Tag: Lynda Stacey

Raising a Glass to Readers with Lynda Stacey

I received a warm welcome from Lynda at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, York

It was worth negotiating the perilous, narrow streets of York, in my oversized car, to meet with lovely Lynda Stacey.  At the Merchant Taylors’ Hall, Lynda greeted me with a warm smile.  When I mentioned Books in my Handbag, she beamed at me.  We stood next to the glowing warm fire to chat about Lynda’s new novel.  Lynda has a special place in my heart, as she is one of the very first authors to present a book in a handbag at the beginning of my journey.

Jessie:  What a pleasure to finally meet with you, Lynda.  Your dress looks stunning.  Thanks so much for inviting me, a humble blogger and indie author, to the RNA Tea. 

Lynda: Jessie you’re so very welcome, and I hope you’ll feel at home.  We started this event three years ago to ensure there was an RNA event in the North.  I really wanted to create a friendly, informal event where everyone could get together, catch up and have some lovely food.   Before we begin, here’s a glass of wine.  I’d like to raise a toast to my lovely readers.

Lynda Stacey’s The Fake Date

Jessie:  A little tweet tells me you just released your new novel, Fake Date.  It’s a dramatic title.  What’s the novel about?

Lynda: Ella finds herself beaten and broken, yet somehow, she finds the strength to survive. Determined to put the past behind her, she vows to find the person responsible for hurting her, no matter how difficult that might be, but during the novel she meets Will Taylor, an editor for a rival newspaper. He’s moved into the house next door and Ella finds herself becoming more and more attached to her cheeky neighbour, while all the time searching for the person who attacked her.

Jessie:  It sounds like a gripping and powerful novel. Your books are grip lit and seem to be love with a gritty edge.  Why do you write in this genre?

Lynda : I love the gritty side of things. I really don’t think that everyone has a straight forward, lovely life and I’m positive that there’s always someone out there trying to ruin your day…. And okay, I don’t think most people live with serial killers, or people who are trying to murder them, but I do think it happens and I do think it gives the book the gritty edge that I love.

Linda raises a glass to all the lovely people who have bought her book. Cheers!

Jessie:  How have the reviewers responded to your latest book?

Lynda:  I have been absolutely blown away with the reviews.  Anne has just stopped me to tell me she liked the book, I could seriously bounce around the room with happiness.  Reviews like this mean so much to me – she is such a well-respected blogger and her opinion means such a lot.

‘I’ve read and enjoyed all the books Lynda Stacey has written, but this really is the one I’ve been waiting for – the one I always believed she could write.’
Welsh Annie

‘This is a great psychological thriller and one where I thought I knew what was going on and then the plot thickens, and I started doubting myself! I would thoroughly recommend this book as it certainly keeps you on your toes from start to finish!’ Boons Book Case

‘From the start to the end I was gripped, in fact I couldn’t put the book down and read it in a day.’ Mrs C Isle

Jessie:  What great reviews, Lynda.  Now, I’m intrigued.  Can you read me an extract?

Lynda: 
Nine hours and eleven minutes …

That’s how long it’s been since Ella Hope was beaten and left for dead. She lies, unable to move and praying for somebody to find her, as she counts down the minutes and wonders who could have hated her so much to have hurt her so badly.

 Jessie: How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

I always go through a roller-coaster of emotions. I’m relieved that I finally got to the end, and albeit they’ll always be with me, I get a little disappointed that my characters won’t be a part of my daily life anymore.

Jessie:  I know exactly what you mean.  I missed my characters, but they’ve started to hassle me with other tales. I’m ignoring them for now.  Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.

Lynda: I’d love for my mum to read my books. We lost her quite several years ago, but I’m just certain that she’d have been my biggest fan.

Jessie: It’s such a shame your mum didn’t get to enjoy your books.  Did she know you intended to write them, and what do you think she’d say about your books?

Lynda: She’d always been aware that becoming an author was a dream for me. She was the one that had to sit and listen to the sound of my typewriter tapping away for hours and hours and now that I am published, she’d most probably drive everyone nuts by continually talking about the books.

Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Because it has a really pretty cover lol..! Besides, I’d like to think that you’d need to keep it close by, purely because you wanted to keep reading until it was finished.

Jessie:  That’s a great response and you know how to tempt me with a book. What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

I don’t tend to keep a notebook. But if I did, it would probably say, ‘Go back to the beginning of the story and double check all your research’

Jessie:  Have you started to write the next book?  If yes, are there any words you can share with us.  I won’t tell anyone.

