Laurie Johnson - Associate Editor, Mills & Boon

Today, in the latest of the series ‘Chatting with Publishers’, we are delighted to welcome Laurie Johnson to the blog.

Harper Collins is a huge organisation split into many component parts. Could you give our readers an insight into which imprints you are involved with and what is your particular role?

I’m an Associate Editor for the Mills & Boon Global Acquisition team within HarperCollins. We work with colleagues in London, Toronto and New York to acquire series editorial for global publication. In London, we work closely with the UK business, including HQ and Mills & Boon marketing teams to support wider UK publishing programmes. Within this role, I acquire and work with authors writing across all UK series: Mills & Boon Modern, Historical, Medical, Cherish and our brand new series, Dare launching in early 2018.

Because readers and writers are a nosey bunch, we’d love to have a pocket history of your career to date.

At university, I studied Creative Writing, which has put me in a good position to be an editor since we had to learn how to give—and take—constructive feedback on stories. I understand how brutal it can be, but appreciate that ultimately it’s a useful process. From there I became a magazine editor, I did this for four years before transitioning into commercial fiction publishing and finding my home at Mills & Boon. I’ve worked for Mills & Boon in the office and as a freelance editor for the last six years.

While this is a question that frequently comes up it would be helpful to know what advice you would give writers wanting to submit their manuscript to you.

Think about your characters. Mills & Boon romances are all about the characters. You could set your story anywhere within any situation, but the emotional journey your hero and heroine go on is what is key. Remember to dig deep into your characters, learn who they are, what their emotional conflicts are, what his/her motivation is, what’s the end goal? Don’t shy away from the emotional, keeping everything external and on the surface; get in there and learn what makes your hero and heroine tick. Use their internal, emotional conflicts to drive the story. Think about how they’re going to come together, what emotionally is going to keep them apart and how they’re going to use what they’ve learned over the course of the story to overcome their conflict and be together.

Ensure you read the guidelines for your desired series and read as many of our titles as possible. These provide the best guide to our readers’ tastes. And don’t give up. It can be disheartening to get a rejection, but do keep trying!

What does a work need to have to make you read beyond that first sentence; that first paragraph?

I look out for a strong, exciting voice that captivates my attention from the very beginning. If there’s an exhilarating story with three-dimensional characters we can’t help but love in there too, then that’s a real bonus. But mainly we’re looking for that great author voice we just want to read again and again.

Following on from the previous question, you may often know immediately when something isn’t right for you. If it is something in the story rather than the writer’s voice, would you encourage that author to submit something different or perhaps even send you a rewrite?

Yes, definitely. If it’s something that can be fixed, I’ll often send feedback so the author can work on it more. If it’s something more fundamental in the story, but the author has a strong voice, I’ll provide advice and ask them to submit another project.

What is the position regarding unsolicited submissions?

Harlequin Mills & Boon does accept unsolicited submissions. For more information, check out the guidelines and send your story to us via: https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit

Do you ever have time to read for your own pleasure; genres other than the ones that constitute your work? What would be your genre of choice?

I’ve always been an avid reader, although admittedly these days with reading for a living it’s a lot less. However, I always ensure I’m reading something for pleasure. This year I’m using the Goodreads Reading Challenge, it’s really helpful to keep track of what I’ve read and what I thought of it.

While I read a lot of competitive titles, which helps to identify trends in the romance market etc., I do breakout of the Romance genre as much as I can. My go to is usually Crime, I love authors like Kathy Reichs, James Patterson and Preston & Child. I also love a good Fantasy; I’m currently re-reading Harry Potter and I’m the proud owner of the entire Terry Pratchett Discworld collection! And an Action-Adventure, such as Thunderhead (Preston & Child again), anything about Atlantis or other lost worlds, always provides great escapism. The only genre I avoid is Horror, I’m a real scaredy-cat!

Have you ever become so drawn to a real place, albeit in a fictional context, that you just had to visit it?

