Today I welcome Colette McCormick to Bookliterati Book Reviews to talk about her book Ribbons In Her Hair.
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Accent Press Ltd (23 Aug. 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1786155427
- ISBN-13: 978-1786155429
Jean seems the perfect wife and mother but she struggles to love her daughters whose material comforts mask emotional neglect.
When the youngest daughter, Susan, brings ‘shame’ on the family, Jean can think of only one response. She has to make the problem disappear. Finding the strength to stand up to her mother for the first time in her life, Susan does the only thing that she can to save her baby. What Susan doesn’t realise is that her mother’s emotional distance hides a dark secret of her own.
Examining the divide between generations, between mothers and daughters, this emotionally charged novel asks whether we can ever truly understand another, however close our ties.
Why?
I would say that the question I am asked the most is, ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ My answer to this is that they generally come from random thoughts or more accurately random conversations.
‘Things I Should Have Said and Done,’ was inspired by a conversation with my husband who just happened to joke (I hope) that he didn’t need me. A little girl started a conversation that resulted in ‘Ribbons in Her Hair,’ and ‘Not My Brother’s Keeper,’ (out May 2019) came about after my youngest son made a comment about his brother. All of these were totally random things that sparked something that I ran with. I feel it’s not the answer most people want but it’s the truth.
Another question that I’m regularly asked is why? In an industry where a few earn the bulk of the money while the rest of us fight over the crumbs why wold I bother? It makes sense of course because we spend the best part of a year, in my case, writing something that isn’t guaranteed to be accepted so may never be published and even if it is might not sell enough copies to cover the price of a decent meal. If the boot was on the other foot, I might well question their sanity too.
I can’t speak for every writer, but I can say what inspires me to write. The first reason I do it is because I enjoy it. Its as simple as that and I think if I ever stopped enjoying the writing process I would stop. I mean, why would you do something that you don’t enjoy for possibly little or no reward? The second reason I write is because once the idea has formed, the characters are in my head and I need to get them out of there. For example, when I first had the idea of Susan in ‘Ribbons in Her Hair’ she was an unloved little girl. In my head she was a victim but once I was able to tell her story she broke out of that mould and developed into the woman that I hoped she would be. I should point out that I realise that Susan isn’t a real person, I know she only exists on paper, it’s just the writer in me talking. Having given both of these reasons though, I think my true inspiration to write comes from the fact that when I was young, writing books was my dream. I write because I am following my dream.
When I started out trying to write a book the mantra was that you should, ‘Write what you know.’ Sound advice I’m sure, but I have to say that what I know would make for a very dull story. I am the most boring person in the world. I could write a book set in the world of charity retail but I’m not sure the world at large is ready to have their eyes opened about that just yet.
Originally a city girl, Colette has made her home in a one of the many former mining villages in County Durham. When not working as a retail manager for a large children’s charity she will more than likely be writing, even if it’s only a shopping list. She also enjoys cooking, gardening and taking the dog on long walks in the countryside near her home. She has been married for almost forty years and has two grown up sons.
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