#BlogTour The Bespokist Society Guide to ...London

Welcome to the BlogTour for The Bespokist Society Guide to..London. Today you are in for something a little different. The Bespokist Society is the exception to the rule when it comes to guide books. It is the kind of inside info you just know your friends are going to be gagging to hear about, and please do not miss the excellent Q&A with The Bespokist Society and the people behind the idea.

About the Authors
Who are we?
A social collective with a passion for the curated and the bespoke. Current chairman is Tommy Sponge.
Where did it begin?
Like the impressionists who forged an artistic movement in the fin de siecle coffee shops of Paris, The Bespokist Society began in a biospheric winery in Norbiton in 2013.

Jez Tapano
Born : Easter Island
Lives : Plaistow
Favourite drink : Messy Monk IPA
Favourite food : Heritage carrots
Favourite hangout : Vine n Vinyl of course!

Nastya Petrov
Born : Vladivostock
Lives : Harrow on the Hill
Favourite drink : Dagenham Gin on the rocks
Favourite food : Rare breed walrus
Favourite hangout : Nina Saviceu gallery

Follow @TheBespokist on Twitter
Visit  bespokistsociety.com
Buy The Bespokist Society Guide to...London

About the book
As the first travel book produced by the hugely influential Bespokist Society, this handy guide takes you to a London you’ve never seen: a London of challenging Etruscan restaurants, edgy branding parlours, emoji hotels and hidden Icelandic communities; a London where 8-ply toilet paper is a thing.

On the way, meet an eclectic band of inspiring Londoners - from scriveners to socialites via urban wordsmiths and coffee preachers - and see why London is now the global epicentre of Bespokist consciousness, community and culture.

Q&A
The Q&A is just as amusing as The Bespokist Society Guide itself...please enjoy:

When did you realise that we all need this particular type of guide, especially anyone living in or visiting London? I think the trigger was when our chairman, Tommy Sponge, went into WH Smiths in Norbiton and was unable to find any guide book showcasing genuinely bespoke destinations! He wrote a furious letter to the Chairman of WH Smiths but in the end decided that the Bespokist Society needed to write its own guide.

Have you got any inside tips on catching The Yeast Extractors before the Marmite sandwiches are sold out every morning. Damn those Wilmots they’re elusive to say the least.
We know that there are whole internet chat rooms where fans use complex, randomised logarithms to predict the next truck location. Unfortunately without success. The problem is that there is really no substitute for a Marmite sandwich from the Yeast Extractors. Tommy Sponge tried to make his own version at home recently and the results were disastrous!

There is a pretty pricey FREE membership tag to join the society.  I don’t do cheques, would you take payment in the form of 449 newly polished pennies? You are forgetting that membership also entitles you to restricted view seats at See it, Say it, Sorted The Musical!
Unfortunately we don’t accept newly polished pennies but we would be delighted to offer you one of our bespoke payment plans personally tailored to your needs (*55% APR **your home is at risk if you do not keep up payments)

With such a vast variety of Bespokist venues to visit and the number rising by the minute I would love to know where TBS is headed next? A guide to Edinburgh, Newcastle or perhaps even over the water to mainland Europe? Think of the places you might find in Amsterdam…sorry I meant to say the places you will definitely find in Amsterdam. We’d love to. For us Peterborough is probably the natural next destination with its huge range of micro-vineyards and bespoke spinneries.

The Bespokist Society is the brainchild of Nastya Petrov and Jez Tepano the following questions are for you:

How did the idea for this guide and the society come about? What was/is your inspiration? Hate to break it to you but Nastya and Jez aren’t real! I was inspired by modern life in general but in particular reading ridiculous menus featuring foraged things I hadn’t heard of. I also remember walking past a very trendy place in Soho and being completely unsure whether it was a shop, office, gallery or restaurant. Not sure the people inside knew either.

Is the play on the acronym BS intentional?
Definitely! The name of The Bespokist Society actually came because I wanted to use BS as the initials!

I have to tell you my main concern is someone reading the Bespokist Guide and actually looking forward to trying out some of your well-described venues, although that says more about them and kind of makes your point for you. Yes, quite a few people do think the places are real. Which I find quite funny.

