Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech

Call Me Star Girl
By Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books (E-book -  18 February; Paperback - 18 April 2019)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

Stirring up secrets can be deadly … especially if they’re yours…

Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught.

Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers.

Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after fourteen years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …

What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof.

Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything…

My verdict
Call Me Star Girl addled my brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards, as it's so much more than a psychological thriller.

I think of Louise Beech as a chameleon of fiction - blurring the genre boundaries with her gorgeous writing. Yet again, you can tell that she has put her heart and soul into writing this book. This is literally full of blood, sweat and tears (murder, sex and grief).

There’s a crime at the heart of Call Me Star Girl, but this is also a journey of self-discovery. I couldn’t tear myself away, wanting to hide from the truth yet desperate to know how everything would eventually pan out. Who killed pregnant Victoria Valbon? Who is the mysterious man who seems to know how she died? And what secrets will be revealed during Stella McKeever's final radio show?

Call Me Star Girl is tense and gripping, powerful and shocking - a tale of love and loss. It's dark and twisty, yet also packed with passion and raw emotion. I was at the radio station with Stella, both on and off air. I felt part of her life, as she shared some of her secrets and her mother shared some of hers. I was there right until the end, with tears in my eyes and a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Digesting. Thinking. Grieving.

Yet another 'must read' from Louise Beech.

Bob Fracklehurst - the man, the mystery, the meaning... by Louise Beech

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech. Louise talks about Bob Fracklehurst, a mysterious taxi driver who keeps appearing in her books! The Lion Tamer Who Lost is published by Orenda Books, and will be published in paperback on 20 September 2018.

Bob Fracklehurst - 
the man, the mystery, the meaning...

By Louise Beech

Anyone who has read any of my books will have noticed a certain taxi driver who pops up again and again. Bob Fracklehurst. (Even my spellchecker recognises him!) Technically, he wasn’t in my debut, How to be Brave, but there is an unnamed taxi driver who takes Natalie home from the hospital after she gets the terrible news about her daughter Rose; I like to think that was also no-nonsense, wears-his-heart-on-his-sleeve, Yorkshireman, Bob. He just hadn’t introduced himself to me yet.

In The Mountain in my Shoe, Bob was integral to Bernadette’s ability to volunteer with ten-year-old Conor, who was going through the care system and desperately needed her. Bob regularly took her across town to see the child, imparting frequent words of wisdom, very much there but never overbearing.

In Maria in the Moon, he again is present for a most important journey. He drops Catherine off on the Flood Crisis Christmas night out, and delivers her home again, this time with love interest, Christopher. This comes before a major scene. The words he says to Catherine in the taxi could very well have played a part in the moment – ‘You deserve whatever makes your heart whole.’

In my latest novel, The Lion Tamer Who Lost, our Bob is yet again the one who delivers two characters to one of their most important scenes; this time Ben and Andrew to the hospital. This book explores coincidences (for want of a better word – fate maybe?) and so Bob is witness again to a later reunion.

And in my next novel, Star Girl?, I’ll come to that soon …

Occasionally, I feel like Bob is some kind of a mystical figure. Like I didn’t even write him. He just … is. I don’t even have to force him or try and find somewhere to fit him into the novels. He naturally arrives. In his taxi. Music playing. Advice ready.

Anyone who follows me on social media will see that I’m sisters with a certain Bob Fracklehurst too. She’s actually called Grace. Some years ago, before my books, she came up with this quirky name to use on Facebook instead of her own. As a nurse, she had to be careful at times about what she posted, so it was easier to employ a pseudonym. I loved it. Knew I had to use it. So when the taxi arrived to pick Bernadette up at the beginning of The Mountain in my Shoe, Bob arrived too.

So will he appear next year in Star Girl? Oh yes. And he plays perhaps his biggest role so far. Are you ready for this? He gets out of the taxi. He briefly did in The Lion Tamer Who Lost, but this time it isn’t just his words that influence things. One of his actions plays a key role in changing the destiny of my main character, Stella. 

