Category: Author Interviews

Rosemary Noble insists on a daily dose of realism and compassion

Rosemary Noble 

 

 

 

It was a pleasure to welcome, historical novelist, Rosemary Noble to Wales.  We met at Newport Station. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day but that was soon forgotten as we chatted about her novel, Ranter’s Wharf and retraced the Chartists’ footsteps as we walked down Stow Hill.  We went to visit the site where the Chartists were believed to have been held captive. Unfortunately, the original building has been demolished but the whispers of struggle can still be felt in the town.

Finally, we visited a fish and chip shop before I drove Rosemary to the Chat Room.  There is a good fish and chip shop in Newport that honours the northern tradition of cooking in beef fat.  Back at the Chat Room, we ate fish and chips and talked about Grimsby – the setting of the novel.

Rosemary Noble

Jessie: Your novel is well-researched and rich with historical references.  You have developed strong characters that one cannot fail to empathise with.   I can rant on and on about the merits of your book as I did in my review. Can you summarise the book in a few words?

Rosemary: It’s a moving family saga about love, loss and betrayal set in 19th century England. It follows three generations as they attempt to find a way to live honourably in tumultuous times.

Jessie:  Your novel has been a very popular download on Kindle.  I have noticed an impressive number of reviews.  Can you retrieve some reviews that capture the essence of your book? Always modest, Rosemary hesitated a little until I insisted that we read the reviews.

Rosemary: Maybe like any author, I dread the first reviews because you wonder if anyone will get what you are trying to do, especially when the subject matter is unusual. But I have been overwhelmed with the kind words people have written. For example:

“The wonderful characterisations in this novel make light of a challenging theme and transport the reader through the harsh times of Victorian Lincolnshire in a roller-coaster of emotions A little masterpiece of its genre” John Broughton – May 26 2017

“The joy of this book is that it is absolutely gripping. Because of the sympathy with which the characters are portrayed, you find yourself really caring about what happens to William – adopted as a bewildered child by his rich maiden aunt – and his heirs who carry on the fight for social justice into the next generation.” Perdisima May – 15th 2017

“Delightful and informative. An intriguing story with a wonderful insight of the times.” Amazon Customer – April 15th 2017

Jessie:  Can you tempt the reader with an extract from the novel?

Rosemary: “Her passionate nature freed itself from the reserve she showed the world, allowing her whole body to respond with joy to his smiles, with misery to his tears and a fierce desire to protect him.”

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

Rosemary: In some ways, relieved because it was a hard story to write. It’s based on my 3x great grandfather who was an ordinary farmer until he was converted.  I wanted the book to be engrossing and relevant but I had to keep the reader interested while dealing with the difficult subjects of poverty, politics and religion. Religion has featured strongly in all three of my books only because it was so important in the 19th century but it is not my natural element. My next book set in the 20th century will not be influenced by religion but will have its own problems for me to overcome as a writer and storyteller.

I always miss the characters in my books. As an author, they inhabit my mind constantly. Because the subject has relevance for today with Brexit and the Trump vote, I wonder what my characters would have felt and how they would react. I can hear William saying to his son,’ education is key’ and his son and nephew replying, ‘No, every man should have a vote if they contribute to the wealth of the country.’ I found myself quite conflicted when writing the final chapters.

Jessie: 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.  

Rosemary: People like my hairdresser’s receptionist who said to me ‘your book makes me realise I should always use my vote.’

If I can move someone sufficiently to learn how hard life used to be and then become more active in demanding the voice of the poor and dispossessed are heard today, then I will be happy. I am no Dickens or Hardy but am conscious of the impact they had on 19th century society. Our current times are troubling and I see the hard-fought-for Welfare State crumbling through cut-backs. Let’s not go back to those times, please.

If there was one famous person I wish would read my books it would be the director, Ken Loach. I am in awe of his work such as Cathy Comes Home and I Daniel, Blake.

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

Rosemary: For a dose of realism and compassion. Allow yourself to be transported to a time where life was a struggle not just in a material way but also in a spiritual and political way. I want to know how you would react to ‘the undeserving poor’. Would you turn your back, cloak yourself in respectability or would you act to mitigate the poverty around you?

Rosemary Noble

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Rosemary: A solitary gull glides and swoops in the azure sky below a trio of swifts cavorting and darting as though playing tag but in the far distance a black speck appears, a harbinger of death.

This is a note for my next book, working title, Sadie, which will link all my books together.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an independent author?

Rosemary: Getting noticed which means learning about marketing on social media. The key for me is the relationships you forge with other indie’ writers. In any walk of life, you learn so much from other people and you’re stronger together in a team. In our case, a virtual team of authors from around the world as well as close to home.

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

Rosemary: Learn the craft but write the book you want to write. Stay true to yourself. I am in the lucky position that I don’t need to earn my living from writing which frees me to write what I want.

Rosemary is driven to give a voice to our ancestors, to those who never had a voice in real life. “I like to pose questions, encouraging readers to think for themselves, ‘what would I do in that situation, how would I cope’? The stories history sends us, have relevance for today and I like to tap into that because I am quite a political person though it’s only this year that I joined a political party.”

Rosemary is passionate about the messages that she conveys through her novels.  Ranter’s Wharf did make me think about the way that my own ancestors must have struggled.  Rosemary’s strong characters evoke empathy in the reader as she transports us to their world and their struggles. One only has to open a newspaper to see that poverty has not disappeared and neither has prejudice.  I do worry about the Welfare State and hope that politicians will listen to their conscience.  We must all continue to vote!  

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my blog at jessiecahalin.com

Spotlight on the Lovely Anne Williams

Meet lovely Anne Williams in 1958

Anne Williams is a shining light in the bookish community and is a best friend to authors, bloggers and readers.  Her kind and generous spirit is remarkable, and it is no wonder she has won many awards.  I was intrigued to know more about Anne and what inspired her love of reading.  Having invited Anne to my Bloggers’ Café, we settled down for a good chat about her childhood memories, reading and her life in Cardiff.  We shared a pot of tea for two and a generous plate of Welsh cakes.  We chatted for hours and she gave me some tantalizing facts about her life.

Jessie: Anne you work tirelessly to support authors, and we don’t know what we would do without your support.  I’d like you to relax, have a cuppa and tell us more about yourself.  Tell us about your childhood in Bangor and your fondest memories.  Do you speak Welsh?

Anne: Lovely of you to say so, Jessie – while it’s lovely to be able to give authors my support and a bit of exposure, it’s got more to do with the fact that I just love books and reading, and love talking about them whenever I get the chance!

The view from her parents’ house in Port Dinorwic

I actually come from a small village between Bangor and Caernarfon: in those days it was called Port Dinorwic (it’s where they used to load and ship the slate from the quarry), but it’s now been renamed Y Felinheli. I don’t speak Welsh, sadly – although my dad came from the village, my mum was from Swansea and an English-speaker, so we never spoke Welsh at home. I can understand conversations though, translate things into English and watch the occasional programme on S4C.

My memories are all about family really. We lived in a converted schoolhouse until my O-level year (that’s what people took before GCSEs!), when we moved to mum and dad’s new-build dream house, overlooking the Menai Straits. I had a brother, Nigel, who was eight years younger than me – and was the constant pain little brothers often are (very sadly, he died a few years ago from a heart attack – by then, we were friends again). After we moved house, all I can really remember is an awful lot of studying – I desperately wanted to read English at university (I got there!) and to spread my wings a little.

Jessie: Did your parents inspire your love of reading?  If not, who did inspire the beginning of your reading journey?

Anne loves the quote from Maya Angelou – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Anne: My mother’s always been a reader and taught me to read and enjoy books before I started at the village school aged 3 (maybe I was a bit of a prodigy!). I remember us having floor to ceiling bookshelves in the alcoves in the lounge: I read the books, my brother used them as a climbing assault course. And then I had my library ticket and can remember looking forward to choosing my five books a week into my late teens. I was always the child who preferred to sit in the corner with a book rather than get involved in the rowdy stuff – I was also painfully shy, and I think the books were a bit of an escape (and they probably still are!).

Jessie: You told me you lived in Cardiff thirty years ago.  What was Cardiff like three decades ago.  Where did you like to go? Were there lots of bookshops? What advice would you give to your younger self living in Cardiff?

This is the Cardiff that Anne remembers

Anne:I went to university in Hull, did my growing up and really didn’t want to go back to a small village – and I didn’t have to because I joined the Civil Service and they posted me to Cardiff. I was in my twenties, remember – reading took a bit of a back seat (the need to dissect and analyse had dampened my book enthusiasm a little) while I got on with having fun with friends and discovering the opposite sex. I don’t remember book shops – at that time, I was keener on music and searching out vinyl, and there was a great shop on the Hayes (long gone) where I spent many happy hours. I spent a lot of time in and around the Chapter Arts Centre in Canton – at that time it was a pretty amateur set up, but a great place to see obscure art-house films, wander the gallery, eat vegetarian food (rather exotic at the time!) and to meet friends in the bars. There were the many clubs and bars too, of course – a couple of hours’ sleep was plenty then, and the hangovers weren’t as bad. It was the era of the New Romantics, and I do remember a few outings to the Casablanca in the Docks – and the many places where you could get happy hour cocktails (not a modern phenomenon). Advice? I wouldn’t have listened anyway…!

Jessie: You visited Cardiff recently.  How has Cardiff changed?

Anne sat in this coffee shop in Cardiff Bay. This place is very different to her memories of the Docks in the era of the New Romantics.

Anne: While all the landmarks are still there, it’s really changed beyond all recognition. The city centre I remember is no more, totally swallowed up by that enormous shopping centre – but it was nice to see that the quirky arcades have been cared for and are still full of those fascinating little shops and cafes. Docklands was a bit of a no-go area back in the 80s, and that’s certainly changed – and I very much liked the new waterfront development. They always say you shouldn’t go back though, don’t they?

Jessie: Do you miss Wales now that you live in Yorkshire?

Anne: I haven’t lived in Wales since the mid-80s – I lived in Wigan, worked in Manchester, for over ten years before I moved here. I visited North Wales regularly when my parents still lived there, but never had a hankering to return. I guess home is anywhere you can be happy, and I haven’t regretted for an instant making Yorkshire mine.

Jessie: I am in awe of the number of books you read and the quality of your reviews.  How do you balance reviewing and blogging with the rest of your life? How long does it take to review a book?

Anne: Thank you! When I was still working, I’ll admit it was difficult – I have the greatest admiration for bloggers who can balance life, work and blogging – and I only took things up a gear after I retired. There was a time when it seemed to have become my new full-time job: I’ve eased off a little with the need to care for my mother, and three or four posts a week now feels about right. My reviews take ages, if I’m honest – I’m a bit of a perfectionist and want every review to be as good and complete as I can make it. I probably spend four mornings a week writing posts, and then a little more supporting others on Twitter, being sociable on-line, and doing the necessary admin. The reading’s no hardship – I’m not really much of a TV watcher so I read in the evenings and in bed and can sometimes manage an occasional treat of an afternoon.

Jessie:What makes a good review?  Do you have a review structure, or does it depend on the book and your inspiration?

Anne:I don’t really know what makes a good review, but I do seem to have accidentally landed on a shape that works for me, and hopefully for others. I rarely tell the story – I get annoyed when I find myself doing so, because the author does it so much better. And I’m quite paranoid about spoilers – totally unforgivable, and not really that difficult to avoid. My reviews are really just my personal reaction to a book: I’ll mention whatever I particularly liked (and sometimes things I liked less), but the emphasis is always on how a book made me feel. And the only reviews you’ll ever see on Being Anne are of books I’ve enjoyed – I don’t enjoy everything, but then I stop reading and pick up another.

Jessie: You must receive lots of books in the post.  Where do you store all the review copies you receive? 

Anne: Do you know, I actually don’t receive that much book post these days – I’ve asked the publishers I work with to stop sending them. My eyesight is worsening with age, and I find it so much easier to read on my kindle – but don’t ask me how many books are in my kindle library! Although a lot of the books I read are gifted or downloaded from netgalley, I can’t resist buying even more – probably at least twice as many as I receive. I had my bedrooms decorated last year, and decided I needed to do something about my 4000+ unread books, spread over half a dozen bookshelves. Most went to the library, and some to charities, and it really didn’t hurt (much) – I now have just one (large) bookshelf for my signed copy collection.

Jessie: Besides reading, what other hobbies do you have?

Anne: To be honest, I don’t really have other hobbies. I enjoy theatre, cinema, concerts (of all kinds, with a newly found love of classical), museums and galleries, and visit as often as I can – but everything else I do tends to be book and reading related, including running a real-life book club. For the last couple of years, I became an almost full-time carer for my mum, who has vascular dementia: now she’s being far better cared for in a home, I visit or take her out every other day, but I’m just getting used to the idea of having “spare time” again, and really must do something about revitalising my social life! I also always used to go on two major holidays a year – US, South America, Africa, the Far East – but that’s been just impossible recently. For now, I’ve decided to explore the UK a little – three book-related stays already planned for this year, and a few more I need to get round to sorting out.

Jessie: If you wrote a book what genre would you write in?  Have you got any characters hassling you to tell their story?  What names would you give you the leading characters?

Anne: I did have plans, didn’t I? I don’t think it’s ever likely to happen – and if it doesn’t, I don’t think I really want it enough. Genre-wise, I think it’d be women’s fiction – maybe romance, perhaps with some travel included, and definitely with older characters. But I’ve never really come up with a story that’s made me enthusiastic to develop it further – and I’ve definitely never got anywhere near coming up with names!

Jessie: Finally, is there a famous quotation about reading that resonates with you? 

For instance, I often quote C.S Lewis:

‘We read to know we are not alone.’

Anne: Not really about books and reading, but I do love the quote from Maya Angelou – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And that works pretty well for books too, doesn’t it?

Anne has been nominated for an award at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.  Voting closes on 24th April at 9pm.
https://annualbloggersbash.com

Anne’s Blog
http://beinganne.com/

 

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

A copy of my novel can be found here.

 

Meeting historical novelist and his scoundrel ancestors

John Jackson

 

 

 

 

My phone guided me through the ancient streets of York to meet, historical novelist, John Jackson.  I could not resist stopping to watch to the occasional street entertainer, and was very distracted by the outdoor market.  Although, the air was unseasonably warm, I could sense Christmas creeping around the corner. Some of the stalls were crammed with Christmas jumpers, wrapping paper and the sort of decorations that would tempt the Christmas magpies.  Tempted by the bakery, I had a cursory glance through the window then moved on towards Ye Olde Shambles Tavern. 

Finally, I felt the uneven cobbles beneath my feet, and the heels of my boots struggled to grip the ground, it was obvious that I had reached the famous medieval street.  I reached a building that would have looked at home in a museum.  Outside the building was painted black and the window reminded me of a shop one would imagine in a Dickensian novel.  My imagination had taken me to the wrong era, but having researched John’s book, my mind was full of history.  Instantly, John greeted me with his warm smile and welcoming manner.  He was looking very relaxed in his cords and checked shirt.

John:  Welcome to York!  I have taken the liberty of buying you half a pint of Shambles Tavern Stumbler.

It was a straw coloured beer with a pleasant hoppy finish.  It was served cool but not cold.  We also had a complementary plate of sandwiches and crisps.

Jessie:  Thank you, John. It is great to be back in Yorkshire.  Sorry, I’m a little late but I got distracted with Shambles Market. 

John:  No problem, it is so easy to get lost in the history of York.  The Shambles is rumoured to be the best preserved medieval street in the world.

Jessie: I didn’t know that – thank you.  You certainly do adore your history.  I was reading about your historical novel on the train and it looks so tempting.  It was fascinating to discover your novel is based on your family history.

