Chatting with Rosemary Goodacre

Today I am delighted to welcome Rosemary Goodacre on this, the first day of the blog tour for her debut novel, A Fortnight is not Enough which is published by American publisher Books to Go Now. Rosemary has written a feel good story which I read at one sitting. Her young heroine is everything a heroine should be, I liked the writer’s style and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you for agreeing to answer my questions, Rosemary.
Before I begin I'd like to say thank you for hosting me on your blog.

You’ve picked a wonderfully romantic setting for your novel. It feels as if it’s somewhere you know well. Is this the case and why did you choose this particular location?

We visited Provence in 2016 and it’s a beautiful region, with plenty of sunshine. I’ve had a fantasy about deliberately not returning from a wonderful holiday destination, and when I wanted to make it into a story this location seemed to work well.

Avignon
The setting for
A Fortnight is not Enough

Your heroine is an artist and it’s evident you know a lot about your subject. Are you a painter in your non-writing life?

I’m afraid I’ve only dabbled, though it’s a lovely career or hobby. I’ve got some artistic friends and relatives. One room at home is full of paintings by my school friend and her family.

I watched Imogen mature into a young woman with a growing faith in her own talents and abilities. Was this planned and do you think it a fundamental part of the story?

Yes, she has to use her skills and qualities to fulfil her aims. She also has to break free from someone who is a controlling influence. It could be described as a Young Adult novel.

A Fortnight is not Enough is your first published novel. Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

I have recently completed a full length novel entitled The Day of the Dolly Bird, which is a romance set in London in the Swinging Sixties. It has received an encouraging report from a professional novelist. I am currently working on a romance set in World War I.

Can you elaborate on your writing career to date and your route to publication?

I have always loved writing and lately I’ve become more serious about seeking publication.  I attend The Write Place Creative Writing School, run by author and journalist Elaine Everest, where there is constant stimulation and encouragement. I belong to the New Writers Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and enjoy meeting other writers there and attending workshops. Their Annual Conference provides the opportunity for valuable one-to-one meetings with agents and publishers, helpful for gaining a better understanding of the industry.

I have had short stories published and placed in competitions, and I have been published in the Guardian. My novel Pleasure Train Polka, set in Austria in 1914, was short listed in the 2014 Write Time competition run by Corazon Books.

We’d like to know a little more about you. What can you tell us? (Hobbies? Interests? Pet hate?)

In an attempt to keep fit I do Zumba, on the principle that an hour a week shouldn’t kill me, but seriously, we exercise to music (Latin American etc.) so it’s great fun. I’m very interested in travel (mainly to continental Europe) and languages. I love classical music, including opera.

Thank you for joining me today, Rosemary. I wish you every success with your new book

Links:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter

Author Interview: Elaine Everest

My guest today is Elaine Everest. With publication of her new saga, The Butlins Girls, around the corner, I just had to ask her a few questions.

Thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog, Natalie. I can’t wait for Thursday and publication day.

You join me just days before publication of The Butlins Girls. Readers of your Sunday Times bestseller, The Woolworths Girls, will be eagerly awaiting another dose of nostalgia. For some it may be a trip down memory lane, but you aren’t old enough to have lived in the period you write about, yet your research and attention to detail are impeccable. How do you do it?

I was fortunate to have been born in the fifties when times hadn’t changed that much. I lived in a town which not only had a lot of history but also still has many people who love to talk about ‘the good old days’. My family loved to chat about what happened (and when) so I grew up listening to stories of the war years. The next step was to read about those times in books – who doesn’t love reading a book?

Did you pick the era or did it choose you? In spite of the hardship of those post-war years, it seems a much kinder and gentler age than the one we live in now.

Like many writers I’ve dabbled with other genres. I have a modern romcom collecting dust but although never picked up by a publisher it did help me become shortlisted in The Harry Bowling Prize. I’d been a fan of Harry’s for years as he wrote about the area where my Aunt Doll and Uncle Geoff had their pub and his writing resonated with me. Somewhere inside me there has always been that interest in times gone by. So, to answer your question I’d say that history and sagas picked me.