Yes! I once read Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs by Jeremy Mercer, it’s set in a little bookstore in Paris called Shakespeare and Company that sits opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral. I was so excited to see it! It was exactly as described with books covering every conceivable surface, it was bliss to get lost in there for hours. It’s a fabulous bookstore and I highly recommend a visit for anyone who loves books!

If you didn’t do what you do, what would your dream occupation be?

To be honest, this is my dream occupation so I’d hate to be doing anything else!

A lovely thing to be able to say whatever one’s job. Thank you for joining us today, Laurie.

Laurie was interviewed by Natalie Kleinman. Thank you Natalie for a wonderful interview.

Natalie Kleinman writes contemporary and historical romantic novels. Her latest Escape to the Cotswolds, is set in the beautiful English countryside and was published by HarperCollins HQ Digital in June 2017.

RNA Members bravely striding into 2016

As this is the first blog post of the year we thought it would be interesting to ask our members about their resolutions, goals or dreams for 2016. Have you made a New Year resolution? Why not share it with us in the comments section below?

Karen Aldous

No surprises! Like many here at the Romantic Novelists’ Association, in 2016, my main goal will be focusing on writing that ‘Bestseller’ – it’s engraved on my study wall, so who knows! My next book is launched in April this year which is exciting.

Also, my aim is to work harder to balance and manage my time more efficiently. I plan to write my blog regularly and naturally, plan my book tours and reach more readers whilst working on my next.

I’m also looking forward to attending more RNA events this year so that I can chat and meet more lovely members and, since Saturday, new NWS members.

Karen Aldous AmazonUK

Marie Laval

I am looking forward to seeing all three books of my romance

Dancing For The Devil published by Áccent Press and I resolve to find new ways of promoting my work, including workshops and library talks.

I hope to find a publisher for my new contemporary romance Pink For Heart.

I also hope to complete one historical and one contemporary romance. It's very ambitious because I write very slowly, but if I plot more instead of rushing, perhaps I will manage it...

My ultimate dream is for my novels to be successful enough for me to become a full-time author, or to be offered a Hollywood contract for one of them to be turned into a film!

Deirdre Palmer

My resolutions, in no particular order:

Write faster and be more productive. I can be slow and it

won’t do. To this end stay off social media.

Secure a publication deal (or even an agent) for my new,

almost finished novel.

Get a story published in one of the mags – turns out to be

much harder than it looks. I have a named contact at People’s

Friend now, so hopefully I’ll get there soon.

Come up with a stupendous block-buster of a premise for a new

novel – the big one!

On t’other hand, I may write a sequel to Dirty Weekend.

Ideas for this keep popping into my mind – my characters must

be trying to tell me something…

Link to Dirty Weekend:

Chrissie Bradshaw

My writing plans for 2016 are on my blog newhenontheblog.com

-I'm  going to try to find a brilliant agent who will get me a two book publishing deal. 

-'Jarful of Moondreams', book 1 of the Dunbridge series, will hit Kindle or the shelves in 2016

-I'm going to finish book two of the Dunbridge series. 

-Most importantly, I'm continuing my NWS membership and going to the RNA conference in summer. There is always more to learn. 

I'm really excited about 2016!

John Jackson

I thought I’d start with the RNA related ones – quite simply to read more, to write more and to write

better.

I’m still planning on making the available parties, chapter meetings and conference; each time I do I learn something, or find a way out of a writing hole.

I’ll keep on Tweeting and Facebooking – it’s a great way of making friends and keeping friendships going.

The WIP WILL be finished on time for the NWS. It’s another historical, one generation on from the last.

On a personal note, I’m (like many) planning on losing some weight and getting fitter, but I will, most certainly, continue to enjoy every opportunity that life throws my way!

Elaine Roberts

2016 is going to be a special time for me. I have been writing for several years now but I’ve always

had to fit it around my full time job. On March 24^th I am taking early retirement and am I excited! For the first time I will be able to write when I am not tired or feeling guilty because I should be spending time doing housework or being with my family. I have been liberated to enjoy writing again. My goals are to attend the fabulous RNA Conference, and all other events that I can, and to finish the saga I started last year, have it critiqued by the NWS, and make any necessary amendments, before sending it out into the world. It’s definitely going to be a special year.

