Guest Author - Ali Bacon

Today I have the pleasure of introducing the lovely Ali Bacon,  
author of  A Kettle of Fish

Thank you for being my guest today, Ali

Ali Bacon and A Kettle of Fish

Thanks a million to Carol for having me on her famous book blog , all the better because I see we have quite a lot of reading in common!

About me

First of all, a quick intro. I was brought up in Scotland and went to university in St. Andrews where I met my husband-to-be (paving the way for royalty, of course!) I can’t say I’ve had a particularly exciting life since then although I was once banned from entering Switzerland (it would take too long to explain why!) but luckily this didn’t hold me back and I eventually settled here in Bristol where I’ve been ever since. I did all the usual work and family stuff (oops, 20 years dismissed in a few words!) then remembered I had always wanted to be a writer and thought it was time to do something about it. Since then I’ve written two novels, quite a few short stories and a long-running golf blog. I blog at Between the Lines (http://alibacon.com) which began as a writer’s blog but where I now do book reviews too. I’m proud to say that in five years I have rarely missed a week (phew!)

About A Kettle of Fish

As an avid reader it took me a while to learn how to actually make a story that would work on the page but after some hard work and some useful writing courses, I started to get the hang of it, finishing my first novel (now languishing in a drawer!) around 5 years ago. Around that time I went back to Scotlandfor a holiday and it felt right that my next project would reflect my cultural roots, which is how A Kettle of Fishcame about. I’ve added a brief description below.  You’ll see that my heroine has to tackle some pretty heavy situations but I think the way she deals with it all makes for a lively and entertaining read. Having settled on my main characters I particularly enjoyed the challenge of plotting and pacing the story and can’t wait to see what ‘real’ readers think of it! I’ve had great support from Thornberry Publishing who accepted my MS straight away.

A Kettle of Fish

She’s running as fast as she can, but the past is catching up.

Ailsa has just left school and should be living it up on a summer trip, but her plans are scuppered by her needy and secretive mother Lorraine. In desperation she takes up with local fishmonger Ian. He’s good for her soul and her sex-life, but their future is blighted by the shadow of Ailsa’s absent father Tom, an art-teacher who left home after making the papers in the worst possible way. Ian eventually blots his copy book and Lorraine is implicated in his treachery. Ailsa takes off for Edinburghwhere Shane, a picture rights dealer with more than a touch of the night, is happy to provide a job and a bed. With him Ailsa lets go of her inhibitions, but can she let go of her past? 

A Kettle of Fish moves from the East coast of Fife to the art galleries of Edinburgh, where Ailsa finds herself fishing for clues about Tom.

A Kettle of Fish is published by Thornberry Publishing and will be available on Amazon Kindle later this month

http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Kettle-of-Fish-ebook/dp/B009M7FWKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349951129&sr=8-1

Tips for writers?

• Find people you can trust to give you honest and constructive feedback
• When you are reading, think about what works and what doesn’t work, and why
• If you feel stuck, try to keep writing – you have to get it wrong before you can get it right!

My next project is also a Scottish one but different to Kettle in every other respect. I became fascinated by the story of a Victorian artist, and so I’m embarking on a historical novel. The research has been really interesting, but taking a lot longer than I expected!

 
There’s more about me and my work at http://alibacon.comand at http://www.thornberrypublishing.com/page9.htm

or follow me on Twitter @AliBacon

Thanks again for having me!