But I Smile Anyway…

A new guest! How exciting!

Today, I am hosting the lovely Fiona Leitch, whose books I have wanted to read for a while,
but as you all know, my TBR is a teetering pile! Still, I went off and prioritised a certain series
in September…

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Fiona! Now, the first thing we do is get the
drinks sorted. I have all the hot drinks available. Let me know what you fancy! Tea, coffee, masala chai, hot chocolate…?

Ooh…now I’d normally go for a cup of tea, but I had my first masala chai a few weeks back and it was delicious, so I’ll have one of those, please!

I know Jodie is a bit of a chef, in the series, and I don’t proclaim to have all the skills,
however I do make a mean carrot cake! Care for a slice?

I never turn down cake, especially when they have vegetables in them and can be therefore counted as one of your five a day. Carrot cake is basically health food.

I have to agree! 😀

I always love to find out more about where a fellow author’s journey started. When
did you realise you wanted to write, and how was your journey to becoming a
published author?

Probably like most writers, I loved English at school and I was always writing stories as a child. However, I’m also a dreadful show off, so writing took a back seat when I decided I wanted to be an actor instead. I did half(!) of a drama degree at Goldsmiths in London, but I soon realised that I would never be cast
as a leading lady – comedy sidekick, maybe. So I decided to write my own roles. That led to me writing comedy sketches, and even doing one solitary stand up comedy gig (which was absolutely terrifying), after which I decided I’d stick to writing funny stuff, rather than performing it. I started as a screenwriter, because I didn’t realise how hard it was to get stuff made. I resisted the urge to write a novel for a long, long time, because it’s so many words! But after a couple of years of ALMOST getting a TV sitcom made, and ALMOST getting a film made, I was persuaded by fellow writer and all-round good egg Carmen Radtke to adapt one of my favourite scripts into a novel. And that’s how my debut, ‘Dead in Venice’, came about. It was published by Audible after I entered it in their Crime Grant contest, and the rest, as they say, is history…

And do you have a favourite out of all your published books, so far?

I will always have a massive soft spot for ‘Dead in Venice’, as it was my first born and I didn’t
know any of the so-called rules, and just wrote exactly what I wanted. But in terms of
which one I think is the best, I’m most proud of the one that’s just come out, the sixth
book in the Jodie Parker series, A Cornish Seaside Murder. It feels a bit more serious
in terms of storyline than some of the others, whilst also (I think) still being funny.

I always ask this one, but could you tell me where you like to write? Do you have a writing room/desk, or are you a writer who likes to take their laptop/notepad out and about?

I wish I had a writing room! But I’ve never had one. I wrote my first four books sitting on the sofa with the TV on (watching ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ and ‘Bargain Hunt’, lol) and my laptop on my knees. I’ve now got two sofas to choose from, one of which is still in front of the telly, and the other in our front room which doesn’t have a TV set, so that’s where I sit when I want to do some ‘serious’ writing.
To be honest I would probably end up writing here even if I did have a study, as it’s comfortable, I’m surrounded by my books and art and plants, and it’s near the kettle!

Have you ever written a book that you feel will never see the light of day? I know I have a few half-written ideas, but nothing I finished, completely, then set to one side!

I do have several finished but currently unpublished books, which I HOPE others will get to see, but who knows. My first three books were based on screenplays I’d written, and one of these, ‘Lost in Berlin’, is a kind of spy/crime/romance novel based around the techno clubs of Berlin. I absolutely love it, but I think if I ever want it published I’ll have to do it myself. I’ve got a police/romance novel set in Outback Australia, plus another Melbourne-set novel I co-wrote with the marvellous Sandy
Barker, which we’ll pitch in Australia when we get time away from our contracted series. So who knows? Hopefully they will see the light of day at some point!

I love the romantic current that runs through your series. I know you like to write the cosy crime kind of novel but have you ever wanted to write one that is of a totally different genre?

