Interview with Lucy Felthouse

I’m delighted to welcome Lucy Felthouse to the RNA blog today. Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she’s never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, House of Erotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. That’s a lot of publishers, Lucy, would you like to describe your journey as a writer. How did it begin? 

I’ve always enjoyed writing, ever since I was a small child, but it wasn’t until I went to University to study Creative Writing that I started to take it more seriously. While I was there, one of my friends dared me to write an erotic story, so I did. It went down really well and I’ve never looked back. I figured I enjoyed it and was good at it, so carried on writing and started researching magazines and publishers. I had some early success with my stories which spurred me on to write more, and I now have in excess of fifty publications to my name, with more coming!

Would you say the stories come easily to you? Do you plot or fly by the seat of your pants? 

I mainly write short stories, so with those I definitely fly by the seat of my pants. I just have a vague idea of what the story is going to be about, and I sit down and write. However, with my longer works, I find a very loose plan helps me to keep on track and keep things moving. If things change, or my characters do something unexpected then it’s not a problem, but at least if I have the plan I know where I’m trying to get to.

I’ve noticed that you seem to be hot on promotion. What tips would you give new writers seeking publicity?

It depends if you have a knack for it or not. If you enjoy using social media, blogging and spending lots of time on the web promoting yourself and seeking reviews, then go for it. But some writers don’t enjoy it, which is why I started my business, Writer Marketing Services (http://www.writermarketing.co.uk), to provide a service to those that aren’t naturally inclined to self-promotion.

Which of your books would you most like to see as a film and who would play the hero?

I’d love to see my paranormal erotic romance BITE WITH HEIGHT made into a film. However, it’s a lesbian piece so there would be no hero – just heroines! The vampire, Meg, would ideally be played by Nicky Aycox, of Supernatural fame, and Grace, the human, would be played by Julie McNiven, also from Supernatural. Yes – I’m a tad obsessed by the show, you should see how many films Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles would appear in if all my stories were made into films!

Which is your all time favourite book?
If you mean one of my books, it would have to be BITE WITH HEIGHT. If you mean someone else’s, I would have to say YEAR OF WONDERS by Geraldine Brooks.

Do you play music while you write? 

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. It depends how difficult I’m finding it to get into "the zone."

Writers are often asked where they find their ideas. What is most likely to inspire you?

Anything and everything. It could be a person, a place, an overheard conversation, the weather, a TV show, a film, a book... my ideas pop up from all over the place, but I do seem to have quite a lot of them in the shower. I looked into it, and apparently it’s something to do with the positive ions in the air created by the water which stimulates your brain!

I rather like the sound of that. Taking a long bath seems to help too. So tell us more about your latest book.

My latest release is called OFF THE SHELF and is published as part of Xcite Books, The Secret Library range. It’s my first novella, and should also be available as a standalone title very soon. It’s about a travel writer who’s sick of her friends and family commenting about her being left "on the shelf." She does want to be with someone, but she is incredibly busy with her work and just hasn’t found anyone she likes... until she meets Damien. He’s a cute, shy guy working at the airport she travels through regularly and when they meet in the bookshop they hit it off – but will they get it on? Only one way to find out...

Off The Shelf appears in the anthology Silk Stockings
At 35, travel writer Annalise is fed up with insensitive comments about being left on the shelf. It’s not as if she doesn’t want a man, but her busy career doesn’t leave her much time for relationships. Sexy liaisons with passing acquaintances give Annalise physical satisfaction, but she needs more than that. She wants a man who will satisfy her mind as well as her body. But where will she find someone like that? It seems Annalise may be in luck when a new member of staff starts working in the bookshop at the airport she regularly travels through. Damien appears to tick all the boxes; he’s gorgeous, funny and intelligent, and he shares Annalise’s love of books and travel. The trouble is, Damien’s shy and Annalise is terrified of rejection. Can they overcome their fears and admit their feelings, or are they doomed to remain on the shelf?

