Welcome to the Sing Like No One's Listening Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of Sing Like No One's Listening by Vanessa Jones on September 1st, blogs across the web are featuring original content from Vanessa, as well as 10 chances to win a finished copy plus a grand prize giveaway!
A moving story of grief and healing – sure to be a pure joy for any musical theater aficionado.
Nettie Delaney has just been accepted into a prestigious performing arts school―the very same school her superstar mother attended. With her mother’s shadow hanging over her, Nettie has her work cut out for her―and everyone is watching. To make matters worse, Nettie hasn’t been able to sing a single note since her mother died. Whenever she tries, she just clams up. But if Nettie’s going to survive a demanding first year and keep her place in a highly coveted program, she’ll have to work through her grief and deliver a showstopper or face expulsion.
All may not be lost, however, when Nettie stumbles upon a mysterious piano player in an empty studio after class. Masked behind a curtain, can Nettie summon the courage to find her voice? Or will the pressure and anxiety of performing come crashing down?
All about finding and raising your voice, and not throwing away your shot, Vanessa Jones’s well-crafted journey of grief and healing will pull readers along with its strong narrative voice and satisfying sense of mystery.
Buy: Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
“Jones' novel has the expected Fame vibes that will delight any reader who loves stories of aspiring young stars learning their craft, but its exploration of Nettie's complexities makes the story unique…. Jones offsets the narrative’s weightier
moments with light and quirky ones, making it a fast read with staying power."
— Booklist
“Anglophiles, music and theater nerds, and those looking for some classic will-they-won’t-they romance will all find something to enjoy here. Jones writes her subject matter authentically, with obvious passion to balance the professional arts’ not-so-pretty struggles…. A touching portrait of healing after loss.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Theatre, Books and (Now) Home Schooling: My Day as a Writer
by Vanessa Jones
I have two lifelong obsessions: theatre and writing. Happily, I’ve been able to turn both into a career, first as a performer in the West End, and now as an author. I also run a theatre school, so although I’m not performing eight times a week any more, I still get to surround myself with the joy that is musical theatre! Working two full-time jobs and now home schooling my children has been tough, but we’ve just about managed to make it work.
My day used to start by taking my kids to school, but since lockdown, it’s a little more complicated because all the classes I teach are now online—so these days it starts with either a ballet barre or Pilates class on Zoom for my students. Actually, strike that—I live in a tiny cottage, so the first thing I have to do is move all the furniture to one side of the sitting room to give me space to teach! You’d never know that behind the camera is the hugest pile of sofas, tables, chairs, lamps and books! Once I’m done, we get the kids set up for home schooling. (My husband and I take turns being on duty with the youngest; he finds it difficult to concentrate and needs a lot of attention, which can be . . . time-consuming.)
Writing used to be a lot easier: as soon as I’d taken the children to school, I’d sit down to work. Now it’s more like snatching ten minutes here and there, writing while they’re on lunch or running around outside. It was difficult at first, but I’m used to it now. I’m quite lucky in that once I’m in the zone, I’m not easily distracted, so it doesn’t matter what’s going on around me—shouting, singing, running around—I can usually block it all out. Which is a good thing right now, when we’re all in each other’s space!
After school, I usually teach two or three singing classes online. At first, it all seemed incredibly bizarre, but now it’s kind of. . . normal? Obviously, we’d all rather be together in the studio, but I think for some of my students, doing singing classes from their own bedroom has helped them to let go of their inhibitions, which in turn has improved their vocal technique and confidence. Silver linings, and all that. We have to soundproof the room if my husband is teaching drama in the other room, so that his classes aren’t disrupted by my wailing! Luckily, I have very understanding neighbours. . .
When the kids are in bed, we both sit down to work again. I’m not always good in the evenings, but I’ve trained myself to be better. One thing I can say for writing novels is that it has given me huge amounts of self-discipline. It can be overwhelming at times, but I find if I keep plodding on, little by little the story grows and blossoms, which spurs me on.
Recently, I’ve been able to read again, too. At the start of lockdown I couldn’t, for some reason. Has anyone else found that? My brain just couldn’t focus. But now I’m rediscovering my love of books day by day, which has been quietly joyful. It’s like life has changed, but books will always be there to escape into. And that’s a comforting thought.
Vanessa Jones trained at Laine Theatre Arts and went on to be a musical theater actor in West End Shows, including Sister Act, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, and Mary Poppins. She began her writing career with a stage play for a fringe theater and also works as a freelance copywriter and editor. She lives in England with her fellow chimney sweep.
GIVEAWAY #1
- 1 winner will receive a finished copy of
- Sing Like No One's Listening.
- Check out the other tour stops for more chances to win.
- US/Canada only
- Ends 11:59pm ET on 9/13
GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
- 1 winner will receive a finished copy of Sing Like No One's Listening and a Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone!
- US/Canada only
- Ends 11:59pm ET on 9/13
Blog Tour Schedule:
My quiz results were "Eh, not so much."
ReplyDeletemy favorite musical is Seven Bides For Seven Brothers
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