It takes a brave author to agree to WWBB’s derogatory
interview style.
So welcome (mawuhhhhhh) Victoria Cooke. Let the bitch fest
interview begin!
How come you came
up with the shitty title of The Secret to Falling in Love. Did you run out of ideas?
Actually,
it was much worse to begin with but my publisher improved it by totally
scrapping my title idea and coming up with another one. It does what it says on
the tin and who doesn’t want to know the secret to falling in love? Even if you
don’t want to be in love or you hate love, it’s best to know the secret so you
don’t inadvertently fall into it. That’s my catchy motto anyway.
Could the title have been any worse? The Secret to
Falling in Love… come on. OK, moving on because I haven’t all day discussing
god-awful book titles, what’s so great about book? (Don't want the boring details, a couple of
lines is enough!)
It’s
set in my home city of Manchester, the coolest city on earth. We gave you Oasis
and Coronation Street and funnily enough, the computer (a central theme in The
Secret to Falling in Love – wink wink). Manchester is also home to the oldest
library in England so I think book lovers everywhere owe it to Manchester to
read all the books set there.
Manchester the coolest city? I don’t think so, lady!
Oasis can’t stand one another, Coronation Street… OK, I’ll give you Corrie. And
(grudgingly) the rest. So, am I likely to fall asleep during chapter one?
I
hope not, there’s a grown woman stuck in a dog flap for goodness sake! It’s
literary fiction at its finest.
Eat your heart out Jane Austen! And is your
protagonist happy now their story has been told, or is there more to come (God
help us!)?
She
is definitely happy; she’s got Scott (hearty eyes) and she’s dealt with a few
nasties whilst figuring out her friend’s secret and befriending a cool old
lady.
Describe your
writing style in ten words or less. I’ll begin with the first two: Crap, dull…
Colloquial,
contemporary (a little bit sweary but not as much as one American reviewer on
Amazon would have you believe). I also have a substantial cocktail-based
vocabulary.
I have a sudden compulsion
to read this book! Go on, just for a laugh, share with us that review.
Okaaaay. It’s from Amazon USA:
‘I didn't enjoy
the book at all. Boring. The heroine, Melissa, kept trying to find her soul
mate and always wanted to hook up (sex) on the first date. Melissa was an
alcoholic (that's what I call someone that drinks like she did). I got sick of
all the drinking. It was a complete turnoff. I didn't care for the sex and
swear words. I also didn't agree with certain lifestyles in the book. I do not
recommend. Will not read this author again.’
That reviewer is
a Muppet! Who’d want to go through life without a piss-up, swearing and fuc...
nooky. They must live in a convent.
What
qualifications do you have for writing in your genre? (Apart from waking up in
the morning, that is).
I
have a 2:1 in marriage and am a fully qualified spewer of hearty-eyes and warm
fuzz. I got a level 2 NVQ in evil bosses and an A-level in awesome friends. I
have also watched all the romcom films. All of them!
All of them? Hugh Grant’s floppy hair and all?
Many authors use
their qualifications to show off their so-called talents i.e. crime writers are
often coppers (or police, for the non-Brits present) and the book becomes
boringly technical. How have you managed to keep your knowledge low key? Or
haven’t you bothered?
Quite
the opposite actually. My knowledge of dating in the times of Tinder was
virtually none existent so I had to up-skill. My actual qualifications were
completely useless but don’t get me started on the uselessness of my business
studies degree.
I
did however, allow my in-depth knowledge and experience of lecherous men shine
through in one particular scene.
If your book
disappeared forever, do you think it’ll be missed?
No
but it should be, who doesn’t love a bit of light-hearted fun with a
happy-for-now ending, a few giggles and a big dollop of ‘aww’ along the way.
Sounds like a ‘lazy day’ book to me! Right, final
question and then you can go. Describe your perfect death (in case I must kill you)?
Wrapped
in Ryan Gosling’s arms on a Bali bed on some exotic beach where you feed me
enough cocktails and chocolates to keep me happy but obviously not enough for
me to survive on as that would negate the killing part. If you’re really
serious about this, the Ryan Gosling part is fundamental.
I might kill you
anyway. Ryan Gosling is mine, bitch!
The Secret to
Falling in Love
by
Victoria
Cooke
Lifestyle journalist and thirty-something singleton
Melissa hashtags, insta's and snapchats her supposedly fabulous life on every
social media platform there is.
That is until she wakes up on her birthday, another
year older and still alone, wondering if for all her internet dates, love
really can be found online? The challenge: go technology free for a whole
month!
 |
| Purchase
Link |
Forced to confront the reality of her life without
its perfect filters, Melissa knows she needs to make some changes. But when she
bumps into not one, but two gorgeous men, without the use of an app, she
believes there could be hope for love offline.
If only
there was a way to choose the right guy
for her…
About Author Victoria Cooke
Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the
Pennines in pursuit of a career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield
with her husband and two young daughters and
when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in hand, she
loves working out in the gym and travelling.
Victoria was first published at
the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a
six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion
for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing
her first novel, 'The Secret to Falling in Love,' in 2016.
Giveaway –
Win an ARC of The Secret to Falling in Love and a box of Belgian
Truffles (UK Only)
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