To find out more about Lucy and her books, and read an excerpt you can find her here: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/the-secret-library-silk-stockings/ 

Website: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cw1985 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lucyfelthousewriter 

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/cw1985 

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9 

Interviews on the RNA Blog are for RNA members, although we do occasionally take guests. If you are interested in an interview, please contact me: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

Interview with Anna Jacobs

Anna Jacobs writes historical and modern novels. She’s had 57 novels published so far, with others in the pipeline. She spends half the year in Australia and half in the UK, which nicely avoids facing any winters. (She is so not into snow!) 

In Australia, she lives in a waterside home where dolphins swim regularly past her door. In the UK, she lives in Wiltshire, which she has grown to love, it’s such a beautiful county. 

Anna is currently the 8th Most Borrowed Author of Adult Fiction in the UK. Good to have you on the RNA Blog again Anna, tell us about your latest book, and what inspired you to write it

My latest book is THE TRADER’S SISTER, #2 in the series - all readable on their own, though. It’s set in Western Australia, the Middle East and Singapore during the late 1860s. I can’t get these stories down fast enough and my characters keep waking me up to show me scenes. The series has gone from three to four books. Just wait till #3 comes out in October (The Trader’s Dream). I’ve waited ten years to write a story with a certain incident in it. No, I’m not telling you what.

I like writing about lively women, and Bram’s sister is as appealing as he was. He’s ‘the trader’, main hero of #1, THE TRADER’S WIFE, but he also appears in every book in the series. His sister Ismay wants to join him in Australia, but her father has other ideas and will go to any lengths to prevent her leaving Ireland. She has to run away to make her dream come true, and that leads her into a series of adventures as she travels via Suez and Sri Lanka, with a detour to Singapore, to join her brother.

Many of your stories have an Australian setting. How do set about your research, and yet manage to avoid the stereotype Aussie-pioneer-outback story. 

I write about Western Australia, where I live, which has a different history from the better known eastern states, which are 2,000 miles away from the west. I’ve loved doing the research and most of it has been via books, especially minor or very old books by obscure or tiny publishers. These show glimpses of life in the ‘Cinderella colony’ which you don’t find on line.

I’m also lucky that Australia has a wonderful library service, which offers research help. I’ve used that many times to find information. They’ve sent rare books to my local library, ones I wasn’t allowed to take home but had to study and photocopy in the library. They’ve photocopied articles and extracts from journals for me at a very reasonable price. And I also have a nautical mentor, Eric Hare, who has taught me so much about sailing ships.

I live in a country town south of the capital Perth, and I’ve set most of my books in the south-west of our state, which is not the outback but a place of forests, cattle and wine. I was fortunate to be selected to do a project for one country town ie write about strong pioneering women. They provided a lot of information during my time spent there and I used it afterwards in FREEDOM’S LAND, another book that burned out of me white hot.

You are very strong on family relationship stories, do you study human psychology or are you just very observant? 

I’ve always loved watching people. They’re endlessly varied and fascinating. My first degree was partly in psychology, which has helped to give me a better understanding of what makes people tick. I also did psych units as part of my postgraduate and masters studies. But it’s my own family which was the most help. My maternal grandma was one of 12 children, and the other grandma was one of four. I grew up surrounded by cousins, aunts, great-aunts and family stories. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was excellent preparation for my writing. I met very few of one grandfather’s relatives and it’d have been none if my father had had his way. My father wouldn’t talk about them or tell me why, but one day I’ll make up a tale about that. The other grandfather was one of 7 children, but I only ever knew three of them. Strange again. I still don’t know why they weren’t around. Maybe I’ll have to write a book about that too.

I know you also write contemporary fiction, is there a different type of novel you are still yearning to write?

I’d like to go back to writing historical romances as well, which is where I started. I’ve reissued my early historical romances, such as MISTRESS OF MARYMOOR, as ebooks and they’re selling so well that if I had the time, I’d write more. But sadly, I need to sleep every single night, so I can’t fit any more books in.

What do you do when the going gets tough?

