Gill Paul – Of Love & Betrayal

Gill Paul’s latest book, Jackie and Maria, takes two of the world’s most glamorous and privileged women of their time – Jackie Kennedy Onassis and opera star Maria Callas – and offers us a novel about their love of the same man. A man who also happened to be the world’s richest man at that time, Aristotle Onassis.  It’s tagged ‘First comes love, then comes betrayal’ and it’s an addictive read that offers a front-row seat to an infamous rivalry as well as the opportunity to hobnob vicariously with the rich and famous. What’s not to like? We’re delighted to be giving away three e-book copies of Jackie and Maria to three lucky readers. Enter the draw on The Joys of Binge Reading website or our Facebook page to win a copy of this fascinating read. Enter the draw for the Jackie and Maria Giveaway here Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: How a social media post inspired a bookTwo divas in love with the same manThe secrets Ari kept from JackieFractured family relationships on both sidesThe next challenge for GillHow the pandemic is affecting work Where to find Gill Paul:  Website: gillpaul.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gill.paul.16  Twitter: @GillPaulAuthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gill.paul1/ What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions. Jenny Wheeler: But now, here’s Gill. Hello there, Gill and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Introducing Gill Paul Gill Paul: Jenny, thank you so much for inviting me back again. It's lovely to speak to you. Jenny Wheeler: Yes, it is the second time we talked and it's a real pleasure. We got you back because this book you've just published, your latest book, is a fascinating one. It's on a topic that will appeal to many people. But first of all, let's just clarify. It's got two different titles, depending on which part of the world you're reading it in. Tell us about that. Why has it got two titles and where does each one apply? Gill Paul historical fiction author Gill Paul: It's so complicated. It's called Jackie and Maria in the United States and Canada, but my UK publishers decided that the two names weren't recognizable enough for the British market, so they came up with this other title, The Second Marriage, and that's the title it will have In Australia and New Zealand as well. But I do get readers contacting me saying, I've read Jackie and Maria, where can I buy The Second Marriage and I have to explain. I hope nobody buys the same book twice. Jenny Wheeler: It is a bit confusing, but a lot of the publishers do that. I find it a bit unbelievable that the names Jackie and Maria wouldn't have much resonance in the UK, but there we are. I think we know who you are talking about – Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Maria Callas. Gill Paul: That's right. First comes love, then betrayal Jenny Wheeler: The tagline for the book is a great one – ‘First comes love, then comes betrayal’. At their time these were the most famous and wealthy women in the world, perhaps. What inspired you to tackle them as a subject? The Second Marriage by Gill Paul Gill Paul: It was a reader in Athens who got in touch with me. Her name's Barbara Douka and she wrote to me on Twitter and said why don't you write about Maria Callas and O...