Someday Never Comes by Frances di Plino - Review and Interview

 Help me, Mama...

Detective Inspector Paolo Storey is determined to shut down the syndicate flooding Bradchester’s streets with young prostitutes.

When a child is murdered, Paolo becomes aware of a sinister network of abusers spread across Europe, and spanning all levels of society. But Joey, the shadowy leader of the gang, always seems to be one step ahead in the chase.

Has Paolo come up against a criminal he cannot defeat?

Someday Never Comes is the second in the gritty crime series featuring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey.



My review...

I thoroughly enjoyed Frances di Plino's first dark psychological thriller, Bad Moon Rising, and was equally impressed with this second in the D. I. Paolo Storey series: Someday Never Comes.

D. I. Paolo Storey is a flawed and empathetic character. Above all, he is a human, dealing with human problems and a man with whom we can readily identify. The villains too, are brilliantly-evoked and satisfyingly frightening.

This masterfully-plotted and engaging crime story, with numerous plot twists, page-turning levels of suspense, action and intrigue, gripped me from the start. Clues and red herrings are also expertly woven into the story, and kept me guessing right to the end.

Frances Di Plino is a powerful writer. Her prose seems to grab and mesmerize the reader, and I would highly recommend Someday Never Comes for lovers of dark crime fiction.

I don’t want to leave any spoilers here, but the last line is a knockout! So, for those readers who can’t help reading the last page first, please, try and resist!



Interview with Frances Di Plino...

My first, and probably most obvious, question is about Frances di Plino, your pen name. Can you tell us who is the woman behind Frances, and why she decided to use a pseudonym?

My real name is Lorraine Mace, but I needed a pen name to separate my children’s novels and other writing-related activities from my crime series. My great-grandfather was Italian. He arrived in the UK in the late 1890s without a word of English and a definite whiff of crime in his past, so I simply used the feminine form of his name.

The crime investigated in your novel is a very sensitive one: child sexual abuse. Did you find that disturbing to write about, and how did you cope with this sensitive subject?

I found it an extremely difficult topic, but child abuse is something that needs to be brought into the open. In preparation for writing Someday Never Comes, I did quite a lot of research into people smuggling, modern day slavery and the exploitation of women and girls for sexual abuse. The thing that kept me going while I was writing was the thought that I had no right to throw up my hands and say, oh this is too difficult, when there were people living through what I only had to endure writing about.

Did you receive any complaints about this subject from readers?

I haven’t so far! Most readers have commented on the subject matter being disturbing, but feel I have handled it well. It is a difficult subject, but it is something that is happening every day in towns and cities around the world. If we close our eyes and pretend it doesn’t exist, that obviously makes us feel better, but that doesn’t mean the crimes stop. Quite the opposite. Edmund Burke’s quote sums up how I feel about tackling such difficult subject matter. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

What are some of the difficulties in writing a series featuring the same main character?

I don’t know, because I haven’t encountered any yet. With each book I find that I know my characters better. I know how they will react in any given situation, who they will like and who they will detest, how they will dress, think, walk, talk and interact with others. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I am more than half in love with my central character, Paolo Storey, but don’t tell my husband.

You have numerous different writing jobs: tutor for The Writers Bureau, columnist for Writing Magazine, competition judge and provider of short story critiques for Writers’ Forum, writing agony aunt for Words with Jam Magazine, your writers’ critique service, as well as running three writing competitions (flash fiction, humour verse and novel opening) on this site. How do you juggle all these things?



I have the most amazing husband who sits down with me at the end of each month and asks what I have to do for the month ahead and what my deadlines are for the various jobs. I dump all the information in his lap and he comes back a couple of hours later with a complete day by day plan. Every day is separated into morning and afternoon sections, each containing notes on whatever it is I have to achieve. Without that sheet showing me what has to be done and when, I would simply collapse at the computer and sob.

I believe the third book in the D.I. Paolo Storey series is coming out soon. Can you give us a few hints please?

Call It Pretending is due out on the 18th December in both e-book and paperback. This time Paolo is racing against time to catch a killer who is murdering to a timetable – one victim a week for six weeks. Unfortunately for Paolo, there seems to be no connection tying the victims to each other, which makes finding the perpetrator almost impossible.



And lastly, are you working on any other novels besides book no. 3 in this series?