Can your readers look forward to more of the same? What else do you have in the pipeline?

I’m thrilled to say that readers loved The Woolworths Girls so much I’ll be returning to Woolies later this year. Old friends and new faces - it was a joy to write. Then in 2018…

You allude to your family’s history in the world of the travelling fairground. What stories you must have to tell. Perhaps a future novel?

My love of the fairground is a link to my maternal family and my mum who died when I was seventeen. She told us of the hard life she had as a child and the bullying because she was so different to fellow school children – that’s when she got to attend school due to travelling with the fair. She made us value education and aimed to having good jobs once we had our exams. The fair closed down after WW2 so I never experienced the fun of the fair. My granddad did still own the ground and some of the old-fashioned caravans, which I remember fondly. Brightly polished lamps, china, a fierce parrot that hated kids! It’s all there locked in my memory ready to use in stories. Oh, and the family link to Billy Butlin…

In addition to writing novels, short stories and articles, you also run a creative writing school The Write Place in Dartford, as well as being in charge of social media for the Romantic Novelists’ Association. How do you fit it all in?

It’s a case of making sure I do fit it all in and all part of being a full time writer. I often tell new writers that if they wish to earn a living and be thought of seriously as a writer they need to do more than write a novel. We have to learn our craft and that can take years. Short stories help us create a piece of fiction with a beginning a middle and an end – just like a novel but not quite as long. I love the time I spent writing more short fiction. I could think of an idea and write it in one day. My record from having an idea to making a sale is 36 hours. Feature writing pays well and authors have to pay the mortgage and eat! Both fiction and features helped me build relationships with editors whilst learning the craft of writing novels. Teaching classes for Kent Adult Education Services in Dartford and Gravesend came about after I won the BBC Radio Kent short Story Writer of the Year competition in 2003 and was invited to run a few classes. I later moved on to run my own classes and workshops as I preferred to make my own decisions. Being part of the RNA committee is an honour as I get to meet so many authors and also watch as new writers progress with their career – they have great parties too!

Many of your readers will know of your love of and association with the dog world. In the past you’ve written non-fiction books on the subject. Is there any genre, fiction or non-fiction, you would like to turn your hand to in the future?
I could talk for hours about dogs and the show world! I’m honoured to have been part of a world where people breed sound healthy dogs and do their best to promote new owners. I’ve sat on a few breed committees and done my bit to keep the positive side of our breeds alive. Even though I’m not quite as active in the show world as I used to be I’m still called upon to broadcast about dogs – usually when something nasty happens. It is down to us to wave the flag for responsible breeding which means closing down puppy farms and not promoting designer dogs.

As a personal friend, I know how wholeheartedly you throw yourself into everything you do. Outside of the writing world, is there an unfulfilled ambition?

Are you giving me three wishes? To be honest I’m living the dream. I have a fabulous literary agent in Caroline Sheldon and I’m with a wonderful publisher, Pan Macmillan. So, outside of the writing world… Hmm I love Cornwall and would really like to move there but it would have to be a very large house so I can run workshops and writing retreats. I can be found most days on Rightmove dreaming over houses in the two million pound bracket. I suppose I’d better write faster!

Links:

The Butlins Girls

Facebook author page

Twitter: @elaineeverest

Thank you for such interesting questions. Xx

I’m delighted, as I’m sure your readers will be, to hear that Woolies will be returning later in the year. In the meantime, very best wishes for The Butlins Girls. I may just have to book a holiday

The Joan Hessayon Award and Romantic Novelists' Association

Colour Clash!

Hopefully every day of one’s life has some special element about it but for me last Thursday was way up there.

By now there have been many posts, pictures and comments on the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Summer Party but I’d like to give you my take on it. The build up to this particular event has been long – and I’m not referring to all the hard work put in by the organisers. I won’t mention names here as I’m bound to leave someone out and I don’t want to upset anybody.

