Women of Substance

 Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you all and you're managing to find time to relax over the weekend. I have to say, despite the forecasts of cyclones, floods etc. which the prophets of doom, (otherwise known as weather forecasters) keep talking about, it's actually a fine day here at chez Turner. I don't know if it's the same where you are, but when even the slightest thing happens, there's always one 'expert' who decides the apocalypse is just around the corner. I am happy to report, that hasn't happened just yet and fingers crossed, they are overstating the alleged risk and nothing more dramatic than some rain will occur at some point. Anyway, as the title of this post suggests, I'm not here to talk about the accuracy of a weather forecast, no, I'm actually going to explain a little about the new novel. It's not ready for publication but as people have got in touch and asked, it seems to make the most sense to answer all the questions in one place.

So, to begin, the title is 'Turn Into Stars' and although there are a number of themes that run through the book, it's the strength of female friendships which is the bedrock of the whole story. The main character is a woman, who despite being in her late 30's, has experienced almost nothing in life. Since she left school, she has been the primary carer for her parents while working in a local government office. She has no real friends, obviously never had any kind of romantic life and so feels extremely isolated. But her one passion is reading and so most nights, she escapes from her repetitive existence into her books. As has to happen for the story to move forward, through a certain set of circumstances, (I'm trying very hard not to give away any spoilers) she finds a way to go on a ten-day trip abroad. It is through this trip, for the first time in her life, she meets a group of people who not only share the experience of travel but, more importantly, all have their own reasons for being there. As can happen when a group of women get together, especially of wildly varying ages, a degree of wisdom and insight is shared and, so the simple act of going on a holiday becomes infinitely more.

Cover Art courtesy of RMT Designs

I know that explanation is probably unbearably vague, but as I said, I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot- especially with this book- as I believe it will be more enjoyable if readers feel they are on the same journey of discovery as the characters in the story.

I have been asked what the inspiration for this particular book was, well, I would have to say, the initial idea was sparked by a travel documentary based in and around a region of the world which is not especially well known. This spark was fanned into a flame by my very good fortune to have met some truly inspirational women who, over the years, have supported, challenged and cared about those closest to them, including me. Although no character within the story is wholly based on one person, there are aspects of their personalities which are included. I believe the story is essentially a very positive one and so anyone hoping for a corpse-ridden tale including body parts stored in a freezer, is going to be sadly disappointed. Also, there are no explicit sex scenes, so again, if you're looking for a rampant orgy involving chains and/or bizarre costuming, well this won't be for you. 

While on the subject of sex scenes, I'd like to thank those who have recently read my very first book 'Hidden Within', I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and your comments were extremely kind. I am aware, as it was my first published novel, it perhaps isn't as 'polished' as it might be, but I'm very relieved you were able to look past any flaws and just enjoy the story. I was particularly happy to read you felt the sex scenes were handled in a sensitive way rather than just a blunt, lurid description of which body part happened to be the focus of attention. Speaking only for myself, I felt there was more to be gained from concentrating on the emotional responses than simply writing a selection of words solely aimed at hopefully titillating a reader. I am aware there is a huge market for sexually explicit books which offer detailed descriptions of increasingly extreme behaviour but, I believe, it's not really for me to attempt to try and write anything in that genre. Undoubtedly, there is a real art in successfully creating graphic sexual content, and those authors that do, deserve nothing but the highest praise. 

Before I go, I will answer one last question, do I put myself in every book? Well, I think all writers use aspects of their own personalities and/or life experience within their work. Sometimes it can help to put myself in a story to try and work out how a character would feel in a given situation. But as for putting my whole self into a story? Well, that doesn't happen only because it would be very limiting as even though it sometimes feels like I've seen and done just about everything- I obviously have not!

Anyway, that's a brief introduction to 'Turn Into Stars' and I've hopefully managed to answer your questions, I will keep you updated as to when the book will be published. Please look after yourselves, I know we are all facing very challenging times with the cost of living rising so fast and so I genuinely hope, you can all find ways to make things a little easier....until the next time..

Take care out there xxxxx