I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I was totally blown away by how intricate and beautifully written it was. The story starts in Newgate Prison during the eighteenth century where we first meet the mysterious Miss Tully Truegood. We learn immediately that Tully is awaiting trial for Murder, and as we get a glimpse into her thoughts, we are transported into her world, as the author takes us on the ethereal journey that is Tully’s life.

Born to a father who cares little for her, as a young girl Tully takes solace in the care of their cook. Forbidden to leave the house, the curious Miss Tully only manages tiny glimpses of the outside world through windows or colourful character’s that Cook and her father entertain. When she begins to experience not-of-this-world sights and feelings, Tully is soon taught to hide her ‘sinful’ abilities.

When her father marries his daughter off to cover a gambling debt whilst she is still but a child, Tully is relieved that she has no need to live or even know her husband, and instead returns to the embrace of Cook. However when she is also introduced to her new stepmother and step-sisters she fears the worst. It’s from here that Tully steps into an unknown world of affection and sparkle. Standing up to her father, she is flung into the open world and the arms of The Fairy House.

The Fairy House is a whore house with a difference. Told from Tully’s memories, it forms a beautiful part of the book, as she learns to embrace her magical abilities and use them to her advantage, dazzling her new friends and family. The author has very delicately shown the glamour, the love and the intense intimacy Tully experiences along the way, as well as the dangers women in this profession endured.

Tully meets some stunning characters here, as well as the less desirable, but they are the sort of characters that readers love to hate. It’s a book full of honest human emotion and fault, but with the touch of magic, this really has to be a one-of-a-kind story, and the author is to be commended for her originality as well as the outstanding writing.

When the final chapters loom, the reader is transported back to Newgate prison, where we learn the fate of Tully. Will she hang for murder? And will she ever see her first love again? I couldn’t possibly spoil the ending for readers, but the little I will say is that the final chapter of this book is one of the most spectacular I have ever read; so cleverly intertwined and utterly satisfying for a character that it’s impossible not to feel genuine fondness for after reading of her life.

One of the best books of 2016. Thank you to Harper Collins for allowing me to read an advance copy of this wonderful book.

As a woman, have you ever sat at work and pondered the advantages and perks that women with children receive without so much as a blink? If you’ve ever rolled your eyes when your co-workers trot off to their child’s school sports day, sigh as they take time off for appointments whilst you work late, or kept your lips sealed when you get lumbered with extra work whilst they take maternity leave, then this book is for you!

Meternity is a side splitting account of a woman experiencing just that. Liz Buckley works for Paddy Cakes, a ‘Mother & Baby’ magazine in New York, and whilst she enjoys elements of her job, she finds herself constantly taken advantage off, whilst the working mums work a strict set of hours and get promoted to boot, Liz is burning the midnight oil to maintain her position – and theirs.  Feeling as though she’s on the verge of losing her job, she’s pulled into a meeting feeling rather ill. When her nausea is mistaken for morning sickness, Liz has an insane lightbulb moment and plays along. Why shouldn’t she get lunch time manicures and the odd hour off for a ‘doctors appointment’? A Meternity instead of Maternity?

That was the plan anyway, however pretty soon, Liz can’t find a way out of her lie and eight months later she is still maintaining her story with the help of her friends. It’s not been an easy ride, as through each trimester, Liz has had to learn the hard way, all the complications of pregnancy to credibly carry on with her secret as well as learning to appreciate the struggles that pregnancy and motherhood include. An added struggle is also thrown into the mix when she finds she is falling for someone at the most inopportune time. Will she be able to keep her bizarre secret from Ryan and still maintain their relationship? At the beginning of each chapter the reader is kept in suspense, certain that the secret will be uncovered soon, but the author has created clever humorous twists throughout and Liz Buckley’s secret remains just that until the Very. Last. Moment!

Whilst this book has a serious undertone, the comedic value stood out the most for me, and with an added romantic value, this really was a story of an imperfect modern woman working her way through the ups and downs of life in a world that places pressure on everyone for different reasons. A highly enjoyable read!

Q1. Could you tell us a little about yourself as an introduction?
Well, I just turned 29. I was born in Houston TX, but we moved around a bit, even living a few years in a colonial village in the mountains of central Mexico. I was home schooled till I left for university at 16 moving to NYC. My 1^st degree was in dance and choreography (though I later received my Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh as well). After that first graduation in NYC, I subsequently got the travel bug, and, after a year working at the bottom of a totem pole of personal assistants to a multimillionaire, I left to backpack through Europe for six months. Eight years later, here I still am! And, long story short, that’s how I fell onto that path that lead to meeting my husband and Ireland becoming my home.

Q2. When did you realise you loved writing, and what was your journey like in becoming a published author?
Funny as it sounds, I started writing before I knew the alphabet. When I was three I had a black notebook I filled with squiggly lines. I brought the notebook to my mother and very proudly told her, “Mommy, I just wrote a book.” My mother swears that every time I read my “novel” to her I read the same story, word for word, as though I knew what each squiggly line meant. Nearly everyone in my family writes. It felt natural to start writing, too.

Q3. How did it feel when you first held a copy of The Last days of Summer in your hands?
Surreal. And at the same time more wonderfully real than anything. My husband was at work when the poof copies arrived so I had a couple hours alone to sit with my book, smelling it, turning each page. If anyone could have seen me, sitting there by myself, smiling ear to ear, I’m sure they would have thought I’d gone crazy!

Q4. It sounds as though you have travelled quite a bit. Have any places in particular influenced your writing?
I think almost everywhere I’ve lived has somehow or another impacted my writing. My experiences as a child living in a colonial village in the mountains of central Mexico definitely had a deep early impact, as did the time we spent living on the cusp of the Texas prairie. Edinburgh, New York City and Dublin are all quite inspirational cities. I’ve been very lucky to have lived where I have.

Q5. Did you have a set plot when writing The Last Days of Summer, or do you allow the characters some control?
I am very, very much a start writing and see where it takes you sort of writer. I know the direction a story is going, know the general arch—where I’m starting, a few points along the way, have a vague impression of the ending, know the story’s tone—but room for spontaneity is incredibly important in my writing process. I often close my eyes visualize I am the character. Think, “Where am I now? What am I doing?” My scenes then unfold from there.

As the characters grew in my head and gained strength, they took on a surprising independence I didn’t expect—each one said or did things at one time or another that I hadn’t planned. But I felt I had to ‘go with it’ each time because that was what Jasper would have done or Joanne would have said, so who was I to stifle their voices? That was my first experience where characters at times seemed to make their own decisions. Now, as I write my second novel, it has felt very strange having new voices in my head, seeing through new eyes.

Q6. Do you have a writing routine or any writing quirks?
I need complete silence when I write. I guess that’s kind of quirky. Even the slightest sounds or distractions can pull me from the world I’m trying to see into.

Q7. What can we expect next from you? Is there anything in the pipeline?
I am writing my second novel. Another dark tale told from multiple perspectives, set into the fringes of society.

My review for The Last Days of Summer will follow next week! I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.