Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

What to do this Diamond Jubilee Weekend.

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Royalist or not this weekend marks a four day weekend. If that is not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is. Here are our Jubilee picks.

With the Diamond Jubilee imminent, a national group of country pubs has launched a cake to celebrate Her Majesty’s milestone – with the help of celeb baker Paul Hollywood.

Chefs for Vintage Inns have created the Vintage Summer Cake, a triple-decker sponge cake with raspberries and blackcurrants, summer fruit syrup, cream and blueberry fruit, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

The patriotic puddings will feature exclusively on the Vintage Inns menu until the end of August and for every £3.95 slice Vintage Inns will donate 15p to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Paul, a judge on smash hit BBC TV show The Great British Bake-off, helped Vintage Inns launch the cake

He said: “As a nation of food lovers, we always rise to the challenge of producing something delicious for a momentous occasion.

“The Victoria Sponge was created in honour of Queen Victoria’s reign so it’s only right we commemorate Elizabeth II with something special and traditionally British.”


BEN FOGLE REVEALS HIS INSIDE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO HOST A JUBILEE TEA PARTY FIT FOR THE QUEEN

JANE TROZZO GETS SET FOR THE ‘MOTHER OF ALL PARTIES!”…WITH AN UNSUAL TWIST!

New range of exclusive indoor/outdoor table decor prove just the tonic for a season of summer shindigs

Designer Jane Trozzo of quirky home and garden accessories website JaneTrozzo.com (http://www.janetrozzo.com/) has released an exclusive range of personally-designed table dining sets as Brits get set for the “Mother of All Parties”.

COOL BRITANNIA

The stunning New Infinite Rose Cube by OnlyRoses

Show your patriotism this year with OnlyRoses stunning red, white and blue Infinite Rose ‘Cool Britannia’ Cube. The Cool Britannia Infinite Rose Cube is priced at £150

Event: ‘What The Butler Saw…Queens, Kings and all Inbetweens’

· Date: 3rd of June 2012 only – Time: 21:00- 03:00 (last admission at 1:00)

· Place: 66 West Smithfield, London, EC1N 9DY

· Artists: Frank and Nancy Sanazi, Beau Rocks, The Tootsie Rollers, Marnie Scarlett, Jonny Anglais, Living Cake Doll, Nikkita Sablier, Ghoulias Peculiars

DJs: Neoblade (C & D), The Secretary (TG)

· Full details: www.corsetanddiamonds.com and www.whatthebutlersaw.info

· Price: £25 in advance, £35 on the door

Philip Mould & Co’s upcoming exhibition entitled – “From the House of Tudor to British Regency” – a celebration of Royal Portraiture to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Highlights include a painting of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger, as well as a selection of intimate portrait miniatures, which were often secretly exchanged or presented as diplomatic gifts and tell the story of a monarch from a new perspective.

This exhibition runs from 29th June to 6th July, at Philip Mould & Co, 29 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NA.

– Brits to celebrate Jubilee with 200,000 cups of tea, 30,000 scones and enough picnic rugs to cover six football pitches –

As the Union Jack begins to line our streets, the National Trust is busy preparing for the Diamond Jubilee Weekend in the most British of ways – with almost 200,000 cups of tea.

Based on previous Bank Holiday figures the National Trust is making provisions for its Summer of Celebration with over 70 tea parties planned across the country where they expect almost 40,000 litres of tea to be drunk, and over 30,000 scones to be scoffed. The nation is also likely to put away around 85,000 cream teas and more than 11,000 sandwiches as the country celebrates in true British style.

The National Trust – the perfect location for Brits to come together and celebrate all that Great Britain has to offer – will be proudly displaying 7.3km of bunting (more than 4.5 miles) across the Jubilee weekend – enough to wrap around Buckingham Palace 16 times.

More than 23,000* picnic rugs are expected to be sold over the weekend of celebrations – which would cover an area of 41,812 square meters, the equivalent of six Wembley football pitches.

To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Britain’s first budget hotel chain, Travelodge is offering a free UK weekend break to all couples who are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this year.

Couples who got married in 1952, the year the Queen came to the throne can enjoy a complementary two night break including a traditional English breakfast* at any one of Travelodge’s 491 UK based hotels.

