Well, no actually. That might have been the way things were done, some 30 years ago, but Milly Johnson has been bringing the saga bang up to date.

And in Johnson's second novel, The Birds and the Bees, single mum Stevie Honeywell's life is torn apart when her fiance dumps her for another woman just days before the wedding. The question is, what's she going to do about it?

In this OutLoud interview the Barnsley novelist talks about why she has spoken out in defence of Yorkshire men and single mums, why she rarely buys birthday cards, and her growing passion for wrestling.

...........................

THREE WAYS TO LISTEN

1. Listen now on your PC

2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)

3. Get all our podcasts automatically, as soon as they're available.

Subscribe free to OutLoud via iTunes.

Or, if you have Juice, Doppler or other podcast software, you can subscribe free using this feed.

Related link: Other podcasts from the Yorkshire Post »

..........................


Milly Johnson was brought up in Barnsley, with strong Glasgow roots. After university she began a wide career of odd jobs and supplemented her earnings with a successful freelance sideline in writing verses and jokes for greetings cards.

She turned this into a full-time career in her 30s when she was pregnant with her first son. After turning 40 she decided it was time to stop putting that half-finished novel back into a cupboard and get it published.

The Yorkshire Pudding Club was published in 2007 and well received across Europe. The Birds and the Bees is now out in paperback.

Johnson still lives in Barnsley with her two sons, and is working on a history of wrestling in Barnsley. Her third novel is also well underway.

The Birds and the Bees, £6.99, is published by Pocket Books at Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-1416525912

Please use the commenting facility to let us know what you think of this book, using the following ratings:

1) Dull as dishwater
2) Okay, but could have been better
3) Pretty good, decent holiday read
4) Really liked it, can't wait for the next one
5) FANTASTIC - couldn't put it down!