Reader Spotlight - A book lover from California

One of the best things about being a writer is hearing from readers around the world. A few weeks ago I was thrilled to get an email from a reader from California. She had read the online version of The Temp (aka Spray Painted Bananas) and was after the new paperback copy. 

Thankfully she was not put off by the £7.00 postage fee and off the book went to America. I invited Caitlyn to the blog to share her love of books and offer her recommendations... 

What's your name and where are you from? 

My name is Caitlyn (Caitie) Towne and I am from Sacramento, California, though I am currently residing in San Diego while I attend university. 

I've got one day in your neck of the woods, what should I do with it? 

If in Sacramento, I'd say to head downtown and visit K Street and Old Sacramento. As for San Diego, I'd send you to Pacific Beach and Balboa Park. Both places have cute little shops and eateries, and fun places to explore. 

What's your ideal setting for a good read?

To go all out, I picture myself curled up on a couch with hot cocoa someplace snowy, using natural light and the fireplace to read by. I'm also perfectly content snuggling up in bed with my iBooks on night-mode. 

Kindle, paperback or hard back? 

I love a good hardcover, but I find myself using iBooks more and more: It's nice to always have a selection of books in my pocket for a long walk to class or a bus ride to the mall. If I really enjoy a book, or I think I will, I occasionally go for a physical copy. 

What's the last book that made you cry? 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman. There were just some moments that I felt picked at pieces of my own life and really stood out to me. 

And made you laugh? 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. The plights of an introverted book lover in college as a plot sequence is quite relevant. 

Are there any books you've read more than once? 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I wasn't too enthused by it the first time around, but the girls in my book club all recommended it highly, so I read it again. I just finished the third installment in two days, so I'd say I enjoy it.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Need I say anything about this one? No matter how much the Literature department in every high school in the US tries to run it into the ground with over-analysis, it never loses its luster. 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. I first read this in English, then in Spanish. Beautiful. 

After reading The Temp what's your conclusion about leaving spray painted bananas around a city - Art or Litter? 

I'll say this: I feel like recreating the project could critically change modern art as we know it.

Thank you Caitlyn! I'm looking forward to reading your recommendations!  

Fancy being on the blog? If you've read The Temp and want to share your love of books, get in touch, I'd love to hear from you!

Email: emily@emilybenet.com 



Download The Temp for just 99p! 

The Temp Book Launch - Chandeliers & Pink Bananas

Last night The Temp was officially launched in my parents' chandelier shop. It was the setting of my first book Shop Girl Diaries and seemed like the perfect place to welcome my new novel into the world.

I had a pinch yourself moment as I laid out my books. One minute you're writing a book about a girl leaving spray painted bananas around London and the next, well, you're spray painting bananas to decorate the launch of that very same book, which got picked up by Harper Collins.  

When I say one minute to the next, I'm actually talking years. I wrote the first draft of this book at the end of 2012. That's why I really wanted to celebrate and have a party!

My worrying about the space not being big enough or the fizz running out was unwarrented. No chandelier fell down à la Fools and Horses and even the bananas were unharmed at the end of the night.

A heartfelt thank you to my multi-talented friend, Piera Lizzeri, for helping me organise the launch and for spray painting the bananas. Thank you to my writing buddy, Rachel Malham, for welcoming and pouring drinks for all the guests. Thank you to my wonderful Uncle, for being the doorman, and my lovely Mum for till duties. 

Thank you to everyone who bought my book, brought me flowers and joined me in celebrating such an important moment...

I better stop before I well up...

If you would like a signed copy of The Temp, you can buy one direct from the blog. I'll be thrilled to pop one in the post for you! 

Signed Copy of The Temp (including UK postage) £9.99

Signed Copies of The Temp

1 Signed Copy £9.99 GBP 2 Signed Copies £19.98 GBP 3 Signed Copies £29.97 GBP

*If you are in the USA and would like to get a copy of The Temp, please get in touch* emily@emilybenet.com

The Temp Book Trailer - the making of...

So you want to make a book trailer for The Temp? That's weird because it's not your book, but I appreciate your enthusiasm! Here's how we did it...  

1. Buy some plastic bananas off ebay 

2. Buy some fluorescent spray paint 

3. Feel bad about how toxic spray paint is then spray plastic bananas anyway 

4. Be married/ friends with someone who thinks spending the day walking from one end of London to another filming bright pink bananas is a perfectly good use of a day... 