I actually didn’t even know what cosy crime was until I started writing the Jodie Parker series. ‘Dead in Venice’ was a crime/romcom mash up, so a bit different. One of my other self published books, ‘Falling in Louvre’, is more romcom than anything else, although there is a crime element in it. I do have a half
written romcom (which will get finished once my contracted books are done!), which does still have a bit of a mystery in the story. I think I’d be hard-pressed to write a straight romcom or romance, and I don’t really have any desire to write stuff like sci-fi or fantasy, even though I occasionally read it.

Now, I invited you over to have a little chat about the Nosy Parker Series! I consumed it in September. What fun! Made me want to visit Cornwall! Can you tell me about your inspiration for this series?

After I wrote ‘Dead in Venice’, One More Chapter/HarperCollins asked me if I could write them a cosy mystery series. They had gone through the bestselling books in the genre at the time, and they gave me a list of tropes that they thought would be good to include. But I hated most of them! They
suggested having an amateur detective, a craft of some type (they actually suggested a knitting circle!), a cute pet, and a rural location. So I came back with an ex-cop (so unofficial but most definitely NOT an amateur), a caterer (so she had an excuse to travel around and meet different people), a farty dog, and the Cornish seaside. And they said yes! I lived in Cornwall for a while, so setting it there was a no-brainer; it’s a beautiful place, and I know it well as I still have family there. I like TV cop shows and I like to think I’d have been an alright detective – I think a lot of it is common sense and logic – so I didn’t want to write about a complete amateur, making stupid mistakes and constantly almost getting themselves killed. And I love cooking!

Are you a closet chef, like Jodie?

I am! Baking is kind of my happy place. If I’m having a bad time or feeling a bit rubbish, I put some music on and bake something. Following a recipe and actually making something is really good for clearing the mind. It’s almost Zen, but it’s better than meditation as there is cake at the end!

A little bird tells me that another Cornish Mystery will be landing soon enough… care to share any titbits about it, and any other projects you have on the horizon?

I’m currently working away on book 7, ‘The Cornish Campsite Murder’, which is set around a music festival on the north coast of Cornwall. It features ageing rockstars and a food truck selling pies called Pie Hard. After that it’s on to book 8, which revolves around a big day in the lives of Jodie and Nathan… I do have an idea for another Christmas book in the series, but I should probably run it by my publisher before I start telling people about it!

Well I think we hare honoured that you even hinted at it! And I can’t wait for the next one, now I have the Nosey Parker bug!

Thanks, Ritu! Fun questions. I enjoyed that!

You are most welcome, Fiona. You will have to come back when it hits release date for the next one!

And here’s a little about Fiona and her other books.

Fiona Leitch is an author, screenwriter, and enthusiastic tea drinker. She’s written for
football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves, and was a stalwart of the low
budget TV commercial until her debut novel, the darkly funny ‘Dead in Venice’, was
published by Audible as part of their inaugural Crime Writing Grant. She now writes the
Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker cosy crime series for HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter, because
she loves thinking about Cornwall, food, and murdering people (not necessarily in that
order). Since launching in 2021 the series has been translated into French, Italian, German
and Czech. She is a sucker for a happy ending (though not for the victim, obviously), a
romantic subplot, and the odd cheesy pun.
After living in London, Cornwall and New Zealand she’s finally settled in sunny Norfolk,
where she enjoys freaking out her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days
walking on the sand dunes of Great Yarmouth with her family, and working out ever more
twisty ways of killing people.

Follow Fiona:

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Another return guest! How exciting!

Today I have been honoured with another repeat visitor, and this time, we have the gorgeous Sandy Barker joining us to discuss her newest release, the first in a new series, Match Me If You Can, and signing with a new publisher, Boldwood Books!

Hello, and welcome back to But I Smile Anyway, Sandy! Let me get you set with a drink. What would you prefer?

As you know, I have all the usual offerings; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or even a glass of bubbles if you prefer, since a couple of my recent guests have felt it appropriate to enjoy a glass of prosecco while visiting.

