Joan Hessayon Award contenders 2017: Lynda Stacey

 We are thrilled to again be hosting the contenders for the 2017 Joan Hessayon Award. Leading up to the Summer Party and announcement of the award we will be getting to know all eleven authors.

Welcome to the RNS blog, Lynda, and congratulations on being one of the contenders for this year’s award. 

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

I’ve been writing all my life. When I was 14, my English teacher advised me to go into a writing

career, but after visiting the career’s advice officer he told me that I’d be better off trying to get a job in Boots on the makeup counter. And although I loved writing, I did just that. I left school and went to work in shops, I trained in nursing and eventually I ended up back in sales. Throughout all that time, I kept writing. I had one or two articles published in magazines, but then in 2015 I entered the Choc Lit search for a star competition, with this novel. I won the competition and my novel, House of Secrets was published in July 2016.

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

I was a member of the NWS for two years. And yes, I did submit House of Secrets to them.

What came first, agent or publisher?

To be honest, both. Almost at the same time Choc Lit offered to publish me and an agent offered to represent me. I made the decision at that time not to sign with an agent and to take the offer of a contract with Choc Lit.

How did you find your publisher?

I’d always known of Choc Lit and to be honest, I’d always aspired to be a part of their team after meeting the lovely, Lyn Vernham at the Festival of Romance. We were sat on the same table, she was lovely and I met her on a 1-1 the following year at the RNA conference.

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

I have contracts in place for two more books. Tell me no Secrets, which was released on 11^th April 2017 and for Twisted Secrets which is due out early in 2018. I may also have the offer of a contract in principal for a sequel to House of Secrets. But, that is still unconfirmed.

When was your book published?

In July 2016.

Tell us something about your book

My book came to life for me after visiting Wrea Head Hall, a country house hotel in Scarborough. The history seeped out of the walls and I just knew it had a tale to tell. I got to know the owners, asked their permission to use it as a backdrop and House of Secrets was born. Of course, for research purposes I go back and stay the night whenever I get the opportunity. It’d be rude not to… wouldn’t it??

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a sequel to House of Secrets. It’s been requested by readers so many times and although I’d not intended to write a sequel, I’m really enjoying doing it.

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

Keep writing, don’t stop and take the NWS advice. The authors who offer this service are amazing, they have a wealth of knowledge, so take it while you can. I loved being a part of this scheme and will always be grateful to the ladies who offered me advice.

Links:

Facebook

Website

Twitter: @Lyndastacey

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

Lynda Stacey: Thank you reader!

Welcome to Lynda Stacey who writes her thoughts on book reviews.

Even though I’d written ‘privately’ for years, as a debut author I was both excited and full of dread at the thought of getting reviews. Every thought went through my mind, including: It’s real, people are

actually going to read my book. They’re going to judge it. What’s more, they’re going to publically say whether they liked it or not. But, what if it’s rubbish? What if no-one likes it? What if I make a fool of myself?

Apparently, all of these thoughts are normal. Are they?

I can honestly say that on 19^th July 2016, my launch day, I held my breath. I knew the book had been read by reviewers through Netgalley and I waited, clicked the amazon link a hundred times and gasped as the first reviews dropped in.

Then I read the words:

I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I shouted - all out loud - which, to me, is the sign of a brilliant book. When I become so immersed that I lose the real world completely. And that is what this book did. Anne's Book Corner.

I have to admit, every emotion went through my mind and eventually, I sat and I cried. The excitement of finally becoming a ‘real’ author began and I could begin to enjoy the experience. Every review gave me a further boost. Every kind word gave me the encouragement to carry on and I can honestly say that it’s the reviews that encourages me to write more great books.

With the good, comes the bad. I fully appreciate that not everyone will like what I write and one day I know I’ll get that dreaded 1-star review. But till then, I’m taking great pleasure in getting so many lovely 4 and 5-star reviews and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to leave them.

So…. Do reviews really matter?

YES…. they mean absolutely everything. They give much needed feedback, encouragement and they give the author the determination to carry on and to write their next book, the best they can.

The reviews also give the author the confidence to promote with confidence. There’s nothing like a good review to get an author to shout about their success.

How to get more reviews?

This is where you have to turn into a salesman.

Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews, you’re selling your book. What’s more, people expect you to ask. Just do it nicely, but don’t over-insist. If they don’t do it after the 2^nd time you ask, don’t push them anymore.

