Today we welcome
Sophie Claire, another of the talented contenders for this year's Joan Hessayon
Award and graduate of the RNA New Writers' Scheme. Thank you for answering
our questions, Sophie.
How
long have you been writing? Is this your first published piece?
Her
Forget-Me-Not Ex
is my first published novel, and I’ve been writing seriously for about ten
years. Before that it was a hobby which I squeezed in around looking after my
children who were babies/toddlers at the time. I used to write while they
napped, and my mother-in-law would babysit once a week so I could go to my
local writing group. Once the children were both at school things became a lot
easier and I realised that writing wasn’t just a hobby, but a compulsion.
That’s when I started thinking of it as my profession and I began attending
writing courses and submitting my work for critique. It was on one of those
writing courses that I heard about the RNA and the New Writers’ Scheme.
How
many years were you a member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each
year?
I was a member of the
NWS for 8 years and submitted 7 novels – so almost one each year. Being part of
the scheme was an invaluable experience for me and I learned so much from it. I
blogged about it here. I also met many friends and mentors
along the way, and I recommend the scheme to all aspiring romance writers.
What
came first, agent or publisher?
Publisher. I’d love to
find an agent – fingers crossed!
How
did you find your publisher?
I booked a one-to-one
with Accent Press at the RNA conference and sent them the first chapter of Her Forget-Me-Not Ex. They then asked to
see the full manuscript, and contacted me within a fortnight to make an offer.
I’d never had such a speedy response from a publisher before – I was really
impressed.
When
was your book published?
It was published in May
2015, which was great timing because it’s a very summery book, set mainly in
sunny Provence.
Tell
us something about your book
Natasha has consigned
her wealthy French ex-husband Luc to the past, so she’s horrified when he turns
up at her village florist’s shop out of the blue, pleading for help. He never
dared to tell his family about the divorce, and when he asks her to come to
France and pretend they’re still married for a couple of weeks to please his
sick father, she’s not sure she can say no. She certainly isn’t prepared for
the warmth of his family’s welcome, or the attraction that’s still simmering
between her and Luc.
But it’s just two weeks
in a vineyard, no strings attached, right?
What
are you currently working on?
I’m working on my next
book which is set in a picturesque fishing village in the south of France. One
of the perks of my job is that no matter what the weather here in Manchester is
like, I can escape to the sunshine and heat of Provence with my characters.
What
piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?
Believe in yourself and
keep writing. It can be so hard to keep faith in your work when the rejections are
rolling in, but they’re inevitable I’m afraid. So get support wherever you can
get it – be it from a writing group or a critique partner – and listen to the
positive feedback you get about your work as well as the parts you need to work
on. I’m lucky enough to have the most supportive critique partner as well as the
group, Novelistas Ink, who are always on hand if I need support or advice. I
couldn’t do without them.
Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sophieclairewriter
Website: www.sophieclaire.co.uk
Twitter @SClaireWriter
Thank
you, Sophie, we hope you have a fabulous evening at the RNA Summer Party and
good luck with your writing career.
The RNA
blog is brought to you by
Elaine
Everest & Natalie Kleinman
