Karen Aldous in the South of France

We are delighted to welcome Karen Aldous to the blog today as she takes us to another beautiful location in France.

Your fourth book with Carina is soon to be published. Without giving too much away can you tell us a little about One Moment at Sunrise.

I love Evie Grant, my main character. Evie has everything, a gorgeous little girl, lives in a beautiful villa in southern France by the Canal-du-Midi with a talented and highly regarded singer-songwriter– her life, you imagine, so perfect, every girl’s dream. However, her life is empty, her loneliness desperately painful. This is where her emotional journey stems. The story unravels as her misery is explored and she discovers what is missing in her life.

Is the setting for your latest novel similar to those that came before? How important is location to you?

One Moment at Sunrise is set along the coast from my previous books; on the beautiful, man-made Canal-du-Midi where characters are woven from its history and influential to the story. I enjoy reading stories set in exotic locations, as well as writing them, they allow me to soak up the atmosphere and the holiday mood so I want my readers to immerse themselves in that too. A world away from their daily routine.

How much time do you devote to social media?

I try to limit it because it can be hugely distracting when I’m writing, but there are so many interesting stories, pics and snippets people post - it’s difficult. So, I try to do a half hour three times a day and I like to do a guest blog-post once a month. Obviously at launch times this all goes out the window, but hey-ho, it’s what writers do nowadays and its lovely to connect to readers.

Do you have a regime and do you stick to it or are you adaptable if something else ‘turns up’?

I have to be adaptable – I need balance in my life, I’m a Libran after all! I’ve never been one to rigidly stick to routine. My family and friends are core, so having them around or, taking off somewhere on an impulsive whim is possibly my weakness! Being so curious I can’t sit still long, so in some ways I’m purpose-built for writing but, of course, when deadlines are there, it’s all hands on keyboard!

Is there another book waiting in the wings?

Of course…I have so many ideas buzzing around, I can’t tell you so, yes. I never want to stop writing and I will soon start planning the next. Right now, I’m off to the Alps and I need to leave Evie to get on with her life and give my head an opportunity to recharge. You can’t imagine how much I’m looking forward to meeting my next characters and getting to know them.

Have you ever considered changing genre? Is there something quite different you’re burning to write?

Absolutely. I’d love to try a psychological suspense but the one burning desire I have is to write a beautiful sweeping epic. In fact, I began outlining and writing a synopsis as well as carrying out quite a bit of the research last spring, which although is still in its embryonic stage, it’s developing. It’s a dual time line, and a bit of a project. An eclectic mix of family drama, suspense, romance and historical fiction.

And finally, what is next for Karen Aldous?

All the above. And, I’ve also set myself a challenge to improve my writing skills. I’m in awe of writers such as Elena Ferrante, Tracy Rees and, Iona Grey, the recent Romantic Novel of the Year winner and the book I’m reading at the moment; it’s a spookily similar format to the epic I’ve planned, but these authors organise their words so beautifully.

Biog.

Much of Karen's inspiration comes from her travels. The UK, France, Switzerland and USA are just some you’ll be transported to in her books, but wherever she goes, new characters invite themselves into 'Karen's World' screaming to tell their stories; strong independent women capable of directing their own lives - but struggle to control them...especially when temptation strikes!

Karen feels so much of her success derives from support of fellow writers at Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Write Place.

Karen’s books published by Carina are available on Amazon:

One Moment at Sunrise

The Chateau

The Vineyard

The Riviera

Links:

Twitter: @KarenAldous_

Facebook:

Website:

The RNA blog is brought to you by

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write for us please get in touch: elaineeverest@aol.com

FOCUS ON: The Yorkshire Terriers

As the series progresses it is time to introduce another of our Chapters and I began by asking how they chose their name.

We decided on Yorkshire Terriers, because we’re in Yorkshire of course, but also because Yorkies are feisty, lively and determined. It seemed an appropriate reflection of our group and our aims which are to be very focussed on our writing and becoming published.

I love Yorkies and will forever have a vision of each of you tugging a pull or chewing at a bone which is, after all, the way most writers work. How long has your Chapter been running and how often do you meet?

It’s been running for about 6 years. We started it because we couldn’t make day meetings due to work. We meet on the third Thursday of every month.

Do you have a regular meeting place?

We meet in the centre of Doncaster within walking distance of the station, usually at the Old Angel Wetherspoons pub. Our members come from as far as Sheffield and North Yorkshire. Some don’t drive so we like to keep things as accessible as we can.