5. Muster the courage to hang bananas on Buckingham palace railing 

6. Realise British police are so friendly that you didn't need to muster the courage after all 

7. Ditto for Downing Street 

8. Chase after a Beefeater at The Tower of London (just like in the novel) 

9. Talk gibberish to Beefeater while husband gets correct angle for filming

10. Be friends with a cameraman for creative shots in pub (thanks Pablo!)

11. Get performance poet friend to record voiceover in your living room (thanks Rachel!)

12. Be impressed by husband's editing skills  

13. Reassure patient nephew you'll only be five more minutes then you can play Fifa

14. Add competition details to the description 

15. Upload video to You Tube 

16. Lose at Fifa

17. Start sharing video!

18. Blog about the making of... and post the video on the blog! Here it is ->

 

Thanks for watching - if you enjoyed it please share! 

Who said ebook launches can't be fun?

The Temp is out today and you're all invited to the e-launch! The wonderful thing about an elaunch is that it takes much less organisation than a traditional launch and can really stretch that £0 budget!

But just because it's free don't think it's going to be a cheap event! On the contrary,  no expenses have been spared. In fact, this might just be the most glamorous and extravagant launch of the year... the decade even... THE CENTURY!

Can you tell I'm excited? Well, you would be too if you'd secured Buckingham Palace for your book launch!

Come in, come in, you're so very welcome!  Tuck into the eLobster and a fiery e-cocktail and please buy a book on the way out! 

1. THE VENUE 

Since I have the orienteering skills of a broken compass, I've opted for somewhere central and easy to locate! Buckingham Palace is also featured in the novel, so it seems a fitting venue. Don't worry, I know what you're thinking... but I assure you, you won't have to take your shoes off. Instead, you'll be given an option of getting brand new shoes of your choice on arrival OR some royal slippers.     

2. THE BAND

Another wonderful thing about ebook launches, is that you're not limited by time! This 10 man Cuban band is coming back from the 70s just to play for us all. If you were concerned an event at the palace might be stuffy, I hope your fears have been alleviated! In my opinion, there's never enough dancing at book launches and it's time to rectify that! 

3. THE DRINKS 

There is an unlimited supply of some of the fanciest eCocktails in the world! There's also some unfancy ones if you're not into getting your face burnt off while drinking. You can drink as much as you like for free and you don't have to worry about  getting a hangover!  Oh, and obviously all the waiters are stunning.   

4. THE FOOD 

Only the best food for my guests! There is a mouthwatering variety of dishes and no chance of anyone leaving the launch hungry. What's incredible is that these eLobsters are even suitable for vegans! It's all very ethical and eco, and despite the sheer quantity of food and options available, there's absolutely no waste. What are you waiting for? Tuck in!

  

5. THE PARTY 

Why do book launches finish so early? After working for years on a book, I don't want a sober little event that finishes at 9pm. Sod that, I say. My elaunch is a proper party which finishes when you're ready to go. There's a dance floor for the dancers, balconies for the smokers, libraries for the introverts, and a secret garden for the smooching guests who have just bumped into the person of their dreams! So let your hair down and have some fun! 

Thank you so much for coming! 

Please buy a copy of The Temp on your way out! 

And below, film footage from the Launch!

7 Completely *Unbiased Reasons Why You Should Read The Temp

There are so many books being launched every day and you're probably wondering why you should buy mine. To help you, I've written down some reasons why you should take the leap. As the author, you'll agree that I'm totally unbiased.

1. Obscure Setting 

The novel is set in a little known place called, London. You've probably never heard of it. I'd never heard of it until I checked my location on Google Maps. There must only be a handful of books set in this unusual place. My novel offers free tourism around the city, seeing alternative sites such as Big Ben, The Tower of London and Buckingham Palace.

2. Contains Bananas   

Did you know bananas contain high levels of potassium? 

Of course you did.  It's what your Mum used as an argument to make you eat them. Even though you had no idea what potassium was, you were persuaded, because it sounded a bit like a super power.  

Before you accuse me of false advertising, I'll admit you can't actually eat the bananas in the book. Not because they're fictional, which doesn't help, but because most of them have either been dowsed in bleach or spray painted.  Just read the novel and it'll all make sense.

3. Features Work by *Future Poet Laureate  

Worried my novel might be substandard? 

Don't. There are at least five lines in it which will be brilliant thanks to collaboration from the winner of the Cardiff International Poetry Prize, Isabel Rogers. 

*I can't guarantee she'll be the future poet laureate, of course... but you may as well buy the book in advance so you can say you'd read her years before she became the chosen one.

