Interview with Julie Shackman - Author of of 'The Bookshop By The Loch'
Interview with Julie Shackman - Author of 'The Bookshop by the Loch'
Link to my review.
About the Author:
Julie lives in Scotland and is married with two sons. From an early age, she always knew she wanted to write novels and after reading “Princess Daisy” by Judith Krantz at the age of thirteen, Julie was bitten by the bug.
She trained as a journalist and studied communication and media. Julie is the author of the very successful feel-good romance Scottish Escapes series, published by the HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter.
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INTERVIEW
Please describe The Bookshop by the Loch in five words?
Oh, that's a great question! I would say the five words that best describe it, are romantic, escapist, inspirational, hopeful and sentimental.
Add one detail not included in the cover description?
That would be that Celeste shows everyone that you should live each day as though it were your last.
What inspired the writing of The Bookshop by the Loch?
It's my love of bookshops and art galleries, which triggered the idea for the story. Then I had the idea for the enemies to lovers aspect of it and it just snowballed from there.
What is the overall theme of The Bookshop by the Loch?
I think the overall theme, like I said before, is to try and be optimistic and to make the best of every day. Nobody knows what's around the corner, so I try to be like Celeste, who has always grabbed life by the throat and squeezed joy out of everything she can!
Tell us about Lexie: her passions, interests, ambitions?
Lexie was great fun to write too. She's book crazy, loves her job as a commissioning editor at a Glasgow publishing house and is determined to succeed in her career, but sometimes, things don't always go to plan, as she soon learns... But she's far more adaptable than she thinks she is and is braver than she believes too. Like me, her and Tobias are also big fans of the amazing Swedish rock band, Ghost. They've got great taste!
Who is Tobias and what part does he play in the novel?
Tobias Black is a successful, gorgeous, bur grumpy portrait artist. He also happens to be the nephew of the bookshop owner, which causes conflict with Lexie from the beginning. I imagined him to look a bit like a cross between actor Kit Harrington of Game of Thrones and professional Strictly dancer, Graziano Di Prima. He's furious that he can't get his hands on the bookshop and turn it into an art gallery, so there's tension right there between him and Lexie. They really don't like one another at all....does that change? You'll have to read the book to find out!
Which character in The Bookshop by the Loch would you like to be and why?
I have a really soft spot for Celeste, my former singing star. She's fun, feisty, forward thinking and doesn't let life get her down, even though she's eighty and suffering health issues. She still insists on decking herself out in her favourite jewellery every day, wearing something glam and even pimps up her wheelchair!
Tell us about Celeste with the gorgeous dress. Is she modelled after any person or persons you admire?
That dress means so much to Celeste and brings back happy but rather painful memories too. I imagined her to be a classy, silver haired woman with a throaty laugh, like the gorgeous, late actor Honour Blackman, so I modelled Celeste on her.
Which scene in The Bookshop by the Loch was the most fun to write?
I did enjoy writing the scene where Lexie's friend Rhiannon arrives back a little tipsy at the bookshop, tagging along a "dashing older man" she got chatting to in the pub - who turns out to be Lexie's estranged Dad! Creating the tension and embarrassment between everyone, especially with Rhiannon who's horrified, was a lot of fun.
Would you like to be a Bookshop owner? If so, what design characteristics or activities would you have to make it stand out?
Sometimes I think I would, but I'd be too busy getting sidetracked reading the stock, to do any actual work and I'd struggle to find the time to write! But if I did own my own bookshop, I'd love to have a sweet little cafe in there for people to sit with a cup o f tea and savor the atmosphere. I also have a thing for spiral staircases and chandeliers, so it would have to have those and rose gold lights strung along the edge of the bookcases. I'd also run reading competitions for the kids and have book signings.
What is your favorite romantic movie and what makes it special to you?
Oh my word! I've got quite a few! Disney wise, definitely Beauty & The Beast, which is my all-time favorite fairytale. I've got the beast's rose in its glass case, ceramics of the characters, stationery, two Belle cosmetic bags... I'm obsessed! I just think it's such a beautiful story - timeless - and I loved the book when I was little.
Non-Disney, I would say Flashdance and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, because of their optimism, music and their romanticism.
What was your greatest highlight in 2023 as an author?
There were actually a few, but one of the biggest standouts for me, was having two of my novels stocked on the shelves in Sainsbury's, which a is huge supermarket chain here in the UK. Seeing my "babies" sitting on those shelves, beside authors I admire, was a pinch me moment!
Are you working on a new novel and can you share a little about it?
Yes, I've just actually finished the first draft of Book 8, Scottish Escapes and I emailed that to my agent Selwa last night for her feedback. It's set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland and features a rather haughty social media influencer who believes her own publicity and a handsome, flirty geologist....
Thanks Julie for me being my guest author today and all the great answers! I wish you much success on your gorgeous new novel that is available now across the globe for readers to buy. 😊
