FOCUS ON: The Cornish Chapter

Today we are delighted to welcome Brenda Hawkey to the blog as she tells Natalie Kleinman about getting a new Chapter ‘off the ground’.

Congratulations on starting a new Chapter. What do you call it and why do you think it’s important for Cornwall to have its own Chapter.

Thank you. Welcome to The Cornish Chapter, which translated into the Cornish language is Bagas Chaptra Kernewek" a’gas dynnergh.

Cornwall has a long history of producing and inspiring writers, but what makes the county so beautiful and popular with tourists, i.e. its small villages, rural countryside and almost completely surrounded by sea, can pose as obstacles to keeping in touch with fellow writers.

I live in North Cornwall, so, when I joined the NWS in January, I was able to drive the sixty miles to the Exeter Chapter, where I gained a lot of support and made new friends. Despite the long car journey I was aware I was one of the lucky ones as writers who lived further southwest had an even longer journey to make. Cornwall needed its own group and when I discovered I was not alone in thinking this, I thought I’d attempt to start one.

Is this the first time Cornwall has had a chapter?

No, there was one in 2000 which lasted a couple of years. Chrissie Loveday held most of the meetings in her house as there was plenty of parking. Initially it was well attended, sometimes as many as 16 people, but sadly it came to an end when numbers began to dwindle.

How did you get it started?

I made a list of all the RNA members who had expressed an interest in attending a Cornish meeting and added them all to a single Facebook group conversation. The conversation quickly took off and a date, time and venue were soon agreed by all. After the first meeting, I started up a Chapter Facebook Group and invited interested members to join. I also announced it on the RNA Facebook page, the ROMNA Yahoo group and informed the RNA to make it official. It was easy to start a Chapter Group, but from now on it needs its members’ participation to keep it active.

How did the first chapter meeting go?

I don’t mind admitting that I was a little nervous that no one else would turn up, but I need not have worried. We arranged to have our first meeting at The County Arms in Truro. However, it takes courage to walk into a pub on your own, and it’s a strange experience to meet people you have never met face to face before. It also feels odd to ask another person (who is looking equally lost) if they are a member of the RNA. One feels like an undercover spy making contact with another agent. The only thing missing was the handing over of a package marked Top Secret. However, we managed to meet up successfully and because we had something in common, conversation began to flow very easily. Seven members attended the first meeting. It was informal and fun, and there was a nice mixture of traditionally published authors, indie authors and members of the NWS. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up being the noisiest table!

How often do you meet?

At the moment, the core membership is small, so we have decided to meet every other month. This may change in the future, but at the moment it is the 4th Thursday on alternate months ie Nov, Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sept.

Where is your regular meeting place?

At present, the regular meeting place is The County Arms, Highertown, Truro, TR1 3PY at 12.00 midday. We chose this inn because it is centrally located, the parking is plentiful and free, and it serves affordable, tasty food. The railway and town centre is a 10-15 minutes walk away, making it ideal for a bit of retail therapy after lunch. The meetings are more akin to an informal lunch date with friends and the topics are on whatever we want to chat about at the time.

However, this venue may change in the future. The Cornish Chapter is new and willing to evolve to meet the wishes of the majority of its members.

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

Yes, I feel we need to be inclusive towards anyone who has a passion for writing as our core group is quite small compared to groups in more urban areas. Therefore, at the moment, the lunch dates are open to non-members who have been invited by a member.  However, The Cornish Facebook Page remains a closed group for members of the RNA in order to provide a safe and intimate group for discussions.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2016?

I hope that it will grow from strength to strength. Cornwall has lost its chapter group before, so we are aware that chapters can fail as a result of dwindling support. Unfortunately, once lost, it may not return for several years. It took over a decade for another chapter to form in Cornwall, so it would be a shame to lose it again.

           

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

At our first meeting we discovered we had more than just writing in common. We discovered we all share a love for Cornwall and feel very lucky to call it our home. Its geography may make us feel a little isolated at times, but we are determined not to allow it to have a detrimental effect on our writing careers and to use its uniqueness to enhance our novels as our predecessors have done in the past. So it appears we share the same muse, Cornwall, and that is something quite special.

What are the key elements to starting a new group?

Someone willing to start one. It takes a little time, but not as much as you would expect.

People willing to join.

Choose a good location. It will not be perfect for everyone, but it should be considered “good enough” for most. Compromise is the key word here.

Good communication is a must and should remain a priority.

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

Facebook:

Who is the contact for new members?

Brenda Hawkey

Email address: BDHawkey@hotmail.co.uk

We welcome new members, so please feel free to contact me if you would like to join.

Thank you which is  Meur ras in Cornish.

I have found your answers inspirational, Brenda, as I am sure our readers will too. Good luck for the future. It obviously won’t be for want of trying!

Natalie has been writing for sixteen years and her first two novels, Safe Harbour and Honey Bun, were published in 2014. Her third is with her agent, Lisa Eveleigh of the Richford Becklow Literary Agency. She is currently writing a Regency-based romance and wishes she could live between the pages of her book if only to wear the beautiful dresses that were fashionable at the time. You can read about Natalie’s achievements on her Blog.