4. There's a Human Egg in it! 

Nah, not really! I'm just copying The Sun's sensationalist headline style. Haven't you seen the book cover? It's hardly going to be Sci-Fi.

Egg, or Egbert, is just the main character's flatmate who I'm rather fond of. He's in a re-enactment group and he's self-published the book, It's An Egg Life. Don't google it, I haven't written it for him yet.

5. So they let me write more stuff 

The thing is, if you buy this book, then my publisher will want me to write more books, and if I write more books then I might be able to do this for a proper living one day. 

Please? Look how cute I am!

*False advertising alert*-  I'm not actually a cat.  

6. There's a cute kitten in it 

Disappointed I'm not a cat? 

You'll be heartened to know that The Temp does have a kitten in it. He's called Rupert. It's the first time I've written a cat into a book. Previously I was worried about the hairs interfering with the text. 

7. Cheap as Chips 

I don't know how much chips are in your neck of the woods, but The Temp Part 1 is only 49p and if your local chips are cheaper than that, well, maybe they aren't chips!

If you live in London, then your chips will probably be the same price as the paperback...  

Whatever the price of your chips, or whether bananas improve your mood or not, I just hope that if you decide to buy it, that you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it! 

Thanks for all your support!  
  

Yes, you've convinced me! I want to Buy The Temp!

Worst Temp Jobs - which one was yours?

Part 1 out on 28th September!

With less than 10 days to go until the launch of TheTemp (Part 1), I'm feeling curious about what are the worst and best temp jobs people have ever done.

One of my least favourite was handing out leaflets at a furniture design fair. My employee's showroom was far away from the main hub and they were desperate for me to send potential customers their way. Worried I would throw the leaflets away instead of giving them out, they insisted I take photographic evidence that I'd done my job. In other words, I had to ask random strangers if I could take their picture with my leaflet. It was awkward for everyone. 

I also dressed up as a huge fluffy bear once. But I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about that, in case kids read this and realise the character wasn't real. 

So I put this question to Twitter:

To celebrate the upcoming launch of #TheTemp I'd love to know what's the worst/best temp job you've ever had?! (For a blog post)

— Emily Benet (@EmilyBenet) September 20, 2014

Thanks to everyone who replied, I'm sorry I couldn't include them all. Here are just some of them!


1. The Greasy One

@EmilyBenet Selling revolting burgers in a van in Hyde Park to rich kids staying in Knightsbridge hotels, for an absolute pittance.
— Isabel Costello (@isabelcostello) September 20, 2014

2. The Factory Line One 

@EmilyBenet Dire temp job in my youth on a kettle making construction line. The blisters on the palms of my hands were not pleasant. X
— Debra Brown (@debrabrown_) September 20, 2014

3. The No Talking One

@EmilyBenet Bitumen tape factory! You worked in pairs, cutting and packing. If you chatted they split you up.
— Alice Furse (@AliceFurse) September 20, 2014

4. The Smelly One 

 5. The Old-School One

@EmilyBenet one day secretarial job in a smoke filled office w an elderly man who was amazed at my computer skills i.e printing a word doc
— Karen Lobban (@karen_lobban) September 20, 2014

6. The Rock n' Roll One  

@EmilyBenet Worst temp job: for local radio, transcribing recorded interviews (um, er, ah, muttering). Best: 2months singing with pop group!
— Jacqueline Pye (@JacquelinePye) September 20, 2014

7. The Classic Blueberries and Bear Poo One 

@EmilyBenet As a uni student I raked blueberries in the blueberry barrens in Maine. Backbreaking. Raked thru bear shit and worse.
— Julie Cohen (@julie_cohen) September 20, 2014

8.   The Mind-Numbing Ones

@EmilyBenet Stuffing envelopes. Worst bit was when a woman from office marched into warehouse to find me, incensed that I'd used 'her cup'
— SDSykes (@SD_Sykes) September 20, 2014

@EmilyBenet Copying data from paper to screen at the local college when I was 16. There were approx. 30 of us, 5 days a week. Dull.
— Naomi Frisby (@Frizbot) September 20, 2014

9. The Seasonal, Boozy One 

@EmilyBenet Shop worker one Christmas, replenishing the booze aisle. You haven't seen product fly off the shelves so fast. Equal best/worst🍹
— Paul (@dept42) September 20, 2014

10. The One that sounds a bit like a Black Comedy

@EmilyBenet photocopying death certificates and wills
— Ciara Malone (@ciaramal1) September 20, 2014

11. The Physically Challenging One

 12.  The AbFab One

13. The One with a Happy Ending! 

@EmilyBenet Cold calling companies to sell advertising space. Couldn't cope. Walked out. Sold my first radio play about the experience :)
— Felicity Hayes-McCoy (@fhayesmccoy) September 20, 2014

What about you? Go ahead and share your Temp job experience in the comments section! 


