Rosie Hendry: On Not Giving Up

The acknowledgements at the back of East End Angels begin with “A huge and heartfelt thank you to the Romantic Novelists’ Association, without whom this book would never have been written.” And it’s true.

The first steps towards writing it started when I applied for one of the coveted 1:1 appointments with an agent at the 2015 RNA conference at Queen Mary’s in London. I was lucky enough to get an appointment with agent, Felicity Trew, (thank you Elaine Everest), to whom I sent the first few chapters and synopsis of a WW2 saga which I’d had published as a two part People’s Friend pocket novel in 2013. I’d had plans to write something else to show an agent but life had taken a downward turn at the beginning of the year when a close family member became ill and died, pushing novel writing very much on the back burner. I almost didn’t apply for a 1:1 but decided to try anyway and perhaps get some feedback on my writing I’d done so far.

To my astonishment Felicity liked my writing, and this led on to a meeting a couple of weeks later at the Caroline Sheldon agency where she works, for a brainstorming session with the aim of me writing something new to approach publishers with. By the autumn Felicity had signed me up, in early 2016 she sent off three chapters and a synopsis, plus ideas for another two books in the potential series and two publishers put in offers for a three book deal, bidding against each other. It was unbelievable, thrilling and nerve wracking. After meetings with each publisher I had to choose who to go with, which was a really tough decision but in the end chose the wonderful Little, Brown, Sphere.

I’ve been a member of the RNA since 2007 when I joined the New Writers’ Scheme and tried to write a Mills & Boon, which I soon discovered are a very difficult craft to master and not suited to my writing. Eventually I graduated from the NWS in 2011 with a People’s Friend contemporary pocket novel. Since then it’s taken quite a few years to find my voice and discover what genre suited me best, in the meantime writing lots of short stories for women’s magazines, both contemporary and historical, and a WW2 serial for People’s Friend. It was after the 2015 conference that I finally found my writing home.

There have been times over the years when I have thought of giving up writing but the RNA’s brilliant support has kept me going, especially the generosity and kindness of members who have shared advice and their experience - this is one of the amazing strengths of the RNA. Way back when I was unsuccessfully trying to write a Mills & Boon, Kate Walker (a fabulous Mills & Boon author herself) advised me to find out what I should be writing and she was right. I remember Jean Fullerton giving excellent advice at the Chichester conference saying that the writers who get published are the ones that keep trying and trying, and those who give up, don’t. Since I joined the RNA, I’ve seen many members who kept on trying and not giving up, eventually succeeding which is fantastic, well deserved and utterly joyful. Anyone in the NWS who is doubting themselves or feeling like giving up, don’t, keep going, keep trying and you will get there, it might take time but none of that is wasted because you are learning and improving and the RNA and its members are there to support you every step of the way.

Rosie's début novel, East End Angels, is available now on Amazon.

Strong-willed Winnie loves being part of the crew at Station Seventy-Five but her parents are less than happy. She has managed to avoid their pleas to join the WRENS so far but when a tragedy hits too close to home she finds herself wondering if she's cut out for this life after all.

Former housemaid Bella was forced to leave the place she loved when she lost it all and it's taken her a while to find somewhere else to call home. She's finally starting to build a new life but when the air raids begin, it seems she may have to start over once again.

East-Ender Frankie's sense of loyalty keeps her tied to home so it's not easy for her to stay focused at work. With her head and heart pulling in different directions, will she find the strength to come through for her friends when they need her the most?

Brought together at LAAS Station Seventy-Five in London's East End during 1940, these three very different women soon realise that they'll need each other if they're to get through the days ahead. But can the ties of friendship, love and family all remain unbroken?

About Rosie:

Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in Norfolk with her husband, two children, chickens and a snake.

Listening to her father’s tales of life during the Second World War sparked her interest in this period and she’s especially intrigued by how women’s lives changed during the war years. She loves researching further, searching out gems of real life events which inspire her writing.

Website 

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How the RNA Conference provided GINspiration

Today we welcome Catherine Miller who not only tells us about her latest publication but also opportunities at the RNA Conference.

I love going to the RNA conference. There is always so much to gain in terms of the variety of talks,

the 121s available, and the conversations to be had at the bar.

