Blog Tour: Guest Post From the author of The Dress, Kate Kerrigan

I'm very lucky to have ANOTHER guest post on the blog today. I am kicking off the blog tour for The Dress by Kate Kerrigan, which is published by Head of Zeus and comes out on ebook in July and in hardback in September. Just look at this lush cover! The book sounds fab and will definitely be on my summer reading list. I was curious to hear what Kate's writing progress what for the epic sounding novel and you can read all about that below. I'll leave you with the blurb and there's also a rafflecopter link at the bottom so you can enter to win yourselves a proof copy and get to read it early!

Lily Fitzpatrick loves vintage - clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories - things made all the more precious because once they were owned and loved by another woman.  Thousands follow her vintage fashion blog and her daily #WhatLilyWears Instagram feed.

But this passion for the beautiful clothes of the past is about to have unforeseen consequences, when Lily stumbles upon the story of a 1950s New York beauty, who was not only everything Lily longs to be, but also shares Lily’s surname.

Joy Fitzpatrick was a legend.  But what was the famous dress which she once commissioned - said to be so original that nothing in couture would ever match it again?  What happened to it - and why did Joy Fitzpatrick suddenly disappear from New York high society?

The Dress interweaves the dramatic story of Joy, the beautiful but tortured socialite and that of Lily - determined to uncover the truth and, if possible, to bring back to life the legendary dress itself.

I can honestly say I have never had such fun researching a novel.

I used work as an editor on women’s magazines and so fashion was a big part of my life as a young woman. I thought I had forgotten everything but when I started to write about my fashion blogger Lily it all came flooding back. Much of the stuff I write about with Lily - I have experienced myself, including that wonderful trip to Miami! 

I was also very lucky to have a close friend who is a textile and fashion designer, Louise Brennan. Lou has a library of absolutely beautiful volumes of fashion history and books that I was able to refer to. When it came to the point of me designing the actual address of the books title, I began to struggle. So I phone Lou and said ‘Help! I have just described ‘the most beautiful dress ever made’ but reading the text over it sounds ugly! Can you help me get a picture of it in my head?’ Lou then came up an absolutely beautiful sketch for me to work from. I was so excited by it, that I sent it on off to my editor, who in turn got so excited that she passed it on to the art department at Head of Zeus, my publishing house. That first drawing, the picture that Lou drew up immediately after reading my early description of Joy’s dress, ended up on the front cover of the book itself. It’s been so exciting for me to have what was essentially a piece of research for me, become such an integral part of the finished book.

All the best,

Kate

Thanks so much Emily for stopping by the blog today. If you fancy winning a fab proof of this book-which isn't out until September-just click the link below...

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MWM2YjY5NWZkOTAxMGUxZTFiZDBiNzk3MzBmMjEzOjE=/