Billy and Me
Billy and Me is about a young woman called Sophie who’s cut herself off from the possibility of life. She has a happy, comfortable existence – one that the arrival of actor Billy Buskin shakes up.
You have been called the Jane Green of the modern generation, so how does this make you feel?â¨
That’s a little overwhelming. I grew up reading Jane Green books – in fact, the first chick lit novel I ever read was Jemima J. It kicked off my love of the genre. I’m flattered, but obviously being called that brings a whole heap of pressure… let’s hope I deliver.
The novel is semi-autobiographical, so please can you expand on this for us?
There are obviously crossovers as an element of the story is a ‘normal’ girl dating a celebrity and I’m married to one… but that’s really where it stops. It’s not a book about my relationship, at all.
You read a lot of books when you were little, so who are your favourite authors?â¨
When I was younger I used to love anything by Judy Blume and Enid Blyton. I was particularly obsessed with the Secret Seven series. I really wanted to be part of their gang.
You are a freelance journalist, so please tell us about the experiences of the publications you have written for.
I’ve worked at a few different places (heat, Bliss, Recognise, entertainmentwise, popdash) and had different roles at each of them, although all were based around celebrity and entertainment. I used to love doing book reviews for heat. Getting my hands on books weeks before they hit the shelves was very exciting.
You are a firm believer in the power of the magpie and positive energy, so tell us a bit more about this.
I believe the superstition that one magpie brings bad luck and two good luck. So I’m regularly found stalking a single magpie, waiting for his friend to appear. I know I’m going to have a good day when I see two or more of my feathered friends.
I believe that what you send out to the universe is what you’ll eventually receive back, that’s why positive energy is so important. I don’t like being surrounded by negative people who moan about life… it’s draining.
You have a huge following on Twitter, so how important is it to you to keep in touch with your readers?â¨
Very! I try and have little reply sprees whenever I can, although it’s not always easy to do so. I do, however, read all of the tweets sent to me… yes, every single one! It’s nice to hear from such a supportive bunch.
You also have a blog, so tell us about this in the early days.
I actually started blogging because I was getting increasing amounts of photos pinched from my private Facebook account, and there were a few profiles claiming to be me. I was worried what was being said and how they were interacting with people who thought these pages were me, so I set up a Twitter and blog and decided to share things myself. I love it. It’s a place for me to post happy pictures, quotes and thoughts. It’s a very positive place. Being an actress, life can be uncertain sometimes. So, before I started writing, it helped to keep my spirits up.
How much has your background in journalism helped you to write this book?
I’m not entirely sure… it got me into the habit of writing regularly, so I guess in that sense it has helped me massively.
What is next for you?
Book two! I’ve just handed in the first draft and am waiting to hear back from my editor. Eek!
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