Welcome to author, Mollie Blake who has
popped along today to tell us about her route to publication.
Firstly I would like
to thank Elaine and her colleagues at the RNA for giving me the opportunity to
be a part of this blog.
From finance
director to mostly full time mum to published author of erotic romantic
thrillers –
where to begin? I’ll begin with
an ending. Ending a career in finance to become a very part-time pension
trustee and a nearly full time mum was like a dream come true. But unlike the
dream of being a mum, in which I still delight —at least most of the time—the
dream of staying at home surrounded by housework and the odd bit of PTA and church
volunteering didn’t last.
What to do with
the next part of my life became a constant question. With more “me time” than I
had ever had, as our child settled into primary school, I started to read
fiction as opposed to technical accounting and legal publications. I read Fifty Shades, and yes, I did enjoy most
of the story. I went on to read a lot of other erotic fiction together with
Russian classics, comedies and thrillers.
By now I was reluctantly
approaching fifty and needed a distraction. Instead of just reading a book I
decided to try to write one. Having no idea
where to start—I was a numbers girl, remember—I Googled “How to write a book”
and came across an American blogger, whose overall message was “Just start.” So
I did. Thinking about
the books I enjoyed, there was a mix of romance, thriller and sexy scenes. I
attempted to combine these and wrote my first romantic erotic thriller. To begin
with friends and family were shocked by the explicit sex scenes, and to this
day one of my sisters cannot read my books. But then, and I’m not sure if this
is a compliment or not, they were surprised by the fact that I could actually write
a good story! Their encouragement and my own indulgent pleasure in writing
urged me to carry on. Two years and
two books later I sent my manuscript for The
Secret At Arnford Hall to Black Opal Books, an American small boutique
publisher. I can’t tell you the number of butterflies in my stomach when I got
an email to say they loved my story and my writing style.
However, the
offer of a contract came with a caveat. I had to make two changes. My original
version of The Secret At Arnford Hall was apparently too much for the sellers
in the States to take on. Although I don’t agree with every change an editor
wants to make to my manuscript, I did agree to amend my story. I know I made
the right decision and after great editing by Faith at Black Opal Books I have
a better story. All five books
are now under contract with the publisher and I am working on my sixth. I am delighted
to be a full member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the International
Thriller Writers’ group. I never forget
that my priority, the reason I left work, is my son, with my husband a close
second. For that reason I love the flexibility that being an author with
Black Opal Books provides.
About Mollie:
Living in the heart of Cheshire, Mollie
is a regular mum of one son and wife of one husband. Her stories are filled
with provocative romance and laced with suspense. Guilty of a love of reading,
swimming, fast cars, Prosecco and chocolate, she warned her husband – she
kisses better than she cooks.
Book Blurb:
The Secret At Arnford Hall – A Cheshire Love Story
Gabriel Black didn’t give a damn about
the world. Until, that is, his seven-year-old son enters his life for the first
time. The young boy brings daylight into the darkness of Gabriel’s world. But a
single parent needs a distraction. And this single parent has no limits when it
comes to getting what he wants…
Grace McGuire lives with a dark
secret—one that, if revealed, will destroy her new life. Then her world
collides with that of forceful Gabriel Black, a multi-millionaire with a secret
of his own—a secret Grace is determined to uncover, for her sanity and all she
holds dear.
Links:
Thank you, Mollie and good luck with your next book.
If you would like to write for the RNA blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
