Tell us about The Blog Of Maisy Malone.
Maisy is seventeen and has reason to be seriously fed up. Her Dad spends his days stagnating in his armchair, watching re-runs of Bargain Hunt, shouting abuse at their neurotic dog, Dave, or nursing his pint down at the Pride. Her mum fled the place years ago, on the back of a clapped-out, old bike, and is now planning the wedding of the year, to a man so damp you could grow mushrooms on him. Even her mates are distracted these days; Poppy is to be found rattling out her vampire love story and Jess is too busy obsessing over the latest bad boy to cross her path. Trouble is, her latest conquest is Maisy’s detested older brother, Ollie – recently returned to the family home. But what secret is he hiding?

And now Maisy has dropped out of sixth form in an attempt to bring some money into the family home. But will a range of eye-opening, temporary assignments provide Maisy the freedom she is searching for? Or is home always where the heart is?

What genre is it?
Young Adult / Comedy.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
It’s been called the ‘Adrian Mole for the online generation’. I think it will appeal to older teens and adults, as it mixes comedy with some very serious issues including, youth unemployment, riots, depression and dysfunctional families.

Your book could not have been written at any other time in history. But don’t you fear that that also means that it might not age well? In five, ten years people might wonder what the hell a blog is.
I think blogs will be around for some time to come and the nature of blogging seems to be becoming a growing trend. I’m sure when the first diarists were around, people would have considered it a fad or a phase. Even if it were to die out completely, I’d like to think there is enough of it going on presently to leave a documented trail for the future.

Fair enough. The way you use the comments Maisy’s blog receives to advance the story is very clever. Did you know you were going to do this before you started writing or did it come to you later?
Honestly, no. I wrote Maisy almost like a straightforward diary. Then a beta reader gave me some feedback along the lines of, ‘this is great, but what makes it a blog?’. Bloggers feed off their comments, its their fuel and gives them the reassurance that they have an audience. It suddenly struck me that having a comment thread would add a new dynamic.

Beta reader? What’s that?

A beta-reader is like a critical eye that can read the novel and ensure that things such as plot, characterisation and dialogue work throughout the piece. Through my membership with writer groups I have been able to obtain beta-readers (and been one myself) and it is a fantastic help.

Just a moment ago you talked about youth unemployment, dysfunctional families and depression; there is definitely an undercurrent of social commentary in the book. Was this important to you?
Very. I grew up reading Adrian Mole, written during the 1980’s. Now we are in unsettled economic times again and things are pretty bleak for a lot of young people. I wanted to comment on the things that matter – unemployment, social inequality , sexuality and the London riots.

How long did it take to write?
Just under a year (with edits).

What is the most challenging part of the creative process?
Ignoring the nagging doubts in your own head! Trying to get your book ‘out there’!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
This is my debut novel. The partial for my second novel, The Art of Kissing Frogs, was shortlisted for the Greenhouse Funny Prize. I have also had short stories published in magazines such as Writers’ Forum and am now working on my third novel.

I work full time in a secondary school helping troubled teenagers. I’d like to think that I understand the issues that most affect them.

Have the teenagers that you work with read the book? What has been their reaction to it? Do the recognise themselves in Maisy?
I had finished Maisy by the time I started my latest job. But I have had teenagers read the book and they do recognise themselves in Maisy and in Ollie (her older brother). The general feedback was that is great that humour was used to address some very serious issues.

Have you got a blog where readers can keep up with your work?
Yes,  www.polythenepram.com.

And where can we buy The Blog Of Maisy Malone?
On Amazon.

What’s next?
I’m currently writing a thriller about girl gangs and deception, whilst looking for routes for publication for my second novel.