April Author Spotlight 2015

Letter ‘L’ is for Geoff Le Pard author of Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle

Why do I recommend Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle?

I’ve been waiting to read a book like Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle for almost twenty years, or perhaps longer. How to describe Geoff Le Pard’s sense of humour is not an easy task. It reminds me of Townsend’s Adrian Mole, and yet it’s more sophisticated and complex, more like Greene’s Travels With My Aunt, but more bawdy, although certain moments, especially the slapstick final scenes remind me of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, ‘Free Brian’, Dear God, I cried, ‘Free Harold!’ Unique.

Harold Spittle’s first person narration of his unforgettable summer holidays is hilarious. I’m still in stitches after reading about his eccentric family, friends, co-workers, neighbours, and vicious cat, causing havoc throughout the chaotic weeks, while he inadvertently and naively barges into a hazardous world. It all takes place in an unsuspecting and quiet village in the English countryside, whose inhabitants have seemingly turned crazy (perhaps due to the unusual heat-wave?!?) and become inexplicably teeming with drugs, crooks, rapists, voyeurs, adulterers, adolescent pregnancies, pumpkin thieves, family feuds and secrets.

Warning: Don’t read it on the bus or train, people will stare as you burst out laughing.

What is Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle about, Geoff?

Dead Flies is funny and poignant. It is the sort of book where you know the people, know their dilemmas, even if you wouldn’t quite end up in the same scrapes as the characters. It is set in 1976 so for some it will be a memory jogger and for other’s a glimpse into the world recently passed. The story moves quickly with lots of twists and turns and is an easy read. Deep philosophy? Nah, but belly laughs for sure. I think it will appeal to anyone prepared to have a laugh as well as enjoy a well-told story, so long as they are happy with a bit of recent history. I know they are biased but both my 20 something kids enjoyed it as have a number of their friends.

What are you working on now?

I have a second book with my editor. Provisionally called ‘My Father and Other Liars’ (please ignore the title on the cover below – that’s out of date). It is a different genre and style to Dead Flies. While it retains the same pacey story telling this one takes the reader across three continents as Maurice (British journalist) and Lori Ann (American Geneticist) seek to discover something about their respective family histories. They tangle with Federal agencies, ex-CIA operatives and, as the title suggests their fathers as they try and put to bed some of the duplicities passed down to them by the previous generation. While that is being edited I’m working on two other projects (a novel that is ready for its final edit before going to my editor (which will follow My Father…) and the completion of the first draft of the Dead Flies Sequel (I nanoed 75,000 words of it last year but it needs another 40-50,000 to finish it)

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a busy blogger (geofflepard.com) who is a passionate proselytizer for London, long walks, messy cooking and his grown and not quite flown family. My perfect day would involve a long walk with Dog, a leisurely stop for good coffee and even better cake, some creative if random cooking for the family, a sweaty hour in the garden digging another important hole and plenty of time to write both my blog, read others and then continue my books.

How can we find out more or contact you?

My blog:

My twitter: @geofflepard

My Amazon Author Page

Amazon link (UK)

Amazon link (.com)

Kobo

Goodreads

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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.