Where did the time go?

It’s been a while. Far too long. But not for one moment does it mean I have nothing to say – as if that was ever going to happen!

Like the whole of 2019, these past few weeks have whizzed by and I find it hard to believe that it’s been eight weeks since I last posted. As I write this evening, it is now July and half the year has gone. So what have I been doing?

Something monumental (for me) happened on 18^th May which I splashed all over Facebook and Twitter but in my excitement omitted to shout about here on my own page. So, are you ready? Here goes then. I entered into a four book contract with Sapere Books. FOUR! I really wanted to put the whole of that sentence in capital letters because that’s what it feels like. Okay, I must lower my voice and calm down a bit. But that’s easier said than done. Why? Because these are my Regencies. 

This fabulous publisher is going to launch my books in a way that a debutante might have been launched into Society in the eighteen hundreds and I could not be more excited. You can find my page on their website here

This is the genre I most like to read, but I began my career by writing contemporary romantic fiction. With three books published I needed a pretty good reason to change direction. I enjoyed working in ‘real’ time. For one thing, there was little intensive research involved. I could rely on things I knew and could see. All I had to do was tell the story. I say all but, as any author will tell you, it isn’t quite that simple. Nevertheless it was fun, it was rewarding and I would have been quite happy to have continued in that vein.

Only something was pulling me in another direction, and tugging hard. As a teenager, my mother introduced me to the novels of Georgette Heyer, me and my sister both. Over the years my taste in reading has been quite catholic, though I gave up on horror a long time ago as it gave me nightmares. A good thriller, though, a Sci-Fi, comedy, tragedy…they were all in the mix but never have I encountered another author whose books I have read time and time again with equal and sometimes increasing enjoyment. Heyer does that for me.

As a romance writer, there is to me no more romantic age than that of the English Regency. Could I dip my quill into the inkpot and produce something of the era? The question demanded an answer and I had to try and it seemed that once I began to write I couldn’t stop. On 25^th April last year, The Ghost of Glendale was published. There are now three others waiting to follow and the next is already begun.

Sometimes life hands us a gift. There are occasionally days when I do not write but they are few and far between. Weaving stories is a delightful pastime but when it’s your work as well you are truly lucky. I hope you enjoy mine.

Till next time

Natalie

Writing from the Heart

Those of you who know me or follow this blog will be aware that I’ve been writing for some time now, with four books, and many published short stories to my name. I began with short stories and the pleasure I get from constructing a whole new world in just one or two thousand words has never diminished.

However, in the fascinating world of fiction it is sometimes supposed (if you’re not an author) that writing is an easy occupation. That somehow an idea germinates – that bit is true – and then the words just flow onto the page. It does happen, occasionally, but most of the time it’s hard work, writing that first draft followed by multiple edits, loving it, hating it then hopefully loving it again. Then maybe another edit.

Just occasionally something magical happens and this was the case for me with my latest book. It was my addiction to the books of Georgette Heyer and love of the Regency that were the inspiration for The Ghost of Glendale. Like many others, I was practically weaned on the books of the queen of romantic Regency novels. While I don’t presume to emulate my idol, it has long been my ambition to attempt this genre, having previously concentrated on women’s contemporary romantic fiction. The Ghost of Glendale was that perfect experience. Straight from the heart and the words tumbling to get out. It isn’t the longest book I’ve ever written but it is, to date, my favourite.

Blurb

At twenty-four years old, Phoebe Marcham is resigned to spinsterhood, unwilling to settle for anything less than the deep love her parents had shared. That is, until adventurer Duncan Armstrong rides into her home wood, larger than life and with laughter in his eyes and more charm in his little finger than anyone she’s ever met before. Far from ridiculing her family ghost, Duncan resolves to help solve the mystery which has left Simon Marcham a spirit in torment for two hundred years.

This book was such a joy to write. There’s a ghost, a little bit of history, a couple of horses – I love horses – and the obligatory difficult relative. But above all there’s the relationship between the two main protagonists. They may have ‘lived’ nearly two hundred years ago but they are as real to me as anyone I know today – and they are fun! I hope you like them too.

Publication date is 25^th April but for anyone who is interested The Ghost of Glendale is now available to pre-order.