As writers, I think we often have more than one idea vying for attention and The Gin Shack on the Beach was just that. An idea I was generally pushing aside as it was a different genre and I’d thought it could potentially be a side project I could do with The Romaniacs for fun.

Then along came conference. It’s opportunities like this that can help shape and inspire you and the conference in 2016 did just that. There were three moments that helped me decide even if it was a different genre, The Gin Shack idea was one worth pursuing. The first was a lecture with Clio Cornish and Charlotte Mursell. It was about HQ (the new imprint of my publishers – previously Carina UK) and what they were looking for. Clio mentioned older heroines and my ears pricked up because the idea for The Gin Shack was exactly what they were describing.

The second moment was when Mills and Boon authors and editors had a get together drink in the bar. Clio and Charlotte were there as part of HQ and I was invited along. It didn’t take much alcohol for me to start pitching the idea to Clio. To be honest, I think elevator pitches should be rebranded bar pitches. I’m sure that’s where they all happen at conference. Clio loved the idea and encouraged me to send it to Victoria.

The third moment was talking to the formidable and sadly missed, Carole Blake. I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to have a full conversation with her in previous years, but time has taught me everyone in the industry is approachable, even agents and editors. I wanted to find out if Hattie Grunewald was still at the conference as we’d met earlier in the year and I was due to submit some work to her as she was considering representing me. (I’m happy to say she now does.) Carole was well known as a gin-lover so I chatted with her about the idea briefly and realised if Carole approved, it must be a good idea.

Not long after conference, I wrote a blurb and was offered a contract on the back of that blurb and a synopsis. So, there are very good reasons for having alcohol-fuelled conversations at conference. Not least because they are lots of fun, but because they can also lead to being inspired in ways you didn’t expect.

This year, I’m hoping the good fortune conference gave to me goes full circle. I’m doing my first solo talk on pitches and synopsis, and conference attendees get the chance to send their pitches to me with the best going to my agent, Hattie. I’m hoping it gives someone on the New Writers’ Scheme or an author looking to get an agent the opportunity they need. I also plan to drink gin. Chat drunkenly about wayward ideas. Try not to show myself up. And generally have a ball. Hope to see some of you at the bar.

Thank you, Catherine and good luck with your book – cheers!

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

Joan Hessayon Award 2016 contender: Bella Osborne

Today Bella Osborne answers our questions. Bella is another of the talented contenders for this year's Joan Hessayon Award and graduate of the RNA New Writers' Scheme.

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

I’ve been writing ever since primary school when I discovered that I loved it. Yes, It Started at Sunset

Cottage is my first published story.

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

I joined in January 2013 and submitted a manuscript for two years until I graduated to full membership.

What came first, agent or publisher?

I met my thoroughly lovely editor, Charlotte Ledger, at the RNA conference in Sheffield in 2013 as part of the 121s and she asked to read the rest of my novel. I signed with my agent later that year.

Who is your agent?

I am represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency

Do you have a contract for one book or more?

My first contract was with Harper Impulse for two books and I have just signed a one book contract with Avon (also part of Harper Collins).

When was your book published?

Digitally on 12^th February 2015, Print on Demand April 2015, and Paperback August 2015.

Tell us something about your book

It has two strong women at its core - Kate is a reserved author whilst Sarah is a sharp-tongued single mother. After losing her fiancé, Kate is slowly getting her life back on track when Timothy Calder, A-list actor and leading man in the movie adaptation of her book, turns up on her doorstep, hoping to lie low after his latest tabloid scandal. Sarah is trying to hold down two jobs and shut her ex-husband out of her life. When he goes missing she thinks it’s the answer to her problems until Sarah becomes number one suspect.

What are you currently working on?

I am multi-tasking! I am currently editing my second novel, ‘A Family Holiday’, which is due for release in June, as well as writing my third book which will be released digitally in four parts under the title ‘Willow Cottage’, the first part of which is due for release on 7^th July.

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

Keep writing, no matter what life throws at you and never, ever give up!

Links:

Amazon:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Bella-Osborne-127964384079908/

Website

Twitter - https://twitter.com/osborne_bella

Thank you, Bella, we hope you have a fabulous evening at the RNA Summer Party and good luck with your writing career.