Gina Rossi

Happy New Year to all readers. May your dreams come true in 2016.

This year, first quarter, I wish to finish my ‘arranged marriage historical’ set on the mysterious,

romantic, bosky (fictitious) island of Rozkilda, loosely based on one of the Channel Islands where I am lucky enough to now live. Whether reading or writing, I absolutely adore setting and my main challenge with this story is to develop atmosphere to the maximum, using both the relationship drama central to the story, plus environment.

Once that’s done, I’ll work further on a stand-alone ‘sequel’ to ‘The Untouchable’ published November 2015.

I’ll start tomorrow. There, I’ve said it. Monday 4^th January 2016, watch out, here I come!

Happy writing to all in 2016.

Rae Cowie

It’s only the 2^nd of January and already I’ve achieved one of my writing resolutions, all thanks to the generosity of wonderful RNA friends. 2016 was when I’d planned on kick-starting a writing blog, so I was thrilled when Gill Stewart, Jennifer Young and Linda Mitchelmore invited Jennie Bohnet, Neil Donald (Photographer) and myself to join the Novel Points of View blog team. Blogging with friends sounded like so much more fun – it was a ‘YES’ from me. Posting my debut blog post has made for the most amazing start to the year, proving that once again RNA friends have made my dreams, sorry should that be ‘resolutions’, come true.

http://bit.ly/1VwNCTK

Kate Harrison

I love setting myself goals and challenges so much that I’ve actually just written a free e-book, Make

Your Dreams Come True, outlining how you can achieve your creative dreams this year. My approachis to look back at the last year, and then imagine myself this time next year. I dream up three themes for my year ahead, with specific goals for each one.So my themes this year are: 1. create freely and with passion; 2. spend time with people who matter to me; and finally, one that will resonate with anyone who spends time on social media: care less and more. Because I’ve realised that I spend too much time caring what strangers think. I’m going to pour all the energy I’ve previously wasted on worrying, into more positive actions: like blogging about the books, places and foods I love, or turning off the computer to read, or write longhand. I invite you all to join me in caring less in 2016. It could be a life-changer.

Link to free ebook 

 Laura Wilkinson

Top of my bucket list for 2016 is to get more involved with the RNA. I joined in the summer, and went to the party – which was fabulous – after a year dithering whether or not my work was romantic enough. The support and comradeship offered in the RNA is second to none and I plan to get to know more members. Also, I plan to finish my next novel in 2016. As for dreams – that my forthcoming novel, Redemption Song, is a runaway best seller? But I’m guessing many of us will have a similar dream! So, I’ll adjust mine to enjoying the ride and making my next book the very best it can be.

Redemption Song

Natalie Kleinman
I am resolved in 2016 to designate a particular time each day to my wip – I tend to be rather random in my use of time. I’ve recently found that by making myself slow down I am in

fact achieving more. The tortoise and the hare? Because I’ve changed genre to historical romance, I am forced to think deeply about what I include. I can no longer write ‘in the moment’. With any book the facts need to be right but with a historical comes a huge amount of research. While I’ve really enjoyed contemporary romance, I had the luxury of writing about the period in which I live, in places I have visited. I’ve moved to Regency. Does anyone have a time machine please?

Julie Day

Here are my resolutions for 2016:

1. Finish the pocket novel I'm rewriting, get it professionally edited, then send it to the editor of My Weekly Pocket Novels. Hope it will get accepted so I can then become a full member of the RNA

2. Continue writing short stories for women's magazines, and hope to get at least 5 accepted and published.

3. Finish writing and publishing two ebook series I've been working on the last couple of years.

Fenella J Miller

 I schedule my writing year the previous autumn and in 2015 I not only achieved my goals, but

actually began a seventh book. 2016 is planned too. I have the first of a six book series, ‘The Duke’s Alliance – A Suitable Bride’ coming out in two weeks. Then the first of three Regency Romantics box sets with four/five other writers in February. The third in my ‘At Pemberley’ series will be published in March, then there will be two box sets of my books/a Victorian family saga/the second in The Duke’s Alliance series and two new Christmas Regency books. This makes six books – but as every indie-writer knows – in order to maintain your position you have to write more than four new books a year.