To qualify for the free diamond anniversary room offer couples need to register their details at: diamondoffer@travelodge.co.uk. They will be asked to send proof that they have been married for 60 years. Upon receipt of the requested information a free weekend break will be booked for the couple at a Travelodge hotel of their choice.

Inspired by the Queen’s enduring trimness, and in preparation for the demands of the Jubilee weekend, Harpers Fitness has put together a few tips on how people across the land can get one’s leg, arms and buttocks into Buckingham palace shape.

* Harpers Fitness, which runs over 70 gyms and leisure centre facilities across the country, has used its industry expertise to come up with three specific exercises that would ensure the Queen is in tip-top shape for the exertions of a very special weekend
* With the excitement of the nation building, who knows – she might already be doing them
* The recommended exercises are:
* The Wave: Hold one’s arm to the side of one’s body and raise, so that the arm is held out in front of the body and the elbow is bent at a right angle. With fingers loosely together and a slightly cupped palm, slowly rotate one’s wrist. Repeat with other arm. Aim to do three sets of 20 repetitions
* The Royal Squat: Stand up straight, then lower one’s posterior (crown jewels?) into a sitting position and maintaining a straight back, before slowly returning to the standing position. Repeat in sets of five – remembering to keep the expression on your face regal at all times. To ensure your back remains in the perfect ‘neutral’ position you should consider balancing a crown on one’s head and ensure it doesn’t fall off
* The Downward Corgi: Get on to one’s hands and knees. Pressing one’s hands into the floor/mat, slowly raise one’s hips, while learning back until one’s head, shoulders and spine are all aligned. This should lift one’s knees and make your body form a triangle with the floor/mat. Legs can be straight, although beginners may want to bend their legs slightly for a slightly less intense core workout

For an alternative to Pimms try Stone’s Ginger Lemonade Cup. This alternative cocktail from Stone’s Ginger Wine will put a fresh spin on any street party and is featured exclusively on the back of the limited edition label. Simply pour one measure (50ml) of Stone’s Ginger Wine, per person, into a jug, top with lemonade and add lots of ice. Pop in a few slices of cucumber and your favourite ripe fruits, add mint to garnish and you’ll have the perfect refreshing summer treat.

Graham Norton invites the nation to Party for Parkinson’s for The Queen’s Jubilee

Popular BBC TV Presenter and arguably the nation’s favourite party host, Graham Norton, has issued a rallying cry – urging everyone to Party for Parkinson’s this summer.

Whether it’s a barbecue, street or house party, Parkinson’s UK delete alongside Graham, hopes to encourage people to turn their gatherings into a real cause for celebration by helping to raise funds for the charity.

Though you can turn any event any event into a Party for Parkinson’s, with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee just weeks away, there is no better time to get the party started.

Graham, whose father lived with Parkinson’s for many years, explains: “Don’t be a party pooper. Get into the party spirit and invite family, friends and neighbours to your very own Party for Parkinson’s for a day to remember.

“Make it happen by hosting your own party, and you will be helping Parkinson’s UK to raise vital funds to improve the lives of the 127,000 in the UK living with the condition.

“Together and with your help, we can find a cure for Parkinson’s,” he added.

To help your party go with a bang, Parkinson’s UK have created some special additions for their free party pack. People really wanting to paint the town blue can also order special downloadable decorations in the charity’s trademark colour.

To find out more or to order your own Party for Parkinson’s pack, please visit www.parkinsons.org.uk or call 0207 963 9319.

Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style with the help of luxurious British lifestyle brand Scarlet & Argent.

The brand has created a stunning limited edition Jubilee Throw made from beautifully soft 100% Lambswool and inspired by the colours of the Union Flag and the Thames River Pageant. It is available online at www.johnlewis.com and in John Lewis’ Oxford Street store from next week (w/c 14th May).
The Jubilee Throws are reversible and are ideal for throwing over a comfy sofa to watch the Jubilee celebrations on television, adorning a bed or as a patriotic travel rug. Price £160, size 195x120cm, weight 1.1kg.

Each throw is created exclusively by Yorkshire-based Hainsworth which is one of Britain’s most prestigious textile mills and a luxury fabric supplier to the Queen. Its iconic scarlet cloth is worn exclusively by the Queen’s Guards and Prince William even wore it on his wedding day.
The company was awarded the Royal Warrant for supplying Her Majesty the Queen with interior fabrics following the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992.

