Book Club Monday: A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

Browsing the shelves of my local book shop, I likely would not have given Jan Ellison's A Small Indiscretion a second look, to be honest. It was not my usual read, but I really, really enjoyed it. For a taste, here is the back jacket description:

At nineteen, Annie Black trades a bleak future in her washed-out hometown for a London winter of drinking and abandon. Some two decades later, in San Francisco, she is a successful lighting designer married to a good man, and the mother of three children. Then, one June morning, a photograph arrives in her mailbox, igniting an old longing and setting off a chain of events that threaten to overturn her family's hard-won happiness. When Annie returns to London seeking answers, her indiscretions come to light, and she must piece together the mystery of her past - the fateful collision of liberation and sexual desire that drew an invisible map of her future.

What I found, though, was a great surprise. A Small Indiscretion was a fun read, with twists and turns so sharp that it can't fit into just one genre. It flew from a mystery to a drama in just the flip of a page, and I really loved the flow and fit of the story into each of its' different settings.

The story follows Annie Black, a lighting designer and the owner of a light shop called the Salvaged Light in San Francisco. She has what seems like the perfect life, with her husband, doctor Jonathan, and three children; Polly, Clara, and Robbie, the oldest. Everything seemed to be going well, until she received a mysterious photo in the mail, a photo from a past in London long ago.

Split into parts, the first portion of the story steadily creeps along in a multitude of different times, from the present day in the voice of a mother to her injured son, to the past in London. In London, Annie was a different girl - 19 years old, in search of an education. What she did find was an education and a job, working for a man much older than she, named Malcolm. A Christmas in London with Malcolm and his family set the stage for a photograph that would haunt her and wound her family, even many years later. Coincidentally, she also met her husband on that trip, but the two lives intertwined to create Annie's history, whether or not she wanted to face it.

With well-developed characters working together to create an entertaining story,  A Small Indiscretion is a wonderful debut novel from Jan Ellison, and was a real surprise to this reader. I would definitely recommend it make your to-read list. And since it releases tomorrow, January 20, 2015, you will be able to read for yourselves.

Disclaimer: This review was part of a paid blog book tour, courtesy of Random House and 20 Something Bloggers. I received an advance copy of the novel from Random House free of charge.

As a bonus, I am giving everyone the chance to win their own copy of A Small Indiscretion! Please enter below for your chance to win! Follow the directions below for multiple chances to win.

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Socialpunk Blog Tour: Interview with Monica Leonelle!

As promised, here is the interview I did with Monica Leonelle, the author of Socialpunk, which we reviewed yesterday as part of our Book Club Monday. Monica contacted me about being a part of her blog tour in advance of the release of Socialpunk, and I definitely could not say no! Instead of me blah-blah-blahing, here we go!

Where did you adopt the idea for the Socialpunk trilogy?
Socialpunk is very reflective of today's social media-driven world in terms of artists, curators, and influencers. It's definitely a physical reincarnation of the digital media world. I love the social media concepts embedded in the book and was inspired to write a cyberpunk novel.

What was your first published work?
A book called Social Pollination, about digital media and strategy. It was published in English and French.

What inspires you in both writing and life?
I wouldn't say any one thing helps me stay inspired, because that doesn't create anything new. You create new things by combining inspirations from all sorts of different sources and then adding your own touch or twist. But if you want to be inspired, you should expose yourself to all sorts of media - books, television, movies, radio, art museums, you name it. If you are writing one book you should consume at least ten books, ten movies, ten TV shows, ten songs, etc. to prepare. It doesn't matter if they are related or not - in fact, the more diverse, the better. And how much fun is it that I just told you to watch TV in order to do work? You're welcome for that.

What made you want to get into writing, and more specifically the marketing angle of what you do?
I feel like I mostly write because I can't help it. I love to write and that's how I express myself, day in and day out. I can never understand how people want to be writers or authors when they don't write. I always think, "Then why aren't you writing every day?" I organically average at least 2,000 words a day writing. When I'm finishing up a manuscript, I average closer to 5,000 words a day.

The marketing angle comes from my work background and education. After spending years as a Marketing Director at various start-ups, I now consult writers on getting word-of-mouth marketing for their books. I've helped improve the writing of an Inc. 50 CEO, a late-night TV show host, and several A-list bloggers. I also specialize in independent book marketing via blogger outreach. You can learn more about me at proseonfire.com.

Looking at your career up to this point, is there anything you would change, or anything you would do differently given the opportunity?
Not really, I don't have any regrets. I would maybe have started writing fiction sooner. I only have two books published and another one in the cooker... I'd love to have a huge backlist by now. The people with the most success seem to have that. Maybe in five years or so!

What's next for you, both writing and career-wise?
More fiction and more non-fiction writing. I would go crazy if I just did one or the other. I like that my marketing business is all about strategy, and that I'm able to provide a ton of value to would-be writers. For example, I have free e-mail consultations that are killer - they are getting really popular, actually. One allows you to ask three questions about writing, publishing, and/or marketing a book. I send back detailed answers. The other is for writers with a manuscript - they can upload their first 1,000 words and receive detailed feedback on how to make their book more hooking.

Novel writing is what I do for fun, but it also ties into my business nicely, I suppose. I am working on a better balance between the two at the moment, and considering doing more serialized fiction so I can get my fiction out and into the world faster. I spend a lot more of my time on my writing consults and editing services, at this time.