Today
we welcome another of our contenders for the Joan Hessayon award.
Welcome
to the RNS blog, Emily, and many congratulations on being one of the contenders
for this year’s award.
How long have you been writing
- Is this your first published piece?
I’ve always wanted to
be an author, and some of my earliest memories are of sitting in the back of
the
How many years were you a
member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each year?
I was in the NWS for three
years. I submitted my book Who Does He
Think He Is? during my first year on the scheme, and then submitted a
revised version of it in my second year, having followed the helpful advice I
was given by my reader. I got my publishing contract part way through my third
year on the NWS, but it was great still being able to submit a partial
manuscript to the scheme and get some good feedback on it.
What came first, agent or
publisher?
I
got a publisher first. I don’t have an agent, but finding one is definitely my
next aim!
How did you find your
publisher?
I started entering
writing competitions and placed or was shortlisted in several. That success
helped me to find the courage to start submitting my book to publishers. I
wanted to be armed with as much knowledge as possible, so I attended the RNA
Conference and chatted to lots of other authors about their journey to
publication. I also soaked up all the wonderful advice from writers on the
ROMNA mailing list. The whole submission process was still completely
nerve-wracking, but I had some great writing buddies to support me along the
way!
Do you have a contract for one
book or more?
My
contract is for one book, but I have plenty of projects on the go, so watch
this space!
When was your book published?
My book was published on 15th
December 2016. It was definitely a red-letter day. I booked the day off work,
and my family and I celebrated with a lovely lunch out during which I had to
keep on pinching myself, as I couldn’t quite believe my dream of being a
published author had finally come true!
Tell
us something about your book
Lady
Aurelia Osbourne-Lloyd has long wished her bank balance was as big as her name.
But her home, Leydale Park, is more of a pile in a state than stately pile, and
her efforts to turn the family fortunes around are failing.
When a Hollywood production company chooses the
estate as a location for a Regency movie, a whole new level of chaos enters
Aurelia’s life. And of top of that, she has to deal with the added distraction
of dishy leading man, Xander Lord, who may have an ulterior motive for wanting
to get close to her…
What
are you currently working on?
I’m writing another
romantic comedy. This time the story is set in one of my favourite countries,
Greece. The main character Isabelle Sutton has always fancied charismatic TV
archaeologist Ben Timms, but when she gets her dream job working for him on his
latest documentary series, she soon learns he’s a very different person off
screen…
What
piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?
Keep on writing, and
don’t let fear and doubt take over! Get the words out on the page and don’t
worry too much about it. Once that first draft is done, you can go back through
and re-write and edit to your heart’s content, but you need something to start
with. I’d also say find some writing buddies. Sitting at home and writing by
yourself can be isolating, so it’s great to have friends to cheer you along the
way and to exchange ideas with. The RNA is perfect for that.
Links:
Twitter:
@EmilyKerrWrites
Thank
you, Emily. Congratulations again on graduating the New Writers’ Scheme and I
hope you enjoy the Summer Party.
