Joan Hessayon Contenders 2017: Abbey MacMunn

Welcome to, Abbey MacMunn, our third contender for the 2017 Joan Hessayon Award. Congratulations on being one of the contenders for this year’s award, Abbey.

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

I didn’t start writing until five years ago, but I’d always had story ideas and characters buzzin

g around my head. It wasn’t until my four kids were all at school that I found myself with some free time, so I began to write those stories down, thinking they would finally be quiet! The opposite happened; more intriguing characters demanded their own stories and I haven’t stopped writing since.

Yes, Touched is the first book I had published.

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

I was a member of the wonderful New Writers’ Scheme for one year and submitted Touched, which was entitled Her Hybrid Curse at the time. After I’d made the changes the reader suggested, I started submitting the same year. I joined the NWS again the following year, before I received an offer from Tirgearr Publishing, and was lucky enough to send a second manuscript.

What came first, agent or publisher?

I don’t have an agent, so publisher first, but I might be on the lookout for one!

How did you find your publisher?

I noticed there was a pitch party on Twitter. For those who don’t know, a pitch party is where you can tweet a short pitch of your novel to participating agents and publishers in the hope of attracting their attention. I thought it might be fun to give it a go, so I took part.

I’d done a lot of research beforehand and had a list of specific publishers I thought might be the right fit for my book. So, when an editor from Tirgearr Publishing (a publisher on my list) saw my Twitter pitch and liked it, she asked me to send the manuscript. I did, and three months later I received a publishing contract.

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

I have just signed a second contract with Tirgearr for an erotic romance novella, part of their City Nights series—a sideline from my usual genre. One Night in Kuala Lumpur is due for publication this summer.

When was your book published?

My debut fantasy romance was published July 2016.

Tell us something about your book  

When inquisitive antique dealer Cami Wilson learns she’s the revered offspring of an immortal mother and a mortal father, it’s not just her hybrid status that has her all flustered. The title comes with her very own super-sexy guardian.

Jaded immortal Joseph Carlisle has only one thing on his mind; his sworn duty to protect the hybrid from those who wish her harm. Anything else would be complicated. That is until they meet. Chemistry sizzles between them but there’s a problem—the hybrid's curse. Cami’s touch, skin to skin, proves near fatal to her and all immortals, Joseph included.

What are you working on at present?

I’m working on the sequel to Touched and the finishing the final edits on a sci fi romance – the second manuscript I sent to the NWS.

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

Don’t be afraid to send your work to the NWS, no matter how much you think it’s not ready. You might feel reassured or inspired when you get your report back, you might even cry, but their advice and encouragement is second to none—you will learn from it and you will become an even better writer than you already are.

Links:

Facebook

Website

 Twitter @abbeymacmunn

Thank you, Abbey. Congratulations again on graduating the New Writers’ Scheme. I hope you enjoy the Summer Party.

Festivals & Workshops: The Bath Festival

This month Elaine Roberts takes us on a trip to the wonderful Bath Festival. She chats to Head of Programming, Judith Robinson, about the event.

Welcome to the RNA blog, Judith. Can you tell us something about the festival, how it came about and how long its been running?

Bath Festivals has a long history, with the music festival starting as early as 1948, later joined by a

Ann Patchett - Photo credit Heidi Ross (Bath)

literature and a children’s literature festival. This year sees the launch of a new flagship festival for Bath  - The Bath Festival, a more visible arts festival building on Bath’s heritage of successful music and literature festivals. The festival will have an accessible and vibrant programme that embraces the wider performing arts.  Leading thinkers, writers and musicians will perform with the most gifted new talent emerging on the global stage. The festival will also provide a platform for the year round extensive learning & participation programme that Bath Festivals run for over 6,000 young people, many with few opportunities to engage with the arts

Bath Festivals will now present two large festivals, The Bath Festival in May and the Bath Children’s Literature Festival in the autumn. They will both offer an increased number of world-class events, feature rising talent and engage a broader range of people.

Who are your main speakers for 2017?

This year, we are welcoming a range of fascinating speakers and world-famous artists to Bath, from Sir Salman Rushdie to Ann Patchett, Mary Berry to MP Jess Phillips, acclaimed musician Madeleine Peyroux and the iconic Georgie Fame accompanied by the Guy Barker Big Band, as well as the Philharmonia with conductor Herbert Blomstedt. You can check out the full programme here

As our blog is for writers can you tell me how your festival would benefit our members?

We host a range of creative writing workshops as part of The Bath Festival’s programme which are aimed at aspiring writers, covering genres such as YA and performance poetry, as well as crime-writing. We are also hosting a masterclass on how to successfully submit a manuscript. There are lots of opportunities to hear inspirational writers talk about their work and their journey to becoming published authors.

How about staying over for the whole event. Where can people stay?

Bath is home to a range of beautiful hotels and B&Bs. A selection of them is listed in our brochure or you can check out available accommodation on visitbath.co.uk.

What does it cost to attend?

Ticket prices start at £5 – we also have special offers available for a range of events. All details can be found in our festival brochure.

Do workshops/talks fill up quickly?

Some events have already sold out since we went on general sale in February, so I would recommend booking sooner rather than later.

How much time does it take to organise the festival?

We don’t really take a break from programming so even when we are confirming artists for one year, we are already talking about the following year.

Dates for 2017 and possibly 2018.

