Introducing the RNA Blog team

As many regular blog readers will know, we have a great team of members who organise the fantastic content you read on the blog every week. As we go into the New Year, we thought it was time to give them a chance to introduce themselves properly so you can see who to contact if you'd like to contribute to the blog or to be featured on it during the coming year. So, without further ado...

Sheila Riley - New Releases and Hints and Tips for Newer Writers

Sheila joined the RNA in 2004 as a new writer. Since then she has written best-selling sagas as Annie Groves. She's a member of the North West Chapter of the RNA and loves to catch up with writer friends at the regular Southport lunches.

Sheila is also starting a new feature this year called Hints and Tips for Newer Writers. 

The new email address for monthly publications is: 

releases@romanticnovelistsassociation.org.

Ellie Holmes - Interviews with Book Bloggers, Reviewers, Editors

Ellie Holmes writes commercial women’s fiction with her heart in the town and her soul in the country. Ellie’s debut release was The Flower Seller. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors, Ellie’s latest book, White Lies is out now.

Amazon

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Francesca Capaldi Burgess - Competition Monthly

Francesca Capaldi Burgess has been placed or shortlisted in a number of competitions including Winchester Writers' Conference, Retreat West, Meridian Writing, Wells Festival and Writing Magazine. She's had stories and a serial published in magazines worldwide and in three anthologies, including Diamonds and Pearls and 100 Stories for Haiti. She is a member of the RNA New Writers' Scheme and the Society for Women Writers and Journalists.

Twitter

Write Minds Blog

Lisa Hill - Author Interviews and Guest Posts

Lisa writes contemporary romance with a light-hearted tone.  What interests her most is people, their interactions, emotions and relationships.  It’s probably why her career to date has been based in property; she confesses herself that she is ‘naturally curious’. Her first encounter with a romance author was chats over the garden wall between her father, Godfrey, and Mrs Cooper from the neighbouring village of Bisley.  It came as quite a surprise in later life to find that Mrs Cooper was in fact Jilly Cooper!  Lisa’s writing inspiration now comes from other Cotswolds' authors including Jill Mansell and Katie Fforde. 

Lisa is a graduate of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme and attributes this supportive and informative scheme to her winning the Choc Lit Search for a Star competition 2016 with her debut novel Meet Me at Number Five.

www.lisahillwriter.wordpress.com

Julie Stock - News items and everything else!

Julie writes and indie publishes contemporary romance novels, novellas and short stories from around the world. To date, she has published two novels, and has two novellas and another novel planned for this year.

She is now a full member of the RNA, The Society of Authors, and The Alliance of Independent Authors. Julie recently took over as RNA Social Media Co-ordinator and is looking forward to working with the team to keep the blog sparkling in the months to come.

Twitter

Facebook

Website

Amazon

Thanks for all your support for the blog. We look forward to working with many of you once again in 2018!

Joan Hessayon Award 2016 contender: Bella Osborne

Today Bella Osborne answers our questions. Bella is another of the talented contenders for this year's Joan Hessayon Award and graduate of the RNA New Writers' Scheme.

How long have you been writing? Is this your first published piece?

I’ve been writing ever since primary school when I discovered that I loved it. Yes, It Started at Sunset

Cottage is my first published story.

How many years were you a member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each year?

I joined in January 2013 and submitted a manuscript for two years until I graduated to full membership.

What came first, agent or publisher?

I met my thoroughly lovely editor, Charlotte Ledger, at the RNA conference in Sheffield in 2013 as part of the 121s and she asked to read the rest of my novel. I signed with my agent later that year.

Who is your agent?

I am represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

My first contract was with Harper Impulse for two books and I have just signed a one book contract with Avon (also part of Harper Collins).

When was your book published?

Digitally on 12^th February 2015, Print on Demand April 2015, and Paperback August 2015.

Tell us something about your book

It has two strong women at its core - Kate is a reserved author whilst Sarah is a sharp-tongued single mother. After losing her fiancé, Kate is slowly getting her life back on track when Timothy Calder, A-list actor and leading man in the movie adaptation of her book, turns up on her doorstep, hoping to lie low after his latest tabloid scandal. Sarah is trying to hold down two jobs and shut her ex-husband out of her life. When he goes missing she thinks it’s the answer to her problems until Sarah becomes number one suspect.

What are you currently working on?

I am multi-tasking! I am currently editing my second novel, ‘A Family Holiday’, which is due for release in June, as well as writing my third book which will be released digitally in four parts under the title ‘Willow Cottage’, the first part of which is due for release on 7^th July.

What piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?

Keep writing, no matter what life throws at you and never, ever give up!

Links:

Amazon:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Bella-Osborne-127964384079908/

Website

Twitter - https://twitter.com/osborne_bella

Thank you, Bella, 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

Joan Hessayon Award contender 2016: Helen J Rolfe

Today we welcome Helen J Rolfe, 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, Helen.

How long have you been writing? Is this your first published piece?

