Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for.
If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!
This week we have Colete Kebell talking about her previous releases..so welcome.
Hello there, my name is Colette Kebell and I am an author of Chicklit/Romcom. I’ve only been writing a couple of years but am loving every minute of my new vocation. I was lucky enough to meet Rachel last year, whilst attending Jill Mansell’s book launch for You and Me, Always at which we were both a little star struck by the faces we recognised of some of those who attended to support Jill. I am very grateful to her for this opportunity to be interviewed.
1) Please tell me about your first book, and what started you writing in the first place
My first book has never seen the light of day, if I am honest. It still sits in a cupboard collecting dust…My first self-published book is Blue and Green Should Never Be Seen! (Or so Mother Says). The story came about following being made redundant and teaching myself to build a website for my father-in-law. After that I still had this huge creative urge but little actual money to, for example, take up painting or some such as that requires the purchase of materials and taking classes. Writing on the other hand, to put it bluntly, just takes a large amount of time and research. I have quite a creative streak by nature and this was a way that I could live vicariously through my characters and achieve things that I would otherwise have just brushed aside, becoming more and more frustrated, whilst job hunting. Writing it was my outlet for all my frustrations but not only that, as it turned out, it brought myself and my husband closer, despite it being a solitary vocation, as I involved my husband each step of the way, whilst writing he would read, make suggestions and laugh along with me.
2) How many books have you written and what are they?
So far I have self-published two books but have three more on the go, if you will. My first book is Blue and Green Should Never Be Seen! (Or so Mother Says) which was followed quite swiftly by The Retail Therapist. After writing Blue and Green I felt that I had more of GiGi’s story to tell and so, despite this being the wrong way round to most people, I wrote a prequel. One of my WIP’s is the sequel to these two and the other two are still Chicklit/Romcom but they are a little different.
3) Which book are you most proud of writing?
That, at this point at least, has to be Blue and Green Should Never Be Seen! (Or so Mother Says). I loved writing it from beginning to end and it brought such laughter to our household that our neighbours wondered just what had my husband and I so amused so frequently.
4) Which book was your favourite to write?
I think this question comes under the same umbrella as the one above as for the same reasons, so far at least, it would have to be Blue and Green.
5) Who are your favourite characters from your books and why?
Oh, despite having fallen in love with my main character, GiGi and Ritchie of course, my absolute favs are Jasper Barnes and Lady Whilsham. They are such a dastardly couple and were great fun to write. But then there is Timothy with his shoe fetish and oh I could go on and on. I think you get the point though…
6) If you could go back and change anything from any of your books, what would it be, and why?
I think that as far as Blue and Green is concerned I would leave it just as it is. As far as my novella The Retail Therapist is concerned, I would have liked to have made it a little longer. I had far more to say about this part of GiGi’s life but considered that if I did it would lose some of it’s momentum. There is, afterall, only so much one can say about what brought someone to the point of changing their career so drastically….
7) Which of your covers if your favourite and why?
I love both my covers equally though I guess, as this was the first time I had dealt with my cover designer, it would have to be Blue and Green as from what was a relatively small brief, she just got me and what I wanted on my cover. She did a fabulous job and has received a large amount of praise from not only myself but also my peers.
8) Have you ever thought about changing genres, if so what else would you like to write?
To me, I have already changed genre. That book I mentioned previously which is gathering dust was a fantasy novel. I may return to it sometime in the future but having said that I have so much fun writing Chicklit that I think I will probably stick to that. I may at some point in future decide to write something with a little more grit and drama to it, but that is a long way off currently.
9) Looking forward can you let us know what you are working on next?
Next is the sequel to Blue and Green, though whether I publish another one or two in the meantime remains to be seen, as I currently have three WIPs. Life hasn’t allowed me as much time to write in the past year or so as I would have liked, due to house sale, move etc and so I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things this Autumn, hopefully, and then it will be a matter of which one flows the best at the time.
10) I dare not ask for a favourite author, but is there any author’s back catalogue you admire and why?
I grew up reading the likes of Jilly Cooper and the late great Jackie Collins amongst others. I was also a huge fan of Stephen King and James Herbert in my youth though have long since stopped reading all the horror books. Having said all that, if I didn’t mention the lady who inspired me to write Chicklit, namely Sophie Kinsella or by her other name Madeleine Wickham, then I would be failing not only myself but your blog readers.
11) Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your back catalogue of books?
At this point in time my back catalogue only consists of one book and I am, therefore, incredibly humbled and grateful to you for accepting me as an interviewee. As far as Blue and Green is concerned I hope that your followers take the time to have a look at the book, read the reviews, and hopefully end up buying it. I don’t want to quote a particular review verbatim, but having said that, one thing that has been said about it is that the excitement and laughter that occurred in my household at the time it was written has translated to the pages in my book. I feel very proud of my achievement, especially as my husband has now translated it into Italian and the sales are fantastic for a new author to the Italian market.
Thank you so much Colette for this fabulous interview, I am so happy for your that you have got an Italian translation, and I must say I am also a huge fan of the whole Sophie Kinsella / Madeleine Wickham back catalogue. It was a pleasure to meet you too earlier in the year, and starstruck is definitely the correct word for that launch party.
Author Bio
After being a Legal Secretary for about 10 years, Colette was on the hunt to find something else that she would find just as interesting. She found that in writing and she hopes you like what you read. She loves fashion with a passion (pardon the pun) and therefore it is not surprising that her debut novel was going to follow that theme.
Her debut novel was “Blue and Green Should Never Be Seen!” which was followed by “The Retail Therapist”, both of these being romantic comedies/Chick Lit, a genre she adores.
When she’s not in writing mode she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, a task that usually produces good results; as her husband would say, as opposed to “his” experiments which often end in a culinary disaster. She lives in Coastal Kent, UK with two adorable dogs. Oh yes, and hubby too.
You could also look at her website and see what news is on there at http://www.ColetteKebell.com
or follow her on either twitter https://www.twitter.com/ColetteKebell
or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ColetteKebellAuthor
or follow her on either twitter https://www.twitter.com/ColetteKebell
or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ColetteKebellAuthor
Purchase links:-
Blue and Green
The Retail Therapist
Senza Tacchi non mi Concentro!
Both my books are available to buy in all e-reader formats and the ones in English are also available from bookshops and libraries, by request, worldwide.
And these are my covers in the order that they should be read ideally
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