Lynda: My next novel is based in my home town of Doncaster and has the backdrop of the famous Sand House. A house that had been carved out of sandstone in the late 1800’s. But it wasn’t the house that people were most interested in, it was the catacombs that were carved and led off from the house. The tunnels were vast and had the most intricate of carvings which are now ‘in reality’ lost forever. But being a Doncaster girl, I want to preserve their memory, bring them back… and allow the world to see The Elephant and his Mahout, the most famous of the carvings.

This is the office that I insisted on having. I needed one. I had to have one and I got one at considerable expense. And now… now I still sit outside in the sun, or on the corner of the settee with the laptop on my knee. Ooops x

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Lynda: My biggest challenge is to make the next book better than the last. I’m always striving to do better, to get more 5 star reviews and to ensure that the reader takes a great journey.

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Lynda: To never give up writing. To keep going, even when times are tough and to believe in yourself. There are a lot of days when you could easily stop. But then, something happens, something lovely like an unexpected email from a reader, or just a lovely comment from another author. It’s on those days that you sit back, you smile, you take the advice, and you get to work.

Jessie:  How do you feel about being an author?

I’ve always loved getting lost in a story, my childhood was spent in libraries. So, to find myself writing my own books and getting consumed by my own stories, is like a dream come true. I never, ever thought I’d be in a position to call myself an author and still look at, stroke and smell my books with a look of disbelief all over my face.

Here’s Millie, (the puppy that Ella’s parents bring for her as a gift) In real-life she’s the puppy that belongs to my friend, Kathy. It was her cottage became the back drop to Ella’s home.

I received a warm welcome from Lynda and her modesty charmed me to download her novel.  The invitation to the RNA York Tea made me fall in love with the Romantic Novelists Association.  Like Lynda, the people I met were kind, generous and fun.

More about the Author:

Lynda grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire. Her own chaotic life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.  She now lives in a small hamlet, near Doncaster with her hero at home husband, Haydn.

Lynda’s contact details:
Twitter: @Lyndastacey
Facebook: Lynda Stacey Author
Web: www.Lyndastacey.co.uk

 

Please see all my authors’ interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

New Stories, Old Characters and Happy Beginnings

I hoped thoughts of my characters wouldn’t disturb my enjoyment of the performance.

The orchestra tuned up prior to the Russian State Ballet’s performance of Cinderella.  The discordant notes reminded me of the collection of ideas for my work in progress and blog posts.  I hoped thoughts of my characters wouldn’t disturb my enjoyment of the performance.

The ballet opened with a clock projected on the screen and dancers represented the mechanism. Time ticking reminded me it was already the end of another year and it was almost time to press the button on my New Writers’ Scheme application.

My work in progress is still a pumpkin waiting for the final transformation.

A forlorn Cinderella appeared on stage, like the character of Sophie I have left behind in my second novel.   The erratic movements of the stepmother and ugly sisters reminded me of the clunky sentences I have abandoned. But these characters distracted me with their humour.  The man playing the wicked stepmother was expressive in both physical and facial movements.  He had planned every single movement to correspond with the music.  I feel as if I choreograph every single movement of the characters in my book and sometimes it appears forced, until the characters take on a life of their own.  Doreen, in my work in progress, possess the same sort of pantomime dame presence as the stepmother but she isn’t wicked.

Cheers to Lizzie Lamb and Lynda Stacey

A malevolent force dominated the ballet: good wrestled with evil. The evil dissolved when the fairies appeared and then they distracted me from my writing.  During my blogging year, I have also encountered my very own fairies who have added magic and to my year.  Lynda Stacey invited me to the RNA York tea and encouraged me to apply for their New Writer’s Scheme, while Lizzie Lamb, an RNA member, is always on hand to provide me with indie author expertise.  Angela Petch and Jena Henry are my fairy godmothers.  They have become twinkling stars on my Books in Handbag Blog.  As I write, I know exactly what Angela and Jena will ask.

Jena Henry and Angela Petch are my fairy godmothers

‘Who are the ugly sisters and wicked stepmothers?’ I hear my fairy godmothers ask.

Well, I am like the wicked stepmother trying to force my characters to fall in love or get back home before it’s too late.  Male and female characters can get ugly when they don’t want to behave.

Transfixed, I watched the transformation of Cinderella and marvelled at the re-telling of a classic.  Good, beauty and the truth prevailed when the story ended.  This confirmed I must pursue a love story in my second novel.

After the bows for the ballet, the curtain dropped, lights went on and the spell was broken.  My neighbours rattled their sweet packets and settled down as the dusty, blue curtain closed. Having been transported into a dreamlike state, I knew I would pursue Pearl and Jim’s romance further but with a backdrop of humour and the seventies.

With a letter from the RNA, my new year has a happy beginning.