Is the book/guide intended as a tongue-in-cheek type or is the BSG your way of pointing a big finger at the shallow ‘I would like to buy the Emperor’s new clothes’ mindset of 21st century society? I wanted to keep the book light-hearted and message-free but I do think that 21st century earnestness needs a bit of a poke.

Will there be a sequel or is there something equally as droll on the horizon? We’re going to do an update and launch a new edition for Christmas. But I also want to create a spoof cookbook : Etrusci – The Cookbook, featuring delicious recipes and lifestyle tips from 500BC.

Thank you for answering all of my questions! 

Review
The Guide is a tongue-in-cheek sarcastic swipe at society and our sense of self-importance. If taken with the pinch of salt, as it is intended, then this is a really amusing read. If you take yourself too seriously you can ask The BS for specific details on how to find the venues. Please take pics and post to social media, I can't wait to see and read all about it.

That's my main concern, someone reading the Bespokist Guide to London and actually looking forward to trying out some of these well-described venues, although that says more about them and kind of makes the point of the book.

Unfortunately the 21st century has created something akin to the yuppie version of the hippy, a version mixed with the characteristics of an eco-warrior, health fanatic and overall saviour of the earth. I mean that in the nicest way possible, but one does get the feeling that it is sometimes more about appearances and less about saving the planet.

I just don't get the urge to drink coffee made from poop, eat grasshopper tacos (yes that's a thing), drink mushroom coffee (also a thing), or sniff ancient woolly mammoth faeces (hopefully never a thing). However there are a lot of people, who are always looking for the latest fad or following the latest craze, who might just enjoy it.

This is the perfect gift for friends with an unusual sense of humour or perhaps as coffee table book and an ice-breaker. It will certainly get conversations going, especially if some of your friends get excited about visiting one of the venues.

Finally, albeit reluctantly, I have to admit I would probably go looking for a few of those venues too.

Buy The Bespokist Society at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Life or Something Like it by Annie Lyons

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Annie Lyons, the author of Life or Something Like it, to the blog for an interesting Q&A, which is followed up by my review of Life for Something Like it. I hope you enjoy the the Q&A and my review!

Q&A

Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms want to know)
The Song Collector by Natasha Solomons - a beautiful story of love and music by a writer I admire greatly.

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)?Boyhood - left a mark on my heart because it said everything you need to know about growing up in a family - absolutely perfect.

Are you more of a Game of Thrones or Outlander gal? (Combinations are possible) 
I have to confess that I've never watched either. I love Modern Family but I'm guessing that's not quite the same!

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
Mary Berry - imagine the cakes!

Something you treat yourself to, now and again? (Cream éclairs totally count)
A lovely new hardback book by a favourite author (Louis de Bernieres last week) and Double Deckers. Lots of Double Deckers.

Do you have a Bucket List, and if so name one of the things on it?
Not really but I am very aware how short life is and I try to live in the moment instead of anticipating the next event - easier said than done but my children help with this. Children are very good at it.

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about Life or Something Like It.

You have this knack of mixing really tough issues with what seem to be normal everyday family dynamics and situations.

When you start writing or come up with a concept is it a conscious decision to mix the two? Are you picking often very contentious issues to bring attention to them or is this more of a subconscious act during the writing process?
What a great question! That made me think... For this book, I wanted to write about a woman, who to all intents and purposes is sorted and happy. She is unapologetically single and child-free with no desire to change this - the introduction of her brother's children forces her to face certain realities for the first time. I am very interested in family dynamics so these became an inevitable part of the story.

Saying that, I really enjoyed the way you plonked or rather subtly weaved the Women: career vs children topic into the story. How do you feel about the choices you have made?
Hopefully it was more subtle than plonked! I was made redundant nearly six years ago just before my daughter started school and I took the decision to stay at home. I started writing firstly to see if I could do it and then I was lucky enough to be offered a contract with Carina. It's a job that I can fit around my family. I think it's a very personal choice and I am very happy with the way things have turned out!

