Denham’s novel, written entirely in e-mails, began as a serialized Web site, www.hollysinbox.com. The story revolves around Holly Denham, the new receptionist at a London bank, and through her correspondence, readers get to know her daily life. She befriends Trish, the other receptionist, and begins a relationship with James, a charming higher-up. Between organizing meetings at the bank, she trades hilarious, risqué e-mails with her friends Jason and Aisha, assures her parents she’s getting along well, helps her grandmother decipher the Internet, and offers her siblings much-needed advice. Her e-mails even reveal a life-altering event from her past. While the premise can be tiresome—who doesn’t have to slog through enough e-mails of their own?—the story becomes more engrossing as fresh details come to light. The author, a placement-agency owner writing under a pen name, explores a new format with compelling results. A second novel is planned, and Holly’s adventures continue online. –Aleksandra Walker, The Booklist
AUTHOR GUEST POST BY BILL SURIE/HOLLY DENHAM…When I left school I told my Dad I was going to be a writer – and have a book published in America. He’d told me to shut up, grow up and get a proper job – otherwise I’d have nothing to write about.
I didn’t listen of course and for a long time tried to get something published and failed miserably. At last I gave up, beginning a career in recruitment. Later opening my own specialist agency for reception staff – and the book (about a receptionist in a bank) came from that.
Annoying isn’t it, when your parents turn out to be right. But thanks Dad.
The idea for the site came one day when we had to trawl through an ex-employees work email account. We were trying to think of ways in attracting more candidates in an increasingly competitive market. The woman’s emails were reading was single, extremely flirtatious and had always loved us to bits. We discovered she was married with four children, and couldn’t stand the sight of us. The life she was leading was so full of mystery, intrigue, romance (and many many lies) that it made me wonder what it would be like to read a story told in this way.
So I began writing, as a woman and disturbingly (for my wife) it turned out to be a lot better than anything I’d written as a man.
An email went out to 90,000 people telling them NOT to visit HollysInbox.com because unscrupulous IT hacks had posted a live email account of a fellow employee onto the web in total disregard of our privacy laws.
We said – if she was working for your company it was essential you let her know NOW! Before the world discovered what she really thought about her co-workers.
The site crashed because so many people were logging on.
With the site’s popularity – I realised I couldn’t keep them on there for long if I only had a couple of email exchanges a day, so I began filling in the space with more subplots – writing in real time.
We built a forum into the site and a chat room, and to my horror people began going there to talk about it as soon as they didn’t like something. If it wasn’t funny, they would say so (and the emails miraculously disappeared), if it was too weird I’d make it less-weird, too slow and I’d make it faster… as much as I hated getting bad feedback… it was helping me to write. I will be eternally grateful to the fantastic forum fans. Holly still keeps in touch with them on Facebook and Twitter.
I remember once during the story, I organized a Teddy Bears’ picnic for Holly fans as I wanted to go along and thank them all and have fun etc, we were going to have such a laugh in Hyde park on a sunny afternoon, until my wife pointed out that I was Bill – not Holly – and how on earth was I going to go along?
I hadn’t thought it through what so ever. So I cancelled it. Shame, but I think less scary than seeing me as Holly – oh sick, nasty image in my head aaaagh get out.
As the story reached it’s climax I realized the site would soon be over and I had to go back to recruitment…. so I began emailing as many agents as possible the web link; without knowing what I wanted from them. At last a wonderful woman replied and told me it would work in a book… and it did. The story has now been translated into 6 different languages – (who could have guessed it, I’m just so grateful and thrilled) and now at last on the 1st June Sourcebooks have let me achieve my dream, to have a book published in the USA!!!!
The site has been re-launched and www.hollysinbox.com is now live with emails being sent and received by Holly Denham, I hope you like it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Holly Denham is the pen name of Bill Surie, the owner of a placement service for receptionists and secretaries in London. He started the www.HollysInbox.com as a place to serialize his first novel. His second novel is now in the works and currently lives in England and Spain with his wife and daughter. You can also find Holly on facebookand twitter!
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