If a story isn’t flowing, I sit in front of my computer and give myself permission to write rubbish, which I can polish later. It never turns out to be rubbish, but it does sometimes need more polishing than normal And if I’m overloaded with work, as sometimes happens, I just get down to it and work hard till I’m over the hump. I prefer to be ahead of my publishing schedule, and don’t enjoy last minute dashes, so normally stay ahead, but sometimes life hits your schedule.

What is the strangest place you’ve ever written in?

I think it’s strange that I’ve written in planes, because I loathe flying. However, twice a year I have to face long flights as we move to the UK and then come back home to Australia again. I’ve started several books on planes that have gone on to do well. I think it’s desperation to distract myself from being shut up in a metal tube filled with stale air. I can’t always lose myself in my writing on a plane, but sometimes it happens. And wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I always have something to write with handy. You never know when you’ll get an idea, or ‘see’ an important scene. Even on planes!
Anna's home in Western Australia.

Which long-lost childhood cuddly toy did you love the most? 

I grew up just after WWII, so I didn’t have many toys. No one did. It was books I loved and I have some of my childhood books still. Well, I did have, but one daughter has pinched them because she collects children’s books, but she’s looking after them for me. My favourite author was Enid Blyton. Oh, how that woman set my imagination flying! I wish I could thank her for such a precious gift.

What’s your most irrational fear, and have you ever written about it? 

Cockroaches. You can’t avoid them in a warm climate, however clean your house is. I run shrieking in terror from them and my personal hero comes running to save me. He says he recognises the tone of the ‘cockroach scream’. It’s ridiculous, really, as they’re only beetles. But there you are. I definitely do not like them. Give me a mouse or spider any day! I’d never even seen a cockroach till we migrated to Australia. I’m certainly not including them in my books. That’s a step too far.

So what next? Can you tell us something of what you are working on now?

I’m writing a modern novel and enjoying it very much, about a group of older people. (Not decrepit! And not past falling in love. Just older.) I have a three book a week reading habit, and find a lack of stories with older protagonists, so I write about people over 50 quite often - as well as about younger people. After all, life is full of people of all ages. Considering the fact that older women are the biggest readers and buyers of books, I think publishers are missing a trick with so few older heroines. I’m also mentally working on the fourth Traders book. I like to keep busy. When I’m actually writing one book, I’m often visualising another. I do a lot of visualisation. It’s like watching TV in my head.

THE TRADER’S SISTER 

Ismay Deagan has one wish in the world – to leave Ireland and join her brother, Bram, in Australia. But her father has other ideas and orders her to marry their vicious neighbour Rory Flynn. Ismay runs away, disguising herself as an impoverished young widow. When she meets Adam Tregear on the ship, she finally starts to believe her dreams may come true. Before she reaches Australia, however, she’s flung into adventures in Suez, Ceylon and Singapore. Dare she tell Adam the truth about who she really is? Does he have secrets of his own? Or will her past catch up with her and ruin her new-found happiness? 

Extract

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=The-Traders-Sister&bookID=64 

That was fascinating Anna, thank you for taking time off from your busy schedule to talk to us today. We wish you continuing success with your books. 

Best wishes, 

Freda

For more about Anna and her books, visit her website. 

http://www.annajacobs.com/

Interviews on the RNA Blog are for full RNA members, although we do occasionally take guests. If you are interested in an interview, please contact me: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk 

Interview with Linda Mitchelmore

With the Summer Party and the announcement of the 2012 winner of the Joan Hessayon Award just a couple of weeks away, a warm welcome to another contender for this year’s award, Linda Mitchelmore.

Many congratulations on your short listing, with your debut novel, To Turn Full Circle, Linda.

Please tell us about your first acceptance and how it kick-started your career as a writer.

I have much to thank my late mother-in-law for. She gave me an issue of Woman's Own that had a short story competition in it. So, I thought I'd have a go. To my amazement I was shortlisted, and published. My story was illustrated beautifully in a Picasso-ish sort of way and I thought, 'Hey! I'll have some of this.' Success breeds success, so they say, and while my publications didn't ramp up fantastically to start with, they have been a very satisfyingly steady burn.