The RNA blog is brought to you by

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

FOCUS ON: North Devon Chapter

This month we are given an insight into the commitment of this group, whose members don’t allow the difficulties associated with travelling to deter them

North Devon Chapter meetings mean coffee and sticky buns in the relaxed and friendly cafeteria of a Barnstaple garden centre.  A small, informal group, currently numbering seven, we try to agree diary dates at approximately six week intervals. These aren’t cast in stone because we need to be flexible, especially during winter months. Travelling across Dartmoor, country motorway or winding coastal roads, weather forecasts alert us to possible problems. If all seems well, however, an e-mail the previous day confirms that “we’re on”.

Our Chapter was formed about ten years ago, starting with two members. Very soon it was joined by others, some of whom stayed, others leaving for family reasons or possibly because we didn’t offer quite what they were looking for. Everyone who comes brings life and fresh ideas to our meetings. We’re happy to welcome new members, whether or not RNA, because they always have something to contribute. If at first they’re nervous of speaking, the rest of us are delighted to have a captive audience!

Our meetings last for approximately two hours.  Our initial agenda item is a general ‘catch-up’ of family news, but then we set aside cups and plates and settle to business. Firstly, we work our way around the table and discuss each member’s writing, if any - as everyone knows, life sometimes intervenes!  We talk through any writing problems, offer comments, suggestions and ideas ranging from fantasy to possibility if someone fears she’s reached  a plot dead-end (in the middle of the book, of course). In other words, it’s a ‘carrot, stick, congratulation or sympathy’ session. It’s always good to hear from members who report back on literary festivals they’ve attended, or RNA functions, including the Annual Conference. If someone has spent a week in Derby at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School there’s plenty to discuss, including valuable contacts with publishers, editors or agents.

Our interests are wide-ranging and include many success stories. In these we include:  Regency romance, WW2 family issues and adventures, contemporary pocket novels and, her latest venture, mystery (Anne Holman);  contemporary sagas about family relationships (Patricia Fawcett);  Victorian history and ‘cosy crime’ (Val Gaul and Frances Evesham);  Mills &Boon romance (Amanda Robinson has received her first NWS review and Nerys Gibb will submit a medical romance this year);  romance (Hale), contemporary pocket novels and a hard-to-place Canadian historical (Sheila Daglish).  We’ve stormed the world of e-books and self-publishing, so feel that, although we might be small, we’re certainly progressive.

Our venue and remote location would present problems for invited guest speakers. What we have instead – a supportive, self-motivating group – suits our individual lifestyles, where the principal writing pressure is the one we put on ourselves. We’ve become friends and know there’s always someone there to give help and opinion. Through our meetings and regular e-mail contact we can forget distance, whether across moorland, rugged coastline or sheep-dotted fields. Those ‘coffee and sticky bun’ sessions, cheerful and constructive, send us home with that essential tingle of optimism.

Contact for North Devon Chapter is Sheila Daglish, 01271 850006.

E-mail: themalthouse94@gmail.com

The warmth that generates from this is tangible. The RNA is many things to many people and you have all proved that where there is a will there is a way, even if it is a cross-country way. Thank you for sharing.

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

FOCUS ON: Cambridge Chapter

Judith Lennox was kind enough to answer our questions on the Cambridge Chapter, though it would seem the borders are much extended

We’re the Cambridge Chapter, though our members come from all over East Anglia – Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and beyond.

How long has your chapter been running?

We’ve been meeting since 2006. Jan Jones and I started the group with just a few people, meeting at my Cambridge house. Expanding numbers and the problems of parking in Cambridge soon meant that we looked for a different venue, with good transport links – and plentiful parking.

Do you have a schedule or are your meetings ad hoc?

Our meetings are monthly and always include a lunch. We meet at the Red Lion pub in Whittlesford,

a village a few miles south of Cambridge. It’s a thirteenth century coaching inn with an attractive interior and friendly staff. We don’t have a private room but have, over time, become used to ‘our’ table, in a quiet part of the pub. They are happy to accommodate a light lunch of soup or sandwiches as well as two-course meals.

We alternate between Tuesdays and Wednesdays so that those with fixed obligations have a chance of making a meeting.

A Thirteenth Century Coaching Inn! It sounds lovely. How many members attend your meetings?

