Three Book – Amanda Jennings

Hello and welcome to Three Books with me, Angela Clarke on women's radio station the programme where we discover the three books that have shaped and influenced today's female writers. On today's show, we welcome Amanda Jennings. Amanda's latest psychological suspense. The critically acclaimed the Cliff House is the gripping, unsettling and haunting story of a young Cornish girl in the 80s who becomes obsessed with a glamorous art deco cliff house and the seemingly perfect family that inhabit it. Amanda, the story is rooted so strongly in 80s Cornwall. You must have drawn from personal experience. I did. I definitely did. It's my granny and all generations back are Cornish. So I very sort of optimistically call myself Cornish. I'm not. I'm not allowed to do that, unfortunately. You have to be born there. But I'm half Cornish and proudly so. So all my summers were spent down there, frolicking on the beach and running through the woods. It's where, you know, where you have those sort of halcyon memories of being free as a child. Those are all linked to Cornwall for me. And this is my second book set in Cornwall, so it just felt. I think the last one was sort of set in the dual timeframe, but this one, for me, I really wanted to visit all those places that meant something to me. So the Sennan beach, where sort of predominantly the story is set, is my father's favorite beach. And that's lots of the memories there. Well, it happens to be everybody's favorite beach. It's my favourite beach. Yeah. So I think, you know, for me, that was a starting point, really, and everything else came from there. I love all the 80s details as well. The one that really got me was the little bath oil. Those little circles of bath oil. I'd completely forgotten, do you know what? Until I read them in the book and one of your characters squishes one and it pops in. Oh, my God. I know that feeling. So I had. I do have a story for those things, which is actually why they're etched in my memory. So I was, you know, when we were in the 80s and we were sort of going to. Starting to go out to those, you know, they had those sort of, not balls, but sort of parties where you sort of all went. And it was the gate crusher ball type things. I didn't ever go to one of those. My mother was far too had me on a tight leash. But I went to something similar and I was so excited. I had this beautiful dress and I'd done my nails. I wasn't really a girly Girl. So that was all sort of a bit new. And I bought those things, I put them in the bath thinking, well, this is rather luxurious and I'm going to sort of set myself up for a glorious night, wash my hair as normal. Halfway through the evening I was like, why is my hair still not dry? And then obviously it was because the oil, oil things had settled in a film on the thing and as I'd washed my hair, it had just coated me. So I spent the whole of this rather glamorous ball. Far too much money spent on a ticket with disgusting, proper greasy hair. I might as well have cooked it in chip fat. I think I remember doing that as well. That's no one told you did. So that's probably why they're not a thing anymore. Exactly. And they used to leave that coating on the bath anyway, in my book they are rather more beautiful and glamorous at that. They don't have the sort of dodgy side, but they still pop. They do still pop. They still pop. And it's a moment of like. So you've mentioned that the book is set in Sennan Cove in Cornwall and as you said, it's a place that many associate with kind of happy holidays, but that kind of sometimes threatening landscape of Cornwall, like the riptides, the rocks, the very quickly changeable weather. Does that mean for you personally you can never see the landscape as wholly idyllic? Absolutely. No, definitely. And I think, I think that's part of the reason why. Because obviously I write darker books and psychological crime, well, psychological suspense, I think, rather than thrillers. But for me it's the perfect, it's the perfect setting because you have that. You can lull your reader into sort of almost full sense of security and then you can throw a storm in or throw a sudden wave in or throw, you know, there's an incident in the book where there's a, you know, a boy gets into trouble out at sea. So you can do that to add tension. And I think it is beautiful. And you've got those picture perfect scenes, seaside villages that are sort of smell of fergend, you know, and you walk down enjoying your ice creams but at the same time you turn around and there are these bleak moorlands and there is this. Obviously things I touch on in the book, the poverty that lies behind the sort of facade of perfection and as you said, the sort of idyllic nature of Cornwall. But yeah, it's perfect. It's a county of extremes as well as. What they've also got is that underlying legend and mythology that I don't think you have, you possibly have it in sort of areas of Scot, but, you know. And Wales. Yeah, exactly, sort of. But this really, really, really deep legend and myth and. And lots of things can have an eerie feel. So that means. And it is a story kind of full of kind of contrary situations and characters. You know, you've got the local, financially struggling Cornish family, and then you have the affluent holiday home owning, London socialite family. And you, you know, you have a girl who's lost her father and another who wishes she's lost hers. You know, you have, you have a guy, you know, the guy who leave school, 16 with barely any education and the girl who's going to university. You know, a world where there's no work and another where there's kind of plenty. What is it that kind of