Alison May: Midsummer Magic!

We welcome Alison May to the blog. Alison tells us why A Midsummer Night’s Dream really really has to happen at Midsummer

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play about a night where anything is possible, where fairies and humans come together, and fall in love, and sleep and dream, and occasionally turn one another into donkeys. It’s a play all about a sort of fleeting magic that’s so real when it’s happening, but in the morning leaves you dazed and confused about how you got from where you were last night to where you are right now.

My first instinct when trying to write an adaptation of the play was to shift the action entirely from midsummer to Hallowe’en. Hallowe’en has that quality of being a night when worlds collide and the rules that stop magic from happening don’t necessarily apply, but when I tried to write the story in that setting, something didn’t quite work, because in a medium sized provincial city in Britain in 2015 – which is where my novel, Midsummer Dreams, is set – Hallowe’en isn’t about magic and mystery; it’s about trick or treating, and barmaids wearing pound shop witches hats, and gingerbread pumpkins with orange icing. And none of those things shriek romance and magical possibility.

And so I went back to Midsummer, which is a different sort of beast altogether. The longest day of the year, with the shortest night, and right across Europe there are traditions around that shortest night. Mostly they involve fire. Because, really all the best ancient traditions involve setting fire to stuff. Want to make on offering to the Gods? Set fire to it. Want to greet the rising sun? Start a fire. Want to keep away the fearsome spirits of the night? Light a fire.

And, as with so many ancient traditions, as Christianity spread across Europe, the new religion adopted some of the rituals and feastdays of the old, so John the Baptist now has his saint’s day at Midsummer, and back in the middle ages the celebrations for the solstice were able to continue under the new name of St John’s Eve. In Gloucestershire, for example, there was a tradition of setting fires which would scare away the dragons which were, undoubtedly loitering somewhere just out of sight, and that continued after Christianity had taken hold, only now they were St John’s nice Christian fires which, presumably, would specifically ward off nasty heathen dragons.

In many European countries, particularly in Scandinavia, Midsummer continues to be a big deal, but in Britain, outside of pagan circles, those universally understood rituals have largely ebbed away. From a writer’s point of view that’s fantastic. It means that Midsummer is left with a vague sense of magic and ritual and something long forgotten about it, but beyond that the creative imagination can run wild. There might be fairies. There might be potions. There might be magic. There might be love. There might even be a donkey, but, then again, there might not. Midsummer is a gift to a writer because it remains a time when, for one short night and one long day, anything seems possible.

About Midsummer Dreams

Four people. Four messy lives. One night that changes everything …

Emily is obsessed with ending her father’s new relationship – but is blind to the fact that her own is far from perfect. 

Dominic has spent so long making other people happy that he’s hardly noticed he’s not happy himself. 

Helen has loved the same man, unrequitedly, for ten years. Now she may have to face up to the fact that he will never be hers. 

Alex has always played the field. But when he finally meets a girl he wants to commit to, she is just out of his reach. 

At a midsummer wedding party, the bonds that tie the four friends together begin to unravel and show them that, sometimes, the sensible choice is not always the right one.

Midsummer Dreams is out now on Kindle.

About Alison May

Alison May is a novelist and short story writer who lives in Worcester. Her contemporary romantic comedies, including Sweet Nothing and Midsummer Dreams and the Christmas Kisses series are published by Choc Lit.

Alison is a qualified teacher with a degree in Creative Writing. She has taught creative writing for HOW College and the University of Worcester, and now runs her independent novel writing workshops.

You can find out more about Alison at www.alison-may.co.uk or on Twitter @MsAlisonMay

Thank you for weaving your magic, Alison.

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

NEW! Join the RNA's Facebook Group!

With so many members of The Romantic Novelists’ Association frequenting Facebook the committee agreed it was time to have our own group where members could pop in for a chat, ask questions and hear the latest writing news.

Elaine Everest set up the group a week ago for Full, Associate and NWS members. With the assistance of fellow admin, Tracy Hartshorn (aka Sally Quilford) and Alison May we have got off to a flying start.

