Ep54 In Conversation with Louise Beech

Louise Beech - who also writes as Louise Swanson - has wanted to be an author since she filled notebooks with stories aged eight. She finally got a book deal aged 44. Since then, she has had nine novels and one memoir published. They have won Best magazine Book of the year, shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year and the Polari Prize, as well as being a Sophie Hannah Book of the Year pick, and a Clare Mackintosh Book Club Pick. Amongst her many books, she has written her memoir, Eighteen Seconds, which I am currently reading and it is captivating; and End of Story, a dystopian novel that is currently out in hardback and audio, and will be in paperback in spring 2024.In this conversation we delve into Louise's memoir, and talk about narcissistic mothers and trauma, and how our life experiences have impacted on our writing. It's worth mentioning that we talk about suicide alongside. One of things we talk about is how trauma in childhood might change our experiences of trauma in adulthood, alongside the way that our experiences have shaped us.Louise's books can be found here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/End-Story-original-thriller-coming-ebook/dp/B0B7RB4VS8https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=eighteen+seconds&i=digital-text And you can find Louise on social media:@LouiseWriter (Twitter)@louisebeechalsoswanson (Insta)Apologies for my poorer sound quality on this episode - having told Louise how to improve her sound quality! I'm getting used to my new office, and I'm making changes to get back to top level sound quality.Support the showJoin me on Substack - here - for more insights into writing and being published, as well as mindset tips and tools. You can subscribe to get access to much more from me, including workshops and coaching.If you would like to show your love for the podcast, please consider buying me a coffee through BuyMeACoffee.com. This gives you an opportunity to make a small, one-off donation - you are not committed to regular payments. Making the podcast earns me no money, and in fact costs me a fair bit, but I do it for the love, and because I have such fun talking with wonderful authors. Even if you can't afford to buy me a coffee, simply letting me know that you love the podcast means a lot to me. Please take a moment to leave a star rating, write a review, or share the episode with others you know who will benefit from listening in, or you can tag me in social media when you share an episode that you love with your followers.My website is http://www.zoerichards.co.uk where you can discover how you can work with me, and you can find me on TwiX and Instagram as @zoerichardsukAnd finally my debut novel, Garden of Her Heart, is out now and you can buy your copy here.Happy writing, and may the wo...