It varies, from around four to a maximum of about twelve to fourteen. We’ve a mixture of men and women and a big age range. Some of our members are just beginning their writing careers and others have been published for decades. We work in a wide variety of genres.

Is your chapter open to non-members of the RNA?

No, only RNA members.

How long are your meetings?

Generally around two to two and a half hours. Discussion is spontaneous rather than structured, and we cover a wide variety of topics – for instance, during the last two meetings we discussed the recent RNA conference, self-publication of eBooks through Amazon, how Pinterest can help writers attract new readers, writing erotic fiction and researching the laws connected with marriages licences.

Can you give an outline of speakers/guests you’ve had in the past year?

Jean Fullerton, in her role as Chapter Liaison, was a guest at one of our lunches earlier this year. We don’t have speakers – we decided that what we wanted out of the meetings was informal discussions about the subjects that concern writers, along with the support and encouragement you gain from talking to others in the same profession.

What have you planned for the rest of 2015?

Our monthly lunches will continue. In December we have a Christmas lunch, complete with Secret Santa and turkey and pudding for those who desire it!

What would you say makes your chapter of the RNA so special?

I think some of our members enjoy the fact that we’re a small group. It makes it easier to get to know people and means that everyone, quieter people included, can have their say. Everyone sympathises over the pressure of deadlines and shares the triumph of a contract signed or a publication day. I feel that we are supportive and welcoming – and we aim to enjoy ourselves!

Does your chapter have a website, Facebook page or Twitter account?

No. We communicate through a Yahoo group, which those who join the Chapter can take part in.

Who is the contact for new members?

We always warmly welcome new members. Anyone from the East Anglia area who is interested in joining us please contact Judith Lennox at judith@judithlennox.com or Jan Jones at jan@jan-jones.co.uk

Your meetings are obviously open and expansive and the venue sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing

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

Ask the Industry Expert: Hazel Cushion

Today we welcome Helena Farifax to the RNA blog. Helena is going to be bringing us a monthly blog interview with the ‘movers and shakers’ in the publishing world. Over to you, Helena!

It’s a great pleasure to welcome Hazel Cushion, Managing Director of Accent Press, 
to the RNA blogtoday. Hazel and some of the Accent Press team were at the RNA conference in London this year, taking pitches as well as running one of the sessions. I also have fond memories of their Pimms party by Regent’s Canal. We thought an interview on the RNA blog might be an opportunity for those who weren’t able to attend the conference to find out more about Hazel and about Accent Press, and we’re delighted Hazel has accepted our invitation.

Thanks so much for dropping in, Hazel. Please tell us a little about the history of Accent Press and how you came to start it.

I started Accent Press in 2003 in my front bedroom when my triplets were seven years old. I was effectively a single mum as my husband worked in the Middle East and I wanted to start a business that would work around my kids. I’d just done an MA in Creative Writing and, as part of that, we put together an anthology of our work. Once I knew how to make a book I was hooked! The timing was just right too as desktop publishing and the internet suddenly made it all possible. Needless to say it quickly moved out of the bedroom and we now have offices on a business park north of Cardiff where I employ a team of twelve amazing people.

What do enjoy most about your job? And least?

Well, the very best bit must be making authors’ dreams turn into reality – when they get to hold their books and see them climbing the charts and on book shop shelves. That is always a magical thing. I also love employing young people and seeing them grow and develop their careers. We’re based in south Wales and there aren’t a great deal of opportunities for young people – I’m very pleased that we can offer permanent jobs to people in such a vibrant and creative industry.

The worse bit is that’s it a tough market and we can’t make it happen for everyone. Trying to sell one book by one author is incredibly difficult – it takes time to build a following which is why we no longer commission standalone titles.

What is it you are looking for when a manuscript lands on your desk?

Brilliant writing, realistic authors and books with commercial potential. I find it really depressing that we have to reject so many submissions because authors haven’t read our guidelines first.

Where do you find your new authors, and how?

Very often it’s word of mouth or by attending events like the RNA conference. We do use agents sometimes but are equally happy to take on unagented authors. We do also actively seek successful self-published authors who are climbing the Kindle charts.

For anyone who missed your excellent talk at the RNA conference, what advice would you give someone submitting to Accent?

Read our guidelines first! Make sure the book is a publishable length and is either a series or that you have or plan other titles. We no longer publish single titles as they are just too hard to get noticed.