YOUR ADMIN:

Elaine Everest

Elaine is a full time writer of non-fiction, short stories, articles and novels. She owns The Write Place creative writing school at The Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford, Kent. And manages social media for the RNA. Elaine is currently acting as Pitch Session Manager for the upcoming conference industry appointments. Her next novel, The Woolworths’ Girls is to be published by Pan Macmillan in early 2016. Elaine is represented by Caroline Sheldon of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.

www.thewriteplace.org.uk

Twitter: @elaineeverest

Tracy Hartshorn

Tracy (aka Sally Quilford) is the author of over twenty novellas published by DC Thomson and Ulverscroft Large Print, and has had short stories published in women’s magazines in Britain and abroad. Tracy also arranges the RNA Summer and Winter Parties, and sells tickets for the RNA Awards.

http://sallyquilford.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: @quillers

Alison May

Alison is a novelist and short story writer as well as the RNA Membership Secretary. Her contemporary romantic comedies, including Shakespeare adaptations, Sweet Nothing and Midsummer Dreams, and the Christmas Kisses series, are published by Choc Lit. Alison is a qualified teacher with a degree in Creative Writing. She has taught creative writing for HOW College and the University of Worcester, and now runs her independent novel writing workshops.

www.alison-may.co.uk

Twitter: @MsAlisonMay

RULES:

There are no rules! However, we do have a few group guidelines:

1. The group is open to anyone who is a member of the RNA: Full, NWS and Associate members.

2. It's not primarily a promo group, but it's fine to share big news. If you are not interested in a thread, just scroll on.

3. Please do not add friends to the group unless you have their permission and know they are RNA members. It creates more work for admin otherwise.

4. Before starting a new thread check the subject is not already being discussed. This can be done by scrolling down the page or using the search facility at the top right hand side of the page.

5. Admin for this group are Elaine Everest, Sally Quilford and Alison May. They reserve the right to remove posts that fall outside these guidelines.

6. And finally, most importantly, please be courteous to one another.

Why not pop along and join our new group? Please remember the group is for members of the Romantic Novelists' Association  but if you aren't yet an RNA member why not join us? Details here:
http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/join

For members wishing to joing our Facebook group follow this link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1585335195063208/

Chatting with Katherine Garbera

Katherine Garbera Revealed

What do you love most about being a writer?

It’s hard to pick just one thing that I love about writing.  From the beginning I’ve always enjoyed making up story worlds and the people who inhabit them.  I love delving into the depths of the characters and exploring their fears and deepest hurts and then using love to fix them.

What is a typical day in your life?

My typical day is not very exciting!  I get up at six and do some social media stuff while drinking a cup of coffee in bed.  Then I do email and updates for an hour, do the morning school run and come back to settle in and write.  I aim for a chapter a day and write in three sessions—one scene each. I take a break for lunch.  Godiva (my sweet miniature dachshund) and I go for a walk and then I come back to clean up my pages.  It’s time for business calls with editors, agents and other authors and then the afternoon school run.

Where do you get your inspiration from for your writing?

I get my ideas from everything.  I love reading newspapers and online news blogs.  I’m a news junkie!  When I see a story that sparks an idea I print it out and add it to my idea file.  I also love to read magazines and often find inspiration for characters in them.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met and why?

It has to be Lauren (Betty) Bacall.  I was lucky enough to meet her at a cocktail party and could have listened to her smoky voice for hours.  She had a lot of fascinating stories and I felt lucky to get to hear them.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading Cry Love by Eve Gaddy.  It’s a gritty romantic suspense.  I love it!

What genre do you like to read?

Every one!  Seriously my only criteria for reading a book is that I has sound interesting and be written in an engaging way. 

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book of all time is THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL by Baroness Orczy.  It’s a romantic adventure and I just adore it.

What do you love to do to unwind and relax?

Spending time with my family relaxes me.  I’m also known to head to the kitchen and start baking when I get stressed.  There is something so therapeutic in making chocolate chip cookies and then eating them! 

USA Today bestselling author Katherine Garbera is a two-time Maggie winner who has written more than 60 books. A Florida native who grew up to travel the globe, Katherine now makes her home in the Midlands of the UK with her husband, two children and a very spoiled miniature dachshund.  Her latest release is Carrying a King’s Child. 