Put both Facebook and Twitter messages out on a regular basis (once/twice a month saying that ‘reviews are really appreciated’ or ‘thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed my novel this month’. People like to be appreciated, so this encourages those who didn’t review yet, to get on and do it.

Add a picture, there are loads on GOOGLE IMAGES that say… please review, or thank you for your review.

Also, thank people for retweeting your adverts on twitter. Again, do them often. It gains momentum and interest. I always say thank you and attach a picture of book with a buying link. Then, if they’ve retweeted, you’ve been polite. But also, you got another advert out and a reminder that if they haven’t yet… they should buy the book.

Theoretically, the more books you sell… the more reviews you should get.

Personally, I never have a problem asking for reviews. If I know that someone is reading the book, or if a reader sends me a private message, saying that they’ve read ‘House of Secrets’. I message them back and ask them to review. I tell the truth, that my novel is floating in and out of the top 100 of Romantic Suspense and that I’d love to keep it there… and that their review would help me..!!

It’s all about getting the readers to believe that THEY ARE HELPING YOU…!! And they are..!!

And once they have done you a review, go back and thank them for their time. Readers would remember this and when your next book comes out, they’re more likely to buy it than the book of an author who didn’t correspond.

But, it’s not just about what I think… here are the thoughts of two other authors.

Rachel Louise Dove, winner of the Mills and Boon Prima award:

Reviews for any author are important. In today’s age, we all look at reviews as an indication to whether to buy a product, and books are no different.

Being a debut author, reviews to my book were crucial, much appreciated and both feared and gratefully received! If you enjoy a book, taking two minutes to say so in a review helps an author make a living, improve future books and gives them a nice boost too!

Link to Rachel Louise Dove’s  novel.

Lizzie Lamb, Indie author:

As an indie author, reviews are really important because they help build my readership and draw readers to my Amazon Author Page where all of my books are displayed. New readers often comment that they read the reviews BEFORE downloading the book.

Link to Lizzie Lambs novels.

About Lynda Stacey:

Lynda, is a wife, step-mother and grandmother, she grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire. Her own life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.

Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.

She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her husband, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.

Links:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter @Lyndastacey

Website

Book Blurb:

A woman on the run, a broken man and a house with a shocking secret …

Madeleine Frost has to get away. Her partner Liam has become increasingly controlling to the point that Maddie fears for her safety, and that of her young daughter Poppy.

Desperation leads Maddie to the hotel owned by her estranged father – the extraordinarily beautiful Wrea Head Hall in Yorkshire. There, she meets Christopher ‘Bandit’ Lawless, an ex-marine and the gamekeeper of the hall, whose brusque manner conceals a painful past.

After discovering a diary belonging to a previous owner, Maddie and Bandit find themselves immersed in the history of the old house, uncovering its secrets, scandals, tragedies – and, all the while, becoming closer.

But Liam still won’t let go, he wants Maddie back, and when Liam wants something he gets it, no matter who he hurts …

Winner of Choc Lit 2015 Search for a Star competition.

Thank you for your useful article, Lynda.

What are your thoughts on book reviews? Please leave a comment below.

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

COMPETITION MONTHLY

It’s time again for the Competition Monthly with Francesca Burgess

With the deadline for the Choc Lit 2016 Search for a Star Competition only a couple of months away, this month I'm interviewing author Lynda Stacey, winner of last year's competition with her novel, Keeper of the House.

Lynda's ambition to be an author dates back to when she was fourteen. Her English teacher advised her to go into journalism or writing. However, having left school in 1984 during the miners' strike, she had to find work, and her dreams of writing a book took a back seat.

Hello Lynda. What inspired you to enter the Choc Lit Search for a Star competition? Was there any doubt in your mind about it?

Thank you so much for inviting me onto the blog. I’d always been a big fan of Choc Lit and in 2014 I got the opportunity to have a 1:1 with Lyn Vernham at the RNA Conference. The meeting went well and Lyn asked me to submit a full manuscript for the first book I’d written, Broken Jigsaw. Choc Lit were encouraging and more than supportive, however the novel didn’t get through the panel process that Choc Lit use. I was disappointed, but I had no doubt that it was Choc Lit that I wanted to be published with. So, I wrote a new novel, called Keeper of the House and decided to submit it into the Choc Lit Search for a Star competition.

What did you have to submit for the competition, and what did you find the hardest?

I first had to fill in the application form, found on the Choc Lit Website. Once completed, you wait for Choc Lit to contact you and ask for the manuscript. I then emailed it and waited. I always find waiting the most difficult. I’m a Sales Director for a stationery and office supplies company and often have to make decisions within ten minutes, so waiting months for publishers to get back to me is painful.