John:  Ah yes, I started to research my Family Tree fifty years ago.  I was lucky to find transcribed letters from my great, great grandfather on one side of the family, and on the other I found that my great great grandmother was related to the Rochforts of Belvedere, in Ireland.  I had to research this treasure and along the way, I came across some juicy relatives – and a story that was crying out to be told.

I found a booklet titled ” Some Celebrated Irish Beauties of the Last Century”, and the first chapter was about my book’s heroine. I couldn’t pass this story by. In my eyes it was crying out to be told, even though the original story would need a very different treatment.

I ended up writing the story of what I would LIKE to have happened.

John saw me looking at his novel peeping out of a rucksack.  He held up the front cover with pride.

John:  It was a great moment for me when I received the physical copies of the book.  I am totally delighted with the front cover. It’s a portrait of Robert Rochfort, and it hangs in Belvedere House in Mullingar. The management of the house (an Irish National Monument) were extremely helpful in allowing me to use the image.

Jessie:  It is like the front cover for a classic, historical novel – perfect for the genre.  Can you capture the essence of the book in a couple of sentences?

John:

You can’t choose who you lose your heart to!

Love can be the only thing that keeps you alive.

Jessie:  Wow!  You have already hooked me into the novel.  

I picked up the book and searched for a key sentence on the blurb.  The blurb is succinct and deliciously tempting. I read from the blurb on the book, hoping that John would tell me more.

Jessie: The blurb says, ‘Based on real events, Heart of Stone is a tale of power, jealousy, imprisonment, and love, set in 1740s Ireland.’ Please tell me more about this captivating story.

John: I don’t want to give too much away, obviously. Fortunately, it is a time that is past. We behave better now – or at least differently. I can reassure you, though – you really WILL be captivated by the story.

Jessie: I can see that there has been an awful lot of interest in your book online.  Everyone seems to love the fact that the story is based on your own family.  What do the reviewers say?

John:  For me, the fact that my wife loved the book was such a great reward.  Here are some of the reviews from Amazon:

‘A brilliant book, found it hard to put it down!’ By Mum’s the word

‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading Heart of Stone. I found it hard to put down from the first pages onwards.’ By Rebecca H Stevens

And from Goodreads: ‘Utterly loved the book, fantastic read and loved it very much…’ by Gwessie Tee.

Jessie:  I am impressed with the way that you are tempting me to read the book – very clever.  Come on now, can you read an extract.

John took a sip of his beer then picked up his book.  He had already marked some passages and took a couple of minutes to select the extract.

John: Mary felt the warmth of his lips on her fingers; the sensation caused her to feel a glow deep within her. She looked up and into his eyes. They seemed deep enough to drown in.

Jessie:  Well, I wasn’t expecting that level of intrigue in such a short passage.  Who is Mary, she sounds as if she is in trouble?

John: She is, but doesn’t know it! She is my 5 x Great Grandmother, Mary Molesworth and the daughter of an Irish peer. She is Robert’s new wife.

Jessie:  How did you develop the characters in your novel.  Did you have clues about the characters’ personalities in your research?

I started with what was actually known about them and worked from there. I found that easier than I expected, possibly because they are – initially – “broad brush” characters.

Jessie:  It must have been quite a journey to write this book, and it must have been difficult to leave the characters behind. How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

John: Writing “The End” was both the best and the worst of sensations. I was delighted to finish the work; but it was also like saying goodbye to some old friends.

I would like to have written more about the enigmatic Mr Stafford. He knows everything.

Jessie: 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.  

John: Most of all, I would like my friends to read it. There is a lot of “me” in Heart of Stone.  My wife has already read it, and, happily, loved it.

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

John: It entertains (I hope), and it reaffirms the old tenet of “Never give up! Never lose faith!”

What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

From my next book: (Working title “Strange Bedfellows”. He never felt the blow that felled him, but, as his assailant kicked him viciously in the ribs and back, he could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. A disembodied voice spoke into his ear as he lay there. “Stay away from here. We don’t want your kind.”

Jessie: I have just read a wonderful blog post from you where you explain how you have marketed your book.  It was thorough and I have shared it with others. What is the biggest challenge for an author?

John: For a NEW author, realising that you might have a good tale to tell, but you really need to learn how to tell it! Writing is a craft, and it behoves us to do it well, if we believe in our story.

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

John:  Don’t give up!

Jessie:  You certainly don’t seem like the sort of person to give up.  Your novel sounds like a labour of love. It must be wonderful to get an insight into your ancestors.  I searched for Belvedere House, one of the settings, it looks magnificent.  I was intrigued by the Jealous Wall.  Does this feature in the novel? Tell me, did you visit Belvedere House in Ireland? 

John: We did indeed. I HAD to check to see if I had made any major mistakes in my draft. Fortunately, I hadn’t. Belvedere and the Wall are impressive. They both feature heavily in the novel.

As expected, John was great fun to interview.  He is such a warm character and very clever at presenting clues about his book.  I wish him the very best of luck with his debut novel.

About John…

After a lifetime at sea, I am now retired, and have turned to writing fiction. An avid genealogist, I found a rich vein of ancestors, and suddenly realised just how much material there was for any number of books. Most people throughout history have led boring, humdrum and frequently brutally short lives, but on my family tree, there were a good number of real characters. Some were total scumbags, and lots did “interesting things.”

A chance meeting with some authors led me to turn his efforts to setting down some amazing stories. John is a keen member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Historic Novel Society and an enthusiastic conference-goer for both organizations.

I was brought up on Georgette Heyer from an early age, and, like many of my age devoured R L Stevenson, Jane Austen, R M Ballantyne, and the like. These days my tastes run towards Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Liz Fenwick, and Kate Mosse.

Contact details:

Website:  john42hhh.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @jjackson42 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/johnjacksonauthor/

 

 

Please see all my interviews at My Guests and my blog at jessiecahalin.com.

 

Not Brighton Rock

I meandered towards the café to meet with Liz Young

Brighton Pier glistened in the sunshine, as I meandered towards the café to meet with Liz Young.  A holiday mood inspired me to buy some Brighton Rock as a gift for Liz. Amused that the stick of rock very different to the rock in Liz’s science fiction book, I hoped Liz would appreciate my humour.  Seated outside, Liz smiled as soon as she saw me. She wore a pair of silky trousers in navy dotted with tiny white flowers, and a toning Tee-shirt. 

A holiday mood inspired me to buy some Brighton Rock as a gift for Liz

Jessie:  Pleased to meet you, Liz.  I thought you would like some rock. 

Liz:  Great minds think alike.  I thought I would show you some of the volcanic rock that inspired my idea for The Volcanic Race.  Here’s a picture on my phone. The real Brighton rock is over there somewhere.

We both laughed as Liz pointed to the coastline.

Jessie:   It is different to my usual read but sounds intriguing.

Liz:  Other reviewers have made the same comment but have been surprised.  One reviewer said:

‘This is not normally the type of book I would read, but I have to say it’s some of the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time. What an adventure. Ms. Young has quite the imagination. Her fantastic characters were believable, and the action left me breathless. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to her sequel.’

Jessie:  That’s a great review.  Your creativity appeals to me.

Liz:  Yes, I am pleased that other reviewers have appreciated my imagination.  Here are two other reviews of the same ilk.

‘I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Very well written and imaginative and has left me wanting to read the second book to see how the story develops. A must buy for anyone and everyone.’

‘I never thought I would enjoy this style of book. Wrong! Started it and couldn’t put it down. Had to, because, you know: sleep, cook, etc.’

Jessie:  You must be so pleased with the response. It is quite a skill to take a unique concept then bring it to life.  Tell me more about the novel.

Rock – of the volcanic kind – a photo of Guaza Mountain, showing the face in profile, which readers will recognize from Liz’s book.

Liz: The Rockmen of A Volcanic Race are created from liquid rock inside a live volcano, but young Tomboro also has psychic powers.

Although his mother tries to prevent him developing his gift, he finds the strength to break free of her influence while on the journey his clan makes to a distant volcano, but what begins as an adventure develops into a perilous race to save their own lives – and that of the baby which should be theirs.

Jessie:  You have certainly woven an intriguing plot.  I am interested in how you tell the story.  Could you read an extract?

Liz took the book from her a shoulder bag printed with the logo of ENCUENTRO. Encuentro means ‘Meeting’ in Spanish. She read an extract.

Red-hot stones fell from the slate-grey sky – a solid rain that was dangerous, especially for children. Yakan turned his back on the chaotic scene below and herded his people into the relative safety of their caves.

Jessie:  The writing is powerful, and you must have used lots of creative energy to tell the story.  How did you feel when you had finished the novel? Did you miss any of the characters?

Liz: To some extent I felt relief that my novel was finally worth printing! A Volcanic Race evolved from the first book I ever wrote and has undergone several sweeping changes to reach its final form.

As for the characters – they are still waiting back-stage. Some have already made an appearance in my next book, Wolf Pack, and all of them are due to resurface in the final book of my Living Rock series.

A Volcanic Race by Liz Young

Jessie:  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.  

The more the merrier! Seriously, though, I had my family in mind when I wrote it.

I wanted to be able to put my book in their hands and say, “See – my writing is more than just a hobby to keep me out of mischief.”

Authors? If I must pick one author out of many, I would chooseTerry Pratchett, who is the one writer whose books I can read more than once – I have most of his books on my bookshelf. Unfortunately he would have to read mine in a spirit version – do Amazon offer that option?

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

Liz: To read it twice. One friend told me he’d been unable to put it down and read it so fast he was sure he’d missed a lot, so he was going to read it a second time, more slowly. The best review I’ve had, in its way.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Liz: In truth the last sentence is a draft of this week’s flash fiction, but my ‘note to self’ before that is ‘Research prehistoric African grassland animals’ – a reminder for my next book.

I have kept notes ever since my days in a busy Housing Association office, where half a dozen requests could land on my desk at once, and I can’t rely on my memory.

Jessie:  What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Liz: My biggest challenge, apart from finding time to write while catering to the needs of various family members, is getting my book out there.

I tried to find an agent before self-publishing – in fact I signed a contract for a different book but the agent couldn’t find a publisher. Now I am struggling, as I suspected I would, to grasp the intricacies of self-publicity. Two local magazines have featured me and AVR on a half-page spread, and every week I publish flash fiction on my blog with a direct link to my book, yet neither have shown any discernible effect on my sales.

How other authors make that transition from double figures to hundreds or – in my dreams – thousands, remains a mystery.

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

Liz: I have received so much help and advice from my online friends in Writing Magazine’s TalkBack forum that it is difficult to select one, unless it’s ‘Hang in there and keep writing.’

Liz Young, author

Liz is now back living in Sussex after fifteen years in Tenerife, where the variety of rock formations and colours inspired her writing – she says she still misses speaking Spanish, but is glad to be away from the excessive heat.

When Liz is stuck in her writing she goes for a walk, running different scenarios and conversations through her mind – sometimes aloud, which has been known to disconcert passers-by.

Liz has four children – all adult now – which may explain why she likes cooking for large parties, the most recent of which was a full English breakfast for thirty friends on the terrace of her Tenerife apartment.

Liz’s lovely humour and positivity made her great company.  She was animated when talking about her book and made me want to find out more.  I believe it is always important to test new genres as it can feed the imagination and spark an unexpected plot twist in one’s own novel.  The sun shone as if we were in Tenerife throughout out meeting.  The best of luck to Liz with her writing.  I urge you to look at Liz’s imaginative story.  Her next book is entitled HELTER-SKELTER and will be released soon.

 

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

 

Summer on a Sunny Island with Sue Moorcroft

Ideas come from all over. I began my new book, Summer on a Sunny Island, after visiting Malta with my brothers and sister-in-law for a service kids’ reunion.

To celebrate three years of Books in my Handbag Blog, I invited a special guest to join me. Sue Moorcroft was the first guest on my blog three years ago and is renowned for her captivating escapist fiction. I asked her about her latest novel, Summer on a Sunny Island, and where she finds her stories and characters. Get the kettle on, join us for a chat and let’s indulge in a short break to Malta where sparks are flying.

Jessie: When did you get your big break in writing?

Sue: Securing my agent Juliet of Blake Friedmann. She sold two books to Avon, HarperCollins and they got the first, The Christmas Promise, to #1 on UK Kindle in December 2016.

Jessie: Did you dream of becoming an author when you were a child?

Sue: Yes. I was six or seven when I realised someone created what went between a book’s covers and decided I’d like that to be me.

Jessie: Have you ever been tempted to chat to readers if you see them buy your book in the supermarket? 

Sue: I was once in W H Smith in St Pancras Station, talking to a friend where A Christmas Gift stood on the shelf. A lady picked up a copy. I froze but my friend said, ‘Would you like to meet the author?’ We chatted and took photos and members of staff joined in and another guy came up and said he knew me from columns I wrote for Writers’ Forum. It was a lovely experience. Ideas come from all over. I began my new book, Summer on a Sunny Island, after visiting Malta with my brothers and sister-in-law for a service kids’ reunion.

Jessie: You have written an amazing number of novels.  Where do you get your ideas from?  Are you constantly searching for characters?

Sue: I made Rosa’s mum and Zach’s dad army kids who’d lived on the island. Another spark was a sweet anecdote I heard about a celeb cook, which made me make Rosa’s mum a food writer. Zach’s troubled past comes from my memory of a guy at school. Part of Rosa’s from something that happened when I worked in a bank. I’m lucky to have a plotty head that weaves together things I remember/hear about.

Jessie: How many times do you draft a book before you send it to your editor?  How many rewrites do you go through before the book is ready to release into the wild?

Sue: Two or three drafts before I send the book in. Then comes a structural edit (probably another two drafts), a line edit and a copy edit. Sometimes two of these edits are combined into one.

An uplifting, happy read that will raise your spirits and warm your heart!

Jessie: Your novels always have distinctive settings.  Did you visit Malta before you wrote the latest novel, Summer on a Sunny Island?

Sue: I was brought up there for several years and return whenever I can. Last year, with Summer on a Sunny Island in progress, I visited four times! I wrote about a quarter of the first draft there, which was an enriching process.

Jessie: What are the themes and contemporary issues in Summer on a Sunny Island?

Sue: Characters standing at a crossroads in their lives; online gambling; young people pulled into the wrong crowd; family dynamics; negative equity traps; responsibility.

Jessie: The opening lines of your novels always hook me.  Please share the opening lines of Summer on a Sunny Island.

‘Rosa twirled her wine glass, trying to choose her words over the chatter and clatter of Gino’s pavement café and the rumble of traffic along the seafront road. Here in the busy area of Sliema, old buildings outnumbered the new and the promenade was filled with people selling harbour cruises to tourists. Rosa preferred Ta’ Xbiex, where she was staying, about a mile along the coast, with its traditional stone villas. Sliema’s air was punctuated by the sound of car horns but in Ta’ Xbiex you could sometimes catch the mellow sound of church bells rising into the blue sky above the boats bobbing on the sparkling sea.’

Jessie: I am so grateful to you for writing such great escapes.  What do you read when you want to escape? 

Sue: I read in the area I write – authors such as Jules Wake/Julie Caplin, Kathryn Freeman, Rhoda Baxter, Christina Courtenay – and romantic suspense such as Toni Anderson, Suzanne Brockmann and Linda Howard. I also love books on Formula 1!

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle.

Jessie: What message would you like to give to your dedicated group of readers?

Sue: THANK YOU. There are few things give me more pleasure than readers enjoying my books. And thank you, Jessie, for inviting me onto Books in my Handbag!

As an international bestselling author of escapist fiction, Sue Moorcroft is the perfect writer to visit my blog.  As I can’t travel, I fancy an escape to Malta because we need an ‘uplifting happy read’ at the moment.

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary. Sue’s novels of love and life are currently released by publishing giant HarperCollins in the UK, US and Canada and by an array of publishers in other countries.

Her short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Born into an army family in Germany, Sue spent much of her childhood in Cyprus and Malta but settled in Northamptonshire at the age of ten. An avid reader, she also loves Formula 1, travel, time spent with friends, dance exercise and yoga.


