Jane Costello

The Sweet Escape

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:54:00 +0000

THE WISH LIST is now officially on sale in Australia and New Zealand! To celebrate publication of the novel, I’ve taken over a fabulous website called The Sweet Escape. Whether you’re Down Under or anywhere else in the world, check out the website now for everything from my favourite cake recipe (Calories per serving: Don’t ask), obsession with Karen Millen jeans and my adventures in Iceland (the country, not the purveyor of frozen prawn vol au vonts) as I researched several chapters in The Wish List. It’s a tough job this . . .

All The Single Ladies nominated for RoNA award

Jane — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:21:09 +0000

I’d thought today was irredeemable after stepping on the scales for the first time following my pregnancy. I’d hoped to be pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t.
Then, like magic, some news arrived in my inbox that cheered me right up: ‘All The Single Ladies’ has been nominated for a RoNA award!
It’s in the Romantic Comedy category and I’m in esteemed company – up against Jenny Colgan, Victoria Connelly, Nicola Doherty, Belinda Jones and Jane Wenham-Jones. We find out who’s won at a glittering ceremony (surely the best kind) on 26th February… and as if that wasn’t enough, Richard and Judy are the hosts. I can’t wait!

A New Year to remember

Jane — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:15:32 +0000

I spent this New Year’s Eve inhaling mood-altering substances, making a lot of noise and, ultimately, falling madly in love. Yes, I saw out 2012 by giving birth to my new baby boy, who we have named Isaac. He came into the world on December 31st at 10.21am, with the aid of what I suspect are record volumes of gas and air – although given that he weighed a not insubstantial 9lb 11oz, that was probably no surprise. Life feels slightly chaotic at the moment but I’m absolutely loving having my little bundle of joy around – he’s slotted into life in the Costello household very nicely! xx

My next book

Jane — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:20:38 +0000

My next book finally has a title, a cover and a release date – hurrah! It’s called ‘The Wish List’, you can see the cover here (gorgeous isn’t it?) and it will be out in paperback in April 2013, which suddenly doesn’t feel all that far away. I can’t wait for the release of this one – it’s set in the run up to my heroine’s 30th birthday, which is such a massive landmark in anyone’s life… at least it was in mine. Here’s the official blurb:-

There are six months left of Emma Reiss’s twenties . . . and she has some unfinished business.
Emma and her friends are about to turn thirty, and for Emma it’s a defining moment. Defined, that is, by her having achieved none of the things she’d imagined she would.
Her career is all wrong, her love life is a mess and that rambling country house she pictured herself in simply never materialised.
Moreover, she’s never seen the Northern Lights, mastered the guitar, jumped out of a plane or snogged anyone famous – just some of the aspirations declared on a list the girls compiled fifteen years ago.
As an endless round of birthday parties sees Emma hurtle towards her own thirtieth, she sets about addressing these issues. But, as she discovers with hilarious consequences, some of them are trickier to achieve than she’d thought…

I don’t know if that was the reason I loved writing it so much – or simply because the characters, particularly my heroine Emma, resonated so much with me. Either way, I am seriously excited about the prospect of people finally getting to read it!

Mum of the Year

Jane — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:38:22 +0000

Being an author is generally a fairly solitary job – 99% of my work involves sitting in a study by myself, trying not to tear my hair out as I work out some plot twist or other. So on those rare occasions when I’m let out for good behaviour, I tend to have a jolly nice time. Yesterday was one such occasion – the Liverpool Echo Mum of the Year event.
It was a wonderful day – full of inspiring stories, such as that of the winner Lyndsey Crowder, who discovered she had cancer when 8 weeks pregnant. Despite doctors telling her she may have to have a termination, she was determined to continue with the pregnancy, during which she endured a bone marrow transplant and radiotherapy. Her daughter was born fit and healthy at 34 weeks and, three years later, Lyndsey is back at work for the Ambulance Service and in remission. As you can imagine, it was a fairly weepy day.
I was sat next to former Atomic Kitten and Masterchef winner Liz McLarnon and the two of us got through several packs of tissues (and nearly lost a set of eyelashes!) during the course of the event.
I’d never met Liz before and, given that lots of people you meet in real life are nothing like they appear on TV, I feel duty bound to report that she’s one of the loveliest people you could meet; extremely down-to-earth, very bright, and with a fabulous sense of humour. She also loves her chick lit – I think she should consider Mastermind with it as her specialist subject next time.