Kath McGurl

My writing plans for 2016? Essentially just to keep writing the dual-timeline novels I love. I have just started one set around the time of the Irish famine, which feels a little ambitious but I know if I get it right it could be my best novel yet. So my target is just that – to complete this novel to the best of my ability. And my dreams for 2016? Simply that people continue to buy and enjoy my novels. That gives me such a buzz!

Link: http://kathleenmcgurl.com/

Barbara Hudson

My 2016 writing resolutions

1. Prepare drafts for news items, press releases, and emails to influential friends ready for the publication of my first novel Timed Out in the spring.

2. Finish all those half-written short stories that are cluttering up my computer.

3. Polish my second novel to within an inch of its life.

4. And write (another?) best seller.

I am retired and live alone, so I have no excuses.

Link: https://barbaralornahudson.wordpress.com

Wow! This is only a small percentage of our members. Imagine if we could list the resolutions of every member of the RNA...

What about me? I’m looking forward to an exciting year with The Woolworths Girls being published in the Spring and also the arrival of the edits for my 2017 book, The Butlins Girls. My resolutions for this year are to get ahead of myself whilst keeping my fingers crossed that my wonderful agent can negotiate another contract so I can keep writing my books. How did I secure the services of an amazing agent and have such a great book deal? Because of the Romantic Novelist Association of course!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this blog and may you all succeed with your resolutions and dreams.

The RNA blog is brought to you by

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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

A Cup of Tea with, Milly Johnson

A cup of tea with Milly Johnson

This is the start of a new blog series where we chat to authors about their start in the publishing world and their advice to new writers.

Today we welcome, Milly Johnson to the blog. 

Welcome, Milly, how long did it take, from when you started to write, until you held your first published book in your hand?

32 years!!!  I’ve been writing books since I was a small child.  I can’t remember a time before I wasn’t stapling paper to bind stories together.  It was a sweet moment to have my ‘proper’ book in my hand.

 Would you follow the same path to publication if you were starting out today?

Yes.  I think the way I did it – ie the hard way – taught me a lot of good strong lessons,  gave me a lot of support and a good career foundation which I might not have got had I rushed to self-publish.  I can totally understand why writers’ by-pass the traditional route and jump to self-publish, but the old path worked for me.

Agent or publisher? What would you advise?

As much as I love my publishers, I couldn’t live without my agent.  She gives me great advice, watches my back and the agency market my books all over the world saving me the hassle.  Agent – definitely.

 Tell us one thing that kept you going while you worked towards being a published author?

That if I got to 80 years old and had never had a book published, it would be the biggest regret of my life.  I had to keep going.  There was only the way forward and no way back.

What would be your one piece of advice to new writers?

Network, network, network.  The more people who know you and what you do, the more chance you have of selling books.  Building up a readership is a core requisite of being a novelist.

Thank you for chatting with us today, Milly and good luck with the book. x

 Milly’s latest book, The Teashop on the Corner was published by Simon and Schuster on June 19^th 2014 RRP £7.99 

Life is full of second chances…if only you keep your heart open for them.
Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman's Teashop on the Corner, specialising in cake, bookish stationery and compassion. And for three people, all in need of a little TLC, it is somewhere to find a friend to lean on.
Carla Pride has just discovered that her late husband Martin was not who she thought he was. And now she must learn to put her marriage behind her and move forward.
Molly Jones's ex-husband Harvey has reappeared in her life after many years, wanting to put right the wrongs of the past before it is too late.
And Will Linton's business has gone bust and his wife has left him to pick up the pieces. Now he needs to gather the strength to start again.
Can all three find the comfort they are looking for in The Teashop on the Corner? And as their hearts are slowly mended by Leni, can they return the favour when she needs it most…?

Paperback

Kindle

Website: www.millyjohnson.co.uk

Blog: www.daftoldbag.blogspot.com

The RNA blog is brought to you by Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman.
If you would like to contribute a piece to the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com