Website [www.suemoorcroft.com]
Blog [http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com]
Facebook profile [Sue.Moorcroft.3]
Facebook author page [https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor
Twitter  [@suemoorcroft]
Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/suemoorcroftauthor/] @SueMoorcroftAuthor
LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suemoorcroft]

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Escape to a Medieval Castle with Ella Matthews

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales.

Do you fancy a trip to medieval Britain and an encounter with a warrior knight? If you do, then let me introduce to Ella Matthews who has just released Under The Warrior’s Protection. Ella is a member of my local Romantic Novelists’ Association writing group. I was keen to discover more about how her role as a commissioning editor prepared her to become an author for Mills and Boon.

Did you dream of becoming an author when you were a child?

When I was a child I wanted to be an actress. There are two problems with this: I’m very shy and I’m a terrible actor. I thought that writing books is what other people did, so although I loved reading it never occurred to me that I could be an author too.

You were a commissioning editor for many years.  Was it difficult to make the transition from editor to writer? What were the key pointers you had in mind when you started to write?

There is quite a lot of cross-over with my editor role and writing and because I was so immersed in the publishing world it was quite easy to transition from one to the other. As a commissioning editor you are always thinking of the commercial appeal of the books you work on and that was one of my focuses when I was putting my first manuscript together. I’d love to say that my experience as an editor made getting rejection letters easier because I know it’s not personal but sadly, that’s not the case.

‘A story filled with drama, danger and fabulous characters that had me hooked.’
Anna’s Book Blog

Under the Warrior’s Protection is set in the medieval period.  Why did you select this period in history and how do you research the era?

I find it quite hard to research the medieval period. There is so much that’s unknown so I try and make an educated guess based on the research I do (mainly visiting castles and reading lots of books). My biggest concern is that I miss something and a reader picks it up.

I picked this time period because I’ve always wanted to live in a castle and this is the closest I’m going to get.

How many times do you draft a book before you send it to your editor?  How many rewrites do you go through before the book is ready to release into the wild?

I go through a lot! I would say that, on average, I draft individual scenes about eight times before I’m happy with them. When I’ve finished the manuscript I will probably go through it another four times before I send it to my editor. Victoria will then get back to me with any changes she wants before it’s sent to a content editor who makes sure I haven’t written something crazy, like eating pizza at a medieval feast. After that, it’s the proofs and then finally it’s released into the wild.

The hero of Under the Warrior’s Protection is an influential Earl and his fortress is based on Caerphilly Castle.

Where do you get your ideas from?  Do you find perfect medieval heroes and heroines walking our streets when you are out and about? If yes, then please give us a delicious example.

Gosh this is a hard question! I had the idea for the first book in the House of Leofric series so long ago that I’ve forgotten where the idea came from. All the other ideas for my medieval books have come from writing the other books. So, I had the idea for Under the Warrior’s Protection when I met the heroine, Katherine in my first book. She was a minor character, who caught my attention. Her story unfolded in my head as I was standing by the photocopier at work.

I’m terribly unobservant and I sort of walk around in my own bubble, so I never get my heroes and heroines from real life. Quite a few of my heroes seem to have Chris Hemsworth’s physique though!

Your novels always have distinctive settings.  The latest book is set in a medieval castle.  Is it based on a real castle and did you visit medieval castles to inspire you?

The castle, which features in all the House of Leofric books, is based on Oystermouth Castle in Mumbles (well worth a visit when Swansea opens back up again!). The hero of Under the Warrior’s Protection is an influential Earl and his fortress is based on Caerphilly Castle. I’m lucky to live in Wales where there are a range of medieval castles to visit.

What is the biggest challenge when writing a historical novel? 

It has to be finding out the correct information. The medieval period lasted for several hundred years and so what was true at the beginning was not necessarily the case by the end. My novels tend to take place in the middle and I’m very nervous about the fiction not matching up with reality. That’s why my locations are fictitious and there are no real people from history in my novels. I might be braver in my next series!

What clothes do your characters own and are there any interesting, unfamiliar garments?

Clothing is another big challenge when writing medieval novels. When I started researching this time period I was surprised at just how colourful their clothing was. I think the women’s outfits aren’t wildly different to modern day women’s maxi dresses. My heroes tend to wear knight’s clothing because their everyday outfits were similar to the women’s and I don’t want to cause confusion.

Is your heroine, Katherine, a modern woman?  Introduce us to Katherine and tell us what she would think of the way women dress and behave today.

Until the start of my novel, Katherine has led a very restricted life under the confines of an increasingly violent mother. She craves adventure and stability. I think she would be thrilled by how women behave today. She’d particularly love the freedom to travel anywhere in the world. If she lived now I think she would be a marine biologist! I do think she would be shocked by the mini skirt, though!

Your novels are presented as wonderful romantic escapes.  What should readers expect to find in your novels?

Strong, confident alpha males and feisty, forward-thinking women who experience adventure and romance.

What do the readers say about your novels? 

‘A story filled with drama, danger and fabulous characters that had me hooked.’

Anna’s Book Blog

‘This story…is full of angst, humour, and passion. Prepare to be romanced by another great author who is going on my favourites list.’

The Eclectic Review

‘This couple’s story kept me entertained, engrossed and I loved them more, the further I read.’

Goodreads review

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else). Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else).

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and also my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Enigmatic Dual-Time Guernsey novel in my handbag 

Anne Allen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having departed from a grey, rainy day in London, it was a thrill to arrive in Guernsey.  A blue sky greeted me in Guernsey, and the cool breeze was refreshing.  A taxi took me to the quaint St Peter’s Port. I met Anne at The Old Government House Hotel, a cosy homely hotel with spectacular views.  Looking around, I tried to imagine how the building may have been used by the Germans, during World War Two.  My imagination slipped into scenes presented in novels and I shivered.  Fortunately, Anne greeted me, and her charming, sunny disposition and instantly brought me back to the present.

I wore my jeans and green Ralph Lauren jacket, while Anne wore jeans and a gorgeous grey leather jacket and carried a tan leather handbag. My green leather bag was crammed full of my notebook, kindle and snacks for the journey.  We sat in two comfortable brown leather armchairs, near a beautiful piano.  The room was cosy, despite the glamorous chandeliers twinkling above us. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Renoir painting like the one found in Anne’s novel.  We chatted happily as we waited for the tea.  Grabbing Anne’s latest novel, ‘The Betrayal’, from my handbag, I asked Anne to tell me more.  

Jessie:  This is a beautiful place and it is difficult to imagine how Guernsey when it was occupied by the Germans.  Please, tell me more about your novel.

Anne: ‘The Betrayal’ is two intertwined stories; the first focusing on Leo, who loses everything in the German Occupation of Guernsey. The second concerns Fiona, who sixty years later, becomes caught up in what happened to Leo after the mysterious find of a Renoir in a Guernsey basement.

Jessie:  Where did you get the inspiration for your narrative in ‘The Betrayal’?

Anne: From two historical events that took place in Guernsey. The first was Renoir’s visit in 1883, when he stayed for a few weeks and painted numerous local scenes; in particular Moulin Huet on the south coast. These paintings are quite well-known and at least one is in a major museum. The second event was the forced deportation of Jews from Guernsey – and Jersey – by the Germans to concentration camps during WWII.

Jessie:  German occupation must have been terrifying for the inhabitants.  I look forward to reading your novel to capture a sense of the atmosphere.  Can you read an extract from the novel?

Anne removed her novel from the coffee table and selected a passage instantly.

Anne: ‘His heart lurched, hating to see her like this. Before he could say anything, she went on, ‘I can’t leave you here on your own, Leo. Anything might happen to you if…if the Germans do come.’

Jessie:  Great choice!  You build up the tension and make me want to read more.  Indeed, the passage is also anchored by the enigmatic front cover. I was searching for your reviews on the plane and found the following:

“To sum up, this is a wonderful novel, with tons of pace where pace is needed, and a setting so lovingly described, it is almost a character in the book. I am happy to recommend this story, in fact, all of them, to anybody who enjoys a well-plotted mystery populated with convincing and always credible characters.” A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

Anne found some Amazon reviews on her phone.

Anne:

“I just finished the book–could hardly put it down! Another winning story from Anne with history, romance and intrigue” Amazon review 5*

“Really enjoyed this book. I almost didn’t put it down. Wonderful twists and turns with a lot of wonderful descriptions of Guernsey” Amazon Review 5*

Jessie:  Having seen the wonderful setting via the plane.  Could you read your description of the setting?

Anne:  The warm sunshine felt good and deep breaths of salty air soon had her striding out towards Moulin Huet Bay. The yellow flowers of the gorse, shading pink campion and yellow celandine, made a bright contrast against the deep green of the grass and Fiona felt her spirits lift a little. Cliff walks had played a large part in her childhood and youth. Her parents considered them an integral part of the weekends and school holidays. They always started from Soldiers Bay, within easy reach of their home in Colborne Road. The path led them close to Blue Bell Wood, a delightful sea of blue in spring and one of Fiona’s favourite places.

Jessie:  The setting is wonderful and does ‘lift my spirits.’.  I adore a book where you feel transported to the time and place.  I can understand why Renoir was inspired to paint in Guernsey. I notice the novel is part of a series.  How does ‘The Betrayal’ fit into the Guernsey Series?

Anne:  All six books in The Guernsey Novels series are standalone stories but they share characters who featured in previous books. It’s like reading about a small town, when people know each other and turn up when needed. Each book has fresh main characters to add to the mix and to prevent readers becoming bored! My ‘fans’ tell me they love recognising characters from previous books in the series, making them feel at home

Jessie: How did you feel when you had finished writing ‘The Betrayal’, and did you miss any of the characters?

Anne: Relieved – and exhausted! It had taken me months longer than anticipated to finish but I was pleased with the result. Characters do get under your skin and I miss Fiona and Michael in particular. The joy of writing books in a series is that characters can pop up again, so it might be au revoir not goodbye.

Jessie: 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. 

Anne: I would be honoured if Barbara Erskine, the writer of so many wonderful time-slip books, would deign to read my humble offerings. Any words of advice and/or encouragement from her would be gratefully received.

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

Anne: It’s a page-turner and with short chapters, so easy to pick up and read when you have a moment to spare.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Anne: “Leopoldine drowned with her husband, aged 19, in September 1843.” For my next book, ‘The Inheritance’, set partly around Victor Hugo’s time in Guernsey.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Anne: Getting noticed by potential readers. There are millions of books available to choose from these days making it almost impossible for an unknown writer to be noticed in the crowd. Now I have a series of six books to my name, it’s becoming a little easier.

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

Anne: To write as if for myself, not to worry if anyone will ever read my words.

More about Anne…

…Anne is a retired psychotherapist who finally got the chance to write when her three children flew the nest.
… loves history and exploring old houses, visiting places of archaeological interest on her travels.
…won a holiday to The Gambia early this year and had a wonderful time.

The enigma and setting of ‘The Betrayal’ left me wanting more, and I was delighted to receive a copy of the novel. I look forward to travelling back to Guernsey via the novel. 

Following the interview, Anne took me on a tour of St Peter’s Port.  The cobbled streets greeted us as we walked towards the gardens.  It is no surprise that this port has been deemed one of the prettiest ports. We walked to George Road, the lodging house where Renoir stayed during his visit to Guernsey.

 

Please see all my interviews at My Guests and my blog at jessiecahalin.com.

 

When Dreams Came True for Jan Baynham

Jan hard at work in her writing room in Wales.

When people follow their dreams, I must find out more.  Having retired from a career in education, Jan Baynham recently gained a publishing deal with Ruby Fiction.  I am delighted she agreed to chat to me about her writing adventure and offer the benefit of her experiences.

Jessie: When did you first dream of becoming a writer?

Jan:  I came very late to the party! It wasn’t until I retired that I thought about writing fiction. As a teacher and latterly as a Teacher Adviser for English, I’d always enjoyed teaching writing and taking part in Shared Writing but had never thought seriously about writing for myself. To start, I joined a small writing group at a local library and from there I took a short story course at Cardiff University run by a published author. I began submitting my stories to competitions and several are published in anthologies and on-line.  A themed anthology of those early stories, “Smashing the Mask and Other Stories’, will be launched by Black Pear Press on October 10th.  Back then, unless they were Flash Fiction pieces – a genre that I love! – I found it harder and harder to keep to the word counts required for some of the competitions. It soon became clear that I preferred to write much longer stories with multi-layered characters, detailed settings and more involved plots. I undertook a novel writing course with the same tutor and that was when my dream of becoming a published novelist began. That was five years ago and enrolling on Lynne Barrett-Lee’s course was the best decision I ever made.

Jessie:  Wow!  I am impressed you retired from one successful career to embark on another challenge. How did you feel when you secured a deal with Ruby Fiction?

Jan: At the beginning of May, I accepted and signed a contract with Ruby Fiction for three books. The first, ‘Whispering Olive Trees’, will be published in digital and audio in 2020. I was – and still am! – thrilled and still can’t quite believe it. I know there’s a lot of hard work ahead but working with my editor at Ruby is something I’m looking forward to very much. I shall give it my all.

Jessie: What is Whispering Oliver Trees about?

The view over the sapphire sea from the fictional island of Péfka where the novel is mainly set

‘Whispering Olive Trees’ started out as a short story that did quite well in competitions by being long-listed. After re-tweaking, it was eventually published as ‘Whispers in the Olive Trees’ on Alfie Dog Fiction. But I knew there was a longer, more involved story there and my characters were begging to tell me more. The novel is now completely different. Mainly taking place on a fictional island, Péfka, in southern Greece, in 1965 and 1987, the dual time-line novel explores the relationship between a mother and daughter, forbidden love – due to cultural differences – and a search for true identity. Alexandra, known as Lexi, is a young woman grieving after the untimely death of her mother, Elin who has bequeathed her diary to her. Through reading the diary, Lexi discovers secrets in her mother’s past and a part of her life she knew nothing about. She travels to Greece to find out the truth, and then understands why tension has always existed between her and her father. Once she knows who she really is, she can move on with her own life and find true happiness. I’m hoping the novel will appeal to female readers who enjoy family sagas and reading about relationships, the dynamics of family life, secrets, romance and a touch of crime. Having a Greek uncle and having made many visits there, I am passionate about novels set in Greece and the country itself. I hope that will come across to my readers.

Jessie:  Intriguing to know you have a Greek uncle and this inspired the story.  I adore stories with secrets.  The novel sounds like a great escape and it is no wonder you wanted to write the novel.  You have been determined to secure a publishing deal. I knew you would manage it.  What process did you go through before you were successful?

Olive trees grow everywhere on the island. The whispering of the leaves in the
breeze remind Lexi she is not alone.

Jan: Thank you for your confidence, Jessie. Yes, I was as determined as I could be. I think the main reason for the determination was that I didn’t have the confidence to self-publish and I am full of admiration for those writers who do so successfully. The first thing I did was to apply for a place on the RNA’s wonderful New Writers’ Scheme. I cannot praise the scheme highly enough. The three reports I have received from my readers so far have been very constructive, encouraging and detailed with helpful advice. Before submitting to any publishers, I have considered the points made and given my novels another thorough edit.

Wherever Lexi goes, she is met by an abundance of vibrant bougainvillea, tumbling over garden walls.

I took note of those publishers to whom you may submit directly without an agent. As each rejection came back, it was noticeable that instead of a standard ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ I soon started getting positive feedback with comments about what they liked about the writing and why they couldn’t make an offer. It was at this stage, the ‘nearly but not quite’ stage as one editor put it, I knew that if I took on board the advice I was getting, that maybe I would get published. A glimmer of hope! I hoped that each new submission was better than the previous one because of the help I was getting. That’s not to say I didn’t have self-doubt and wondered how long I should keep trying. That was where my group of writing friends, Sue, Catherine and Vanessa came in and gave me the kick start to begin submitting again!

