Granny with Benefits by Marilyn Bennett @mbennett_author #guestpost #giveaway

I am so pleased to have Marilyn Bennett on my blog today. She’s the author of Granny with Benefits which sounds like a lovely read and is on my TBR pile ready and waiting. Here’s what it’s all about:

Grace is thirty-nine and not remotely convinced that life begins at forty.

When her grandmother dies she volunteers to pick up her belongings from the sheltered accommodation. It is the last place she expects to have a chance encounter with the first man she has been instantly attracted to in a very long time, particularly as she is dressed almost head to toe in her grandmother’s clothing and accessories.

Grace’s granny alter ego elicits a conversation with the man about love, death and the universe, which she is convinced would not have happened otherwise. This inspires her to throw caution to the wind and turn what should have been a simple case of mistaken identity into a dating introduction opportunity for the real her. A decision which sets Grace on a rollercoaster adventure of lies, secrets and lust, making her thirty ninth year one she won’t forget, but might well regret…

Marilyn kindly agreed to write about her inspiration for the book:

The plot idea for my book Granny with Benefits derived from my failed attempt to set my friend up on a blind date, but the real inspiration was my wonderful group of female friends.  I often refer to these women as my spirit sisters, because although we are not biologically tied, in spirit, they still very much feel like my family, so I wanted to write a very long love letter and tribute to them.

Over the last two decades I have had recurring conversations with these women about our romantic relationships and careers, or lack thereof, depending on where our lives were at any given time.  These were conversations that I expected to tail off once we all settled down, but most of us haven’t.

I think we all got slightly tricked by that coveted 18-34 bracket of youth.  It’s a long period of time with a lot of room for trial and error.  The period after it is not so generous or forgiving if you’re single and want to have a child.  I think that small window during the ages of 35-40 can be critical for women who want to be mothers, but don’t have a partner.  It can lead to desperation and fear.  I experienced this on behalf of my friend, which is why I was trying to coax/force her to join Match.com and go on blind dates.  I knew how much she wanted a family and I knew what time it was biologically.  It’s a thin line between youth and middle age when you hit your late thirties.

One of the things I really wanted to say in the novel, that I believe applies to life in general, is that you have to be in it to win it.   To make anything you really want happen there has be some element of proactivity.  Some of my friends are very proactive and others less so and there are always consequences whichever option you choose, but doing nothing is surely not the answer.  I don’t know any knights in shining armour, who have horses with a satnav that are going to magically find their way into my friends’ living rooms and sweep them off their sofas.  What I want most of all for my friends is that they don’t have regrets and that’s easier to tackle if you’ve tried.

In the book the character Grace signifies the fear and loneliness that single people of a certain age, but particularly women, can feel.   Our lives are geared towards taking control of our destinies, but in real life unwanted change can dictate our paths much more often than our wishes.   We all have secret fears, but when you confront them they are not often not as scary as you think, which my character Grace finds out the hard way.

I wrote Granny with Benefits as a homage to my friends and family.  I wanted to celebrate them, by creating a story and that showed no matter how lonely life might get at times, if you have family and friends you’re still truly loved and you’re not alone.

Thank you, Marilyn. And if that sounds like a great read to you too then Granny with Benefits is available now in ebook format. It’s also available on Netgalley as a read now book until 17th March.


I’ve also got a giveaway of two ebooks. Please note this is for Apple devices only.

Two Ebooks of Granny with Benefits by Marilyn Bennett (Apple devices only)

 


Granny with Benefits is Marilyn’s debut novel and was inspired by her failed attempt to set up a friend on a blind date. She has worked in television broadcasting for 23 years, working mainly in factual production, but in recent years has become a Consultant in comedy and entertainment.

Marilyn’s second novel, the sequel to Granny with Benefits, will be published in Autumn 2017. She is currently working on a new series of books.

6 Comments

Leave a Reply to Maddy CordellCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.