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Cover Reveal of The Temp - which is your favourite?

Harper Impulse has just revealed my book cover for my new novel, The Temp:

The best bit is, if you don't like that colour combination, you might like one of these:

Why so many? Well, it's going to be serialised in 9 parts over a period of three weeks. The first part is being released on 28th September and you can pre-order it for 49p.

For anyone who loved the original cover of Spray Painted Bananas* (*original title released on Wattpad), you might be thinking this has all gone a bit girly, am I right? 

I'll admit I needed a lie down after seeing my cover options for the first time. But please don't let a bit of pink and a sultry 'come hither' expression put you off. This version of the novel is much better  and right now, I couldn't be happier!

The completed ebook is out on 23rd October. If you don't  have a kindle, you can always buy it for someone  who does *wink* *wink*

The printed book will be out on 18th December and is also available for pre-order for £7.99. Once I've got a physical copy in my hand I'll have a launch party! Do sign up to my newsletter for updates.

Now, I'm very curious to know which cover is your favourite?  

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Serious about a writing career? Then get comfy...

I was going to write a blog about patience. I was going to start by saying writers need infinite patience because each step of the process requires months of waiting. But I've changed my mind. I've realised that unless you're planning on being a one-hit wonder, then you should NEVER be waiting.

            

So many of us writers dream of the book that will change our lives. We dream of getting an agent and signing that publishing deal. We dream of the launch and book signings and seeing it in the window display at Waterstones. For many of us the dream stops there; that one book we've poured everything into finally getting published.

             

Do you know how much money I made in royalties from my first book? I don't know the exact figure, but it certainly wasn't enough to pay more than a month's rent.

            

But why was I disappointed? My dream had been to get a book published. It had happened, so what was the problem? The problem was in actual fact my dream hadn't been about getting one book published, it had been about earning a living as a full-time writer. In my day dreams, this one little book had been enough.

            

I've learnt a lot since Shop Girl Diaries came out. I know now that for my actual dream to happen, I can't think in terms of one book. I've got to think about five, six, seven books.

            

Yesterday I found out the release dates for my new novel, The Temp. I say 'release dates' plural, because it's going to be serialised over 3 weeks, the full version launching on the 23rd October. After my predicted launch date being in August, October sounded like ten million years away. I felt impatient. I was so fed up of waiting.

            

Waiting for what though?

             

Did I now think this book was going to change my life? Was I now entertaining the possibility this book was going to generate a frenzy of excitement and sales like the Harry Potter series?

           

As much as I'd like that, I think I need to manage my expectations here. The reality is having two books published won't be enough to earn a living from writing. I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic. It's not even that bad either, because I don't want to stop writing anyway.  

I'm still going to daydream about hitting the jackpot with The Temp. But if it doesn't sell a million copies, that's fine too, because I'm in this for the long term.  

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Not convinced it's art? - 5 DIY Homages

Are you a doubter? Do you walk around conceptual art galleries and wonder if you're being conned? 

It's okay. My main character, Amber, felt like that too once. Amber was baffled at how seriously people could take absolutely anything if it was on display as art. 

For instance, take a three legged chair. Don't take it, I mean just imagine it. It's lying on the floor of course, because it can't stand up. 

Art reviewers might contemplate whether the chair is mocking our illusion of stability. Perhaps hinting at the fine line between life and death? Highlighting our faith in the temporary? Juxtaposing weakness and strength? 

You and I, and Amber of course, might just wonder what happened to the missing leg. 

But there is hope for Amber, who goes on to embrace her inner artist. And there is hope for the rest of us doubters too. Today I thought I'd follow her footsteps and embrace my own inner artist by paying homage to five of the 'greats'. I think it will completely change your perspective.

1. Damian Hirst (Methoxyverapamil)

2. Malevich (White on White)

3. Andy Warhol (Tomato Soup)

4. Duchamp (Fountain)

5. Tracey Emin (Bed)

My new novel The Temp will be out very soon! Sign up to my newsletter if you would like to be updated. 

Thanks for reading! 

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