Do you think women, as opposed to men and society in general, are more critical of other women when it comes to choosing either a career or children?
I think there's a lot of chat, partly due to social media & partly due to the way we feel the need to share opinions all the time. I don't think it's one section of society or another but I do believe that it's a personal decision and the world could do with being a little less judgemental sometimes.

Alongside that much discussed topic you also have your characters confront the choice of children or no children. Again an issue, which tends to get debaters all hot and bothered. Who do you think puts more pressure on women? Women, men or society in general? 
I think it's the same as for the career versus children topic and I think we all need to work harder at giving each other a break. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with and no-one understands completely what's going on in another person's life. I'm very much a live and let live person. My aim was to write a story that made people think about these issues and how we face them and as Cat has to look at life from a different angle, so we as readers do too. There are no right answers.

Another hot topic, especially if you are a parent of younger children or teens, is cyber-bullying. E-safety and cyber bullying have become the focus for schools and Ofsted. In your story the school seems reluctant to take the matter seriously. Do you think schools, parents and children should put more emphasis on it and offer training for staff, parents and children? 
I think schools do offer this (my children's school has). In Life Or Something Like It, it's to do with the head teacher's reluctance to admit that there's a problem (she doesn't want bad press for the school) but Charlie's teacher does offer to help. I do think that a lot is expected of teachers and schools these days and that it's our job as parents to work with them and be more aware of what our children face. The internet can be empowering for kids but they need our support and back-up to be able to use it safely and wisely. These are new challenges that we never had to face as kids so we need to make sure that we have the knowledge to be able to help them when they need us.

Lastly I would like to thank you for answering all my questions, both the bizarre and the more story focused ones.
Thank you for inviting me and posing such interesting and thought-provoking questions.

Review:

Annie Lyons has an intriguing way of mixing normal family life, dysfunctional relationships and important social topics of our time. It is so subtle you can barely tell and yet on a subconscious level you do take them on board. My point is Lyons makes her point without shoving it in your face.

Cat is a career girl through and through. The world of PR and the social media are the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up in the morning and her last thought at night. She has decided not to have children and focus on her career instead.

Unfortunately for Cat she ends up having to step up to mark as an auntie and take care of her niece and nephew. Two small humans, who don't exactly like Cat and aren't afraid to show it. One pre-teen and a very direct six-year old.What could possibly go wrong?

Cat finds herself questioning her own emotions. She realises she does care what her niece and nephew think of her. Ever so slowly the three of them start to build the beginnings of a fragile relationship.

I enjoyed the way Lyons brought up the age-old debate about career vs children. Women often feel as if they have to choose between one or the other, and those that have both know they can't give equal time to both of them. It is interesting to note that women tend to be the harshest critics of other women.

Instead of supporting members of their own gender they tend to point the fingers the most. Women who choose to stay at home are raked over the coals for doing so, and similarly career women are accused of neglecting their children or not being real women if they choose not to have any.

On top of that Lyons has also shone a spotlight on the topic of women choosing in general not to have children. Society tends to be critical and perceive those women as more selfish. Such a shame that the emphasis is placed on our role as baby-growers instead of women as individuals who have the right and freedom to choose.

Life or Something Like it is a breezy, comfortable read with plenty of funny moments and underlying serious ones, without ever being more complex than a just a simple 'girl discovers there is more to life than just her phone' story. It really is one of Lyons talents to create something memorable in such a simple and realistic setting.
Overall a good read and one I definitely recommend.

Buy Life or Something Like it at Amazon.UK or for any other retailers go to Goodreads.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQStories visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebbook

Read The Happiness List, The Choir on Hope Street or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.

Blog Tour/Q&A/Review: The Spider in the Corner of the Room by Nikki Owen

Today it's my turn to welcome author Nikki Owen and her excellent book The Spider in the Corner of the Room to my blog. Read on to find out more about The Spider in the Corner of the Room, including my review and a fantastic Q&A with Nikki Owen.

About The Spider in the Corner of the Room

What to believe
Who to betray
When to run…

Plastic surgeon Dr Maria Martinez has Asperger’s. Convicted of killing a priest, she is alone, in prison and has no memory of the murder.