Only the finest natural materials are used in every Jubilee Throw and every piece is impeccably finished. It is this attention to detail that gives the beautiful woollen lifestyle accessories their exceptional quality, their indulgent textures and a special place in any home.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate this summer, including the launch of three fabulous new Jubilee Edition versions of ROBERTS’ bestselling Revival DAB/FM radio, in high gloss red, white and blue.

The “Royal Kew Family Package” gives visitors to London the opportunity to enjoy the stylish accommodation and friendly service of the four-star, deluxe, Chiswick Moran Hotel, whilst experiencing the world’s most famous gardens and exploring their royal connections.

In the run up to, and during, Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Kew Gardens has launched a fascinating “Royal Kew” walking tour. Kew guides will introduce families to the history and importance of Kew and unveil the gardens’ wealth of Royal heritage and connections.

Prices for the “Royal Kew Family Package”, which is available from now until 8 June 2012, start from £280 for a family of four (terms & conditions apply). The price includes a two-night stay in an Executive Family Room on a bed and breakfast basis, a two-course dinner in the hotel’s stylish Napa restaurant on one of the evenings and entry to Kew Gardens.1 The hour-long “Royal Kew” guided tour is available daily at Kew Gardens and is free of charge on entry to the gardens. There is a limit of 15 people per tour and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The tour starts at midday and visitors are asked to register with the guide 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

For reservations go to www.chiswickmoranhotel.com

Oxford Street launched a Great British Fashion Flag Showcase with 147 union flags – including 10 dedicated fashion flags to celebrate Great British Fashion – ahead of the HM Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

MOËT & CHANDON CELEBRATES THE QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE WITH EXCLUSIVE COMMEMORATIVE LABEL

Established in 1743, Moët & Chandon has become the definitive champagne of celebration. The most renowned champagne house in the world has held the Royal Warrant since Queen Victoria recognised the quality of the Champagnes in 1893. This recognition was reaffirmed in 1955 when Moët & Chandon was granted the Royal Warrant by HM Queen Elizabeth II, which has been maintained over the last fifty seven years. Now in 2012, Moët & Chandon toasts this relationship by producing an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Cuvee.

Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine Review

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I love ginger wine. I specifically asked to review Stone’s Ginger Wine Special Reserve last year, and this is just as good. Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine has been a favourite in England since 1740. It is made with grated ginger and middle-eastern raisins. In the 19th century they used it as an aphrodisiac and treatment for cholera.

This wine is on the right side of sweet. Depending on your tastes the ginger can be hot. Which makes this the prefect drink for cocktails. This is also quite strong for a wine. It tastes great with coke too.

If you do drink it on it’s own it doesn’t have a horrible aftertaste. All in all, this is a very pleasurable wine that is perfect for a summers day and barbecues. It tastes divine and is a good alternative to other summer drinks.

Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine (widely available, £4.99 for 70cl)

Drink within three weeks of opening

God Save My Shoes | Film Review

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Women love shoes. Not all women, but enough to make the shoe industry in the US worth 40 billion dollars. 60% of which is solely from women. Vogue did a survey of it’s readers and found that they spent $9,000 a year on shoes. $9,000!! Even during the recession women never stopped buying shoes. They still bought expensive designer shoes; just less of them. At around $400 a pop.

This American documentary is incredibly good. Even for those who are not obsessed with shoes . The history is fascinating. Did you know that stiletto means “slender dagger” in Latin? This documentary was three years in the works and it is an impressive achievement.

It has an all-star cast, Kelly Rowland, Dita Von Teese, Manolo Blahnik, Stacey Ferguson, Christian Louboutin to name just a few. The relationship between sex and shoes is explored, as is feminism and the pain of wearing heels. One (obviously male) designer states that women like a little bit of pain when they wear high heels. He is wrong, he should just make more of an effort to make them more comfortable.