How did you hear about the RNA, and how has the organisation been of benefit to you?

Through writing courses I took with Writing Magazine, I met Margaret James who suggested I might like to join the RNA and the New Writers' Scheme. One of my best moves ever, I'm pleased to say.

Can you work anywhere, or do you have a favourite place to hideaway and write?

 I can write short stories, by hand, anywhere. I once wrote a short story in a hospital canteen while my husband was under anaesthetic for the afternoon - a diversion tactic from what was a horribly complex operation. He came through unscathed, I'm pleased to say, and the story sold quickly, too.

Novels are a bit different in that I need to be close to my desk and my research sources. That said, I often start a scene off writing by hand in the comfort of the couch before going up to my freezing garret to type it up.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

Oh, definitely a panster. I often start with a first line of dialogue that pops in my head from goodness knows where, and I think....'Who said that?' 'Why?' 'To whom?' 'Where?' And I'm off. Once the story has tumbled out of me I go back over it to make sure there is a plot. It helps to focus said plot if I ask myself 1) Whose story is this? 2) What is their problem/what do they want? 3) Who helps? 4) Who hinders? 5) How do they achieve their aim?

Have you had rejections and if so, how did you deal with them?

I've had a few! Short stories I usually manage to sell somewhere these days, even if it's at the fifth time of sending it out. Previous NWS submissions have gone to second reads and then on to top agents, and those were a bit harder to deal with - so near and yet so far. That said, I have never had a bad rejection from an agent - at least no one has told me to go and play in the traffic or take up bungee-jumping or something. All gave me positive feedback on my writing style and told me not to give up hope of publication. So thank you ladies, one and all - I took your advice.

What was your favourite book as a child?

I must have read Brownie by Amy Le Feuvre at least twenty times as a child. It was a Sunday School Prize - and very secondhand when I received it. It is very collectable today, and I still have my copy.

What would you say was the best part of an RNA conference?

The best part of a RNA conference is the friendship - it holds you up in the down times the way a good support bra does....:)

Have you trained your husband to cook for you while you write?

Well, I've tried - and failed. However, he has developed the good sense to never, ever complain if it is Sainsbury's Taste the Difference ready-mades yet again for supper.

Are you a lark or an owl?

Definitely a lark. I am irritatingly cheerful in the morning as owls who have shared rooms at The New Cavendish Club with me will testify.

What would represent a romantic gesture to you?

A romantic gesture? 'No, darling, your bum definitely doesn't look big in that.'

Thank you for talking to us, Linda. We wish you every success with 'To Turn Full Circle'. It has the most gorgeous cover which is sure to stand out on the shelves. The best of luck with the Joan Hessayon Award.

To find out more about Linda and her work follow her blog at http://lindashortstories.wordpress.com

or on Twitter: @lindamitchelmor  (Note there is no 'e' on the end)

and on Facebook.

Contact Linda by email  lindaoccombe@tiscali.co.uk

May Releases

Joanne Harris PEACHES FOR MONSIEUR Le Curé : CHOCOLAT 3
Doubleday
Hardback
£18.99
24th May 2012
It isn't often you receive a letter from the dead.

When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the village in which eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop.
But returning to her old home, Vianne is completely unprepared for what she is to find there. Women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea - and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church, a minaret.

Carole Matthews SUMMER DAYDREAMS

Little Brown

24 May

£6.99

What if you had always dreamed of something more...? Nell McNamara has a happy life: her boyfriend Olly adores her, their four-year-old daughter Petal is the centre of their world and Nell has a steady job in the local chip shop. When the chippy needs a makeover, Nell jumps at the chance to unleash the creativity fizzing inside her. Inspired by what she can achieve - and encouraged by the best friends a girl can have - Nell is determined to try something new. Waving goodbye to the chip shop, she starts up a new business making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves! It seems Nell's dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn't come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it's really possible to have it all...

Full of fun, love and laughter, soak up the sunshine with Summer Daydreams. 

http://www.carolematthews.com/

Liz Fenwick THE CORNISH HOUSE

Orion

Trade Paperback

£12.99

When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her step-daughter Hannah desperately need.

Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, a rambling house steeped in history. Maddie is enchanted by it and determined to learn as much as she can about its past. As she discovers the stories of generations of women who've lived there before, Maddie begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.

But Maddie's dream of a calm life in the countryside is far from the reality she faces. Still struggling with her grief and battling with Hannah, Maddie is unable to find inspiration for her painting and realises she may face the prospect of having to sell Trevenen, just as she is coming to love it.

And as Maddie and Hannah pull at the seams of Trevenen's past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations.

www.lizfenwick.com

http://lizfenwick.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/#!/liz_fenwick  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liz-Fenwick/188542717850926

Scarlet Wilson WEST WING TO MATERNITY WING

Harlequin Mills and Boon

May 2012

£5.49

Famous neonatologist Lincoln Adams is looking after the US President's newborn daughter when nurse Amy Carson arrives, posing as his very pregnant wife!  Amy's had first-hand experience of Linc's skilful hands, and he's the only person she trusts to look after her precious cargo.  But trusting him with her fragile heart is another matter....

Janet Woods SECRETS AND LIES

Severn House (hardcover)

25th May 2012.

£19.99

A destructive secret is guarded by a network of lies . . . until they begin to unravel.

http://www.janet-woods.com

JL Merrow HARD TAIL

Samhain Publishing

8th May 2012

Ebook

$5.50 

When newly unemployed accountant Tim agrees to run his injured brother’s mountain bike shop, an unexpected attraction brings him close to the door of a closet he’s tried to deny he’s in. For Tim, loving Matt means coming to terms with who he is—and being willing to fight for the man he loves.

www.jlmerrow.com

Vanessa Devereaux LAST FIRST KISS 

Evernight Publishing

E book (novel)

16th May

Wade Linley never thought he’d live to see the day when he’d receive a frantic call from Emily Richardson asking him to drive out to the Mountain View B and B because she’s about to be arrested for first degree murder. Now she’s on her way to jail and has only one request, for Wade to phone her granddaughter, Sophie and ask her to come home. Wade realizes he has to do it but knows having her back in town means nothing but trouble for his heart. Sophie can’t believe Wade’s calling her after all these years. Going home is a must but things would be a whole lot easier if Wade wasn’t back in Greenville. Together can these childhood sweethearts clear Emily’s name while rediscovering their love for one another?

Lynne Connolly DIAMONDS OF ICE

Ellora's Cave

ebook

15th May 2012

US $6.99

When a beautiful, damaged Sorcerer in danger drops into your path - what's a

vampire to do?

Margaret Mounsdon WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Linford Romance Library

1 May 2012

£8.99

Private enquiry agent Sophie Blaze meets her match when handsome widower Jack West takes her for an investigative journalist intent on getting a story.

margaretsromanceworld.blogspot.com

www.margaretmounsdon.co.uk

Isabelle Goddard  SOCIETY’S MOST SCANDALOUS RAKE

Mills & Boon

Ebook          1 May 2012         £3.99

Paperback  4 May  2012        £4.99

Hardback    4 May  2012       £13.99

 Domino de Silva – young, beautiful and innocent - charms everyone she meets but beneath her sparkling smile, she is nursing a broken heart.  Or thinks she is.  Then a summer spent in Brighton offers her delectable temptation in the form of Mr Joshua Marchmain, reputed to be society’s most notorious rebel.  Joshua is amusing, intelligent and wickedly handsome and his dangerous allure can disgrace even the purest of ladies.  An overwhelming force draws Joshua and Domino together – but there are those in society who would stop at nothing to keep them apart…

www.isabellegoddard.com  

Kate Jackson  TALKING OF DINOSAURS

People's Friend

28th April 2012

95p

Emma's young son won't talk. How can she break him out of his world of silence?

