What was your inspiration for The Fidelity Files?

Before I became a full-time writer, I worked in a very corporate environment. And like all corporate jobs, there were a certain number of ‘alcohol-related’ events that I was expected to attend. I would often find myself at work ‘happy hour’ functions in nearby bars, observing the interactions between single and non-single co-workers as their behaviours gradually declined from professional to something else entirely. Something hardly capable of being described as ‘appropriate’.

Some of the disturbing things that I witnessed as I watched alcohol cloud people’s judgment and the bar environment offset any trained workplace behaviour upset me on a profound level. I felt incredible discomfort in some of the things that I observed and above all else, it instilled a level of doubt and distrust in me that I never knew I had. I secretly wished that someone would tell the ‘conveniently’ absent significant others about what their husbands/wives/boyfriends/girlfriends/fiancés really did while attending these ‘obligatory’ and supposedly ‘uneventful’ work functions. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I was brave enough to think it…but not exactly brave enough to go knocking on people’s doors with bad news. You know what people tend to do to ‘the messenger.’

So instead I created a character whose job and purpose in life was to do just that. To reveal the truth to anyone who wanted to know. To knock on all the doors that I never had the courage to knock on. An invincible superhero-esque woman whose quest is to fight against the evils of infidelity. But of course, she soon finds out she’s not as invincible as she once thought.

In a sense, the Ashlyn character of the book is the mask that I always wanted to wear. She’s the woman that I never had the confidence or audacity to be. A façade behind which I could hide as I watched my fantasies of exposing the truth come to life on the page. I believe we are all afraid of feeling vulnerable on some level. We all fear the painful emotions that come with betrayal. My greater purpose in writing The Fidelity Files was to explore these fears so that I could offer a message of faith and hope despite them. Because if someone who makes their living as a fidelity inspector can believe in love despite everything she’s seen, it shouldn’t be that hard for the rest of us.

Have you ever met a professional ‘honey-trap’?

This is the second most popular question people ask after I’ve told them what The Fidelity Files is about. The first most popular question is whether or not I was ever a professional ‘honey trap’ myself. And the answer to both is, sadly, no. I wish my life was that exciting! Although, I do admit, it sounds like a fascinating job and I would really like to meet one some day. In fact, when I first came up with the idea for the book, I didn’t even know ‘honey-trappers’ existed in real life. I thought that I just made up the profession. And so I wrote the book from the perspective of what I believed the life of a honey trap (or ‘fidelity inspector’ as I called it) would be. I only recently found out that there are quite a few agencies out there that do this kind of thing for real, especially in the UK. I’m just dying for a real-life honey trap to read my book and tell me if I was anywhere near the mark, or just completely off base.

Jennifer thinks of herself as a modern day superhero: if you were a superhero what would you be called? And what would be your special power?

Calorie Immunity. That would definitely be my super power. The ability to eat anything I want and be completely unaffected by the calories contained within. I would never gain a pound! I have a HUGE weakness for cupcakes. I’m talking epic. I cannot pass up a cupcake to save my life. So with my calorie immunity, cupcakes would no longer pose a threat to me…or my thighs.

I’m not really sure what my superhero name would be, but with a super power like that, man, would I look good in a leotard and boots.

Dream-casting time: who in your head would play Jennifer in the movie of The Fidelity Files? What about Jamie?

I’ve always struggled with this question because I’ve never really had one person in mind for the role of Jennifer/Ashlyn. She would have to be beautiful and sexy so that the men in the movie would fall for her but she would also has to come off as sympathetic and a little vulnerable so that audience would relate to her. I would love to see Eva Longoria in the role because I think she could pull it off. Also Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson or Keira Knightley would be great casting.

As for Jamie, Patrick Dempsey is an obvious choice for me. I think he has that distinguished mature look that’s described in the book and he also comes off as very sweet and genuine. That’s the kind of guy Jamie is in my head.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write? A favourite place? What’s your writing process? Are you a planner?

