• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Contact The Writing Coach today

The Writing Coach

Literary Consultancy and Coaching for Writers from Jacqui Lofthouse

  • Home
  • About The Writing Coach
    • Meet The Business Team
    • Testimonials
    • Novels by Jacqui Lofthouse
    • Media and Journalism
  • Services
    • Coaching and Mentoring for writers
    • Coaching Fees
    • Literary Consultancy
    • Literary Consultancy Fees
    • The Ultimate Literary Coaching Programme
    • Coaching for Poets
    • Proofreading and Copyediting
    • Online Writing Course
    • Get Black on White: A Guide to Productivity and Confidence for Writers
  • Membership
  • Workshops
    • The ‘Writer of Impact’ Workshops
  • People
    • Meet the Team
    • Meet The Business Team
    • Clients
    • Recommendations
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Popular Posts
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Clients Area
    • Members Login
    • New Client Area (Literary Consultancy)
    • Literary Agent Submissions

Novels by Jacqui Lofthouse

I have been writing novels since 1990. My first is still in manuscript form under my bed but four more have since been published. I love to hear from readers and would be delighted to hear your responses to the books. I’m also happy to travel to book clubs and meet readers directly, so do get in touch if you’re interested in an author visit.

The Temple of Hymen

(Hamish Hamilton/Penguin 1995/6)

“A very impressive book… a superbly recreated historical period and a passionate investigation into femininity, all wrapped up in a mysterious and well-paced narrative.” – Jonathan Coe

The Temple of Hymen, Jacqui Lofthouse

‘The Temple of Hymen’ – Affiliate link

In London’s Adelphi, during the reign of King George III, Dr James Graham – quack physician and electricity enthusiast – opens his Temple to Health and Fertility. His Goddess of Youth and Health is Emilia Beaumont. She believes herself to be a Devil Child, the cause of her mother’s death and catalyst of her father’s, and enters the Temple to purify herself. Enthralled by the perfections of the Peacock Lady, repulsed by the foppish Lord Smellie and attracted to rake Lord Vermilion, the Temple becomes Emilia’s sanctuary – and also proves her undoing. Jacqui Lofthouse’s accomplished first novel, set in a time of tumult in London, with the anticipation of revolution across the channel, reveals the diseased underbelly of a duplicitous society eager to celebrate purity and beauty whilst disguising corruption behind facades of paint and powder.

“A remarkable, often beautiful and startling piece of writing. A considerable achievement.”– John Mortimer

“Deceptive; entertaining and unusual” – Louis de Bernieres

To order The Temple of Hymen from Amazon click here (affiliate link)

Bluethroat Morning

(Bloomsbury 2000)

“A thriller full of twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing. Every word is magical, almost luminous.” – Daily Mail

Bluethroat Morning, Jacqui Lofthouse

‘Bluethroat Morning’ – Affiliate link

Alison Bliss, world-famous model and author of critically acclaimed Sweet Susan, walks into the sea on a ‘bluethroat morning’. In death she becomes a greater icon than in life, and the Norfolk village of Glaven, where she spent her final days, is soon a place of pilgrimage. Six years later her husband Harry, a school teacher, is still haunted by her suicide and faithful to her memory. Then he meets nineteen-year-old Helen and they begin an intense affair. But their liaison is darkened by the past. Harry is attracted by Helen’s uncanny resemblance to Arabella – his ancestor’s second wife – whose story inspired Alison’s final work. Not much was known about Arabella, except that she had drowned herself in the sea at Glaven, her hometown. Fascinated by her photograph, Alison had travelled to the Norfolk village only mysteriously to follow in Arabella’s tragic footsteps.

Propelled by their affair, Harry returns with Helen to the scene of his wife’s death. There they meet ninety-eight year old Em Higham who holds the key to both Arabella and Alison’s stories. With the media circling, Harry discovers a tale that has been generations in the making and at whose centre may lie the reason for Alison’s suicide. As he pieces together the past and confronts his own pain, Harry discovers he must relive history to truly understand it.

Jacqui Lofthouse has written a subtle mystery, layered with literary resonance, that explores the often troubled relationship between women and their writing. Suffused with the atmosphere of the Norfolk landscape, this is a haunting, compelling novel.