http://katejacksonswriting.blogspot.co.uk/  

Sophie Pembroke ROOM FOR LOVE

Lyrcal Press

$4.99

May 7, 2012

Room for Love, is the story of Carrie Archer, who inherits the crumbling Avalon Inn where she spent her childhood holidays. Except Carrie’s been left more than just the Inn–she’s also inherited its occupants, including three senior citizens, a single father chef with childcare issues, a panicky receptionist, and one very gorgeous gardener. Before long, Carrie finds herself juggling decorating with dance nights, budgeting with bridge games…and sabotage with seduction.

www.SophiePembroke.com

https://twitter.com/#!/Sophie_Pembroke

Margaret Mounsdon LOVE TRIUMPHANT

People's Friend Pocket novel

17 May 2012

Steve Baxter disappears while Lizzie Hilton is refurbishing his property and his brother Todd thinks she is involved as well as having designs on the family fortune Steve will inherit on marriage.

margaretsromanceworld.blogspot.com

www.margaretmounsdon.co.uk

Jen Black RELUCTANCE

MuseItUp

ebook

6 April 2012

US$5.95 (appx £3.75)

Marriage might be the safest place to hide if you’re afraid of love. But Frances might be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire…

http://jenblackauthor.blogspot.com

Interview with Tanith Davenport

A warm welcome to Tanith Davenport, whose debut novel, "The Hand He Dealt", has been shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon New Writers' Award. Many congratulations on your short listing, Tanith, please tell us about your journey as a writer, how you started, and the excitement of getting that first call.

I had been working on my first novel for three years when it was accepted, including the rewrite suggested during the New Writers’ Scheme. Before then I had written various novel-length pieces but never with any intention of getting them published, which is just as well as they weren’t very good!

My husband and I were on our way out for dinner when the email from Total-e-Bound popped up on my phone. I had always thought I would run around screaming if I ever got published, but instead I spent the evening wearing a ludicrous grin and celebrating with champagne cocktails.

Where do you find inspiration for your ideas and characters?

All kinds of places, but I admit that dreams are responsible for a lot of them. I tend to dream very vividly, which gives me the advantage of having effectively lived through whole sections of storyline. Anything that makes a vague kind of sense gets written down and used later.

Do you have a yearning to write some other type of novel, and if so, what genre would it be?

The advantage of writing romance is that you can cover a lot of genres, so if I feel the urge to write paranormal fiction I can call it “paranormal romance” and it will still fit. However, I would love to try literary fiction one day.

If you were fortunate enough to win the Hessayon Award who would you wish to thank?

A lot of people! Most specifically, I would like to thank my NWS reader, whose guidance led to the rewrite which ultimately led to my contract (I know who it was, although I don’t know if I’m allowed to give her name). I would also thank my fiction writing tutor, Valerie Loh, who first directed me to the RNA; Debi Alper, who was my book doctor at a publishing workshop I attended before submitting my novel to publishers; and let’s not forget my husband Mark, who has had to put up with such inane queries as “What would happen if you squeezed a full can of beer?” and “How would a ghost come out of a bathroom mirror?”

Can you tell us about your work in progress and how you got the idea for it?

I have just had accepted a paranormal erotic romance which is the first in a series about a team of paranormal investigators. It began when, after watching shows such as Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters, I decided to go on a paranormal investigation myself to see how they worked. It wasn’t the most exciting experience of my life – we didn’t get much more than a few bumps and bangs – but it served as great writing material, and I am now working on the second story in the series.

Does your dog or cat help with the writing?

If I’m having trouble with a scene, I’ll go and sit on the sofa and my cat Tigger will join me – it’s amazing how therapeutic petting a purring cat can be for a brain crash.

What was your most embarrassing moment at an RNA event?

I was so badly sunburned at the RNA conference in 2010 that I looked like a Belisha beacon.

Which is your all time favourite book?

It varies, but right now it’s “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith.

What would represent a romantic gesture to you?

Offering a massage, or to buy me dinner. I’m not one for flowers and chocolates.

Do you have any little phobias, superstitions or habits connected with your writing?

I can’t write in a dressing gown, which means that even on weekends when I don’t have to leave the house I still have to get dressed before I can write.