A special word of thanks to Debbie Viggiano whose advice has been invaluable and my particular thanks to Rebecca Emin and Cathy Helms who were instrumental in getting this book out there for me. .

See you next time.

Two-Faced - But in a Good Way

It’s been said that as one door closes another opens. Janus, Roman god of gates and doors was depicted as having two faces, one casting his eyes back and one looking to the future. It takes no great stretch of the imagination then to understand why the month of January is said to be named for him.

Looking back 2017 was another busy year for me and I was thrilled when my third book, Escape to the Cotswolds, was published by HQ | HarperCollins on 21^st June. Here is the blurb:

Artist Holly Hunter is turning her life upside-down! She’s leaving the bright lights of London (and a cheating husband) behind her and hoping for a fresh start as she escapes to the peaceful Cotswolds countryside.

Men are off the cards for Holly. Instead, she’s focusing on her little gallery and adopting an adorable Border Collie puppy named Tubs. Or so she thought…

Because no matter how hard she tries to resist him, local vet Adam Whitney is utterly gorgeous. And in a village as small as this one, Holly can only avoid Adam for so long!

Later in the year and never one to turn down a challenge, I picked up the gauntlet and in November completed the NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. You can read about my before and after experiences here and here.

Now it’s a new year and, like one of Janus’s faces, I am looking forward. And with no little excitement either. I have renewed my love affair with short stories and today sees the publication of Some Time Alone in the People’s Friend Special #151. This, appropriately enough, is about a new beginning and is set in my favourite area of the country in the same fictional village as my book, Escape to the Cotswolds, but with different characters.   

The exhilaration continues next week on 11^th January when my Pocket Novel, The Ghost of Glendale, will be on a supermarket shelf near you. DC Thomson have produced this beautiful cover for my romantic Regency ghost story. Here is a taster:

At twenty-four years old, Phoebe Marcham is resigned to spinsterhood, unwilling to settle for less than the deep love her parents had shared. That is until adventurer Duncan Armstrong rides into her home wood, larger than life and with laughter in his eyes and more charm in his little finger than anyone she has ever previously known. Far from ridiculing her family ghost, Duncan resolves to help solve the mystery which has left Simon Marcham a soul in torment for two hundred years.

For those of you who know me or follow my blog it will come as no surprise that I am particularly thrilled with this one as I have a lifelong love of the period having been practically weaned on Georgette Heyer’s wonderful novels. And I have recorded the whole series of Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle) to watch yet again. And I watched Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion during the holiday period. What can I say? I’m a total fan.

So what, you might ask, has happened to all those words written for the NaNoWriMo challenge? This is still a work in progress. I’m hoping to complete the first draft by the end of the month. The synopsis is written, the first three chapters are ready to go but there are subplots and editing to deal with before I have a completed manuscript.

All the while in the background are short story ideas and novel plots waiting to take shape and form. Then there is the RNA Conference to look forward to together with workshops and writing retreats. A busy 2018 in prospect. Would I have it any other way? Definitely not. I love what I do. I hope you do too.

Wishing all my readers, friends and family aspiration, inspiration, joy and peace. Happy New Year to one and all. 

Escape to the Cotswolds

If you read my last blog post you will know that I came to writing by accident. I had a huge amount to learn. I still have a lot to learn. Like most things in life, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. Or as properly as one can.

My first published
short story
Yes, it's Norwegian

After selling more than thirty short stories to women’s magazines worldwide I turned my hand to novels and soon discovered it’s a completely different discipline. Like many writers my first attempt ended up in the bottom drawer, or at least hidden carefully away on my laptop. Undeterred – writing friends had told me this was par for the course – I persevered. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers Scheme which I cannot recommend too highly and my next book was taken up that same year and published in the summer three years ago. Come to that, so was the one after that, this time a pocket novel with The People’s Friend. So, with two books published within seven weeks of each other, I set to with a will.