I write best in the morning. Something I never thought I’d say in a million years as I’ve never been a morning person. I used to think that waking up before 11 was early. But in the past year or so, I’ve been waking up at 7:30 and on the computer by 8:00 and I’ve never been more productive.

I can’t write in noisy places like coffee shops (I guess there goes my dream of becoming the next J.K. Rowling) so I usually write in my office at home. It’s quiet and comfortable and my fish is there, right next to my desk. He likes to watch me work. I think he’s my muse. Although I should probably figure out how long fish tend to live before I get too attached to that opinion.

The writing process is very random for me. It all depends on the day. Because I tend to be equally right and left brained, sometimes I feel as though the writing process is just a constant struggle (or sometimes clash) between the two brains to come up with a consistent way to write a novel. I write outlines, because my analytical side tells me it’s the right thing to do, but then halfway through the story, I come to the conclusion that I only write outlines so that I’ll have something to deviate from. I create complicated spreadsheets (a nod back to my days as a strategic analyst) for my storylines and page counts and pacing only to abandon them halfway through. And yet, despite this seemingly random chaos, it all feels perfectly natural to me. As if it was designed specifically for a purpose. So I suppose, my lack of a defined process is a process in itself.

Other than writing, what other jobs or professions have you undertaken or considered?

Before I wrote my first novel, I worked as a strategic analyst for a film studio. Which basically means I worked on spreadsheets all day. Lots and lots of spreadsheets. Pie charts were popular too. But seriously, I do actually have a very analytical side so I enjoyed analysing the movie industry and predicting how well certain titles would do.

I also waited tables all through high school and college. My parents used to own a pizza restaurant in Colorado and I worked there every summer. I even made pizzas for a little while. And yes, I was able to toss the pizzas over my head like they do in the movies. But what they don’t show you in those movies is how much flour you have to wash out of your hair every night.

If I wasn’t a writer, I think I’d want to be a blackjack dealer in Vegas. I love to gamble. And as the dealer, I’d get to take other people’s money instead of losing my own. Either that, or I’d like to own my own cupcake shop. But without my calorie immunity super power, I don’t think that would be a very good idea.

Watch the trailer for The Fidelity Files:

Find out more about the book, learn about Jessica Brody, send in your stories of infidelity and go behind-the-scenes on the trailer on the Fidelity Files website.

Jessica Brody - Author of The Fidelity Files

Here’s a question: what if there was an almanac for time travellers? Something that helps them keep track of all the places, people and events they encounter on their adventures, perhaps even prepares them for a few of them? You could have entries that cover the topics you’d expect from an almanac – great lives, historical events, advances in science and technology, media and the arts, etc – but instead of covering one year, it could cover all of space and time!

This was the half-baked idea I approached Steve Tribe with a year ago, and, bless him, he ran with it. Scouring through every episode of the series since 2005 – and relying on his vast knowledge of older episodes for a few key entries – he’s put together one of the most entertaining guides to the show we’ve ever published.

Entries on the Sycorax and Weeping Angels are mixed in with more offbeat ones offering, say, a complete list of the sonic screwdriver’s functions and what was playing on Cassandra’s ‘iPod’ the day the Earth died. The simple chronological order manages to give an entirely new spin to the material – seeing the Doctor’s adventures discussed in the order they actually happened is kind of mind-blowing. And I love how Steve has included real historical bits - profiles of Genghis Khan, entries on the Apollo moon landing and the Kennedy Assassination – told through the filter of the Doctor’s experiences. Paul Lang’s brilliant design makes the whole thing come together – it’s a beautiful package, and the colour coding on the entries makes it a breeze to navigate. Heck, it’s worth the price for the ‘Left Turn / Right Turn’ entries alone. (Yes, this almanac also covers alternative universes!)

My boys are huge Doctor Who fans (good thing, that) and this is hands-down their favourite book of all the ones I’ve brought home. And I’ve brought home a lot. My guess is it will have the same effect for the Doctor Who fan on your list.

