Semple, Andrea 1975–

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Semple, Andrea 1975–

PERSONAL: Born 1975, in England. Education: Attended University in Hull, England.

ADDRESSES: Home—Leeds, England. Agent—The Marsh Agency, 11 Dover St., London W1S 4LJ, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer. Worked variously as a manager for one of the world's largest nightclubs, in Ibiza, Spain; as a freelance journalist; and as publisher of Writing Tips, an e-newsletter.

WRITINGS:

(With Matt Haig) The Internet Job Search Handbook, How to Books (Oxford, England), 2001.

NOVELS

The Ex-Factor, Piatkus Books (London, England), 2002.

The Make-Up Girl, Piatkus Books (London, England, 2004.

The Man from Perfect, Piatkus Books (London, England), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including the Guardian, Independent, and Eve.

SIDELIGHTS: Novelist Andrea Semple was born and raised in England. She lived briefly in Ibiza, Spain, where she worked as part of the management team for a major nightclub, prior to returning to England. She has worked as a freelance journalist, her work appearing in such publications as the Guardian, Eve, and the Independent. Her first novel, The Ex-Factor, is a light, comedic work, following the adventures of Martha Seymore, an advice columnist for an English fashion magazine, who finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. This failure of her own relationship forces Martha to question every bit of advice she has ever given in her column, and she goes off the deep end in her attempt to completely change her life. Aleksandra Kostovski, in a review for Booklist, compared Martha favorably to her fellow chick-lit heroine, Bridget Jones, stating that "readers will be pleased to find a character who's less self-deprecating and more self-assured."

Semple's follow-up novel, The Make-Up Girl, tells the story of Faith Wishart, a young woman who constantly invents the details of a fabulous life to convince her mother she is perfectly happy, when reality is far from her imaginings. In a review for Library Journal, Anika Fajardo found Semple's effort "an uneven read, at times engaging but generally predictable." However, Kostovski, again reviewing for Booklist, wrote that Semple is able to "replicate the quick-paced charm of her debut."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 2004, Aleksandra Kostovski, review of The Ex-Factor, p. 228; October 15, 2005, Aleksandra Kostovski, review of The Make-Up Girl, p. 31.

Entertainment Weekly, November 11, 2005, Clarissa Cruz, Nina Willdorf, and Leah Greenblatt, "Chick Lit 101: Bad Boys, Cad Nauseum," review of The Make-Up Girl, p. 76.

Library Journal, October 1, 2005, Anika Fajardo, review of The Make-Up Girl, p. 68.