It doesn’t do to become complacent in this industry. I have written four books in the time between then and now, diversifying, trying different things. I ventured from contemporary women’s fiction into the realm of historical Regency romance. And what fun I had. An almost lifelong fan of Georgette Heyer (I didn’t read her books as a child) I just had to have a go at writing one myself. And then another. One full length, one novella. I have yet to find a home for them but my next contemporary romance was taken up two weeks after submission to HQ HarperCollins and will be published on 21^st June.

On 20^th May HQ revealed the beautiful cover of Escape to the Cotswolds. Since then I have been answering questionnaires sent by people who have kindly agreed to host me on their blog. Others will be posting reviews of my book - my fingers are crossed so tightly it hurts. I have been tweeting and posting on Facebook using some of the lovely shareables sent to me by my publishers. Here’s one of them. So pretty. And now publication day is fast approaching. You can almost feel the excitement in my home. But there’s a lot to be acknowledged elsewhere as well.

This is not a journey I’ve made alone. With beta readers to point out my many glaring errors and a creative writing school (The Write Place) to make sure I made as few mistakes as possible - inevitably there are some – I seem to have come out the other side relatively unscathed. I am SO looking forward to publication day. I’m also preparing to write my next book, another contemporary for which an outline and chapter breakdown have already been done, sort of. No time to sit on my laurels BUT I’m so looking forward to 21^st June. Do join me if you can.

From Stormy Seas to a Safe Harbour

As this is a holiday weekend in the UK I'm celebrating by offering Safe Harbour as a free download on Amazon here. I've had such fabulous feedback that I thought I'd share some of the questions I've been asked about the book:

What inspired the setting for your book?

I’ve been on several cruises, each different in its own way, to diverse destinations in various types of weather. Every one, though, had an almost mystical feel about it, an excitement and an awareness of things to come, as yet unseen. There is a romance about cruising that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the love between two people, though of course that isn’t the case in Safe Harbour. Nothing could be more to the fore than the feelings Beth and Ryan have for each other.

I heard you had a problem with naming your characters?

I didn’t actually have a problem at all. They, on the other, had strong objections to their original names and insisted I change them. As I did so their personalities asserted themselves and my characters became more real to me. I’ve learned over time that try as I may to write my protagonists they always have the last word.

Beth, shows a huge amount of courage in taking the action she did? Are all your heroines so strong?

I like to think so. I’ve never been able to write the type of woman who fawns on her man without having a mind of her own. I believe we’d all like to trust we would take what we saw as the right decision, rather than the easy option. There’s no doubt that Beth does that!

Beth faces a terrible dilemma. Was there no other action she could have taken than the one she did?

I suspect there might have been several. None, though, would have allowed her to remain true to herself and the principles that guide her. I prefer to believe that the heartbreak they go through in the end forges an even stronger bond between her and Ryan.

There is one chapter in the book that is quite sexually explicit. Did you find this difficult to write?

Strangely enough, no. Perhaps had I thought about it I might have done but once I started I didn’t think about it…just wrote to the end. Naturally it needed a bit of editing but I truly believe that if I’d stopped to consider it would have ended up being stilted. I don’t believe it is. In fact, I have received several compliments that it is very sensitively written.

I loved your characters in Safe Harbour. Can I look forward to seeing any of them in future books?

You aren’t the first person to have asked me this question. I felt a strong affinity with Ryan’s sister, Siobhan. I think it’s possible her own story is waiting to be written.

I have Safe Harbour downloaded onto my Kindle but would like a signed copy for my friend's birthday. Is this possible?

I’d be delighted to send you a signed copy. If you let me have your details by email at natalie@nataliekleinman.co.uk I’ll be happy to arrange this with you.  

Is Safe Harbour available to borrow from my library?

Not at the moment but I’m happy to say it will come on stream in March of next year.

What are you writing at the moment?

I’m very excited about this. Having written three contemporary romances – the second is published and my latest is at present with my agent, Lisa Eveleigh – I have decided to take a leap of faith and attempt a romance set in Regency times. I grew up with Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen and I love the elegance and etiquette of that period. This project will be longer in the writing – Safe Harbour took about six months – as there is a huge amount of research to do first. It’s important for my own sake and that of my readers that I get it right.

It’s been a delight to reproduce some of the questions here. Do you have a question you would like to ask about the book?

