Let in the Light is the uplifting must-read for fans of Mike Gayle, Nick Hornby and Keith Stuart.
Songwriter, Richie Carlisle never wanted to be famous.
After stumbling into the limelight five years ago, he soon found himself crashing back out of it. Now, he spends his days working in a small music shop in Edinburgh, attempting to live a quiet life as a part-time dad.
But his 15 minutes of fame have taken its toll. His inspiration for songwriting, music and life in general seems to have all but disappeared.
When Richie is given a flyer advertising the first meeting of the Hope Street Songwriters’ Circle, it’s a chance to step back into the world. But after years of hiding away, letting in the light won’t be easy.
Gerard Nugent is a writer living in Yorkshire. ‘Let in the Light’ is his debut novel, although he has been writing songs for years. Gerard was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He moved to England in his 20s and worked in various northern towns before settling in beautiful Yorkshire with his family and two guinea pigs.In 2019, he attended a writing class to help him generate ideas for further songwriting, but, instead, started writing a novel.
Profits from the book will be going to Health in Mind – an Edinburgh based charity that creates awareness of mental health and wellbeing within communities. https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/
eBook and paperback edition available on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-Light-Gerard-Nugent-ebook/dp/B08SLFM6TR
The trailer for the eBook can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/1ZamYI_oh4g
Gerard’s website is www.gerardnugent.co.uk
He can also be found across social media:
Facebook: @gerardnugentwriter
Twitter: @letinthelight20
Instagram: @gerardnugentwriter
Interview with the author
· Hello Gerard, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself.
First of all, thanks for inviting me to do this interview and taking part in the blogtour for my book. I was born and grew up in Scotland but now live with my family and two guinea pigs in Yorkshire, England. I work for the local authority doing data analysis so writing a novel is a real departure for me!
· Tell us about the theme of your debut novel Let in the Light?
It’s a feelgood book but it also deals with some difficult issues. It’s a novel that is influenced by my love of music and the positive power that music can have on people.
· What inspired you to write this book?
I didn’t set out to write a novel. I had always dreamed that I could one day write one but it wasn’t a serious ambition. I’ve always enjoyed writing songs and I had just pulled together a dozen songs for my latest album and I knew I needed a creative boost to help write the next batch of songs. I saw an advert for a local writing class and it was described as a course to find inspiration for your next writing project. It just so happened that the writing project I had in mind was another album. So, I signed up.
One of the writing exercises the tutor set us was to write about a concert we had experienced. It was a 5 minute speed exercise to write whatever came to mind. It was probably when the seed for my novel was sown. As well as writing music, I found writing about music to be just as rewarding. And after years of writing songs, I felt I knew at least a bit about the subject.
And then something strange happened.
On a shopping trip one day, I popped into a music shop and, on impulse, bought some speakers. Not very interesting, you might say. However, there was something recognisable about the bloke who served me. But I just couldn’t place him. When I got home, I, excitedly, unpacked the speakers. Annoyingly, I discovered that whilst one speaker had a standard plug attached, the other had a European style pinned plug. I fetched the receipt I was given at the shop. Looking for the number to call the shop to ask what I should do, there was an extra bit of detail to say who had served me that day. And then, I realised who it was I thought I recognised earlier in the shop.
It was none other than the lead singer of a Britpop band that that I had loved in the 1990s. And so, after sorting out the speakers, I jumped online to remind myself of some of their best tracks – some of which I hadn’t heard in years.
It was to this soundtrack that an idea started to form. It made me wonder what happens to musicians when they drop out of the media limelight. And that’s where my imagination went into overdrive and a story quickly formed about a musician who was famous in a particular era and now works in a music shop. And so, the character of Richie Carlisle was born.
· How much of the story of Let In The Light is from your own experience?
I think it is inevitable that part of your own character and experiences come through when writing a book. And its true that I lived in Edinburgh and I play guitar and write songs and I am a parent…but the rest of the story is just my imagination going into overdrive!
· How did you transit from your songwriter career to the role of a writer?
I would not describe my songwriting as a career. Nor do I envisage novel writing becoming a career either. At the moment, both are just hobbies of mine. And if that is far as it goes, then I’m happy with that!
· What’s your writing routine? Any tips for aspiring authors?
Once it became clear that I was writing a novel, probably after writing a few thousand words, I sat down and sketched out a rough chapter plan. The classic post-its plan where I would write brief chapter summaries and scenes on each post-it to represent a chapter. In terms of actually writing, I just grabbed any time when I could. Even if it was just 15 minutes. I’d often be thinking about the story especially while out running so there was always stuff to write when I got to my notebook or computer. There was never really an organised process and it’s probably not a process I’d recommend or repeat. It worked but at times it was really scrappy. Next time will be more organised. Let’s see if it works any better!
As for tips for other aspiring authors then the main one would be to set yourself realistic and achievable targets. It may not be inspiring but as much as we all want to be successful writers, it’s such a crowded industry that its more likely we’ll have limited impact beyond our inner circles. Anything more is a bonus!
Prepare yourself for lots and lots of hard work. There are no quick wins and no instant satisfaction. But the sense of achievement makes all the effort so worthwhile.
Also, lay the foundations for your social media campaigns long in advance. Unlike me! I shied away from social media for years and only started trying it out when I realised if I wanted anyone to actually hear about my book I’d need to go online. I was just about 10 years behind everyone else!!
And finally, prepare yourself for your first (and more!) negative review. Not everyone will like your story or writing. And that’s ok. The positive reviews are great and you should focus on them! But a negative review is inevitable so prepare yourself!
· What are your reading preferences and which is your top favorite book?
My favourite author is Mike Gayle. He’s been writing quality books consistently for over twenty years. It was his first book, My Legendary Girlfriend, back in the late 90s that made me want to write a book one day. I didn’t think it would take me over twenty years to get round to writing one. I love the simplicity of his stories and yet he writes often about complex emotional issues from a male’s perspective. I think he’s helped break down a lot of barriers for men who find it important to talk about issues that may be troubling them. My novel is definitely influenced by his work.
What do you want people to take away from this book?
Hopefully, an enjoyable read and a bit of escapism. And maybe a little insight into the wonderful city of Edinburgh and some of the great music that I reference in the book.
· What should we wait from you next?
Apart from promoting my first book (which takes a lot of time!), I have made a tentative start to book 2 of the Hope Street series. Many of the same characters, just told from a different character’s point of view. I’m always tinkering away at song ideas too. And because my books are about music and songwriters, the books often generate song ideas or titles.
· Where can readers find you?
I’m at www.gerardnugent.co.uk and @gerardnugentwriter on Facebook and Instragram and @letinthelight20 on Twitter.
· Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions for this interview.
No problem and thank you!
From today and for the whole of April, the ebook will be just 99p. The profits from the book go to Health in Mind – a charity that campaigns for better mental health and wellbeing. Their website is https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/.
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