The Time Traveller’s Almanac - Steve Tribe

Albert -  Editorial Director

It’s a hard-knock life being an editor – what with all the long lunches to be had and magnums of champagne to be quaffed – and so holidays take on added significance. Creative juices need to be re-stocked and livers allowed time off to recover. Which is why I jetted off to Tanzania on safari. As you can see from the PowerPoint presentation of holiday snaps I’m sure the marketing department have taken care to upload, I had a wonderful time. It’s a shame the elephant needed three shots of the blunderbuss to finish it off, but there you go. My freshly carved ivory cane is more than adequate recompense for having to endure Dumbo’s trumpeted death knell. I shall give it a twirl now…

More importantly, going on holiday allowed me a chance to read. Books. For fun. That’s the problem with being an editor – spending most of your working day leafing through manuscripts with pen held aloft, ready to swoop like a vulture on a butchered gazelle, isn’t exactly conducive to reading for pleasure come the evening. Therefore, holidays allow a welcome opportunity to leave the Red Pen of Doom at home (securely locked in an air-tight safe, along with the cat) and select some books that offer nothing other than the simple delights of, well, reading them.

So, how did I compile my holiday reading list? First off, I work on non-fiction, so that was Stalingrad out the window. Literally. It landed on a passing tramp who actually seemed quite grateful for the reading matter once he’d regained consciousness. For my part, I was going to read fiction, and fiction alone. My final selection, stuffed into an already bulging rucksack, were:

Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard – a book I’ve wanted to read to read for ages, and was even willing to pay for out of my very own pocket (1p + p&p from Amazon marketplace).

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe – I always like to read something by a local writer when I go abroad. Well, okay, Achebe’s actually from Nigeria, but what’s a few thousand miles? It’s the same continent, alright? Also, the book is only 150 pages, which was a bonus.

A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd – A jaunty satire about a Brit working in the diplomatic service in an unidentified West African country. Coincidentally, I have a friend in the Foreign Office who’s just moved to work in Nigeria, so I couldn’t help but imagine him as the main character. Which is unfortunate, as he contracts gonorrhoea from sleeping with a local prostitute.

The Ghost by Robert Harris – An easy-to-read thriller to see me through the long night slumped in a corner of Doha airport in Qatar, trying fruitlessly to ignore the baleful wailing of children and incomprehensible Tannoy announcements, as I awaited my connecting flight back home.

And lastly, Ulysses by James Joyce…

My final choice perhaps needs further explanation. Why, you might legitimately ask, did I choose to take Ulysses as a holiday read? Am I insane?! No, despite what the Crown Prosecution Service might say, I am not. It’s simply that, given most of my domestic reading takes place on the tube, amid sweaty armpits, jabbing elbows and temperatures that would be illegal even in a third world sweatshop, it’s hard to summon up the necessary levels of concentration to read anything more complicated than The Hungry Caterpillar. Relaxed on holiday, I thought I’d finally have the time and tranquil environment to finish a book I’ve long wanted to boast to friends I’ve actually read.

In the event, I managed to get through four out of the five books listed above. If you think you can guess which one I didn’t read, send me your answer on a postcard c/o Ebury Press and you could be the lucky winner of a half-eaten packet of stale Hob Nobs I have sitting on my desk.

Anyway, next year I’m going to Mexico and taking War and Peace with me…

Ken - Editor

If you like the Top Gear TV show but you wish it was smaller and made of paper, here’s the answer to your prayers.  The Big Book of Top Gear is packed full of the chunky, meaty, sometimes-on-fire goodness of the telly, with the added bonus that you can take it in the bath.