What benefits do you feel a publisher offers an author over self-publishing?

Where it works best is when we work as a team with the author supporting them and allowing them the time to develop their writing career. We provide the editorial support and guidance to enable that to happen and also free them up from the business side of selling and marketing their books. Authors are usually happiest plotting, planning and writing, and tend to find the whole pushing and publishing side uncomfortable. These days everyone hopes their authors will engage on social media too but if authors hate it then we say don’t worry about it. Our job is to promote and sell their work – I’d really rather our authors were writing than tweeting!

Romance is the biggest-selling genre in publishing, and yet the one taken least seriously by the mainstream. Why do you think this is? And how do you think romance authors can address the negative perception?

Sadly a lot of publishing folk are ridiculously pretentious and I find that very tiresome. Romance is the biggest-selling genre because it provides brilliant entertainment and enjoyments to the most discerning of readers – women. They are also the largest book buyers, especially the 18-26 age group. Cynical me might say they enjoy romance because they are still naïve and hopeful – and older women love the escape from repeated heartbreak!

What’s your favourite romance novel of all time?

Wow – that’s a hard one. Can I cheat and say what my least favourite was instead? I think some of you may agree if I say the words ‘fifty’ and ‘grey’?

Apart from your own authors, which book have you enjoyed the most recently, and why?

To be honest I tend to listen to books rather than read them, either when driving or before I sleep. One I read though was All Change, the final part of the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m very creative and messy – I love painting and crafts. My latest thing is felting where I take vast quantities of beautiful and quite expensive merino wool and spend hours soaping, soaking and rolling it into completely unwearable or usable objects.

If you could describe your working-day in just three words, what would they be?

Varied, rewarding, fun.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful answers, Hazel. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you.

You can find Hazel on Twitter and Accent Press Readers’ and Writers’ group on Facebook:

If you have any questions for Hazel Cushion, or any comments at all, please let us know. Hazel will be dropping in again today, and we’d love to hear from you!

Helena Fairfax writes contemporary romance novels. Her latest release is a romantic suspense

novella called Palace of Deception. You can find out more on Helena’s website www.helenafairfax.com

Thank you, Hazel and Helena!

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

FOCUS ON: South Devon Chapter

This month we welcome the South Devon Chapter and learn a little of their history, activities and plans for the future

Marion Lindsey-Noble answered our questions

How long has your chapter been running?

We are based in Exeter and this present group began to meet in September 2010. However, one of the older members recalls that they had started a group in the 1990s when they used to meet for a coffee and then went together to some sort of talk, lecture or discussion they had organised. This seemed to have fizzled out after a while and was only revived in 2010. Not many of our current membership knew about this,

How often do you meet?

We meet on the second Wednesday every month from midday to an extendable 2.30pm. If RNA events encroach and if all are in agreement we shift the date 

Are you an itinerant group or do you always meet at the same place?

Our venue is Wetherspoons in South Street, Exeter

How many members attend your meetings? You say you meet at Wetherspoons. Can we therefore assume food is involved?

The number of attendees varies enormously, anything from six to twenty-six. Yes, we do have a meal but everyone orders by themselves. For our Christmas lunch in December me usually book for nearly thirty people.

Is your chapter open to non-members of the RNA?

We like to welcome all writers but we do encourage new members to join the RNA. Our meetings usually last from two to three hours.

Can you give us an outline of some of your activities?

Quite a number of our members belong to local writers’ groups. Some organise literary festivals or even Literary Prize competitions like the Exeter Novel Prize. We’ve had no guest speakers in the past two years and none are planned at present. Somehow we find we have enough to chat about amongst ourselves and often don’t even get round to speaking to everyone present.

What would you say makes your chapter of the RNA so special?

This RNA group is brilliant! Everyone is open, generous with advice and sharing experiences. I have learnt such a lot, and the compassion never ceases. Every time I wonder whether I should give up writing altogether, I go to one of our meetings and come home buoyed up, full of renewed confidence and many great ideas what else to try next. It’s a great group!

Does your chapter have a website, Facebook page or Twitter account?

We correspond via Yahoo groups under Exeter meetings and have a new Facebook presence under Exeter Chapter

Who is the contact for new members?

