Bright Stars by Sophie Duffy Book Review

I have read all of Sophie Duffy’s books and it is fair to say that I am a fan. Duffy is an exceptionally talented writer and Bright Stars is another jewel in her crown. The story of a group of university friends and the night that tore them apart, Bright Sparks is a well written novel on the bonds of friendship and love. How one little mistake in life can have devastating effects for decades after. Duffy captures the different periods, switching between the past and the present brilliantly. Bright Stars is another great novel from Duffy. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Hugely enjoyable.

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Cameron Spark’s life is falling apart. He is separated from his wife, and awaiting a disciplinary following an incident in the underground vaults of Edinburgh where he works as a Ghost Tour guide. On the day he moves back home to live with his widowed dad, he receives a letter from Canada. It is from Christie.

Twenty-five years earlier, Cameron attends Lancaster University and despite his crippling shyness, makes three unlikely friends: Christie, the rich Canadian, Tommo, the wannabe rock star and Bex, the Feminist activist who has his heart. In a whirlwind of alcohol, music and late night fox raids, Cameron feels as though he’s finally living.

Until a horrific accident shatters their friendship and alters their futures forever.

Christie’s letter offers them a reunion after all these years. But has enough time passed to recover from the lies, the guilt and the mistakes made on that tragic night? Or is this one ghost too many for Cameron?

Bright Stars is available here.

 

 

Sophie Duffy The Generation Game Book Review

sophie duffy the generation game book reviewThe Generation Game is Sophie Duffy’s debut novel. And what a debut. This book truly is unputdownable. Wonderfully written, fresh, relatable and with enough surprises to keep you hooked. It captures family life and human emotion perfectly. In fact, it is now one of my favourite books and I will recommend it to everyone I know. The novel is inspired by Sophie’s childhood growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay

 

Philippa Smith is in her forties and has a beautiful newborn baby girl. She also has no husband, and nowhere to turn. So she turns to the only place she knows: the beginning.
Retracing her life, she confronts the daily obstacles that shaped her very existence. From the tragic events of her childhood abandonment, to the astonishing accomplishments of those close to her, Philippa learns of the sacrifices others chose to make, and the outcome of buried secrets.

Philippa discovers a celebration of life, love, and the Golden era of television. A reflection of everyday people, in not so everyday situations.

 

Sophie won the 2010 Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary and the Yeovil Literary Prize 2006. She has another novel that I will definitely be reading soon called This Holey Life.

I highly recommend this book. It is a stunning debut.

The Generation Game is available here.

 

 

Win Sophie Duffy Books

A real treat of a competition today on Frost: two Sophie Duffy books to giveaway, The Generation Game and This Holey Life are up for grabs. Perfect if you are a fan, and a great introduction if you are not already. Check out our interview with Sophie Duffy here too.

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To win follow @Frostmag on Twitter and Tweet, ‘I want to win books with @Frostmag’ or like us on Facebook.  Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz. Then comment below saying what you did.

The competition closes on the 31st of March 2014.

 

Interview With Author Sophie Duffy

sophie duffyHow did it feel to win the Yeovil Literary Prize, and then a host of others?

I was very surprised when I had an email to say I’d won the Yeovil Prize back in 2006. I see that moment as a breakthrough though it was another 5 years before The Generation Game was published by Legend Press, after it won the Luke Bitmead Bursary in 2010.

Do you have a favourite book that you have written?

I feel closest to the characters in The Generation Game as I lived with them for so long. I still think about them and wonder what they are up to. Particularly Philippa Smith.

What is your writing routine?

I wish I had one! I am not the most organized and have a house full of teenagers which can be a distraction. Supplying food. Washing countless socks. Nagging. Driving around Devon lanes. However, I do now have a room of my own, an office at the bottom of a garden. A glorified shed. It is full of all the tat I’m not allowed to display in the house. I love tat. So I try to get out there in the mornings. But inevitably my plans are scuppered.

How do you come up with your ideas?

They come from small thoughts. A memory. A conversation. A person who passes in and out of your life. Those small thoughts then grow into something more substantial. Something that nags away in the back of my mind, eventually pushing through and saying ‘write me’. I write about families and so I get inspiration from every family I meet, all with their different quirks, make-ups, rules, traditions and skeletons in the cupboard.

Do you ever get writers block?

Not really. I can faff around a lot and resist the act of sitting down and actually writing. But when I do sit down with the intention of writing, the words usually come. If I am struggling, then I read and read and read. It’s all part of the creative act.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Hmm. A while. Eighteen months to two years to get down a decentish first draft. Then maybe another year to rewrite. It’s a long, slow process for me.

What’s next?
I’m rewriting my current novel. I have the plot and the characters but I was telling it wrong. So I have changed the voice and it seems to be working much better. I hope.

Tell us about CreativeWritingMatters.

I used to be an early years teacher and moved on to youth work. I love teaching and was delighted to join Cathie Hartigan along with Margaret James running workshops and courses for www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk in the Exeter area. We also appraise manuscripts and mentor novelists online. Last year we launched the Exeter Novel Prize and had over 250 entries. We now have a shortlist which is being considered by my agent Broo Doherty of DHH Literary Agency. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Exeter on 22nd March. Very excited.

Advice for wannabe writers?

Persist. Don’t give up. Be determined. Read. Do a writing class. Join a writing group. Enter competitions. And write whenever and wherever you can.

Best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Be bold.

http://www.sophieduffy.com/
The Generation Game
This Holey Life