Links:

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter: @katheringarbera

In Praise of the North

Jane Lovering joins us today to tell us about the planned RNA Northern Tea Party. 

I sometimes get asked why a good southern girl like me writes books based in Yorkshire. And I have to answer that it’s because I live here and can do research without having to do anything more strenuous than look out of the windows. I’m practically naturalised now, although I still say ‘scone’ to rhyme with ‘stone’ and pronounce bath as ‘barth’. I’m also used to the patchy mobile reception up in the moors, half-day closings, and shops that sell everything from five barred gates to washing powder under the same roof. My books are marketed as the ‘Yorkshire Romances’ series, despite having nothing linking them but the fact that they’re set in Yorkshire. My latest book How I Wonder What You Are is actually set on the North York Moors, where I based the heroine’s exploits riding her horse across the moorland on my own experiences. Apart from the ‘finding a naked man’ part. I haven’t done that yet, but live in hope.

So, when it was mooted that there should be an RNA Northern party, to give those of us who can’t make the London-based parties a chance to wear posh frocks and nice shoes, and Lynda Stacey offered to organise it and asked me to help, I jumped at the chance. After all, even we adopted Northerners sometimes like to get out of our wellington boots and into something slinky. We decided to go for something a little different to the London parties, and, once I’d been sat on to prevent me from suggesting completely impossible things (I was going to suggest either an RNA Rodeo or Burlesque lessons) we agreed on an Afternoon Tea.  So we’ve duly booked the 15^th century York Guildhall for the day on Saturday, 5th September in the centre of the beautiful city of York. We’ve ordered good weather to enhance the view over the river, and enough sandwiches and cake to provide refreshment for an entire host of romantic novelists. 

Even better, we have Milly Johnson coming to give a talk, entitled ‘the RSPB Guide to Northern Birds’. As a prime example of Northern Birdhood herself, her talk will be educational and hysterical and accompanied by cream scones and tea, so it’s a winner all round, I think you’ll agree.  We’re hoping for a good turnout of both frocks and shoes, there will be sandwiches, cakes, quiches and scones and unlimited tea and coffee, and both Lynda and I are looking forward to seeing an influx of Romantic Novelists converging on York.

I still think a rodeo would have been a good idea, though…

For tickets contact Jane at janelovering@gmail.com

Thank you, Jane. Our tickets are booked and we can’t wait to join you.

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

Kate Thompson: Secrets of the Singer Girls

Today we welcome Kate Thompson to the blog. Kate’s debut novel, Secrets of the Singer Girls, a nostalgic wartime saga set in an East End garment factory was published in March by Pan Macmillan. The journalist-turned-novelist tells us about the inspiration behind her first book.

The chilling moment I discovered I was a victim of a wartime tragedy!
 

Staring down the stairway that leads into London’s Bethnal Green Tube Station, I found myself about to be taken on a journey back in time.  On a spring day with streams of commuters descending the stairs, nothing could look more ordinary, but seventy-two years ago, tragedy unfolded on those steps.

Little is known of the biggest civilian disaster of the Second World War, but in less than 30 seconds, 173 people, were crushed to death on the stairway that led down to what was then an underground shelter. Not a single German bomb was dropped, but in the time it took for the air raid siren to sound, the narrow corridor was converted into a charnel house as a horrifying crush of people piled helplessly one on top of another.

After the searchlights went on, an anti-aircraft battery in nearby Victoria Park launched a salvo of new rockets and, fearing a bomb, the crowd surged forward. A mother carrying a baby tripped on the stairs and, like a pack of cards, the shelterers fell, one by one. The scenes were unimaginable on that bleak March night in 1943.

My reason for wanting to visit the sight where so many people died wasn’t born out of morbid curiosity, however. I was there to research it as I had already decided to feature the Tube disaster in the novel I was writing. Set in the East End of London, Secrets of the Singer Girls attempts to unravel the mysteries that bind four machinists who work sewing Navy and Army uniforms for the troops.

