Book Review: Forgive Me by Lesley Pearse

Forgive Me by Lesley Pearse is one of the bestselling novels by this author and already stocked on the shelves in most supermarkets and book shops. I decided to give it ago when my boyfriend's mother let me borrow it after seeing it so frequently, and I can see why it's so popular. Firstly, I didn't think the book would be my usual type. The title alone didn't fill me with much enthusiasm and the blurb didn't help much either. But, reading the first few pages I knew instantly that this was a book I was going to enjoy. Pearse writes in beautiful detail which creates a vivid image of the surroundings of the characters. Although, while she defined the details on the external objects and places, I felt it lacked when concerned with the characters themselves. In the beginning there was very little description of our main character, her sister, brother, mother and father. The same came with the rest of the characters that were introduced, such as Phil the love interest. But that didn't bother me. The drama surrounding the poor MC, Eva, overruled these issues. The writing pulled me into the situations which made me care more about what was happening rather than who it was happening to and what they looked like. The novel is full of drama. It's overflowing with it. The first thing that happens is a suicide. While it's written in a gentle way to not offend or push away readers, it is the beginning of a very long and tiresome journey for Eva. The suicide starts off a string of unfortunate events. Each one just bruises Eva more and more. Her family turn against her and the life she knew disappears. Of course there is a happily ever after, but Eva struggles to get there. One thing I loved about this book was that it expressed the generosity and kindness of strangers. Phil and his work team all become a support system for Eva when she moves away. Lost, hurt and alone, this bunch of guys help to rebuild her for no reason other than to just help. Of course Phil is helping because he fancies her... Nevertheless, the kindheartedness this book brings is thoroughly refreshing amongst the pit of despair and drama Eva is dealing with. But... the amount of drama was becoming tiresome for myself. I found myself thinking: "Oh c'mon, this is getting ridiculous now". Admittedly, the ongoing song and dance for the character by the author was making me want to put the book down. It was becoming too much, just one thing after another. I'm glad I didn't put it down, I honestly wanted to know what was going to happen, particularly because I wanted to know what happened to Eva's mother, the girl who committed suicide. Eva's mothers story is the basis of this book and how Eva finds out about her mysterious path, meeting very nice people along the way. These people, again (of course) are extremely nice and helpful when Eva starts asking questions. The only real baddies are from Eva's own family and very few external characters which I find slightly unrealistic. Personally, I would oblige, but not many people would be happy to reveal so much about someone they "loved dearly" to a complete stranger to them - especially when they don't ask for proof of who Eva even is. Still, the generosity of the other characters is lovely to see, even if I found it slightly unusual. The plot thickens the further into the book. Something happens to Eva, and then she finds out some incredible fact. The wave of emotions is constant. She remains lost for most of the book (emotion-wise) but I'm happy she finds a decent boyfriend and a happy ever after. This book is written with skill and it entertained me for two days. The constant mystery of what Eva's mother had done, whether the drama with Eva's family would be sorted and the hype of whether Eva and Phil will finally get together drew me in and I really enjoyed the novel. A four star on my rating! Nice one Pearse :)

Why I write...