Oooh, I’d love a glass of bubbly – thank you!

And, in honour of their mention in the book, I tried to bake those Greek cookies… I hope they turned out okay!

There has been a lot going on since you last visited, including your signing with Boldwood Books. Congratulations for that, to start! Can you talk us through the process of how you ended up with a different publisher?

Well, thank you – that is so sweet. I had just submitted my last book for One More Chapter, The Christmas Trip, and I was chatting with my agent about ‘what next?’ I’d had these ideas for a handful of contemporary romcoms based in a city but wasn’t sure what would connect them.

Then I came up with the idea for a series set around a matchmaking agency and thought about which publisher might like it. I’d been a huge fan of Boldwood Books since they started 4 years ago, so we pitched to them, I met the lovely Emily Yau, my editor, and they offered me a deal. A dream come true.

I even saw on your social media that you have been doing a little dog-sitting! Have you ever had a dog, or pet, of your own?

I had mostly cats growing up and one dog when I was in my teens. My partner and I have had three cats together, and both love dogs, but we’re thinking of a move at the start of next year, so we have been offering to pet sit to get our fill ‘furbaby’ time.

What about you? Any furbabies at home?

We have the infamous Sonu Singh, our Punjabi cat! He’s been with us for a good 8 years and is my noisy furry muse!

Right, let’s get back to that book in question. Firstly, I love the title, Match Me If You Can. Does the title come first for you, or is that something you think about after writing the story? Or is it something suggested by the publisher, your agent or someone else? For me, so far, all my titles have been my choice, though I did start with my first book being called something totally different until I finished it, and along with some of my beta readers, thought it didn’t quite fit. The second and third, I knew before even starting the books!

Book titles are sometimes so hard! I envy you knowing your titles even before you start. And your titles are so clever too.

This book went through several working titles, none of which were a fit, and then Emily sent over a shortlist. Every title the team at Boldwood suggested was far better than anything I came up with. Match Me If You Can was a firm fave right away.

Even though you still managed to sneak a little travel in there, this series is a bit different, isn’t it? What was the inspiration behind setting your book, and the subsequent ones, in a matchmaking agency?

It is! Most of my books have heavily featured travel but I wanted to make this series a lot more centred around people’s daily lives and relationships. Though, as you said, I snuck some travel in there because I am still passionate about it and will always include it in my stories somehow.

And the matchmaking agency idea came when we were in the throws of the longest and strictest lockdown in the world (in Melbourne) and I watched back-to-back seasons of Call My Agent. I loved the idea of having a cast of regulars that readers could come to know and love as well as the love interests in each book. And I’ve always been obsessed with matchmaking. Have you seen ‘Indian Matchmaker’? I heart Sima so much!

Yes, I watched that series, both the first and the second series, in binge fits! Obviously, being Indian, the whole premise intrigued me, not least because I hadn’t had an arranged marriage! But Sima Aunty is definitely a character and a half!

I have to say, your fictitious agency reminded me of the typical Indian arranged marriage way of pairing couples up, and for the most part, they aren’t a bad thing, I guess. There was a much lower divorce rate among those couple who chose to fall in love after a much-researched arranged marriage. Would you have ever contemplated an agency if you hadn’t found your Ben?

By the time I met Ben, when I was 37, I’d sworn off men and was resolved never to find anyone to have that special relationship with. I probably wouldn’t have discounted matchmaking – though my friends certainly gave it a good (amateur) try for a few years!

How about you? How did you two meet?

We met at University! I was in my final year and Hubby Dearest still had a couple of years to go. Within a few months, we knew we wanted to be together, so it was a case of how we approached our parents to let them know! I guess the biggest plus point was that we were both Sikh, so that would always be acceptable, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Poor Poppy has quite a conundrum on her hands through this story; the old ‘forbidden love’ thing going on. If she were your friend, what advice would you give her? Follow your heart, or stick with the rules of your job?