The research I had already conducted revealed a world of poverty, grim survival, immense bravery and human tragedy in wartime Bethnal Green. But it was discovering that I shared a name with a victim who died in the disaster, which leant a deep poignancy to my research. Just who was the other Kate Thompson, and what led her to flee to the so-called sanctuary of the underground that fateful day? Cursory research did not bode well. Kate was at the Black Horse pub in her favourite fur-collared coat when the sirens went off. She was a 63-year-old mother of nine, living in one of Bethnal Green’s roughest areas, when she perished. It would be easy to dismiss Kate as a victim battling for survival but to do so would be foolish. A closer examination into her life revealed some surprising results.

Kate Hammersley was born in September 1880 in Poplar, East London. At the age of 18, she married William Thompson, and moved to Bethnal Green, where she bore him seven sons and two daughters. They resided at Quinn Square in Russia Lane.

Pre-war, Bethnal Green housed some of the worst slums in London and, of them, one of the most notorious was Quinn Square, a place where locals say you never went after dark and policemen only dared visit in pairs. Some of the flats contained illegal gambling dens and when the police were about, quick-witted residents would whistle off the balconies. None of the flats had their own water taps or toilets, and tenants shared facilities on the landing between four families. Washhouse facilities were housed on the roof, and the women of the Square had to drag their laundry up six flights.

According to one local resident, the stench from the toilets was unholy. Perhaps that’s why Russia Lane had its own bathing centre, known as a Personal Cleansing Station to deal with infestations of vermin and scabies, otherwise known at The Itch. So far, so depressing.

By August 1938, Kate Thompson and many others lived in a squalid, dilapidated hellhole. Residents reported broken steps, lavatory doors with no locks and broken facilities in the washhouse. Not only that, but the landlords were having a merry time at their expense, charging exorbitant rents for such miserly facilities. How did the feisty women of Quinn Square put up with this? The answer is, they didn’t.

According to the electoral register, Kate was registered to vote from as early as 1923. Perhaps it was this interest in politics that lead Kate to insist on her right to a decent standard of living. Far from being a dormant victim, Kate and the other residents promptly formed a Tenants Association and flatly refused to pay their rents until the rapacious landlords reduced the rents to more reasonable levels. One landlord responded by attempting to evict a tenant. When the agent arrived on eviction day, the tenants, wielding placards and chanting, ‘Less Rent, More Repairs’, barred their way and the landlord was forced to beat a hasty retreat. The biggest rent strike ever seen in the East End sent the press wild.

Buoyed by their success, the tenants of Quinn Square paraded around Bethnal Green with their placards and picketed the estate office. Apparently, every time the landlord went into the Square – on one occasion even accompanied by a group of Sir Oswald Mosley’s fascists, who attempted to break up the tenants meeting by organised hooliganism – a huge crowd of women followed them and booed them out of Russia Lane, pelting them with hot potatoes. And so it was that Kate and her neighbours scored a resounding victory for the working-class underdogs of Quinn Square.  It would take more than an unscrupulous landlord and some bullyboy fascists to scare them into submission. The landlords acceded to their demands to lower the rent and carry out repairs, and the test case for arrears of rent made history, paving the way for success for other Tenants Associations.

A year later, war broke out, and Kate began the second great fight of her life. Quinn Square was demolished in the 1960s, but I believe Kate’s legacy remains today. It proves that you should never underestimate the fighting power of a woman when her home and her family are under threat – 1938 or 2015, it matters not, a mother will fight tooth and nail to protect the roof over her children’s heads.

The other Kate wasn’t afraid to stand up to corrupt landlords and fascists marching on her street. My 1940s namesake was a far stronger, finer lady than I. Indeed, it would appear that a love of a fur collar is about all we have in common. I wish I had one ounce of her courage and pluck.

Kate Thompson doesn’t actually appear in Secrets of the Singer Girls, but I hope I’ve instilled her fighting spirit into my characters.

 

About Kate:

For fifteen years, I worked as a journalist for national newspapers and magazines like the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, and IPC’s true-life weekly magazine Pick Me Up as a Deputy Editor.

The birth of my second son prompted me to launch myself into the world of freelance journalism four years ago. A friend told me about ghost writing and it seemed the perfect thing to combine with the demands of young children so I found an agent, Diane Banks, and with her guidance ghosted five memoirs for publishers like Penguin and Simon & Schuster. Ghost writing gave me the feel of writing long-form narrative and allowed me to build my confidence. When my agent suggested I try my hand at writing my own book I leapt at the chance. Writing fiction was a long held dream and no way was I going to squander that opportunity. I won’t lie reader, writing in this genre was a slow burn, but for two years I chipped away it and finally, Secrets of the Singer Girls was born.