DNA evidence places Maria at the scene of the crime, yet she claims she’s innocent. Then she starts to remember…

A strange room. Strange people. Being watched.
As Maria gets closer to the truth she is drawn into a web of international intrigue and must fight not only to clear her name but to remain alive.

As addictive as the Bourne novels, with a protagonist as original as The Bridge’s Saga Norén.

About the author

Nikki Owen is an award-winning writer and columnist. Previously Nikki was a marketing consultant and a University teaching fellow before turning to writing full time.

As part of her degree, she studied at the acclaimed University of Salamanca – the same city where her protagonist of The Spider in the Corner of the Room, Dr Maria Martinez, hails from.

The Spider in the Corner of the Room is Nikki’s debut international novel – the first in a trilogy – and will be published in several languages. In 2014 the trilogy was optioned by NBC International Televison for a one-hour returnable TV series.

Q&A

Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms want to know)
Normal by Graeme Cameron – creeped out that I liked the protagonist (who happens to be serial killer!) Currently reading my 13-year old daughter’s copy of Paper Towns by John Green (before we go to watch the film). Talk about diverse genres…

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)?
The Fault In Ours Stars – I cry every time I watch it with my daughters. Amazing character presence and such an emotional, poignant story

Are you more of a Game of Thrones or Outlander gal? (Combinations are possible)
I’m an Outlander gal. Would like to time-travel please

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
I’m going to say two: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, hands down.
They are my heroes.

Something you treat yourself to, now and again? (Cream éclairs totally count)
Say it quietly…Green and Black creamy milk chocolate – like, the ENTIRE 100 gram bar in ONE sitting with a good book/film/TV box set series online. This is why I race triathlons…

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about The Spider in the Corner of the Room.

I have got to say the aspect of the story I found most fascinating was the Asperger Syndrome element of your main character. Fictional books, especially crime and psychological thrillers tend to shy away from uncomfortable, awkward main characters or main characters deemed 'different' by society. So, this is not only a breath of fresh air it is also a big step away from the norm. Personally I applaud the idea, and think it is innovative. Do you have a personal connection to Asperger's?
I’ve met and know a few people, throughout my life, with Asperger’s - some on the lower end of the autistic spectrum, others on the opposite side who cannot communicate via language - and the common thread I have noticed is that still there are misperceptions about what Asperger’s (and autism) is.
In my writing, I wanted to confront not only these misperceptions, but the way in which society misunderstands anyone who they label ‘different’. Teachers, for example, need to better comprehend that the boy in class who obsessively reads is not ‘being rude’ when he doesn’t put his book down in class – he simply has Asperger’s; adults need to get their heads round the fact that, when a mum with mild Asperger’s in the park says, in reaction to a question from another mum about her weight gain, ‘Well, you do have fat ankles,’ the Asperger’s mum’s not being rude – she’s just speaking as she sees it, because her brain does not have the social filters we do to dust the truth with white lies.
I deliberately focussed on Asperger’s because there is so much misunderstanding out there, and I wanted to, in some small way, challenge that.

Was it important to you to show readers the inner mind-set, emotional turmoil and boundaries of someone with Asperger's?
100% yes. And for so many reasons, the main one of which was to foster more understanding of what it is to have Asperger’s – especially as a female (female experience of Asperger’s can be very different to that of males). But also, no matter what my writing subject, it is important for me to try and get into the mind of a character, to try and say something that signifies something not only about that person, but about society as a whole. It’s only when we hear inside someone’s brain do we truly begin understand what makes them – and, in a wider context, life – exist. As a writer (and a nosey parker!) that is fascinating. For me, the germ of a story always starts with a strong character voice.

I would love to know whether the choice to make Maria so multi-dimensional, whilst highlighting such an important issue was a choice or was the idea of a character with Asperger's something you were planning on writing about anyway?
A bit of both. I always wanted to create a strong, thought-provoking character, while, at the same time, I had a desire to really challenge common misperceptions. As far as I see it, we are all different, right? I’m different from you, you from me, and so on. It’s just logic. So, I definitely wanted to create something that would blow those misperceptions out of the water and force people to consider celebrating individuality.