RNA parties are always great! Always! Well, the five I’ve been to anyway. The Royal Over-Seas League, London is a fantastic venue and the atmosphere ever electric. This time was different though. This time I was a contender for the coveted Joan Hessayon Award, so kindly sponsored every year by Dr David Hessayon in memory of his wife Joan.

Class of 2015

There were fourteen of what should have been fifteeen in the line-up this year (sadly Heather Rosser was absent due to ill health) and we’d all known for some time that we would be on the list. The competition is for members of the New Writers' Scheme who graduate with a novel that went through the scheme to publication. Having one’s first book published is monumental and I don’t imagine any writer would deny the magnitude of the thrill of knowing your work has been recognised. To stand in a large reception room with the other graduates in a space that was filled with our peers, some published, some yet to be, as well as agents and editors, all happy for our success, was an experience I will never forget.

The photo shoot (I believe that’s what it’s called) was an experience in itself as the contenders gathered before the event for individual and group pictures. Some of the authors I had met before, some I hadn’t, but the bonding that took place in that short time was tangible and it was a thrill to be in the company of such lovely people. The photographer, and I’ve seen her at previous parties, is amazing. A lovely personality and so good at her job.

With my agent, Lisa Eveleigh
of the Richford Becklow Literary Agency

We moved into the reception to mingle with the more than two hundred people attending. There are a few prerequisites to attending an RNA party. One needs to be able to hold a glass in one hand and a canapé in the other; have a keen eye or the ability to ask people their name without embarrassment - even if you have met them several time before - if you are unable to read it on their badge. I know this will touch a chord with others as I am aware I’m not the only one who can’t put names to faces. Nobody is offended. It is also sometimes necessary to get close up and personal as it’s almost impossible to hear oneself speak, never mind the man or woman who is talking to you.

Little groups of friends often form themselves naturally but past attendees were on the lookout for name tags with a gold sticker attached. These indicated first timers and organiser Sally Quilford (okay, so I have mentioned a name after all) had thoughtfully asked us to be aware and make welcome anyone who might be on their own and a little bit anxious. What a thoughtful thing to do.

With my certificate
Proud or What!

In due course the contenders for the award were called to the front of the room and assembled before a large white board. Fourteen glammed up ladies in a row, everyone a winner just for being there, each stepping forward one pace as new Chair, Eileen Ramsey, read a short blurb about their book, the cover of which was flashed up onto the screen together with an image of the author. My own book, Safe Harbour,can be seen here in the right hand banner.

Brigid Coady
Winner - Joan Hessayon Award 2015

Then Eileen announced the overall winner, a delighted and emotional Brigid Coady, for No One Wants to be Miss Havisham – how fantastic a title is that. I wish her every luck and success in the future.

It’s very difficult to put into words – and me a writer – the pride I felt at being part of this wonderful annual event. It felt like an American-style graduation, standing up there with the rest. Hell, it was a graduation! If we’d been wearing mortar boards we would have flung them into the air. Well done everyone in the Class of 2015.

My thanks to the RNA, Elaine Everest and Vivien Hampshire who supplied images for me. I didn’t take a single one myself. 

Finally, were you there? I'd love you to share your own experience. You weren't? Then I hope to see you next year or perhaps at the Winter Party on 18th November. I can promise you a great time.

Natalie Kleinman

And Now For My Next Trick

There comes a time when you have to push the send key. You’ve laughed with your characters. You’ve cried with your characters. Sometimes you may even have wanted to wring their necks. You know your book inside out. You’ve been pouring your heart into it for months – if you haven’t you shouldn’t be calling yourself a writer. But the day arrives when, like a child, you have to fire it off into the outside world. And then you wait. This piece is not about what happens to it next. It’s out of your hands, at least until the time (you hope) when someone says they are interested. By then of course you are totally immersed in what happened after you hit the send key and perhaps you struggle even to remember the names of those characters you knew so well. You are several chapters into your next book.