Jessie: What advice would you give to fledgling authors seeking their first publishing deal?

Jan: Keep going! Get yourself a pair of wide shoulders, preferably with 80s style padding! I tell myself it’s a rejection of the writing and not of me as a person. I’m a ‘bottle half-full’ person and whenever I receive any written feedback, I have a little ritual. Especially with my NWS readers’ reports, I highlight all the positive comments and compliments in one colour and then do the same for the suggestions for improvement, criticisms, flaws etc. in another highlighter pen. We are notoriously bad at just focusing in on what’s wrong with our writing, aren’t we? If I agree with the points to correct or improve, I make them into a list and tick them off as I edit.

Choose to submit to publishers who are accepting submissions without an agent and who are accepting novels in your genre. Make sure you read the submission guidelines ‘to the letter’. They all vary. The same applies to the query letter. If you are submitting to an agent, however, maybe look for those who are building a list.

Even very experienced writers will say they are still learning. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned, and hopefully improved as a writer, from attending conferences, training days and workshops. Lancaster 2019 will be my fourth RNA Conference and as well as the organised lectures, workshops, the 1-to-1 industry appointments, the camaraderie of the other delegates, I’ve always come back enthused and ready to start writing again.

My last piece of advice would be to build your social media presence before you start submitting to publishers. It is often a question they ask and want to know how you will be able to promote yourself and your novels. My blog is now five years old and I started it when I started novel writing. It’s a way of sharing my writing journey and also supporting fellow authors by promoting their books and hosting guest interviews. On Twitter, for example, I’ve ‘met’ lots of supportive writers and we like and re-tweet each others’ news and books. It’s even better when we meet in person.

Jessie:  You give lots of valuable advice, and I have now experienced the value of the Romantic Novelist’ Conference.  I agree that social media is a wonderful way to communicate -it’s where I met you.  Why is it important for new writers to meet up with other writers rather than only communicating on social media?

Jan: Although I’m an advocate of building up a presence on social media, nothing beats meeting up with other writers, face to face. Writing can be a very lonely occupation and I think it’s so important to get away from the computer to mix with other writers. I still meet up with two writing friends I met on the short story ‘Telling Tales’ course. We meet for lunch every few weeks and bring along Flash Fiction pieces to share and critique. Our Cowbridge Cursors ‘group of four’ meets up less regularly than we used to due to family, work and other commitments, but when we do it’s as if we’ve never been apart. Our RNA Chapter meets every month and through that I’ve met some lovely writers. It’s been so good to share a Writing Retreat Day and a Writing Workshop with them this year. We talk about our WiPs and I always come away feeling better about my writing.

Jessie: The Chapter meetings also give me a great writing boost.  I am so pleased to be part of the South Wales and West Chapter. Aside from writing, I know you have a very interesting hobby.  Can you tell me more about Eddie Stobard?

You’ve asked about my unusual hobby. It’s not something I broadcast for fear of being judged as a bit of an ‘anorak’. It all came out when I was coming home from my first Conference with my four writing buddies, the CCs. The M6 is a haven for Eddie Stobart spotters like me. Every time we came alongside one of the green, red and white beauties, I was busy making notes on my phone ready to transfer to my Eddie Stobart Spotter’s Handbook when I got home. Imagine the disbelief and ribbing I got! This year, I now have a brand new Eddie Stobart truck named after me – ‘Janet Eleanor’, H8529, Registration No. PX68ZKE.

Jan offers honest advice for authors seeking that first publishing deal, and I am sure her story will resonate with all authors.  I look forward to the finished novel.  Best of luck, Jan! 

Jan’s contact details:
Twitter – @JanBayLit
Facebook – Jan Baynham Writer
Blog – www.janbaynham.blogspot.co.uk

 

Please all my author interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Ian Wilfred’s Latest Novel Paired with Greek Wine

Ian looked so relaxed as we chatted, soaked up the sun and enjoyed the sea view.

Shirley Valentine made me giggle in my twenties, and now I am old enough to be Shirley.  I still dream of sipping wine, seated at a table, with a sea view, in Greece.  Imagine my delight when Ian Wilfred invited me to Greece to discuss his new novel.  I joined him on his island of Holkamos.  We drank wine and ate a marvellous picnic of feta cheese olives, tomatoes and stuffed vine leaves.   Ian looked so relaxed as we chatted, soaked up the sun and enjoyed the sea view. He wore shorts polo shirt and flip flops, and his new novel, Secrets We Left In Greece, was stored in a black bag.

 

Jessie:  Ian, it is great to finally meet you.  You provided the very first photograph for my Handbag Gallery.  You have written two books since then.  Please tell me about your latest book Secrets we left in Greece.

Norfolk is wonderful but holidays in Greece, with my husband and family, inspired the setting of the latest novel.

Ian:  It was a pleasure to make the connection via the Handbag Gallery.  My photograph was on a local Norfolk beach, as I just love the sea.  Norfolk is wonderful but holidays in Greece, with my husband and family, inspired the setting of the latest novel.  It is a story of old secrets and new memories on the Greek island of Holkamos.

Miriam had something on her mind and it needed sorting. What she had planned wouldn’t go down well with her daughter Heather and Granddaughter Amy, but there was no going back; the tickets were booked she had to face the island again.

Jessie:  It sounds like a fabulous escape.  Why should your readers be tempted to buy this novel?

You only get one chance to live your life. Escape to my Greek island Holkamos with Miriam, Heather and Amy; support them on their journey of self- discovery

Ian: You only get one chance to live your life. Escape to my Greek island Holkamos with Miriam, Heather and Amy; support them on their journey of self- discovery. Pack your passport, settle down in the sunshine and listen in to their secrets. My characters learn life is not a rehearsal, and it’s time to move on.  Sometimes, you need to escape to a paradise island in order to remove the rose-tinted glasses.

Jessie: What do the reviewers say?  Were they intrigued to find out the secrets?.

Ian:  Have a look at the reviews here in Netgallery.

‘Solid chick lit…it doesn’t take itself too seriously.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and say, ‘Oh no! Definitely a fun weekend read.’ Shirley Anne, Reviewer

‘Love fiction set in Greece. This was a light, enjoyable read.’ Anita T, Reviewer

‘Amusing, believable characters on a voyage of discovery.’

Jessie:  Please can you read an extract from Secrets We Left In Greece?

*** Ian retrieved the novel from his black bag.  The vibrant front cover looked so inviting.

Ian: ‘Paul they were happy times-  no one died, and I have lots of special memories of my holidays on Holkamos, I just don’t want to go back, I’ve moved on from that’.

‘What’s that, Amy?  Why do you need to move on from something that brings back happy memories what happened?’

Jessie:  How did you feel when you had finished the novel?  Did you miss any of the characters?

We drank wine and ate a marvellous picnic of feta cheese olives, tomatoes and stuffed vine leaves

Ian: Jessie, I loved writing it and I felt really good. Once I finished, I couldn’t wait to send it off to my editor, Nancy. I sort of missed the character Cleo. In all my other four books, my main characters have been over fifty, but Cleo was only twenty. I wanted to take her story further. You never know, I might revisit Cleo one day if she invited me back to the island.

Jessie:  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.  

Ian: Just someone who chooses to read it. I don’t give my books to family or friends to read, but if they want to that’s lovely but very scary. I shout and promote them on Twitter but have never asked a blogger to read because that’s even scarier.

Jessie:  Why should I keep your book in my handbag?
Ian: This book is an essential edition to a British handbag as it will give you sunshine on a grey day. Travelling to Holkamos will chase away those rainy-day blues, and you’ll be in the company of great friends.  Each time you read this book, you’ll be tempted to open a bottle of Greek wine.

Jessie:  What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

The last sentence in my notes for Secrets We Left In Greece is – take out the middle H from Holkhamos and call the island Holkamos as that sounds better. On Sunday, I wrote: ‘Olive Sarah or Billy ?’

Jessie:  What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Ian: My biggest challenge is TIME.  I write and work full-time. Family and friends are fed up with me saying I would love an eight day week. Have you got an extra day of the week in your handbag?

Jessie:  Very funny!  I probably have more than a day’s worth of junk in my handbag.  What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Ian: This is easy. Write every day even if it’s only 200 words, as this keeps the story fresh in your head. Read and watch everything Milly Johnson has to say about writing.  Milly Johnson’s Author Tips are the very best.

Ian Wilfred is 50+ but in his head he will always be 39. He lives on the Norfolk coast with his husband and west highland terrier. His perfect day would be to walk the dog on the beach, drink lots of coffee and write, but in real life after walking the dog, Ian goes off to work.

His debut novel ‘Putting Right The Past’ was published in 2013 and set on the island of Tenerife. ‘The Little Terrace of Friendships’ was published in March 2017, and Ian’s third book ‘A Secret Visitor to Saltmarsh Quay’ was published in November 2017.

You can follow Ian on Twitter at @ianwilfred39 (he will always be 39).

Chatting to Ian made the sunshine.  If you fancy an escape then buy his latest book. Are you ready to find out some secrets?  Promise you will leave the secrets in Holkamos. 

 

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

 

A Wee Dram with the Girl in the Castle – Lizzie Lamb

Lizzie wore a very glamorous blue and white blouse and jeans.

Lizzie Lamb’s blue VW camper attracted admirers at Urquhart Castle, Scotland.  The engine purred obediently, as Lizzie expertly manoeuvred the vintage beauty into a parking space, overlooking Loch Ness.  Excited to see the van featured in Boot Camp Bride, I patted the gleaming bonnet.

The door opened, Lizzie emerged and invited me inside. She wore a very glamorous blue and white blouse and jeans.

Lizzie Lamb’s blue VW camper parked at Urquhart Castle.

While she prepared some tea in the compact kitchen, I opened a tin of Scottish shortbread, with a picture of Nessie on the tin, and managed to drop biscuits on the pristine table.  Laughing, Lizzie helped me to clear up the mess. A copy of Lizzie’s novel, ‘Girl at the Castle’, invited me to peer inside.  Lizzie’s books are always so beautifully designed and presented in a distinctive lilac colour, they match perfectly with my handbag.   

Jessie:  All of your books look like tempting gifts of lilac loveliness for the reader. If I open the book, then I will start to read it.  Tell me about ‘Girl in the Castle’.

Lizzie: Fate takes Henriette Bruar to a Scottish castle where the laird’s family are in mourning over a tragedy which happened many years before. Cue a phantom piper, a lost Jacobite treasure, and a cast of characters who – with Henri’s help, encourage the family to confront the past and move on. As part of the healing process, Henriette falls in love with the laird’s son, Keir, and they achieve the happy ending they both deserve.

Jessie:  The plot and setting sound thrilling.  I know you write in a very natural and witty style.  Can you tempt us with a couple of words from ‘Girl in the Castle’?

A beautifully designed novel in a handbag.

Lizzie: ‘Giving a superstitious shiver, Henriette acknowledged there were subtle forces at work in this ancient castle. Forces which wanted her and Keir to be together, forever.’

Jessie:  This is so tempting!  You craft the words so artfully.  I know you have been longlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize. What did the reviewers say?

Lizzie opened up a folder on her laptop and read some reviews. I was sure I heard the distant sound of bagpipes, but Lizzie didn’t comment. 

Lizzie: Ah, here they are. I’ll read three reviews.

Can you see Nessie?

‘I loved all the many elements in this novel: The location, history, slightly paranormal atmosphere, love lost and found, and a missing treasure. Not to forget gorgeous Keir MacKenzie, a hero to swoon over.’

‘This convincing romance beginning in conflict and distrust is set in stunning scenery which comes to life through Henri’s experiences and Keir’s enthusiasm for his birth right. A great read!’

‘Girl in the Castle is romantic, witty, interesting and you don’t want it to finish. I enjoyed all the characters – and the storyline. I laughed, gasped, and wished I were Henriette! I love the way Lizzie is knowledgeable about Scotland and shares this with the reader in a heartfelt way. A romantic novel with substance and wit – hurry up and write us the next one, please.’

Jessie:  As expected the reviews wax lyrical about your writing. Having read one of your novels, I get the sense that you are very attached to the characters and this brings them to life so beautifully.  Did you miss the characters of ‘Girl in the Castle’ when you had finished writing the novel?

Lizzie: When I finish a novel it’s always hard to say goodbye to the characters. Many of my readers feel the same and often ask for a sequel. However, although I miss the characters and the setting ,once I type THE END, that’s it for me. I leave the novel so that readers can imagine what would happen next . . . I think it has been hardest to say goodbye to Henri and Keir. And – mad writer alert – I still have conversations with them in my head and I know exactly what they’re doing now. I felt the same about Charlee and Rafa in Boot Camp Bride and Fliss and Ruairi in Tall, Dark and Kilted.

Jessie:  Did a particular place inspire ‘Girl in the Castle’?

Lizzie Lamb viewing Castle Stalker: the inspiration for Girl in the Castle.

Lizzie opened a collection of photographs in a gallery.  She left me to scroll through the images while she refilled the teapot. I was sure I heard the bagpipes again as I studied the photos.

Lizzie:  We spend a month each year in Scotland. Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhe, near Oban is the inspiration behind Girl in the Castle.

Jessie:  Of course, I have seen this iconic image on the front cover. I’d love to visit the castle and read all your novels. Who would you like to read your novels?

Lizzie: I would choose Jilly Cooper. I adored her earlier books: Emily, Prudence etc. and her bonk busters: Polo, Riders et al. I would like Jilly to read my books because that would be my way of saying: ‘thank you for inspiring me to become a writer, and for making it all seem possible’. If I’m allowed a second, more practical choice, I would thank Amazon for giving indie authors the means of getting their books ‘out there’ to a wide audience of readers.

Jessie:  As an independent author, I notice your wealth of images and campaigns.   Where do you get the photos from?

Lizzie: As a writer and blogger I am very aware of infringing copyright so I have subscribed to a couple of websites where I pay and download images: https://www.123rf.com https://www.dreamstime.com https://unsplash.com Other than that, I take my own photos with my iPhone wherever I go. A word of warning, don’t assume that images you see on Pinterest etc. are copyright free, always double check before uploading anything onto your sites. If in doubt, credit the artist/photographer.

Although, it was drizzling and grey outside, we decided to enjoy the Scottish weather.  Meandering along the shores of Loch Ness, we both joked about meeting up with Monster. 

Jessie:  Tell me, why should I keep your novel in my handbag?

Lizzie: My book would be the ideal companion when you’re feeling at a low ebb because I write feel good books, set in wonderful locations, with humorous secondary characters and, most importantly, a hero to fall in love with. If you want a break from the usually run of the mill romances, try one of mine. Oh, and bring a large handbag, my paperbacks are 9”x5” and need lots of space.

Jessie:  Don’t worry, I am always hunting for a new handbag. I think a tartan handbag is called for, after this trip. What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Lizzie: Dialogue between the hero (Logan) and his grandfather written as bullet points (which is how I generally write dialogue in my first draft).

– do you love the girl?

– I guess I do, but . . .

– then what are you waiting for. Go get her. As the poet said: faint heart never won fair lady.

While Lizzie read her dialogue, I noticed a mysterious shadow in the water, and the skirl of bagpipes sounded closer.  I think a certain Nessie may have been listening to the story.  Neither of us commented because we just knew… Lizzie removed a delicate whisky flask from her handbag and we celebrated with a wee dram. Slainte!

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Lizzie: Writing books has never been an issue, my head is teeming with ideas for future novels. The hard bit is getting my books to the notice of a wider public and finding new readers. I would love to get my books in supermarkets etc. but I know that won’t happen without my being a contracted author. If I was contracted to one of the ‘Big Five’ publishers I’d probably have to write books in genres I wouldn’t enjoy. So, its Catch-22 for me. I would like more time to write and spend less time on social media, but without social media I wouldn’t have achieved the sales I have.