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

Would you like to write for the RNA blog? Please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

Workshops and Courses with Nikki Moore

We both enjoy attending workshops for writers and thought it would be a splendid idea to run a series for members to find out more about these resources. Who better to write our new series than the lovely Nikki Moore. Thank you for agreeing to fit this task into your already busy schedule, Nikki.

A belated Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2016 has been kind to you so far.

I was thrilled when the lovely ladies who run the RNA blog – Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman - asked me to join the team and write a monthly post about writing workshops and courses that might be of interest to our members, as well as the wider writing community.

I’m even more delighted to kick off the series with a post about the workshop I’ll be co-running with award winning author Sue Moorcroft next month. (She also happens to be my aunt so it’s doubly a pleasure to do this workshop with her). For the four years that I was on the New Writer’s Scheme pursuing a publication contract, I didn’t dare dream of a day that I would be delivering workshops for aspiring writers or to published authors who want to improve their knowledge of the writing craft, so 2016 is an exciting time for me.

Without further ado, here’s what you need to know.

Workshop Title:

‘How to Write and Sell Your Novel’ with Romantic Novelists Sue Moorcroft and Nikki Moore.

Workshop Details: Thursday 18^th February 2016, 10 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. at the Limes Hotel, Park Road, Swanage, Dorset (BH19 2AE). This is part of the annual Purbeck Literary Festival. More details about the festival can be found here.

What the Tutors Say: This fun, interactive one-day course is designed to arm participants with the writing and storytelling techniques particular to novel writing.

Enjoy a practical workshop with two experienced novelists who will share their knowledge and experience, looking not only at writing and storytelling, but at genres, submission techniques and the publishing world. Expect practical exercises, talks, group forums and Q & A. Bring your writing materials of choice.

Aimed at: Aspiring authors who are planning to write a romance novel, or people who have written a novel and want to take the next step and sell it. This may also suit published novelists who are interested in switching to the romance / women’s fiction genre.

Course Tutors:

Sue Moorcroft

Award winning author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary women’s fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is this Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past Vice Chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a creative writing tutor. Her latest book is The Wedding Proposal.

You can find out more about Sue via her website or Twitter @suemoorcroft

Nikki Moore

A devoted Dorset girl, Nikki Moore has a HR day job, two kids and a lovely boyfriend to keep her busy alongside the writing. Published mainly by HarperImpulse, she’s the author of the #LoveLondon series, which has been in the Top 100 short story charts on Kobo and the Top 20 in the Amazon UK bestsellers Holiday chart.

Nikki was a finalist in a number of writing competitions from 2010 to 2012 and her debut novel Crazy, Undercover, Love was shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon (New Writer’s) Award 2015. Valentine’s on Primrose Hill (the third #LoveLondon novella) was shortlisted for Best Short Romance in the Love Stories Awards 2015. She also has a story in the bestselling RNA/Mills & Boon anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply. Nikki is a strong supporter of aspiring authors, loves to chat about writing and reading, and can often be found on Twitter when she should be writing.

You can find out more about Nikki via her blog or Twitter @NikkiMoore_Auth

Booking details: 

Tickets are £25 per person including a buffet lunch and are available from the Swanage Tourist Information Centre (Tel. 01929 422885) or the Discover Purbeck Information Centre (Tel. 01929 552740). Alternatively you can book online here

Why not treat yourself to an inspiring start to the year?

What a bargain! 

Good luck with your workshop, Nikki and Sue.

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

Janet Gover - Globe-Trotting Author

Today we welcome the RNA’s own technical genius. I give you…Janet Gover.

A lot of people know me as the RNA’s resident geek – doing my ‘techie’ stuff at conference and also creating the big screen presentations at the Awards nights and parties.

Last year, I had the fabulous experience of attending the Romance Writers of Australia Conference – not as a worker, but as the finalist for their Romantic Book of The Year Award. The shortlisted book was Flight To Coorah Creek; the first novel of a series set in a remote Australian outback town. As an expat Aussie living in London, it was an amazing feeling to be nominated by readers back in my homeland. Of course, I immediately booked flights back to Australia for the RWA conference.

RWA presents the awards at its conference. Because of the vast distances involved, there is only one national event each year. It’s always held in a five star hotel – which is fabulous, but expensive, especially when combined with an airfare from the other side of the planet. But there was no way I was going to miss it. Even the delayed flight, lost luggage and an unexpected stop in an airport about 1700 miles from our destination was not enough to deter me.

Apart from the five star hotel, the RWA conference is much like the RNA conference – but bigger. I had a lovely couple of days meeting with authors and publishers and RWA members. There was the same community feel we all love about our RNA events – and the RWA welcomed me with open arms. The gala awards dinner was in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Hotel, which holds more than 1,000 people. And there I was, with my book, up on a big screen presentation not that very different to the one I do each year for the RNA awards. It was such a thrill. I didn’t win – but as a shortlisted author, I received a lovely silver pin.