This is a good documentary. Worth a watch for men and women alike. A massive accomplishment. Also, with every purchase of this DVD, Caid Productions will donate a pair of shoes to someone in need. Thumbs up all round.

www.godsavemyshoes.com

Pre-Cannes Networking Event | Social Diary

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Frost Magazine proudly sponsored Sheepish PR’s Pre-Cannes Networking Event. Director Howard J Ford, Valeria Bandino, actress, Normski (TV host, DJ), Marc Zammit (actor), Louise Glover (Model of the year and cover model at Playboy), Emma Cony (from Take Me Out), Johny Pach (Sky TV presenter), Robbie Moffat from Palm Tree Entertainment, and Mac Chakaveh, president of the Marbella Film Festival all attended, as did the wonderful Paola Berta.

© S. Dean Photography. Thanks to Paola Berta, Sheepish PR, Beverly Hills UK – Film Society & Events –

Nuno Bernardo Interview; On Collider

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Nuno Bernardo describes Collider as “Lost meets Terminator”. At Frost Magazine we are super excited about this multi-media story. Nuno is very inspirational and, according to BBC, “Nuno Bernardo is a leading world expert in New Media”.We also have the web series exclusively before anyone else does, so keep an eye out for it and check out our interview with the creator.

Catherine Balavage: How did the idea for the project come about?

It came about more than two years ago. We had been doing lots of projects, and the thing that connects all of our projects is that they are multi platform, in digital and online media. They start on the web and they move to television shows, etc. We had made Sofia’s Diary that also used this format of the multi platform We decided we wanted to make a new journal, but [do] something that we hadn’t done before. So we came up with a story that was about six characters that wake up in the future. They never met, they have nothing to connect them, and they need to learn to work together and to overcome the challenges of being in a place that is a possible colloquial world.

We started with hiring some writers from different backgrounds. We had a script writer, we had a comic book writer and we developed a story further. Changes changed and the characters changed, and the universe around the story was evolving . One year ago we were comfortable with the world we were creating and then we moved ahead. Then we started developing the comic book, developed a feature film , started developing some games and then the story started to get in shape.

Do you think in the future all films will become multi-platform? Is it possible for a film to just be a film?

I think it is. If you had asked anybody three or four years ago if a black and white movie [The Artist] could be done commercially everyone would have said no. I think there is always space for nicely told stories. A good, nice story in just one medium. You can also do the same in different mediums. The advantage if you do something in multi-platform is it works for marketing. You get different opportunities and different windows for your story but also at the same time different ways to connect with your audience. No everybody watched or reads the same story in the same way. The multi-platform allow you to create different experience. If someone wants to go and watch the film at the cinema they can just go and buy a ticket and watch the movie. If they want to play a game on a more interactive level, or they can read a novel or a comic book. We don’t want to exclude any medium. It is not saying that any medium doesn’t work alone. We are trying to create experience that are more in-line [with the fact] not everyone reads the same story or watches the same story in the same way.

Was it hard working with all of the different writers?

Yes. Because what was more important for us in the first year of developing the story was trying to get different writers who knew the story well, trying to write for a format, bringing roles of this world, bringing characters, bringing ideas and at this point everyone was working as a stand alone. It was like a big brain storm if you want because what we were looking for was more and more ideas, and some if them would contradict each other, but others were more complementary. After this first year of a chaotic process we somehow said; “okay this makes sense, this can interact, and connect with the other part of the story”. So then we start collaborating and after that moment everyone starts working together based on the same story and the same skeleton.

Have you taken anything from real life and put that into the story to create this fantasy world?

We kept with this, we based our concept, the starting point was the real Hadron collider experiments. and the fact that man, mankind are trying to replicate god or replicate the beginning of the universe. We picked [up] that experiment where they try and replicate the black hole and replicate the actual big bang event. What if all of these experiments are not just experiments and they are putting the world out of balance? Based on this theory we then developed our own story.

What happened in the process was around the same time last year, we were working full time on the project and we hired a film director to start working on the feature film. One or two weeks after we hired him he emailed us and said; ‘You guys are genius”. And on his email he put a link to an article that was published on CNN, and was all around the world, and on news agencies, about this guy that went to CERN and started to protest because he said he was from the future and all of the Hadron collider experiments were very dangerous. The director thought it was marketing genius to create these news stories to create a buzz about the project, but, no, it was just a coincidence that someone went there and protested. There is someone in the world with the opinion that these experiments at CERN may be creating some chaos and some problems to the planet.

Have you cast? Did you cast first or write first?