A week ago my finger was hovering. All my courage was not in both hands but in that suspended digit. Could I do more? Almost certainly I could but there comes a time…I pushed. I was comforted by the thought that I might be able to some extent to put it out of my mind rather than open my mailbox first thing in the morning and look at it last thing at night in a fever of anticipation. Who am I kidding? I always boot up at the start of the day and stay on line till I go to bed. Only a week later it’s far too early to become feverish – and in any case I have work to do.

In the weeks leading up to submission I was quite sure I knew what my next project was going to be. A book, all eighty-two thousand words of it, not hidden in the bottom drawer but laid aside because I knew it needed a lot of work and what I thought was destined to be my entry for the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme (NWS) couldn’t possibly be finished in time. I turned to another ‘laid aside’ manuscript and I’m delighted to say it afforded me publication and graduation from the NWS.  

Now, I thought last Tuesday, almost rubbing my hands together, I can get back to Daisy. Only something happened to rock that particular boat. In the novel class at The Write Place Creative Writing School, Elaine Everest set us some homework. Regardless of what we were working on at the time we were tasked with writing an outline of our next novel. Of its own volition a new idea jumped front and centre into my mind. Where did that come from? Do we write our own books or do they write themselves. I don’t know. What I do know is that poor Daisy has once again been laid aside as excitement mounts. Even in this short time my hero and heroine are familiar. Already I know their hopes and fears, their strengths and weaknesses. So chapter breakdown is next on my agenda. I’m less of a planner than a panster but I do need some sort of structure. Hopefully it won’t be long before I’m typing Chapter One at the head of the page.

Added to all this I have to admit to being as human as the next person. Of course I will be scanning my inbox. Of course I’ll be waiting and hoping to hear good news of the child I’ve sent into the outside world. At the same time though I will be nurturing my new baby. It may not yet be on solid foods but I will be working to ensure it follows its big sister into the outside world. Come on, Sweetheart, just another spoonful. 

Chatting with Sheryl Browne

I'm delighted to welcome Sheryl to the blog today. She was good enough to answer my sometimes searching questions.

I first ‘met’ you when I read your novel, The Edge of Sanity, (great book) in 2014. I now know this was a complete departure from your usual genre. What made you move to a thriller and was it a difficult leap?

Hi Natalie, Thank you so much for inviting me to share a little about myself and my books. 

Thank you also for the lovely comment re The Edge of Sanity. The idea for this book gelled when I found myself worryingly alone on a narrowboat one moon-free, foggy night, but that’s a whole other story! It is a departure from my usual genre. However, it does have something in common with my other books, in that it explores the fragility of love, life and relationships. If a character calls to me, I simply have to write his story. It just so happens that one of the characters in this book is a psychopath. I’m told I make a good one! Hmm? I’m choosing to take this as a compliment. My previous books, described as poignant romantic fiction, will always tend to turn around the family unit, looking at family dynamics and the tenuous bonds that hold people together. In The Edge of Sanity we begin with a family already torn apart by the loss of their young daughter, the ultimate question being: is their love strong enough to survive the cruellest of life’s twists? The Edge of Sanity is a harrowing story of hope amid loss and betrayal.

Going back a bit, I understand you were a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) New Writers’ Scheme. What influence did that have on your writing and on your career?

I certainly was. I get a huge thrill now seeing many members of the New Writers’ Scheme (NWS) blossoming and going on to publication. The NWS offers invaluable advice on where your manuscript might be flagging (or shining!) and generally encourages and supports new writers. My manuscript was sadly flagging, something I was aware of. However, with excellent editorial feedback, I was able to redraft that manuscript, and I couldn’t be happier that that book, Warrant for Love, is finally published. The most important lesson I learned was that superfluous narrative wasn’t needed. If it’s padding, i.e. doesn’t move the story forward, take it out. It’s your story and you have the power to change it (isn’t that fabulously freeing?). Also, if you’re struggling with a particular scene, in that you find it a bit lacklustre in the reading, look at your point of view. Chances are you’re telling it from the wrong one. Simply, who has the most to lose by the end of it? I bear that advice in mind to this day. I don’t think I would be published if I wasn’t willing to take positive criticism on board. So, to anyone considering joining, I’d say go for it. You’ll find yourself with a wonderful support network.  