I have a literary novel I’ve been working on for so long now that I think I’ll be drawing my pension before it is finished. I only ever intended to write one Paolo Storey novel, but the success of the first led to the second, which has led to the third and so on. I have another couple of crime novels at the planning stage and my American publisher has asked for the next in my children’s series, so that literary novel might never see the light of day.

Thanks very much for answering my questions, Frances, and best of luck with your D.I Paolo Storey series!

About Frances ...

Frances di Plino is the pseudonym of columnist, editor, non-fiction author, short story writer, poet and writing tutor, Lorraine Mace. Writing as Frances di Plino gives her the opportunity to allow the dark side of her personality to surface and take control. Someday Never Comes, the second in the Detective Inspector Paolo Storey series, which follows on from highly acclaimed Bad Moon Rising, was released by Crooked Cat Publishing on 16 August. The third in the series, Call It Pretending, is due out on 18 December.

Contact Details ...

Lorraine Mace: www.lorrainemace.com

Blog: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.mace.52



Frances di Plino: http://francesdiplino.lorrainemace.com/

Blog: http://francesdiplinoreviews.blogspot.com


Twitter : https://twitter.com/FrancesdiPlino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frances.diplino.3




Books Available at ...

Amazon Frances di Plino: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frances-Di-Plino/e/B007IEDS4Q/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Crooked Cat Books: http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/index.php?route=product/manufacturer/product&manufacturer_id=9

Amazon Lorraine Mace: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lorraine-Mace/e/B002VK4UV2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1383015949&sr=1-2-ent Accent Press : http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/1259/2984/The-Writers-ABC-Checklist.html

And now .... Triskele Boxsets!

It's been quite a few weeks for Triskele Books. New releases. Literary Festivals. Triskele Trail. Not to mention getting to spend a whole weekend with the five of us together under one roof (not for the faint-hearted) ... but now we have something new to celebrate.

Gillian Hamer and JJ Marsh are proud, excited, (and a bit giggly) to announce the release of their first ever boxsets. Cover design and formatting has, as ever, been left in the capable hands of JD Smith, and the end results are quite frankly amazing. A real positive addition to the Triskele brand.



Gillian's first three novels The Charter, Closure and Complicit make up the first of her crime thriller series.


Gillian said. "I am blown away by the look and design of the books. I've always loved my covers but somehow they look even more stunning side by side. I can't wait to write the next trilogy just so I can have another boxset! I think they make a fantastic gift."

What They Say:

"This is the third of Gillian E Hamer's books I've read and I think it's the best so far. A contemporary police investigation and hints of the paranormal are threaded together with enormous skill." - Chris C, Amazon Review

"As with the author's previous two crime novels, the plot never falters and moves along at a cracking pace, the writing is as always crisp and clear and the intertwining of both past and present and the gradual connection between the two is done with real skill. I'm now completely hooked on this series and only hope that Gillian Hamer can write really quickly, as I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." - JaffaReadsToo (Amazon Top 500 Reviewer)

"When you love a book as much as I loved The Charter by Gillian Hamer, you always approach the next book with trepidation. I needn't have worried - her latest, Closure, is even better." - Welsh Annie Reviews.

"Fast paced and compelling. With its rich landscape of shipwrecks, murder, lost gold, faith and forgiveness, The Charter is storytelling at its best." - Amanda Hodgkinson, New York Times Bestseller.

Buy Gillian's boxset on Amazon


JJ Marsh has released the first three novels from her Beatrice Stubbs series: Behind Closed Doors, Raw Material and Tread Softly in one beautiful boxset.


Jill said. "I love the look of this boxset so much, I'm tempted to put it on my letter to Santa. Indulge yourself over Christmas - curl up with a glass of red, a box of chocolates and Beatrice Stubbs."

What they say about Beatrice Stubbs:

“Hooked from the start and couldn't put this down. Superb, accomplished and intelligent writing. Ingenious plotting paying as much attention to detail as the killer must.” – Book Reviews Plus

“I heartily recommend this as an exciting and intelligent read for fans of crime fiction.”– Judging Covers

“The characters leap off the page, the prose is witty and intelligent, and the plot twists keep you hooked till the last. What more could you ask?” – Barbara Scott Emmett, author of European thriller Don’t Look Down

"... crackles with human interest, intrigue and atmosphere. Beatrice and her team go all out to see justice is done. And author JJ Marsh does more than justice to the intelligent heroine who leads this exciting and absorbing chase.” – Libris Reviews

"Thrilling new crime fiction from a seriously good writer" – Annemarie Neary, author of A Parachute in the Lime Tree

"Warning: once you start this book you may not be able to put it down, and you may find yourself talking to it" - Compulsion Reads


Buy The Beatrice Stubbs Series on Amazon or Smashwords


Both boxsets are on Promotion for the whole of December!