Stepping out from the shadow of ghost writing and learning to promote myself has been a steep, but immensely rewarding, learning curve. Meeting other authors, like Elaine Everest at Pan Macmillan events really helps too. Writing is solitary, so networking and research trips to the East End are a joy.

I'm curently working on a prequel to Secrets of the Singer Girls, provisionally entitled, Secrets of the Sewing Bee, for Pan Macmillan. When I'm not locked in my office trying to write, I am chasing after my two energetic young sons and an escape-artist miniature Jack Russell called Twinkle. Life is anything but dull. Please do get in touch of you want to say hello!

Links:

Email: katethompson380@hotmail.com

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @katethompson380 or @SingerSecrets

http://www.stairwaytoheavenmemorial.org

Thank you, Kate for a fascinating insight into the life of the other Kate Thompson!

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

SOPHIE CLAIRE: What I Learned from the New Writers' Scheme

For any graduate of the New Writers' Scheme Sophie Claire’s blog piece will bring back memories of the days leading up to publication. For me that culminated in the recent Joan Hessayon Award evening at the RNA Summer Party so I am delighted to welcome her today to tell us of her own experiences

I’ve been a member of the RNA since 2007 and I submitted 7 novels to the New Writers’ Scheme before getting an offer of publication from Accent Press in 2014 for my novel,  Her Forget-Me-Not Ex. I think it’s fair to say I served a long apprenticeship and, although this was frustrating at the time, I look back now and realise how much I learned during those years.

Discipline: to make the most of the NWS I had to write a minimum of 1 book per year. It’s the same for many published writers. So even before I was published, I tried to adopt a professional attitude and that meant no waiting around for inspiration to strike: I was at my desk every morning to produce my daily word count.

Anything can be changed: when I first began writing I was very precious about my work and it was borne of insecurity (‘I wrote it once, but I won’t be able to write it again’). However, the revisions often turned out to be far easier than I’d imagined because by then I knew the characters so much better than in the first draft.

The importance of conflict: this came up repeatedly in my NWS reports. I learned that in romance solid, sustainable reasons are needed to keep the hero and heroine apart until the end of the story, and those reasons (conflict) can’t be superficial misunderstandings that could be cleared up with an honest conversation. They need to come from within the characters, and should develop naturally as the novel progresses, as secrets are revealed and issues are addressed.

Show more of the hero’s point of view: this was advice given to me specifically for the type of short romance I was aiming for and it might not be relevant to every novel. However, following it improved my novel, Her Forget-Me-Not Ex. It opened up the story, and helped to show the reader how the conflict between Luc and Natasha was shaped by their attitudes and prejudices, and how these changed as the story progressed.

Acknowledge your strengths: when a report tells you you’re good at something, the writer means it! Re-reading my critiques I can see that each year another element fell into place: I learned to focus on the main characters, increased dialogue and pace, added more emotion. It’s important to acknowledge how your work has improved, as well as the areas which still need work, because staying positive is so important!

Being published doesn’t mean you suddenly know everything overnight, but I do believe that, having climbed that steep learning curve, the process becomes easier. For this reason I’ll always be grateful to the experienced writers who read my manuscripts. Their advice was invaluable and I doubt I would ever have achieved my dream of getting published without it. I recommend the New Writers’ Scheme to all aspiring romance writers.

About Sophie

Sophie Claire was born in Africa to a French mother and Scottish father who settled halfway in Manchester, and Sophie still lives there now with her husband and two boys.

Sophie was shortlisted for the Elizabeth Goudge Award 2011 and the Sophie King Prize 2014. Over the years she has worked in marketing and proofreading academic papers, but writing is what she considers her 'real job', even if she has yet to convince the bank manager.

