Ticking All the Boxes

Today we welcome Fenella Miller to the blog. Fenella tells us how she and four other authors collaborated to produce box sets.

I would like to say thank you for inviting us to be part of the RNA blog. Melinda Hammond, Amanda Grange, Elizabeth Bailey, Monica Fairview and I are all bestselling authors in a variety of genre. I discovered a multi-author crime box set and thought it an excellent idea to promote each other’s work and get new readers.

Regency Quintet
Christmas Edition

Our first foray into multi-author box sets, the Valentine Edition, had a slightly different format as Wendy Soliman was one of the five authors, but she had to drop out and we were delighted Monica Fairview was able to join us. This box set did amazingly well – way above our expectations so we decided to continue. The second, Regency Quintet Summer Edition, also did well. We are just about to publish our Christmas box set and this is the first one with new titles.

This has been an enjoyable venture. However, as the box sets are on my account I have to keep track of sales and work out the royalties, which is a worry. If you have friends who write in a similar genre you could do this. Our box sets sell at £1.99 – an absolute bargain for five books – so don’t expect to make a fortune - think of it as a promotional opportunity. You might be lucky and find your box set becomes a bestseller. My advice is to have a go – but whoever’s hosting shouldn’t have more than two to juggle with.

A Most Unusual Christmas

Fenella J Miller

Miss Cressida Hadley is delighted when Lord Bromley and his family are unexpectedly obliged to spend Christmas at The Abbey. However, falling in love with Lord Bromley hadn’t been part of her plan.

Winter Inheritance

Melinda Hammond

Governess Verity Shore longs for a little adventure, then Rafe Bannerman too exciting!

arrives to carry her off to Highclough and Verity discovers that life can be a little

A Very Merry Chase

Monica Fairview

A penniless lady is caught poaching by a lord, but when she flees to her rich aunt’s manor, she finds the same man is her aunt’s house guest.

His Lordship’s Christmas Bride

Elizabeth Bailey

Isolde Cavanagh seeks refuge with her father’s old friend and finds a reluctant guardian in his son. Richard de Baudresey.

A Six-Month Marriage

Amanda Grange

Desperate to escape her brutal uncle, Madeline Delaware enters into a marriage of convenience with Philip, Lord Pemberton. On the night of the Christmas fete they give in to their feelings but it is not until they vanquish a woman from Philip's past that they find the happiness they deserve.

I asked my fellow authors what they thought about our joint venture.

Melinda Hammond

Melinda Hammond said: I have known my fellow authors for many years and it is a delight to be working with them. We support and encourage each other, and the added bonus is that we are providing our readers with a variety of Regency romances.

Elizabeth Bailey

Elizabeth Bailey said: I love historical romance and despite forays into historical mystery and edgy women’s fiction. I was delighted to be offered the chance to work with friends and fellow authors on the Regency Quintet box sets.

Monica Fairview

Monica Fairview said: I was thrilled to be asked to join the group. It is an opportunity to work with some of the best authors in the field (who also happen to be lovely friends), but will also keep me on a strict deadline. It’s a wonderful way for readers to try other writers.

Amanda Grange said: I like working with friends. Writing is usually a solitary business but the box sets give us a reason to email each other and keep in touch. As an author, it's a good way for me to maximise earnings and it's good value for readers. They get 5 books for the price of 1 - or even less than the price of 1, judged on paperback prices. It's also a good way to readers to try new authors and discover new favourites.

I thought you might like to know a little about all of us and our latest books.

Fenella J Miller was born in the Isle of Man and wrote her first book when she was twelve. There are now forty books published including seven WW2 family sagas.

Her latest book is Christmas at Castle Elrick, a Regency fairy tale - Miss Verity Sanderson the beauty and Sir Ralph Elrick the beast. Castle Elrick is a cold, unwelcoming place situated on the bleak Northumbrian coast and Ralph and his small staff are not the only residents. Will Christmas be a celebration or will the ghosts of Castle Elrick force them apart?

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amanda Grange was born in Yorkshire and studied music at Nottingham University. Her first novel, A Most Unusual Governess, was published in 2001, after which she had another 25 novels published by a range of publishers.

Amanda's best-known book is Darcy's Diary 

Amazon UK

Melinda Hammond was born in the West Country and grew up with a love of history. She has written more than 40 historical romances, including the award-winning Dance for a Diamond. She also writes romantic historical adventures for Harlequin Mills & Boon under the pen name of Sarah Mallory and won the RNA's Rona Rose for two of her titles.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Monica Fairview’s first novel was a Regency which was published by Robert Hale. Since then she has also published several Jane Austen variations and sequels. She is best known for The Other Mr Darcy and for her series The Darcy Novels. For more about Monica, go to http://monicafairview.com

Here are the links to Mr Darcy's Pledge on Amazon. 

Amazon UK

Amazon US

 

Elizabeth Bailey’s latest stand-alone story is a romantic suspense novella, Silence of a Stranger - Is

Bea’s life more at risk than her disobedient heart?

Amazon US

Amazon UK

A wonderful idea and good to see five authors working so well together. We wish you luck with your forthcoming Christmas box set.