attracts you to these differences? I think. Well, obviously the different. You know, as you're writing a book. I write. I'm a sort of. I write very quickly as a first draft. I don't do too much planning and then everything comes with multiple rewrites. So as I rewrite, the themes develop. I did have that initial idea of this exactly as you've described. This incoming family not coming in, just with their wealth and their fancy London ways I think they described at one point, but also with this ridiculous house that is plonked on this. I mean, it's actually fictional, but there are houses along the coast which just don't look like they should belong there. Yeah. Because the house in the book is kind of art deco and in a way it's more what you would think, I guess, with Miami rather than kind of like. Well, I. Cornish. Well, I think I just watched that Big little. What was not Big Little Lies, what was the one set on the Californian coast? It is Big Little Lies. Yes. So I think I had that in my head. I just wanted to live there. So I decided to write something. So I suppose I had this idea that you have this sort of incoming family and that was the stark contrast between the poverty of Cornwall in the 80s, the closure of the tin mines which affect this family, and this idea for this teenage girl, because teenage girls and teenage boys, you know, they're teenagers, they're growing up, they're not yet mature. She associates the perfection that she sees, a little bit like the Instagram and Facebook generation that we have, associating the perfection that she sees with an ideal life. And if I could only live in that house, everything else would be fine. I wouldn't miss my father, my brother wouldn't be struggling for work. My grandfather wouldn't be dying of silicosis from the tin mines. And I think. Yeah, and I do think you sort of. You do run with themes. I sometimes worry that I overdo themes because I love a theme. I do love a theme. I love a theme. I love a theme. So I. Thank you, but, yeah, no, so I do. It was all about juxtaposing. And I also like the idea of those. Both those teenage girls, so very different and from such different backgrounds, but both viewing the other's life as an escape from the life that they view as inferior. Which in a way goes back to Instagram again. Yeah, exactly. And sort of putting it out there and that you've got that, yes, the trappings of wealth this girl has, but she's not happy. She doesn't have the love that Tamsin, the local girl, has from her mother and her brother. So, you know, everybody's looking for an escape. Are we more different than we are alike, as in people generally? I don't think so. I mean, you look at the world today and you sort of. I'm starting to. I think J.K. rowling had it right. I think we're just all divided basically into. Did we all go into the Sorting Hat and we just missed it? Yes. Yeah. I am Hufflepuff. I will always be Hufflepuff. I've tried to be Ravenclaw. I tried to be. I've tried to. I tried to be Gryffindor. Gryffindor. I'm like, that's. I'm either Hufflepuff with a cusp of Gryffindor. I knew I was never going to be Gryffindor, so I didn't even bother with that. I just thought maybe Ravenclaw, maybe I could squeeze in, but it always comes out. I'm not smart enough to be Ravenclaw, but. So I sort of think. I mean, I rarely try. I don't try and say too many controversial things. I'm a little bit political on Twitter, but I slightly believe, looking at the world now through social media's lens, that we are dividing into compassionate people who view empathy as a strength and people who are willing to not think about them, not think about lives outside themselves, who are so sort of governed by their own situation that they can't possibly think about anyone else. So. But I think actually, within those two groups, probably most of us are the same. I think you start to, you know, have the same fears. It's like, you know, if we're talking about a book like Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, the reason that that works so well and has endured, I believe, for so long is because we all identify with that feeling that we're never going to qu good enough in that situation as the dead wife. But we all identify with that because that is a human trait. Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, I totally agree. That's exactly, I think, what's happening. And obviously you need empathy to be a writer. You can't write without empathy. Yeah, apparently. And apparently on Twitter today it is empathy day in books. I think it's good that we are happy empathy day to you, too. Well, thank you very much, Amanda. And we'll be right back with Amanda after these adverts. You're listening to women's radio station wrs. Women's radio station, Voice of Women Worldwide, Sarah's Universal Soul Show. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? 