“There are many elements to savour in this novel: the intertwining of past and present; the struggle to write and the responsibility of writing about others’ lives …. Best of all, Lofthouse has a fine eye for the bleak Norfolk landscape and how it both reflects and affects characters’ moods.” – Tracy Chevalier

“A classic tale of longing” – Time Out

To order Bluethroat Morning from Amazon click here (affiliate link)

Boundaries Road – Een Stille Verdwijining

(de Bezige Bij 2005)

Jacqui Lofthouse’s Bluethroat Morning became a bestseller. This novel is certain to repeat that success. An extremely good read. A well structured story with two suspenseful story lines that intertwine in an excellent strong plot.
– The Dutch Library Service

Boundaries Road is a subtle literary thriller, published in Dutch as Een Stille Verdwijning. It explores the art of living and loving, motherhood, secrets and betrayal. As a teenager, Kate wanted to be an artist, living gloriously and with passion like her school friends Carrie and Seth. Now she is married to a nice, ordinary man and the mother of a demanding little boy. When by chance, on a tube platform, she sees her old friend Carrie – now a missing person – her life is thrown into turmoil. She gets in touch with Carrie’s eccentric parents and her old lover, Seth, a down-and-out cellist. As she unravels the mystery of Carrie’s disappearance, her feelings for Seth are reawakened. But will she leave her husband and child for an uncertain life with her teenage sweetheart? Een Stille Verdwijning is not only an exciting thriller, it addresses profound issues: ambition, marriage and motherhood. Where is true happiness to be found? Is it possible to live without betraying yourself or others or is betrayal inherent to adult life? Can we remain faithful to our ideals or should we be realistic and conform? As in Bluethroat Morning, Lofthouse weaves an intriguing story that seizes the reader by the throat and does not release until the very end.

The Modigliani Girl (Blackbird Books 2015)

“A deceptively light satire on the modern writing and publishing world.”

The Modigliani Girl, Jacqui Lofthouse

‘The Modigliani Girl’ – Affiliate link

Anna Bright never wanted to write a novel. At least, that’s what she tells herself. But a chance encounter with a famous novelist and a surprise gift of an art book cut a chink in Anna’s resolve. The short, tragic life of Modigliani’s mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne, becomes an obsession and before she knows it, she has enrolled on a creative writing course, is writing about a fictional Jeanne and mixing with the literati.

As her novel grows and takes on a life of its own, Anna feels her own life becoming increasingly irrelevant. She is absorbed by the story of Jeanne, who committed suicide aged 19 following the artist’s death, jumping from a high window in Paris, pregnant with his child. When Anna is invited to take part in a televised literary competition, hosted by an unscrupulous writing guru, she agrees, but later regrets her choice. Under the gaze of the camera, she has become part of a TV circus; unlike the Bohemian Jeanne, she has sold out. Will she manage to save her sanity and her relationship, before she becomes a by-product of the literary world?

“An unusual page turner of a novel that dares to be a bit different. I really warmed to the character of Anna, as she faces that dilemma faced by woman writers since time began – how to have ‘a room of one’s own’.” – ‎Louise McIvor, Writer and Creative Writing Tutor in Open Learning Dept, Queen’s University, Belfast

“This is a beautifully written novel (and I mean that in every sense of the word)… an unusual, fascinating and multi-layered novel.” – Pete Barber on BigAl’s Books and Pals

To order The Modigliani Girl from Amazon, click here (affiliate link)

Read Jacqui’s article: Modigliani’s Muse: the evolution of a novel

 

 

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Receive Jacqui's free ebook Get Black on White: 30 Days to Productivity and Confidence for writers.

Bluethroat Morning – New Edition

‘A thriller full of twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing. Every word is magical, almost luminous.’
– The Daily Mail

Buy the book

About The Writing Coach

Jacqui Lofthouse

The Writing Coach was founded in 2005 by the novelist Jacqui Lofthouse. An international mentoring and development organisation for writers, it is also an online home for writers, somewhere you can find advice, information, motivation and most of all encouragement for your writing work ... read more

The Modigliani Girl

Anna Bright never wanted to write a novel. At least, that’s what she tells herself. But a chance encounter with a famous novelist and a surprise gift of an art book cut a chink in Anna’s resolve. The short, tragic life of Modigliani’s mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne, becomes an obsession and before she knows it, she has enrolled on a creative writing course, is writing about a fictional Jeanne and mixing with the literati.

Buy the book

Recent Posts

  • Interview with Mark Leggatt
  • Our Charity Literary Event for War Child
  • Inside Story – The Writing Coach Membership
  • Michelle Graham Taylor and The Ghost Of A Lie
  • The Writing Life of PD Viner, Crime Writer and Crime Writing Mentor

Read our most popular posts

Read our most popular posts

The following posts are particularly useful for writers and include advice, ideas and inspiration...read more

Search

So shocked to hear the news about Salman Rushdie a So shocked to hear the news about Salman Rushdie and thinking of his friends and loved ones. A terrible day for the worldwide literary community.

Posted @withregram • @peninternational “PEN International utterly condemns the brutal attack on Salman Rushdie. Salman is an esteemed and celebrated author and beloved member of the PEN community, who has been facing threats for his work for years. No one should be targeted, let alone attacked, for peacefully expressing their views. We wish our dear friend a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with him and his family.” – Burhan Sonmez, PEN International President.
 
Read our statement condemning the attack on former PEN America President, Salman Rushie, today in New York. Link in bio.