I made my way home to London (my luggage came with me this time) to find that I had been shortlisted for another award – this time in the US. It was the Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Award conducted by the Denver chapter of the Romance Writers of America. The American RWA, as we all know, has many thousand members, so a shortlisting for a chapter award is really an achievement- and for an English author writing books set in Australia… well, I was over the moon.

I couldn’t attend the ceremony… I was teaching that weekend at a tutor led writing retreat here in the UK (a double header with the brilliant Alison May). At the retreat, everyone raised a glass to wish me luck. Perhaps it worked. The day after I got home, I received an email to tell me I had won my category. I actually tied for the win with an author who has TWICE been on the RITA award shortlist. Wow! I was quite beside myself over that! A few days later, I received the award in the snail mail, and that plaque now hangs proudly in my office. We all know how hard the US market is to break, and an award like this for a writer from England is rare – even more so when the book is set in Australia. It just goes to show that readers cannot be so easily categorised or predicted … and are always happy to enjoy a the right book, whatever its origin.

That was the highlight of a hugely busy year for me… and here’s hoping 2016 will be just as much fun!

BTW… After the success of last year’s tutor led retreat (and I don’t just mean that I won the award that weekend), I’m joining forces with Alison May again for two retreats this year:  Developing Your Novel in May and Advanced Novel Writing in October. You can find out more about there on my website here : http://janetgover.com/?page_id=1891

And who knows – with luck maybe we’ll find another reason to celebrate that weekend too – if not for me, maybe for someone else.

Links:

Website: http://janetgover.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/janetgoverbooks/

Twitter : @janet_gover

Books : http://www.choc-lit.com/productcat/janet-gover/

What a wonderful year you’ve had, Janet. Here’s wishing you as much success in 2016 and into the future.

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

If you would like to write for the blog in 2016 please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

COMPETITION MONTHLY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How did you hear about your win?

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

What tips would you give to those entering novel competitions?

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

Tell us something about the book

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

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

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

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

Good luck, everyone who enters!

Francesca

Other competitions coming up:

The Colm Tóibín International Short Story Award

Theme: Open, 1,800 – 2,000 words

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

Competition Deadline: 1^st April 2016

Entry: €10

Details

The 2016 Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award

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

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

Competition Deadline: 30 April 2016

Entry: £10

Details

About Francesca:

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

Thank you, Francesca!

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

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

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

Meet The Publisher: Crooked Cat Publishing.

This month we welcome back Sally Quilford who is chatting to Stephanie Patterson of Crooked Cat Publishing.

Crooked Cat Publishing was founded in 2011 by Stephanie and Laurence Patterson. The company is modelled on independent US publishers, with a focus on a community of authors rather than on a small number of bestsellers. 

Laurence has gained experience in academic publishing over the past 15 years. Stephanie’s

background is in romantic historical fiction. She was previously published with an independent US publisher, where she learnt much about the publishing process.

In 2016, Crooked Cat will focus mainly on two genres: romance and crime fiction. After diversifying in the early years, the streamlining towards these two genres will ensure an even more focused approach.

How many titles does your company publish each year and where are your books sold?

Crooked Cat releases up to approximately 30 titles per year. This includes new instalments in our popular crime series.

Our titles are sold on a range of e-tailers, such as Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, with print-on-demand paperbacks available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and listed with Gardners and Ingrams.

What do you look for in a romantic novel?

We look for a gripping plot, with fascinating characters who have to overcome obstacles – either in their minds or ‘real’ events – to find happiness together. The setting is also important as it adds to the overall atmosphere of the story.

How might writers improve their chances of being published by you?

A book has to grab you from the start. A hook early on in a novel is important to draw the reader into the story. Also, a good grasp of basic grammar helps. Authors should therefore not submit an early draft, but ensure their manuscript is tidy, neat and also adheres to the publisher’s submission requirements.

What reason might you reject a novel/author?

A slow beginning, genres other than those we list on the website and a poor grasp of grammar.

How long can writers expect to wait for a response to their submissions? This includes acknowledgements or acceptances/rejections.

Crooked Cat usually responds to an author within 12 weeks, however, it can take longer if the volume of submissions around certain dates is particularly high.

Do you read romance (in your leisure time)?

Yes, I love reading romance. I am particularly fond of historical romance.

How do you see the future for writers of romance and the romance publishing industry in general?

The romance genre is hugely popular around the world, and there will always be readers – and not all female – who appreciate a well-rounded, intelligent story with a happy ending.

Do you attend RNA events? (so that our readers might have the chance to meet you)

Sadly, we haven’t managed to attend any RNA events to date, however, we wouldn’t rule it out in the future. It would be lovely to meet readers and authors one day in person.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to be featured. Much appreciated.

You’re very welcome, Stephanie. Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule to talk to us.

Links for Crooked Cat Publishing:

Website

Facebook 

Twitter @crookedcatbooks

About Sally Quilford

Sally is the author of over 20 novels, the majority of them romance. Her first novel with Crooked Cat, The Secret of Lakeham Abbey, is her usual heady mix of crime and romance, and will be published in 2016. 

Sally’s Blog

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