The festival starts on 19 to 28 May, starting with Party in the City on 19th May, an almighty celebration of free entertainment. The streets, parks and venues in Bath will be filled with a multitude of arts from electro-swing, to cheerleading, to Chinese shadow puppetry.  There will be Samba dancing and drumming, DJ booths and a festival hub on Alfred Street for a family-friendly extravaganza.  Over 100 school children will bring the Abbey to life with song, stories and visual arts.  After dark, Queen Square will be alive with music, local food and drink.

Dates for 2018 will be announced later this year.

Website: www.thebathfestival.org.uk

Email: info@bathfestivals.org.uk

About Elaine Roberts:

Elaine is a member of the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme and the SWWJ and is currently working on a family saga. She has sold short stories worldwide and enjoys attending RNA events such as the London chapter and our annual conference. Elaine is a great fan of writing retreats either week long by the sea with friends or one-day retreats with fellow writers in her hometown of Dartford. Elaine runs a writing blog along with writer, Francesca Capaldi Burgess called WriteMindWritePlace.

Thank you Elaine and Judith. 

Members, please tell us about your experiences of literary festivals. We love to hear from you.

Joan Hessayon Contenders 2017; Arabella Sheen

Today we welcome the second of the contenders for the Joan Hessayon award.

Welcome to the RNA blog, Arabella, and many congratulations on being one of the contenders for this year’s award.

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

First came the reading and then, in my head and in my heart, I’ve been plotting and writing

contemporary romance since secondary school. The moment I realised I was compelled to read entire sections of romantic fiction in the school’s library, I knew I was hooked on the genre. From reading about heroine's and hero’s I wanted to write about them. It’s taken a long time to achieve that goal; travel, work and everyday life got in the way, but finally the words are being written.

Castell’s Passion is the first novel I’ve published with a traditional publisher, and it’s been an amazing experience. The feedback and professional comments my lovely editor, Pamela Tyner of Beachwalk Press hurled back at me, has, in my humble opinion, not only made Castell’s Passion shine, it has also had a constructive effect on the way I now plot and write.

With two other contemporary novels―Temporary Bride and Blinded by Desire―under my belt, I hope to keep on going and publish lots more in the not too distant future.      

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

I was a member of the RNA-New Writers’ Scheme for two years and submitted a novel in each of those years.

Castell’s Passion was my first submission to the NWS. And when the call came from the organiser for a completed manuscript, I eagerly printed off a hard copy, placed it into a bubble-squeak envelope and posted my inexperienced scribbles to the RNA for assessment. The wait was nail biting but it was worth it. The critique I received from the reader was encouraging and for me that was all I needed. Someone had confidence in my “newbie” writing and it gave me the boost I needed to continue.

After a couple of chapter tweaks and a subplot or two added here and there, Castell’s Passion was proofread and the long and challenging process of submitting to publishers began.

There were long delays before any replies to my manuscript queries arrived, but in the meantime I kept writing and preparing my second novel for the NWS annual submission.

What came first, agent or publisher?

Having written Marc and Kate’s story, I realised a publisher was needed but the idea of seeking agent representation for Castell’s Passion hadn’t yet enter my head. I was still under the impression that only “proper” authors and artists had agents.

Educated in the error of my ways, my latest manuscript is searching for a home and is being emailed to literary agents in the hope of finding representation. However, I’ve been forewarned―a contract with an agent is a rare and valued commodity…and it is seldom given.

One can always hope.

If you do have an agent who is it that represents you?

The answer to this question is―no agent, as yet.

That’s two things to include on my shopping list…the ever illusive publicity manager and the perfect literary agent. Or perhaps they are one and the same.

How did you find your publisher?

I have some supportive author friends on my Twitter and Facebook pages. We message one another quite regularly and when they discovered my manuscript had been completed and I was searching for a great publisher, a few publishing houses were suggested and Beachwalk Press was among them.

I’ve found Beachwalk Press to be a perfect fit for the sensual style of contemporary romance I write and with an ever growing list of readers, I’m happy.

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

Castell’s Passion is a standalone single title. However, my publisher handles sequels…so watch this space.

When was your book published?

After an amazing teamwork effort of editing, proofreading and cover image selection, the book went live in August, 2016.

Tell us something about your book 

When writing Castell’s Passion it was as if the book had a life of its own. It evolved, spilling onto the page as I wrote. Marc and Kate relationship deepened as they travelled together from London to Paris, and then on to Cannes. And after an explosive parting, they met again on the exotic Îles d'Hyères in the south of France and they realised their love and passion for one another was long lasting. It couldn’t be denied.

I love the way Marc respects Kate’s emotional needs above his own desires. And the HEA ending…well, even I got a bit teary-eyed.

What are you currently working on?

At the moment I’m working on a sensual contemporary romance and I’ve more or less reached the halfway mark. It’s a billionaire romance set in the UK. A power struggle is going on between the hero and heroine; and not wishing to reveal too much about their sophisticated lifestyle or their aspirations and inner conflicts, they both have goals and ambitions to achieve―but this could all change at the drop of a hat.

I’ve been known to cancel a wedding, kill off the mother-in-law and delete two chapters, just because the story unexpectedly headed off at a tangent.

So the WIP is just what it is…a work-in-progress.

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

Join a local RNA Chapter group. The support and writing tips that are aired and shared during these meetings are invaluable.

I love my BathWiltsRNA Chapter ladies (guy’s welcome), and it was through this group that I discovered the existence of the RNA-New Writers’ Scheme

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @ArabellaSheen

Thank you, Arabella. Congratulations again on graduating the New Writers’ Scheme and I hope you enjoy the Summer Party.