Q: Did you always dream of being a writer?
A: Yes, always but my teachers tried to quash my dreams from a young age. Even in my teens I enjoyed writing strong female characters but upon submitting my essays / short stories (at the time) to my English department at school I was told that women ‘don’t behave like this’. I knew then that I was never going to learn anything from them, in fact I’d say I got my whole literary education from the library not my school.
Q: How did your writing career develop?
A: Over a very long period with many gaps. At 19 I was doing theatre reviews on a local newspaper, getting a taste for print. Then my work at ‘Top of the Pops’ led me to doing celebrity interviews for Hello! magazine with the contacts I had made. I then freelanced for various magazines and newspapers again capitalising on my access to various pop and rock stars. I then did some celebrity ghost writing, autobiographies and fiction and then didn’t write again for 15 years before I was hired as the first female TV critic at the Sunday People and Daily Mirror.
Q: Your debut novel is called The Thunder Girls,what is it about?
A: The Thunder Girlsis about four women, in the eighties, who were once the biggest girl group in the world but split acrimoniously at the height of their fame because one of them wanted everything for herself and that decision sent the other three lives spiralling out of control. They vowed never to see or speak to each other ever again but three decades later find they need each other once more - and this time the rollercoaster journey they attempt to re-embark on has a deadly ending.
Q: What was your inspiration for the book?
A: The inspiration came from growing up in the eighties and watching and reading about strong willed, powerful, female characters, of which they were many in that era. The story is unique but was inspired by many reunions, professional and personal, that I witnessed in my lifetime that show just how fascinating it is to try and re-blend people who were once very close.
Q: Can you tell us more about the main character(s)?
A: The Thunder Girlsis led by four strong willed women, Chrissie, Anita, Roxanne and Carly. All are incredibly different and unique but all with one thing in common- they once were the best of friends. Decades have passed since that friendship was broken and we flip between their younger selves and their older selves as they try to rebuild that friendship.
Q: Where and when do you write your stories?
A: Abroad always, the only way I can write is in a different time zone because my phone never stops ringing. I batch write which means I go away for a month at a time to a far-flung destination and I tend to write 8 – 12 hours a day. I can usually knock out the entire first draft in a month, then I’ll spend on average 9 months editing it / re-writing it at home.
Q: What do you do and enjoy when you’re not writing?
A: I rarely get any down time because as well as writing I run several businesses and also produce in the theatre but when I do have time to myself I love to re-read eighties classic blockbusters from the likes of Shirley Conran, Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins, and Jilly Cooper. I find them soothing escapism and a world away from this politically unrestful and upsetting world we find ourselves in today.
Q: If you could switch places with a character from a book, who would it be and why?
A: If anybody’s read my life story from how I escaped my surroundings to get to where I am and the adventures on the way, my own story is stranger and more unusual than fiction so I’ve never read anything that would be as interesting a ride. I’ve turned down several autobiographies based on my own life, so I’d struggle to find a character I’d want to switch places with even in the wacky world of fiction.
Q: What books have influenced your life most?
A: Shirley Conran’sLace, which I read at 11 and anyone who’s read that book will know it’s not suitable reading for an 11 year old and it definitely coloured the way that I write as it imprinted on me at such an early age – I’ve also never been able to look at a goldfish again! The other book was Jackie Collins’ Rockstar,which I read at 9 and gave me the appetite and drive to make it into the music industry, which was where I made my fortune.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My second book.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?
A: Hearing people’s opinions of it.
Q: Pick three authors you want to have dinner with and tell us why.
A: Jackie Collins, which sadly isn’t possible as she’s not here anymore, but I met her several times and she was always an absolute riot. Jacqueline Susann, because she was way ahead of her time and the critics snubbed her work, but she wrote some of the best-selling novels of all time, including the game-changing Valley of the Dolls. She proved that books are for everyone. Lastly, Martina Cole because we have a similar background and I’d be interested in swapping stories.
Q: Imagine The Thunder Girlswould be turned into a movie, who would you cast for the main characters?
The international rights for the book are already in a bidding war with several Hollywood studios so I couldn’t comment on that one because once you sell it’s out of your control.
Q: How do your own experiences influence your writing?
A: They say write about what you know, and I’ve led a very high-octane life. It’s always best to write about what you know because the reader knows it’s an authentic tale. The book is fiction and the story is more outrageous than real life I’ve experienced but it is authentic.
Q: Coffee or tea?
A: Tea – strong and very milky, in the North we call it tan tights!
Q: Paperback or e-reader?
A: Paperback
Q: Mountains or the sea?
A: Sea.
Q: Summer or winter?
A: Winter.
Q: Sweet or salty?
A: Sweet
The Thunder Girlsby Melanie Blake is out on the 11th of July, published by Pan Macmillan, priced £7.99 in paperback original.
It’s the 1980s. Chrissie, Roxanne, Carly and Anita are ordinary girls with extraordinary lives. They are better known as eighties pop sensation The Thunder Girls. This girl group is dominating the pop scene, their faces on every magazine cover, millions of fans worldwide, constantly at the top of the charts.
Until one of them brings the band’s dream run to an abrupt end. Three of their careers are over – and so is their friendship.
Fast forward thirty years. Their old record label lands a bombshell by asking them to reunite for a series of huge concerts. These would be the gigs of a lifetime with a pay check to match – some need it more than others – and old wounds leave deep scars. A lot has happened since The Thunder Girls were ruling the charts. Addiction, breakdowns, bankruptcy and divorce have led them far from the lives they once lived.
If they are to move forward, the past needs to be laid to rest – but there is more to this reunion than meets the eye. Each Thunder Girl is hungry to revive their past success, but what they don’t know is that someone is watching their every move – and is determined to stop them succeeding – in the deadliest way possible.
The Thunder Girlsis a page-turning tale of friendship, betrayal, revenge and murder. It’s the perfect read for readers who miss the bestselling blockbusters of Jackie Collins and Shirley Conran and will take you on a thrilling ride back to the days of shoulder pads, glamour and original girl power.
These four girls have been to hell and back – and some of them are still there.
Melanie Blake was born in Manchester (the only survivor of twins). Up to the age of 6 she had a relatively ‘normal’ childhood. Then everything changed.
Melanie’s father got involved with an extreme religious group which meant family life would never be the same again. Almost overnight, most TV programmes were banned and music posters and toys, which were considered false idols, were destroyed in front of her young eyes.
Melanie’s mother was a cleaner who worked all hours for little pay. She’d take Melanie with her on her cleaning round, letting her read library books while she worked. This is how she discovered the woman who inspired Melanie to change her life – Jackie Collins.
Melanie found other ways to escape by sneaking over to neighbours houses and immersing herself in 80s TV classics such as Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing and her absolute favourite – Top Of The Pops. Little did she know, one day she would be working on that show, which would open so many doors for her future career as a top music manager.
Now a multi-millionairess, Melanie is living her dream – from living off food bank handouts, wearing second hand clothes, being told by her teachers she’d never amount to anything and being homeless– to living in her own mansion. It’s the ultimate rags-to-bitches story – they say write what you know, and The Thunder Girlsis a tale Melanie has lived and breathed from the ground up. She hopes that somehow, the late, great Jackie Collins knows that she inspired Melanie to follow her dreams. She also hopes that Jackie would have enjoyed reading The Thunder Girlsas much as Melanie enjoyed writing it.
