A J Linney

Welcome to my Blog!

I’m not going to bore you with details about me. You can find out more on the About Page. This Blog is about My Debut Novel, my journey as a writer, and (hopefully) other interesting things.

I have two messages today:

It’s never too late to write a novel!

Should a writer feel guilty not writing on vacation/holiday?

It’s never too late!

I am officially a granny, 6 times over in fact, and My Debut Novel Bitter Pill is due to be published by Troubador in August. It’s been 10 years in the making and has bubbled around in my semi-conscience long before that. 

So, what’s Bitter Pill about, and what’s the inspiration behind it?

The book covers many subjects, but the core elements relate to conventional vs holistic medicine, and the bond of friendship. 

Some background: I was a qualified nurse for many years before researching homeopathic medicine. I then trained and qualified as a homeopath, so I have experience from both sides of the fence, so to speak. 

Over the years, I have witnessed strong debates around both forms of medicine, when we should only be concerned with what helps us to heal. It was for this reason that I added an author's note at the beginning of the book.

During the Covid pandemic, there was much fear and conflict, and this posed many questions about the responsibility of health & disease, and our right to choose. 

My protagonist, Lexie, is a strong-minded, driven pharmaceutical rep who is convinced that drugs are the answer to everything. Whereas her antagonist, Pippa, believes we all have the ability to heal oneself with the help of natural remedies. This is the conflict that drives them apart.

I wanted to explore the power of friendship and what it could take to shatter that bond. How can it be that a relationship so strong — through years of togetherness, sharing special moments, creating memories and exchanging secrets — turn bitter?

Sometimes it’s about what we think we know — our assumptions. This was the kernel of an idea for another one of my characters. Without giving a spoiler, as a teenager, I had a friend who assumed he had a specific disease and sought no medical help. Sadly, it didn’t end well. 

Another one of my characters is autistic; a condition that is sometimes misunderstood. Autism fascinated me and I researched it many years ago. The irony is that I now have a 7-year-old grandson who displays the same idiosyncrasies as my character, Hugo! 

The hopeful take-away of Bitter Pill is that all opinions and choices are valid. We can go through life believing that our way is the only way. Many fall-outs may be avoided if we simply listened to other points of view.

Writing Bitter Pill evoked strong personal memories for me, especially one scene in particular. In this novel, I have explored the points of view of three central characters, Lexie, Pippa and Oliver. I hope you love them as much as I do!

I now know that writing the book was the easiest part, despite writing numerous drafts. The publishing process, the marketing and getting yourself out there, is something else entirely! But what I can tell you is that it is worth the journey, even if my story touches only one person — though I am hoping Bitter Pill is read and enjoyed by many.

Should a writer feel guilty?

I intended to write my first blog post while on holiday in Zanzibar. I envisaged sitting on a sun lounger with my notebook and a cocktail by my side, after months of life’s stresses, including a racing deadline for my novel.

Instead, I gave myself permission to simply absorb the African surroundings, allowing nature to reconnect me to other joys in life — like relaxing near the Indian Ocean, and having a trip to Tanzania where I was lucky enough to go on safari. All in the name of research, of course!

But … it wasn’t all sun, sea and sand. It hammered down with tropical rain for 11 of the 14 days! Who would have thought it? My husband and I were full of excitement, leaving behind soggy England to visit skin scorching, sunny Africa. However, fate had other things in store — freak weather!

No sun bleached hair or glowing tans for us! Instead, enormous brollies were handed out to the hotel guests and if you were lucky, the golf cart would transport you around the vast grounds to the indoor bars and restaurants. No sitting at the poolside sunshine bar or sipping cocktails at the beach bar. It was the air-conditioned restaurant for us!

So, did I write during these downpours? Well … Erm … I did have every intention, but …

Procrastination came knocking. Or did it?

In my defence, my concentration was on avoiding and squatting mosquitoes (who might give us Dengue fever or Malaria), trying to evict an unwelcome lizard from our room, dodging the deluge every time we ventured out, puffing on my inhaler as the vast gardens (stunningly beautiful as they are) played havoc with my annoyingly sensitive lungs!

 

Add to the mix two swollen feet from hours of flying and travelling — to get to this wonderful destination, sleep deprivation and Delhi belly (I know, it’s Africa, not India) when the sun finally did come out! Needless to say, writing wasn’t on the agenda!

Going back to procrastination, I am guilty, particularly when I’m in the mode of feeling not good enough. Imposter syndrome — lots of us have this. But for the first time, I told myself, hey girl, your novel is about to be published, so cut yourself some slack! 

Imposter syndrome can cripple our creativity, but there’s a story inside all of us and all stories need to be told. Life is full of conflict.

I’m now back home in sunny Cornwall, writing my first ever blog post. My intention is to blog here once a month — if you’re interested — I hope so as you are on my page!

See you next week!

You can learn more about my book here

You can order my book here