Red For Revenge
Red for Revenge is the story of Maggie and Carla, two women who meet by chance in a beauty salon when having their nails painted. As they chat they come to realise that Carla not only works with Maggie’s husband Phil, she’s been having an affair with him. How will Phil be taught a lesson or two her won’t forget?
Please tell us about the characters of Maggie and Carla
Maggie feels life may have passed her by. Her marriage to Phil has lost its magic. He’s more interested in his new car and other women. Their two children couldn’t wait to leave home. Her job as a school secretary is pretty thankless. And then she meets Carla who shows her that it’s never too late to change. Carla was widowed when she was young so she understands that life is short and to be grasped with both hands. Her life is full of colour and fun, so she sets out to put some into Maggie’s less adventurous existence.
Why did you decide on a beauty salon as the setting for their meeting?
I was having my toenails painted in a small nail bar when I heard the voice of an old friend I hadn’t seen for ages. In she came and sat down beside me. At the time I was thinking about the characters of Carla and Maggie and was wondering where they could meet. I decided to use the same coincidence and to let them get chatting so their separate ties to Phil would be revealed during the conversation. I also liked the idea of the colour of their nail varnish changing from neutral to scarlet as Maggie comes out of her shell and her and Carla’s different revenges are exacted.
- Why did you want to get involved with Galaxy Quick Reads?
I’ve loved writing and reading all my life and was dismayed to hear the statistic that one in six adults of working age in the UK find reading difficult and as many as one in three don’t read for pleasure. The idea of a series of short books by well known authors that are specifically designed to be easy to read, so that people can discover books aren’t necessarily difficult or boring, is genius. I’m thrilled to be a part of that list.
Why is it important that people continue to read for pleasure?
Reading is like waving a magician’s wand – you can be transported to other places, other times, into other people’s minds and experiences. You can laugh, cry, think, make connections and learn something too. The key is in the word ‘pleasure’. We all like a bit of that and reading is a great way of injecting some into your life.
How have Galaxy Quick Reads helped to transform lives?
Galaxy Quick Reads are known to have helped numerous people gain confidence in their reading skills so that they can read for pleasure. Since their founding in 2006, 4.3 million Quick Read titles have been distributed and over 3.9 library loans registered. The titles are in educational settings (colleges, prisons, military bases), family centres and workplace learning centres (oil rigs, bus depots and refuse disposal units). The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Why is this the perfect read on the run up to Valentine’s Day?
Red for Revenge is probably the ideal anti-Valentine read, in fact! When you read what happens, you may want to celebrate what you’ve got on February 14th or it may give you a few ideas as to how you might change things …
- What is next for you?
The paperback of With a Friend Like You, the story of two women whose friendship turns into a feud on the revelation of a secret, will be out in paperback in March. I’m also just finishing a new full-length novel set in southern Spain that will be published next August.