The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

Would you like to write for us?

Get in touch on elaineeverest@aol.com

Nora Fountain: Blackthorn Child

A big hello to Nora Fountain who is our guest on the blog today.

Nora, you have written short stories for the women’s magazine market as well as novels. What would you say is your favourite form of storytelling?

I prefer to write novels. I’ve written lots of short stories and sold some of them but it’s not really my thing. I very much admire those who can turn out short, snappy stories. I like to get my teeth into a story, with the freedom to develop characters, and more than one or two of them. I like to get inside their heads and become that character. The first draft is the bare bones of the story, then comes the best part, editing and polishing, going through several times, the characters developing each time till I know them like old friends. As they develop they suggest little twists and turns of their own. In the end I love them all – even the baddies. They are me. I am them, and I’m sorry to have to say good-bye to them.

Would you recommend that those new to writing try their hand at writing long and short fiction?

If they want to. I don’t think it’s always necessary. I always wanted to write longer, more in-depth stuff. However, I didn’t really have a clue when I started Blackthorn Child, which began life as Downton’s Heir (!) and grew with every rewrite until it reached 180,000 words. Fortunately I’ve always enjoyed the art of précis but I’m now aware of the practicalities of producing such a long book. Publishers do not want to invest large sums in new writers.

I tried writing for M&B for a while, reading their authors voraciously. I loved writers such as Charlotte Lamb, Penny Jordan and Sara Wood. There was a seamless quality to their writing it is difficult to emulate. I did try, though, around a dozen times. On three occasions they read a partial and asked to see the rest. I was quite excited the third time but in the end it was turned down. I submitted one to Robert Hale, minus the steamy bits and it was accepted. Hurrah! They went on to take several more. These went into large print and translation in some cases. I carried on with full-length fiction and, to my delight, Thorpe bought Love Thine Enemy direct from me.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading, Love Thine Enemy, Can we expect more historical novels from you with overseas settings?

I certainly hope so. Blackthorn Child went back and forth to agents and publishers till I changed tack and put it on Kindle. It soared to the top of three of their lists, occupying top spot for a while.

I am currently writing another historical set in Puglia where my youngest son lives, designing houses and teaching yoga. I have lots more research to do but I’m enjoying it. I’m also writing a contemporary romance set in Africa called Tropical Madness. It’s a year now since the accident that wrote off my car and broke eleven bones – a bit of a setback but I’m getting back in the saddle with interruptions for physio, etc. Perhaps I should write a hospital drama.

There are certainly a few health issues in Cupcakes and Candlesticks. This is my latest novella with a mature hero and heroine and set in the Dorset I love. When Rob announces he is leaving Maddy and their four children she is shocked but she picks up the pieces and forges a new life for the family out in the sticks. There she meets the gorgeous Guy Deverill, a landowner with angst of his own. I sold the large print rights to Cupcakes and Candlesticks to Thorpe and in the same week brought out the Create Space version of Blackthorn Child – or rather my son Basil did. He’s been a driving instructor for a couple of years but now has another string to his bow, offering services to novelists, formatting, putting on Kindle, etc. I’m no techie and couldn’t manage without him. My younger daughter played her part designing the cover for the paperback so it’s something of a family production.

Please tell us more about your five novels that are being reprinted by Samhain?

The American publisher Samhain have started a new line called Retro Romance. They’ve taken five of my novellas and given them gorgeous new covers which is all rather exciting. They can be viewed and are available on line from Samhain.

These days authors have to promote themselves on social media. How much time do you spend online? How does it help your work?

I probably spend far too long online, mainly Facebook where I have two pages, one an author page. I enjoy keeping up with news of my extended family- recently extended to include my first great-grandson, Alby Koa. Don’t ask. I’ve never heard of the names, either, but I do know he’s absolutely gorgeous with silky dark hair and eyes that will probably be brown. It’s great to hear news of other writers’ successes, too. I occasionally post on Twitter but I think I need lessons on using social media to the best advantage.

Nora Fountain is a professional writer and translator. Her short stories have been published by People's Friend, Yours, Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day and Fiction Feast, among others.
Her novels are mainly in the contemporary romance genre published by Robert Hale and My Weekly Story Library. Nora has also written historical romance. Her books are available on Amazon.
Five novels are currently being reprinted by Samhain as part of their Retro Romance series and are available from the publisher as ebooks.
Nora lives in Dorset and is a member of the Society of Authors and the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and is a committee member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Links:

 

Website

Amazon  

Thank you, Norah. It’s also good to hear you are well on the way to recovery after your accident.

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

Theresa Le Flem: The Gypsy's Son

Today we welcome, Theresa Le Flem to the blog to tell us why she decided to venture into self-publishing.

My first two novels were published by Robert Hale Ltd, which was thrilling. My third, The Gypsy’s Son, marks my first venture into self-publishing. I was beginning to feel quite down actually.  When my new novel was declined, after submitting to agents and other publishers, (and experiencing once again that endless waiting) the rejections hit me hard. I felt I was back to square one.