How he came to feature this time was quite profound – totally in keeping with the magical Bob. Last year I was in the car with the other Bob – sister Grace – and discussing with her whether he should return for Star Girl. I was about 30,000 words in and at a key scene. As we chatted back and forth, I glanced at the car in front of us. The registration plate said M900 BOB. Not only did it seem to say I had to conjure him up again, but also the year of the scene I was planning was 1990. 

Fate? Coincidence?

Nah. Just Bob.

And he may yet be back in book six that I’m 40,000 words into…

            

About Louise Beech

Louise has been writing since she could physically hold a pen. She was a columnist for the Hull Daily Mailfor ten years, and her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting twice for the Bridport Prize. Her debut novel, How to be Brave, was a number one bestseller on Kindle in the UK and Australia, and a GuardianReaders’ Pick in 2015. The Mountain in my Shoe longlisted for the Guardian’sNot The Booker Prize, andMaria in the Moon was a Must Read in Prima, Red and the Sunday Mirror.

Find Louise Beech on her website and on Twitter - @LouiseWriter

About The Lion Tamer Who Lost

The Lion Tamer Who Lost

By Louise Beech

Published by Orenda Books (E-book- available now; Paperback - 20 September 2018)

Publisher's description

Be careful what you wish for…

Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes it hadn't…

Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn't for the reasons he imagined…

Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? 

What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?

A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story … with a tragic heart. 

Here's a snippet of my review: 'I knew this book would be a tearjerker as soon as I immersed myself in Louise Beech's story, with her poetic words leaping off the page like little sparks of light. I had tissues, chocolate and counselling service on standby by the time I reached the end.'

Click here to read the whole review.

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The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech

The Lion Tamer Who Lost
By Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books (E-book - 15 July 2018; Paperback - 30 September 2018) 
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher 

Publisher's description

Be careful what you wish for…

Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes it hadn’t…
Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…
Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? 
What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?
A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story … with a tragic heart. 

My verdict
While The Lion Tamer Who Lost is a love story between Andrew and Ben, it was also a love story for me - as I was bewitched by Louise Beech's stunning writing for a fourth time (having read her previous books How to Be Brave, The Mountain in my Shoe and Maria in the Moon).

This is a sweeping drama of Zimbabwe, with evocative descriptions of the African landscape and two rescue lions who need to learn how to live independently. I found myself reading some of the prose again and again, with everything so vividly described that I felt I was there too. The narrative switches between Ben and Andrew (relaying their thoughts, feelings and emotions), between past and present, and between the two contrasting locations of Africa and England. The characters felt very real and, once again, reminded me of the talent shining through the pages.

I believe that everyone who reads this book will take away something different. For me, it was a story of unrequited love, of families and friendships, lovers and relationships, and promises, wishes, hopes and dreams. Of feeling trapped and desperate to break free, but needing the confidence to learn to fly, with similarities between Ben's own situation and that of the lions he was caring for. It was about the strength of love and the selfless sacrifices that people make at a time of crisis, and also having the maturity and courage to deal with life's setbacks if things don't go as planned..

I knew this book would be a tearjerker as soon as I immersed myself in Louise Beech's story, with her poetic words leaping off the page like little sparks of light. I had tissues, chocolate and counselling service on standby by the time I reached the end. Each one of her books is unique - nothing like her previous ones, but just as compelling and compassionate. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Louise Beech's Writing Toolkit

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech. Louise is taking part in my new blog feature, sharing her essential writing toolkit. Maria in the Moon is being published by Orenda Books on 30 September 2017.

I am delighted to welcome 

LOUISE BEECH

AUTHOR OF MARIA IN THE MOON

TO SHARE HER WRITING TOOLKIT

An early hour

Yes, I am insane. I work best earlier on rather than later in the day. Many writers I know do it late into the night. That’s not for me. Aside from the fact that I work evenings in a theatre, my brain is mush once you get me past about six pm. I get up at about seven am, even if I’ve worked late the night before, and am at my desk by eight am. This is when my ideas and thoughts are the freshest. I’m usually good until about three pm (with lunch and a walk or work-out in between).