Firstly, let me begin by thanking the girls on twitter for including me in this blog hop. So... why do I write? From reading writing tips on novelicious (as I do far too frequently when posted) and other blog hops it's seems we all understand the fact that writing is something that just has to happen. Words have to be put to paper before we, as writers, malfunction. We simply have to do it. But why? I write simply because I love to create worlds and people that don't exist. I adore the freedom of being able to do anything and say anything between characters on my pages. It's cathartic almost to put the ideas down on paper after plaguing you all night. I simply love my characters, Maddie and Nick, in my novel Madeline. And as if they are real people, I think about them a lot. One of the reasons I write is because these two characters pester me. I'm sure I'm not the only writer who thinks about nonexistent people frequently... But it isn't just the characters and he creative process that makes me write. I write because I have an amazing supportive team behind me who encourage me to believe that my writing is good and enjoyable. That alone is a reason which allows me to continue writing - because it DOES entertain people. Now let me introduce you to some VIP's... The lovely Claire C Riley... My first fan and the reason why I felt confident to upload my WIP onto autonomy. She's also one of my favourite authonomy authors. She's the first person I became friends with in the writing world and has always offered her support. A self published writer whose book Limerence is gold and my favourite book of hers. Follow her for other books and news on the twitter! Allison Christie... One of my biggest cheerleaders for Madeline and one of my closest writer buddies. She's one of two main readers and editors for my books and doesn't hesitate to offer help or give read throughs. A writer I trust and respect and am so grateful for being part of my writing journey. Her unpublished work is written with confidence and full of emotion. A book I simply can't wait to get published - Loved and Lost. Lynn Montagano... My other biggest cheerleader. This woman alone offered to edit my full manuscript and became my biggest advisor for the publishing world. A published author herself with fantastic sexy books, Lynn is one writer friend who provides unlimited help. My across the pond pool of information for my US set books and brains behind submissions and the technical processes. She even emails me helpful contests and such! Another writer I have so much respect for and I can't put into words how grateful I am to this girl. Her books are available from Harper Impulse and you have to check those out. Catch My Breath and the sequels are highly recommended ;) It's simple to say you're a writer. But if it wasn't for these three ladies I'd doubt I'd continue on my journey. I'm young and wasn't that educated in the world of writing. All I knew was that I wanted to create books that people would enjoy, and the support system I have has provided a comfortable circle in which I can expect honesty, help and encouragement through any stage in the writing process. I'm looking forward to why you write! Follow the tags on twitter to read more from fantastic writers. See you soon!

I'm back! :)

Hey there, it's been a while. I'm sorry for that. But here I am, author of Madeline and currently unpublished writer, I'm here to narrate my journey along writing my novels and the difficulties and loves of being a writer. My first book Madeline is currently under consideration by important people, and yet the urge to write still isn't lost. Admittedly, I have taken a gap from it. But still in my notebooks sits ideas for new stories. All of which have blurbs prepared (honestly a first for me!) I have also been tagged along in writing a post as to why I write by the lovely Allison which will be posted within the next week. But until then, I leave you with the confidence of returning to give you book reviews, blurbs, new writings and more! Can't wait :)

A Tearful Journey

Inspiration hits. It hits you hard and sometimes you just aren't prepared for it. That happened to me whilst waiting for my 120 bus from Pontypridd to Caerphilly. It was a sad thought, concerning one of my most treasured characters, a person whom I'm mentally close to. Alas, the scene played out as my journey home begun, only to have tears rolling down my face. The other passengers started to look at me, of course they did. I was sat on a bus going home to a warm house. Why would I be crying? If only they knew the tragedy going on in my mind about a loved one... The tear-welling scene is still clinging to my emotions, tugging at every quiet opportunity. When I got home, I scribbled it down to keep for the future. Who knows, I might just use it.

Back On Track

My university had cruelly placed four 2000 word esays/reports within the space of just a week. So, clearly, not much writing has been done since. The stress was getting annoying. Anyhow, those assignments have been done and submitted. Yay! Since clearing the uni work, I have been getting back on track and writing the newest scenes of the sequel. I'm introducing new characters, and discovering them is all to exciting. Working on the novel writing month, of 50,000 words, is half way done!

Editing Sesh

Okay, I've heard writer's can get into editing loops, at first I thought I was in that same loop. But, I hadn't realized just how long it had been since I had last read Madeline from a critical POV. While submitting the first three chapters to everyone is exciting, within that three month period you seem to drift from the novel. And while those words that seemed familiar pop back up on screen, you're mind just finds ways to improve. One way I find it easier to edit and give more to your book rather than taking away is to read books. You'd be amazed by how much description is added during a character simply walking into an unfamiliar room. Every sense is involved, and if you write in the first person, personal thoughts and feelings regarding that room are evolved into a big experience for a tiny detail in the novel. It's the little things that count.

Primary sources

The joys of finding an original source for your reports is probably the most exciting thing in the world when you've been panicking over a deadline that's been pushed forward. Alas, my writing week has not been filled with the wonderful words of Maddie so far, it has been over taken by the panic and sweat, also blood and tears of a horrible historical report on the nature/nurture debate. Two days of solid cramming complete. Now I have all day tomorrow... *sighs* only one day left. Boo.