If you've already read Safe Harbour please tell your friends they can read it for free if they download before midnight on Sunday 30^th August. If you haven't, I hope you enjoy it. I’d love to hear from you. 

Strolling in St James's

Pursuing my research into Regency London, I managed to find a day when it didn’t rain to take a stroll around St James’s. This was nothing short of a miracle considering the mixed batch the weather has thrown at us recently.

A lifetime resident of our amazing capital, I still never cease to be amazed at its beautiful and varied architecture. I think it’s easy sometimes to dismiss what’s on our own doorstep while eulogising over the treasures on offer in other cities of the world. Impossible though not to be affected by the sight of a wide ribbon of water with its many iconic buildings on either side as one drives across one of the bridges that span the Thames. Or to marvel at the history as one takes a boat trip with the added benefit of a running commentary.

On this day though I was on foot and heading for an area that was frequented in times past by characters, both real and imagined, who appear in the novels of my heroine, Georgette Heyer. Even the modern day traffic and the roadworks barely impinged as I turned into St James’s Street. Instead I imagined horses, imposing carriages, beautifully dressed men and women, people on foot - though I was pulled up short when I considered the surface of the streets. Were they cobbled? Made of mud? Covered with wooden slats? I realised I had (and still have) no idea and I would appreciate any input from those of you in the know.

Blue Bell Yard

Many delights assailed my senses as I trod my way down the now, thankfully for me, solid pavement, but there were hidden gems as well. I turned into Blue Ball Yard, a narrow way which led into a beautifully preserved mews dating from the 1740s. With its stables below and rooms above I could, even in its modern day presentation with outdoor seating and hanging flowers, imagine noble steeds as grooms brushed their coats to a shining finish, well-maintained tack, the pleasant smell of a horse yard. For a time I was lucky to be the owner of a skittish but lovable half-Arab horse so the things this experience evoked were real memories, not just my imaginings.

I returned again to St James’s Street to enjoy its delights before taking another diversion into Pickering Place. Through the passage to where it expanded at the end, I found myself standing where it was reputed the last ever duel in London took place in the 1840s. Was it swords or pistols? I must check. Pickering Place was also home a notorious gaming hell which Georgette Heyer mentions in several of her books.

At the end of St James’s Street at the junction with Pall Mall stands St James’s Palace. It is historically and to this day a very important royal residence and though its doors are not open to the public it is much used for official functions. On the day of my walk, though, I could only imagine the royal princes in residence in times gone by. I have no doubt there was much that was sordid in Regency times, as indeed there has been in most periods of history, but to me it evokes elegance, etiquette and beautiful buildings. I’m looking forward to continuing my research as I plan my next novel, an innovation for me. I am moving from contemporary romance to an inspiring bygone age. I hope my heroine enjoys her time there.

I am indebted to Louise Allen for her wonderful guidebook, Walks Through Regency London

Journeys Back in Time

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter you will know that I visited the Imperial War Museum earlier this week in the company of Elaine Everest, Viv Brown and Sarah Craven. While the historical period I am hoping to write about wasn’t represented, I had a wonderful time at the ‘Fashion on the Ration’ exhibition. Here is Elaine to tell us more about it.

Elaine's book and some she purchased at the IWM

When my students mentioned ‘school trips’ during the summer break from The Write Place I suggested  the Imperial War Museum as I had an ulterior motive – the ‘Fashion on the Ration’ exhibition. My sagas are set in the 1930s and 1940s so to be able to see garments up close from the era was a chance I couldn’t miss. I wasn’t disappointed. I felt as though I’d stepped back in time and could see many of my ‘girls’ wearing the frocks and underwear on display. Peggy from Gracie’s War was the perfect example of the women who were advised to ‘make do and mend.’ As rationing was introduced women had to be inventive in order to look smart and keep up their morale.

In my forthcoming book, The Woolworths’ Girls (Pan Macmillan, March 2016) Maisie, one of my Woolies girls, is a keen dressmaker and could be relied upon to turn any second hand item of clothing into something chic for herself and her friends. ‘Keep up the morale of the Home Front by preserving a neat appearance.’ (The Board of Trade 1940) could have been written for Maisie!

