Book Tour Day 3
Day 3 of my book tour was busy and so exciting.
First I visited TBHonest where I received a wonderful review.
As a new author, it’s quite daunting to put your book out there for others to read. You can never be sure if other people are going to enjoy it as much as you hope, and sometimes self-doubt takes over. So it was such a joy and a real boost to my confidence to see The Starling Dance described as ‘a stunning debut’. Thank you!
You can read the full review here.
This review spoke about my female main character, Laure, as being ‘instantly likeable and relatable’. Many readers have mentioned that she is their favourite character because she is very human – quite fallible and funny.
Laure is a 29-year-old, from Paris and she’s going through a rough patch in her life. After suffering a burnout, she left her job in France and moved to Rome for a new start. She’s weighed down by all kinds of expectations (almost entirely self-imposed) on how her life should look as she nears her 30s. In the book, we follow her journey as she searches for a sense of purpose, self and belonging.
My next stop – Against the Flow – focused on another, quite different main character, Viviano. He’s a fiercely intelligent, eccentric and artistic Italian in his late twenties, who lives with his mum. Viviano could have the world at his feet, but his mental health struggles, which he hides behind his smile and good humour, hold him back in life. He’s a street artist who poses around the city in elaborate costumes, which he designs and makes himself. He loves adventure and has a diverse group of friends. He cannot bear to be alone with his own thoughts.
I have a real soft spot for Viviano. I love his intuitive personality and creative and kind nature. From backflips on slacklines, to the eccentric costumes he dons as a street performer – whether it be a tree, a cat or a ripe tomato – he’s unique. I feel sorry for him because of the mental health issues which he suffers alone, but I like that he starts to work through them during the book.
Laura featured an extract from The Starling Dance (Chapter 24: Slacklining Over The City).
In this part of the story, Viviano, has come to meet his friends at Rome’s picturesque Gianicolo Hil. It’s a chance for the reader to get to know Viviano better and see him in a more relaxed environment, on days when his mental health challenges are not flaring up. Even in the company of his friends, Laure – Viviano’s love interest – is never far from his mind. We also learn a bit more about Viviano’s best friend Mickey, a migrant from Senegal.
You can read the extract on Laura’s blog
I finished the day with another author interview with Deborah from Against the Flow. Our conversation raged from my favourite characters and who I’d like to play them in a movie – The Starling Dance was first conceived as a film – to my inspiration for the book and what I’m planning on writing in the future. You can read the full interview here.
Have you got your copy of The Starling Dance yet?