2014 has been a momentous year for you, both on the personal front and in your writing career. Can you take us through it?

It has definitely been an up and down year, Natalie. Unfortunately, 2014 saw my partner diagnosed with prostate cancer, which means we’ve both been a bit all over the place. I should also mention that his prognosis is extremely good after early diagnosis - and that he is now very positive, agreeing to share his progress with Prostate Cancer UK in hopes of encouraging other men to seek help early. This is pretty amazing, because, initially, like many men, he was reluctant to talk about it – at all. Coincidentally, however, I was asked to contribute a short story to an anthology (Let’s Hear It For The Boys) raising funds for Movember, a charity which aims to raise men’s health awareness. Somehow, in mentioning the book and the charity to him, it prompted him to open up and the rest followed. Obviously, I am now super-pleased that I did write that short and that, in a roundabout way, it has helped my partner and hopefully other men who might be encouraged to seek help, or simply need someone to talk to, whether it be about physical health or mental health problems. Sad news, but not all bad news, I think.

The news on the publishing front is just lovely! Towards the end of 2014, I was signed with Choc Lit for my upcoming novel, currently titled The Rest of My Life. This development is all the more special because Choc Lit read the book on recommendation of someone who restored my faith in my writing. Excitingly, the news was announced first in The Bookseller! Wow! Little me rubbing shoulders with Burt Reynolds and Julian Clary (form an orderly queue, guys). I owe this person a huge debt of gratitude for picking up my book, loving it, and being prepared to say so in the right ears.

Prior to signing your new contract you had several books published with Safkhet Publishing. When did the first one come out and how did they take to your change of genre in The Edge of Sanity?

I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Safkhet Publishing, who not only commissioned me to write Recipes for Disaster – Sexilicious Romantic Comedy Combined with Fab, Fun Recipes – was published in 2012 and, since then, I’ve just kept writing. My writing has, of course, grown and changed as I’ve explored new genres. I wasn’t entirely sure Safkhet would take The Edge of Sanity but … they loved it. I’m hoping their faith was well placed as the book does seem to be getting some excellent reviews, one fabulous such review recently on Best Selling Thrillers where the book sits proudly alongside such hugely talented authors as, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Patricia Cornwell. Needless to say, I am thrilled.

my first book for them but opened an imprint for three further novels. Despite my determination, I was at a point then where I wondered whether continuing to pursue my dream was sheer self-indulgent madness. Safkhet believed in me, giving me huge impetus to keep writing. My first book,

So you are now a Choc Lit writer and in very good company. Please tell us something about your soon to be published The Rest of My Life. 

The Rest of My Life is still at editing stage (though I’ve also had some fabulous news about audio rights, etc, recently. Isn’t that amazing? I don’t have details to share yet, but watch this space!).  Briefly, The Rest of My Life follows Adam Hamilton-Shaw, a womaniser with a dark, defining incident in his past, and screenwriter Sienna Meadows, who is having problems with her script. Tagline (for the moment): Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together?

What’s next on your agenda?

Well, I have another two books currently being read by Choc Lit. They’re doing well, apparently! My fingers are crossed (which makes typing a little difficult). I’ve also just finished another thriller, the title of which, Death Sentence, was supplied by a chief constable! It needs another re-draft, but I’m hoping it will be received as well as the last.

Thank you again for featuring me here, Natalie. Can I also just add a huge thank you to all the wonderful bloggers, readers and reviewers out there, who give of their time and work so hard for authors? THANK YOU!

 A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for Innovation in Romantic Fiction, Sheryl has six books published with Safkhet Publishing and has now been signed with Award winning Choc Lit Publishing.

COMING SOON from Choc Lit

The Rest of My Life - Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together?