We’ve also produced these shiny book bins for the new book – look out for them in all Borders stores from today! They’ll be hard to miss…

Clare - Senior Marketing Exec

Earlier this year I was honoured to receive an invitation to speak at TED in Monterey, California. A four-day celebration of big ideas, TED is an elite event where leaders in technology, entertainment and design gather to cross-pollinate ideas and gain inspiration from presentations on the latest developments in sciences and the arts. Former President Bill Clinton received the annual TED prize at last year’s conference and my fellow speakers this year included an illustrious line-up of former Vice President Al Gore, Isabel Allende, Bono, Richard Dawkins, Peter Gabriel and Richard Branson.The criteria for talks are strict – each one must last only eighteen minutes and are vetted beforehand by the TED committee. Getting my usual hour and a half presentation on The Lucifer Effect down to such a short slot was an interesting challenge – especially as I had so much, previously unseen, footage from Abu Ghraib to show in addition to my standard material.After days of editing and practice I came to give my talk on the Thursday of the conference. Eager to put across as much information as possible in the short space of time I began to talk quickly – and getting faster and faster as the time limit approached. Devastatingly, despite almost hyper-ventilating from talking so fast, I realised that it was going to be impossible to finish or include my important philosophies at on everyday heroism at the end of the talk. Yet, due to huge demand from the audience, the organisers, in an unprecedented move, allowed me extra time to finish off my presentation. And the result was a totally unexpected two minute standing ovation from the 500+ audience.

The talk has now just gone live on their website and has been viewed over 100,000 times in the last 10 days – in fact I was their 300th talk to be added and they have even designed a special poster for me:

Philip Zimbardo - Author of The Lucifer Effect

In 1955, when I was just eight, my father took the whole family, in a pale blue Jaguar Mark VII and a Rover 90, to a hotel called the Carlos V on La Salve beach at Laredo, between Santander and Bilbao, on the north coast of Spain. I don’t remember a great deal about the holiday except that everywhere we went the Spanish were full of awe of the mighty Jaguar, which they called the Haguar. There was a military prison at the far end of the very long beach and not much else except the hotel. It had different coloured tiles on each floor: red on the ground, yellow on the first, then green, and finally and most intriguingly blue on the top floor, a source of much satisfaction to myself and my sister Henrietta. We both drank Coca-Cola for the first time – I think we were only allowed one bottle a day – and it came in slightly green-tinted glass bottles, which was completely fabulous to us both. Even more extraordinary was the food, particularly squid, which came in a black ink stew with tomato, olive oil and garlic. I remember that this was the first realisation I had that food abroad was exotically different to what we had at home and I believe that that’s when my ‘wanderlust’ to travel from coast to coast across countries around the world started. (more…)

After the launch of my book, The Body Language Bible, I was invited in by Vermilion to give a brief talk on the subject to the whole team at Pimlico. Now, body language is a two-way communication and, although I’m fond of repeating the fact that non-verbal analysis is not a precise science, I’d be failing in my duty if I didn’t read all the signals that any audience will be oozing while I’m speaking.

Some of my corporate audiences are easy to read (intimidated, fascinated and/or drunk would be some regular states, especially at residential conferences where my noisy and energetic approach means I’m often put on during what are called the ‘graveyard slots’, like 9am after an evening of free booze for the delegates or just following a three course lunch), but some audience responses are more puzzling. I was recently invited to speak on The Body Language Bible at The Clacton Arts Festival (yes, I know, twinned with Hay-on-Wye … I don’t think so!) and arrived to find the speaker before me facing an audience consisting of one man and a pushchair. During the ‘networking’ break I asked him why he’d attended a session on Clacton poetry and discovered the hall also housed the most convenient public toilets.

I imagine my own body language signals on arrival in the Random House lecture theatre could have been deciphered by the audience as ‘mild shock’. I’d been treated to lunch by my agent who wanted to see me in action (talking, not eating!) and we’d then had a pre-meet in Vermilion. Being ripped from the womb-like warmth of the canteen I was rushed through a side door leading not to a corridor as I’d been expecting, but directly into the lectern space in front of a full, waiting audience; a classic ‘Pierrepoint’ moment similar to the man in the condemned cell discovering the noose is actually waiting in the room right next to where he has been smoking his last fag!