#SalmanRushdie
Wow! On Friday I spent an hour or so looking throu Wow! On Friday I spent an hour or so looking through old journals, searching for some notes on an early novel idea that I'm considering reviving. But when I came across a particular entry in 1997, I nearly fell off my chair... and when I saw the date - well… 

What it said was this: "Instead of teaching, I could run my own business - the complete writer? The essential writer? The writing coach? Fiction school?" 

What! 'The Writing Coach'? In 1997? But I didn't start training as a coach until 2003? I didn't know what coaching was before then! I was teaching writers, yes, nurturing them individually, meeting them to talk about their work. Coaching Writers. Except I didn't call it that. But there it was in black and white. With that date, exactly 25 years ago! 

I knew, reading this, that I had to do something to celebrate this unexpected anniversary. So first of all, I've gathered some of my own favourite free resources in one place to offer you. You can find them all via my newsletter in link in profile. 

I’m also offering 3 mentoring places for one year with me at close to 50% off my usual rates - for those who sign up this weekend. If you have ever considered making the investment of working with me for a full year, this is the weekend to go for it! Find the details via link in profile.

I would love to work with you personally, to do some intense work on your writing mindset, your craft and your connection with the literary world. I'll read and annotate 80,000 words of your work over the year and we can talk about your writing career on a deep level in our monthly calls. My aim is to make a massive impact on your writing life this year. 

I'm also offering four of these meetings as in-person in London. Think 'discussing agent choices' at Tate Modern members room over a pot of Earl Grey...

I'm doing a little happy dance thinking about it! 

Book by midnight on Sunday 7th August to access it. I can't wait to find out who my Ultimate Clients from September 2022 will be...

There’s also a link in the newsletter to many free resources - on editing, dialogue, confidence, purpose and planning.
#writerscommunity #writingcoach #writingmentor #writersofinstagram
Mary Fletcher, one of our clients, interviews Mark Mary Fletcher, one of our clients, interviews Mark Leggatt, crime writer and consultant at The Writing Coach.

Mark is the author of five books and a former technology specialist. He is an editor and mentor.  Mark is also a member of the author touring group ‘Four Blokes In Search of a Plot’, a show which performs in theatres and arts venues, and writes a very short crime novel live on stage, while discussing all the aspects of being a writer and publishing. The stories are truly terrible, so it’s just as well it’s done for laughs or he’d never sell another book! He has appeared at festivals across Scotland and was invited to Thrillerfest in New York for three years running. He is represented by a leading London literary agency.

He has a keen interest in technological and international thrillers, crime, especially Tartan Noir, and loves fantasy, sci-fi and psychological crime. He enjoys the mentoring of debut authors, so he can show them all the mistakes he made as a debut, so they don’t have to. Just as well he can laugh about it.

We are so grateful to have Mark on our team.  You can read the interview via the link in the bio.

#writingcoach #authorinterview #author #igwriters #writersofig #instawriters #authorsofinstagram #writerscommunity #writerslife #crimewriting #fantasywriting
What a fabulous Brighton launch for Phil Viner’s What a fabulous Brighton launch for Phil Viner’s (PD Viner) novel ‘The Call’ @northlainecafe. 

Phil’s one of our mentoring team at The Writing Coach @thewritingcoach and it was great to catch up with @laura_wilkinsonwriter and @nikkisheehan3 there too - also Writing Coach mentors and friends - as well as well as novelist friend @katewritesbooks . Here’s to great success for ‘The Call’

“In a frantic late-night phone call, Ben learns his wife, Mia, has killed a man. And she needs his help.

When Ben arrives at Mia's hotel room, the scene is horrific - but over the course of the night it will get much worse.

All their secrets will be uncovered, and they will discover how far they'll go to protect themselves and each other... will they kill for love? Or will they die for it?
One phone call. Twelve hours to save their marriage. And their lives.”

 #thriller #launchparty #writingcoach #writingmentor #crimefiction #crimefictionmentor
Are you a fiction or memoir writer who wants to im Are you a fiction or memoir writer who wants to improve your work and complete a finished manuscript? 

If you have dabbled in writing fiction or memoir but now want to make strides with your writing or if you’re an experienced writer looking to polish a second draft of the work, this exclusive one day course with The Writing Coach Founder @jacquilofthouse will make a real difference to your output and your craft. 

You will learn what literary agents and publishers are looking for, but equally importantly how you can achieve this, whilst maintaining your authentic voice.

Join us on Saturday 28th May by signing up via the link in the bio.

#writingcoach #writingworkshop #amwriting #writinglife #writinghabits #writingritual #writersofinstagram
Follow on Instagram

Become a Client

We work to support you as you develop a writing life that is engaging, sustainable and productive.

Learn about our Coaching and Mentoring Services for ongoing support of your writing.

We also offer Literary Consultancy for tailored manuscript assessment and a Membership for ongoing classes and community.

Get the Newsletter

Become a subscriber and receive Jacqui's free ebook Get Black on White: 30 Days to Productivity and Confidence for writers.

Copyright © 2022 · The Writing Coach · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Design customised by Goburo