Tidiness

I am totally OCD. I cannot work in chaos. My head is a complete mess most of the time, so I need my surroundings to be spotless and in order. I’m the first to admit that I need serious help. But when my environment is immaculate I feel I can go wild and let rip with the words. Makes no sense, but it’s true. Don’t tell anyone, but I can’t go to bed and leave messy cushions. There I’ve said it. Come and cart me away.

Music

Oh, I need that music. It inspires me. Certain songs get me in a certain mood. There are entire albums that remind me now of the time I wrote particular novels. I’ll listen to just about anything. At the moment I’m loving everything by The Weeknd. His gritty, dark lyrics match the mood of novel five at times.

Swearwords

I’m terrible for swearing. I’m not a very good typist (two fingers, one from each hand, haha) and so there’s quite a bit of cursing when my brain goes faster than my hands can! Sometimes, if I forget someone else is on the house, they come downstairs to ask who the heck I’m shouting at. So perhaps solitude should be another essential, though it’s not likely to ever happen...

My desk

I only write ‘properly’ at my desk. I scribble notes on physical bits of paper while out and about, which I then import into my work. Now that I travel a lot more with my writing, and all the events, I’m thinking of investing in a laptop. But until then, my computer and my desk is the place I am for writing.

Tissues

I often cry when writing. I do - I’m a big, fat wuss! If I’m writing an emotional scene, I feel every part of it. Just as if I write a funny scene, I tend to laugh out loud. These are even more reasons why no one should be near me when I write. It really isn’t pretty. I’m an OCD tidy, sweary, sobby mess.

Exercise

When sitting to write for long periods you can end up with your mind going in circles. So I usually take an hour out mid-write to either go fo a long hike or do a work-out at home. Boxercise is great! You find that the ideas flood in when you’re physical! Plus there is of course the danger of eating too much while sitting and I need to try and compensate for that. Of this I am also guilty. Especially with Twirls... and chochip cookies... and lattes... and... oh, I’d best stop now...

THANKS FOR TAKING PART, LOUISE!

About Louise Beech

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The sequel, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both books have been number one on Kindle, Audible and Kobo in USA/UK/AU. She regularly writes travel pieces for the Hull Daily Mail, where she was a columnist for ten years. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice and being published in a variety of UK magazines. Louise lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull – the UK’s 2017 City of Culture – and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012. She is also part of the Mums’ Army on Lizzie and Carl’s BBC Radio Humberside Breakfast Show.

Find Louise on her website and on Twitter - @LouiseWriter

About Maria in the Moon

Published by Orenda Books (30 September 2017)

Publisher's description

Long ago my beloved Nanny Eve chose my name. Then one day she stopped calling me it. I try now to remember why, but I just can't.' Thirty-two-year-old Catherine Hope has a great memory. But she can't remember everything. She can't remember her ninth year. She can't remember when her insomnia started. And she can't remember why everyone stopped calling her Catherine-Maria. With a promiscuous past, and licking her wounds after a painful breakup, Catherine wonders why she resists anything approaching real love. But when she loses her home to the devastating deluge of 2007 and volunteers at Flood Crisis, a devastating memory emerges ... and changes everything. Dark, poignant and deeply moving, Maria in the Moon is an examination of the nature of memory and truth, and the defences we build to protect ourselves, when we can no longer hide...

Here's a snippet of my review
Maria in the Moon is yet another stunner from Louise Beech... The writing is simply stunning, so vivid and descriptive that it takes you right into the heart of the story and into the lives of her diverse, larger-than-life and highly realistic characters. I couldn't help but be transported into Hull at a time of crisis.

To read the rest of my review of Maria in the Moon, click here.

