I am pleased to welcome author Sharley Scott to the blog today to talk about the 1980's when she set her latest novel, A Little Birdie told me... Before we hear from her, here's a little about the story:
It’s 1988. The era of young love, with Scott and Charlene
melting hearts in Neighbours, and a new princess for the Royal Family. With
Bros, Madonna and Wet Wet Wet in the charts, and children hoping for
Ghostbusters’ toys in their stockings.
But it’s not all fun for Belinda. If her life was a board
game, she’s losing at snakes and ladders. Once she’d been working her way up
one of those ladders but, thanks to her snake-like polytechnic lecturer, she’s
toppled from the rungs. Now she works in an old people’s home, where her chief
duties involve cleaning toilets and emptying commodes.
At least her lovely colleague, Joe, offers excitement in her
otherwise dreary life. But Belinda can’t believe he'd be interested in someone
like her. Not when her pretty friend, Tracey, only has to glance at a man to
have him fall for her.
But just when it seems things are looking up for Belinda,
the residents’ precious possessions start to go missing. Then she witnesses a
disturbing incident and doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, Belinda has Joe to
guide her – until she discovers that he’s hiding a secret, one that forces her
to make an agonising decision.
Will she continue to hide in the shadows, never speaking out
– or will she put her future on the line to stand up for what is right? After
all, she’s caring for a generation that's lived through two wars. Now it’s time
to fight for them.
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Sharley! It's over to you!
Sharley:
BACK TO THE EIGHTIES
‘It’s 1988. The era of young love, with Scott and Charlene
melting hearts in Neighbours, and a new princess for the Royal Family. With
Bros, Madonna and Wet Wet Wet in the charts, and children hoping for
Ghostbusters’ toys in their stockings.’
The blurb for A Little Birdie Told Me… places the reader in
this wonderful year. The Ghostbusters’ reference confused a few people, as the
film came out in 1984, but the new cartoon series in 1988 made the toys a
roaring success. As a friend said, “Every child wanted the fire station
headquarters play set.”
I’d never understood my friend’s desire to reminisce about
the ‘best years of their lives’, as I was glad to get my teenage years over and
done with. But many people hark back to their youths. After all, people of my
generation are told by their parents that the sixties were the time to live –
and it was the best era for music too. But, it seems to me, all post-war
teenagers believe ‘their’ decade was the best.
When I started delving back into the eighties, I was
surprised to remember what a wonderful period it was for films, music and TV.
Okay, there are always going to be bits that don’t age well, but Only Fools and
Horses is still topping the comedy charts and the top films of 1988 included
Rain Man, A Fish Called Wanda and Twins. Not all of them are incredible – some
have cringeworthy parts – but they are watchable, and they’re still being shown
(but that may be to do with TV penny pinching).
Some things I’d forgotten. Some things never change, such as
the tabloids inflaming readers, as with the case of the Crying Boy paintings
where, in the mid eighties, The Sun had encouraged their readers to burn the
supposedly cursed prints.
I’m glad I was a teenager long before the internet and
social media. Coming from a poorer family, it would have been harder to fit in
without all the gadgets. But when I watch the old shows and cringe at the
portrayal of different groups, I’m thankful that society has moved on to become
a little more accepting. Section 48, which prohibited promoting sexuality by
teaching or publishing material, was a big issue in 1988. It’s mentioned in A
Little Birdie Told Me… but the characters didn’t dwell on it too long as they
had other problems to tackle.
Sadly, the issues facing some of the residents in the care
home in A Little Birdie Told Me… are still being highlighted today. They’re not
the norm now, and they weren’t then. But each terrible case proves that we
still have a way to go to make life better for vulnerable members of
society.
It’s hard to believe that the eighties are now history.
Margaret Thatcher, the first Prime Minister for the whole of the eighties was
also the first female PM. The Berlin Wall fell late in its final year. One day
my children will look back at the early 2000s and announce that it was the best
decade ever. But I can’t believe that.
Well thanks for dropping by, Sharley! I well remember the 1980's with Mrs Thatcher and that stunning day I heard that the Berlin Wall had been taken down. It seems like a whole other age.
About the Author
Sharley Scott is the author of the Devon Seaside Guesthouse
novels – Bedlam & Breakfast and B&Bers Behaving Madly – and the Maddie
Meadows series.
Sharley is a guesthouse owner in South Devon. She is
thankful to have been blessed with lots of amazing and kind-hearted guests, who
are nothing like some of the fictional characters featured in the Devon Seaside
Guesthouse series.
The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows – and its sequel The Gift of
a Rose – portray the life of a working single mum. Some of the mischief
Maddie's little one, Josh, gets up to will be familiar to all parents. In real
life, Sharley has carried out the threats she made to her son decades ago and
now gets her own back him by telling tales to his girlfriend (some of the
incidents in the books are inspired by him), although he returns the favour by
recounting utterly embarrassing stories about his mum.
Sharley's latest novel ‘A Little Birdie Told Me…’ is being
published in February 2021. This book goes back in time to the late eighties: a
time of fun music, interesting fashion, strange hairstyles and no internet or
mobile phones. Fancy having to talk to each other! (Says the author who
frequents Facebook too often).
W ith that in mind, Sharley can be found on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/SharleyScott3
Or follow Sharley on Twitter: @SharleyScott
You can read my review of Bedlam and Breakfast here. and The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows here
Check out the rest of the tour!
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