Links:

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

Website

Twitter @sclairewriter

Facebook

What a positive and encouraging piece, Sophie. Thank you for joining us today and good luck with Her Forget-Me-Not Ex

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

JEAN FULLERTON: The Romance of History

We are delighted to welcome Jean Fullerton who takes us straight into the world of Historical and Romantic Fiction with her first sentence

One of the questions I’m constantly asked at talks and events is ‘why do you write historical books?’ and I always give the same reply ‘because I haven’t got a time machine.’

I can pinpoint the moment I fell head over heels in love with history to the day as a child I watched Roger Moore as Ivanhoe gallop across our black and white TV screen on a white horse. 

My infatuation grew throughout my childhood fed on TV series like the Buccaneers, Robin Hood, The Forsyth Saga including a brief flirtation with the Wild West with Bonanza.  Dr Who, too, in its earlier days went back in time, who could forget one of his early companions Jamie McCrimmon?  I later moved on to the Onedin Line and of course, along with the rest of the female population in 1975, fell in love with Robin Ellis as he strode across the screen as the original Ross Poldark.

I just love the thought, feel and possibilities of the past. All my life I’ve fanaticised about broad-shouldered, chiselled featured men with piercing eyes dressed in doublets,  kilts, starched collars and cravats and redcoats, what woman hasn’t?

Of course I didn’t just watch historical fiction but I read it almost exclusively in books by Anya Seton, Mary Stewart,  Nigel Tranter, George Shipway, Dorothy Dunnett and Sharon Penman to name but a very few.  

The joy of writing historical fiction is also that the past isn’t just one point in time. It can be Nero’s Rome, Robert the Bruce’s Scotland, Revolutionary Boston or Lautrec’s Paris or for me, post-war East London.

It can also focus on major historical characters such as the Empress Matilda, Cecily Neville, Joan of Arc, or Marie Antoinette but it can also have more lowly protagonists such as Frances Nelson Lord Nelson’s long suffering wife or Elizabeth Fry, with her eleven children and bankrupt husband.    

Of course, you can have fictional characters, who inhabit a real time and place and who fall in and out of love but who aren’t constrained by actual events.

But that then leaves me with another question I’m often asked which is ‘Do I write Romance or History?’ and again my answer is always the same. ‘I couldn’t tell you; I just write stories?’

Fetch Nurse Connie

Connie Byrne, a nurse in London's East End working alongside Millie Sullivan from Call Nurse Millie, is planning her wedding to Charlie Ross, set to take place as soon as he returns from the war. But when she meets him off the train at London Bridge she finds that his homecoming isn't going to go according to plan.

Connie's busy professional life, and the larger-than-life patients in the district, offer a welcome distraction, but for how long?

Available from Orion Fiction on kindle, paperback and hardback on 4^th June 2015 

‘A delightful, well researched story that depicts nursing and the living conditions in the East End at the of of the war’ (Lesley Pearse)

‘…The writing shines off the page and begs for a sequel’ (Historical Novel Society)

‘…you will ride emotional highs and lows with each new birth and death. Beautifully written with some sharp dialogue.’ (THE LADY)

Great news to see yet another book in this wonderful series, Jean. Thank you for joining us today.

Links:

Amazon

Website
Twitter @JeanFullerton_

The RNA blog is brought to you by:

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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

ALI CHRISP: Home Comforts

We are joined today by Ali Chrisp, Winner of the Write Time Novel Competition

First of all, I want to say how excited I am to be visiting the RNA blog and talking about how my debut novel, a romantic comedy called Home Comforts, reached the point of publication. Starting this blog, I think I may have the equivalent of stage fright, but at least no-one can see the shaky hands!

Like many authors my passion for writing started at primary school and I still have copies of ‘The Rat’ and ‘The Stray Kitten’ which I wrote at that time. After spending twenty-three years in the Civil Service, mainly as an HR manager, I decided that I needed a career change, and for the last five years I have been working part-time as a personal assistant to a lovely lady who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. As well as being extremely rewarding, it has given me the chance to write my novel and also to have some letters and articles published in women’s magazines.

After submitting Home Comforts to various agents, I was starting to feel a bit despondent (and fed up with well-meaning people constantly asking me what was happening with my book!). Some rejection letters were more encouraging than others but no-one offered to represent me. In June 2014 I spotted the Write Time novel competition run by Corazon Books in association with Mature Times. It was launched for previously unpublished writers over fifty and I was very keen to send off my first three chapters and synopsis. After receiving an email telling me that I’d been shortlisted, I polished the rest of the manuscript and submitted it for the September deadline.