No. The casting is still ongoing. We cast the web series which will be out at the end of next week. And we cast one of the characters, which is the part of the scientist, Peter, who discovers this big problem, and we cast Ian Robertson the Scottish-English actor to perform the role. We are now at the process…we had a casting session last week in London, we are casting the other five characters of the story and we hope to have the cast finalised by the end of June.

What kind of inspiration have you taken from other Sci-Fi and time travel projects. Did you give the writer any reference points?

In our marketing pitch materials we call this Lost meets Terminator. In the first place dropping six character in an abandoned island, in this case it is not an abandoned island. It is in the future in a place that isn’t known and in a time that isn’t known with no way to control the environment that surrounds them. There are all of these challenges and interactions from a story point of view, and from the other point of view, what six people will do together to overcome their difficulties. So that is the part that you can pick that story and adapt it to other type of movies. We want to adapt six people in an unknown and challenging environment to the sci-fi framework.

Watch Collider Preview here.

How do all of the parts link together?

We have a time line. Our story start in September 2012 and the narrative goes to 2018. So what we have is these two narratives where, through this period through six years, lots of stories, sub-plots and characters will have lives in present times and in the future. What we did was to divide this time in small chunks of story so we have the web series. The web series is an initiative, which starts the story is when Peter is fired from CERN and he tries to alert the world of what is going on and then when nobody listens to him he tries to sabotage the Hadron collider and without knowing it, it creates a time machine that makes him and five other characters jump to the future.

So it is this moment of present time, when all began. and then we have each comic book which tells the background story of each of the characters. Because in the feature film the characters have already been featured but they have a past or a present and things happen to them that have an impact in the future. So this next story where things happen in 2012, 2013 in the comic books so the audience can know a little more about the characters.

Then we have a game. The game is the stuff the characters have to do in the feature film so ahead of the feature film you can get familiar with the character’s , the location, the setting and the mission of the characters and you can do it yourself by playing this game.

Each piece of content tells a little bit more and the big story line which we created over the six years, and all the elements are part of this timeline. Of course you have to be very careful of each element so if you just want to watch the web series you will be able to watch the web series and enjoy it as a stand alone, if you just want the comic series you can read about the beginning, middle and end, and if you just want to watch the movie you can just go to the theatre and buy your ticket. You can watch the movie and you will understand the story. But of course if you pursue all of these pieces of content you will have a better grasp of the story and know the characters much better, and you will be more engaged with the universe that we are creating.

Whereabouts are you filming?

We start shooting mid September and we are shooting the movie in Dublin, Ireland.

Tell me a bit about you

Yes, I started to be active ten years ago and my previous experience was first in the advertising world so I was doing producing ads and then I worked for interact television company where we worked in the late 90’s, early 2000’s. We were trying to do the first interactive television. It was when the internet bubble just exploded so most of these interactive [projects] weren’t done. We see them coming back nowadays with the television being connected with the internet, When this interactive television project ended I based my experience in advertising and because some of our clients at the time started to worry about the internet, and that viewers where not watching the ads on TV anymore they started feeling that the world was changing and just putting ads in traditional media was not enough anymore.

Communities and sub communities were developing. Cable TV was exploding and expanding throughout Europe, so in 2002 we put these two expertise together to create a company that specialised in entertainment that was multi-platform and that was focused in telling stories on different platforms, and benefited from the tools and the relationships that audiences had with different platforms to tell a better story.

How did you get funding?

Initially we had some venture capital when we started the company and, with our success and the fact that some of our multi-platform shows are being sold around the world, in TV and publishing, and mobile and licensing in different platform that we distributed our content, recently we managed to secure additional funding from Jill Banks in Portugal that allows us to fund and self-fund from the development and the early parts of this project.

So it is web series, comic, games in that order? What is the scheduled time-line?

First release of the projects is the web series, the comic and the game will all be released by June 4th and we have a second game planned in the Fall. We also are shooting a film in September for a 2013 release. We are also working on a follow up to the comic books. So between now and to the end of 2013 we have a schedule, a planning of releasing the different content, sub-plots and characters. So this time-line which is our universe between 2012 and 2018 we are working on a novel so different products will come out based on this project about one character and then two characters or one moment in this journey.

Are the people from CERN involved?

They are not involved but if the story gets popular then they will probably not be very supportive of the story [laughs] It doesn’t portray them in a a bad way but it creates a story which says that what they are doing will probably create problems with the planet. So if I was them I would probably not be happy with the story. So we are not working with them.