Jo Beverley is our group organiser and can be contacted at jo@jobev.com

Facebook:

You are obviously a cohesive and supportive group. Thank you, Marion, for sharing with us today.

Marion’s new book, The Banyan Tree, sequel to The Green Sari, will be published in September 2015. If you’d like to join her at the launch on 19^th September please let her know in the comments sections and she will be delighted to send you an invitation.

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

With the Accent on Xcitement

Today we are pleased to welcome Hazel Cushion, founder of Accent Press and Xcite Books, to answer our questions about her well known publishing company.

Can you tell our readers how Accent Press began?

It all started in my front bedroom when I was a single mother to 6 year old triplets. I did an MA in Creative Writing intending to be an author but, when putting together our anthology, I learnt how to make a book and I was hooked! I realised that making books had become very easy with the advent of desk top publishing software but selling them would still be hard. I’d worked a lot in the charity sector before and came up with the idea of combining sex and charity in short story collections – the first was called Sexy Shorts for Christmas and raised money for a Breast Cancer charity. Katie Fforde was amongst the authors that kindly donated a story and her name helped sell it into WH Smiths. We still do at least one charity book a year but these days our main focus is on contemporary women’s fiction and crime.

You kindly undertook one2ones at the RNA Conference. Did you enjoy the experience?

Yes, I did, very much. I have a great deal of empathy with authors as I’d planned to be one myself and know well the disappointment of rejections and the joy of an acceptance or positive feedback. Without a doubt digital publishing has opened up new opportunities for writers and enables us to offer a wider and more interesting range of titles. I think it’s an exciting time to be an author as you can now reach a truly global readership and there aren’t the rigid genre restrictions that finding the right place, on the right shelf, in a bookshop used to impose.

What are you looking for from authors? The winner of the RNA's Joan Hessayon Award, Jo Thomas, was published by Accent Press. How important are competitions and awards to your company?

Yes, we were very lucky to be the launch pad for Jo Thomas who was then sold on to Hodder Headline and is continuing to win awards for The Oyster Catcher. Last year I had a very proud moment when we were shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year alongside Bloomsbury, Faber and Faber and Constable and Robinson. For a small and relatively new publishing company to be up against those three established London companies was simply incredible. We didn’t win, Bloomsbury did, but it was a huge endorsement and boost for me.

I do think awards are really important to both us and our authors.

Our erotic imprint Xcite Books has won the ETO Best Erotic Book Brand for the last five years and gives us some serious international marketing clout and credibility. I would always encourage people to enter awards because even if you don’t win there are often other benefits and recognition for being shortlisted.

We understand you will shortly be running your own competition, closing date 30^th November 2014. Can you give us details?

We are currently running a novel writing competition with Woman magazine and I really hope your readers will participate in that as they can win a writing holiday in France and a publishing contract. Here’s the link to the full details: http://www.accentpress.co.uk/woman-writing-comp.html

Accent Press has grown to become well known in the publishing world. Are there plans to move in other directions in years to come?

This last year has seen a great deal of very positive growth for the company and I have been able to establish a wonderful new team which includes four full-time editors. That has enabled us to take on a lot of new authors – these include debut writers, self-published ones or those, like Christina Jones, who had a strong backlist.  Without a doubt our strength lies in our digital marketing where, due to the way the Amazon algorithms work, authors benefit from being part of a stable of authors that includes top 100 Kindle bestsellers.

One new innovation is our Accent Hub which we are developing as a meeting http://accenthub.com/

place for readers, authors and reviewers – anyone can join so I do hope your readers will as it’s a great place to connect.

Have you ever considered writing a novel?

Yes, and I have two outlined but I have so much fun publishing other peoples that I doubt they’ll ever get written. My triplets are now 18 and have all left for university this September so just maybe, I’ll get around to it. I doubt it though as I have the attention span of a teabag and lack the self-discipline required. I’m genuinely in awe of authors who do ever managed to get to write The End – the dissertation for my MA was 20,000 words and I ran out of things to say at 17,000 so I really don’t think there’s much chance of me bashing out a 70,000 word bestseller any time soon!

Hazel, thank you for finding time in your very busy life to join us today

This blog is brought to you by Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman. If you would like to write about the craft of writing or perhaps be interviewed about your writing life please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com