Morton S Gray: My Path to Publication

It is always a thrill to hear about our members’ new books. To know that a book enabled an NWS member to graduate to full membership makes it extra special. Today we welcome Morton S Gray who shares the story of her journey to publication.

Like many writers, I’ve dreamed of publication for many years, but I still have to pinch myself to

remind me that my debut, The Girl on the Beach, will be launched into the world by Choc Lit on 24 January 2017.

A love of stories comes from my early years. My mother always read to me. We visited the library as a family on Saturdays. My nan read to me too, usually falling asleep at a good bit, and she watched films with me on those long ago Sunday afternoons. I loved Enid Blyton, wanted a big brother called Julian and longed to be whisked away by a dark hero on a tall ship with the sails billowing, after watching so many Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

In my early teens, I would hide away in the little attic room behind the chimney at home, writing poems and stories. I had a box of pictures and items that inspired my writing. I still have this fascinating time capsule that also contains the pages of my first novel. It was typed on an electronic typewriter on A5 pages and I gave it to a school friend to read aged fourteen. I taught myself to type to help with my father’s fledgling business. My nana and my dad are sadly not here to share my publication success.

Then … life happened. I didn’t write much apart from academic assignments, work reports and training materials for thirty years.

In 2006, I was recovering from two operations. Someone locally launched a short story competition to advertise their new publishing venture, I entered and unbelievably won. I was looking for a new direction, feeling a little lost at the time, so I enrolled on a creative writing course to see if I could write. My friend joined me in this adventure and we had great fun speed writing in cafes and sharing our work with laughter and coffee.

The academic course I studied introduced me to plays, flash fiction, short stories, poems and memoirs. I’ve always loved learning, but quickly realised this was taking me away from where I wanted to be - longer fiction and novels were calling me. I read, Sue Moorcroft’s Starting Over and found my genre.

Mills and Boon called for entries for a competition and after a day course on heroes and heroines with Iona Grey in Cheshire, I wrote my chapter and entered it. I didn’t get anywhere in this competition, but I met lots of other writers online, many of whom I’m still friends with and a fair proportion I’ve now met in real life.

Sue Johnson, whose weekly writing course I attended for many years, suggested I join the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme and I was lucky enough to gain one of the competitively sought after places in 2012. The yearly critiques have helped to mould my writing and proved invaluable. I have moved heaven and earth to make sure I submitted a manuscript each year.

Attendance at the RNA events is so helpful too. I relish the yearly conference and love chapter meetings. I’m a member of Birmingham Chapter and can still feel those butterflies when I arrived for my first meeting at the library steps in Birmingham and saw someone else looking anxious at the top. It turned out to be Janice Preston and it was her first meeting too. We’ve been friends ever since.

I entered a chapter and was shortlisted for the 2013 New Talent Award at the then Festival of Romance and again met writers whom I number amongst my friends – Bella Osborne, Lynda Stacey, Catherine Miller, Lucie Wheeler, Lizzie Lamb, Vanessa Savage, Kate Scolefield to name a few. We’ve done well, girls!

In 2014, I began to write the story that became The Girl on the Beach on the back of an envelope while my husband drove the car down the motorway. At one point, he asked if I was okay, as I was so quiet. In 2015, I sent this manuscript to the NWS and received my most encouraging report yet with suggestions for tweaking. Thank you to my reader. When the book was revised, I submitted it to Choc Lit’s Search for a Star competition and won!

I guess if I had to give advice to wannabes it would be learn the craft, write loads, enter competitions and submit your work to publishers. There is, I believe, no magic formula, just hard work and persistence.

The Girl on the Beach by Morton S. Gray:

Who is Harry Dixon?

When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.

For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …

But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.

About Morton:

Morton S. Gray lives with her husband, sons and Lily, the tiny dog, in Worcestershire, U.K.

She joined the RNA New Writers’ Scheme in 2012. Winner of Choc Lit Publishing’s Search for a Star 2016. Debut novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit 24 January 2017.

Links:

Blog: www.mortonsgray.com

Twitter: @MortonSGray

Facebook Page – Morton S. Gray Author

Purchasing link:

Thank you so much for sharing your writing journey with us Morton. Good luck with your book launch.

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

From Indie to Traditionally Pulished: Sheryl Browne's Learning to Love

Today on the RNA Blog we are delighted to welcome Sheryl Browne, whose book 'Learning to Love' was released on 14th June to great critical acclaim.

Learning to Love has had an interesting life previously indie published and now published by Choc Lit. Can you tell us a little bit about how that came about?

The book was recommended to Choc Lit by the WHSmith Travel Fiction Buyer, who loved it so much he took a quote from it. The quote in question is Andrea’s response when Doctor Adams, trying to reassure Andrea, suggests she can’t keep them safe twenty-four hours a day. Andrea’s reply to which is, ‘I can! It’s my job! It’s what parents are supposed to do. Make sure they’re safe, never scared or lonely or hurting.’ Needless to say, I am tremendously grateful and very relieved the book now has a safe home.

