Hilary Boyd - live book club webchat Tues 17 Dec 1-2pm

CariGransnet

For those who have received copies of When You Walked Back Into My Life (and indeed for those who haven't) and/or those who have enjoyed Hilary's other best sellers such as Thursdays in The Park...now's the chance to ask her about her writing, being dubbed the creator of "grans lit" - and indeed anything else you fancy.

Read more here

Hilary joins us live at GNHQ at 1pm for a mince pie and a chat - so do get your questions in now

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CariGransnet

That's what a Gransnet meet up does to me eh?

Although...I do like the idea of a nook (NOT nookie) club - thinking roaring fire, mulled wine, pile of books - and (goes without saying) a lot of cake.

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Grandmanorm

Good afternoon Hilary, I was wondering if you were as exasperated with your heroine as I was. The book brought up many emotions but that was the main one.

Hi there, yes, Flora is a bit exasperating! But she's also vulnerable. And if she was perfectly normal there wouldn't be a story! Sorry that was your main emotion, but thanks for reading it.

Annie29

A great read, could not put it down. Thank you for my copy.

thanks so much Annie, delighted you enjoyed it!

harveysnan

Hello Hilary I have enjoyed all of your bools and am windering if there will be another one soon?

Thanks so much. yes, just finished the fourth and waiting agent's response with some anxiety! If all goes well it should be out next year, probably the autumn.

Pinenut

Hello Hilary I read the original article (except now I can't remember where it was) about "gran lit" and wondered how you felt about being creditied with the creation of the genre?

Hi Pinenut, yes, I sort of didn't mind about the tag because it helped so much identify the book for publicity purposes. but I don't just write about grans, for grans! but I think any help you can get from the press is welcome, and the tag definitely helped.

jiggle

I think it's great (and I am thinking about your last book rather than this one) to have someone a little older as the romantic hero. Given we are an ageing population do you start others may follow in your wake?

Hi Jiggle, yes, I do think there is a move afoot to address literature and film etc for an older audience. We have time to read and often more money than the younger generation so it makes perfect sense.

eastender

actually my question follows on from that. I just wondered about the commercial response from publishers when you write about characters who aren't 20 somethings. Did it make it harder for you to get Thursdays in the Park published? I imagine some may think (wrongly IMHO) that it's a "niche" market

Hi Eastender, you know, I think if I had tried to have Thursdays published even five years ago, i wouldn't have got the same response. but there is definitely a sea change in the way publishers are viewing the older generation, and long may it last!

kaybh

Hi Hilary, thank you for coming on gransnet. My friend has been writing novels for a few years now and now insists that the only way she'll get anywhere is by publishing her book herself (on Amazon I think). Do you have any advice as to doing this or is it a bit of a lost cause not going through a publisher?

Kay

Hi Kay, well, some have succeeded, but it's hard route I think, because you don't get the support you do from a publisher, who has publicists etc to help you. but look at 50 shades! That started as self-published - not that that happens every day. I would advise her to get an agent first, look online and send stuff to a whole lot of them.

iceandaslice

Hi Hilary - thanks for chatting to us!
Do you think your time as a marriage counsellor helps you to write about relationships? Do you ever miss it?

Hi, yes definitely! But then I think I went into marriage guidance because i was interested in relationships in the first place. and no, i don't really miss it, because it was quite stressful hearing some of the things people brought to me. and you can't always help in the way you'd like.

Nansypansy

Thanks for my copy of 'when he walked back into my life'. I thoroughly enjoyed it, also Thursdays in the Park. I've now downloaded Tangled Lives and look forward to reading it. As a grandparent who at nearly 70 is having to 'move on' after over 40 years of marriage - his decision, although he tells all and sundry it was my decision, I was wondering whether this would be a good backdrop to a novel? To me, it's like a game of snakes and ladders (good title!!??) and at this moment in time I feel like I've slid down one enormous snake! Not something anyone would relish at this stage of life.

Hi there, god, no, that's a really hard one for you. and yes, I do deal with this one in my next one, which I just finished today! Snakes and ladders indeed. So sorry you're having to deal with it all, but you may find you are happier in the long run? I know quite a few people who have gone through the same who are. good luck though, I send my best wishes.

Lowslung

Hi Hilary
Pinenut suggests that you may have created the granslit genre inadvertently - or was it a deliberate move on your part?

No definitely not. I was just at a certain stage in my life when I was turning 60 and wondering how that happened! And i just wrote about what I was going through. it was just a lucky break - in the publicity terms - that i had a label at all, that helped the book stand out.

cikada

Thank you so much for my copy, difficult to put down but very frustrating! I am certainly on Prue's side.

Yes, sorry I'm causing such frustration! will try to do better in future!