My one worry as I walked through the exhibition was that I’d made a mistake. Was I right to have my young bride, Sarah, wear a nightdress made from a whisper of satin on her husband’s return from fighting the enemy? As I turned a corner and faced a display of undergarments and nightwear I knew my research was spot on. In front of me was a mannequin wearing the very garment that Maisie made for her best friend.

Even if you don’t write historical fiction I recommend a visit to the IWM for a dose of nostalgia before the exhibition ends at the end of August.

Thank you, Elaine. And now for a trip even further back in time. 

On my journey to the Imperial War Museum I immersed myself in quite another period of history. What amazing facilities are available to those of us who wish to write about an age other than the one in which we live. Here is what I did.

The postman doesn’t deliver very early these days but he came up trumps on Tuesday morning and my excitement mounted as I opened the envelope because I knew what it contained. I had ordered a copy of Louise Allen’s Walks Through Regency London. There’s a big hint in the title! I (along with many others) am a huge fan of Georgette Heyer and my ambition is to write a romantic novel set in the capital in Regency times.

While I acknowledge that the Kindle and its equivalents are a great boon to the reader on the move I decided to order not the ebook but the slim volume I now have in my possession. I wanted to be able to flick the pages; to look at the images; to jump from one place to another with ease. There are ten walks, each of approximately two miles. Such is the detail that I only had time to study the first walk. So engrossed was I that I nearly missed changing trains at Waterloo. A nice touch that, Waterloo, since it fits so well into the time frame. The detail is quite extraordinary. Because it is essentially a guide book I had expected it to be quite dry. Here is where I apologise to Louise Allen because it’s no such thing! It’s interesting, evocative of its time and it drew me straight into places I know so well from between the covers of my heroine’s books.

Even as I type this I am becoming more excited because the first walk is named St James’s and it starts at Green Park Station in Piccadilly. It just so happens, and this really is a coincidence, that I am meeting my sister this coming Friday afternoon in that very area. I will travel up to London in the morning with the book in my handbag and sample the first of what I know are going to be huge treats. I expect it won’t be long before my copy is covered with notes, highlighted in yellow and curling at the edges. I make no apology for this. It’s a book that's meant to be used. In the meantime, huge thanks to Louise for all the footwork (sorry!) she put in. I have already gained a great deal of pleasure and I haven’t even started yet!

Guess what my next blog’s going to be about.

It's Just a Matter of Time

Just when I thought it was safe…

In my fifteen years as a writer, and with the exception of a few short stories, my work has always taken place in the 21^st century. I have recently completed my fourth novel with all the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology. Mobile phones, for instance, with their instant access when really it would be much easier on the plot if contact couldn’t be immediate. How often can one pull the ‘no signal’ card? On the other hand, emails and instant messaging can and have proved a real asset at times.

But with no new plot thrusting itself to the front of my mind I wondered about changing my time setting. I looked at some of my short stories for inspiration. I thought of those authors I most like to read. Not all were contemporary. Georgette Heyer was almost my first love and most of my copies of her books have disintegrated over time. Frederica fell to pieces when I dropped her in the bath! Sadly I don’t think she’s still available with the old green cover. A seed was planted and I ordered six books. More will follow.

Then there’s Jane Austen. I never got on with Emma but Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion are long-standing favourites.

Could I write a Regency novel? 

What about the future? One of my stories, Beyond the Fringe, a sci-fi, appears in the anthology Fusion. I had a lot of fun with that one and it still makes me smile but a whole book? I think not.

Continuing to rifle through my short stories I found another that appeals and which I feel sure I could convert into a time-slip. The thought both attracts and terrifies me but what is writing without a challenge?

So…am I procrastinating? Absolutely not! I will continue to ‘play’ for a while longer until one of the now several ideas buzzing in my head shouts ME! Then the work will truly begin. After all, with contemporary romance I have had the luxury of minimal and accessible research. This new venture, if indeed I move out of my comfort zone, will take time and a huge amount of hard work and planning. For someone who is normally a pantster the thought is terrifying – but at the same time incredibly appealing. Regency/Time-Slip. Time-Slip/Regency. I’m hoping one of them will call loudly and strongly in the next few days.