The Personal Shopper

Annie Valentine has it all; gorgeous face and figure, two delightful children, a glamorous career at a swanky fashion store as a personal shopper and a stylish flat in lush Highgate. However there is a massive gap in Annie's life and despite all her trappings she has no one to share it with. Yes she has her wonderful family and friends but she just wishes she could find that special someone who she could curl up next to on the sofa. The problem is with life being so full on she can never find the time to look for the right man and all the guys that she has come across are complete duds. After going on one bad date too many Annie decides to take action to find Mr Wonderful and along the way finds out a bit more than she bargained for. I caught up with author, Carmen Reid to discuss her new book.

Our protagonist, Annie Valentine is quite a dynamic character isn't she? Single mother of two, ambitious, hardworking yet stylish, savvy and very endearing. Do you think she represents modern mothers today?
I love her! She's one of those people who will die trying! Whatever life throws at her, she just refuses to let it get her down for too long. Certainly, I think modern mothers will all relate to her frantically busy days.

What was the inspiration for this book? Did it have anything to do with fashionistas and personal shoppers being the latest trends?
I was shopping with a friend who needed a dress. She was in the changing room moaning about the size of her this, that and the next thing! Meanwhile I flitted about the shop bringing her all sorts of things and when she had that ‘Eureka! This is the one!’ moment… so did I! I think clothes shopping is such an intimate, bonding, psychologically revealing thing when women do it together. A personal shopper must find out all sorts of fascinating things about her clients, so I thought it would make a very interesting subject.

The revelation towards the end was quite a surprise, did you write the book with that in mind or did it just pan out?
Oh I definitely had that in mind. I plan the books out very carefully beforehand. Although there are still plenty of interesting decisions to make on the way, it’s essential to know where you are going.

What do you think of the term chick lit do you see it as insulting or a great definition for modern women's fiction?
No female I know wants to be called a chick, so I’m afraid I do see it as derogatory. For The Personal Shopper, I prefer the perfectly respectable film term, it’s a romantic comedy.

So many chick lit books have been turned into films what do you think about this? Do you think it is a positive step?
I’m not sure that so many have been turned into films! Lots have been optioned, but I can only think of The Devil Wears Prada film. Any actress will tell you that there is a prejudice against stories centering on 30-something women. But obviously, if your story makes it to the screen that is a huge step and very positive, especially for your bank balance!

If Personal Shopper was optioned for a film who can you see playing Annie?
I have no idea! Annie is a very real person in my head, it’s quite hard to translate her into an actress. It would have to be someone with loads of energy, enthusiasm and a certain vulnerability. Definitely not someone with a stick figure though, Annie has curves!

How do you get into fiction writing?
I’ve always been writing for myself since I was small. I took an English Literature degree then I worked as a newspaper journalist for quite a few years. All these things really helped the writing along. Then when I was 28, I left my job to go on an extended maternity leave and started writing my first novel. I was very lucky to find an agent and then a publisher quite quickly compared with some of the horror stories I’ve heard!

What other authors do you admire and why?
A list of my favourite authors has to include: John Irving, Hemmingway, Nancy Mitford, PG Woodehouse, Anne Tyler, JK Rowling, Annie Proulx, Mark Twain, Louise May Alcott. I like a really emotionally engaging book. But I also love a good plot and I will forgive any writer most sins if they make me laugh out loud. Dark, depressing, slow moving volumes are not for me and I’m not a fan of graphic violence or gore.

What advice would you give to budding authors out there?
Enjoy the writing, enjoy the re-writing. You are learning a craft and we all get better with practice. Hardly anyone achieves brilliance on their first attempt, despite what your Mum/ brother/ boyfriend says! Try and learn from your mistakes, try and learn from your rejections. If you want to write a book, make a plan for the whole book, write it all the way through, then go back and re-work. So many people grind to a standstill after polishing and re-polishing three perfect chapters and never get any further.

The life of a writer must be a busy one. Can you describe your typical day?
My life is busy because I have two children and a dog! But during school hours, I try to put everything else to the side and write. It is so easy to be distracted by emails, telephone calls, one thing and another. But writing is my day job, so it’s my priority to make time and above all peace for it to happen!

Where do you do most of your writing; desk, garden, coffee shop?
I have three venues, my desk at home, which is best at night. Then the university library, a total sanctuary as no one can even phone me there! I also like this big, quiet café near my home. I never take the laptop there, but when I’m re-reading manuscripts, this place is perfect as it’s nice to feel that I’m not in solitary confinement!

A small bird tells me (ie a press release) that you are working on a series of books inspired by a boarding school you attended. Can you tell me more about this and will it be like Malory Towers or St Clare's which was written by the great Enid Blyton?
The first school book is due out next summer (no title yet!). It centers on four girls at a posh Edinburgh girls’ school, so it is an intriguing and exclusive little world, but their concerns are very modern, the kind of things that most 21st century teens will relate to. Although I read many Famous Five books when I was young, they seemed old fashioned to me even then. (Very exciting plots though!) I did read a Malory Towers book recently to see what it was all about and I have to say that I thought it was fairly dreadful!

The Personal Shopper is available in paperback now. You can check out Carmen's website on www.carmenreid.com.


Picture supplied by Louise Page PR

Because She Can

I guess it was inevitable following the huge success of The Devil Wears Prada that other books would follow suit. Because She Can which is written by Bridie Clark is dubbed the Devil Wears Prada of the publishing world. Claire Truman is a very talented and hard working assistant editor who primps novels for one of the most prestigious publishers in the city. She is also ambitious and keen to make editor so despite numerous warning she quits her cosy job and goes to work at a smaller publisher that is more successful. Grant Books is founded and run by the legendary Vivian Grant who is admired and feared by many in the industry. This role gives Claire everything she has ever wanted, a better salary, her own office and more importantly the coveted role as editor along with the clout to green light exciting projects. However there is always a cloud under a silver lining and pretty soon it becomes quite clear that working at Grant Books is not a piece of cake.

Like Lauren Weisberger, Bridie Clark was also employed in the industry she portrays in her book and alas had a tiresome boss who anyone in their right mind would have strangled. As Miranda Priestly is rumoured to be based on the Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, Vivian Grant is based on Judith Regan, a book publishing hot shot. When I picked up this book I will admit I was attracted to the fact that it was rather akin to Devil Wears Prada because I relish a great story about the trials and tribulations of a hard working employee whose life is made a complete and utter terror by her tyrant of a boss. Strangely enough I never rated the book, Devil Wears Prada because in my opinion it was badly written and the main protagonist was an utter bore. Because She Can goes along similar lines here, although it is has a great narrative, unfortunately the characters leave very little to desire. In particular the lead character Claire who is largely forgettable and a complete doormat.

The boss from hell scenario is taken one step further in Because She Can and the events in the book are totally over the top. Vivian is not only verbally and physically abusive to her staff but is quite clearly derranged bordering on psychotic. While Miranda Priestly's icy manner stemmed from the snobbery that was enclaved in the world of glossy publishing, this book gives us no incite as to why Vivian behaves in the atrocious way she does. In fact the more abuse she piles onto her staff the less you start to care. I doubt if I would have flinched had Vivian pulled out a gun and shot all her staff.

If you want to read a book that depicts the publishing world more realistically then I would highly recommend Bestseller which was written by the late and great, Olivia Goldsmith who also penned The First Wives Club. This book is a real trouper and shows a wide range of engaging characters who are a mixture of good and bad.