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Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech

Maria in the Moon
By Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books (15 August 2017)

Publisher's description

Long ago my beloved Nanny Eve chose my name. Then one day she stopped calling me it. I try now to remember why, but I just can't.' Thirty-two-year-old Catherine Hope has a great memory. But she can't remember everything. She can't remember her ninth year. She can't remember when her insomnia started. And she can't remember why everyone stopped calling her Catherine-Maria. With a promiscuous past, and licking her wounds after a painful breakup, Catherine wonders why she resists anything approaching real love. But when she loses her home to the devastating deluge of 2007 and volunteers at Flood Crisis, a devastating memory emerges ... and changes everything. Dark, poignant and deeply moving, Maria in the Moon is an examination of the nature of memory and truth, and the defences we build to protect ourselves, when we can no longer hide...

My verdict
Maria in the Moon is yet another stunner from Louise Beech.

Set in Hull, just after the floods of 2007, the book focuses on Catherine Hope, who can't remember her ninth year. All she knows is that this was when her father died. She's volunteering at Flood Crisis, helping people resolve their own problems even though she can't deal with her own. She's filled with so many questions. When and why did her family stop using her full name (Catherine-Maria)?  When did her insomnia and other health problems begin? Why does she shy away from real love? Then her childhood memories start coming back.

Maria in the Moon features more humour than Louise Beech's other books, yet the underlying story is even darker and more evocative. The writing is simply stunning, so vivid and descriptive that it takes you right into the heart of the story and into the lives of her diverse, larger-than-life and highly realistic characters. I couldn't help but be transported into Hull at a time of crisis.

I wanted to read this book slowly, to savour every moment, yet found myself racing ahead, just to see what had happened to Catherine in the past and what was going to happen to her next. The book is filled with surprises - some good, some bad and some that turned me into a total wreck.

All of Louise Beech's books are different in subject and plot, yet they evoke the same emotions - or rather, all the emotions. I defy anyone to read her books with at least a tear in their eye, although it's more likely to be a trickle or maybe even a flood. Keep the tissues handy!

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

BEST OF CRIME with Louise Beech

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

LOUISE BEECH

to share her BEST OF CRIME ... 

... AUTHORS
In The Cut by Susanna Moore is a phenomenal book. It doesn’t shy away from dark and taboo topics, yet is stunningly, achingly beautiful. The prose is to die for. (ha!) It’s one I read regularly because it makes me happy to have eyes, makes me strive to be a better writer, and blows my mind.

... FILMS/MOVIES
Gone Baby Gone is a very under-rated but fantastic film. It came out in 2007, right around the time Madelaine McCann went missing, and so I think (due to the subject matter) it didn’t have the full/wide release intended/deserved. It’s a cracking story with a twist you really don’t see coming.

... TV DRAMAS
The darker the better for me, so I loved The Fall, Luther, and The Shield. God, The Shield had the best final few episodes of a series I had ever seen. I needed therapy to get over it.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
I’m a little bit in love with Dr Hannibal Lecter. Who could not love a man who won’t tolerate rudeness? A man who can draw beautifully, is super intelligent, and won’t kill you if you extend him a little courtesy? 

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES
Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect. The character is so under-stated, so perfectly played by Helen Mirren, and so absolutely real that you forget you’re watching fiction. (Columbo is a close top favourite, but that’s for privately sexual reasons...)

... MURDER WEAPONS
I love an unusual object. Like when Roald Dahl had a character kill someone with a lamb joint, then cook it and eat it. Once defrosted, none of the police could figure out what the weapon had been. Thomas Enger ‘did it’ with an icicle. And wasn’t there a film (can’t recall which?) where a woman killed men with sex? I’m trying to come up with something unusual for book five. Maybe an egg whisk? Lawnmower? Watch this space...

    

... DEATH SCENES
Just about every death scene in the film Seven has stayed with me since the first time I saw it back in 1995. Who can imagine being forced to eat until your stomach explodes? Having to eat your own flesh? Being starved for a year until you eat your own tongue? It’s not for the faint of heart. So, it was definitely for me.

