Meet Author Charlie Laidlaw — Scarlett Readz & Runz

Welcome to the month-long mega tour for Charlie Laidlaw's newest book, The Space Between Time, recently released on June 20th!

I am excited to be part of this great tour and enjoyed the Q&A opportunity to find out more about the author, his writing and his newest book. Enjoy the tour and the fantastic bloggers participating, who will be posting interviews, excerpts, reviews, and other exclusive content! Additionally, there are loads of goodies being given away, so be sure to enter at the bottom!

The Space Between Time

Publication Date: June 20th, 2019

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Drama/ Dark Comedy

Paperback, 448 pages

Publisher: Accent Press Ltd

ISBN: 1786156946 (ISBN13: 9781786156945)

Synopsis

There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on Earth...

Emma Maria Rossini appears to be the luckiest girl in the world. She's the daughter of a beautiful and loving mother, and her father is one of the most famous film actors of his generation. She's also the granddaughter of a rather eccentric and obscure Italian astrophysicist.

But as her seemingly charmed life begins to unravel, and Emma experiences love and tragedy, she ultimately finds solace in her once-derided grandfather's Theorem on the universe.

The Space Between Time is humorous and poignant and offers the metaphor that we are all connected, even to those we have loved and not quite lost.

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Meet the Author Charlie Laidlaw

Q &A

Thank you so much for answering a few questions for our readers today. I have enjoyed your previous novel The Things We Learn When We’re Dead and I am excited to read your newest book The Space Between Time, which is receiving some great reviews.

Here are a few things I was curious about that might interest your readers as well:

You have traveled the world extensively. Does this experience add to your inspiration and ideas to write novels?

No, but the curiosity to see the world certainly does. You can’t write books without having a sense of curiosity: to understand character or plot, or simply to want to go on the writing journey.

Have you ever gone on any literary pilgrimages?

I’ve been up the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, a tribute to Sir Walter, and have visited the grave of Robert Louise Stevenson on Samoa. But neither could be considered a pilgrimage!

Who are your biggest writing influences?

I suppose Ernest Hemingway and Fay Weldon. From them I got to understand how books are structured and plotted. Once you understand that, you then have a set of rules to break!

What inspired you to write The Space Between Time?

Not sure, but I like to write about vulnerable characters. Often, vulnerable people are more complex and interesting. I like exploring those complexities.

What comes first? The plot or the characters?

I guess, both. My books are very much character driven, but without a storyline to put them into, character on its own is only half of the fiction equation.

Is there a key theme or message in the story?

I hope that my books are uplifting. I hate unhappy endings. My view is that I’ve created real people. By writing about them, I’ve intruded into their lives. I want them to have a second chance at happiness. So, I suppose the message is that, even at the worst of times, a better time can be around the corner.

Can you give us some insight into what makes your main character tick?

She’s feisty and funny, but she’s a child in an adult world. She’s trying to make sense of everything, but accepts her mother’s narrative as gospel truth. As she grows up, she begins to realize that there are other narratives, that there are always other sides to every story. It’s that inner confusion that makes her tick, rather wonkily.

What parts of this novel were the most difficult to write?

The book contains some astrophysical material which, being completely ignorant of anything mathematical, took a great deal of research. That said, the research was quite fun!

Is there a targeted audience that would enjoy this novel most?

I suppose that women may like the book more than men, but I’m not sure why I say that, and maybe I’m complexly wrong!

What was your highlight in writing this novel?

Finishing it! When you start a novel, the final full-stop seems a long, long way away. Also, finishing it and knowing that I had written the novel I set out to write.

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?

For me, the good thing is when the main character begins to tell me what to write, or to tell me that a certain scene or piece of narrative is plain wrong. Once they start to do that, then I know that the overall characterization and structure is working.

Can you describe your writing process to the readers? Do you write daily or have a favorite place to write?

I don’t have a writing process or favorite place to write. I wish I had the luxury of time, so that I could write on a daily basis. But, alas, I only write when other commitments allow. The simple fact is that time spent writing novels is time spent not doing what you’re supposed to be doing!

Lastly, what was your favorite childhood novel /character and what did you want to be when you grow up?

Without a doubt, Jenny by Paul Gallico. It was, and is, a magical book and should be required reading for every child. As to what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wanted to be a journalist. That dream I did realize and I worked in both Scotland and London, both as a news and political writer.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you today and your candid answers :)

Read my review of Charlie Laidlaw’s previous novel

The Things We Learn When We’re Dead

Author Portrait

I was born in Paisley, central Scotland, which wasn’t my fault. That week, Eddie Calvert with Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra were Top of the Pops, with Oh, Mein Papa, as sung by a young German woman remembering her once-famous clown father. That gives a clue to my age, not my musical taste.

I was brought up in the west of Scotland and graduated from the University of Edinburgh. I still have the scroll, but it’s in Latin, so it could say anything.

I then worked briefly as a street actor, baby photographer, puppeteer and restaurant dogsbody before becoming a journalist. I started in Glasgow and ended up in London, covering news, features and politics. I interviewed motorbike ace Barry Sheene, Noel Edmonds threatened me with legal action and, because of a bureaucratic muddle, I was ordered out of Greece.

I then took a year to travel round the world, visiting 19 countries. Highlights included being threatened by a man with a gun in Dubai, being given an armed bodyguard by the PLO in Beirut (not the same person with a gun), and visiting Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave in Samoa. What I did for the rest of the year I can’t quite remember

Surprisingly, I was approached by a government agency to work in intelligence, which just shows how shoddy government recruitment was back then. However, it turned out to be very boring and I don’t like vodka martini.

Craving excitement and adventure, I ended up as a PR consultant, which is the fate of all journalists who haven’t won a Pulitzer Prize, and I’ve still to listen to Oh, Mein Papa.

I am married with two grown-up children and live in central Scotland. And that’s about it.

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Enter for a chance to win one of the following prizes:

Two signed copies of The Space Between Time to giveaway, 3 fun coffee mugs featuring all 3 of Charlie Laidlaw's books, and 3 digital copies of the book in the winner's format of choice! Amazing right?

Click the link below to enter!

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*Open Internationally - Giveaway closes June 30th