FOCUS ON: The South and West Wales Chapter

It's a great pleasure to welcome the South and West Wales Chapter today. Michaela Weaver has very kindly dropped in to speak to Jean Fullerton about their meetings.

Welcome, Kaela! 

How long has your chapter been running, Kaela?

It's been running in different formats for over fifteen years!

How often do you meet?

Currently we have monthly meetings scheduled, but we may revise this to quarterly.

Where is your regular meeting place?

We meet in Cardiff and Swansea

How many members attend your meetings?

We are expanding our group. We have 19 members in our Facebook Group. Meetings are normally attended by 5-10 members.

Do your meetings include a meal?

As people are travelling a distance, meetings are held with an optional lunch. The Swansea meeting is at Morgan's Hotel and includes a two-course lunch

Is your chapter open to non-members of the RNA?

We are open to established authors who are non-RNA members, and those considering the NWS are welcome to attend a taster meeting

How long are your meetings?

They typically last from 12-2.30 or 3pm

Can you give an outline of speakers/guests you've had in the past year?

I have just taken over as lead for this Chapter. Hazel Cushion is running a workshop/talk in March on Author Marketing. We hope to have regular speakers from now on.

What do you have planned for 2017?

We have monthly meetings scheduled right through the year. These can be found on our Facebook Group. Anyone in the RNA is welcome to join the group.

What would you say makes your chapter of the RNA so special?

As we are a Welsh Chapter I have to say, the 'hwyl' which is Welsh for fun!

Does your chapter have a website, Facebook page or Twitter account?

We have a Facebook Goup

Who is the contact for new members?

I'm the contact, and new members can contact me at kaela_weaver@btopenworld.com

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RNASWWales/

Thanks so much for joining us, Kaela. Wishing you and your members much 'hwyl' at the next meeting!

About Jean:

Jean was born in East End of London and spent all her career as a district nurse in East London but is now a full-time writer. Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie, is her current release. Her next novel Pocketful of Dreams, set in the turbulent years of WW2, is due for release in June 2017 and is the first in next East London series.

Her first series with Orion Fiction was set in the Victorian period after which she jumped forward to post-war East London.

She is a proud graduate from the NWS and passionate about the local chapters, which is why she has taken on the role of Chapters Liaison. 

This blog was prepared by blog team member, Helena Fairfax

All Roads Lead To York!

On behalf of members of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, your intrepid bloggers set off for a long weekend in York, the highlight being the Tea Party at the Guildhall organised by Jane Lovering and Lynda Stacey. Two trips to Betty’s, a cruise on the Ouse and many miles walked around York and we are home and exhausted.

Thank you to Jane and Lynda for the following words and John Jackson for the images.

Lynda Stacey

It was a cold, windy day in York, but inside the Guildhall it was warm. More than ninety people came to the first RNA Afternoon Tea event, and of those, more than half had never attended an RNA Party before, so we were delighted that so many were prepared to come to York as their first introduction to partying, RNA-style!  They were greeted by glasses of Prosecco and the chance to mingle and chat, helped by the familiar RNA name badges and lanyards, which meant nobody had to ask that awkward question ‘I’m sorry, who are you?’

 

Grace was said by Kelvin Woolmer, husband of RNA Chapter Liaison, Jean Fullerton after which we drank tea out of vintage cups and saucers and ate sandwiches, savouries and cakes from gorgeous vintage china. The setting in the beautiful fifteenth century York Guildhall, with its vaulted ceiling and ancient beams was awe inspiring.



 

Milly Johnson, who gave a very funny talk on the subject of ‘The Northern Bird’, filled with

scurrilous remarks and observations. She then performed her own parody of the well-known Robert Burns poem, with her ‘Address to the Scone’, followed by the delivery to the tables of heaps of scones, with clotted cream and home-made jams.

The proceedings closed with a rush to the Pic n Mix table, where guests helped themselves to sweets for the journey home. Thanks to everyone who came, and to John Jackson for documenting the event so thoroughly in photographic form!

Thank you, Jane, Lynda and John.

So where to next? Cornwall, Scotland, Wales or the South Coast? It will soon be time for another RNA event. In the meantime don’t forget the RNA Winter Party on Wednesday 18^th November at the Royal Overseas League, Park Place, London. Click here for details and booking form.

The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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

FOCUS ON: Carmarthenshire Chapter

Today we welcome Sandra Mackness to tell us the latest news from the Carmarthenshire Chapter.

Welcome, Sandra.

 



 

The Carmarthenshire chapter was first founded by Liz Fielding but over the years, most of the original members, including Liz, have moved away or no longer belong to the RNA. That left Christine Stovell, Rachael Thomas and me.

 

In December 2012 we got together with members living in the Vale of Glamorgan and that meeting was attended by Jean Fullerton. 

We have decided to meet again in Cardiff on Tuesday 29th April. This will be an opportunity to look back at how we’ve all progressed since our last Cardiff meeting and I know from experience how generous and supportive the published members are towards those still working towards publication. Liz Fielding is hoping to cross the border from England to Wales and there should be around six to eight of us.

I’d like to take this opportunity and say, if you live within easy distance of Cardiff, we’d love it if you came along too. We will confirm venue and time at a later date but I think a 12.00 to 3.00 pm session is best, as three of us are bound by train connection times.

 

Cardiff has an awesome castle and museum plus a great shopping centre, all within walking distance of the bus and train stations so you could combine research with lunch and writerly discussion. 

My email address is sandramackness@btconnect.com if you’d like to join us on this occasion or be kept informed of further meetings.

Thank you, Sandra, we hope you have a lovely time at your get together. 

Brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman. If you wish your Chapter of the RNA to be featured or you have a book due for release please contact us on: elaineeverest@aol.com