I wish I could say that an eager and warm reception from the audience signalled instant bonding and empathy, but part of the curse of my job is reading behind polite behaviours. In the blink of an eye I could tell that these people were not yet all fans of mine. In fact, I could have pinpointed almost exactly everyone involved in the publishing, marketing and promotion of my book (plus my agents) versus those who wanted to get back up to their desks. In body language terms this translated as: a) the kind of eager but anxious smiles a parent uses watching their child’s first school nativity (my agents); b) Warm, encouraging hosting smiles (my editor, Julia, and her team); versus c) something I can only describe as X-Factor judges-esque (the vast bulk of the middle section).

This last, more Botoxed look rapidly wore off though and, as smiles broke out and the audience began to relax, a certain strong tribal pecking-order began to emerge. The body language signals of large groups are great betrayers of power and status and – despite some initial competition from a young pretender in the back row (pit-baring at an early stage registered aspirational Alpha tendencies) – it was a man slap bang in the middle of the group whose spatial dominance and visual response-rate leaked total animal control tendencies well before the half-way mark.

Anyone ever embarking on selling to groups might like this tip: when you’re looking for the true decision-taker in your audience, go for the one who instigates all the posture-changes. Underlings will never take the lead, but they will automatically follow suit in a bid to declare empathy. This guy’s dominance signals were so absolute I expect some others in the audience are only just mirroring his poses … some several weeks later!

But the room wasn’t all his. Despite adopting an ‘Alan Sugar’ approach to leadership body language, there was someone else employing the truer signals of the genuine Alpha in any colony i.e. body language silence. Sitting still but upright throughout the talk she adopted the pose of the ultimate alpha who (in ape terms) has total ability to kill via superior strength but who therefore has no need to indulge in any displays of aggressive arousal or power-posturing, preferring to let their simian lieutenants do any fighting or rule-keeping for them.

This is a very potent role in any animal colony, especially as it comes (in ape terms) with two clear key benefits: a) first pickings of the tribe’s food; plus (and more importantly) b) first option of sex with the very best-looking tribal members. With this thought in mind I can only hope I get invited back to the Ebury Christmas party so I can see if these last two Alpha qualities are put into practice!

Judi James is a leading television expert in body language, social behaviour, image, workplace culture and communication skills.

The oceans are the single most important feature of our planet - they shape the climate, our culture and our future. Yet we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about Earth’s watery depths. The new BBC series and the accompanying book draws on the most exciting stories from the fields of sub-aquatic archaeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology.

To whet your appetite, we asked Paul Rose, who is a presenter on the series and one of the book’s authors, to share some of Oceans’ amazing facts with us. Over 1,000 dives, the filming produced a number of ‘firsts’ – not least the discovery of a whole new species! It’s going to be an amazing series, and a fantastic book – here are Paul’s highlights…

(more…)

Once a month, we will be asking our fellow Ebury-ites to let us know what they are reading. Last month Alex reviewed A Good Girl Comes Undone by Polly Williams.  This month Luthfa looks at The Burial by Neil Cross.

I’ve been a fan of Neil Cross since I read Mr In-between, back when I was a buyer at Books etc. and I picked it up then, not least because he was such a likeable sales director (at Macmillan). I’ve read most of his fiction over the years and, without fail, he delivers a cracking thriller. His writing is concise, lyrical and compelling and he has a knack for creating believable characters that invariably find themselves in exceptional circumstances.

The Burial starts with the sinister man at the door encroaching on a modern suburban idyll. Obvious perhaps but moreish nonetheless. Nathan, the main protagonist, is lonely, likeable, but his complicity in the tragic events of a drug-fuelled night casts a shadow over him. The story that unfolds makes clever use of the conceits of recent ghost films and had me having to think nice thoughts before I could switch the light off for the night. Loved it.

Luthfa - Time Out Marketing