Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with author KT Valentine about her debut book ‘Dispatches from the Dating Zone’.
From good dates, dodgy dates, to love, marriage, single parent hood and friendships this book has got it all. It’s a great read and if you’re aingle I can guarantee you’ll be nodding along!
I quizzed KT on her inspiration for her debut novel of course whether the bad dates were based on real life experiences!
1/ KT how would you sum up your book ‘Dispatches from the Dating Zone’?
Dispatches from the Dating Zone is primarily based on the escapades of the main character, Fleur Summers. A single mum and unlucky in love, she makes the drastic decision of asking her family and friends to help her find ‘The One’ by setting her up on a number of arranged dates. While the reader gets to experience each and every date with Fleur, it isn’t the entire premise of the book. Friendship, love, marriage, heartache and parenthood all feature through the lives of Fleur and the other key characters, with a side order of raunchiness thrown in for good measure.
2/ ‘Dispatches from the Dating Zone’ is your debut book, how excited are you feeling now it’s for sale?
If someone had told me this time last year that my debut novel would be published I’d have thought the joke was on me. After all, I’m an average 36 year old single mum who’s recently recovering from spinal surgery! I never thought something like this would happen to someone like me. The fact that it has is amazing.
3/ What inspired you to write the book?
A friend once told me that some of the best writers are the ones that write about what they know. Whether that was the case or not, it got me thinking about everything I’d been through over the years and how I could draw on it for inspiration. After a traumatic divorce, I found myself on the rocky road as a single mum trying to find love again. You name it, I’ve done it with regards to finding that elusive ‘Mr Right’ and it’s not exactly been plain sailing.
Then, one evening while I was deleting yet another potential ‘shirtless’ match on yet another dating website, I started to wonder what it would be like it I put my love life into the hands of my nearest and dearest and that’s when the idea for ‘Dispatches from the Dating Zone’ was born.
4/ Who do you think will enjoy reading it?
I think women of all ages and from all walks of life will enjoy reading this book, because who hasn’t experienced trials and tribulations in their love life, as a parent or friend? If you enjoyed reading ‘Bridget Jones’ and giggled your way through the film ‘Bridesmaids’, then I’ve been reliably informed that the humour and naughtiness in my book is for you.
Hopefully, for those women that do read Dispatches from the Dating Zone they’ll find a warm and engaging story with a real and relatable heroine that will make them laugh out loud (and occasionally blush).
5/ Any favourite characters?
Obviously Fleur Summers herself, but at times I think the character that often steals the show and endears himself into the reader’s heart is young Tobey Summers. I certainly had a lot of fun writing about him and I think he adds another dimension to Fleur.
6/ Go on, tell us, how much of the book is based on real life?
I / n neither confirm nor deny whether any of the characters are based on real people (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). What I will say, is that writers have to get their inspiration from somewhere!
7/ Do you have a top piece of dating advice to share?
My best advice would be before you look for ‘Mr Right’ make sure you’re happy with whom you are as a person right now. It may not sound like the formula to find life-long love, but the choices you make when you like who you are as a person are way better than when you don’t. Trust me, I speak from experience. The amount of dodgy dates I went on because I was willing to settle for second best. As the saying goes: “Confidence is the key. If you don’t believe and invest in yourself, nobody else will”
Dispatches from the Dating Zone is the racy romantic comedy debut novel from KT Valentine. To download the first 3 chapters for free please visit the following website: http://ktvalentine.com/
Or buy direct for only 99p from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M8CD9U6