I’m posting an extra blog this week, to celebrate the first anniversay of The Friendship List by Beth Miller. Isn’t the cover gorgeous? Let’s find out a bit more about the book, and Beth.
Blurb
It should have been the happiest day of Kay’s life. Getting married with her best friend and maid of honour, Rose at her side. But then Rose messages Kay moments before the ceremony, I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. Please don’t look for me. Kay is heartbroken. What could have possibly driven Rose to leave?
Kay doesn’t know a life without Rose in it. They’ve stuck together through thick and thin; getting each other through tough break-ups, the rollercoaster of children and losing Kay’s beloved mum.
Searching through a lifetime of belongings, desperate for clues, Kay finds a box of old photos. As she looks at pictures of them dancing with their friends from years ago, she wonders whether the key to finding Rose lies in their past. Writing down a list of long-lost friendships, Kay feels certain one of them will know what happened to Rose.
But as Kay begins to uncover a lifetime of memories to help her find her friend, will she also find herself? This feel-good novel shows it’s never too late for a second chance at true friendship.
Buy links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Friendship-List-unforgettable-page-turner-friendship-ebook/dp/B0FCXXK2TH
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-friendship-list/beth-miller/9781835256596
Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Friendship-List-Audiobook/B0FHQS6VYZ
Welcome to my blog, Beth. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes, I wrote stories and poems constantly as a child, and aged seven I pretentiously told a teacher that I wanted to be ‘a poet’ when I grew up. But then writing fell out of my life for years until I was in my thirties, and I didn’t get published till my forties. My first book took ten years to write but I’ve got a lot quicker since then. It’s a constant joy to be able to say (to myself, and occasionally out loud), ‘I am a writer’. My seven year old self would be proud, though she’d wonder what happened to the poetry. In fact, I am a rotten poet.
Has any author inspired you?
So many. In no particular order: Nora Ephron, Judy Blume, L.P. Hartley, Elizabeth Beresford, Howard Jacobson, Douglas Adams, Stephen King, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Terry McMillan, P.G. Wodehouse, Anne Tyler, Jane Austen, Ann Patchett, Nick Hornby… I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone important.
Do you have a special place for writing?
No, I can write anywhere. I really like writing on trains. And sometimes I go away to a random cheap hotel to get drafts finished without the housework leering at me. But I do have a desk in the spare room which is probably where most of the work gets done. Mind you, I’m at that desk now and someone out in the street is banging a hammer against a rock (that’s what it sounds like anyway) so I might have to relocate to the kitchen.
What are you writing at the moment?
I’m writing a book about a woman who has run away from the circus. I’m laughing a lot at my own prose. I aim to finish it by Christmas.
What advice would you give to other writers?
I teach creative writing and mentor writers, so I’m always dishing out advice! These are the things I say most often:
When you’ve finished first draft, put the novel away for a few weeks so you can come back to it with the detached, cold eye of the assassin.
‘Don’t get it right, get it written’. This mantra is in my head the whole time I’m writing first draft. It means: don’t go back endlessly over your work; don’t sit there worrying that it doesn’t say exactly what you want; don’t waste time moving commas about; don’t be neurotic. Churn out the words, and trust that you can make them better later – you can. Writing is rewriting.
If you’re a pantser, write without worrying too much, then when you get into the classic pantser pickle at about 30,000 words, write a long synopsis about everything that’s happened so far, and what might happen next.
Fab advice, Beth. Happy birthday to The Friendship List. Wishing you lots of success with your writing.
About Beth
Author bio
Beth Miller is the author of seven novels, including the bestselling The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright (2020). Her most recent novel is The Friendship List (2025). She has also published two non-fiction books, one about Shakespeare, the other about The Archers! She is subject tutor on the MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College, and also teaches regularly for Arvon and Brighton’s Creative Writing Programme. She has just completed four years as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. She is a book coach for writers at all stages.
Author links:
Website: https://www.bethmiller.co.uk/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/bethmillerauthor
Instagram: beth_miller_author
More of Beth’s books