Jane Costello, actress Ann-Marie Davies, Masterchef winner Liz McLarnon and actress Suzanne Collins

An evening with . . . me!

Jane — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 08:57:08 +0000

If you’re interested in knowing what it’s like to be a romantic comedy author, how I write my books and where I get my ideas from, then you might like to know about a upcoming event I’ll be taking part in.
Shevington Library in Wigan, Lancashire, is holding a special evening on Wednesday July 18th in which you can come along and hear me talk, get your books signed, or simply chat to me about your own writing aspirations.
I’ll be there from 7.30pm until 9.00pm and tickets cost £3.50, which, in the finest book club tradition, includes wine and nibbles. Tel: 01257 252 618 for further details.

Jaw-dropping LBD competition

admin — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:36:54 +0000

How would you like £1,000 to spend on a new wardrobe? Followed by a weekend in London’s super-plush The Cumberland hotel, complete with cocktails and Michelin-starred dinner? Oh, and it wouldn’t just be for you, but your girlfriends as well . . . www.littleblackdress.co.uk are offering just that as the fabulous prize to mark the paperback launch (TODAY!!) of All The Single Ladies. The only downside is that I’ve just been told I can’t enter myself. It’s very easy to enter; just check out this link for details – and good luck! x

Book signing

Jane — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:34:03 +0000

All the Single Ladies is out in paperback on Thursday, so I’ll be signing copies at Formby Books next Saturday 9th June, from 12-1pm. I’d love to see you there, but if you live too far away, the shop is happy to send books on (Tel 01704 832 166 to pre-order and leave your name so I can sign the book for you). Hope to see you there! x

Melissa Nathan Award

Jane — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:21:58 +0000

I always despise the return from a sunny holiday; my post-holiday blues tend to be virtually purple. And this time was worse than most. After a spectacular Easter break in Florida, I stepped off the plane in my flip-flops only to be battered in the face by rain and experience a rapid loss of feeling in all digits due to the cold.
The situation could’ve been catastrophic for my generally sturdy levels of good-humour … until I received some news from my fairy godmother (aka publicist) Emma Harrow that bowled me over. She emailed to say: ‘I take it you’ve heard you’re nominated for the Melissa Nathan Award?
Melissa Nathan was a hugely talented and brilliantly funny writer of romantic comedies. She died aged just 37 in 2006 and, in her honour, this literary award was established – to recognise novels that ‘combine the magical, life-enhancing elements of humour and love.’
Judges include Jo Brand, Joanna Trollope, Jessica Hynes, Sophie Kinsella, Morwenna Banks, Liza Tarbuck, Gaynor Allen (Head Book Buyer for Tesco), Andrew Cleaves, Managing Director National Express Coaches (the sponsors of the award) and Freya Wright (Book Buyer for Waitrose). So – quite a committee.
I’m up against some fantastic authors, some of whom I count as friends, including the irrepressible Milly Johnson, Jenny Colgan, Allie Spencer, Sarrah Manning and Jane Lovering.
We all find out the result at a glittering awards ceremony (they always glitter, don’t they?) on 12th June . . . so watch this space!

Little Black Dress – flash competition

Jane — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:16:00 +0000

I absolutely love Little Black Dress – if you haven’t checked out their super-glam website – www.littleblackdress.co.uk – I suggest you do so fast. So I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be partnering up with them in a number of ways in the next few months, details of which I’ll post soon. In the meantime, they’ve launched a competition to toast our new friendship and are giving away ten signed copies of All The Single Ladies. You can enter HERE. Good luck!