Chorleywood Launch!

Triskele Books at Chorleywood

Thanks to the tireless enthusiasm and endless curiosity of Sheryl and Morag (the people who run Chorleywood's award-winning independent bookshop),Triskele Books became part of the Chorleywood Literary Festival. Festival guests this year include Ranulph Fiennes, David Suchet, Kate Adie, Terry Wogan, Hadley Freeman, Bill Bryson and ... Triskele Books! And what a wonderful day it was. When we arrived to set up, the venue was full of happy children, who'd just enjoyed the LitFest Storytime. Which explains why Morag was dressed as a unicorn.

Three events made up the indie fringe:

The Human Library

The Human Library

The Triskelites offered ourselves as reference books on all aspects of independent publishing. Attendees could borrow any one of us for a one-to-one chat on whatever subject they wanted to discuss. Chorleywood festival-goers kept us busy. Catriona's first client was an 80-year-old children's author, whereas Jill's was an 11-year-old fantasy adventure writer, who'd done all her own illustrations. We met a sports psychologist, a photographer, two sci-fi imagineers and a host of people who would not consider themselves writers, but were bursting with ideas. So busy engaging with our 'borrowers', we were almost late for the next event.

The Rise of the Author Collective

Perry and the Triskelites

Moderated by Perry Iles, our proof-reader and writerly colleague, we answered questions on the practicalities of operating as a collective. Jane explained how we remain independent while working as a team. Gilly shone some light on how five authors communicate across three countries and two time zones. Liza gave an honest insight into how much work really goes on behind the scenes. The audience had so many intelligent and perceptive questions, we ended up running far over our allotted time.

The Launch

Three new releases and unusually for Triskele, all in the same genre: historical fiction. But the time periods in question could not be more dissimilar.
Liza Perrat's Wolfsangel takes place in a rural French village under the shadow of WWII Nazi occupation.
JD Smith's Overlord is set in 3rd century Syria and follows the rise of warrior queen Zenobia.
Catriona Troth's Ghost Town explores race, racism and identity against the backdrop of 1980s Coventry.

The passion for the story radiated from each author, and the brief readings seemed to enthuse and excite the audience, so that our books table was overrun.



Celebrations in the pub and an extraordinarily lively Chinese meal rounded off a marvellous weekend in the company of writers, readers and booklovers. Thank you, Chorleywood!

The Triskele Trail

Once upon a time, there were five writers.

They believed there was a third way of publishing, somewhere over the rainbow.

So they packed their books and set off to explore.

This is what happened on the journey.

The Triskele Trail is a true story.

About a writers' collective who made some mistakes and some smart decisions; who discovered opportunities, found friends and dodged predators in the independent publishing jungle.

Fourteen books later, here are the lessons we learned.

This is not a How-To book.

This is How-We-Did-It.

This is The Triskele Trail.

“It's the combined wisdom of a range of independently published writers that makes the difference: practical know-how, up-to-date details about the financials and processes of publishing platforms and services, as well as other been-there-done-that tips – all of which I found in The Triskele Trail” – Libby O, author of Charlotte Aimes

"Despite having published more than eighty books with traditional publishing houses I found the path through the jungle of independent and self-publishing peppered with booby traps for the unwary. I wish I’d had this book when I set out, it would have saved me a great deal of time, money and heartache.

This is the ultimate jungle guidebook written by people who have actually cut their own path through the undergrowth. They have weathered all the set-backs, fallen into all the traps and climbed back out again, emerging into the light, bruised but triumphant, with a thriving small business and a number of handsome books. The lessons they have to teach are priceless for anyone hoping to follow them.

Modern publishing is an industry filled with dreamers, fantasists and the plain deluded. This book is a clear, calm, factual guide from people who truly know what they are talking about." –Andrew Crofts, author, ghostwriter and publisher of Secrets of the Italian Gardner


For one week, The Triskele Trail is on promotion: grab it while it's hot!

