Familiarise Friday with Michela O'Brien and A Summer Of Love

Familiarise Friday interviews Jonah Briggs from A SUMMER OF LOVE by Michela O'Brien.

Jonah Briggs and his friends are delighted that today is  **launch day** for A SUMMER OF LOVE. They're having a party over at Facebook right now. I'm sure they'd welcome you!


I've read M. O'Brien's other Crooked Cat novel - Playing on Cotton Clouds  - and it was a fan tastic read. I'm sure we'll find A Summer Of Love an entertaining novel, too.

Let's get to know Jonah a bit better...

Where do you hail from?

I’m from a small village in Cornwall, not too far from Penzance. It’s a typical Cornish village, with old cottages, a small harbour and a large beach. It’s a romantic place and very inspiring, for an artist like me.

That's sounds like somewhere to stay forever, but I've heard that's not where you are now. Where are you currently living?

I move around a fair bit. I lived in Cornwall, Bristol, London…

Okay! A bit of a rolling stone... Tell me 6 things about yourself.

-          I’m an artist, described as neo-surrealist, and I’m quite successful at what I do.

-          My father is a Vicar in a Cornish Parish. We see life differently and there has been a lot of friction between us. We haven’t always understood each other.

-          Following a tragic accident, I had to spend two and a half years in prison, something that changed the course of my life.

-          I’m a romantic at heart. I never forgot Sally, my first love, even when life has split our paths.

-          I tend to keep my feelings to myself, something that has led to misunderstandings in the past. I try to be more open, now. Honesty is often the best policy.

-          I met the best friend I ever had in jail. Gary’s a bit rough around the edges, but has a heart of gold. I wouldn’t change him for the world! It was refreshing to find someone like him, after having been betrayed by my friend Ewan…

What can I say? You do seem to have got around! So, what would be your ideal place to stay for a month?

I’d love to go to Italy.

Italy? I've been to Florence, Verona and Venice but nowhere else, yet. So many places to choose and things to see. What would you do there?

I’d visit the art galleries, enjoy the food and wine, soak up the culture.

I'd love to accompany you to all those galleries. That's exactly my kind of holiday! On to a different sort of question. What makes you happy?

Painting. It’s the best way I have to express myself and my feelings, even when I’m expressing pain. I can be a bit of hermit, but I discovered that time spent with your loved ones is precious. Family and friendships are important to me, now.

Ah! You want to change your lifestyle. What would you change first?

As I said, I’d be more open with the people who care for me. I also have a bit of a temper, so I’d try to control it more. And perhaps I will need to change my daily schedule, as I tend to start the day late and then work into the small hours. I might have to adjust my routine now that… no, I’m not giving the story away!

Not even a tiny little bit? I guess I'll have to make do with the blurb then... till I can read the whole story. Thank you Jonah for taking time out to let me get to know you a bit better. Best wishes with the book launch today!

About Michela O'Brien:

Michela O’Brien was born in Milan, Italy, in… well, let’s say some time in the last third of the 20th century. In Milan she grew up, studied, worked as a teacher, made friends and wrote, commending thoughts to page, imagining plots and characters, recording events in her life, noting observations about the world: stories, diaries, letters… In an era before personal computers, internet, blogs and social networks, it was pen and paper and she still carries a notebook and a pencil with her to sketch ideas on the spot.
She moved to England in 1994 and for a while she focused her attention on her new family. Writing was sidelined, until, about ten years ago, she went back to her love for words and wrote a novel, published in Italy, and a series of short stories, all in her native language.
Several people asked her if she would ever consider writing in English, but her standard answer was “I wouldn’t be able to. My English is not good enough.” Then, almost as a joke for some friends, she started writing “Like A Rose”, her first attempt to produce a piece of writing in English. It was received so well by those who read it that she thought maybe she could do it again.
She wrote two novels, “Playing on Cotton Clouds”, published by Crooked Cat in April 2012, and “A Summer of Love”, released in January 2013.
She is currently working on her third novel.


Michela can be found at these places:


Blog: http://words-in-a-jar.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michela-Sacchi-OBrien/16450121895
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michela_obrien
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5822651.Michela_O_Brien

A SUMMER OF LOVE – Michela O’Brien

Successful artist Jonah Briggs is a man who has made mistakes. Aged just eighteen, he was sent to prison for two years, leaving his family shattered and his first love, Sally, to wait for his return.

But at eighteen, two years seem like a lifetime, and some promises are hard to keep. 

When Jonah reappears in her life, Sally finds herself torn between him and Ewan, the young Cornish farmer she has married, divided between loyalty and passion, duty and love. 

Over the course of almost two decades, through meetings and partings, secrets and revelations, and two momentous summers, Jonah will have to confront his past and heal old wounds, while Sally will face the consequences of her choices – whether to follow her conscience or her heart.

 Buy from:

Amazon
Crooked Cat Books


Thank you for bringing Jonah to visit, Michela, and best wishes with A Summer of Love.