Q&A for THIS THIRTYSOMETHING LIFE

(warning: spoiler alert)

Where did the inspiration for This Thirtysomething Life come from?

I was mulling over a few ideas at the time, trying to figure out what to write next. I'd just finished my first attempt at a novel and started a few other books, but none of them worked out. At the time I was a new dad and suddenly the idea of writing a book about fatherhood came to me. Not particularly inspirational, but I thought I could write something new, fresh and funny about what men go through when their wives are pregnant. Once I knew I wanted to write a book about being married and having children, it quickly took shape as a diary and the rest is history.

How much of it is based on your own life?

Definitely some. I had been through the experience myself just a year or so before I wrote the book, so it was quite fresh in my mind. Some of the things Harry goes through, I went through too. Obviously a lot of the more surreal things that happen to Harry didn't happen to me. I'm not a teacher like Harry and I didn't have a Facebook affair with an ex-girlfriend, eat my weight in snack food or get drunk in the shed - I don't even have a shed. These evolved with the story, but a lot of the fears about having children and growing up were definitely straight from my mind.

What's This Thirtysomething Life really about in 50 words or less?

It's essentially a love story. I hope that what people get out of the book is that despite all of his flaws and idiosyncrasies, Harry genuinely loves Emily and he'd be lost without her.

Is Harry based on you?

Not really. Some of the ideas and thoughts he has are thoughts I've had, obviously, but I see Harry more as a typical modern man. He's trying to do his best, live life properly, not make a mess of things and he's genuinely a good person, but he's also a bit lost. To be honest, I think men are at a bit of an identity crossroads at the moment. The days of men being 'real men', being in-charge and all the stereotypes that go along with that are gone. Women have most of the power these days, whether it's at home or at work. Harry is the modern confused man trying to figure out where he fits in. You'll notice that most of the female characters in the book are strong figures, probably with the exception of Jamie.

Who is Emily based on?

Emily is based on women I've known, know, have seen on TV and films. I wanted Emily to be a strong, decisive person, but she also had to have a soft, loving core. I think the thing about Harry and Emily as characters is that they both have flaws, but I wanted the reader to like them and sympathise with them. I think most women can sympathise with Emily when she shouts at Harry because he isn't paying attention to her or when he's trying to buy a VW camper-van they don't need.

How about Granddad? Where did he come from?

Granddad just sort of happened. I wanted him to be a funny, typical slightly out of touch old man with obliviously bigoted views. However, once I had that in my head the character just sort of leapt off the page. It was one of those beautiful moments as a writer because he wrote himself. I really didn't want to kill him off, it was the hardest decision I had to make in the book, but I think and hope it works.

Lastly, is there going to be a sequel?

Yes. I don't know when, but definitely yes. It's going to be called, This Family Life, and it will follow Harry and Emily through the first year of having baby William. I'm also...in the very far away distance, thinking of This Fortysomething Life, but that is years away. Maybe when I'm a forty something myself!

In the words of David Bowie...Ch Ch Ch Changes.

Hello,


Just a quick but important note about my blog. It has changed! I redesigned it completely and you can now buy my book from the site. Well, technically, you still need to go to Amazon, but it's all super lovely and linked up and stuff.

My new book, Happy Endings, is getting closer with each day and I'll hopefully have the new cover done soon. Until then, have a look at my new, super spiffy page and if you haven't already, buy the book. It's only 75p. You can't get half a lager for 75p these days. This will last much longer and you won't be left with that inevitable feeling of worthlessness that drinking half a pint gives you.

Until next time,

Hugs

Jon X

Exciting times!

Hello,


Yes, another exciting entry into the Jon Rance Blog archive on the way.

It has been a very exciting few weeks for me. Mainly because my novel, THIS THIRTYSOMETHING LIFE, has really taken off and even after the free promotion it's stuck around on the Amazon charts and at a pretty decent number. It hasn't blown any records, but it's been steady and lovely, a bit squishy, but generally quite firm. I've also had some lovely reviews which have warmed the cockles of my heart (American friends, you'll need to look up that expression on Google).

My new book, HAPPY ENDINGS, is in the final editing process and I think (hope) it's going to be well received. I really like it and there's another blog coming straight after this one with a short excerpt and my thoughts on the book.

Lastly, before I add a full-stop and and push publish, I have a lovely new cover for THIRTYSOMETHING that I really like. I did it myself and without wishing to blow my own trumpet, I think it looks quite professional and stylish. Please let me know what you think.

OK dear friends, until next time.

Hugs

Jon X

Blimey! What a week!

