Writers are the best and worst of people. On
one hand, you have people that can spin a yarn and tell a tale, find the
strange minutiae of life somehow fascinating and important. Make it make sense.
On the other hand, they’re liars and
thieves.
They steal people’s lives, memories, habits
and homes to create a world for their own stories to play out.
I have done that, most of all, with Goodbye
Ruby Tuesday.
The setting quietly became the house I was
born in, on Camden Square, an ancient and huge Victorian house that had endless
passageways, shadows and possibilities.
Ruby is a cross between Amy Winehouse and
Dita Von Teese, with a sprinkle of Lily Allen for effect. Some of the teenage
memories are mine, or reflections and refractions of these memories, like
skimming a stone off the water’s edge and forgetting what it looked like to
start with.
I used to work at an arts centre (one that
also had a red door!) where I ran events and tried to make it take off, just
like Evie wants to in this book.
Esme is an amalgamation of all the ten year
olds I have taught over the years, patchworked together from the hilarious and
adorable things they have said. Kids have a way of cutting through to the truth
of things, and in my books they’re always the smartest person in the room.
Evie, Chelsea and Mollie are the girls I’d
like to be like. They were brave, not afraid to be the ‘bad’ girls at school,
and not allowing that label to define them. They’re strong, dedicated,
inspirational women with dreams and desires and they work together to achieve
them.
In these characters, there are fragments of
the strong women I know, the ones from school and uni and work, the ones who
share my blood and my memories. From them, I created three women I respect.
Even if they are fictional.
They say authors can immortalise you, but
better than that, I think they can remember the things you never thought were
important, those moments of kindness, pain and hilarity, that make you who you
are.
The book - blurb:
Three friends have become four. But that’s
only the beginning.
Ruby, Evie, Mollie and Chelsea were the
bad girls at school. But Ruby was the baddest. Evie fought her anger, Mollie
fought her mother and Chelsea…well, Chelsea just fought. But Ruby set her sights
on a bigger stage. And together, they dreamed of a future where Ruby could
sing, Evie could make art, Mollie could bake, Chelsea could dance – and all of
them could finally feel at home.
A decade later, the girls are reunited
for the funeral of Ruby Tuesday, the girl who took the world – and the charts –
by storm, before fading too soon. And Evie doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry
when she learns that Ruby has left them a house on Camden Square – the perfect
place for them to fulfil their dreams. But does she dare take the plunge, and
risk it all for one last shot at the stars?
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday is Book One in A.L.
Michael’s new series, ‘The House on Camden Square’
‘I know it’s a good book when I shut the Kindle cover and sigh with
contentment. The Last Word totally did it for me.’ 4*
from Angela*
‘This is a funny, funny book.’ 5* to The Last Word from Rosee**
‘Fresh, fast and … had that magical romance feeling and a bit of hotness
that you just can’t help but love. Absolutely brilliant!’ 5* to The Last Word from The
Book Geek Wears Pajamas
‘I LOVED THIS. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love. All of the emotions
were felt in the reading of this book and it is definitely one of the best
Christmas releases that I’ve read this year.’ 5* to Driving Home for Christmas from Erin’s Choice**
‘I laughed, I cried and I was left with that warm fuzzy feeling you get
when you read something wonderful.’ 5* to Driving Home for Christmas from That Thing She Reads
‘The story put a huge smile on my face and it’s just a feel-good with a
bit of spark, glimmer, friendship, heart, fun and love. I couldn’t put it
down!!!’ 5* to My So-Called (Love) Life from Simona**
‘My So-Called (Love) Life was one of those
books I just happened to read at the right time which completely lifted my mood
and made me feel and smile and want to start reading again.’ 5* to My So-Called (Love) Life from Sophie*
*Review from Goodreads
**Review from Amazon
A.L. Michael
is a twenty-something writer from North
London, currently living in Watford. She has a BA in English Literature with
Creative Writing, an MA in Creative
Entrepreneurship (both from UEA) and is studying for an MSc in Creative Writing
for Therapeutic Purposes. She is not at all dependent on her student discount
card. She works as a creative writing workshop facilitator, and copywriter, and
is currently working on her new series. She has an alarming penchant for puns,
is often sarcastic when she means to be sincere, and can spend hours watching
videos of corgis on Buzzfeed. But it’s all research, really.
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