Georgia Hill been writing for E-Scape Press for five
years and was taken on by Harper Impulse, the digital first imprint of Harper
Collins, last summer. She writes about intriguing heroes, believably flawed
heroines – all wrapped up in contemporary rom-coms. After teaching for twenty years,
she is now a full-time writer and loving it. Home is a converted oast house,
which she shares with her two beloved spaniels, husband (also beloved) and a
ghost called Zoe.
In Say
it with Sequins 1: The Rumba, ‘Who Dares Dances’ is a reality TV show
with a difference. Not only do contestants have to learn to dance, they also
face a series of bizarre challenges. When struggling actor, Julia Cooper, signs
up and meets daredevil Harri Morgan, the attraction is instant – and hot!
Forced to perform a sexy rumba together, the sequins really start to fly. Will
they score the perfect ten, or is their romance destined to be a dance
disaster!
Say
it With Sequins: The Rumba is your first ebook with Harper Impulse. How do you
remain an individual author with such a large (and fabulous) publisher?
What an interesting
question! To date, it hasn’t been an issue. I was attracted to Harper Impulse
as they wanted submissions from writers who ‘mash up’ genres or who write
something slightly different. Pitching my writing has always been a problem and
I was told my second and third books would have no market as no one wanted to
read a novel set in a primary school. In fact, they’ve sold fairly well, thanks
to E-Scape Press. With Harper Impulse, I think I’ve found a home for my particular
type of writing.
What
gave you the idea for your book and how long did it take to write?
I’m a huge Strictly
Come Dancing fan. I love the television show, have seen live shows on tour and
I’m booked to see two of the dancers when they tour their show later this year.
I’m fascinated by how close the celebrity and professional dancer seem to get.
With attractive young actresses and hot pro-dancers paired together, it seemed
inevitable that a romance might spring up. As indeed it has with one or two
partnerships! I started the first draft when I was teaching full-time, so never
really had the time to devote to it. Though I’m a good beginner I don’t always
see things through but it lingered on until I was determined to finish it! It’s
taken me about three years to write. In my defence, other projects intervened.
How
did you carry out your research?
I watch a lot of television! Behind the scenes programmes,
on how television is made, interviews with dancers and celebs, keep an eye on
the gossip columns. I also do a lot of internet research on types of dance. YouTube
has great ‘How to dance' videos. There isn’t a lot of technical detail in the
book but I try to get it right.
Can
you dance?
No! I’m the world’s
worst dancer. I think that’s why I admire the celebs who take part, especially
those who struggle with the training. I’d be a dance disaster - think I need a
session with Anton du Beke!
How
do you fit your writing around your home life?
I gave up full-time
teaching eighteen months ago and thought I’d be able to write all day. It
hasn’t quite worked out like that and I often find, unless I’m very
disciplined, that the chores take over. It’s taken a while to find a new working
rhythm but I’m getting there. Like many women writers, it’s all about dealing
with the guilt of the ironing pile! Dog walking is a great thinking time
though.
What
is next in your writing life?
The next project is
very different – a two narrative partly historical romance (I love the books of
Susanna Kearsley and Rachel Hore and wanted to write something similar).
However, it’s been hijacked by Say it
with Sequins 4 and has temporarily been put on the back burner. It’s on the
‘To do’ list though!
Thank you, Georgia. Perhaps next time we can hear
about your resident ghost!
Compiled
by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie
Kleinman and Liv Thomas.
5 comments:
Research where you watch television has to be a really attractive option. DH and I took up ballroom after he retired and having done 3 winters, have left for the moment. It's so hard. Does mean I watch the celebs on Strictly in a more compassionate frame of mind than before. Anne Stenhouse
Great post, Georgia :) I loved Say It With Sequins 1 and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
I admire the celebs who put themselves up for the Strictly challenge, and the chemistry aspect fascinates me too - why do some celeb/pro partnerships have such great on(and off) screen chemistry?!
A lovely blog post. I'm looking forward to reading your book. I'm a great fan of Strictly and always bore my friends with the story about Len Goodman's ex in laws teaching me to dance - many years ago!
Say it with Sequins is a lovely read. My daughters really enjoy Strictly as they have all studied dance so this was especially nice.
Thanks for having me on. I'd love to learn to dance - but I've got two left feet and no co-ordination!
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