Thank you Nuno

Victoria Fox on Temptation Island | Frost Interviews

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Frost magazine has interview author Victoria Fox on her bonk-busting book “Temptation Island”. It is a very fun read and the review is here.

How did you become a writer?

Writing novels was always the dream but one I’d decided not to pursue until later. After university I got a job in publishing, joining as editorial assistant on a women’s fiction list and four years later working as an editor: this taught me a great deal about the business of how books are produced as well as an insight into the market. I realised I was waiting to find a truly exciting, shocking, racy bonkbuster like the ones I’d enjoyed as a teen, a proper brick of a book packed with sex and scandal, but none were quite hitting it for me, so I decided to have a go myself. ‘Write what you know’ is a great piece of advice for aspiring authors – as soon as I sat down to my debut Hollywood Sinners it just sort of all fell out. Curious as to whether I was on to something, I submitted a partial manuscript (about 30,000 words) anonymously to a literary agent
and happily she agreed to represent me. Shortly after I resigned from my job to complete the novel and three months later we had a deal.

Could you ever be anything else?

As a child I saw myself as one of three things: a vet, a gymnast or a writer. The first was out because I’m terrible at science (once I got 4% in a GCSE Chemistry test) and the second because I can’t do gymnastics. The last was the one that never went away. I’d be happy working as lots of things but don’t think I’d ever be cured of the writing bug. Certainly I’d be doing it as a hobby if I weren’t lucky enough to be making a living from it.




Did you base the characters on any real people?

Both Hollywood Sinners and Temptation Island feature sensational celebrity scandals, so I’d be in hot water if I said the characters were based on anyone in real life. Instead they’re inspired by what I see and read about in the papers and online, and often will be a mix of several intrigues that capture my attention. One of the great things about bonkbusters is that their characters can be truly outrageous, so I like to go all out with my players and make them as exciting and memorable as possible. If readers think they identify a real person then that’s great – I used to love trying to spot who was who in Jackie Collins’ novels: it’s part of the fun.

How do you come up with ideas for your books?




I’m afraid I read rather too many celebrity magazines. It’s a guilty pleasure. I love to see who’s dating whom, what so-and-so wore at whatever premiere, where the rich and famous have taken their super-yachts this summer . . . all that kind of stuff. Hollywood Sinners came from an idea I had about an A-list movie couple – it was a germ of a notion but enough to spin a story, and then I had all these power couples coming out of the woodwork with their individual stories and a novel was born. Temptation Island takes that scandal one step further, I suppose. This time I’ve focused on a very controversial theme, and am interested to know what people think!


What is your writing ritual like?

I have to be disciplined and stick to a routine. I’ll get up early because I’m most productive in the mornings, and work through till lunch when I’ll try to go to the gym (if I don’t do this I get really bad mid-afternoon brain slump). The rest of the day is sporadic; I’ll get distracted by emails and Facebook, but will usually produce a thousand more words before my boyfriend gets in from work. For me it’s important to try and keep to ‘normal’ work hours, so nine to five, Monday to Friday. I don’t want to be out of sync with my friends and try to keep my weekends free. However the lovely thing about working for yourself is that if it doesn’t pan out that way, and the creative tap isn’t one you can always turn on, you can make up the word count another time. It’s also wise to sustain a separate office area so you can close the door on work at the end of the day.



Do you think the recession makes people turn to novels like Temptation Island, and that need for escapism?

Bonkbusters should always provide escapism. They’re gateways into glittering worlds that we’d typically never be able to touch, arenas where everything goes and anything can happen. It stands to reason that during a recession readers reach for this kind of entertainment, but having said that in recent years it’s been crime novels – which offer a grimmer view of life – that have proved wildly popular. Perhaps the recent success of E L James’ Fifty Shades trilogy marks a turning of the tide, and a sign that the women’s market is switching to sex and fantasy for the same fix. I hope so, because bonkbusters have all the great things about erotic fiction and heaps more on top: the glam locations, the juicy storylines and the utterly transporting experience. Recession or not, I think they provide the perfect respite.


If you could go to an island like the characters, what would you take with you?