My work in progress is still a pumpkin waiting for the final transformation.  Happily, I have just discovered I have been accepted on the RNA New Writers’ Scheme.  With a letter from the RNA, my new year has a happy beginning.  I can’t wait for the RNA reader to add some magic.  The RNA Conference and RNA York Tea will also be significant events in my year.

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

Falling in Love with the Romantic Novelists’ Association

Presenting (clockwise): John Jackson, Rhoda Baxter, Lynda Stacey and Anne Marie Brear

A tiny oak door opened into the warmth of the Romantic Novelists’ Association event, and a hearty welcome glowed from Lynda Stacey and John Jackson.  The guests of the RNA York charmed me, and I fell in love with a family of romance writers.

I found a home and a place to rest my bag for a while.  Word wizards distracted me from the beauty of the medieval setting. I wondered how many years of writing experience the authors had amassed between them. Would I be able to cram all the authors novels into the nooks and crannies of the ancient Merchant Taylors’ Hall?  It was obvious there would need to be bags and bags of books.   Inspired by the moment, I invited authors to be photographed with their books in their handbags.

The ancient Merchant Taylors’ Hall

Readers are now invited to take a seat beside the fire and meet the heroes and heroines of my narrative. Look at their books and the range of genres available. I must admit I did suffer from book cover envy when presented with the glorious front covers. Besides admiring books, I discovered gems of advice from the writers. Authors told me about the magic of Canva, Photoshop and Word Cloud. Magic words that certainly did not echo around the room six centuries ago.

What a palaver! I attempted to take a selfie with Milly Johnson and Rhoda Baxter.

Chat with the word wizards encouraged me to step outside of my Books in my Handbag Blog and talk about writing my book.  I found myself spellbound by Milly Johnson who had the power to conjure my Yorkshire accent from the depths of my handbag.  I was back home, in Yorkshire, with friendly writerly folk. Milly reassured me the writing process is still agony for her after sixteen books.  Rhoda Baxter joined the conversation, and I could have listened to the comedy duo all afternoon. If only I had recorded the conversation.  I am in awe of how Milly and Rhoda manage to write comedy with such flair.  They explained that comedy is channelled through the characters and flows naturally – words of comedy experts.  In a classic comedy moment, I fumbled with my phone to take a selfie with Rhoda and Milly but had the lens pointing at the table in front of me. Flummoxed by technology, I felt ‘as daft as a brush’, but the grand lasses just laughed.

Chair of Romance Novelists Association, Nicola Cornick. This is the kind lady who poured me some tea.

Suspended in the glow of the RNA heaven, I became lost in the moment until the afternoon tea arrived at our table. Chair of Romance Novelists Association, Nicola Cornick, poured me tea from an enormous teapot that was the size of a small house.  We ate buttery scones, zingy lemon drizzle cake, and indulgent chocolate brownies with chips.  Well, you must have chips at a northern afternoon tea. I almost forgot the delicate array of posh sarnies.  The happy nattering of the RNA family filled the room until the guest speaker was introduced. It was time to ‘shut me cake ‘ole’.   

Jean Fullerton, guest speaker, showcasing her popular historical fiction.

Guest speaker, Jean Fullerton, spoke passionately about her writing journey. She also celebrated popularity or the romance genre and challenged prejudice. Congratulations to Jean on her successful historical fiction novels set in the East End of London. According to Jean, ‘to write about life is to write about love.’  She handed over her gift of hope that, ‘sometimes, just sometimes, love does win and dreams come true.’

That day, I fell in love with the RNA and it is my dream to be adopted by this family one day. I forgot to take photos of the cakes because I was busy eating them and chatting. Overwhelmed by the RNA world, I departed into a rainy Saturday afternoon.  I regret I did not see, blogging legend, Anne Williams and the authors I have met in the Handbag Gallery. Despite the realisation I need glasses, I had a ‘reight good time’ and found ‘me’ old Yorkshire accent hiding in the medieval hall. I hope to move back to Yorkshire.  I would also love to meet Sue Moorcroft in the future.  The tiny oak door was left ajar, so I can return next year. I look forward to finding out if the magical medieval setting may inspire some more romance stories.

Meet (clockwise): Lesley Field, Ellie Gray, Ros Rendle, Chrissie Bradshaw, Sylvia Broady and Rosemary Smith

Congratulations to Lynda Stacey on a wonderful event.  Best of luck with the release of her new book, ‘The Fake Date’.  I am looking forward to interviewing her, with the book due to be released on 18th September.

Earlier this year, I chatted with Rhoda Baxter about my blogging adventure and was delighted to feature on the RNA website.

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.