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

Lizzie: Stop endlessly polishing the first three chapters and a synopsis to send to agents and publishers. You might find that once the novel is completed you jettison the first few chapters in any case. Finish the whole novel, edit it and then polish it to send out to agents/publishers (if that’s the route you want to take). Failing that, publish it yourself – but remember, time, tide and the whims of publishers/agents wait for no man. By the time you write that great novel of yours, trends will have changed and your novel won’t be what agents/publishers are looking for.

Jessie:  This interview has inspired me to plan a trip to Scotland, but my Scottish neighbour is always warning me about the midges. 

We discussed Girl in the Castle, drank tea and ate Scottish shortbread.

Lizzie: The received wisdom is that you are ‘pretty safe’ in late May/ early June but the wee beasties are bad in July and August. Having said that, if May is very warm, the eggs hatch and they come early. We’ve never been bothered by them and I’ve received worse bites in our garden in the summer.

Jessie:  That’s reassuring.  Where’s the best place to begin a tour?

Lizzie: Edinburgh or Inverness make great centres to tour from if you’ve never been to Scotland before. Fewer midges on that coast, too. We love the west coast but it is much wetter (and more midges). Stirling is also a good centre as you can have some fantastic days out exploring the Trossachs. When you get a feel for those parts of Scotland you can head for the ‘wilder parts’ on another visit.

Lizzie showed me collection of photos.  Ardvreck Castle, Assynt Geo Park Nth West Scotland, Achnasheen nr Kinlochewe, island in middle of Lake Maree, Argyll and Bute 

Jessie:  Thanks for the advice.  I am going to stock up on your novels then plan another trip to Scotland.

About Lizzie

Lizzie: If you have a dream – go for it. Life is not a rehearsal After teaching my 1000th pupil and working as a deputy head teacher in a large primary school, I decided it was time to leave the chalk face and pursue my first love: writing. In 2006 I joined the Romantic Novelists? Association’s New Writers? Scheme, honed my craft and wrote Tall, Dark and Kilted (2012), quickly followed a year later by Boot Camp Bride (2013) and Scotch on the Rocks (2015) – finalist, The Exeter Novel Prize.

Lizzie is hardworking, creative and focused on writing the best book she can. She loves sharing her stories and ideas with readers, new and old. She gets a real buzz when readers tell her that when they turned the last page of her novel they feel bereft and she should hurry up and write another.

I first stumbled on Lizzie’s books when searching for another great reading escape. Thrilled at Lizzie’s ability to inspire comedy, I downloaded all of her novels.  Her Scottish books motivated me to plan a holiday in Scotland.  Lizzie is great fun and her love of writing shines through her novels.

Lizzie says: “when I’m not writing – I’m dreaming”

 

Lizzie’s Links
https://www.amazon.com/author/lizzielamb
Amazon author page: viewAuthor.at/LizzieLamb
www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter
www.facebook.com/newromantics4
lizzielambwriter@gmail.com
website: www.lizzielamb.co.uk
blog: www.newromanticspress.com
Linked in: uk.linkedin.com/pub/lizzie-lamb/18/194/202/
Goodreads http://tinyurl.com/cbla48d
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lizzielamb/
https://twitter.com/lizzie_lamb
https://twitter.com/newromantics4

 

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

 

Alison May: Romance Fiction Rocks

I want the RNA to continue to be brilliant in all the ways it already is – supportive to new writers, friendly, welcoming and a real voice for professional commercial authors.

As a Leeds lass, I had to discover more about the dynamic Yorkshire woman who is Chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.  I invited Alison May to chat about the RNA and her writing. 

Jessie:  It is wonderful to finally meet you.  Tell me, who is Alison May, the writer?

Alison:  I’m a total control freak (which is helpful for writing novels – you basically get to invent a whole world and be god of it). If it was socially acceptable, I would live on toast and chocolate the whole time. And I have an uncontrollable tendency to take on one thing more than I have time to do – at the moment that one thing is ‘being Chair of the RNA’ so quite a big time-consuming thing!                             

Jessie: Chair of the RNA is a prestigious role and such an honour. What does your role as Chair of the RNA involve?

Alison: Essentially everything that goes wrong is my fault, and everything that goes well is down to the brilliant and inspirational management committee and volunteer team I have around me. On a practical level being Chair involves, hosting RNA events, chairing management committee meetings, representing the RNA at industry events and meetings, and, responding to whatever crises come up unexpectedly. And the start of 2020 has brought more crisis that any of us was expecting, so at the moment I’m mostly working on ways that we can respond to the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown and support our members virtually.

And I also write collaboratively with Janet Gover under the penname, Juliet Bell. Juliet writes stories inspired by misunderstood classics…

Jessie:  What is your vision for the RNA?

Alison:  I want the RNA to continue to be brilliant in all the ways it already is – supportive to new writers, friendly, welcoming and a real voice for professional commercial authors. I want to see us develop the education and professional development opportunities we provide for our members. I want the RNA to be a critical friend to the publishing industry – it’s great for us to build close ties with romantic fiction publishers, but it’s also vital that we remember that we’re an author focussed organisation and authors’ interests and publishers’ interests overlap but aren’t always precisely the same.

I’d also like to see us become more inclusive. At the moment, like much of the publishing industry, we can be a bit white and straight and middle class. It’s really important to me that writers who have been under-represented in publishing know they have a place within the RNA.

Mostly though I want authors of romantic fiction to be proud of their genre and of what we create. There can be snobbery around commercial fiction, especially around commercial fiction that is often written and read by women. I am simply not at home to those sorts of attitudes. Romantic fiction rocks.

All That Was Lost is my most recent title writing solo as Alison May though.

Jessie: What are the essential ingredients of a great romance?

Alison: People who want to be together and a really good reason they can’t be.

Jessie: Why did you join the Romance Novelists’ Association and what has it offered you?

Alison: I joined the RNA in 2011 as a member of the New Writers’ Scheme. The NWS gives unpublished authors a critique on their novel in progress, but also means that you can attend RNA events as a member. In that first year I went to conference and the Winter Party and joined my local chapter. The conference was a two day whirlwind knowledge dump of a huge amount of stuff about how publishing works that would have taken years to learn without the RNA. Since then the RNA has become my village. Writing is incredibly solitary. A support network of people who get the emotional ups and downs of writing and publishing is essential. And I think the RNA provides the very best support network there is.

Jessie:  It’s obvious you are a perfect ambassador for the RNA.  I love the fact that it has become your village as I feel the same way.  I am impressed you have written six books.

Alison: I’ve actually written 8 (I think!) – some of them were novellas though so are published separately and together which makes counting tricky! And I also write collaboratively with Janet Gover under the penname, Juliet Bell. Juliet writes stories inspired by misunderstood classics – most recently, The Other Wife, which was inspired by Jane Eyre. All That Was Lost is my most recent title writing solo as Alison May though.

Jessie:  Capture All That Was Lost in one sentence.

Alison: One lie – told for a lifetime. What would that do to the girl you used to be?

Jessie: Can you tempt me with an extract from the book?

Alison: She’s stylish, but never threatening. She could be other mother of the bride at an elegant country wedding … but she’s not. She’s Patrice Leigh, the woman who’s built a fifty year career on the claim that she can talk to the dead.

Jessie:  Wow!  The final sentence evokes mystery.  What did the readers say about the novel?

Alison:  I am delighted with the responses.  Readers really connected with the subject and the characters and loved the humour.

‘I love the touches of humour Alison writes into what is, in essence, a very sad tale.’

‘I am not going to forget Patience/Patrice any time soon. She is one of the most original characters in any novel I’ve read recently.’

‘I loved this book – couldn’t put it down. It was thought provoking and I am still thinking about it many weeks later.’

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

I think the characters, especially Patrice, from this book have stayed with me more than any other book that I’ve written. I don’t miss them exactly. I definitely don’t think I’ll ever write a sequel but they’re all still there inside my head.

Jessie: 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.  Perhaps it could even be a friend or family member that has passed away.

Alison: The person I most want to read this book is Jack Thorne. He’s a playwright and screenwriter and I’m a huge fan of his work from The Cursed Child to National Treasure and lots of other things beside. I have a recurring fantasy where he reads All That Was Lost and adapts it for TV and I believe that if I mention this enough in interviews and online it might one day happen! (If I’m allowed a second person I also have a very similar recurring fantasy about Lin Manuel Miranda and a Broadway hip hop musical version.)

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Alison: ‘If you change Alice back to Anna you can reuse the Annabel line.’

And it’s true. I can.

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

Alison: ‘Work out what your dream is and follow it.’ Once you get to the point of having a completed manuscript there are a lot of people who will tell you that you ‘must have an agent’ or that ‘looking for an agent is a waste of time and you should self-publish’ or whatever else might have worked for them. And that’s fine but the right option for them might not be the right option for you, so work out what you really want and pursue that first.

Jessie: What do you when you are not writing?

Well at the moment a lot of my time is spent on RNA projects, but asides from that and writing, I also run a novel-writing tutoring and mentoring business. That means I work one-to-one with authors and also offer manuscript critiques and teach group workshops and lead residential retreats. I LOVE teaching. It’s basically my happy place. And I’m super-proud like a mother hen of all my past students. I have three shelves above my desk. One has my own published books on it, but the other two have books by former students. Those shelves are my absolute pride and joy!

When I’m not teaching, writing or working on RNA stuff, I love baking and reading and sleeping. Sleep is really excellent.

Alison joined the RNA as a member of the New Writers’ Scheme in 2011 and won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2012.   All That Was Lost is the sixth novel, but she also writes as Juliet Bell, in collaboration with Janet Gover.  Alison also runs writing courses and is currently offering virtual Book Doctor appointments on a ‘pay what you choose’ basis.  I am impressed with her innovative approach to supporting others at this challenging time. 

Contact details and book links:

You can find out more about me at www.alison-may.co.uk, on twitter and Insta @MsAlisonMay and on facebook – www.facebook.com/AlisonMayAuthor

You can find all my books at www.alison-may.co.uk/books and buy All That Was Lost.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet an explorer of the dark corners of history

Annabel Fielding

 

 

 

 

 

Annabel arrived at my Chat Room in the middle of September.   The autumnal feeling was already in the atmosphere, and I was tempted to light a fire.  Annabel was wearing black jeans and a loose blue blouse, clearly indicating that she is not yet prepared to say a decisive farewell to summer.  Her handbag was slightly bulky – spacious enough to fit in all the possible gadgets and tools of trade, including, perhaps, an odd typewriter.

She was feeling rather tired after a long journey.  Inspired by Annabel’s interest in tea, I had been to a specialist shop, in Bath, to buy some tea.  Annabel approved of my quirky 1930s teapot and a vintage tea strainer.  Apparently, the Winter Mixture tea was perfect.  I served the tea with some shortbread biscuits.  I added stem ginger and lemon to the shortbread and the flavour worked perfectly with the tea.

Jessie:  The front cover of your debut novel looks intriguing.  Tell me more about your book. 

Annabel:  Three very different women get caught up in the political struggles of the 1930s, in three very different ways. The novel is about the allure of fascism, the allure of love, the power of art and the art of climbing to power.

Jessie:  What prompted you to write the book, and what genre does it fit into

Annabel:  I’d say it’s a cross between historical fiction and an LGBT novel. I can say it was inspired by the period dramas that followed in the wake of Downton Abbey (I think we all remember that craze!), but in a sort of twisted way. I had this desire to explore the darker side of the world they’ve showed, to dissect all the political conflicts they only hinted at.

Jessie:  How do you manage to combine a career in PR with writing?

Annabel:  Actually, I can count myself to be incredibly lucky, as most of my duties allow me to work from home and to generally keep flexible hours. Honestly, I cannot imagine how I would have kept up otherwise – scribbled during lunch breaks, probably!

Jessie:  It is such a challenge to release a debut novel.  What response have you had from the reviewers so far?

“A captivating, stylish… historical novel about the polite society, dangerous affairs … political intrigue and espionage in London in the 1930s.’ Christabel, Goodreads

“So well researched and written, this exciting time in Britain (pre-WWII) is brought life in this lively novel. ” Polly Krize, Goodreads

“A fantastic story line and wonderfully written, the plot is well thought out and a brilliant LGBT tale”. Charlotte McGlinchey, Goodreads

Jessie:  It seems as if you have researched the plot thoroughly and developed an intricate plot.  Read me a short extract from the book to tempt the reader.

‘It was as if Hester was once again cycling down the hill and feeling the wind roaring in her ears; only this time the brakes were broken, and the map was lost, and the landscape around her was full of dangers”.

Jessie:  It sounds like the character is having a difficult time here.  Can you provide a little context?

Annabel:  She is under a kind of double pressure here. She is drawn into a turbulent affair with a woman… I could have ended the sentence here, as we are talking about a respectable, salt-of-the-earth, small town girl in the 1930’s; but that’s not the end of it – she is drawn into a turbulent affair with a woman, who has her own dark secrets and a continents-spanning political agenda.

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

Annabel: I’d say it was a mix of relief and regret. Parting with Lucy was especially painful. I missed her terribly in the months to come, the shadows in her heart and her glorious way of making trouble..

Jessie: 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.

Annabel: I would have loved to hear Sarah Waters’ opinion on it. Her Tipping the Velvet was a revelation for the nineteen-years-old me.

Jessie:  Would your book appeal to fans of Sarah Waters?

Annabel:  I hope so! I have always loved her mix of sensuality, unparalleled historical atmosphere and social commentary.

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

Annabel: That way you’d be able to get your daily dose of hot jazz, bias-cut gowns and interwar intrigue while on the Tube.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

“Into the coming storm”.

Jessie:  Is this a note for another book?  Tell me more!

Annabel:  I would be glad to say so – but, alas, my new book is still in the research phase! This from one of my drafts for the epilogue.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Annabel: For me it was to piece the intricacies of the plot together. After I was done with that, the actual writing process came surprisingly easy.

Jessie: Did you have beta readers and an editor?

Annabel:  Yes, I had good fortune to have as my editor the lovely Clio Cornish at the HQ Digital. She was a tremendous help for me, especially when it came to improving my plot flow or character development!

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

Annabel: Probably to disregard the romantic ‘tortured artist’ archetype and work out methods that would cause me as little torture as possible. In my case, it was dedicating enough time to careful research, detailed outline and scene-by-scene planning.

 More about Annabel…

Annabel Fielding graduated from the University of Arts London with an MA in Public Relations. She is a PR assistant by day and a novelist by night. Being a self-professed history geek, she dedicates her free time to obscure biographies, solo travel and tea. She also posts a mix of book reviews and travel photos on her blog at http://historygeekintown.com“. 

Annabel has always been unique.  She read The Iliad in primary school to prove everyone wrong.  She is obsessed with the dark corners of history and wants to bring them to life in her novels.  From an early age, Annabel liked to explore the world – prefect for a writer!

Norwegian Summer Island with Natalie Normann

Meet Natalie in one of her favourite coffee shops.

I met the ancestor of a Viking and she is very friendly.  Alas, she didn’t arrive in Cardiff in a longboat, but she did have stories to tell me about her beautiful Norway.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Natalie Normann, a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA), who resided in the South Wales and attended the local writers’ group.  Natalie will release Summer Island in September and it is set in Norway.  I always love travelling to other countries via books and wanted to discover more.

Jessie:  Natalie, I’m sad you have returned to Norway and won’t be in the local RNA meetings.  It’s nice to have some time to chat.  Tell me, have you missed Norway and what did you love the most about Wales?

Natalie: I fell in love with Wales and Cardiff the first time we were here which was two years before we moved. There’s so much fascinating history – even Norwegian history! I’ve already used some of what I learned, in my current historical romance series, by moving the characters to Cardiff in 1919. I had great fun with that. Also, I was surprised and pleased at how friendly people are in Wales. I’ve made great friends and I hope to get back. Next time I’ll either drive myself or hire a driver so we can explore more of Wales.

