Friday, 13 February 2015

Blog Tour: What Happens in Tuscany by T.A. Williams

,
Happy Friday!

I am so pleased to be part of the blog tour for T.A. Williams new book 'What Happens in Tuscany'. Thank you so much to Trevor for taking time to write a piece for my blog, and to Karan at Bliss Book Promotions for all her help.

I have been alucky enough to review and loved  What Happens in Tuscany as well as Trevor's last Book When Alice Met Danny.

Below you can read a bit about What Happens in Tuscany. What inspired Trevor to write the book, and a bit about Trevor himself.

You can enter to win a copy of What Happens in Tuscany by clicking here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Title: What Happens in Tuscany
Author: T.A. Williams
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Publisher: Carina UK
Genre: Chick Lit

Summary

From rainy England

Katie never imagined her life was perfect. But when she finds herself on a rainy street, soaked to the bone and with only a cheating boyfriend and a dead-end job keeping her in town, she knows something has to change. Which is what leads her to Iddlescombe Manor, to be companion to Victoria Chalker-Pyne the only 25 year old Katies ever met who hasnt heard of Twitter, thinks camisoles are de rigueur, and desperately needs an education in the 21st century!

to the Tuscan sun!

But it wouldnt be an education without a summer holiday and where better than Tuscany? Decamping to Victorias family villa, its soon clear that the valley really does have it all: sun, seaand some seriously gorgeous neighbours. The only question is: when the weathers this hot, the wine is this smooth and the local men are this irresistiblewill Katie ever want to make the journey home?
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How did I come up with the idea for What Happens in Tuscany ?

   The honest answer is that I’m not sure. I can narrow it down to the beginning of July last year, but I’m not totally sure exactly what sparked it off.
   The premise, for those who haven’t had a chance to read the book yet, is that Victoria has been kept cooped up for years and years by her crazy, over-protective father. So much so that she needs to engage the services of Katie to help ease her into the 21st century. She’s never owned a computer, never been to the cinema, never watched television and, significantly, never been out with a man. She has grown up on a diet of classic authors like Emily Bronte and Jane Austen, and she sounds like one of their characters.
   When my previous book, When Alice Met Danny, came out in June last year, it got a lot of good reviews. The handful of critical ones mainly didn’t like the fact that the language of some of the characters was a bit “old fashioned”. Maybe it was that. Maybe that sowed the seed. You see, I can empathise with Victoria. Here I am, a 65 year old man, trying to think myself into the mindset and speech patterns of thirty year old girls. That in itself is not necessarily as unusual as it sounds. As any author will tell you, it’s all about imagination in this game. In a way, it’s not that different from writing about medieval monks or World War 1 soldiers. However, the historical stuff is a lot easier and safer, for one main reason. There aren’t any medieval monks or Tommies from the trenches left to read about themselves and object. There are, however, a lot of thirty year old girls who have been buying my books.
   So, last summer I found myself reading back through When Alice Met Danny, trying to pick out the anachronisms, looking for the words or phrases that don’t sit well on the lips of somebody half my age and of the opposite sex. I suppose that led me to the idea of writing a story where the same sort of translation exercise is taking place. So you will find things like this in What happens in Tuscany

   ‘So is anybody courting you at the moment?’
   Katie laughed. ‘No, Victoria, people stopped courting about a hundred years ago. I think you want to ask if I’m seeing anybody at the moment. Or if there’s somebody after me.’

   Or:
  
   Victoria was nodding. ‘I do think he’s really rather appealing.’
   Although she was tired, Katie couldn’t let that go uncorrected. ‘Vicky, we don’t describe men as appealing any more. You could try saying you find him dreamy or, if it’s more than that, you could always say you fancy the pants off him.’
   Victoria gawped and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. ‘Katie! I couldn’t possibly say anything like that.’

   The other reason why I liked the idea of somebody struggling with modernity was my own personal (and ongoing) struggle with social media. For an old man like me, being catapulted into the complexities of Facebook and Twitter has not been easy! So my sympathy lies very firmly with Victoria in her struggle to embrace all things modern. It’s a struggle I share with her.


Author Biography



Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isnt always very fair. It isnt always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know Ive done my job.

Ive lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. Thats why youll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador. 

I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.

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