UNCOVERED INTERVIEWS: Jennifer Allan

The Red House: Twilight's Edge is the new supernatural novel by Jennifer Allan, in which a family living the dream in Ibiza have their lives changed when a tragic accident leaves Maddie Davis living an almost separate existence. Jennifer joined us this week to tell us more about The Red House and the inspiration behind it.

Tell us about your latest novel in 15 words or less.
A chick lit adventure with a ghostly, supernatural twist set in Ibiza.

What inspired you to write The Red House?
Two things inspired me. I wanted to bring a new twist to the chick lit market after reading Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and thoroughly enjoying the novelty there. Secondly I was standing in my pool in Ibiza at twilight one evening and noticed the peculiarities that form the opening lines of the book. The possibilities were endless then.

Where do you do most of your writing?
In bed. I always write in bed. I tried a desk once but it wasn't for me.

What is your favourite book?
I really couldn't decide between anything by the dear departed James Herbert and all of the novels of Barbara Erskine.

Which part of The Red House did you enjoy writing the most?
The nightmare sequences and the scenes where the heroine's husband is wrestling with his wayward emotions.

Who is your favourite literary heroine?
Rachel in Marian Keyes' Rachel's Holiday.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published writers?
Set yourself a goal to write at least 300 words a day. Do it every single day even if you think it will be rubbish.

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?
The sequel to The Red House - Twilight's Edge which is provisionally titled The Red House - Nightfall.

Thanks, Jennifer!

The Red House: Twilight's Edge

Maddie and Robert Davis are living the dream. Ensconced in a beautiful converted Spanish farmhouse and working in luxury real estate on the exclusive Mediterranean island of Ibiza, they are providing their two young daughters with an idyllic lifestyle. Their life is almost perfect and they are happier than they have ever been. But all is not as it seems in The Red House. Following a series of mysterious events centered around Maddie, she becomes the victim of a tragic accident at the villas pool. With a severe head injury she fades into unconsciousness only to find herself awakening in the care of people she has never met, in a place that seems at the same time strange but vaguely familiar. Where is she and why are her family nowhere to be found? 

In a blind panic and with no recollection of the accident Maddie persuades herself she must be in the midst of a lucid nightmare. It is only when she is presented with incontrovertible evidence that she realises she is further from her home and loved ones than she could possibly imagine. So begins a nerve wracking and emotional journey as she tries desperately to find her way back to her beloved family and the life she misses so much. But this new world has a purpose for her which she is yet to understand. Can she unearth the secrets of the Red House and so return to her family, or is she already too late?

COVER REVEAL: Reader, I Dumped Him by Lorelei Mathias

Lorelei Mathias is the author of romantic comedies Step On It Cupid and Lost for Words, and her latest novel - Reader, I Dumped Him - will be published in February. The 'anti-Valentines' novel follows a group of pals in their late twenties, all members of The Break-Up Club, as they each deal with their rather different relationship woes.

This story is a celebration of the people that bring you back to life when your world closes in: your mates. Relationships come and go, but the Break-up Club membership never truly expires.

Meet Holly, Olivia, Harry and Bella. Four Londoners at the fag-end of their twenties, thrown together by their different break-ups. Its unwitting founders are Olivia (a dumper) and Bella (a dumpee).

Wedged in the middle, Holly is in an increasingly dysfunctional relationship of her own with lovable loser, Lawrence. Soon the obvious cracks in their relationship can no longer be ignored and Holly finds herself saying ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’

In the shock aftermath of their break up, Holly finds unlikely companions in Olivia, Harry and Bella. Together, they form the Break-up Club, as they support each other through their mutual melancholy and find ways to love, laugh and function as human beings again.

Break-up Club meets every Sunday. Each week, as the comedy and drama unfolds, they discover a new BUC ‘rule’. And, one by one, the rules become vital markers on their journey to recovery...
Part romantic comedy, part self-help, this is a warm novel about friendship, for anyone who has ever had a break-up.

‘BREAK-UP CLUB’

To our members, we’re the first emergency service.

NEW RELEASES: The Big Lead by Libby Kirsch

Mystery fans are very likely to enjoy the new novel by Libby Kirsch! The Big Lead follows Montana TV reporter Stella Reynolds as she uncovers a story that could lead to a lot of potential trouble...

Stella Reynolds is new to the job, new to the state, and new to making mistakes in front of thousands of people, but that’s exactly what she signs up for when she takes a job as a TV reporter in the mountains of Bozeman, Montana. Being on live TV in a small town has never been so funny, until Stella covers the town’s first murders in years. 

