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.
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.
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.
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
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