The Reading Frenzy: Interview with Ben Adams

Please welcome debut author Ben Adams who is here talking about his novel Six Months to Get a Life. Enjoy our conversation and read on to find out why this is and isn't autobiographical.
Ben, Take it Away!!

ISBN-13: 9781909477490
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Publication date: 1/21/2015
Pages: 302

Overview

Graham Hope had it all - a wife, two perfect children, a detached house in the suburbs and a huge TV. Until today.

He now has an ex-wife, lives in his parents' spare room and gets the kids and the dog at weekends.

He might be lost and lonely, but Graham is not a victim. Six months from today he will be forty-three. He vows to sort this mess out by his birthday. He gives himself six months to get a life.

Will Graham play a meaningful role in his boys' lives? Will his mates take him under their wing?

Will he move out of his childhood home?

More importantly, will he ever have sex again?

For Graham, failure is not an option.

Ben Hi!
Welcome to The Reading Frenzy. First I have to tell you I laughed out loud at the book blurb, especially the warning. And I like the quote on your bio page “He has a gift for finding humour where others just find pain; and also for finding pain where others find humour.” Tell us about your novel, Six Months to Get a Life. How much of this novel is autobiographical?

In a nutshell, ‘Six Months…’ is the story of a man coping with divorce, battling to maintain a role in his children’s lives and worrying about whether he will ever have sex again.

The book was inspired by a change in my own family circumstances. It started life as a bit of a memoir, but very quickly I realised that ‘Six Months…’ shouldn’t be about me.

To be more accurate, I realised it shouldn’t be about my ex or my children. What right did I have to write about them? None. So I invented a new ex. I enjoyed that process so much (who wouldn’t?) that I then started inventing new friends too – friends who were far more interesting than my own (there goes any chance I had that my friends might share this blog post). From there, it only seemed natural to invent a new lover, new events and occurrences. Did the marriage guidance scene happen to me? Did I meet my ex in a sexually transmitted diseases clinic? Is the unconventional weekend away with a new love fact or fiction? Have I ever ‘twerked’ in a night club? I’ll leave you guessing on those questions.

Friends who have already read the book have noticed that the only person I didn’t reinvent was the leading man, Graham Hope. Figuring that I am not about to sue myself, when it came to the divorced male character, I stuck to what I know. Me.

Graham does his best to have a positive outlook on life, as do I. Graham craves human company, whether it’s going out for a few beers with his friends or something more intimate. As do I. Graham hates nightclubs and is hopeless on the dance floor. As am I. Graham gets tongue-tied around attractive women, as do I. According to Graham’s ex, Graham has a big ego and a small penis, as… No, wait a minute… Next question.

Was it cathartic or purely entertainment from your perspective?

Writing ‘Six Months to Get a Life’ did start out as a bit of a self-healing process. Putting my emotions down on paper was like therapy but without having to pay a therapist.

But as the book evolved into a work of fiction, it did become a lot more fun to write. Writing witty banter, inventing farcical situations and even a love interest made me smile. As well as making the book more fun to write, it has definitely made it more fun to read too.

Ben I love your blog post from 1-12-15 titled “No Sex Please we’re British”. Ben's Blog Link
I happen to love the non-US edited versions of UK novels and will often buy them on Amazon UK for that precise purpose. But you also stated that you were surprised that someone from another country would want to read your book.
Why?

Being British is a funny thing. We tend to be pessimists rather than optimists. If the sky is blue but there is a solitary cloud on the horizon, without doubt, it’s going to rain.

When I wrote the book, I sometimes wondered whether even my mother would read it, let alone someone from another country.

But now that the book is finished, and following a lot of coaching from highly paid marketing people, I am capable of saying things like ‘I am really proud of it,’ and even ‘it’s bloody good’ without feeling too embarrassed about my brashness. If you enjoy Notting Hill and Bridget Jones, why shouldn’t you enjoy Six Months to Get a Life?

Ben, what would be the best compliment given to you by a fan of this book?

I have had some great feedback from Goodreads bloggers who have already reviewed the book. One said that I “managed to turn what was essentially a miserably bad time into the funniest book I have read in a while.” Another signed off her review by saying that she can’t wait for my next book to come out. If that’s what most readers think once they have finished the book, then I’ll be a happy man.

Ben you’re a very connected author, Facebook, Blog, Twitter.
Are you a fan of hanging out on Facebook for countless hours a day/week, or are these outlets just evil necessities?

I love being an author. I love creating new characters and writing dialogue. I love connecting with people who are reading the book too. If I can do that via Facebook, my blog and twitter, then those avenues are worthwhile. But as for hanging out on Facebook for hours, no thank you!

Ben now that your debut novel is out there in the world, and selling in more than one country ☺ Are you busily working on number two?

I have started number two, otherwise known as ‘Six Lies’. It features some of the same characters as Six Months to Get a Life. I started writing it when my first book was being edited, but I have neglected it for the last few months while I have been busy shouting about the first book. It will be nice to get back to it soon.

And what if anything will you change about the writing process?

I am not really sure how I would describe my writing process. I write, I edit, I delete, I write, I drink coffee, I break up fights between my children and then I write some more. What would I change about that process? I suppose that if Six Months to Get a Life sells a million copies, I could afford better coffee. Or even an au pair to break up the fights for me…

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, good luck with the book.
Will you be hopping the pond to chat with your US fans at all?

I would love to!

Press about the book:

Ben Adams has received international, national and local press coverage.

Internationally, he was interviewed on a popular US dating podcast. Nationally, he was featured in the Sunday Express Magazine on 25th January. Locally, Ben's mum was reading her local Guardian online when she stumbled upon his ugly mug. She told him it put her off her cornflakes.

As well as writing about his author journey on his own blog, Ben also blogs for Huffpost and has written for Female First. Obviously he is a big fan of that magazine.

Connect with Ben - Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

ABOUT BEN:

Like a lot of people, Ben went to school, then college and eventually grew up and got a responsible job, a house and a family.
And then his mid-life crisis kicked in.
Realising that life was in danger of becoming all too serious, Ben started writing. Not in the way that Forest Gump started running, but at least he started.
He wrote on steamed up mirrors in the bathroom to make his children smile. Eventually he graduated to making up stories to entertain his kids at bed-time.
For some reason his boys didn’t seem interested in his tales of every-day life, relationships, family, trauma, farce and the occasional bit of debauchery. His 12 year old son told him that he preferred JK someone or other.
Following his short-lived career as a children’s author, Ben now concentrates on writing stories for grown-ups. He writes for people who have lived, loved, worked, strived and suffered – people like himself. People like you.
He has a gift for finding humour where others just find pain; and also for finding pain where others find humour.
Ben lives in southwest London with his two boys, his dog and his constant stream of girlfriends. He dreams a lot too.
Follow Ben's journey further at http://blog.benadamsauthor.com.