Amazon

Smashwords

 

A Sense of Time and Place: Ghost Town

By Catriona Troth

Coventry Market and Precinct - a concrete canyon.

Coventry has a reputation as a concrete monstrosity – blighted first by WWII bombs and then by ill-judged post-war planning. Some of that is undoubtedly true. But in the seven years I lived there, from 1976 to 1983, I came to know a different Coventry.

Hidden away behind all that concrete are survivors of the old medieval city – the little pot-bellied houses on Spon Street, the Guild Hall with its extraordinary angel ceilings, the ‘Doom’ painting on the walls of Holy Trinity Church. One of the most beautiful places on earth to stand is on the steps between the old and new cathedrals, seeing the reflection of the ruins of one in the great West Window of the other.

Pot-bellied houses in Spon Street

Coventry in 1981 was the city of Two Tone and Ska. Bands like The Specials and The Selecter, known for their anti-racist stance, reigned supreme. When tensions between skinhead and Asian youths escalated into violence, it seemed in my memory as if it only took The Specials organising a Concert for Racial Harmony for the troubles to go away.

Coventry, then, was a city of light and dark, beauty and ugliness. And when, years later, I had an idea for a story that had an edge of racial tension to it, this seemed the perfect time and place in which to set it.

When I began to do my research, I realised that what had happened that summer was far darker and more complex than I’d realised. Two racially motivated murders – one of a student and one of a young doctor – took place in the space of a few weeks, as did the bombing of a Hindu temple. I realised that in order to be respectful of those events, my story had to be as true and honest as possible, and part of that meant anchoring it in the reality of that time and place.

Ruins of St Michael's Cathedral, looking towards the burn cross

Certain locations in Coventry had always had an emotional draw for me, and I found myself weaving those into the fabric of the story. The burnt cross in the ruins of the old Cathedral, made from two charred roof timbers, became an image I’d return to again and again.

Old photographs captured glimpses of the city that, in the thirty years since, have been swept away: the giant chess set in Smithford Way; the cream and navy WMPTE buses lumbering around Broadgate.

And then there were sounds, like the news vendors calling ‘City Final!’ Or the smells of the night shelter where I volunteered for a few months.

All these gave the novel a solid foundation. Whether you know Coventry well or whether you’ve never been there, I hope they provide a sense of tangible reality. Because those events that lie behind the fiction of my story? They really did happen.

For more background on the time, the place and the issues at the heart of Ghost Town, read Catriona's interviews with:

Sir Horace Gentleman, bassist with The Specials

Bob Eaton, writer and producer of Three Minute Heroes

Sukhbender Singh, author of Concrete Jungle

Jatinder Verma, founder of Tara Arts
Alex Wheatle, author of East of Acre Lane

Goodreads For Authors

by Liza Perrat

Goodreads is undoubtedly one of the best ways of connecting with a community of potential readers. I’ve found that the key to using Goodreads successfully as an author is to engage with the site as a reader. Do not come to it as a place to promote your books.

I have had a lot of fun on the site participating as a reader in different groups, and have discovered a very supportive groups of friends. Goodreads’ readers and reviewers are tough and pedantic, and I’ve learned so much more about writing through conversations with members in different groups.

I rarely talk about my books, aside from the very occasional mention where appropriate. Most groups have special folders where you can announce your giveaways, new releases, and other information about your books, and it’s best to stick to these places. However, over time, I’ve found that readers who are interested in the types of books I write have discovered my novels on their own. Word-of-mouth promotion takes its course within Goodreads, without you having to spend time promoting yourself, which, in most cases, bores and turns people right off.

However, as an author, it is definitely worthwhile setting up a Goodreads author profile page, and to make that page as engaging as possible. Post a photo, bio and links to your website, Facebook and Twitter feeds. Include an RSS feed to your blog, so readers can see your latest posts. 

Promoting Your Books...