Hello,



Well, well, well, what an eventful past week. As many of you will know, I did a five day free promotion on Amazon for my novel, This Thirtysomething Life. It was the first time I'd done it and typical me, I did no research and went into it like a ravenous American inside a KFC. However, and much to my complete surprise, it did marvelously well.

It did start slowly. On the first day I only had a few hundred downloads and so I assumed that would be it. However, day two it started to pick up and by day three I was flying. I sat all day and watched as the downloads kept going up. Every five minutes another twenty or thirty were going. It was incredible. By day five, I was closing in on 8000 downloads for the UK and 1000 for the US with a spattering across Europe. I was also at number 1 on the free charts for Literary Fiction and Humour and number 2 for overall free bestsellers. I was literally speechless - which is an uncommon state for me.

The best was still to come though. Although it had been a huge success, I was still yearning for that number 1 spot overall, but with only a few hours left I didn't think it possible. But then. Then it happened. I was number 1 on all the charts I was involved in. It was a Christmas miracle (in October).

The reason I'm blogging about this isn't to blow my own trumpet, it has been blown enough. No, the reason is because I wanted to thank everyone who helped me. President Obama was recently criticised by the mental right or the Republican party as they're otherwise known, for saying 'You didn't build that' when he was talking about small business. He was, of course, referring to the fact that no-one builds anything alone. We don't live in a bubble, but rely on others for their help. I may have written the book, but so many lovely, wonderful people have gone out of their way to help me promote it and so thank you all so much.


Since then I've been doing pretty well in sales, certainly much better than before the promotion. It's going well and I have my new book, HAPPY ENDINGS, coming out on 12.12.12 (nice, huh) and I hope that will get a bit of a bounce too.

I will blog again soon. I'm going to have a whole blog about HAPPY ENDINGS, and maybe a small excerpt - I'm far too nice to you.

Until then it's goodnight from me and goodnight from him (A Two Ronnies joke for the Americans and anyone under the age of twenty in the UK).

Cheers,

Jon X

Hello again.

Good morning or indeed afternoon or evening,


It's been a while. OK, fine, it's been more than a while. A while hints at just a tad longer than expected. It's been forever, an absolute age, too long. But I have my reasons. Here they are in no order of excuse:

1. I've been writing my new novel.

2. I work twenty hours a week, stay home with the kids the rest of the time and I've started a college course in web design and development.

3. I am perpetually forgetful and slovenly. Not an excuse, just a fact.

The truth, however, is that like most people with busy lives, time just gets away from me. One minute Spring is gently tapping me on the shoulder with the promise of sunshine and fluffy new bunnies and the next moment it's winter and chilly winds are punching me in the face. Then before I know it, I haven't written a blog in a year. You see where I'm coming from.

There is light at the end of the tunnel though. Oh, yes.

Firstly, my new novel, HAPPY ENDINGS, isn't that far away. I'm hoping to have it out at the beginning of 2013. Can you believe it's 2013 already?

Secondly, I'm working on having THIS THIRTYSOMETHING LIFE, made into a paperback and available on Amazon very soon. This will give all of you the chance to have your very own copy of wonderful book. You can read it again, or for the first time, you can hold it and look at the photo of me longingly, you can use it as a doorstop or something to kill flies with. The important thing is that you buy it. I will update when I have a definite date for that. Hopefully before Christmas because it will be a lovely stocking stuffer!

Thirdly, I'm working on some snazzy (and I don't use that word lightly) cover designs for both HAPPY ENDINGS and THIS THIRTYSOMETHING LIFE. I hope this will make them look and seem as gorgeous and lovely as they are and more appealing to people like you.

Lastly, I am going to start blogging again and perhaps even join Twitter. Let me explain. I'm creating a delicious new website for my writing (as part of my web design course - two birds, one stone) and so I want to have links to my Facebook, Twitter and Blog. I'm basically doing the full social media assault. So be afraid.

Lastly, here is the brief synopsis for HAPPY ENDINGS. I hope you enjoy it and it wets the juices (not in a sexual way obviously) for it's forthcoming release (again nothing sexual applied with the term release). 

HAPPY ENDINGS SYNOPSIS

Kate needs to go travelling before she reaches the big Three-O, while her long-term boyfriend Ed just wants to settle down.

Harry is desperate to be a published writer for many reasons, but mainly to save his relationship with fiancee Emily.

Emily wants to be an actress more than anything in the world, or at least that's what she always thought until she suddenly finds out she's pregnant.

Four people, two couples and six months that will change their lives forever. Told uniquely from all of their perspectives, this is a story about love, growing up and, of course, Happy Endings.

Hugs,

Jon X