Irish Fiction Month Interview: Shirley Benton

Ireland has a vast array of fantastic authors that have proved a hit with readers worldwide and one of the newer crop that I've had the pleasure to interview previously is Shirley Benton.  Having read both of her previous books, Looking for Leon and Can We Start Again?, I cannot wait to read her third book once it's finished and published.

Shirley kindly agreed to an interview for my Irish Fiction feature month so I'll hand you over to her... 

Why do you think Irish Fiction has become so popular worldwide?
I think Irish writers were lucky enough to have people like Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes open the global doors for the rest of us. The world was introduced to a taste of Ireland through these writers and when it liked what it saw/read, it was willing to take a chance on more Irish writers, who in turn continued the popularisation of Irish fiction. 

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
I did, but I knew it wouldn’t pay the bills either so I did a postgrad in IT after studying English and French in college. Writing was something I always knew at the back of my mind I should be doing, but real life took over and I didn’t actually start writing until I was in my late twenties. 

If you weren’t a writer, what career path would you have chosen to follow?
I’m still on that career path even though I’m a writer - I work part-time as an editor on a freelance basis. 

Books Read: Shirley Benton - Can We Start Again?

Source - Received from publisher to review

Is it ever too late for a second chance? 

Tammy and Alvin had mapped out their entire lives together, including a pre-parental plan - a list of everything they wanted to do as a couple before they had children. But no amount of planning could have anticipated the heartbreaking problems that lay ahead problems that shattered their once-perfect relationship and led to a traumatic break-up. 

Then, after years of trying to move on, Tammy's world is turned upside down when Alvin comes back into her life asking for a second chance - with a difference. He proposes that they spend time together, doing the things they had once so eagerly planned, in a bid to remember why they felt they'd have children together some day, and ultimately recapture what they had. 

Still in love with Alvin, Tammy finds herself powerless to say no, even though their problems are still simmering in the background and threatening to boil over at any moment. Still, what they once had is surely worth trying to save. 

But can something that's broken ever truly be whole again?

Author Interview: Shirley Benton

If you'd read my earlier sneak peeks post you'll have seen that I've known Shirley for several years and have watched her journey progress as a published author.  This week sees the publication of her second novel, Can We Start Again?, which I'm sure will be flying off the shelves in stores across Ireland and online. 

Shirley kindly agreed to complete the questionnaire I emailed to her so here's what she has to say... 

Can you tell us a little bit about Can We Start Again? 
It tells the story of the relationship between colour-inside-the-lines Tammy and carefree Alvin. When they meet, it’s definitely a case of opposites attract. It’s not long before they’re mapping out the rest of their lives together, including a Pre-Parental Plan – a list of everything they want to do as a couple before they have children. But no amount of planning could have factored an unthinkable break-up into the process....

Broken-hearted from the split – and Tammy’s refusal to maintain contact - Alvin moves to Australia, while Tammy moves on by blocking out Alvin’s existence and forcing herself to date other men. But as nobody she meets measures up to her one true love, Tammy realises that breaking up was a terrible mistake – something Alvin has known all along. When Alvin returns to Ireland a year and a half later, he has a proposition for Tammy. In a bid to resurrect their relationship, he suggests carrying out the activities in their neglected Pre-Parental Plan to remind them of why they once wanted spend their lives together. 

After all the time she’s spent trying to get over Alvin, Tammy is terrified of the prospect of failing yet again – and yet she finds herself powerless to say no. But can they make things work out this time around, even though all of their old issues are bubbling under the surface?

How long did it take you to get your first book published?

It took the best part of a year to write, and I was offered a publishing deal six months after I submitted it. However, I had been writing for years before that. I wrote a women’s fiction novel and a book for children and neither got anywhere – so you could argue that it took me around six years to get a book published. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing because it was a learning process that made me improve my writing skills.