You deal with some difficult themes in Learning to Love (the loss of Jake’s mother for instance).  Can you tell us how you decided which themes to pursue in the book?

Bereavement in childhood is a subject I’m familiar with and I wrote a short around it, entitled The Memory Box, now published in a Birmingham City University Anthology. The characters, though, called to me and I knew I had to write their whole story. Learning to Love does look at some difficult themes. Fundamentally, though, it’s a story – poignant at times, but also uplifting – about trusting yourself and opening yourself up to the possibility of loving again, even though life might be complicated. With kind permission, I’d like to quote a snippet from a review, which sums it up perfectly: “It’s also about family as beautifully chaotic as they can be.” Thank you so much Reviewed the Book!

Which character in Learning to Love was the most fun to write and why?

Oh David, definitely. David’s euphoria and underlying heartbreak when he finally makes a connection with his son was my most enjoyable chapter. David knows his son’s anger towards him is justified. Writing aspects of his character that showed him to be a man worthy of forgiveness was a huge challenge, but hugely satisfying.

You write books in different genres (crime and contemporary romance). How do you plan your writing schedule to produce books in both genres?

The characters tend to dictate the writing. Most writers will agree their characters will have animated conversation at the most inconvenient of times. The voice that’s the most urgent tends to win the day. Once a book is well underway, I tend to stick with one story, often pausing to scribble notes in regard to any other story that might be calling.

When planning a new book, what comes first for you – the characters, the plot or the theme?

I usually start with a man (which is no bad place to start). The male lead tends to appear fully formed, his mannerisms, his appearance and, importantly, his conflicts, inner and outer. I already have a kernel of the story therefore, and an idea of the kind of woman who might challenge or be attracted to him (cue fireworks!).

I noticed on your Amazon author page you are a bit of an adrenaline junkie who enjoys skydiving and abseiling. What have you got planned next?

I’m a keen boater (in fact, I have an article appearing in July’s Waterways World Magazine). My next challenge is therefore getting my little narrowboat waterways-worthy. Trust me, blacking her bottom and signwriting in the rain is definitely a challenge.

Facebook or Twitter? Which is your preferred promotional tool?

I think Facebook, as it’s slightly more personal. However, the support I’ve had on Twitter, particularly from RNA members sharing #TuesNews and readers and book bloggers, has been amazing – and humbling. Can I just take this opportunity to say a huge thank you. I would have been lost without you.

What can we expect next from Sheryl Browne?

Currently, I have another book contracted with Choc Lit and four in the pipeline, one of which, my latest thriller Sins of the Fathers, has been passed by the wonderful Tasting Panel. I also have two more for submission and another contemporary romance underway, Ripples on the Water, a story about childhood sweethearts forced apart by ghosts past. There’s also a sequel to Sins of the Fathers itching to be told. I may faint!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us Sheryl. We wish you every success with the new book and wait with great anticipation for your other varied writing projects in the future.

Learning to Love

Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely places …

Living in a small village like Hibberton, it’s expected that your neighbours help you in a time of need. But when Andrea Kelly’s house burns down, taking all her earthly possessions with it, it’s the distant and aloof Doctor David Adams – the person she would least expect – who opens his door not just to her, but to her three kids and slightly dotty elderly mother as well.

Andrea needs all the help she can get, dealing with aftermath of the fire and the suspicious absence of her husband, Jonathan. But, as she gets to know David and his troubled son, Jake, she begins to realise that maybe they need her help as much as she needs theirs …

Previously released by the author. Revised, edited and republished by Choc Lit in June 2016.

About Sheryl:

Heartache, humour, love, loss & betrayal, Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy, heart-wrenching fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for the Best Romantic e-book Love Stories Award 2015, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing.

Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Amazon

If you wish to write for the blog or be interviewed please contact elaineeverest@aol.com

Jules Wake: Joan Hessayon Award Contender 2015

Today we welcome Jules Wake to the blog. Jules is another of the talented contenders for this year’s Joan Hessayon Award.

Congratulations on graduating the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. Can you tell us when you first decided that you wished to become a romantic novelist? 

I remember quite clearly the moment, age of 12, when I decided I would write a book one day. Of course one day didn’t materialise until I was in my thirties and I was given six months gardening leave.   It never occurred to me write anything but romance. Looking back now, what I wrote then was laughable … despite being an avid reader, I didn’t have a clue!  Luckily Melanie Hilton came to talk to the writers’ group I’d set up and told us about the NWS – that was the real turning point for my writing.

How many years were you a member of the NWS scheme and did you submit a different book each year? Which year’s book did you graduate with?

I was a member for six years, submitting five different books in that time.  Ironically the very first book I submitted, which got a second read, was the one that got published first.  Despite writing another four books, I never gave up on that one.  I rewrote it five years later to target a specific publisher, and having learnt so much more about writing, I was able to improve it further. 