Despite saying that Goodreads is primarily a site for readers, there are a few ways to promote your books on the site:

• Paid adverts
• Participate in discussion groups relevant to the genre of your books. I’d suggest joining no more than three groups, which is already quite time-consuming. I was fortunate to have my novel, Spirit of Lost Angels, chosen as the Featured Author Read for the Historical Fictionistas group in June this year, which generated a lot of discussion and interest around my book. Not to mention a few more sales.
• Lead a Q&A discussion group for readers
• List a book giveaway to generate buzz

Let’s talk about Goodreads giveaways, that well-known marketing tool. Most people hope that giveaways will lead to a spike in sales, or at least in reviews. However, giveaways are more likely to lead to a spike in people putting your book on their ‘to read’ shelves, rather than anything else. But the cost of giveaways (compared with paid advertising) is low, and familiarity in having your book show up in as many different places as possible over time should be part of your long-haul marketing commitment. Exposure is what makes readers pick your book out of the crowd.

Currently, you can only give away physical books on Goodreads. You’ll need to decide on how many books to give away, and which territories you are prepared to ship to. You can, however, give away books from your backlist to incite interest for your new release – just leave the publication date blank when you are setting up the giveaway.

In his presentation at the 2013 London Book Fair, Patrick Brown from Goodreads suggested that a month was the ideal time for a giveaway. Other indie authors have said this is too long and that you only get people participating in the last few days, so I guess this is a matter of trial and error.

Giveaways are very simple, very popular, and very powerful if planned correctly. Here’s how they work:

• Authors fill out and submit a form describing their book and the giveaway dates
• Authors agree to supply the indicated number of books on the date the giveaway ends
• Goodreads lists the book on its giveaways page
• Goodreads members enter to win the giveaway. Many will add the book to their “to-read” shelf. Though some authors argue these shelves are loaded with books that will never be read, as I said above, it’s one way to make sure your book is more familiar to potential readers
• Goodreads collects interest in the book then selects winners. Their algorithm (yes, they use them too!) ingeniously uses member data to match interested members with each book
• Goodreads chooses the winner(s) randomly and notifies you with their address. It is your responsibility to ship the books to the winners promptly

Tips to help make your giveaway more successful...

Allow enough time for interest to accrue but not so much time that people forget about it. Goodreads generally recommends two weeks to a month. This allows enough time for lots of people to enter, but not so much time for them to forget they entered. Ideally, those who don't win the giveaway will be intrigued enough to seek out your book elsewhere on the site and possibly add it to their “to-read” shelves. They might not remember to do this if the giveaway lasts for too long.

Post the Goodreads Giveaway Widget on your blog, website, and Facebook page. The Giveaway Widget works by helping you reach the people most likely to enjoy your book!

More countries = more exposure. Offer your giveaways for all the countries listed and not just the US. There aren’t nearly as many giveaways for international users, and, from living in France, I know that us "foreigners" appreciate having a chance too!

Make your giveaway description compelling. It would be easy to copy-paste your back cover blurb into the giveaway description box, but review blurbs seem to work better. Also note any awards or kudos, Indie Book of the Day, Awesome Indies Approved, etc…

As an example, this is the description I used for my giveaway of  Spirit of Lost Angels, which generated almost 2,000 entries:


AUTOGRAPHED COPIES
I am giving away 5 signed copies of my historical fiction debut, Spirit of Lost Angels. Best of luck!
Description:
An incredible page turner … Spirit of Lost Angels is an exciting novel to read with its many plot twists and high degree of conflict and emotion. Mirella Patzer, http://www.historyandwomen.com/

Eighteenth century France is brought vividly to life in this dramatic recreation of Paris in the lead up to the storming of the Bastille. The writing is superb, the sights, sounds and smells of a city in turmoil is brought vividly to life …. Fabulous. I loved it!
Josie Barton, http://jaffareadstoo.blogspot.fr/

... Perrat avoids the trap of allowing her protagonist to miraculously find her way. There are no miracles in Spirit of Lost Angels, but small blessings along the journey. I am impressed with Perrat’s knowledgeable treatment of the role of women during one of France’s most tumultuous times, as well as the complexities of insular village life. Darlene Elizabeth Williams http://darleneelizabethwilliamsauthor...

Spirit of Lost Angels is a tale to lose oneself in …  Andrea Connell, http://thequeensquillreview.com/

Liza Perrat brings to life the sights and sounds of 18th century France. Her extensive research shines through in her writing, from the superstitions of the villagers to the lives of the more sophisticated Parisians.
Anne Cater (Top 500 Amazon reviewer)http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...