If I ended up on the one in the book, I’d take a cutthroat hack (or be one myself) so I could blow wide open the biggest Hollywood scandal in the history of the world! On a regular island, like if I were Tom Hanks in Castaway (!), I’d take a box of matches, an encyclopaedia and a pen and paper. That sounds boring, doesn’t it? Hmm. How much can I take? A fridge of chilled champagne would be good, and so would a hot guy who I’d set to work building me a raft without his clothes on.


How long did the book take to write?

Temptation Island took me four months to write and two to edit. If I’m strict about sitting down and writing every day I can normally produce around 15,000 words a week. The key is to keep pressing on and not to get sucked into re-reading what you’ve done – it’ll get changed on a later draft anyway. Once you’ve completed the book, even if you think it’s bad, you have something entire to work with and show other people. That’s when the editing process can begin and you start guiding the manuscript towards the best it can possibly be.

Do you think the bonkbuster is back?

It’s coming (ahem). The glory days were in the eighties and nineties – every girl remembers flicking through Jackie and Jilly at school and giggling over the naughty bits – but since then the genre seems to have gone off the boil. My mission is to bring it back! The vintage classics were magnificent, and today I think it’s about borrowing what was so great about those and combining it with a modern twist. Our present-day obsession with celebrity lends itself perfectly: bonkbusters should have sizzling secrets at their core so it’s all about peeling back the headlines and seeing what lies beneath. Recently I heard they’re remaking Dallas, which flags a return to these amazing multi-character sagas, and Shirley Conran’s superb bonkbuster, the definitive and fabulous Lace, is making a comeback this summer. It feels as if people are ready to embrace the genre again, and for me that isn’t a moment too soon.


What do you think of celebrities now? 



We’re obsessed, and that says more about us than it does them. On the one hand, we worship celebrities. Money and fame are seen as the quick passage to happiness, and anyone who’s achieved that gets a golden ticket to a higher plain – it’s a religion, and a fact of human nature to want what someone else has got. On the other, it’s about bringing these icons down, which is a miserable admission but true. We want to celebrate one day and criticise the next. Who’s had a breakdown? Who’s going through a divorce? Who’s had all that cosmetic surgery but still can’t get a man? Perhaps we like to gossip because it distracts us from our lives; perhaps it makes us feel better about ourselves. I’m all for celebrity when it’s earned, yet these days it’s the reality TV thing that spawns a host of wannabes who seem to be confused about what they want and can’t handle fame when it comes. Riches can reward anyone, but recognition for having achieved something is what we should be striving for.


Who is your favourite, and least favourite, celebrity?

Men I have a crush on are: Leonardo DiCaprio (he haunted my teenage years: that Romeo & Juliet pool scene), James Franco, Ryan Gosling, Chris Hemsworth and I’ve got a thing for Rafa Nadal. I’m also fascinated by untouchable megastars like Tom Cruise. Jack Nicholson is the boss; Robert De Niro close second. Actresses I love are Emma Stone, Amanda Seyfried, and Meryl Streep has bags of class. Also Chloë Sevigny is awesome. I guess my least favourite celeb would be any footballer who can’t keep it in his pants, and rides on the fact he earns an obscene amount of money yet still hasn’t learned to treat women properly.

What’s next for you?

I’m hard at work on my third novel, which is a glamorous, sexy revenge thriller set in the music industry. Watch this space!

You can buy Temptation Island here

Coriolanus DVD Review.

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Coriolanus DVD Review.

This blood splattered adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tale is very obviously Ralph Fiennes baby. It is his directorial debut. The film is star-packed and glorious. It is hard to think how someone could take this tale and tell it in a modern way until they do.

 

Fiennes plays Caius Martius Coriolanus, Rome’s most courageous general. His downfall comes after the people’s fury grows as he publicly expresses scorn for their suffering. The people of Rome are hungry and riots are widespread. War and Mayhem ensues.

 

Gerald Butler plays Tullus Aufidius, Coriolanus mortal enemy, who becomes his ally. This film is action-packed and is full of brilliant lines. Well obviously, Shakespeare did write it.

 

Coriolanus accurately describes itself as a ‘bloody, but timeless, tale of war and revenge’. It does not disappoint. Full marks for this film. It is a spectacular film which is cinema at its best.

 

Coriolanus Available from the 4th of June on DVD, Blu-ray and download.