Links:

Website  

Twitter  

Facebook

Amazon UK

Amazon US

It’s been a joy ‘talking’ to you, Sheryl. Thank you for joining me.
Natalie

Strictly Star of the Future?

My guest today is Wendy Clarke. Wendy is a full time writer of women's fiction. Her work regularly appears in national women's magazines such as The People's Friend, Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman's Weekly. She has also written serials and a number of non-fiction magazine articles.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

Room in Your Heart is Wendy's first collection of short stories.

I set out to find out more.

I am aware you haven’t always been a writer. What did you do before and why did you choose to change careers?

I’d like to say I was one of those writers who was born with a pen in their hand but it wouldn’t be true. I always loved English Language at school but thought that studying it at university sounded a lot like hard work so did psychology instead. After that, I drifted into teaching. When my children were born I was a stay at home mother for a while before working as education officer at The Sussex Wildlife Trust. I eventually returned to teaching – this time as English teacher in a private primary school. When the school sadly closed in 2011, due to the recession, I decided to do an online creative writing course while thinking about my future. I loved it, despite having not written any fiction for over thirty years - and the rest, as they say, is history!

Your prolific output, and indeed your success, as a short story writer is well known. How do you maintain such a level?

I’m lucky in that writing is my only ‘job’ so that helps. Having said that, I still only write part-time - fitting it in around other things such as my choir, walking the dog and seeing my grandchildren. I try to write at least one story week and am very lucky to have a very good relationship with The People’s Friend who publish a lot of them.

It was a real pleasure to meet you at the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s (RNA) Winter Party a few weeks ago. Does this mean you’ll be turning your hand to novel writing?

I’m trying – honestly! I have three chapters of a novel written but I’m aware I’ve been saying that for rather a long time now. I just seem to keep writing more short stories and serials... I just can’t help myself! The plan is to try to get onto the RNA New Writers’ Scheme in January and that, hopefully, will spur me on.

Can you tell us about your working day?

That’s a little difficult as each day is different. What I’ll do is tell you what I did today. Firstly (while still in bed) I checked Facebook and Twitter and posted/tweeted new items and left comments etc. Then I looked at my blog to see if there were any comments I needed to reply to. After that, I got up and went Christmas shopping. Once home, I walked the dog then wrote 1000 words of a short story before stopping for lunch. In the afternoon, I wrote another 1000 words then, around five, I went back to checking social media again. This was a productive day but they’re not all like that.

Where is your favourite place to write – and why?

I am a writing nomad! I usually start off in the living room as it’s south facing and the move around the house as the mood takes me. In the summer I like writing in the conservatory but it’s a bit cold now that it’s winter.

You’ve recently had an anthology published of some of your short stories, Room in Your Heart. How did you choose which to include?

I decided that I wanted Room in Your Heart to be a collection of romance stories and thought I’d use ones previously published in The People’s Friend. I read them all and then chose my favourite stories for the start, end and middle of the collection. The rest were selected to mix light stories with more emotional ones, male and female viewpoints, first and third person and past and present tense. Hopefully, the finished collection is a well-balanced one.

If you could choose anyone to invite to a dinner party, who would your guests be?

My friends would laugh if they saw this question and say ‘nobody’ as they know I don’t like dinner parties but if I had to then I’d say Strictly star Kevin from Grimsby – so that he could dance with me between courses! David Nicholls – so he could tell me how he writes such wonderfully funny books and Dame Judi Dench – just because she seems so lovely (well, she was when I met her in a garden centre!)

And while you’re not busy writing and entertaining, what do you do to relax?

Oh, that’s easy... I dance! I’ve been dancing modern jive for around twenty years and salsa for over ten. Five years ago, my husband and I took up ballroom and Latin and try to dance twice a week – there’s nothing like dancing for forgetting everyday problems. I also belong to a choir and a very friendly, informal badminton club and I mustn’t forget walking my dog Bonnie, that’s when I do my thinking.

What’s next for Wendy Clarke?

More of the same probably. I like writing short stories too much to give them up but if I can write a novel alongside them then it would be the icing on the cake.