Schedule your giveaway to start in the future. Don’t set-up the giveaway to start immediately, as the Goodreads approval process can take a few days. It’s a good idea to schedule your giveaway to start 3 business days later, so that you know it will be ready. Also, Goodreads does not work on weekends, so avoid listing your giveaway on Thursday or Friday.

Create an Author Q&A group timed to coincide with the end of your giveaway and link to the group. An Author Q&A group can be a great way to maintain contact with members who entered your giveaway. But schedule it for some time in the future, as people will need time to read your book.

Send books promptly: When winners are picked, be sure to send out the book in a timely manner. If it arrives late, or worse, not at all, an angry winner might leave a nasty review!

Give away signed cop(y)ies: Many readers regard signed copies as something special, so why not sign your book before sending it off? It’s best not to personalise the book though, with Dear “X”, as the winner may want it for a friend, or to give as a present.

Requesting a review: You may, or may not, want to include a handwritten note inside the book asking for a review.  Many people advise that this is acceptable, whilst some say it is not. Up to you.

In the Huffington Post, author marketing expert Penny C Sansevieri has some excellent advice on the power of the Goodreads giveaway.


Goodreads Tips from the experts…

• Patrick Brown also spoke at the LBF about the opportunities for engaging with readers on Goodreads: “the best way, of course, is to be an active member of the Goodreads community, posting and reviewing books in the genre you love and write in, so you can connect as a reader.” If you want to learn more, Patrick has also openly shared his slide pack.
• Author of contemporary fiction, Christine Nolfi, has some great advice here, on Goodreads strategies to increase sales.
• Author Marketing Club Video Goodreads Tutorial
• In the Huffington Post, author marketing expert Penny C Sansevieri tells us how to become a Goodreads power user.

Polly Courtney, author of Feral Youth, in conversation with Catriona Troth

This month’s guest on BookClub is Polly Courtney, author of the remarkable novel, Feral Youth, written in response to the riots that broke out across Britain's cities in the summer of 2011.  

Feral Youth is the story of Alesha – a fifteen year old from Peckham in South London, living under the radar, dodging social services, gang violence and her alcoholic mother. It's the story of why so many young British kids took the streets, of why they were so angry.

Here she talks to Catriona Troth about the origins of the book, the young people who helped to inspire her, and how the book has been received.

Polly, where were you when the riots broke out in August 2011?  Did you have direct experience of them or like most of us, were you watching them unfold on your television screens?

I was at home in west London, glued to my Twitter feed, smelling the burning police cars in Ealing. I wanted to head into town and see it first-hand but things seemed to be moving quite quickly and I knew I’d be too late to catch the action, so I headed into town the next day. It was devastating; charity shops and family stores had been reduced to burnt-out shells.

When did you first start to think, there is a side to this story that no one is thinking about?

I watched and read the news, avidly, in the days and weeks that followed the riots. Everyone was talking about harsh punishments and blame, with many people focusing on the story of Mark Duggan, whose death at the hands of the police had initiated the protest that sparked the riots… but it felt as though nobody was asking why. WHY did so many young people take to the streets across the country? I don’t mean the looters, who inevitably took advantage of the mayhem in order to get their hands on free stuff; I mean the people who stood in the street, brazenly facing a line of police, chucking things, burning things, yelling obscenities. Why were they so angry? And even if many of them were just after a new pair of trainers, why were they willing to break the law and go to such lengths to get it? It felt as though there was something deeply wrong with society and nobody was talking about the real problems.

Tell us about the research you did before you began writing the novel.  Did you already have any contact with groups like Kids’ Company, or was this an entirely new world for you?

When the riots broke out, I was already looking into becoming a mentor for a young person at Kids Company. I had heard a lot about the support they give vulnerable children and I’d read Camila Batmanghelidjh’s heart-breaking book, Shattered Lives (recommended reading for anyone working with or bringing up children), but the training and matching process takes time, so it was only later when I actually started mentoring. One of the key pieces of research I undertook was going into schools and youth groups and small charities, talking and workshopping with young people about the way they lived their lives, their frustrations and their attitudes. I learned so much more than I’d bargained for – not just about the kids but about myself too. I was horrified to realise that I’d gone in with some preconceptions of my own, presumably borne out of media stereotypes and spin. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to the teenagers who helped me to shape Alesha’s view of the world.