Thank you for talking to us Tanith. We wish you continued success with your writing and good luck with the Joan Hessayon Award.

To find out more about Tanith and her work visit her website here: http://www.tanithdavenport.blogspot.com/

Interview with Scarlett Wilson

Today we meet Scarlet Wilson, who is a contender for the 2012 Joan Hessayon Award. Many congratulations on your shortlisting, with your debut novel, "It Started with a Pregnancy", Scarlet.

Please tell us about your journey as a writer, how you started, and the excitement of getting that first call.

I started getting serious about writing around three years ago.  I heard about the New Writers Scheme via the blogs of Kate Hardy and Kate Walker and signed up as soon as the 1^st January came round.  I went through the New Writers Scheme twice and got some really positive feedback (even though my first attempt was rubbish!)  I won an online pitch for medical romance on eharlequin, then was lucky enough to meet the editor I was working with at the RNA conference in London.  I got the Call on 21 January last year.

Can you tell us something of your work in progress and how you got the idea for it?

My second and third books were inspired by seeing Michelle Obama on the news and realizing that for the first time in fifty years we had the potential for a white house baby.  My mind started asking a lot of What if? questions at that point.  My fourth book is a Christmas story and my fifth is set on a cruise ship.  Medicals are a lot of fun!

Can you share with us the craft tip that has helped you the most?

Once I’ve finished my book I set up a table that summarises each scene in a sentence.   I find this helps when I get revisions as I can move things around easier and see the impact that any changes will have on the overall story.

Do you have a yearning to write some other type of novel, and if so, what genre would it be?

Yes and no.  I’d like to write a historical medical – probably set in the Wild West.  But I’m not that sure there’s much call for those!

If you were fortunate enough to win the Hessayon Award who would you wish to thank?

I’d start by thanking the New Writers Scheme and all its readers.  I really feel for the person who read my first attempt at a manuscript and decided on the best way to try and give positive feedback.  She succeeded, but I’m working on the assumption it was a difficult job!

Who is your favourite hero?

It probably goes against being a writer but I’m quite a visual person when it comes to heroes.  I think my favourite is ingrained from my childhood and was Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I would be the girl in the class that had written LOVE YOU on her eyelids!

What was your most embarrassing moment at an RNA event?

I’ve been to two RNA conferences so far and been badly behaved at them both.  My fellow Mills and Boon authors are the worse culprits.  Anne Fraser led me astray at my first and India Grey, Natalie Rivers and Fiona Harper at my second.  There might have been a chocolate stealing incident at 1am at the second but my lips are sealed.

If you could reincarnate yourself as some other author, who would it be?

Enid Blyton every time. (Although I know she was supposed to be difficult in real life). I loved her books as a child and even though they seem terribly dated now I’m still envious of the woman who dreamed up the Faraway Tree.

How does chocolate help you in your writing?

Chocolate is a staple part of life. Being diabetic since childhood can make this tricky as I can’t sit down and eat a box of Milk Tray the way I’d like to.  However, after thirty-one years I’m an expert at tweaking insulin depending on what I’m eating and my level of activity, so a little bit often works fine for me.

What is most likely to stop you from writing?

Time and children.  I don’t have enough hours in the day.  I work full-time and my two young sons have activities every night of the week.  I’ve become quite an expert at capturing 1000 words every day in my half hour lunch break.  I always know what I’m sitting down to write and if I need to do research I’ve done it the night before.  It works well for me and keeps me on track.

West Wing to Maternity Wing!  - Out May 2012

The President's Baby Doctor

Famous neonatologist Lincoln Adams is looking after the President's newborn daughter when nurse Amy Carson arrives at the hospital, posing as his very pregnant wife!  Amy's had first-hand experience of Linc's skilful hands and he's the only person she trusts to look after her precious cargo, but trusting him with her fragile heart is another matter...

Thank you talking to us Scarlet, we wish you continuing success with your books. Good luck with the Joan Hessayon Award on May 17th.

To find out more about Scarlet and her work visit her website at  www.scarlet-wilson.com