I have been writing fiction since 2011. My first novel was very much a practice and is still lurking somewhere in the bottom drawer! The Friendship Tree was the second novel I wrote.

How many years were you a member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each year?

I joined the NWS in 2012 and submitted a manuscript each year.

What came first, agent or publisher?

Publisher

How did you find your publisher?

Crooked Cat opened for submissions in April 2014 and I submitted my manuscript.

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

I had a single book contract and chose to indie publish the two books I wrote after The Friendship Tree.

When was your book published?

February 2015.

Tell us something about your book

Tamara Harding left the UK to join family in Australia, but more importantly, to put ten thousand miles between her and her ex, Bradley Cox. She is drawn into the small community of Brewer Creek where she becomes the coordinator for an old fashioned Friendship Tree – a chart telling people who they can call on in times of trouble. As she vows to start over, she meets Jake Manning – and life gets more complicated than she could ever have imagined. When danger descends on Brewer Creek, the Friendship Tree unites the entire town.

What are you currently working on?

I’m starting edits for my fourth novel and have just finished the first draft for novel number five.

What piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?

To keep going and always believe in yourself.

Links:

Amazon

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

Website

Twitter https://twitter.com/HJRolfe

Thank you, Helen, 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

Joan Hessayon Award 2016 contender: Debbie Flint

Today we have the next in our series featuring this year’s Joan Hessayon Award contenders. Welcome to Debbie Flint and thank you for answering our questions.

How long have you been writing? Is this your first published piece?

I’ve always written, but nothing serious. Then I went to a Mills and Boon writing workshop in Tuscany with top M&B author Jessica Hart in 2009. A writing exercise there, eventually became this book! It is my first finished novel and was initially self-published.

How many years were you a member of the NWS and did you submit a manuscript each year?

I joined NWS in around 2011, and submitted the draft versions of what became Take a Chance on Me two consecutive years, before I eventually self-published the book summer 2013.

What came first, agent or publisher?  

Choc lit do not deal with agents so I haven't really approached anyone with my romance. That’s on the cards for another project however, which I am working on with another writer.

How did you find your publisher?

Choc Lit became interested in it since I kept meeting Lyn Vernham, the MD, at various writing events, and in Summer 2014 I met Lyn to ask her about an offer concerning my day job. That deal didn’t come off, instead I did something else with QVC. As a result, I told Lyn I’d like them to publish my book and once it had been through their testing team they offered me a contract :-)

Lyn Vernham was present at several workshops and also RNA events and I used to chat to her there. Plus I was regularly featuring Choc Lit authors as my Book of the Week on my writing blog, 'Read it Write it Sell it,' on my website. Then I met Lyn to ask her advice about a book project involving my day job, QVC. I decided to submit to Choc Lit around that time and thankfully it passed their tasting panel, the beta readers who have to like a new novel in order for Lyn to consider taking it. When I chose to do a different book project with QVC, I told Lyn I’d be delighted for them to take it.

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

The contract for the first in the trilogy came next with the option for the other two if all went well.

When was your book published?

With Choc Lit, Ebook went out April 2015, paperback end of November 2015.

Tell us something about your book

Feisty single mum and businesswoman Sadie Turner is on a man ban. She needs an investor fast for a life-changing offer but salvation comes in the form of a playboy billionaire. Poor-boy made good, Mac, has a rule never to mix business with pleasure – until Sadie. From Monaco to Hawaii, via luxury yacht and private jet they have thirty days to seal the deal – and stay out of love.

It’s a steamy romance with a twist. First in the new ‘Hot Choc’ imprint, it has ‘slightly raised’ heat levels! Not quite 50 shades – about 7 or 8 – and all vanilla!

What are you currently working on?

The follow up which is the story of Sadie’s sister Helen. As she flies around the world on assignments for her famous ‘Try it For the First Time Club’ online column, a secret from her past throws up a bigger challenge than any she has ever faced – involving a mystery man, the father she never knew, and a dangerous sports event in Hawaii!

What piece of advice would you give current members of the NWS?

Realise there is such a thing as a SFD, shabby first draft (ok some don’t say shabby but you can guess!)  This revelation meant I did not feel I had to make every paragraph perfect before I wrote the next one, rather, aim to get to the end of your first draft and THEN go back and edit. Emma Darwin told me at a workshop that you use a different part of your brain for writing the first draft, and a different part for editing, and it takes a while to get from one part to the other and back again. So stop toggling between the two and just write and write and write – get the story down on paper or screen. Plus, top author Elizabeth Chadwick says you can't edit a blank page, that was another little gem. I love the editing stage best, and procrastinate along with the best of them whilst writing the first draft. But finishing that final sentence and writing the first ‘The end’ is such a satisfying feeling, it's all worth it.

Links:

Amazon: 

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

Website

Twitter - @debbieflint

Thank you, Debbie, 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

If you would like to write for the RNA blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

Joan Hessayon Award contender 2016: Sophie Claire

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:

Amazon:      

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