Your meetings must be good if people are prepared to travel so far. How many usually attend?

On average about 8 or 9 although it can be as few as 4 and as many as 14 when we have a full house. The majority of our members are in the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) or New Writers Scheme (NWS).  There are a few who are either lapsed members or writers waiting for a place on the NWS.

Do your meetings include a meal?

Yes, we usually like to order something while we talk. J The food is standard pub fare- tasty and reasonably priced and they do great desserts. The hot chocolate fudge cake is particularly popular. It’s well worth coming to the meetings just for the dessert.

You may have a few takers if hot chocolate fudge cake is on offer. Is your chapter open to non-members of the RNA?

Yes although they must be writing romance or associated sub genres.

How long do your meetings last?

We usually start at around 6.30pm. There is no formal end time- the meeting is over when the last person goes home (or the pub closes).

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

We don’t tend to have speakers or guests as our normal focus is mutual support and goal setting. Our meetings are relaxed and usually involve discussion around writing related issues. Between courses we discuss our progress on our targets and then set new ones. This helps us to be more disciplined and we support each other when things get tough.

What plans do the Terriers have for the rest of 2016?

We will continue to meet on the third Thursday of every month, supporting each other and setting targets around writing. We occasionally meet on Saturdays (about two per year) for write-ins. We are also hoping to run a subsidised event with a speaker.

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

The relaxed, informal atmosphere, the welcome, the information exchange that takes place and the all-heads-together approach to problem solving if things aren’t going well. Generally the supportive culture.

Does your chapter have a website, Facebook page or Twitter account and who is the contact for new members?

We have an invitation only Facebook group.

To join or visit contact Angela Wren (petitnuage.aw@gmail.com) or John Jackson (jjackson@btinternet.com

My thanks to Vasiliki Scurfield who so kindly answered all my questions

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

RNA Parties: Tickets for sale!

Today we welcome, Tracy Hartshorn to the blog. You will all recognise Tracy as the lady with the lovely smile who welcomes us all to the Romantic Novelists’ Association parties. We wondered how Tracy organises such fabulous events and how much of her time is spent making sure we enjoy ourselves.

Tracy, can you tell us which parties and events you organise for the RNA?

I organise the Summer and Winter Parties. I also sell the tickets for the RNA Awards, though the organisation for that is done by a sub-committee as it’s a much bigger ‘gig’ than the parties as we have a celebrity guest and much more! 

How are events announced to members?

Members can find out about RNA events on the RNA website www.rna-uk.org and also on the membership card which is sent to every member each February. Booking forms for the parties are placed in Romance Matters leading up to each event. Details are also on the website. Reminders are also put out on Social Networking, such as ROMNA and the RNA Facebook Group. I also use my own Twitter feed and Facebook profile to promote the events, and other members help me by sharing news.

What is the process when applying for tickets?

There is a booking form either on the RNA website or in Romance Matters. I prefer it if people fill the booking form in and send it to me by post as I then have a paper trail I can check. Booking by email is possible, but I still like to have a booking form.

We are lucky to see many well-known Industry professionals attend our events. Are they invited?

I send out a block reminder to industry professionals six weeks before the event, then again a fortnight before the event if a few haven’t got back to me.

I often get people saying ‘I didn’t know the party was happening’, or other times people slip through the cracks. Sometimes they’ve moved companies or changed email addresses. Other times it’s that their email provider identifies me as a phantom spammer (something that happens when you’re block-emailing people) and eats my email accordingly.

What I’m saying is that whilst I do my best to let everyone know, it’s a good idea to have a look at the RNA website and make a note of when the events are taking place so you don’t miss out.

The Winter Party 2015 was attended by over 40 industry professionals, and the members were delighted to be able to meet them!

Does your job stop once the tickets are posted out?

It doesn’t even begin with posting out the tickets. I have to liaise with our designer to create the tickets. I print them off and cut them to size (this is done professionally for the Awards). I also have to work out the ticket price for members and non-members, based on the cost of the room, wine and food.

I also liaise with Liza at the Royal Over Seas League about the canapes and wine (my favourite job) and then I have to make up all the name badges (my least favourite job). That involves printed out two name labels for each person, sticking them to card, putting the card into the plastic badge (which does wonders for the cuticles…ouch) then making sure I’ve done every one of the 200 plus guests. I can’t complete this until the last bookings come in, which means it’s something I can only do in the last couple of days before I leave for London (there are invariably changes). I also make a list of all industry professionals in attendance and print off twenty or thirty copies of the list for guests.