I’m a ‘follow your heart’ kind of gal. I have often ‘broken the rules’, leaving good jobs to travel around the world or moving to another country to live with my long-distance boyfriend, even though we’d only spent 3 months (actually) together over that 2 years. I think rules can sometimes hem us in.

What about you? Would you have told Poppy to follow her heart or the rules?

I would definitely have told her to follow her heart! I was telepathically trying to send messages to a fictional character as I read the story!

I was lucky enough to be a very early reader of Match Me If You Can, and I loved it! (And thank you for the mention in the acknowledgements. I was touched!) The taster chapter at the end of book two whetted my appetite 100%! Will that be your next release?

First, you are so welcome for the thank you. Your advice really helped lend authenticity to two of my fave characters, Ravi and Jacinda, our hero’s closest friends.

Have you ever used a cultural sensitivity reader for any of your books? I’ve done that a few times as I want to be respectful and ‘get it right’.

I used a couple of sensitivity readers for Straight As A Jalebi, because I am not a homosexual Punjabi male, and I wanted to ensure I was not writing stereotypes or insensitively. Thankfully the feedback I got was positive, and it made for a better story, knowing I was hitting the right emotions.

And yes, the taster at the back of Match Me If You Can is, indeed, Book 2 in the series! It hasn’t got a title yet but I LOVE writing this book. It is set in the world of fashion, which has been so much fun to write. And Poppy is back as the matchmaker. It will be out in Feb next year.

Good luck with this latest release, Sandy and I cannot wait for the second one to drop!

As always such a thoughtful set of questions – and thank you again for reading it and having me on your gorgeous blog.

You are most welcome, Sandy. It is aways a pleasure having you visit!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Christmas Trip so please find my review below, as well as the buy links and some more information about my fabulous guest, Sandy!

The Blurb

Welcome to the Ever After Agency – a clandestine organisation offering bespoke solutions to romantic problems. Whether you’re looking for the love of your life, a fresh romantic start, or just want to keep up appearances, the agency can tailor a solution to meet your needs. When Tristan Fellows walks into the agency, Poppy Dean knows she’s in for a challenge. A typical bachelor, Tristan has no intention of falling in love, but in order to receive his 30-million-pound inheritance, he must find himself a wife before his 35th birthday. This may be Poppy’s hardest case yet, but even the most arrogant of men can sometimes warm a woman’s heart…

‘With smart banter and swoony moments against a backdrop of Greece, Edinburgh and London, Sandy Barker gives us another brilliant romcom and joyful read.’ Pernille Hughes

‘A wonderfully warm and witty will they/won’t they romance. Match Me If You Can is a perfect romantic read.’ Kathleen Whyman

My Review

Match Me If You Can: An utterly hilarious, will-they-won’t-they? romantic comedy from Sandy Barker for 2023 by Sandy Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Match Me If You Can is a fantastic start to a new series by one of my must-read authors, Sandy Barker.
I was not disappointed at all with the story’s premise or how everything unfolded.
Poppy works at an extremely exclusive match-making agency, catering to the elite and people who need a helping hand with finding suitable life partners.
Her latest client, Tristan, is a difficult one.
He’s not keen on marrying but has found himself in a predicament where he forfeits a huge inheritance if he doesn’t marry by a certain age.
She takes him on a journey of introductions, some of which are horrifying but extremely entertaining, before finally finding the one in the most unexpected place.
I was immersed in the story from the off and cannot wait for more in the series to come out!

These are the buy links for #MatchMeIfYouCan

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon CA

Audio:  The Reading House  | iBooks | Glassboxx

eBook: Kobo | iBooks | Nook

Angus & Robertson

Waterstone | Foyles 

And here’s a little about Sandy and her other books.

Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the five-book Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The series continues in Paris, Sydney, and Bali with Tuscany the final destination in the series. Sandy’s novels The Christmas Swap and The Christmas Trip celebrate her favourite time of the year, and her romcom, The Dating Game, is set in the (fascinating) world of Reality TV.

Follow Sandy:

https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor

https://sandybarker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/