Jessie:  I’m so impressed you have secured a publishing deal with One More Chapter. What is Summer Island about?

Natalie: Summer Island is about taking the time to find out what makes you happy in life.

Summer Island is about taking the time to find out what makes you happy in life.

Ninni is recovering from a bad break-up and the island is her favourite place in the world. It’s where she goes when she needs to take a break.

Jack is a chef at a posh restaurant in London. He finds out  that his biological father has left him a farm on a Norwegian island. At first he thinks it has to be an internet scam, he’s never met his father, but when he quits his job over an argument with his boss, he decides to go and see what this is all about.

Jessie:  What inspired you to write this book?

Natalie: I have a thing for islands. I love them. Norway is always praised for the fantastic mountains and the gorgeous fjords, but we are actually one of the countries in Europe with most islands. People have lived on them for generations and it’s a way of life.  I wanted to see if I could capture some of what makes summers in Norway special and the island is perfect for that.

Harbour view at Utsira island, outside Haugesund. ‘I wanted to see if I could capture some of what makes summers in Norway special and the island is perfect for that.’

Jessie:  Give us an insight into the setting and why you think we should all visit Summer Island?

Natalie: Summer Island is the kind of place you wish you  could go to when your heart is broken. A place to heal, even. Everything is so busy these days and on an island things slow down. You have time to think and just be. Right now, when we all have to isolate and we are more or less in lockdown everywhere, an island seems like the place you want to be. I wouldn’t mind, myself.

Present a 35 word extract from your novel that will tempt a reader.

‘And here I was thinking Norwegians were so hospitable,’ Jack said, clearly enjoying himself. He made no sign of leaving.

‘You’ve read the wrong guidebook, I’m afraid.’ Ninni pulled the computer closer to her.

Jessie: Which characters would you like me to meet the most on Summer Island and why?

Natalie: That’s a tough question. I’m fond of all of them. Maybe Alma. She’s the heart of the island, the one who keeps everything together. She grew up in a time when the men; the fathers, husbands and sons, went away at sea for months at the time, even years, and women stayed home to take care of the homestead and the family, handle the finances and whatever challenges they had to face.  Alma is tough and kind, she doesn’t put up with anything, and shows her love by feeding people she cares about. I like her.

Traditional pier and buildings at Utsira.

Jessie: Did any of your characters misbehave when you were writing the book?

Natalie: Not misbehaving, but some of them certainly surprised me. I didn’t have them all ready before I started to write, so some characters was unexpected. Like the hippies, for example. They just showed up one day while I was writing something else.

Jessie: 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.  

Natalie: Family and friends have mostly read it already,. I would love if it Milly Johnson read it. I picked up her book «The perfectly imperfect woman», to read on the train to my very first Romance Novelist Association conference. This was my first Milly Johnson book and I decided to read it because there was a Norwegian in it. I loved it, and when I met her in the lunch line at the conference we chatted, I asked her to sign my copy, and she was funny and friendly. Made me less nervous about the whole conference. And also, I know she loves Norway.

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

Natalie: I think if you want a break from the stress and worries, it can give you that. I hope so.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Natalie: I have several of those, usually one for each project. On the most recent it says: research Foundation doctors.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Natalie: To finish that first draft, so that you have the confidence of having a whole story. Then what you need is perseverance. Stick with the writing. And when I say that, I mean finish the manuscript, do the revisions, the editing, the submissions and even when it seems there’s nothing happening, keep going. There are some writers who write a book, gets it published and becomes an overnight success. For most writers, it’s a long game. And the only way to be writer and to be a better writer, is to write.

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

Natalie: My first editor told me this. She bought my first short story and wanted me to polish it, rewrite, actually. She told me that what I feel when I write is what the reader will feel when they read it. I try to remember that, so that if I’m bored when I write, I know readers will be too. It also helps when I really don’t want to ‘kill my darlings’, but I know I have to.

Natalie used to be a translator of fiction and non-fiction. She studied literature and history at Uni, and used to read romance novels in the hallways. It was frowned upon by her professors and the other students, of course. She loves to travel and she has lived in Spain, England and Wales – and hope to go back soon. I really do hope she can return to Wales very soon as the Cardiff group of writers ( Cariad Chapete) miss her and her lovely sense of humour.  I can’t wait for the release of her novel Summer Island and have already preordered it. 

Your contact details and book links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieNormannAuthor
Twitter: @NatalieNormann1
Instagram: natalienormann
Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/natalienormann3

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet the Judges of the 2020 Joan Hessayon Award

‘I’m looking for a book that’s a satisfying and uplifting read.’ Rhoda Baxter
‘I’ll be looking to be swept away by gorgeous writing and a plot that pulls me back to the book…’ Thorne Ryan

The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) has announced the 2020 line-up for its prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for graduates of the New Writers’ Scheme. I am delighted to celebrate the wonderful contenders for the award and introduce the judges. Rhoda Baxter is an author of contemporary romance and Thorne Ryan is Commissioning Editor for Hodder and Stoughton. I am honoured the judges chatted with me about what they will be looking for in a winner.

RNA Joan Hessayon Award

Jessie: Rhoda, it is lovely to welcome you to my blog again. Please introduce yourself to the readers.

Rhoda: I write romantic comedies about people who make me laugh. I also write multicultural women’s fiction under the name Jeevani Charika. My books have been shortlisted for various awards.  I am currently the chair of the Authors North events committee of the Society of Authors.

Jessie: How has the RNA supported your writing career?

Rhoda: I joined the RNA back in the day when you still had to send submissions out in the post. When I first joined, I was completely star struck and intimidated. Everyone was so helpful and kind I soon relaxed. I went through the NWS scheme and was a Joan Hessayon contender myself, many years ago. With the first contract, I became a member of the Society of Authors and went on take a voluntary role there. When I was offered the chance to be a judge and help strengthen the ties between the RNA and the Society of Authors (where I’m the chair of Authors North committee), I couldn’t say no.

Zoe Allison, Ruth Kvarnström-Jones, Sharon Ibbotson, Stefania Hartley, Nina Kaye and Rosemary Goodacre

Jessie: What is the Joan Hessayon Award? 

Rhoda: The Joan Hessayon Award recognises those authors whose debut novels have been accepted for publication after passing through the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme. Each year 300 places are offered to unpublished writers in the romantic fiction genre. As part of the scheme, they can submit a complete manuscript for critique by one of the Association’s published authors as well as attend RNA events which offer opportunities to meet and network with publishers, agents and other published authors. The Joan Hessayon Award is generously sponsored by gardening expert Dr. David Hessayon OBE, in honour of his late wife, Joan, who was a longstanding member of the RNA and a great supporter of its New Writers’ Scheme.

Jessie: What do you like best about the RNA?

Rhoda: I should say something erudite here, but all I can think of is that I love the social aspect of it. I found my tribe in the RNA. The parties are invariably great fun. It’s such a relief to talk to people who don’t think it’s weird to have imaginary people running around in your head. It’s also nice to be among people who give the romance genre the respect it deserves.

Laura Bambrey, Kirsten Hesketh, Kathleen Whyman, Maggie Richell-Davies, Lynn Johnson and Lucy Keeling

Jessie: What will you be looking for in a winner?

Rhoda: I’m looking for a book that’s a satisfying and uplifting read. I love to see great dialogue and characters that feel so real that I think about them long after I’ve closed the bool. I have to say, the standard of entries is very high and the books I’ve read so far have all been really good. It’s going to be hard to choose the winner.

Jessie: Thorne, welcome to Books in Handbag Blog. Can you tell me something about yourself.
Thorne: I started my career in the Contracts department at Hachette UK in 2015 before moving over to Editorial, which I immediately knew was where I was meant to be. I am now Commissioning Editor, Women’s Fiction at Hodder & Stoughton. I like books that give me ‘all the feels’, and have a particular fondness for ones that make me cry.

Melissa Oliver, Mairibeth MacMillan, Jacqueline Rohen, Jan Baynham, Emma Jackson and Fiona Woodifield

Jessie: Why do publishers value the RNA and the Joan Hessayon Award?

Thorne: Organisations like the RNA and prizes like the Joan Hessayon Award are vital to publishers and authors alike. As Milly Johnson said in her wonderful speech at the RNA awards evening earlier this year, romantic novels are often viewed in general society as somehow less important or less worthy than other types of fiction, which is so frustrating for those who love it and see it for what it really is: great stories told really well by very talented people. The RNA is a haven from that narrow-mindedness, providing authors and readers of romantic fiction with a place where the thing they love is truly celebrated. It also provides invaluable practical support to its members. With regards to prizes such as the Joan Hessayon Award, they give authors the recognition they so thoroughly deserve – and of course that’s great for both authors and publishers alike, because if a book wins a prize then we can shout about it from the rooftops and hopefully bring more readers to that book and the genre in general. Overall, the RNA provides authors and publishers with an invaluable community, and prizes such as the Joan Hessayon award provide moments to celebrate what is bringing everyone in that community together.

Jessie: What will you be looking for in a winner?

Well, I was going to say, ‘Just a really good book!’ but all of them will of course be brilliant if they’ve made it to the shortlist! I tend to look at various components individually (plot, characters, writing etc.) and give them a mark out of ten, then add them up for an overall score. Even if you feel like you loved all the entries and couldn’t choose between them, it’s surprising how quickly this method can break through that and show you your true favourite. But in general, I’ll be looking to be swept away by gorgeous writing and a plot that pulls me back to the book whenever I have to put it down. Basically, anything that’s going to make me go all tingly!

Annette Hannah, Stephanie Harte and Victoria Garland

This year’s debuts show the wide range of stories encompassed by the romance genre.

The full list of contenders for 2020 is:
Zoe Allison, Impervious, Totally Bound
Jan Baynham, Her Mother’s Secret, Ruby Fiction
Laura Bambrey, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, Simon & Schuster
Victoria Garland, Finding Prince Charming, DC Thompson
Rosemary Goodacre, Until We Meet Again, Hera
Annette Hannah, Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Cafe, Orion Dash
Stephanie Harte, Risking It All, Aria
Stefania Hartley, Sun, Stars and Limoncello, Totally Bound
Kirsten Hesketh, Another Us, Canelo
Sharon Ibbotson, The Marked Lord, Choc Lit
Emma Jackson, A Mistletoe Miracle, Orion Dash
Lynn Johnson, The Girl from the Workhouse, Hera
Nina Kaye, The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating, Orion Dash
Lucy Keeling, Make it up to you, Choc Lit
Ruth Kvarnström-Jones, Halleholm – Lovisas Choice, Printz Publishing
Mairibeth MacMillan, The Viking’s Cursed Bride, Tirgearr
Melissa Oliver, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight, Mills and Boon Historical
Maggie Richell-Davies, The Servant, Sharpe Books
Jacqueline Rohen, How to Marry Your Husband, Arrow
Kathleen Whyman, Wife Support System, Hera
Fiona Woodifield, The Jane Austen Dating Agency, Bloodhound Books

If you click on the contenders, you will discover more about the books and the authors. All of the contenders have placed their books in the Handbag Gallery. The Award will be announced on 5th September 2020 in an online presentation.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet the wordsmith ‘with a keen sense of the ridiculous

Patricia Feinberg Stoner 

 

 

 

The wonderfully witty author of At Home in the Pays d’Oc arrived on a perfect summer’s day. Purdey, HRH the Dog, also accompanied Patricia.

My esteemed guest admired the scones that I had baked for the occasion. Purdey was not amused so decided to take a nap. The scon / scohne debate lasted until Purdey awoke from her slumber in my favourite armchair.

Patricia had brought some pork pies as a tribute to my northern roots and a limerick to mock my obsession with handbags.  The limerick below is now proudly displayed on my website. Apparently, Patricia is writing a book of limericks

Our Jessie’s bit of a wag:
She doesn’t think reading’s a drag.
Her authors, excited
To be so invited
All send her their books for her bag.

Patricia hopes that ‘the Little book of Rude Limericks’ will be out in time for Christmas.  Her illustrator has gone missing…

After much hilarity, tea and scones were abandoned for a good bottle of Picpoul de Pinet. It was a hoot to listen to Patricia’s anecdotes about her experiences and I could have listened to her all day.  Finally, we managed to get back on track commence the interview.

Jessie: Summarise At Home in the Pays d’Oc in two sentences.

Patricia: A humorous memoir that is largely, but not entirely, based on fact. It’s the story of how my husband and I became expatriates in the south of France for four years – without really meaning to.

Jessie:  Your book is probably the funniest book that I have ever read and everyone should read it.  What do others say about your reviews. At first, Patricia was hesitant to share the reviews until I insisted. 

‘Laugh-out-loud funny, always engaging, a great read.’  Ingénue Magazine

5.0 out of 5 stars.  What a delicious book! Patricia’s telling of Himself – and Herself’s – life in the Pays d’Oc is so well written. Funny in places, poignant in others, and exasperating too sometimes, as they deal with their new life in southern France. A joy to read.  Elfyn Morris, Amazon

‘Patricia writes with a warm engaging tone, great to read if you fancy an escape in the sunshine. A very enjoyable read – highly recommended!’ TJ Green, NZ book reviewer

Jessie: Read an extract from your book that will tempt a reader.

When I first met my husband, he announced casually, quite early on in the relationship, that he didn’t like France. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘this will not do.’ I decided to change his ways.

Jessie: How did you feel when you had finished writing your book?

I felt a mixture of things.  Relief, of course, at having finally finished it.  But a little sadness too.  I had been living with these stories for a decade:  they started out life as a series of sketches for a French property magazine.  Turning them into a book brought back some wonderful memories, and quite a bit of laughter.  I had lots of stories left over, so I immediately started planning the next book.

Jessie:  I do hope that you write a sequel.

Patricia: It was suggested I should write ‘At Home in West Sussex’, which is where I live now.  After some initial excitement, I decided this was a non-starter.  I have returned to France instead and am writing a collection of short stories provisionally called ‘Morbignan Tales’.

Jessie: Have the people in your book read your novel, and did they recognise themselves? 

Patricia: My best friend recognised herself instantly when I called her ‘the acquisition queen’.  Luckily, she saw the funny side.  A lot of the people in the book are French, though, and I doubt if they will have read the book.  Apart from my lunatic neighbour I think I have been kind about everyone:  the book is written with a lot of affection.  And I hope to goodness no-one will think it is patronising or condescending, as some other books about living in France can be.

Jessie: 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. 

Patricia: That’s a poser.  Language barrier aside, I’d be happy if some of my neighbours from the village read it, and I hope it would make them laugh. In particular I’d like M. Alibert, who took a chance on us and let us have Purdey, to know she is well and happy and still with us at the ripe old age of 15.  It would be quite nice, too, if the BBC came knocking…

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

Patricia Feinberg Stoner

Patricia: Look at the state of the world!  If we are all going to hell in a handbag, then wouldn’t it be nice to have something light-hearted to offset the doom and gloom?

Jessie: What is the last sentence in your writer’s notebook?

Patricia: I have a thing called the Owl Book.  I’ve had one since I started work on a local newspaper back in the dark ages – the first one just happened to have an owl on the cover and the name stuck.  I write in everything that happens:  thoughts, phrases that might come in useful, limericks and also memory-jogging stuff like groups I’ve joined and review copies I’ve sent out.  The last note I made was ‘A Dog Called Useless’ which is a reminder to re-think the title of my next book…

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an independent author?

Patricia: The fact that you can never, never stop promoting.  There are some wonderful exceptions, such as Ingénue magazine which is immensely supportive, but on the whole it is extremely difficult to get publicity for an independently published book.

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

Patricia: Well, it’s a bit tongue in cheek, but when I first started work I as a journalist I had a wise old news editor who once looked at one of my more fanciful pieces and remarked ‘Never spoil a good story for the sake of a few hard facts.’  I interpret this as being true to the spirit of what happened, rather than the letter.

