So, Tuesday already how did that happen? Today on Favourite Authors week its the turn of Elizabeth Haynes.
I adore Elizabeth’s books – human stories with a twist she brings something just a little bit different to each tale which keeps them fresh and exciting to read. With a new book coming out later this year – the start of a series – my chronic impatience is in full flow…Here is what Elizabeth had to say when I posed the favourites questions to her…
Favourite Book Written
Favourite book I’ve written is a really tricky one. I’m tempted to say ‘the last one’ because I’m always closest to it, the characters are still with me, I’m still existing in that world, but I realise that’s not much of an answer. I’d have to say Into the Darkest Corner, because it was the first novel I finished, the first book I tried to edit and the one that launched me on this crazy journey that had just been a dream until that point. It was a difficult, emotional book to write, and there were times that I hated it. But now I can see what an impact it’s had, and how much it’s changed my life, I am phenomenally grateful that I got to write it.
Favourite Book Read.
Favourite book I’ve read – that’s even more of a challenge! I’ll take the easy way out with this one and avoid fiction: Paul Britton’s The Jigsaw Man. As much as the author has now been very publicly discredited, it’s a fascinating insight into police murder investigations and the psychology of the offender. Every time I read it I learn something new. Can I also have T S Eliot’s Complete Poems? That would be my ‘Desert Island’ book.
Favourite Meal
The best meal I’ve ever had was at the Coombe Abbey Hotel near Coventry. The whole place is amazing and the food is wonderful. I don’t have adequate words for it – good job I’m not a restaurant critic really. I’ve stayed there four or five times over the past fifteen years; the last time was for our first wedding anniversary nine years ago, and I can still remember what we ate.
Favourite Holiday/Destination
The best holiday I ever went on was in my mid twenties with my friend Sam. We went to Crete for a week and when we arrived the rep told us our hotel was no longer available and we’d been moved somewhere else. This turned out to be a newly opened, small apartment block with its own pool, run by a lovely family. We were the only guests. Sam and I wanted exactly the same thing from our holiday – pool, sun, books. We got on so well, laughed so much and loved every minute of it. In more recent years I’ve had some great family holidays too – if you like theme parks, I can highly recommend De Efteling. It’s a very well kept secret here in the UK. Shhh.
Favourite Tv Show and/Or Film.
There’s only one TV show I can possibly name as my favourite. In the 1980s the BBC filmed two series of John Christopher’s Tripods trilogy. They never made the third series, despite my many letters to Barry Took. I was obsessed with it. I had the sweatshirt, I even bought the 12” single of the theme music. More recently, I absolutely love the US show The Amazing Race. I’ve seen every series. Oh, and Jeremy Kyle – as long as I can read the Twitter feed at the same time.
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
Now its a dilemma for me to choose my favourite book from Ms Haynes because I truly loved every single one. Its a bit like having to pick one of your children as being more intelligent than the next! So I’ve decided to go with the one that started it all – the truly incredible “Into the Darkest Corner”.
Into The Darkest Corner is quite simply stunning. One of the best debut novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading, this is fiction at its best. Dealing with some life issues in an entertaining (from the reading point of view) but very realistic way Elizabeth Haynes takes us into the darker side of relationships and gives us an insight into domestic violence, OCD and, in a very true sense, redemption. Cathy, an outgoing fun loving lass meets Lee, who at first glance seems perfect. Good looking, attentive to her needs and intelligent, Cathy thinks that perhaps she has met her “one”. Slowly but surely though things change..Lee invades every aspect of her life and Cathy finds herself cut off from her previous persona, and relying more and more on Lee for any kind of human interaction. As we, the reader, see her disintegrate slowly but surely and go from being outgoing, popular and fun to insular, needy and alone, its scary stuff. Cathy is NOT a mouse. She is NOT a person who seems as if she would allow this to happen..and yet we watch from the sidelines in horror as everything she was is eaten away by this man. Lee himself is an interesting character – as we learn more about his past and understand the very real dangers that Cathy faces, its both fascinating and horrific. Because men like him exist. They really do. And that is what makes this all the more scary. Forget horror novels, this book is about real life horror – this happens. It happens to women all the time. Sometimes its hard to read, frustrating as you see Cathy take more and more steps towards destruction..but still you will be unable to put it down. And when you are done, you will have a greater understanding of things perhaps you have never given much thought to. Brilliant. Not to be missed.
Other Titles
Find out more here: http://www.elizabeth-haynes.com/
You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Elizjhaynes
Linky Link for Purchase information: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Haynes/e/B004U4F4DK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1376981815&sr=1-2-ent
Thank you once again to Elizabeth for taking part. She also has her own page here so you can find reviews of the other novels.
Tomorrow its the turn of R J Ellory to tell us about a few of his favourite things.
Happy Reading Folks!