On the day of both parties there is always a committee meeting which, along with other duties, means I’m usually at the venue from around 11am onwards.

From around 5pm, aided by a certain Elaine Everest, I am in the Hall of India and Pakistan, getting the room ready.  We decorate the room, if needs be, put out all the badges and lanyards, and I chat with the lovely head-waiter about the running order for the evening. With the Joan Hessayon Awards at the Summer Party and now the Industry Awards at the Winter Party, everything is timed to ensure everyone has a glass of fizz in their hands for the toast.

The rest of the committee help out, by welcoming guests when they arrive and making sure that no one is left adrift. I’ll often be running around the room, trying to find the one editor that a guest can’t find amongst the throng. As I’m short, this isn’t always easy…

I also deal with any problems that might arise with guests, though thankfully there aren’t too many issues once the parties get going. Once the party is over, we wrestle lanyards and badges off everyone as they leave, then pack it all up for the next time.

I usually manage to get back to my hotel by about 10.30pm, when I have a nice cup of tea and rest my aching feet whilst reading early reports of the party on Facebook.

Tickets for the Winter Party sold out, which was fabulous, but this caused last minute problems for those wishing to attend who had left it too late to buy. Can you advise how to avoid this?

It really was the hottest ticket in town! People were apparently bartering online and my inbox was buzzing with folk wanting last minute tickets. I hated having to turn people down, but sadly I had no choice as the room was at capacity and the venue had sought my assurance  due to there wouldn’t be any more guests.

The best thing to do is book early to ensure your place at the event. I’m not sure everyone realises that there is a deadline of a week before the parties and the awards by which tickets should be booked.

I will do my best to honour any bookings that come in by the deadline, provided we haven’t reached capacity for the rooms at the Royal Over-Seas League or the Gladstone Library. The deadline is there because I have to send in final figures to both places about a week before each event so they can ensure there is enough food and drink, and in the case of the Gladstone Library, adequate seating. There are also health and safety reasons why the rooms cannot go over capacity and we have to abide by those rules as part of our contract with the venue.

If you are booking late in the day, even if it’s just before the deadline, I would advise not paying money by BACS, or posting a cheque, unless you have first checked with me that there are tickets left.

It’s worth pointing out that no one is officially allocated a place at the party until they have sent payment for it, either by BACS or cheque. So if you’ve promised to send payment but haven’t been able to do so for several months (and I do appreciate real life gets in the way) it’s best to contact me and check that I still have tickets available.

For all the reasons stated above it is not possible to just turn up on the night and pay at the door at any of the RNA parties or awards receptions.

What is the best part of your committee job?

Once the party/parties get going and I know everyone is having a good time. Oh and choosing the canapes! I really enjoy that job. I tend to choose what I would fancy eating and it seems everyone else agrees that the mini cream scones at the Royal Over-Seas League are delicious!

Mostly it’s great to be working alongside a fantastic group of ladies committed to making the RNA a great organisation. They know I get really nervous before each party and are always on hand with soothing words, and in the case of our lovely Chair, a calming cup of tea when I needed it the most!

What is the next RNA event?

The next event is the RNA Awards on 7^th March 2016. The booking form should be in the January edition of Romance Matters, so look out for it and do book early!

Link to all RNA activities

About Tracy:

Tracy Hartshorn writes as Sally Quilford, and has had over 20 romantic novels published by My Weekly Pocket Novels and Ulverscroft. She has also presented writing workshops at various venues in the UK, and at the RNA Conference. Tracy lives in Derbyshire with her husband and two Westies.

Tracy’s blogspot

Thank you Tracy. We feel exhausted just reading your answers. More mini cream scones at the next party please!

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

MEMBERSHIP CHANGES AT THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS’ ASSOCIATION

RNA membership secretary, Alison May, has popped along today to give us the exciting news about membership changes. Welcome, Alison.

Responding to change is one of the hardest things for any organisation to do – organisations have principles and values that they want to uphold, but at the same time nobody wants to get left behind while the world cheerily moves on around them. The Romantic Novelists’ Association is an organisation that exists for two reasons - to ‘raise the prestige of romantic authorship’ and ‘to encourage and foster the writing of romantic works'.

