Letter ‘B’ The April A – Z Blogging Challenge #AtoZChallenge

April Author Spotlight 2015

Letter ‘B’ is for Ben Adams author of Six Months To Get A Life

Every day throughout the month of April 2015, I’ll be featuring an author and one of their novels. The featured authors share two main characteristics, firstly I enjoyed their novel, and secondly they publish independently or with a small publisher.

The spotlight has five parts: why I recommend the novel, and the author’s answers to three questions: what it’s the novel about, what the author is working on now, something about the author, and links to author and Works.

 

Why do I recommend Six Months To Get A Life?

I read many books about women or told from a woman’s point of view, so it’s refreshing and enlightening to read a book about a man facing a life-changing crisis, written by another man. This novel could be referred to as ‘lad-lit’ which explores the male psyche, especially issues such as friendship, relationships, love, and sex.

At first, I didn’t think I’d like Graham very much, but he gradually grew on me as he faced the challenges of life after a divorce. I felt sorry for him as he struggled to understand his responsibility in the event, and tried to move forward into a new life at forty. I loved the way his relationship with his children is so important to him and develops throughout the novel. It’s very engagingly written as a diary. I especially enjoyed the humorous way it was told, which makes it so easy and pleasant to read.

What’s your novel about, Ben?

According to his ex, Graham Hope has got a big ego and a small penis. We aren’t sure if that’s why their marriage broke down, but it did.

Six Months to Get a Life follows Graham as he comes to terms with being divorced. Will he get over his ex? Will he play a meaningful role in his boys’ lives? Will his friends take him under their wing? More importantly, will he ever have sex again?

We have all been through a relationship break-up at one time or another. SMTGAL is the ideal pick-me-up when you are feeling low. It tackles some real heart-felt issues, but in a way that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

What are you working on now?

My second novel is well and truly underway. Provisionally entitled ‘Six lies’, this tale focusses on another member of Graham Hope’s friendship group, Dave Fazackerley. Dave’s mother’s death brings to light family secrets that Dave had no clue about whatsoever. Whilst Dave is battling to win his ex-wife back, he is also forced to grapple with the news that his deceased mother wasn’t his mother after all.

Where as Six Months to Get a Life has been described by reviewers as Nick Hornby meets David Nicholls, Six Lies is shaping up to be more Ben Adams meets Geoffrey Archer. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing but I’m enjoying the writing!

What would you like readers to know about you?

Like a lot of people, I went to school, then college and eventually grew up and got a responsible job, a house and a family. And then my mid-life crisis kicked in.

Realising that life was in danger of becoming all too serious, I started writing. Not in the way that Forrest Gump started running, but at least I started. I wrote on steamed up mirrors in the bathroom to make my children smile. Eventually I graduated to making up stories to entertain my kids at bed-time.

For some reason, my boys didn’t seem interested in my tales of every-day life, relationships, family, trauma, farce and the occasional bit of debauchery. They prefer JK someone or other.

Following my short-lived career as a children’s author, I now concentrate on writing stories for grown-ups. I write for people who have lived, loved, worked, strived and suffered – people like me, people like you.

I live in south-west London with my two boys, my dog and my constant stream of girl-friends. I dream a lot too.

How can we find out more or contact you?

I am @benadamsauthor on Twitter.

My website and blog My Facebook 

And my Goodreads page is Ben Adams

And my Amazon author page

 

Please take some time to check out some of the other blogs on the A-Z Challenge. There are plenty of interesting and varied topics.