Deepest Red

By the Time you read This...Lola Jaye will be published!

When Lola Jaye decided nearly ten years ago that she wanted to be a published author she had no idea of the highs and lows she would experience along the way. She also had no idea that her first novel would cause so much excitement that it is being billed as ‘THE commercial fiction debut of the year.’ By The Time You Read This is the touching and very original story of Lois Bates, who after the death of her father is handed a manual that he wrote for her. At first she can barely bring herself to read it as the pain of her dad's death is still so raw. Yet soon his advice is guiding her through every stage of her life - from jobs to first loves and relationships. It was the originality of the story that first grabbed me, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit to Lola that at stages her writing had managed to move me to tears. ‘You’re not the first person to admit to that.’ she laughs when we meet. ‘But I am glad you enjoyed it too.’

Why did she choose such potentially depressing subject matter? ‘I remember the idea came to me a while back when I was watching TV and there was this story about terminally ill women who had left video tapes for their children for when they knew they weren’t going to be around. It really got to me. Then I started to imagine if it was a man that was about to die. You don’t often hear of men in those situations. Then I started to imagine a story like that set in a time where there were no dvds or ipods; no cds or anything like that. I literally turned off the TV and wrote about 6,000 words that day.’

For this story the words literally poured out her (within 6 months she had finished the first draft) but she knew that finding a publisher wouldn’t be so easy. ‘I had been trying to get published for quite a while and had lots and lots of rejections. I remember particularly trying to find an agent – it wasn’t easy. I remember going to this writers’ event that was a bit like Pop Idol. You went and talked to a panel and there were people coming out in tears after being told they couldn’t write.’ Fortunately for her she had a better experience and was encouraged to send in her work to an agent when she had finished it. It was still a while though before she had the manuscript that was to get her a publishing deal. ‘Eventually my agent said to me why don’t you go away and write a book for you – something that you want to write. It was after she took this advice that By The Time You Read This took shape. ‘I started to write something just for me and it really worked.’

The days of the book being just for her are long gone now. As we chat Lola talks of publishing dates for America, Germany, Serbia and Korea. Her excitement is palpable. Her conversation is littered with talk of agents that she has met and events she has been too. Her book launch is planned for two days after we meet and it is clearly a big deal for her. ‘I am really nervous I have to admit. Future plans? I can’t really see past the launch at the moment.’

‘All my life I have wanted to be a writer and getting the book published and getting paid for doing something I love, well it kind of validates it all.’ For now Lola is keeping her day job, she currently works for the NHS as a counsellor for people wanting to quit smoking. But with a major promotional campaign just beginning and book number two already written and planned for publication it is clearly the publishing game that will be occupying much of her time in the future.

Book reading events are already planned in local libraries and prisons and she is particularly excited that she has been invited to speak in schools about her journey to being a published author. ‘You’re a role model now.’ I smile as I turn off my tape recorder. ‘Erm don’t you want to know a bit more about my background?’ she asks sounding like a seasoned professional. Aware of space limitations for this piece I nevertheless switch the recorder back on. And Lola fills me in on her early years. Fostered from a young age she spent her formative years living with a white family. She has though spent ‘the odd year or so’ in Nigeria where her mother lives. There’s much more too, but I think that can keep for another day. I have a feeling that the writer Lola Jaye is going to be around for quite a few years to come.

By The Time You Read This is published by Harper Collins and is on sale now.

Visit Lola's blog to find out more about her journey to be published novelist: http://www.lolajaye.com/blog/

posted by Andrea Enisuoh @ 4:13 PM