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
There aren't any specific websites I use. I just tend to google the topic I'm interested and see where it takes me. Trust me... I've been places.... Also, I use my own experiences...

... WRITING TIPS
Your voice is all you have that’s really you. We all have the words, the grammar, some ability. But only you can write the way your heart dictates you should.

... WRITING SNACKS
I’m limiting those these days. When I’m being a good girl I drink lemon in boiled water. But when I’m bad... biscuits. Or boiled brain with a side of relish....

About LOUISE BEECH

Louise Beech has always been haunted by the sea, and regularly writes travel pieces for the Hull Daily Mail, where she was a columnist for ten years. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice and being published in a variety of UK magazines. Louise lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull – the UK’s 2017 City of Culture – and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012. She is also part of the Mums’ Army on Lizzie and Carl’s BBC Radio Humberside Breakfast Show.

Find Louise Beech on her website and on Twitter - @LouiseWriter

About THE MOUNTAIN IN MY SHOE

Publisher's description

On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she's leaving, he doesn't come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she's befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor's foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband's secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all.

The Mountain in my Shoe was published by Orenda Books on 30 September 2016.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

The Mountain in my Shoe by Louise Beech

I'm delighted to be today's stop on the Blog Tour for The Mountain in my Shoe by Louise Beech, which was published by Orenda Books in paperback on 30 September 2016. The e-book is out NOW. This is a stunning emotional psychological thriller and provides a fascinating insight into the care system too! Here's my review...

The Mountain in my Shoe
By Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books (published 30 September 2016)
ISBN: 978-1910633397

Publisher's description
On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she's leaving, he doesn't come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she's befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor's foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband's secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all.

My verdict
You know when you love a book so much that you don't want it to end - yet you are compelled to keep on reading? And you know when you find a book that you'll read again and again? Well, The Mountain in my Shoe is definitely one of those books for me.

I loved Louise Beech's first book, How to be Brave - it was my favourite read of 2015. So a small part of me was worried that I wouldn't like her second book quite as much. But my fears were totally unfounded. The Mountain in my Shoe captured my heart from the outset, with its beautiful writing (yet again) and another intriguing, emotional plot.

The Mountain in my Shoe is very different from How to Be Brave, proving Louise Beech's versatility as a writer. This is a gripping psychological thriller, with a missing child, missing book and missing husband at its centre. Yet this powerful novel is also about so much more than this. A sense of belonging. Knowing where you come from and where you're going to. Needing a sense of security. Being surrounded by people who care and love you, no matter what.

There are two main intertwined threads, told from the point of view of Bernadette, an abused wife who is ready to leave her husband yet has nowhere to go, and by Conor, a young boy living his whole life in the care system. Conor's mother is unable to look after him, his father unknown, and he has been passed from one carer to another since birth. His fascination with boxing legend Mohammed Ali provides the backdrop to the story - and helps to give the book its name.

Although not a 'character', Conor's 'Lifebook' plays a key role in the story too. The Mountain in my Shoe contains notes, letters and extracts of reports from the moment Conor was born, with contributions from social workers, carers and other key figures in his life. It provides a fascinating insight into his early experiences, the care system and all of the people who have shaped the baby into the boy he has become.

Louise Beech has a talent for getting right inside the heads and hearts of all of her characters, so you believe in them, root for them and feel for them. Conor is naive and vulnerable in some ways, but wise and strong beyond his years in others. Bernadette's relationship with her controlling husband Richard, in particular, is dealt with sensitively, with his abusive tendencies and crucial events woven carefully into the plot. Every character, however minor, has an important place in this novel - the supporting cast leaves as much of an impression as the main characters themselves.

This is a fascinating page turner that wrenches at your insides. It's dark, compelling and highly thought provoking and left me with tears rolling down my cheeks. The story and characters will linger on long after you've finished reading the final page.

