LIFESTYLE
LIFE’S
LOVES
A book I love is…The Hate U
Give, a novel by Angie Thomas
geared towards young adults,
which is set in America. It
deals with a number of racial
issues and is very honest. I
read it recently. It’s not a book
I would have normally chosen
to read, but I reviewed it for
the British Book Awards, and
it’s very well written.
Page-turner - I Invited Her In is
Adele Parks' new bestselling book.
PEOPLE IN LIFE WORKING LIFE
The people I most like to spend time with
are…my family, husband and son. My greatest achievement has been…balancing my
working life with bringing up my son. I’ve written a
book every year for the past 19 years.
The biggest influence on my career
was…a number of my teachers, who
helped build up my confidence and pushed
me creatively, mainly Ms Maguire and Mr
Oliver who were my English teachers, and
my geography teacher, Mr Beddow.
The person who makes me laugh is…my
best friend from university, Sandy. We both
started on the same day and have been
friends ever since.
The person who inspires me is…Winston
Churchill. I use some of his great quotes in
day-to-day life. They are relatable and can
be funny in certain circumstances.
The people who make me angry are…
well, I’m a reasonable person, not an angry
person, but I would say liars, the people
who make those false promises.
The person no longer with us who I’d
like to spend another hour with is…
my grandad, he was the kindest, most
easy-going and funny man, and a popular
person. He was non-judgemental and I
would love to spend some time talking
with him as an adult.
My biggest disappointment has been…I don’t dwell
on disappointments. I do feel I’ve had so many lucky
breaks. I’m an optimist and see them as ‘Oh, well’
moments.
My greatest regret was…I don’t do regrets either. For
me, it’s learning to take the right opportunities. It’s your
own responsibility - remain positive and just move on if
it doesn’t work out.
My business mantra is…the harder you work, the
luckier you get!
The alternative career I might have had was…an
interior designer. I’ve always been creative. I can take
on something ordinary and turn it into a relaxing place.
I transformed our home in France.
My remaining ambitions are…well, I’ve never had a
number one bestseller! The highest position has been
number two. I would love to have one of my books
turned into a TV programme or a film. Also to crack
America and feature on the New York Times bestseller
list. I’ve not finished yet, I’m just getting started!
The advice I would pass onto my teenage son and
the younger generation is…anything is possible, but
you need to work to make it happen. If you work hard
enough, dreams can come true.
A film I love is…Moulin
Rouge or anything else by the
director Baz Luhrmann, very
much films of escapism. I’ve
been known to belt out some
of the songs, but I’m not a
great singer!
A TV programme I love is…
the American drama series
This Is Us. It’s something that
families can relate to with
all their dramas, featuring
humanity and lots of good
intentions.
A song I love is…Where Do
I Begin or If You Go Away.
Ever since I was a little girl
I’ve loved Shirley Bassey. I was
fascinated by her life when I
was five years old and asked
my parents if she was rich. I
used to save up my 10p pocket
money in the hope of being
just like her one day.
A holiday destination I love
is…we have a place in France
and I love holidaying there.
The roads seem much calmer,
there’s so much space and, of
course, I love the champagne
and cheese! California is
another family favourite and
somewhere we try and visit
every few years.
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