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Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to three Books on Women's Radio Station. The programme where we discover the three books that have shaped and influenced today's female writers. Today we're talking to Amanda Jennings, author of the gripping psychological thriller the Cliff House. Amanda, what's the book that you wish that you'd written? So I have to confess that I've slightly struggled with these three books. Not because I couldn't think of one, but because I couldn't think of one. So I wish I'd basically written every single book that I didn't write. And I wish that I hadn't ever thought you'd be very, very, very busy. I would be very busy. So I narrowed it down to the first time that I actually felt jealous of someone having written. I thought that was because obviously, you know, I'd love to win an award and I'd love to sell a billion copies and it would be fantastic to, you know, sit on Graham Norton's sofa. But I think the first time that I really was jealous of someone's writing, and that is the book Thief by Markus Zusak. It took me about 50 pages of thinking, what a load of pretentious nonsense. I'm not going to read it. And literally, as I was about to put it down, something happened and it just clicked inside me. And every single emotion that I feel when I'm writing or when I'm reading. Sorry. Was triggered by that book in terms of, you know, I cried when people died. I wanted to scream no. When they burned books. I wanted to protect Max in the basement. I wanted to believe that I would have sheltered Jews in the basement from these horrors. And for me, and I also thought it was really, I think, what I'd like to do. And I haven't been brave enough to do it in my books yet. But one day, as we all sit there thinking, we're going to write our book with a capital B one day, I would like to write something that's very. With an unusual take, you know, so the narrating by death and having that slight slant. Not, I'm not looking for anything magnificent or totally off the wall, but just that little slant that separates your book from someone else's. So for me, I mean, the writing for me was pitch perfect. I shut the book and wished that I hadn't finished it and I could start all over again. Yeah, it's. It's definitely a thing, isn't it? Something that you're jealous of somebody else having written. And like you say, it isn't to do with success or anything. Sometimes it can be a book that isn't a as successful as that one was, all kind of sales wise. And I read it early, before I Even knew about sales. You know, when you in that. Yeah, that. That sort of bliss in the golden time before you understand about having to market books or sell books, and you just think, that's a nice book. I wonder if someone else has read it. And then you find out that someone has read it and you can talk about it. But I think I had no idea that it had sold so many copies or that had even had awards. I just knew. I just knew that I loved it and I knew that it was a subject matter that fascinated me. I have always been fascinated and I hope it's shades of that in my book. But what drives people to do horrendous things? It fascinates me today and I struggle on a daily basis with trying to work out why one human being will do something so horrific. The thing about that time, of course, which I'm sure we'd all agree with, is how the Nazis did these atrocities and managed to convince so many people to follow them. That's the difference. And you see it sort of. I think it's the analogy that's always used for domestic abuse, actually, isn't it, where you put the frog in the pan and then you slowly heat the water so the frog doesn't realise that it's being boiled. And I think that the Nazis did that to a whole country, basically. Yeah. And you can see it happening today. You can see. See exactly how those clever people who want to manipulate and want to control and want to fashion feeling to essentially achieve their own goals, how they prey on people's fears, how they use the rhetoric that terrified people and say, well, this is because of that and if you join me, we will stop that. And the rest of us look on and say, that's not going to happen. That's not true. All the tiny little kind of microaggressions. Just the one, you know, you will. You know, the people will accept that being done. They're pushing it a little bit further and the people will accept that being done. Exactly. And you can see it, you know, we don't need to mention his name, but you can see it happening now. It's that sort of. If you had a different, you know, people in charge, then you might be going a different way. Absolutely. It's interesting, though, I think, as a. As a. As a country, that I felt very strongly that that was what was happening. We were going down that road. But I feel that the Windrush scandal, with people being sent to. Back. Have been sent back, having their papers cancelled or whatever, there was Mass outrage. Yes. And that's really heartening, isn't it? It is. And I think that that's actually what was, you know. You know, people have actually gone, no, no, no, actually that's not what I want. And they kind of stepped up, which I think is positive. But you do, you do do that so well, though. You get into the minds of your characters and you, you make them, their actions are entirely believable and entirely relatable. Well, it's really kind. I am not interested in any way, shape or form in writing a traditional villain. I don't, I don't want to write a traditional villain. I want to. I want to write characters who are shades of. Everybody has shades of dark in them. Everybody has shades of light. It's just how much you turn the volume up on those things. But I think it's all about why. All about why. Why do people do. Do these things. And that's what, that's what fuels me. What's the book that made you think differently about women? Okay, so I'm now, having been quite serious so far, I'm now really blushing because I feel. Anyway, I'm just gonna go with it. So I went through the Little Women and To Kill a Mockingbird and the Famous Five because I literally wanted to be George. And then I thought, goodness, okay, I'm gonna fess up. The one that probably changed. I'm actually really embarrassed. I'm gonna go for it. Go for it, go for it. Emmanuel by Emmanuel Arsin. Oh, wow. I grabbed off my parents bookshelf at 12 and a half, going on 13. It's an awakening. And I was intrigued by the COVID It had an apple