Lynne Pardoe: Joan Hessayon Award Contender 2015

Today we welcome Lynne Pardoe to the blog. Lynne is another of our contenders for the Joan Hessayon Award 2015

Can you tell us when you first decided that you wished to become a romantic novelist? 

I’ve always loved reading, I started with pony novels and in my teens read just about anything I could get my hands on. I’d read a telephone directory of there was nothing else! In my early teens I discovered medical romance, Dr Kildare was popular and I used to love that. It was then that I forged my love of writing and medicine, but I knew that I had to work in medicine first and the writing would come later. In time I moved to social work, which really forged my writing career but more on that later.

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

I was a member of the NWS for about ten years on and off because I kept going back to work. I sent three different books to the NWS. It was the fourth I graduated with, I’m slowly publishing the others.

Which year’s book did you graduate with?

It was a book I’d written jointly with my mother in my ninth year that was first accepted, because I was working part time by now. The book was ‘Meant for Each Other’ which I jointly wrote with my mother.

 

How did you find your publisher?

My publisher was D.C.Thomson, whose work I’d read since I was a child. My mother was ill and we made up a story. I wrote and submitted it   and they accepted it. I was delighted, as is my mum who says she never thought to get to 86 and have a book published!

How do you promote your novel?

Since then I’ve built my own website for publicity and am going to add an email list to it. I will do a lot more promotion via foster carers groups etc. which I will do when I have more published.

What has happened to you as an author since that first sale?

I’ve discovered books by foster carers Casey Watson and Cathy Glass. I realised I want to write similar fiction about social work. I have one complete already and published through Amazon and another almost. They show that just about all people have a good heart. Mine are not that different to ‘Call the Midwife’ or a medical romance, they all have a happy ending.

 

How did you celebrate that first book sale?

I took a photo of the cover, framed it for mum and hung it on her wall! She loves it. Otherwise we celebrated with a cup of tea! But once I’ve written a few more, I want to take the family out to lunch to really celebrate.

About Lynne:

Writing isn’t all I do. I love old buildings and run a history group. I love the countryside and animals and we have dogs. My husband and I are really homely people so we spend a lot of time at home. But for now it’s caring for people I really want to write about. It’s a bit corny to say, but social work is an amazing job, you get to be with people at some of the most challenging times of their lives and it is really rewarding. If I can change the negative image social work has just a bit, then I’ll be delighted.

Links:

Amazon

Website