Being a book blogger I'm always on the lookout for new authors and Twitter is one of my favourite places to look for them. Back in August I noticed Graham Minett and decided to follow him and when he very kindly followed me back we started chatting, I looked into his books a little closer and bought a copy of his first book, The Hidden Legacy, with the plan to sneakily squeeze it into my reading schedule. A few weeks later I started reading it and I couldn't put it down! You can read my review here and because I enjoyed it so much I asked Graham if he'd like to write a guest post for The Hippo ahead of his next book, Anything For Her, being published on the 30th of November and I was thrilled when he agreed.
Well, I think you've heard enough from me so let’s get to the main event, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you all to GJ Minett.
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| Photo courtesy of Graham Minett |
Graham Minett studied Languages at Churchill College, Cambridge before teaching for several years in Gloucestershire and West Sussex. In 2008 he completed a part-time MA in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester and subsequently won both the inaugural Segora short story competition in 2008 and the Chapter One competition in 2010. The latter consisted of the opening sections of what would eventually become The Hidden Legacy, which earned him the first of two separate two-book deals with Bonnier Zaffre.
The Hidden Legacy and Lie In Wait are both already published as eBooks and in paperback. His third novel, Anything For Her, will appear as an eBook in November 2017 and then in paperback in March 2018.
Now writing full-time, he is represented by Adam Gauntlett of the Peters, Fraser and Dunlop Agency and lives in West Sussex with his wife and children whilst nevertheless retaining close links with Cheltenham and the rest of his family.
Blurb
You'd do anything for the one that got away . . . wouldn't you?
When Billy Orr returns home to spend time with his dying sister, he bumps into his ex-girlfriend Aimi, the love of his life. He might not have seen her in eleven years, but Billy's never forgotten her. He'd do anything for her then, and he'd do anything for her now.
When Aimi tells him that she wants to escape her abusive husband, Billy agrees to help her fake her own death. But is she still the Aimi that Billy remembers from all those years ago?
Once Aimi disappears, Billy has to face the possibility that perhaps she had different reasons for disappearing - reasons that might be more dangerous than she's led him to believe . . .
Sometimes trusting the one you love is the wrong thing to do.
* * * *
The following scene, which does not appear in the novel, imagines an interview between Billy and a psychotherapist (MLW) at a time when he is recovering from his breakdown at university. He is 20 years of age and the consultation takes place 6 years before the opening scene of the novel.
Extract from interview with Billy Orr
Transcript from tape WO/MLW2
Date: June 16th 2009
Billy: How long have we got left?
MLW: About . . . seven minutes or so. Why do you ask?
Billy: No reason.
MLW: If you feel you’ve had enough for today . . .
Billy: No, I think I can stand the excitement for another seven minutes.
(pause)
MLW: You sound . . . I don’t know . . . a little dejected. Were you hoping for more from this session?
Billy: Not really. When it comes to expectations, I tend not to set the bar that high. You mind if I ask you something? How do you do this day after day? Is this what you always wanted to do . . . sit there and listen to a procession of wounded birds chirping away? I mean . . . you’re intelligent, university educated, it’s not like you’d have been short of options when it came to choosing a career. Why the hell would you go for psychotherapy?
MLW: It’s not something that would appeal to you?
Billy: No way. And you’ve done it again incidentally. You know how many times you people answer a question with one of your own? Is that part of the training? I mean, no disrespect but you act like actually engaging with a patient would be serious professional misconduct. You all just sit there, as if you’re thumbing your way through some text book – what is it, the Manual for the Terminally Unimaginative? You hide behind protocols and case studies like you’re too scared to really talk to me. You just tiptoe around the conversation we really ought to be having and if I ask any questions of my own you just deflect them back to me. Wouldn’t you rather communicate?
MLW: So you think these sessions should be about you asking me questions?
Billy: I think they should be less artificial. More like a conversation than an inquisition. I don’t know you – don’t know the first thing about you. I don’t open the door to the delivery guy from Tesco and immediately start telling him my innermost secrets. I don’t stop the bin man at the end of the drive and fill him in on what I dreamt about last night. I know both of them better than I do you and yet I’m supposed to sit here and open up to a complete stranger while she peeks and probes and tries to worm her way in. That doesn’t sound artificial to you?
(Long pause)
MLW: And yet here you are, Billy.
Billy: And yet here I am.
MLW: Because . . .?
Billy: Oh . . . right. Is that page 7? Get the patient to admit how central these sessions are
to his sense of well-being?
MLW: Why are you here, Billy? Why will you be here again next week?
Billy: Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here because my sister is worried about me. I can’t keep
going into meltdown every time the pressure starts to build up and if it will help her feel better about things I’ll visit every shaman and snake oil salesman who’s prepared to put up with me. But it’s not because I’ve got any genuine expectations that you’ll be the one to find the release valve.
(pause)
Don’t mean to be rude but you did ask.
MLW: So what do you feel I should do to make these sessions more relevant and meaningful for you?
Billy: (sighs) Talk to me. Make it more of a conversation. More of an exchange, you know? I don’t know your first name.
MLW: It’s Melanie.
Billy: Melanie. Right. Talk to me, Melanie. Forget for a few minutes that I’m a patient and treat me like a real person. Have a bit of respect for my intelligence. And if you want to know something about me, go ahead and ask instead of dancing around the question and trying to sneak in through the back door. If I don’t feel ready to answer a particular question, I’ll say so. Do you understand what I’m saying?
MLW: Totally. But it’s not always that straightforward. These meltdowns, as you call them – they’re happening for a reason. You’ve been through some very challenging and distressing experiences and sometimes just charging straight ahead and tackling them front on may not be the best approach. It pays to be careful.
Billy: It also pays to move forward every so often.
MLW: You don’t feel we’re making any progress?
Billy: Look, we’ve got a couple of minutes still. Why not go for a quick word association exercise to finish off. Just two minutes. I’m up for it if you are.
MLW: You think that will help?
Billy: Yes. Just go for it. Two minutes.
(pause)
MLW: OK. If you’re sure.
Billy: Sure.
MLW: Quickfire answers. First thought that comes into your head.
Billy: Got it.
MLW: OK. House.
Billy: Bleak.
MLW: Sun.
Billy: Shine.
MLW: Water.
Billy: Fall.
MLW: Family.
Billy: Tree.
MLW: Parents.
Billy: Dead.
MLW: Mother.
Billy: Loving.
MLW: Father.
Billy: Dead.
MLW: Girlfriend.
Billy: None.
MLW: Sister.
Billy: Everything.
MLW: Girlfriend.
Billy: Move on.
MLW: Deadlines.
Billy: Matter.
MLW: Girlfriend.
Billy: Two minutes are up.
Additional note (MLW):
As he left, Billy challenged me to listen to the tape and decide which of the answers he’d given were fabricated.
He is clearly going to present something of a challenge.
* * * *
Thanks for the insight into Billy's character Graham, I can't wait to find out all about him!
Anything for Her will be published on November 30th and is available to pre-order now.
You can find out more about Graham and connect with him using the links below:
There's also a blog tour for Anything For Her where you can read reviews and more which you can follow with these brilliant blogs:
I'd like to thank Graham for stopping by today and for taking the time to write such an intriguing guest post.