with an unfurling skin. I don't know if anyone remembers it. With a snake's head. And the apple that was being revealed was a peach. Didn't understand any of that. As far as I was concerned. It was all, you know, boys and girls up until then was Disney and Bond, which I found a little bit interesting, but not very. But, you know, they were always on a Sunday afternoon. And then I opened this book and I went and I hid. I hid behind my parents bed, tucked away, so that if they came in the door, I could shut the book and throw it underneath the thing. And I read this. The exploits of this liberated woman. And I suppose in a way it completely changed every. I don't know, I am actually going bright red talking about this, you know, that sort of idea that you could. That there was a. Well, for starters, it was very graphic, wasn't it. So that was a little bit shocking. So that was, that was an introduction that possibly could have waited a little bit. But this idea, I feel you say that as a mother, I'd be horrified. Got three daughters. I would be horrified if my children found that book. Luckily, I have no, they do not have this book in my house. It has a lock and key. Lock and key. They will have it on their 21st birthday and not before. But I think, you know, it's fascinating to suddenly have your eyes opened to a whole cupboard of wonders that you didn't have the foggiest clue was there and, you know, to see a woman out there. I suppose at the time I had no concept of what this is, but obviously I. Looking back on it, or even sort of into my mid teens to late teens, I was like, okay, yeah, no, we can, we can go out for what we want. We don't have to fall in love. We can have sex and experiences and do that because we're interested in pleasure and not because we're interested in falling in love with Prince Charming and being kissed on the cheek and waking up. I think it's a magnificent example. I do, I genuinely do. Because it's about liberation. It's about sexual liberation and it's a literal. It was liberating to you to see a woman in a way that you hadn't seen one before. It makes perfect sense. Definitely. Yeah, exactly. Well, I'm glad you're not sort of, you know, sitting there with your head in your hands going, why did we get her on? Why is she talking about Emmanuel? So what's the book that you always return to? Okay, again, I'm not a massive rereader. I don't. I'd love to say something worthy that it's something to do with not wanting to, you know, taint the books that I've enjoyed by a second read. And I'm not interested in reading the books that I enjoy first time round. However, I think I'm just lazy. I think I just sort of, you know, move on once I've done something. I don't really rewatch films. There are a couple that I do, Shaun of the Dead and True, True Romance. I can't. I can't resist if they're on. But. So for me, again, I'm going to be a bit weird. I'm going to go with Delia's Christmas, which is because. Have you ever cooked a Christmas dinner? Yeah. Makes perfect sense for 12 to 20 people. And I have been doing this. We've got a big family, we all get together and every now and then, every other year, it's me that's actually genius. This is literally when I was being. I took the question literally. It is literally the book I turn to most because I think every time I'm going to try someone else's Christmas, I'm going to do Jamie's or I'm going to do Mary Berry's. And then I think, no, I couldn't. I couldn't. This is going to go wrong. You can't cheat on Delia. I cannot cheat on Delia. Perfect. Thank you very much, Amanda. The Cliff House is published by HQ and is out now. If you have any questions for three books, email us on presentersomensradiostation.com or tweet. Usmensradiostn. That's Women's Radio Stn. You've been listening to three books on women's radio station with me, Angela Clark. Thank you for listening. With over 35 presenters, we have something for everyone on women's radio station. Women's radio station promotes positive educational programs and we want to create our own news segment but with good news instead of the doom and gloom usually broadcast. Did your dog have puppies? Is the new town mare a woman? Did you pass that big exam? It can be anything. Record your own good news segment and send to getinvolvedomensradiostation.com for a chance to have your good news on air. You're listening to women's radio station. Welcome to women's radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry an average woman eats about 2 to 3 kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's radio Station, we want to hear from you. This is women's radio station. 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We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org Mirai B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-8684-8998 for further information. Mirae B Limited making the life of the business owner successful. I'm Isabelle Manavy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 07-98442-2171. I'm listening. Do you need mediation? We are the a project charity. We provide conflict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open as a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018. The show's about all the barriers I face on a daily level, but it's also about our life stories how we got to where we are, how we stayed positive in the face of adversity and being more than just a label. It's about finding one's true, authentic self. But it's also about your stories. So send us a tweet. Send us an email at. Presentersomensradio the voice of women Worldwide women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. 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