Thank you very much for having me on your blog Natalie; it was lovely of you to ask me.

It’s been a pleasure, Wendy.

Links:

Amazon:Room in Your Heart.

Blog: http://wendyswritingnow.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wendy.sargent.376

Twitter:https://twitter.com/WendyClarke99

What a Week!!!

Is writing the second blog as difficult as writing the second book? It might have been except that this past week has been exceptional. I spent the whole of Tuesday with my laptop – at two different venues. A glutton for punishment or what! I may have been driven by the fact that I knew Wednesday was going to be extraordinary and I wasn’t disappointed. It kind of went like this:

I was invited to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) committee for the pre-Winter Party lunch. I felt extremely privileged and would again like to thank Pia Fenton and her committee for asking me to join them. Having eaten far too much, helped down by some rather nice red wine, I absented myself while they held their scheduled meeting. How any of them could have concentrated on work after such a lovely meal I am at a loss to understand.

I was easy to 'spot'

With plenty of time to get to a scheduled meeting with my agent, Lisa Eveleigh, I walked along Piccadilly (the weather was lovely) and side-stepped into Fortnum and Mason for a quick browse, as you do. Once in Dean Street Lisa and I had rather a lot to talk about and, while she daintily sipped her tea, all I could manage was some water. I blame the lunch. Amongst other things we discussed the events of the coming Thursday – about which more below.

After parting company I retraced my steps to the Royal Overseas League and settled down behind the reception desk with Sally Quilford (party organiser) and Elaine Everest (RNA committee member with whom I co-run the RNA Blog). This turned out to be an inspired move as, while handing out name badges and lanyards, I had ample opportunity to meet the majority of the guests and spoke to many of them from the comfort of my chair.

Thursday – launch day as opposed to lunch day. Official publication date for Safe Harbour (shameless promotion here). Full on, exciting and an affirmation of what a wonderful group of people the writing community is.

To complete my day my poppy from the Tower of London arrived. What a wonderful idea this was and I now have a perfect reminder for those times when, as we all do, I get things a little out of perspective. 

 

Friday – rest…come on, give me a break here.

Weekend – belated girls’ lunch birthday celebration.

Enough about me. Next week my first guest on the blog will be Elaine Everest to tell us about what a whirlwind year she has had. No, I’m not giving anything away now. You’ll have to pop in again next Monday if you want to know!

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to my blog.

For those who don’t know me allow me to tell you a little about myself. I’m a bit of a late starter when it comes to writing. After intensive study I took up my metaphorical pen as a bit of light relief. An initial ten week course had me hooked, though in fact I was hooked by that first session. I spent the first few years learning and honing my craft – not that writers as a breed are ever satisfied with the finished product – before selling my first short story, followed by another (to date) twenty-five. In addition my attempt at sci-fi won me a place in the anthology Fusion while another gritty story appears in the students of The Write Place anthology Things that go Bump in the Night. Most of my work though comes under the genre of Contemporary Romance.

I have been part of a weekly writing group going by the name of Dingbats for some time but three years ago I joined The Write Place Creative Writing School (TWP) in Dartford and it was this that acted as a springboard and set me on my career path. Having become as comfortable as one can be, this one anyway, with short stories, I expanded my horizons and embarked on novels. I received a huge amount of help from the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s (RNA) New Writers’ Scheme and my first book was taken up and has just been published any under the title Safe Harbour.

I was extremely lucky to have an industry one2one at the RNA Conference this summer which resulted in me securing an agent when Lisa Eveleigh of the Richford Becklow Literary Agency subsequently agreed to represent me.

While not purporting to be as wise as my three friends at the top of this page, I’m doing okay!

This is not my first blogging experience as I have for the past year been part of a five hander, WriteMindsWritePlace Blog, as well as managing the RNA Blog with Elaine Everest. Now feels the right time to dive in and launch my own blog…wondering here if that’s a mixed metaphor. Please feel free to pop in and join me any time. It will be a pleasure to see you.