Art and Soul is my debut novel, published in April 2020.
An uplifting contemporary romance, Art and Soul is the story of struggling single mother Becky Watson who longs to revive her career as a life-fixer, working miracles to solve her clients’ problems, no matter how big or small. Since the birth of her two-year-old son she has been stuck preventing wedding fiascos for the richest and rudest residents of the Comptons, a charming, leafy area of southern England known for its artistic heritage.
So when reclusive local artist Charlie Handren reluctantly hires Becky to fix his six-year creative slump, she’s delighted to set him up with a come-back exhibition and Rachel Stone, the woman of his dreams.
Though they get off to a rocky start, Becky and Charlie soon become close. But as the beautiful Rachel becomes Charlie’s muse, Becky is forced to wonder: will giving Charlie everything he wants mean giving up her own happily ever after?
A heart-warming contemporary romance served with a generous slice of cake. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Katie Fforde.
Get your copy at Amazon now!
If you’d like to hear more every now and then about progress on my next book, giveaways and any other exciting bookish developments, please sign up for my mailing list. I promise not to spam you!
Claire Huston / Art and Soul
Sounds really good.
Amanda.
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Thank you! I really hope so. I’m still waiting to hear back from my latest test readers. Fingers crossed the feedback is good! 🙂
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Have you posted a sample chapter of your novel somewhere on your blog?
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Not yet… My latest draft is still out with 2 beta readers. When I get their feedback I hope to make my “final” changes before starting on the road to publication. When I have my final version then I’ll definitely think about sharing a sample here! 🙂
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Keep us posted!
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congratulations on your first book!
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Thank you! I’m hoping I have a “road to publication” story to tell here soon 🙂
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Oooh sounds good! I’m loving the plot line!
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Thank you! I really hope the literary agents I’m waiting to hear from agree with you 🙂 So far only friends have read the book and so you can never be sure if they’re being nice when they tell you they’ve enjoyed it! (although a couple of them are capable of being quite harsh, so I’m sure they’d have said if it was rubbish).
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I know what you mean, I’ve had loads of positive feedback from friends about my blog but I am always doubtful because see all these people on xfactor & their friends have told them they should apply because they are brilliant singers & well, we’ve all seen the car crash tv that followed!! 😀 I’m sure your book is as brilliant as they say though, that plot taster has me desperate to read it already plus there is chocolate fudge cake in there! Win win in my book!! 🙂
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*you see
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Hi,
I nominated you for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers.
For more details, see my post: http://readitornotreviews.com/2015/09/15/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-2/
I hope you enjoy the questions! 🙂
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Thank you! I’ll head over to your post now 🙂
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Pingback: Submitting a novel to literary agents; aka “coping with rejection” | Art and Soul
This sounds like such a fun book!
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Thanks 🙂 That what I was going for. Something easy to read that would be like a holiday for hardworking readers who don’t have a lot of time to read every day. And cake. Obviously. 😉
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Very interesting!! I think you have a great plot and the storyline is definitely attention-grabbing! There are so many new YA twists on fairy tales, but this is truly one of a kind. I’m glad it doesn’t focus on the actually princesses, and more on the side characters, like Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Good luck with finding an agent! I would love to read it when it is published (REMEMBER not if, but when 😀 )
Love and books,
Veda
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Thanks, that’s very kind of you 🙂
It can be hard to stay positive in the face of rejections, but your encouragement really helps!
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I’m at a comparable stage with my own novel, doing a major re-write after a pile of agent rejections (or non-answers). So best of luck! The premise sounds great!
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Thank you! I did a major re-write at the start of this year after sending the first three chapters to an editor who gave me some very helpful feedback: cut chapters 1 and 2 and start the book with the events of chapter 3! I did what he said but, as I’m sure you can imagine, it had huge consequences for the rest of the book. I’ll be back to agent submissions (and more rejections, I’m sure) this summer.
Best of luck to you too 🙂
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Wow! I did not know that you wrote a book! I hope you can find a publisher because it sounds like such a fun read!
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Thank you! I hope so too 🙂 I’m trying to get an agent first but will be approaching digital publishers too soon!
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sounds really good, hope it works out for you.
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Thank you! That’s very kind of you 🙂
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Hi! I just found you from a comment you left on Holly Kerr’s website…don’t you love the way one thing leads to another? Lol. Anyway…I am dying to know what is happening with your novel! You were asked to cut the dirst two chapters, were deep in revisions, and….
You’ve really got me curious. Crossing my fingers it’s nothing but good news 🙂
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Hello!
I’m glad you found me 🙂
Unfortunately, I’m still submitting to agents with no luck. I got my most heartening and at the same time frustrating rejection a couple of months back which basically said, “Your writing is good and I love the sound of this and would ask to see more, but I just took on an author who writes the same stuff a week ago, so sorry”.
That’s the way it goes!
I’m going to try one more batch of agent submissions at the end of this month and if that comes to nothing I’ll send it to a few digital publishers.
And if that doesn’t help either, I’ll be getting it professionally edited and self-publishing!
Phew!
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Oh this sounds adorable!! I can’t wait for it to get published!!! Hopefully very soon — and maybe you can offer some tips on publication for other aspiring writers like myself? It would be nice to hear about it from someone on the inside…or at least closer to the inside than me! Lol
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Thank you so much!
I have to just keep going with the quest to get published 🙂 Eventually I’ll self-publish if I don’t have any luck going the traditional route because it would be a shame to leave all my hard work sitting in a computer file never seen by anyone!
If I do get published I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops – you’ll all be bored with me going on about it.
The very best of luck with your writing too 🙂
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Claire! I’m so excited to hear about your book coming out soon! I’ll sign up for the newsletter to get all the details. Congratulations and looking forward to reading! I’ve added it to my GR want to reads too! 🙂 xo
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Thank you very much! I expect the time between now and the end of April will zip past 🙂
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It’s so exciting! I’ve been hearing about your book for so long, to be able to read it is going to be wonderful!! Congratulations and looking forward to it!!
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PS. Please let me know if you would like to participate in a little author exchange Q&A I’ve got going on my blog at the moment, would love to have you! -AK
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I would be honoured to be on your blog 🙂 Don’t know if you’re planning slots as far in advance as April, as not sure I’ll feel like a legitimate author until then!
Not long until your next publication day now! Eeek! 🙂 The cover is beautiful, you must be really pleased x
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Fantastic, I would be so honoured to have you! I am in the process of planning at the mo. I can email the Q&A today. 🙂 Ooh thank you so much for your kind words about Secret Lives of Mothers & Daughters! I’m feeling all the butterflies as we approach the Canadian release on Jan 28th. Thank goodness I have a bit more time before the US/UK release in late Feb. So pleased for you, Claire! I’ll go ahead and email you now, back in touch soon! xo
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