I’m just about to start reading Gina Holland’s novel Yours Trudy which was published by Ruby Fiction on Tuesday. It sounds great fun, so I’m delighted to welcome her to the blog today. She’s sharing #TenThings she’d like her readers to know about her. Read on to find out what instrument she is learning to play, why she loves wigs and salsa dancing and, of course, a bit about the book.
1.Yours, Trudy is my first romcom. My friends and family have been telling me for ages I should write a comedy because I often use humour in my letters and emails. I put it off though, wondering if I could be funny ‘on demand’. However, once I started writing Yours, Trudy I found it flowed. A lot of the text messages and emails in the book are based on real life ones that I have either sent or received.
2. I’m a big fan of food. I will literally eat anything. I don’t understand people who are fussy with what they eat – all food is yummy, just eat it! I’m the only non-fussy eater in the house and it drives me crazy!
3. My day job is as a commercial director for a creative marketing agency. I’ve worked at the same company for 14 years and love that I get to use my passion for language and exercise my creative streak every day – I’m very lucky.
4. For years I’ve wanted to learn a musical instrument, having given up playing the clarinet when I was 12 (I hated having to lick the reeds – yuk!). At the start of lockdown, I bought a cheap keyboard from Argos and began to teach myself. I’m currently playing ‘Greensleeves’ and will soon be advancing to ‘Happy Birthday’!
5. Wigs, wigs, wigs. I love wigs, extensions and hair pieces and have done before it was trendy! I wear them often, to the point that my work colleagues are never quite sure which is my real hair. I don’t understand why more people don’t wear wigs. Why would you want the same hair every day when you can pop on a wig and change your look instantly?
6. I studied modern and medieval German with linguistics at university. I keep my German skills up by reading books (surprise surprise!) and watching TV. I try not to choose anything too brain-taxing to watch – it’s hard enough trying to figure out what they’re saying without getting confused by a complex plot. Currently I’m watching a series aimed at pre-teen girls called Just Add Magic. It’s addictive! I can’t get enough of it. I feel like I’m 13 again, but in a good way.
7. Audiobooks are among my greatest life pleasures. I’m probably the only person in the world who wished her work commute lasted longer – so I could get just one more chapter in! I listen to audiobooks when I walk, jog and do the housework – whenever I can, basically.
8. I’m usually reading three books at any one time – a fantasy or sci fi with my son (currently The Hobbit), a romance (currently Julie Caplin’s Northern Lights Lodge) and a non-fiction (currently Intuition Training by Frederick Dodson).
9. I used to teach salsa dancing. I no longer teach, but still dance (at least, I did before lockdown) and can’t wait for the dance clubs to reopen! I also dance lindy hop, rock n roll, modern jive and line dancing when I get the chance. I’ve taken to strutting about in my kitchen since everything closed. My family’s so used to this, they don’t bat an eyelid!
10. Doing an MA has been at the top of my wishlist since I graduated, but time and expense meant it always seemed out of reach. Now, however, I’ve decided there’s no time like the present, so I’m starting an MA in Crime Writing with the University of East Anglia in September and I can’t wait!
From the back of the book
How many positive words and exclamation marks can you fit into the space of one email?
A lot is the answer, if you’re Trudy Drinkwater. As ‘Head of People Happiness’, her cheery emails are carefully written to boost the morale of her ‘fellow finned friends’ at Pink Fish Web Design. Yay!
But, in reality, there is very little Trudy has to say ‘yay!’ about in her home life. Her marriage is all but over, she’s in a near constant battle to make her two chicken nugget loving teens eat anything vaguely nutritious, and the days when she and her husband were young lovers with big dreams seem very far away.
Can Trudy keep up the chirpy pretence of her day job, or does she really need a new start and a second chance at true happiness?
If you like the sound of this book, you can order a copy here: Yours Trudy
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Thank you for inviting me, Joanne! x
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My pleasure Gina!
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