About Patricia… 

It was wonderful fun to interview Patricia.  She has an instinctive dry sense of humour and is warm and engaging like the narrator in At Home in the Pays d’Oc.

Patricia is a words person:  she loves reading, writing and dogs (and some people).   She can be lazy, though:  like a lot of writers she will do anything – even housework – to delay sitting down at the keyboard.  She has a keen sense of the ridiculous and is prone to compose daft limericks at the drop of a hat.

I sincerely hope that the BBC will make a series out of the warm-hearted, funny and poignant book.  Alternatively, Patricia should go on a theatre tour to perform her limericks, present anecdotes and engage with the audience.

Please meet all My Guests and see my blog at jessiecahalin.com

 A novel for Kate Middleton’s handbag

Emily Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily came to visit the Chat Room on a rainy day in Wales. She was wearing a floaty, floral dress and a raincoat.  I noted that her bag was an overflowing brown, leather Fiorelli bag. Despite the rain, Emily was very cheerful and happy to talk about her book. Whilst bouncing her little baby daughter, Florence, on her knee Emily was also keeping one eye on her son, Elliot. The mischievous toddler was heading towards a pile of books, with a pen in his hand and a glint in his eye. After refocusing the children onto their colouring activities, and trying to stop Elliot drawing on his little sister, we settled down for a chat.

We drank tea and ate Welsh cakes, as we discussed Emily’s debut novel, Letters to Eloise.

Jessie:  Why did you decide to present the novel in a series of letters?

Emily: As a child, I always wrote letters as I loved to receive replies. We moved around a lot as children so I kept touch with friends and family by writing letters, ever hopeful of that reply. There is nothing more special than receiving a hand-written letter. My late grandmother loved writing letters to me and even in her nineties she would send them. It seemed the perfect way for Flora to write to her unborn child.

Jessie: Capture the essence of your book in a couple of sentences.

Emily: Letters to Eloise is the warm, witty, and heart-wrenching debut epistolary novel by Emily Williams. The novel is a love story of misunderstandings, loss, and betrayal but ultimately the incredible bond between mother and child.

Jessie:  You have received an incredible number of reviews.  Please read some extracts from the reviews.

Emily: Thank you. I have been so lucky to receive such lovely reviews.

At this point, Elliot was keen to show off his colouring so we paused to make another cup of tea. Emily took the opportunity to retrieve the reviews of her book.  It took some time as she has over fifty reviews.

‘It is a very emotional book. It’s utterly heart-breaking at times but, perhaps surprisingly, there is quite a bit humour in it too and it is also uplifting.’

‘What a beautifully written book. I enjoyed every page as the story unfolded. Sad at times but also uplifting – just like real life. Loved it.’

Emily Williams

‘I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book. I absolutely loved the entire thing. I’m a sucker for stories like this, stories about true love, and stories about the sacrifices we make for this love.’

Jessie: Have you got an extract from your book to tempt a reader?

Emily didn’t even need to read from the book, as she knew which words would hook the reader.

Emily: However, as soon as I saw that positive blue line seep along the window in the plastic casing of the pregnancy test, I knew you were the one to whom I will write my letters.

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

Emily: I really did miss the characters and still do. Parts of the story still come to me and the words play out in my mind. I became so immersed into the story over the four years that I wrote the book that it was really hard to let it go. It was very emotional for me to write, after been told that I couldn’t conceive. Then when I became pregnant, the words of the book had extra meaning for me.

I felt a mixture of sadness and elation when the book was finished. Then pure fear that I would never be able to write anything like that again!

Jessie: 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. 

Emily: I would love Kate Middleton to read my story. I would hope that she would connect to Flora, having had two children herself, and I would love to know her opinion as the story unfolds

Kate, if you’re listening, DM me and I will send you a copy!

Emily Williams

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

Emily: Letters to Eloise will connect with your soul after you read it (I hope). You’ll always want to keep the story close to your heart.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Emily: ‘I knew where he’d be; where he always was.’ This sentence is from my YA novel ‘The Subtle Art of Keeping a Racehorse. I mainly just have notes or mind-maps in the notebook rather than sentences but this is the last full sentence in the book

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an independent author?

Emily: The biggest challenge is being noticed in a sea of other equally fantastic authors. Writing quality is the first step but then finding readers willing to take to risk on an unknown author is very challenging.

I have been so lucky with the support of fantastic book bloggers and reviewers that have been so kind. I am hoping that one day I will succeed in getting my name known out there as an author but at the moment I am content when I receive the lovely reviews I have had for Letters to Eloise.

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

Emily: Believe in yourself and never give up!

A little more about Emily…

Emily Williams is hard-working and driven to succeed. She is passionate about her writing: she has adored writing for as long as she can remember. She grew up wanting to write novels.  Fortunately, a career teaching enables her to inspire children to use their imagination and writing skills to develop their own stories. Emily is ever thankful to her own primary school teachers for instilling her passion in writing and is hoping she can do her little bit to pass this on.

Emily has far too many animals, but aims in life to buy a farm so she can have some more!

Emily is currently working on her next novel, whilst looking after two children, and host of small pets and suffering from a poorly wrist after a riding injury.

Best of luck to Emily with her debut novel, she has already received an impressive number of accolades.  Emily’s unique storytelling hooks the reader from the outset.  I am looking forward to her second novel. 

Read my review of Letters to Eloise on My Reading page.

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my blog at jessiecahalin.com.

Rum Cocktails with Janice Horton

‘The Backpacking Housewife’ travelling in Thailand with her backpack on.

I hadn’t expected to see a grey sky when I arrived in St Lucia.  Warm air blasted into my face when I stepped outside of the plane. Why had I tugged my jacket out of my tightly packed rucksack?  A large taxi transported me through the luscious landscape of the Caribbean. Blue sky dissolved the grey and sunshine chased away clouds. My eyes feasted on palm trees, banana plantations and snatches of rainforest.  Finally, the taxi driver parked in an open-air reception of a hotel, and he laughed that I didn’t have any luggage.  Janice spotted me instantly. Relaxed and tanned in her colourful dress, it was clear she was enjoying life in paradise. The bar was located beside the pool area, and tables were shaded with umbrellas constructed from palm trees.   A rum cocktail soothed my senses then chased away my jet lag.  I settled into the chair and kicked off my trainers.

The Backpacking Housewife

Jessie:  This rum cocktail is delicious.  It was a long, noisy flight.  What a relief to be here.  Tell me more about your novel, Backpacking Housewife. What is it about?

Janice:  Lovely to meet you, Jessie.  Take it easy, finish your cocktail and soak up the atmosphere.  You did look frantic when you arrived.  The Backpacking Housewife is a work of fiction but it’s also a travel adventure loosely based on my own travel experiences. It’s a story about an ordinary woman, who on finding her husband of 25 years in bed with her best friend, grabs her passport and handbag and heads out of the door to the airport.

Jessie: Wow.  The book sounds great.  I love the idea of leaving with a handbag and passport.  I love to travel light.  I expect the book was well received by the reviewers.

Janice:  Here’s some reviews on Netgalley. I’m so happy with the response and have lots of great reviews.  It is difficult to choose.

Janice and her husband love to travel.

“Lori’s story had me gripped throughout and I couldn’t get enough of her travel tales.” Linda B. “I highly encourage you to read this novel, which is loosely based on Horton’s actual life travelling with her husband. I wish I could be more like her.” Heather L.“What a fun book to read! For anyone who likes to travel, or who even thinks about travel, this is the book that will inspire you to really do it.” Deah H.

Jessie:  You must be delighted with your reviews. Please tempt me with an extract.

Janice:  “With the top off the coconut, he quickly grabs a bottle of rum from a supply box and pours a good glug of it inside. ‘There you go. A rum cocktail for the lady!’”

On a Long Tail Boat in Thailand

Jessie:   A fun extract to accompany my cocktail. It must have been a joy to write the book.  How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

Janice: To be honest, I was euphoric to have finished because I’d been writing to such a tight deadline. I’d been travelling in Asia when I was asked by Charlotte Ledger, Editorial Director at Harper Impulse, to write The Backpacking Housewife. Once I’d signed the contract, I knew I’d have to stop travelling for a while and settle down somewhere to write the book. My husband and I immediately applied for a housesitting gig in South West France. The assignment was to care for a beautiful chateau in the wine region and a handsome cat called Monsieur Smudge. It was there that I worked on the manuscript and where I battled not to be distracted from the enormity of my task by the beautiful house and swimming pool and bounty of French wine and cheese! And in the end, I will admit that I had grown very fond indeed of brave Lori, the heroine of the story, and was rather smitten with Ethan, the gorgeous hero.

Jessie:  I am so envious of you housesitting a chateau. I imagine you had the opportunity to dream up other stories.  I don’t know how you managed to avoid distractions.  Tell me, 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. 

Janice: Actually, if I can bend the rules a little, I would sincerely like any woman who dreams of travelling the world to read my book. I’d hope to inspire her through this story and through my own travel adventures so one day her dreams can come true.

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

Janice: I believe there’s two good reasons to have a copy of The Backpacking Housewife in your handbag (or beach-bag). 1) To read when an escape from real life presents itself. 2) As part of a relaxing sun-lounger on the beach or next to the pool with a cocktail summer holiday experience.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Janice: Write up author interview for Jessie Cahalin and Books in my Handbag Blog’

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Janice: To write the kind of book that people want to read and publishers want to publish.

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

Janice: Terry Pratchett famous said: ‘writing the first draft is just you telling yourself the story’. I try to keep this in mind while I’m writing the ever daunting first draft.

Writing desk in France – favourite writing place

About Janice

Janice Horton writes contemporary romantic fiction with a dash of humour and a sense of adventure. In 2014, as empty-nesters, Janice and her husband set off to explore the Caribbean. In 2015, they returned to the UK only to sell their material possessions in favour of travelling around the world.  Janice Horton is the person behind the travel and adventure website www.thebackpackinghousewife.com. Her current location is somewhere in the Caribbean. Janice’s exciting summer 2018 book release is from Harper Impulse ‘The Backpacking Housewife’. Look out for her bestselling romantic adventure novels ‘Bagpipes and Bullshot’ ‘Reaching for the Stars’ and ‘Castaway in the Caribbean’ – a #1 Kindle Bestseller shortlisted for the prestigious Love Story Awards.

What a pleasure to meet an author and a traveller.  Janice and her husband’s decision to sell material goods in order to travel is an inspiration.  Clearly, Janice loves the simple things in life, and I admire the way she grabs opportunities: life should be an adventure.  The Backpacking Housewife sounds like a good laugh!

Janice’s contact details:
Web: https://thebackpackinghousewife.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBackpackingHousewife
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceHorton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicehortonwriter

 

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

When Sue Moorcroft Visited Switzerland

This Christmas, the villagers of Middledip are off on a very Swiss adventure…

Christmas is never far away when Sue Moorcroft releases her Christmas novel.  I am excited to tell you that Let it Snow is out on 26th September.  When Sue agreed to chat to me about her latest novel, it felt like an early Christmas gift.  I also wanted to know how Sue manages to capture the Christmas spirit each year and tell yet another magical story. 

Jessie:  Let it Snow is a great title.  Did you think of the title while listening to the Christmas song?

Sue: No, my editor and the sales team chose it! It’s working title had been ‘A Christmas Adventure’. There’s a singing group in the book and I made ‘Let it Snow’ their favourite song.

Jessie: How do you manage to create such vivid settings?  Did you visit Switzerland to capture the sense of place for  Let it Snow?

Sue: Yes! My friend and fellow author Rosemary J Kind lives between the UK and Switzerland and she said, ‘If you want to set a book there, you can come with me.’ I instantly asked my editor if she was happy with Switzerland as a setting and went back to Ros to say, ‘I want to set a book there!’ She drove us – and her Entlebucher Hound Wilma – through England and France to Switzerland. It was lovely! I’d never visited Switzerland and I was thrilled with it. The Swiss really know how to do Christmas and we went to processions, markets, brunches, choirs and all kinds of things. I try hard to include all the tiny details that capture a setting: the snow on chalets and Christmas lights on balconies.

Sue celebrating Christmas editions of her books. Mark West took this pic of Sue at Christmas in a pub with The Christmas Promise and its German edition.

Jessie: How do you plan the narrative for  Let it Snow and did any of your characters misbehave and change events?

Sue: I met a woman in a same-sex marriage and she had just had a baby. It raised all kinds of questions in my mind and I wanted to write a heroine who had two mums. When she discovers she’s not the result of an anonymous one-night stand as she’d always thought but that her mother had a relationship with a man especially to get pregnant, she experiences a compulsion to discover what she can of her bio-family. I’m afraid my brother Kevan was ill while I was planning the book and I gave his heart failure to Tubb from the Pub. This meant I had to find a relief manager for the pub, The Three Fishes. He is my hero, Isaac O’Brien. I think of him as a reluctant hero because he’s on his way to a new life when he gets sucked into Lily’s. His ex, Hayley, played a much bigger part in the story than I expected her to. Sometimes a character can be secondary but also pivotal.

Jessie: When do you write your Christmas stories?  Do you immerse yourself in Christmas, grab a notebook and begin planning next year’s story gift, or are you writing during the summer and transport yourself to the scene?

Sue: It takes a while to write a book so though I planned Let it Snow in Malta in the sunshine, I wrote the majority of the first draft through the winter. Then the editing came in lovely weather again. When I used to write short stories for magazines it was normal to write Christmas stories in June and summer stories in December so I’m used to it. I had the chance to return to Switzerland when I was almost at the end of the first draft and that would have been fantastic. Sadly, the dates clashed with a professional engagement so I had to give it a miss.

Jessie: Your romance novels have layers and always explore contemporary issues and the changing family unit.  In Let it Snow, it’s that Lily has two mothers, and this adds a poignant dimension to the narrative as she searches for her father.   How did you research this?

Sue: My other brother, Trevor, volunteered to take on some of my research when he retired and he’s brilliant at it. I was able to send him emails asking whether lesbian couples could have received artificial insemination in 1983 and he’d come back with a factual answer. (Lily’s sister Zinnia was conceived via artificial insemination.) For the emotional side I was able to read case studies on websites and talk to someone about twins they know who are searching out all their half-siblings and learn something of their journey. There seemed to me to be two distinct attitudes amongst the children of same-sex relationships, however they’re conceived, and so I gave Lily one attitude and Zinnia the other. I don’t want to give details because they’d also be spoilers.

The ‘singing Christmas tree’ in Zürich. It’s a pyramidical stage for a choir. This appears in the book, of course!

Jessie: I am in awe of how you manage to vary your characters and always make them so likeable.  What three tips do you have for developing characters?

Sue: Thank you! My big tip is to look at each major character through the eyes of several other characters. If we take Lily, for example, I looked not just at the facts of her life, interesting as they were, but what Zinnia thought of her, what Roma her birth mother thought of her and also, importantly, Patsie, her ‘other mother’. How was she regarded at work? What about her ex husband? In real life we behave differently with and are perceived differently by different people and I use this to build multi-faceted characters.

Jessie: The sparks always fly in the brilliant dialogue between your characters.  What advice do you have for writers who wish to make their dialogue realistic?  Can you give us a snapshot of some of the dialogue in your latest novel.

Sue: I think one develops a feel for dialogue. I listen to people speak, think about the syntax they use and try and make it appropriate for age, background and region. An 18-year-old girl and an 80-year-old woman could each say, ‘He’s wicked!’ and mean two entirely different things. Dialogue’s wonderful. It breathes life into characters, allows them to interact with each other and passes information to the reader. Here’s a few lines from  Let it Snow, Chapter 1:

‘We’re your family!’ Zinnia declared, shoving her fingers through her chestnut hair. ‘What you’re doing could hurt Patsie and Roma.’

