Hi everyone

I’m doing some informal signings of A Season to Remember in Dublin. Here’s a list of the bookshops. If you see me, say hello. If you want a personalised copy but can’t get in to your local store, ring ahead with your name and message and I will sign it.

love

Sheila

From 10am:

Easons O’Connell Street, Reads Nassau Street, Hodges Figgis Dawson Street, The Dublin Bookshop Grafton Street, Hughes & Hughes St Stephen’s Green

From noon:

Hughes & Hughes Dundrum, Easons Dundrum, Easons Liffey Valley, Easons Blanchardstown, Easons Swords, Hughes & Hughes Swords

Newspapers recently had a field-day, announcing that sales of ‘chick-lit’ have slumped. Almost immediatedly, commentators rushed to say that they’d be glad to see the end of pink-jacketed books populated by women who were obsessed with shoes and shopping. In one of the Irish newspapers, I was quoted as saying that I disliked my books being regarded as chick-lit ‘despite my success’.

In fact, what I dislike is my books being spoken of in a derogatory way (and journalists nearly always use the phrase ‘chick-lit’ in a derogatory way). I also dislike them being dismissed as books about shoes and shopping when they are generally about relationships, (although if they were about shoes and shopping I would be delighted to stand up and say so). In saying my books are about relationships, however, I don’t just mean romantic relationships, I mean the whole business of people getting on with each other (or not as the case may be).

Many, many people apparently object to the fact that chick-lit books don’t deal with ‘the big issues’ or bring readers to places ‘outside’ their own experiences. I read one comment which complained that these books are about ‘women and their boring lives’.

I believe that our relationships with each other is one of the biggest issues you can possibly deal with. Everything in the world depends on how we treat other people and how we are treated in return. And every world event has its root in a person with a mother and a father, absent or present. No matter what has happened in our lives it is the people around us who help us through it, who give us comfort or who push us away and therefore shape our relationship with the rest of the world.

Women are at the forefront of so many of these relationships. They are generally the ones who remember birthdays and anniversaries, who remember the names of nieces and nephews and friends who they don’t see very often. They are the fabric of our society, holding things together. And they are not boring.

When I was younger I wanted to read about someone who lived in a housing estate, like I did. I wanted to read about ordinary people because I knew, and I still know, that in every ordinary person’s life there will be an extraordinary story. And it is those stories, of joy, sorrow, love, hate, bravery, survival, despair and triumph that chick-lit tells. Sometimes in a comic way, sometimes not. But always in a way that allows the reader to become part of the character’s life, a participant rather than an observer.

There has also been much criticism about the covers of  chick-lit books. Pink is mentioned a lot. And swirls. Authors sometimes complain that a frothy looking cover takes away from the fact that there can be serious subject matter in the pages. But a light-hearted cover doesn’t necessarily mean that the book is about an endearing heroine failing to find Mr Right and finding a perfect pair of shoes instead. Usually (and most buyers of chick-lit understand this) it means that although the journey in the book might be difficult for the main character, it is a story with a hopeful ending. Not necessarily a happy ending. Or a romantic ending. But one in which the character has learned something along the way and is better placed to face the future.

Certainly, following the success of some high profile chick-lit writers, lots and lots of books have been published which deal with relationships. As, indeed, following the success of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code a plethora of books about secret societies and lost artefacts were published. And after Stephanie Meyer, vampires were de rigeur in young adult books. That is the way it is in the business world. Success breeds imitation.  When it comes to identikit covers, it’s hard to look at a table of crime fiction and work out what book you might not have already read among the dark and moody jackets with their similar typefaces. Ditto fantasy books with their etheral images. Book jackets certainly entice you or otherwise to open the book itself, but judging a book by its cover is something that we all know can be a fatal mistake.

It is also both untrue and insulting to suggest that because a reader enjoyes a chick-lit book, she is incapable of reading anything more demanding. Given that there is a massive literacy problem in the English speaking developed world, we would be better off celebrating the fact that people are reading at all, rather than criticising their choices and suggesting that what they’re reading isn’t good enough. We should also be celebrating the fact that successful women writers are part of an industry that brings both employment and pleasure to so many people.

I take a lot of time and care in writing my books. I write about themes that interest me and hope that my readers find them interesting too. If I choose wrongly, if a reader isn’t interested, or if my writing isn’t good enough, my sales will suffer. I totally accept that. But I don’t accept that women writers should constantly have to justify the fact that they write at all. And I certainly don’t accept that there is anything wrong with reading a book that entertains you.

My few weeks of intensive reading are over and I’m now back at my desk and trying to do some admin stuff before putting on my creative hat again. Lots of you ask me about the books I read for pleasure so here’s a list of this year’s summer reading (in the order I read them). My favourite on the list is Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, a book that lived up to all the hype and was wonderful in lots of ways. The book I liked least was Death Mask by another Kathryn, Kathryn Fox. This was disappointing because the premise was great for a really taut thriller but unfortunately the plot seemed to slip away from her. Not included on the list are two books I read in Spanish – Vive et Dejar Morir (Live and Let Die) and Dondé está la Novia (original title Found: One Runaway Bride). As you can see from the titles, I can’t do complicated reading in Spanish yet but it was very satisfying to be able to read and understand them!

Book List summer 2011

The Disengagement Ring – Clodagh Murphy

Carte Blanche – Jeffrey Deaver

The Cut – George Pelicanos

Good as Dead – Mark Billingham

Something From Tiffany’s – Melissa Hill

The Stranger You Seek – Amanda Kyle Williams

Death Mask – Kathryn Fox

Death in August – Marco Vichi

The Help – Kathryn Stockett

The Postmistress – Sarah Blake

Mistaken – Neil Jordan

Handle With Care – Jodi Picoult

Bad Intentions – Karin Fossum

Mystery – Johnathan Kellerman

The Wish List – Martina Reilly

The Group – Mary McCarthy

Silver Girl – Elin Hilderbrand

The Things We Do For Love – Roisin Meaney

Hi everyone

Just a big thank you to my UK readers who have put All For You at No 10 in the UK bestseller list this week. It’s lovely to know that so many of you went out to buy it and I really, really hope you enjoy it.

love

Sheila

Don’t often put reviews here but really liked this one: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/stormy-lives-of-mother-and-child-2817165.html

A big, big thanks to my readers in Ireland for making All For You the number one book this week. I’m also really pleased that Stand By Me is still in the charts too. Hope you’re all enjoying both books. They really and truly are two of my personal favourites!

Here’s a link to my recent interview on Ireland AM where I’m talking about All For You:

http://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=37443&locID=1.65.74