When the prime suspect’s girlfriend enlists Stella to help clear his name, she uncovers another shocking crime that could expose a handful of powerful insiders. 

Who is honest, who can’t be trusted, and who committed the murders? Stella is on a tight deadline to find out. Can she help free an innocent man, or will the real culprit get away with murder? 

BOOK NEWS: The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Bell

The latest novel from Anna Bell (author of Don't Tell the Groom and Millie and the American Wedding) will be out in March. The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart follows Abi, whose broken relationship leads her to try a whole host of new and daring things...

Abseiling, wind-surfing, climbing a mountain - the things the terrified Abi Martin will do for love.

Abi's barely left her bed since Joseph, the love of her life, dumped her, saying they were incompatible.

When Joseph leaves a box of her possessions on her doorstep, she finds a bucket list of ten things she never knew he wanted to do. What better way to win him back than by completing the list, and proving they're a perfect match? But there's just one problem - or rather, ten. Abi's not exactly the outdoorsy type, and she's absolutely terrified of heights - not ideal for a list that includes climbing a mountain, cycling around the Isle of Wight and, last but not least, abseiling down the tallest building in town.

Completing the list is going to need all Abi's courage - and a lot of help from her friends. But as she heals her broken heart one task at a time, the newly confident Abi might just have a surprise in store.

FRIDAY PICKS: The Lonely Hearts Travel Club by Katy Colins

It might still be winter, but if you're looking for a sunny and adventurous tale to read, then look no further than the new series by Katy Colins, entitled The Lonely Hearts Travel Club. 

The first in the series, Destination: Thailand, will be released at the end of January by Carina, followed by Destination: India in March and Destination Chile in May!

Destination: Thailand

What if you had a second chance...to find yourself?

Instead of slipping on her something borrowed and tripping up the aisle to wedded bliss, Georgia spends her big day crying into a warm Sex-on-the-Beach, wondering where it all went wrong.

Forced to make a bucket list of her new life goals by best friend Marie, it’s not long before travel-virgin Georgia’s packing her bags for a long-haul adventure to Thailand.

Yet, Georgia’s big adventure doesn’t seem to be going to plan. From strange sights, smells and falling for every rookie traveller scam in the book Georgia has never felt more alone.

But the good thing about falling apart is that you can put yourself back together any way you please. And new Georgia might just be someone she can finally be proud of...

CUTE COVERS: She Just Can't Help Herself by Ollie Quain

Ollie Quain's 2014 novel How to Lose Weight and Alienate People was a fantastic, fun read that I could hardly put down, so hearing about this year's offering from Ollie made my day. (And to top it off, the cover of this novel is absolutely gorgeous.) She Just Can't Help Herself, in which two very different women reunite, is out in April.

Ashley lives in London and writes for a leading fashion magazine. Her life is sorted. Or at least, that's what it looks like to Tanya, who started out on as an intern with Ashley on a regional newspaper…and has remained there.

Tanya – who wears her heart on her sleeve - is panicky and frustrated. The man of her dreams is backtracking with her baby plans, she can do her job in her sleep.

But Ashley's life isn’t as sorted as it appears. She's dissatisfied at work and is dealing with a double whammy of death and divorce. Or rather, thanks to the mental barbed wire fence she constantly has up, not dealing with it.

The two women haven't seen one another for years, but a chance meeting at a party brings their worlds together. They both discover that while neither can help being themselves, they might be able to help each other.

THRILLERS: Viral by Helen Fitzgerald

With so many new and upcoming thrillers this year, it's difficult not to report on them, right? Exactly. As a fan of thrillers, I'll be including more on Uncovered over the coming months. One that has particularly caught my attention this week is Viral by Helen Fitzgerald, which will be published in early February. What if the worst thing you did went viral? Helen explores the darker side to social media, a side in which a drunken mistake can be viewed by everyone within minutes...

So far, twenty-three thousand and ninety six people have seen me online. They include my mother, my father, my little sister, my grandmother, my other grandmother, my grandfather, my boss, my sixth year Biology teacher and my boyfriend James.

When Leah Doyle and her adopted sister Su go on holiday together to Magaluf to celebrate their A-levels, only Leah returns home. Her successful, swotty sister remains abroad, humiliated and afraid: there is an online video of her, drunkenly performing a sex act in a nightclub. And everyone has seen it.

Jennifer Doyle, mother of the girls, successful court judge, is furious. How could this have happened? How can she bring justice to these men who took advantage of her dutiful, virginal daughter? What role has Leah played in all this? And can Jennifer find Su and bring her back home when Su doesn't want to be found?