What you found about the lives of these young people is profoundly shocking. To me, Alesha seemed closer to some of Dickens’ characters (like Tom the crossing sweeper in Bleak House) than anything I would expect to encounter in 21^st Century London.  But this is all grounded in reality, isn’t it? What was your reaction to what you discovered?

I was horrified at what I discovered. Politicians talk as though we are ‘one big community’, an empowered nation with a highly functioning society, but we’re not. There are people who fall through the gaps and some of them have no safety net – or if they do, they often don’t know where to find it. Homelessness is a massive problem, but not in the way most people think. It’s not all about ex-military servicemen on the streets around Waterloo (although that is a huge problem too); it’s about kids who sofa-surf, existing below the radar, living one day to the next with nothing more than the £2 in their pocket and nobody looking out for them. Some sleep on night buses to keep warm. I couldn’t believe the problem was so profound and so widespread.

You originally came into writing from the world of investment banking – which is about as far from the Alesha’s world as you can get.  What do you think now of a city that can spawn two such very different modes of existence? And what do you think we need to do to change things for Alesha?

I lived a grotesquely lavish life in the City. I got cabs everywhere, I ate expensive meals and I enjoyed all sorts of ‘perks’ from my employer. We lived in a ‘bubble’; the square mile was insulated from the rest of the world by money and we really didn’t have a clue how ordinary people lived – let alone those living in poverty. I’ve only realised the extent of the problem at the other end of the wealth spectrum in the last few years, so I can’t tell whether the wealth divide has widened, but it certainly feels as though most policies being put through by the coalition favour the already-wealthy and make life very hard for those at the bottom. I don’t think it’s a party-political issue, either. It’s just that the wealthy can speak up for themselves and therefore tend to control the agenda. The poor and vulnerable typically don’t have a voice in the mainstream media or society, so they are natural victims. Something I wanted to do with Feral Youth was to give the Aleshas of the world a voice.

I believe your agent didn’t take very kindly to your idea for a new novel.  Can you tell us about how [he/she] reacted when you first suggested it?

I believe my agent’s words were: “I don’t think it’s got commercial potential. I wouldn’t be able to sell it [to a publisher]. But I have a feeling you’re going to write it anyway.”

She was right; I wrote it regardless. I’m so pleased I did.

Were you still with Harper Collins at this stage, or had you already left your publisher?

I’d walked out a few months before, but I was already a long way into planning the novel that would become Feral Youth. The riots happened around the time I left HarperCollins, so I guess you could say I was feeling reckless… or maybe I was just desperate to do things on my own terms

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Alesha’s voice in Feral Youth is incredibly strong, and it feels utterly authentic.  But it’s quite unlike yours and quite unlike the voice in any of your previous novels.  How did you achieve that and how difficult was it to sustain?

For real, blud! Yes, it took a while to get into Alesha’s head and learn her voice and I couldn’t have done it without a bunch of south London teenagers, who had a good laugh at my expense. It wasn’t just her language I wanted to get right though; it was her attitude and all the little things: where she hung out, what she thought of politicians, teachers, social workers… what made her smile, occasionally.

How big a risk do you think it was to take on a character so far from your own experience? And what would you say now to a novelist contemplating taking a similar leap?

They say you should ‘write what you know’. Well, I guess I broke that rule, but as soon as I knew there were real-life Aleshas out there, I was desperate to share her story with the world. I wanted people to care. I’m not sure I’m qualified to advise other writers, but I would say that the most important thing you can do is to write what you care about, even if it requires some research to get it right. Authenticity is critical.

How has Feral Youth been received so far?  Are you pleased with how things have gone?

I’ve been humbled. I was truly expecting a backlash, or rather, multiple backlashes: people telling me I had no right to write Alesha’s story, people saying I’d got it wrong, people disagreeing with the political implications. In fact, I’ve seen very little of that. The most emotional I’ve felt in a long time was a week ago, when I received a message (via a charity) from a 15-year-old girl from a not dissimilar situation from Alesha, telling me that the book had left her in tears and that it was the first book she’d read cover-to-cover.

And no regrets at your decision to go indie?

Not one. I’m back in control and it has never felt better. The audiobook has just come out and my next little project is Feral Youth the movie…

You can read JJ Marsh's review of Feral Youth on the Triskele Bookclub here.