Was Keeper of the House the first novel you'd written? How long did it take you?

Keeper of the House is the second novel I’ve written and if I’m honest, I’d probably say it takes me around a year. I work full time and have a family.

Had your novel been in any other competitions or considered by other publishers?

Yes. The book was considered by a couple of other publishers. However, Choc Lit would have always been my first choice. They’re a real family, very supportive.

How did you hear about your win?

I heard about my shortlisting initially via a skype call with Lyn Vernham. She then sent me an email on the day of the announcement.

What tips would you give to those entering novel competitions?

Get a professional critique of your work. Jane Lovering did mine and I must say, she was amazing and very reasonable.

Tell us something about the book

Keeper of the House is a parallel time frame story and has been described as Fatal Attraction meets Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Thank you for taking the time out to speak to us, Lynda.

Keeper of the House will be published by Choc Lit around April or May.

The deadline for this year's Choc Lit Search for a Star Competition is 31^st March and can be found here

Good luck, everyone who enters!

Francesca

Other competitions coming up:

The Colm Tóibín International Short Story Award

Theme: Open, 1,800 – 2,000 words

Prize: 1^st €1,000, 2^nd €500, 3^rd €350

Competition Deadline: 1^st April 2016

Entry: €10

Details

The 2016 Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award

Theme: Open, but only humorous ones considered for T. Ashley Award. Up to 10,000 words.

Prize: 1^st £500, 2^nd £150, 3^rd £100, Prize for Devon writer £100

Competition Deadline: 30 April 2016

Entry: £10

Details

About Francesca:

Francesca Burgess has been placed or shortlisted in a number of competitions including Twyford Writers, Winchester Writers' Conference, Chorley and District Writers' Circle, Flash a Famous Phrase, Meridian Writing, People's Friend and those run by Writers' News and Writing Magazine. She's had stories published in magazines worldwide and in three anthologies, including Diamonds and Pearls. She's been a member of the RNA New Writers' Scheme for five years.

Thank you, Francesca!

Don’t forget to let us know about your competition successes plus any comps you are organising.

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

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

In Praise of the North

Jane Lovering joins us today to tell us about the planned RNA Northern Tea Party. 

I sometimes get asked why a good southern girl like me writes books based in Yorkshire. And I have to answer that it’s because I live here and can do research without having to do anything more strenuous than look out of the windows. I’m practically naturalised now, although I still say ‘scone’ to rhyme with ‘stone’ and pronounce bath as ‘barth’. I’m also used to the patchy mobile reception up in the moors, half-day closings, and shops that sell everything from five barred gates to washing powder under the same roof. My books are marketed as the ‘Yorkshire Romances’ series, despite having nothing linking them but the fact that they’re set in Yorkshire. My latest book How I Wonder What You Are is actually set on the North York Moors, where I based the heroine’s exploits riding her horse across the moorland on my own experiences. Apart from the ‘finding a naked man’ part. I haven’t done that yet, but live in hope.

So, when it was mooted that there should be an RNA Northern party, to give those of us who can’t make the London-based parties a chance to wear posh frocks and nice shoes, and Lynda Stacey offered to organise it and asked me to help, I jumped at the chance. After all, even we adopted Northerners sometimes like to get out of our wellington boots and into something slinky. We decided to go for something a little different to the London parties, and, once I’d been sat on to prevent me from suggesting completely impossible things (I was going to suggest either an RNA Rodeo or Burlesque lessons) we agreed on an Afternoon Tea.  So we’ve duly booked the 15^th century York Guildhall for the day on Saturday, 5th September in the centre of the beautiful city of York. We’ve ordered good weather to enhance the view over the river, and enough sandwiches and cake to provide refreshment for an entire host of romantic novelists. 

Even better, we have Milly Johnson coming to give a talk, entitled ‘the RSPB Guide to Northern Birds’. As a prime example of Northern Birdhood herself, her talk will be educational and hysterical and accompanied by cream scones and tea, so it’s a winner all round, I think you’ll agree.  We’re hoping for a good turnout of both frocks and shoes, there will be sandwiches, cakes, quiches and scones and unlimited tea and coffee, and both Lynda and I are looking forward to seeing an influx of Romantic Novelists converging on York.

I still think a rodeo would have been a good idea, though…

For tickets contact Jane at janelovering@gmail.com

Thank you, Jane. Our tickets are booked and we can’t wait to join you.

The RNA blog is brought to you by 

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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