It Started with a Note by Victoria Cooke #Review #AuthorInterview #Giveaway

I am so happy to welcome Victoria Cooke to the blog today to talk about her writing life and latest book: It Started with a Note. There is also a great Giveaway for you to enter. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. First, here is a bit about the book: 

One lost letter. A chance to change her life!

Superhero single mum Cath always puts other people first. But now that she’s seen her son safely off to university (phew!), life seems a little, well…empty.

So when Cath unexpectedly discovers some letters written by her great-grandfather during the First World War, she decides to take herself on an adventure to France to retrace his footsteps.

Cath expects to spend her holiday visiting famous battlefields and testing out her French phrase book. What she doesn’t anticipate is that her tour guide, the handsome Olivier, will be quite so charming! Soon Cath isn’t simply unearthing the stories of the past – she’s writing a brand new one of her own, which might end up taking her in a very unexpected direction…

 Author Interview 

Welcome Victoria to Books, Life and Everything. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing.

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself and how you started as a writer?

I’ve always been a chief day-dreamer. I was the child who got lost in a book and fantasised about being the lead character in whatever I was reading (which is a bit weird because I was a huge horror fan back then). As I got older, I started to have my own story ideas and the ideas would gnaw away at me until I wrote them down. 

What is it about the romance genre which attracts you? 

As a reader, I’ve always loved the ‘lift’ you get from the happy-ever-after. In particular, I enjoy the comedy side. I’m not a serious person at all, in fact ninety-percent of what comes out of my mouth is tongue-in-cheek, so it made sense to veer towards romantic comedy.

Could you tell us a little about It Started with a Note, without giving the plot away?

The story follows Cath, a hard-working single mum who is treated like a bit of a doormat by her son and brother. One evening, she discovers some WWI letter in her loft, which were written by her great-grandfather from the battlefield of WWI. The letters prompt Cath to go on a journey of her own, following in his footsteps across northern France. It’s completely out-of-character for Cath to just up and leave, and the journey pushes her out of her comfort zone. Fortunately, she meets some great people along the way, including tour guide, Olivier, who pushes her even further outside of her comfort zone. 

Although there are sad undertones, I’ve tried to stay as close as possible to the romantic comedy genre but it’s perhaps not as light a read as some of my other work. 

What was your inspiration for the story?

Back in 2017, I discovered my own great-grandfather was killed in WWI. My family and I took a trip to the Thiepval Memorial to The Missing to find his name inscribed on the huge memorial there. We visited museums, trenches and many other WWI sites whilst we were there, and it was such a moving trip that I knew I had to make a bigger deal of it.

How do you go about researching the settings?

Because I’d already visited most of the sites, I was fairly familiar with the places and had the ‘feel’ of them. I did however use Google Earth, YouTube videos and tourism websites to fact check the finer details because there is only so much you can remember.

You use humour in your writing. How do you manage the balance between the comedy and pathos as you write?

I have been known in the past to make jokes at the wrong time, or perhaps go a little too far and need to be toned down. It was a little different with ‘It Started With A Note’ because the scenes were very clearly defined as sombre or light. Obviously, I wouldn’t write jokes in a memorial garden, but I did try hard to ensure the characters did something light afterwards, like go for a drink, and that’s where I could add humour. I also need to thank my editor for pointing out when things were too heavy and needed balancing out.

If your book became a film, who would you like to play Cath and Olivier and why would you choose them?

Cath would need to be someone really down-to-earth like Sheridan Smith or Joanne Froggart. Olivier would be best played by a French actor like Nicolas Duvauchelle, or an actor who can speak French, like Bradley Cooper.

 Finally, have you three words which sum up It Started with a Note?

Heartfelt

Poignant

Warm

 Thanks so much for this insight, Victoria. I think your 3 words capture the spirit of the book perfectly.

My Thoughts

This contemporary romance has a slight change of emphasis as it features letters from a soldier who fought in the trenches, in World War One. The past is threaded throughout the story as Cath travels around Northern France, in the footsteps of her great-grandfather. Cath is a lovely character. She has put other members of her family before herself and this holiday is a step into the unknown for her. She challenges herself but at the same time, you can glimpse her insecurities. This means that you are always on her side. 

    I loved the historical background detail, as well as the descriptions of the beautiful French countryside. The romance side of the story is a slow burner but is beautifully matched by the story of Cath's great - grandparents. Cath and Olivier have a lot in common, it transpires. The mood of the story is often poignant, but it is clear that there is a hopeful air and a chance for new baginnings.

In short: As Victoria says: heartfelt, poigant, warm.

About the Author 

Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of her career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in her hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first romantic comedy novel, The Secret to Falling in Love in 2016.

Cooke's third novel, Who Needs Men Anyway? became a digital bestseller in 2018.

You can follow Victoria here:  Facebook   |  Twitter   |  Instagram

                                              |  Goodreads

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Amazon US  |  Kobo  

Thanks to Victoria Cooke and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book, the interview and a place on the event. 

                                                                        Giveaway (UK only)

To win a signed copy of It Started With A Note (UK Only) just follow the link below and good luck!

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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