In early November I was thrilled to receive a phone call from Ian Skillicorn of Corazon Books telling me I was the winner, and I couldn’t wait to start working with him. We have liaised closely throughout the editing stage and he has given me great advice about which sections needed to be re-written, and where there were continuity issues.  Ian is also supporting me through the sales and marketing process.

I must admit to feeling alarmed when he started talking about ‘Twitter’ and ‘guest blogs’; I’ve always been a fairly private person and social media was unfamiliar territory. Even worse, my teenage son and husband, who normally bail me out of any technological nightmares, didn’t know very much about social networking either. I’ve persevered, however, and with Ian’s help I now have my own website and Twitter following. I’m very grateful for his patient and good humoured support – he must be a saint!

Of course, getting my book published means that I have been able to join the RNA which has opened up a whole new world of support. There isn’t an RNA chapter in Gloucestershire but I have joined ROMNA and have been soaking up the advice and discussions on there.

Home Comforts was published on Amazon Kindle on 25 May 2015 and I celebrated with champagne and a meal at my favourite restaurant. For all those aspiring authors out there, don’t forget to look out for novel writing competitions.  It certainly worked for me!

About Ali Chrisp

Ali Chrisp’s career has included teaching aerobics, working in an estate agent, then spending twenty-three years using her writing skills in the civil service. For the last five years she has been a personal assistant to a lady with Alzheimer’s. Ali lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and teenage son. She loves animals and owns Lola the bonkers Labradoodle and Winnie the tabby cat.

Ali was the winner of the Write Time novel award run by Corazon Books in association with the Mature Times newspaper, for a previously unpublished author over fifty. Home Comforts is her first novel.

Links:

Amazon

Website

Twitter

Congratulations, Ali. It’s been lovely reading about your success

The RNA blog is brought to you by:

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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

JILL BARRY: Love on the Menu

Jill Barry talks to us about the RNA, the NWS and her onward journey

I’ve been fortunate enough to submit several scripts to the New Writers’ Scheme. Why do I say that? Because, the critiques I received helped me reach a level of writing more likely to produce that longed for submission acceptance. Back in the early ‘noughties’ when I first gained success with short stories for women’s magazines, I think I had this hazy kind of feeling that this, plus my insatiable appetite for reading anything I could lay eyes on, would help push me further up the slush pile. What a mistake to make! I don’t think I had any idea of the RNA’s existence then, although my late mother must have read countless romantic novels written by members.

There are contrasting views, of course, on whether a creative writing degree course is helpful. Someone encouraged me to enrol on one and I benefited from being able to compare my own efforts with those of other would-be authors, plus learning to hop to it in order to meet deadlines. My qualification gave me the confidence and credibility to run creative writing workshops, something I enjoy and still do, although it’s online these days.

It’s significant how, while taking that MA course at Carmarthen, I met Hazel Cushion, well known in the industry. Our paths crossed a couple more times until, at Caerleon 2011, Hazel gave a talk and I chatted with her afterwards and pitched my erotic romance, set in the late Victorian era. This resulted in a contract after which I was accepted into the RNA as a full member. I went on to have many more acceptances and, after a period of writing as Toni Sands, took advice from a couple of savvy friends and adopted a new pseudonym for future (non-erotic) romantic fiction. Jill Barry’s first effort was begun while following an online course, run by Sally Quilford, on writing for the pocket novel market.

Two other NWS submissions still sat on my pc. And it’s one of these I’d like to tell you about. Originally entitled Mrs Robinson, the novel explores the ups and downs of life after becoming suddenly single. I’d faced that situation myself but my heroine’s life style is entirely different from mine, though I did live for a while in the city of Bath where my story is set. The iconic name is an integral part of the plot but Endeavour Press have, with good reason, changed my original title to Love on the Menu. There are cakes and kittens and wine. There’s laughter and tears. And it’s a far better read than the original A4 bundle that went to my lovely reader. She knows who she is. Thank you so much.

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Thank you for visiting the blog, Jill.

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