this current one to bed.

And now think about the books you've read and just give the first one that comes into your head for our quick -fire 'Which book round.'
Which book has made you:Laugh out loud? Believe it or not – The fault in our stars, by John Green

Cry your heart out? Nothing as extreme as that. But  Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes was definitely very sad.

Want to read it again? Me Before You.

Think more? A Little Light on Spiritual Laws by Diane Cooper. 

Shocked/Scared? I don’t read shocking or scary books – I like to read for pleasure!

Thank you so much for joining us on our blog today and good luck with the book.

To read our review of Dear Dad please click here.

Sincerely
Book Angels x

About the Author

Born in Chiswick, Giselle Green was brought up in Gibraltar where she has extensive family. She returned to the UK to study Biology at King's College London, followed by an MSc in Information Science at the City University. She is also a qualified Astrologer, with a particular interest in medieval astrology.

Her debut novel Pandora's Box won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2008. Her third novel, A Sister's Gift achieved best-selling number one slot on Amazon kindle in 2012.