Another book that I'll be recommending to the world - repeatedly and relentlessly. I can't wait to see what Louise Beech comes up with next.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Next up is ... @havebooksblog

'What is writing to me?': A feature by author Louise Beech

World Diabetes Day takes place every year on 14 November. 

I would like to welcome Louise Beech to my blog today. Louise's book How to be Brave was published by Orenda Books on 17 September 2015. Her book is a powerful story based on her experience with her own daughter's diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes and the true story of her grandfather, Colin.

What is writing to me?

By Louise Beech

I read an interview once where the writer was asked, What is writing to you?  Naturally, I wondered the same.  What is writing to me?  Because really it’s such a personal thing, and means different things to different people.  For some folks, writing might be a hobby, a light pleasure.  For some, it might just be a job.  For others, escape, adventure, even therapy.  I think for me, it is definitely the latter.

And those three things came into play in a big way while I was writing the first draft of How to be Brave, my debut novel; because I approached such a hugely personal topic, one that I had never explored until then in great depth.  My daughter Katy’s Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis when she was seven.  And with World Diabetes Day on 14th November, it is very much on my mind again.

It was a horrible time.  That five-word sentence does little to explain how horrible.  But hopefully the novel manages to.  In it, I created fictional mum and daughter - Rose and Natalie - who are going through such a diagnosis.  Type 1 is a much-misunderstood condition, one often confused with Type 2, which sometimes (but not always) can be caused by a poor diet.  Type 1 Diabetes is never caused by the person eating too much sugar - it’s an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the pancreas and the cells that make insulin.  Injections are needed every day, forever.

But while I wanted to inspire and even educate, I didn’t want to bore readers with medical jargon or an overload of information, so I let Rose and Natalie tell their own story, in a book nook where they cope with multiple injections by bringing to life a long-gone ancestor.  Grandad Colin’s true sea survival runs parallel to their daily struggle, the two stories often very similar.  First and foremos,t I wanted the book to be an adventure, a magical tale of bravery and love.

While writing the first draft, I had a rigid routine with regards to the time I gave to it - five hours a day, every day except Sunday. But when it came to the structure of my words, I was less orderly.  I let them come as they must.  Fall into the white screen in a tumble of tears.  Yes, I cried a great deal, reliving pain I’d ignored for a long time.  Once it was out, I went back and harshly edited, sculpting and chipping away until I was happy with my work.

Writing is as much about editing as anything else.  I think the first draft is like the undercoat we use when decorating.  It’s needed in order for the later colours to shine best.

When thinking more about that interviewer’s question - what is writing to you? - it also occurred to me that I’m reaching out in my writing.  Saying all the things I’m not very good at saying; because I don’t explain very well or I’m too tongue-tied and nervous or get muddled with how I want to say it.  I was choked up when I wrote How to be Brave, filled with emotion.  But I was never tongue-tied, never got lost.  I realised it was an expression of love for my daughter, and that I should share it. 

So I did. 

Because I suppose it’s how I’m reaching out.  By writing.  It’s a way to be heard.  That’s what writing is.  It’s quiet, simple, and easy to me - and it’s so much louder than any shouts or screams or arguments or cries.  People listen when you write.  And you understand yourself better too.  Isn’t that the best reason ever to sit down at an empty screen?

So on World Diabetes Day, I’m hoping that How to be Brave might touch, inspire, educate or help another child going through a Type 1 diagnosis - or a parent having to witness it.  I hope I have written for you all, and written well.

About Louise Beech (pictured below with her daughter Katie)

Louise Beech has always been haunted by the sea, and regularly writes travel pieces for the Hull Daily Mail, where she was a columnist for ten years. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice and being published in a variety of UK magazines. Louise lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull – the UK’s 2017 City of Culture – and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012. She is also part of the Mums’ Army on Lizzie and Carl’s BBC Radio Humberside Breakfast Show.

Follow Louise Beech on Twitter - @LouiseWriter 

If you would like to learn more about diabetes, please visit the Diabetes UK website.