How did you find your publisher?

Through being a member of the RNA and networking at the parties and going to the conference, I heard about Choc-Lit.  Having met a few of their authors on and off-line, I read their books and really liked the production values of the paperbacks they were producing at the time. 

Promotion is a big part of an author’s working life. How did you promote your novel?

I’d already built a bit of a profile on Twitter, so I used that but tried not to do the ‘buy my book’ thing.  I’m a big believer in a picture is worth a 1,000 words, so created a couple of Infograms and used those on social media.  I also did several blog interviews, again trying to approach each one with a different creative hook to make them stand out. 

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

I signed my publishing contract after I’d signed up for the NWS, so could still submit a manuscript.  This received the best review ever with my reader urging me to find an agent. To my great delight, Broo Doherty at the David Hedley Literary Agency took me on and she sold my book From Italy With Love to HarperImpulse. Having someone who is enthusiastic and supportive about your work has been such a revelation.

How did you celebrate your first book sale?

I phoned Donna Ashcroft, fellow NWS buddy, She has been with me every step of the publishing journey and her support has been unconditional. With every rejection, she has encouraged me to go on.  I think we probably shared a bottle of bubbly… but then we do that frequently!

About Jules:

Since the age of four when my Dad first taught me to read, I’ve been an avid reader and my idea of hell is being stuck somewhere without a book.  I studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia, sadly a time before creative writing was offered to undergraduates.  By day I’m a School Business Manager, champion shirker of housework, world class jelly-herder, mother to two amateur thespians, one of whom is also an aspiring rock star, and married to Nick, who keeps the family supplied with hair products and wine.   I earned my writing stripes in public relations writing incredible fiction about the merits of lipstick and organic bacon.

Links:

Amazon

Blog

                                                              

Thank you, Jules, and good luck with your writing career.

Sheryl Browne: It's Been Quite a Year!

We are delighted to welcome Sheryl Browne to the blog today.

Thank you so much for helping me to share the latest news in my up and down writing journey. After a trying year, which saw my partner diagnosed with prostate cancer (I mention this, because I ended up having to apologise all over the place for my constant state of befuddlement. I should also mention that his prognosis is extremely good after early diagnosis - and that he is now very positive, agreeing to share his progress with Prostate Cancer UK in hopes of encouraging other men to seek help early), I finally DO have some lovely news to share.

Having written seriously for fifteen years, mystified agents, and achieved several near misses, I am also super-pleased to announce that I have recently signed with Choc Lit for my upcoming novel, currently titled The Rest of My Life. This development is all the more special because Choc Lit read the book on recommendation of someone who restored my faith in my writing. Excitingly, the news was announced first in The Bookseller! Wow! Little me rubbing shoulders with Burt Reynolds and Julian Clary (form an orderly queue, guys). I owe this person a huge debt of gratitude for picking up my book, loving it, and being prepared to say so in the right ears.

As mentioned, I have been ‘at it’ for some time. Although I’ve been a little bit shy, I have been a member of the RNA for some years. I was originally a member of the New Writers’ Scheme, which offers invaluable advice on where your manuscript might be flagging (or shining!) and generally encourages and supports new writers. My manuscript was sadly flagging, something I was aware of. However, writing definitely being a journey in my mind, I listened and learned, redrafted and rested that manuscript, and I couldn’t be happier that that book, Warrant for Love, is finally published and currently “touring”.

I therefore also owe huge thanks to the NWS, an editor recommended to me by the RNA, and to Safkhet Publishing. I have six books published with Safkhet, who not only commissioned me to write my first book for them, having read and loved my writing, but opened an imprint for three further novels. Despite my determination, I was at a point then where I wondered whether continuing to pursue my dream was sheer self-indulgent, and rather exhausting, madness. Safkhet believed in me.  Bloggers, readers and reviewers believed in me, cheering me every step of the way. I really can’t say thank you enough to those wonderful people, who give of their time and work so hard for authors.

For me, being published with Choc Lit is a dream come true. The best part of that dream is that it allows me to do what helps me through, during good times and bad – and we ALL have the latter, the one thing that keeps me sane (though some would question that!). It gives me the impetus to keep writing. Maybe I would have kept going anyway. It is my passion (can you tell?). I do know, though, that having a support network counts for an awful lot. Published or self-published, there are some extremely talented authors out there. I’m proud to know many of them and share in their publishing journeys.

COMING SOON from Choc Lit

The Rest of My Life - Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together? 

Heartache, humour, love, loss & betrayal - and a little Ohhhh la la! Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy, poignant fiction. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for Innovation in Romantic Fiction, Sheryl has six books published with Safkhet Publishing and has now been signed with Award winning Choc Lit Publishing.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Buy | Buy US 

Thank you, Sheryl, and good luck with The Rest of My Life. 

The RNA blog is brought to you by Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to contribute during 2015 please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com