Gill Paul Chats About The Launch Party For Her New Novel, The Secret Wife

The Secret Wife is the latest novel by Gill Paul and it was released by Avon on 25th August 2016.

A Russian grand duchess and an English journalist. Linked by one of the world’s greatest mysteries . . .

Love. Guilt. Heartbreak.

1914

Russia is on the brink of collapse, and the Romanov family faces a terrifyingly uncertain future. Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with cavalry officer Dmitri, but events take a catastrophic turn, placing their romance – and their lives – in danger . . .

2016

Kitty Fisher escapes to her great-grandfather’s remote cabin in America, after a devastating revelation makes her flee London. There, on the shores of Lake Akanabee, she discovers the spectacular jewelled pendant that will lead her to a long-buried family secret . . .

Haunting, moving and beautifully written, The Secret Wife effortlessly crosses centuries, as past merges with present in an unforgettable story of love, loss and resilience.

Gill Paul has joined me today to chat about the launch event for her new novel (which sounds amazing and I am looking forward to reading it.)

Hi Gill. Congratulations on the release of The Secret Wife. What was the launch party like?

I organise parties like military campaigns with master lists covered in arrows and squiggles only I can decipher. There were lots of elements to this one, which I’d been planning since June, when the Open Russia Club kindly said I could hold The Secret Wife launch there. Among things to arrange were:

• Lots of booze, including vodka I’d brought back specially from St Petersburg.
• Several different types of canapés: caviar on blinis, smoked fish on rye, chopped egg, cream cheese and beetroot, and two trays of gluten-free ones.
• Cupcakes (made by my powerhouse friend Karen, CEO of Orenda Books).
• A large screen showing home movie footage of the Romanovs with a Tchaikovsky sound track.
• Four boards with postcards of Fabergé eggs pasted on them.
• A table for the lovely Waterstones bookseller Maria to heap up the books.
• Postcards of Tatiana and Dmitri for guests to take as bookmarks.

Like most military campaigns in history, this did not go entirely to plan. It turned out there was no way to fix the Fabergé boards to the walls so we propped them on the floor and no one could see them once the crowds arrived. The television screen was too low down so not everyone could get close enough to watch the incredibly moving pictures of the Romanov girls prancing around in their white dresses and Alexei playing at being a soldier. The music my friend Lee had spent so long mixing couldn’t be heard over the chatter in the room. And worst of all, I forgot to bring my makeup bag to the club with me!!

Several guests arrived early, including Linda Hill – which was great because these early birds were the only people I got to have a proper conversation with all evening. Suddenly, at 6.30, a crowd arrived en masse, the room filled up, and all I could do was wave, air kiss and smile. My editors Eloise and Phoebe acted as bar staff, and were so good at it there’s definitely another career waiting for them should the publishing thing not work out. I seemed to spend the rest of the evening signing books, trying desperately not to spell anyone’s name wrong.

Guests included a mixture of bloggers, journalists, authors (including Lulu Taylor, Kerry Fisher, Amy Beeson, Sathnam  Sanghera and Lesley Downer), women I swim with at Hampstead Women’s Pond, old friends, family and loads of the team from Avon (they’ll turn up anywhere there’s free booze).

I made a speech around seven o’clock, pointing out that it wasn’t entirely appropriate for us to be in the Open Russia Club, which campaigns for democracy and free speech back in Russia, while we were celebrating a book about the Romanovs, who believed in autocratic monarchy, censorship and getting the troops to open fire if their people revolted.

Guests mingled, many moved onto the steps outside because it was a hot evening, and although there had been a lot of Tweeting about the vodka, it was Prosecco that proved the most popular drink. Julie Boon was one of the people brave enough to down a shot of Russia’s finest before heading off for her train home.

Usually at my parties, I have a little matchmaking scheme up my sleeve. I had no time to do so at this one, but I’ve heard a rumour that there was a little illicit snogging outside (naming no names).

I’d told Max and Jeremy at Open Russia that we would wrap up at 8.30pm, but they very generously didn’t try to chuck us out and it was the back of 10 when I called a cab for the last stragglers. My only regret is that I would have loved to sit down and have a proper chat with everyone but as it turned out I barely got to say hello to most. Hope to see you all again soon in calmer circumstances! And I’m sorry you couldn’t be there, Laura. Next time!

Thanks to Julie Boon, Christina Jansen, Kerry Fisher, Karel Bata and Avon Books for the photos!

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.