Lily climbed on a stool and began to feed the string of lights through hooks above the bar. ‘They understand it’s my decision. You know this, Zin. Let’s not press “repeat” on the conversation.’

Zinnia bulldozed on. ‘Aren’t we enough for you? You and I grew up sharing a bedroom! We’re sisters—’

‘And you’re the loveliest sister in the world.’ Lily hoped popping in a positive note would distract Zinnia. She jumped down, scraped her stool towards the next few hooks, gave Zinnia a hug then clambered up again. ‘How about twisting that tinsel around the ivy swags along the mantelpiece?’

Jessie: Do you give your books as Christmas gifts to family and friends?

Sue: No. I give out most of my free copies when they arrive to various members of my family who would read them and to anyone who has played a major part in research. Apart from that, people have to buy them themselves, I’m afraid.

Jessie: What is your typical Christmas like and are there any special family traditions or recipes?

Sue: I like the run up to Christmas and all the festive meetings of the various writing organisations to which I belong or Christmas meals with friends, but when Christmas itself comes around I like a quiet time with family. Between Christmas and New Year either my household or my brother’s household hosts an extended family lunch and that’s anything but quiet.

Sue wraps up her Christmas stories beautifully and her novels are perfect Christmas gifts.  The Ebook is out on the 26th September.  The paperback and audio book will be available on 14th November.

More about Let it Snow

This Christmas, the villagers of Middledip are off on a very Swiss adventure…

Family means everything to Lily Cortez and her sister Zinnia, and growing up in their non-conventional family unit, they and their two mums couldn’t have been closer.

So it’s a bolt out of the blue when Lily finds her father wasn’t the anonymous one-night stand she’d always believed – and is in fact the result of her mum’s reckless affair with a married man.

Confused, but determined to discover her true roots, Lily sets out to find the family she’s never known; an adventure that takes her from the frosted, thatched cottages of Middledip to the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, via a memorable romantic encounter along the way…

The Sunday Times bestseller returns with a gloriously cosy read, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Trisha Ashley and Carole Matthews.

Contact details
Website: www.suemoorcroft.com
Blog: https://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sue.moorcroft.3
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor
Twitter @suemoorcroft
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suemoorcroft
Instagram: suemoorcroftauthor

Christmas books:
The Christmas Promise
The Little Village Christmas
A Christmas Gift

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet the Coffee Shop Writer

Meet Jenny Kane / Jennifer Ash

I spent four hours in a department store and didn’t buy anything, not even a handbag, instead I shopped for characters.  Jenny Kane led a writing workshop for the RNA South Wales and West Chapter and inspired me to reconnect with the characters in my work in progress.  Former archaeologist and medieval historian, Jenny is a self-proclaimed accidental author. I was lucky enough to grab a coffee and time for a chat with Jenny, so I could tell you more about this lovely lady from Devon. 

Jessie:  Tell us more about Jenny Kane/Jenny Ash.

Jenny: I am workaholic, coffee drinking, author who writes her books from the corner of my favourite coffee shop, in Devon.

Jessie: How have you managed to build your brand as an author and sustain your success?

Jenny: The first genre I wrote was erotica. I didn’t mean to, and I certainly didn’t see that career coming, but for some reason I found myself composing scenes of smut.

After five years of kinky thinking, I decided to have a go at writing a story where everyone kept their clothes on. It was most liberating! To my surprise, that novel, Another Cup of Coffee, was well received.

With the writing market changing all the time, I’ve always been wary of putting all my eggs in one basket, and so, after writing eight granny friendly novels, I had a go at writing about my personal passion – medieval crime. Oh- and I write children’s picture books too.  I have three pen names.

Jessie: Do your pen names have different identities?

Jenny: As Jenny Kane I write contemporary fiction and romance, as well as children’s picture books.

As Jennifer Ash I write medieval murder mysteries (The Folville Chronicles) as well as audio scripts for ITV and Spiteful Puppet.

My first pen name was Kay Jaybee- only investigate her if you are over 18 and enjoy erotica.

Jessie: How did you manage to become the resident writer in Costa Coffee shop How wonderful!

Northmoor House: the writers’ residential retreat rub by Jenny and Alison

Jenny: I’ve always been a coffee shop writer. I get too distracted by things that need doing around the house if I attempt to write at home.  When a Costa opened in Tiverton, I started to write in there. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, but after I’d turned up every day for several months, the staff started to enquire, and soon I was part of the furniture. So much so, that they offered to hold a book launch for me when Another Cup of Coffee was published.

When I turned up for the launch, I found that I had a new table in the far corner of the cafe with a plaque on the wall, stating it was Jenny Kane’s Corner! I was speechless. I had corner- just like Winnie the Pooh!

I’ve sat and worked in that corner every day since. It’s lovely. Mostly I’m left alone to write, but it’s not unknown for folk to pop by for a chat or to have their books signed.

So far I’ve written 12 full length novels, 4 scripts and countless workshops and short stories at that table.

Jessie: Tell me about the writing workshops you offer.  How do you balance the workshops and writing?

Jenny: I’ve been teaching creative writing on and off for the past twelve years. However, 2 years ago, my friend and fellow writer, Alison Knight and I, pooled our resources and set up the creative writing business, Imagine.

We provide workshops for beginners and cover every element of fiction writing from character development to location building, plotting, short story writing and the skills you need to get your butt on a chair and make yourself write.

Our most popular courses are our life writing masterclass and the Novel in a Year workshop series. These run over a year, and take people from their first word, to preparation for submission to an agent or publisher.

I split my working day between writing (7am- 12pm) and prepping for workshops (12.30pm and 3pm). After that I go to work, before editing/proofing my students work in the evenings.

Jessie: Summarise your latest release in two sentences.

Edward’s Outlaw by Jennifer Ash is a murder mystery set in Rockingham Castle during the fourteenth century

Jenny: Edward’s Outlaw by Jennifer Ash is a murder mystery set in Rockingham Castle during the fourteenth century. Placed in the castle for her own protected, Mathilda Folville, finds herself playing detective in order to save her husband’s life and her family’s reputation.

Jessie: List a maximum of three quotes from the reviews that you have had. 

Jenny: For The Folville Chronicles by Jennifer Ash – “Ellis Peters meets Jean Plaidy… via Robin Hood.” (Review from Goodreads)

For Abi’s House by Jenny Kane – “Reading a Jenny Kane book is like opening a journal by a much loved friend. I’m spirited away into a world of warm, friendly and interesting people. To places that I not only want to visit but actually live in. Shops, cafés and pubs that I want to be my locals and life that I want to experience and be a part of. Abi’s House gives you all of these feelings and left me with a huge smile on my face and a glowing in my heart. More of this wonderfulness please!!” (Review from Amazon)

For Another Cup of Coffee by Jenny Kane – “‘This book is definitely my cup of coffee

Gosh, where to start with this review?!  The characters: you laughed with them, cringed, hated, wanted to shout at the book because you cared so deeply. Every character had their own story, and I loved that this was intertwined with Amy’s story, waiting to see how it panned out. Big round of applause for Kane for the characters on its own….Another Cup of Coffee itself: very realistic and a delight from start to finish. I felt like I was sitting on the outside looking in all the time, and I’d known this group of people for my entire life…. A timeless piece and one worth picking up big time. This book is definitely my cup of coffee (sorry, I had to). (Review from Bookmark That)

Jessie: Present an extract from your latest novel that will tempt a reader. 

A young woman of my build, with similar hair, has suffered a violent death in the room allocated to me.

(From Edward’s Outlaw – The Folville Chronicles Book 3)

“…A young woman of my build, with similar hair, has suffered a violent death in the room allocated to me. A room in which I was intended to be trapped under lock and key….”

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

Jenny: I also feel a little bereft when I finish a novel. It’s such an intense process. The character’s live in your head 24/7 for months. When I finished Edward’s Outlaw it felt particularly strange as it bought me to the end of an intense three book writing experience- (The Outlaw’s Ransom, The Winter Outlaw and Edward’s Outlaw – the first 3 books in The Folville Chronicles) The lead character, Mathilda, is someone I’m very fond of- I miss her now that I’m writing a different series (as Jenny Kane- name a secret as yet!)

Mathilda will be back however, as there is another story coming as part of The Folville Chronicles in 2020.

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

They’ll provide some much needed escapism- and make you smile.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Jenny: Check about the vinegar.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Jenny: Not losing heart. It can take a long time to succeed, and even then the financial rewards are feeble. It can be very hard to stay positive when you’re surrounded by celebrities getting paid a fortune to write (often poorly) simply because they can cycle fast or once ate bugs in the jungle.

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

Jenny: Cut down on your adverbs. My work was awash with them at first. I hadn’t realised how much they were slowing my plots down.

Jessie: How do you support other writers and what common mistakes do fledgling authors make?

Jenny: Always be positive. Writers are usually full of self doubt (I know I am), so we need to encourage and support with time and kind words.

New authors often make the mistake of rushing the editing process- usually because they are so keen to get their work out into the wild. If in doubt- edit once more- and if you can afford it- pay a professional to do that last check for you.

Jessie: Tell me about the writers’ retreats you have organised.

Jenny: As well as workshops, Imagine runs a residential retreat at Northmoor House on Exmoor every October. This year the event runs from 7-11th October.

The week involves as much private writing time as you like, one-to-one mentoring from Alison Knight and myself (on request- no addition charge) and an evening with guest speaker, Kate Lord Brown.

The retreat price includes all meals and accommodation in an original Victorian house- complete with the original free standing baths! (Bring your own bubbles!)

You can find all the details at www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

Book soon – we’d love to see you there- but there are only 3 rooms left for 2019.

Imagine also provides day long Location Inspiration Days. These take place in a variety of stunning locations, where you are encouraged to use the setting to create your works of fiction.

Our next events are on 19th June and 11th Sept at the Old Farmhouse and Chapel, in Ashcott, Somerset. You can find details at www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

About Jenny:

Jenny Kane is the author of several contemporary fiction novels including, Romancing Robin Hood (Littwitz Press, 2018),  Abi’s House, (Accent Press, 2015), and the Another Cup of Coffee series (Accent Press, 2013).  As Jennifer Ash she writes the medieval mysteries, The Folville Chronicles, as well as audio scripts for ITV.

Jenny’s contact details:

Twitter
@JenAshHistory
@JennyKaneAuthor
@Imagine_Writing

Jennifer Ash https://www.facebook.com/jenniferashhistorical/
Jenny Kane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011235488766
Imagine www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk
Jenny Kane and Jennifer Ash www.jennykane.co.uk

 

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

Please see here for a copy of my novel.

Talland House and the Mystery of Mrs Ramsay’s Death

Maggie reading on St Ives beach being filmed by a French TV crew.

I have waited over a year for the release Talland House by Maggie Humm. According to the blurb, “Talland House takes Lily Briscoe from the pages of Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and tells her story outside the confines of Woolf’s novel…” It is an honour to introduce you to Maggie Humm.

Maggie Humm is an international Woolf scholar, she is the author/editor of fourteen books, the last three of which focused on Woolf and the arts. Talland House was shortlisted for the Impress and Fresher Fiction prizes in 2017 (as Who Killed Mrs. Ramsay?) and the Retreat West and Eyelands prizes in 2018.

Jessie: Tell me more about Talland House.

“Maggie Humm has brilliantly filled in the edges beyond Woolf’s canvas…” Lauren Elkin

Maggie: Talland House re-imagines Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse from the point of view of Lily Briscoe the artist character. Set between 1900 and 1919 in picturesque Cornwall and war-blasted London, the novel tells Lily’s emotional journey in becoming a professional artist: her love-life, mourning her dead mother, as a suffragette, nurse and solving the mystery of Mrs. Ramsay’s death. The novel contains a prequel to To the Lighthouse and many fictions of Woolf’s life, including her family, the artists and friends she knew.

Jessie: What was the initial inspiration for the novel?

Virginia Woolf’s wonderful, quasi-autobiographical To the Lighthouse. I first read it as an adolescent after the death of my mother and fell in love with the mother-figure Mrs. Ramsay. Only years later did I discover that Woolf’s mother Julia Stephen was 49 when she died and Virginia 13 – the exact ages of my mother and me when my mother died. There’s something so extraordinarily moving about mothering in To the Lighthouse. In the novel Mrs. Ramsay dies suddenly and in parentheses (apologies to those who haven’t read the book!). The death is unexplained – the most surprising death in 20th century literature. I knew I had to write a novel discovering how Mrs. Ramsay died!

Jessie: How long have you been working on the book? Did it involve any special research?

Years! I took a UEA/Guardian diploma in creative writing followed by nine months of mentoring with The Literary Consultancy and much revision.

The research was huge but so enjoyable. As a Woolf scholar (my last three books focus on Woolf and the arts) I’d read all Woolf’s writings and writings by her family and friends. For Talland House I read Cornish newspapers for the times Lily is in St. Ives for weather, incidents, and atmosphere. I loved being in the airy, light map room at the top of the British Library looking at old photos of St. Ives for housing types, street scenes. I read artists’ memoirs, art journals of the turn of the twentieth century for a sense of artists’ lives and studios. I read everything on-line about World War I in London and how it felt to be there, for example, when the Germans suddenly switched from Zeppelins to Gotha bombers in 1917. London and St. Ives almost became characters in Talland House. I googled about music halls, other leisure pursuits, clothes, transport, and the accurate names of buildings and visited all Lily’s places. Lily gradually took over my life, my feelings, even my physical characteristics. She’s always early for appointments, she’s an only child with a dead mother, and her fingers are the shape of mine. Sometimes I wondered if I existed outside the novel!

Jessie: I am intrigued and want to delve into your writing. Please present some extracts from the novel so that will transport us to the settings in Cornwall.

Talland House

“Talland House…a kind of home, a place where she’d always wanted to return, and she’d missed it with the sadness of missing an old friend, a real person.”

“Lily glanced up at the house. Over the years, Talland House had come to mean more and more to her, a kind of home, a place where she’d always wanted to return, and she’d missed it with the sadness of missing an old friend, a real person. There was a special spot—the steps from the drawing room into the garden where Mrs. Ramsay liked to sit—at a specific moment of the day—early evening when the low sunlight caught the bright escallonia hedge—and it looked magnificent.”

St Ives

“Here no one knew her, here there were no family responsibilities, here she could be herself or whatever herself would become.”

“Lily had a glorious view of St Ives’s harbour, the seagulls twisting iridescent in the sun, a lighthouse seemingly close enough to touch. The weeks ahead spread out before her like a freshly washed sheet. Here no one knew her, here there were no family responsibilities, here she could be herself or whatever herself would become.”

Beach and Godrevy

“The beach began to empty as families took their children home for tea, and Lily rested on the top bar of the promenade railings looking out over the glare of the sea at Godrevy Lighthouse, hearing distant cries, the pat-pat of sails flapping against the rigging, the waves lapping. Now she felt the whole of the past could be present, as if her childhood days inched forward as slowly as the tortoise in the garden at home.

Godrevy Lighthouse

“It was pure joy to be with Mrs. Ramsay, lit by gleams from Godrevy…”

“It was pure joy to be with Mrs. Ramsay, lit by gleams from Godrevy, the conversation from the dining room too faint to understand. Mrs. Ramsay’s face seemed atop a statue, marble and firm. She looked so commanding suddenly, and Lily felt the rich essence of female connection, a fervent intensity because they were both women and Mrs. Ramsay was a mother. She gave Talland House a point of view, a sense of life, of its odd but necessary capacity.”

“Maggie Humm has brilliantly filled in the edges beyond Woolf’s canvas; she has a deep, awe-inspiring understanding of the role of the visual in Woolf’s work, and here she reveals that she also has a novelist’s gift to create something new, that has its own imaginative life, from that understanding.”

-Lauren Elkin, author of the award-winning Flaneuse

Find out more about Maggie Humm and her writing at:
http://www.maggiehumm.net/

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.