For years the RNA has worked towards these goals by celebrating and promoting the best in romantic fiction through events like the RoNA awards, and by supporting writers’ development through the New Writers’ Scheme for new and unpublished authors, and by providing development and networking opportunities for romance writers across the country through our meetings, conferences and local chapters. And for years it was felt relatively easy to identify what made a professional romance author – traditional publishing was the goal for new writers and the defining characteristic of our full members.

But over the last five to ten years the publishing industry has changed. The rise of ebooks and print-on-demand services has made self-publishing a commercially viable option in a way that, for the majority of authors, it simply hasn’t been before. At the same time, many publishers have struggled to adapt to a changing market place as high street booksellers have declined and the internet has become the default option for many book buyers. Increasing numbers of entrepreneurial authors have seen these changes as an opportunity and, by self-publishing, found a route to get their books directly to readers.

So I’m delighted that as of this September the RNA has recognised the professionalism of successful self-publishers and established a new category of membership – Independent Author Membership – as a route to full membership of the association. The first Independent Author Members are already signed up and we’re looking forward to seeing them contribute to the association.

If you’re a self-published author of romantic fiction you can find the full criteria for Independent Author Membership on our website: and I really hope you will consider joining the RNA. It’s one of the friendliest, most supportive, but also most professional and inspiring, organisations I’ve ever been a part of, and we look forward to welcoming more self-published writers to our ranks.

Alison writes as Alison May. Her romantic comedies are published by Choc Lit, and her most recent novel, Midsummer Dreams is out now in ebook.

She is also a creative writing tutor and Membership Secretary for the Romantic Novelists’ Association. You can find out more about Alison at www.alison-may.co.uk or by following her on twitter @MsAlisonMay

Thank you, Alison. We look forward to welcoming our new members and meeting them at chapter events, parties and the Summer Conference.




The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write for us please get in touch on elaineeverest@aol.com

Spotlight on the Sparkling Romaniacs

Anyone attending the recent RNA Conference couldn’t have failed to notice The Romaniac’s ‘Sparkle Spotlight’ event. We asked the ladies to tell us more about the glittering affair.

At the 2015 RNA Conference, The Romaniacs collectively decided to put together a Sparkle Spotlight corner to video some of the delegates and find out a bit more about them. The Romaniacs are eight writers all of whom were members of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme and joined together to support each other and blog about their progress.

In December last year, we all met up and had a pre-Christmas weekend, which we named our sparkle weekend and we all came away inspired with lots of ideas. One of those was our Life Cycle Of A Writer feature. Every week, on an eight week cycle, we each do an update on how things are going and we try to feature all aspects of our writing lives. From this, the idea for The Romaniacs Sparkle Spotlight Corner formed. It was a way of saying thank you to the RNA and its members who’ve been so supportive to us and in turn we got to find out about their life cycle as a writer: the highs, the lows, and what they are currently working on.

Having come up with the idea, we contacted the conference organisers (Jan Jones and Jenny Barden) to see if it was possible, and with their approval, we become part of the conference programme.

We got ourselves organised behind the scenes, working out how many appointment slots we could offer and sorting out what equipment would be needed. Posters were designed by Sue Fortin and tickets sent to all those taking part.

Then the conference arrived! The prosecco and chocolates were chilled – we were ready. Originally the plan had been to video in the coffee break area, but the sound of 200+ novelists chatting would have drowned out our interviewees. So instead we camped outside the one-to-one rooms in an area that was just perfect for our red carpet. It also meant that we managed to interview some industry professionals, which was an added bonus. We soon found out Celia J Anderson is a natural interviewer and we all need to work on our clapper board action.

Once home, it was Laura E James who sat down and edited the final videos. She spent a couple of days doing it and we owe her a big thank you for carrying out undoubtedly the most complex of the tasks.

Here is the conference video we put together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBKFM12lUEw

It gives a real feel of what it was like to be there. The interview videos have been featured on The Romaniacs blog over the past week with more to be released. Hopefully that’s coffee break entertainment covered for a while. It was really a privilege to hear what a whole range of writers have been up to. We’re a talented, determined bunch in the RNA.

And as it’s been so popular, there’s already talk of it happening again next year. So if you are going to conference next year, make sure you sign up for The Romaniacs Sparkly Red Carpet!

Love,

The Romaniacs

The Romaniacs are Catherine Miller, Jan Brigden, Lucie Wheeler, Vanessa Savage, Debbie Fuller-White, Laura James, Sue Fortin and Celia J Anderson.

Thank you ladies, be assured The RNA blogging team will add their names to your list for next year!

The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you wish to be featured on the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com