I really enjoyed the way you managed to filter in important information about AS, despite the overall scenario and plot being quite complex. You make the reader aware of the distinction between Asp. Syn., learning disabilities and the Autism Spectrum Disorder. In the new DSM all the subgroups are considered to be on the autism spectrum. You disagree with this...why?
Great question. I, personally, believe the danger with the new DSM doing away with the term ‘Asperger’s’ and slotting everyone in on the same scale is that it could make the misperceptions worse, and this can only be a bad thing. I think a lot still has to be done to create greater acceptance in society of people on the spectrum, whilst, at the same time developing a deeper understanding of the wide ranging complexities involved. I hope The Spider in the Corner of the Room, in some small way, generates a conversation point that may help with that.

Getting back to Maria: Why do you think she was able to make such an intimate social connection to Patricia?
Love this question! I think, bottom line, Patricia understands Maria. The thing I enjoyed about writing Patricia, is that she is such a pure character, and this is against a back drop of deceit and lies and corruption. Patricia, unlike mainstream society, doesn’t judge and, as is inherent in her nature, just accepts people for the way they are. That’s why she is so good with Maria, so calm, patient, understanding. Writing the scenes between those two was quite an emotional time.

Where do you think you can take Maria from here and are you going to keep some of her story focused on her Asperger's?
The Spider in the Corner of the Room is part one of the Project trilogy, so, excitingly, books two and three of the series are due out in spring/summer 2016 and 2017 respectively. So, yup, we get to see Maria and her story grow, and most certainly, there is a continuance of a focus on her Asperger’s. After the trilogy, who knows? It would be amazing to take Maria’s character and story even further, if the Project trilogy became a huge hit. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed!

Lastly I would like to thank you for answering all my questions, both the bizarre and the more story focused ones.
Mighty welcome! An honour (and thrill!) to be asked questions about Spider – I love a good natter

Review

I thought this book was a breath of fresh air with an innovative premise. It highlights an important issue in our society, how our misconceptions about autism and  other syndromes on the spectrum still define the way we treat people who fall into those categories.

It was a bold move on Owen's part, to create a character with Asperger's, and weave this quite complex and fast paced psychological thriller around it. I enjoyed and was intrigued by the choice. Authors tend to stay away from awkward or characters 'deemed' different by society.

It not only gives an insight into the mind of a person with Asperger's and in doing so may help others understand the difficulties they deal with on a daily basis. In this case the prison setting exacerbates the Asperger's, which in itself is quite an interesting read.

I think the most fascinating parts of the story are the ones dealing with both the limitations and advantages of Maria's Asperger's. The moments when the reader gets a really vivid insight into the mindset, the decision process, the fears and the very distinct processes she applies to her surroundings and people.

Maria finds herself accused, convicted of and imprisoned for murder. She is convinced of her innocence and confused by all the events that have brought her to this point. Initially she is confined to solitary, a grave mistake on their part, especially in combination with her syndrome.

A cat and mouse game ensues between Maria, her mind and whoever is sitting in the interview/therapy room with her. Suddenly everyone is part of her 'imagined' conspiracy theories. She starts to doubt her innocence, perhaps she really is a brutal killer. Maybe everyone is right and she is losing touch with reality. Or are her theories not just figments of her imagination.

An unusual friendship blossoms between Maria and an inmate. Unusual because her social filters and skills usually make such a connection difficult.

Maria's biggest battle is with herself, there is no doubt about that. She can't trust her instincts, her perceptions or any interactions she has with any person. Any one else would probably go completely insane, so I guess there must be something really special about Maria, right? I'll leave you to find that out for yourself.

A big thank you to Nikki Owen and Harlequin Mira UK for providing me with a copy of The Spider in the Corner of the Room. To buy on AmazonUK or other outlets via Goodreads.

The Spider in the Corner of the Room is now called Subject 375 and part of The Project series.

Read The Project #2 The Killing Files by Nikki Owen.