Blog Tour: Learning To Speak American by Colette Dartford. Review and Q&A

Publisher: Twenty7 Books Release Date: Ebook, 5th November 2015 Paperback, 14th July 2016 Pages: 288 Source: received for review Having suffered in silence since the tragic death of their young daughter, Lola and Duncan Drummond's last chance to rediscover their love for one another lies in an anniversary holiday to the gorgeous Napa Valley. Unable to talk about what happened, Duncan reaches out to his wife the only way he knows how - he buys her a derelict house, the restoration of which might just restore their relationship. As Lola works on the house she begins to realise the liberating power of letting go. But just as she begins to open up, Duncan's life begins to fall apart. He is away a lot of times for business and after work he starts meet a woman names Saskia in hotels, and he starts cheating on Lola. Meanwhile, Lola is getting involved with the current owner of the house, Cain McCann, and the same thing that happens with Duncan and Sasia happens to Cain and Lola, without knowing it from each other ofcourse. In the end though, some events happen that starts the uncovering of the secret that both Duncan and Lola are hiding for each other. will they be able to untangle their relationship or will the distance tear them apart? I enjoyed reading Learning How To Speak American, but I must say I found the pace of the book quite slow at many points and the ending left me with so many question marks as I totally didn't understand it. But speaking for the overall part of the book, I liked it. As a reader I was a little stunned that both Duncan and Lola started cheating on each other as I got the impression they wanted to work to better their relationship beforehand. But as it goes with stories like this, it was entertaining to read. You just know as a reader that at some point in the book it will go wrong and they will be found out by the other, only not when that will happen. I like that in movies and tv series but I also like to read stories like this ones in a while. So yes, I do recommend reading Learning To Speak American and recommend reading it!

Q and A with author Colette Dartford In writing Learning To Speak American where did you start? Where did you find inspiration for the characters and the story? I started at the beginning. That sounds a bit simplistic but I am a self-taught writer and Learning To Speak American was my first novel so I took the most obvious route: started at the beginning and wrote my way through the story, scene by scene, chapter by chapter. The character question is interesting because I’m sure family and friends look for themselves in the characters I write. Truth be told, all my characters are a product of my fertile imagination. I would never base a character on someone close to me – I love them too much. What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological and logistical) in bringing the book to life? All of the above - so many challenges! In literary terms, as I said in the previous answer, I’m self-taught and there were times when I wished I had done and English degree or an MA in creative writing – they would have made the complex task of writing a novel so much easier. With regard to research, much of Learning To Speak American is set in California’s Napa Valley where I lived and restored a derelict house, much like the fictional Duncan and Lola Drummond. The practicalities don’t appear in the book (far too boring) but the emotional ups and downs most certainly do. And logistically? Finding the time, space, inspiration and confidence to write 100,000 words that hang together in a way that is interesting enough for other people to want to read them. What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the significant highlights along the way? Endless – or at least it felt that way. I started Learning To Speak American when I moved to the Napa Valley and entered a first draft in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Much to my astonishment it went straight to the quarterfinals and got lots of encouraging reviews, which made me take it much more seriously. I worked through many more drafts (#10 finally made it into print) and learned a huge amount along the way. The most significant highlights were finding a writing mentor that I clicked with immediately, being signed by a top literary agent and getting a two-book deal with a major publishing house. What do you want readers to take away from reading Learning To Speak American? That even when faced with the most terrible tragedy, the human spirit ultimately gravitates towards hope. It is hope that keeps us going when all else seems lost. What is your next project? The Sinners, published by Bonnier in early 2017. The premise is that Only when you lose everything do you find out who you really are. I’m working on the edits at the moment and excited at the prospect of seeing it in print. Learning to Speak American by Colette Dartford is out now and is £3.99 on Amazon. Click here.