However, self-publishing for me has been a revelation. To be in control of everything to do with how my ‘baby’ enters the world is a wonderful experience! Following the invaluable advice of other RNA members, (Thank you Romna!) I decided to go through CreateSpace. Confident I could probably come up with a cover design myself, and with a lot of perseverance, i.e. watching You Tube videos and reading books on ‘How to Self-Publish…’ I’ve finally got there. I can certainly recommend the journey. It’s so rewarding and worth the time spent in front of the computer. Publishing is all about choice these days – and who knows better how to present a novel than the author?

Tell us something about yourself?

I grew up in an artistic, creative household in London which was busy with visitors. My family moved house several times but the move that made a lasting impression on me was to Cornwall. This was the setting for two of my novels, the most recent, The Gypsy’s Son, is published this month. I live in the Midlands, England, with my husband Graham (chief proof-reader & ‘computer error’ rescue person!) and our greyhound. I write Romantic Fiction with an edge.

It may be a fact that an unsettled, poverty strewn life can produce a spark that starts the fire of creativity. This is true in my case, I believe. Having come through difficult times, now I’m happy and settled I can look back and draw from those difficult experiences in the past. In my writing I like to explore the challenges people face in everyday life. This is why my first hero was a coal-miner - no dewy eyes or blushing brides for me I’m afraid! My novels are emotional, romantic, moving, but realistic. Having had a string of jobs, I’m now fortunate to be able to write full-time – a dream I have had since I was a child.

What gave you the idea to write a novel about gypsies?

It was a postcard! At the time I was deep into writing The Forgiving Sand but felt isolated too. I joined my Adult Education Centre to meet other writers. The tutor spread a heap of postcards, mainly from the Portrait Gallery, on the table and said, “Choose one – and create a story!” The face that appealed to me looked like a gypsy’s face. I didn’t complete the course, I was too busy writing!  

Do you have any family connections with the Romany community?

No, I can’t explain why I feel such an affinity with them except that I often empathise with those who are oppressed. The gypsies in my novel are those of ‘the old days’. It begins in 1953 when they still travelled about in horse-drawn caravans, living close to nature and enjoying the freedom of the open road. It must have been a tough life. Though uneducated academically, they practised crafts we would be envious of today. They were not, I believe, like the modern travellers portrayed in the media these days who get a very bad press, often unfairly. But I can identify with their restlessness, their need to move on. I’ve moved house many times; twenty-five times at the last count! It’s time I settled down

.

Does this novel have a ‘hidden message’?  We sensed your first two carried an undercurrent, a social comment about society.

I do tend to write about, as one reader put it: “people who live on the edge of society.” For example, in The Sea Inside His Head I took the side of the ‘scab’ during the Miners’ Strike and explored the effect the strike had on their marriage. The miner’s story is very poignant. I dislike injustice and generalisations, especially when public opinion suggests what is acceptable and what isn’t. The newspapers almost dictate what reaction we, the ‘general public’ should have to a news item.  I prefer to decide for myself.

Why have you chosen to go independent and publish this yourself?

Perhaps because of the reasons given above. It wasn’t acceptable to a publisher. Who wants to buy a book about a gypsy? I don’t know but I’m going to find out! When I heard that The Gypsy’s Son had been declined I was upset at first. I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. I know lots of authors in the RNA have gone down the self-publishing route and seen how successful they have been and I’ve received loads of encouragement. It’s such a huge subject in itself I could take up the whole interview with it! I’ve learnt so much along the way, now I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

Is The Gypsy’s Son a romantic novel too?

Yes, it’s a love-story with angst. As a young man, my hero, Finn, goes through such a lot. There’s fear and passion in his dark eyes.  I researched more for this story simply because unlike the other two novels, I’ve had no personal experience of the gypsies. Once I began researching Romany Gypsy folk-lore and way of life I was absolutely fascinated. I’ve attempted to describe the essence of what I believe to be a gift certain people have  – an insight into things which are...how can I say it? Spiritual? I don’t know how to explain it in the cold light of day. It has to be put over in fiction, in atmosphere, emotions and feelings, and it’s quite personal. That’s why I’m a novelist I guess.

Thanks so much for inviting me for an interview. I’ve really enjoyed it.

Links:

Amazon

Website    
   

Thank you for joining us, Therese and good luck with The Gypsy’s Son.

The RNA Blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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

Two Upcoming Events - London and Norwich - Saturday 10th Ocotber

If you're in the London area this Saturday, 10th October, four romantic novelists: Juliet Archer, Jean Fullerton, Janet Gover and Victoria Connelly will be talking about heroes, heroines and writing those love scenes at Waterstones in The Chimes, Uxbridge (Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines) between 2 - 4pm.Victoria and Janet have stories in the LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT anthology and will be signing this alongside their own books on the day.

Also on October 10th Fenella-Jane Miller will be in The Forum at Norwich selling books, along with four other East Anglian authors. She will also be informally launching her ninth Regency for Robert Hale, TWO GENTLEMEN FROM LONDON, which is released on 30th October. If you are in Norwich that Saturday please come stop by and say hello.