DECEMBER RELEASES

Thank you to Sheila Riley for bringing us the December releases of members of the RNA.

Another wonderful selection!

TRADITIONAL PUBLICATIONS

LIZ FENWICK

A CORNISH CHRISTMAS CAROL

eBook

Orion

25/11/2016

Joy to the world? Not if Abigail Scorrier has anything to do with it. She's spent most of her adult life trying to avoid the festive frenzy. She loved Christmas as a child in Cornwall. But ever since her life took a heart-breaking turn, she's buried those memories and done everything she can to avoid her past, her family and most of all, the Christmas season. But on Christmas Eve, Abigail will have three visitors she can't ignore, and what they reveal about her past, present and future might just change her life - and mend her heart.

MARY WOOD

IN THEIR MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS

Paperback

PAanMacmillan

December 1st 2016

Two girls. One horrendous war. The chance to unite a family . . .

Edith and Ada run Jimmy's Hope House where they care for unmarried mothers, and where Edith, a doctor, offers free medical help to the poor of London's East End. Both are struggling to overcome trauma from their past. For Edith there is the constant ache and yearning for her twin girls Elka and Ania, from whom she was separated in 1918. For Ada there is the threat of her sister returning . . .

As the Nazis strengthen their grip on Poland, sisters Elka and Ania are forced to make a difficult decision: travel to England to find their birth mother or stay and fight against an increasingly desperate regime? In times of war, no choices are ever easy to make. But making the right choice could keep you alive

LESLEY COOKMAN

MURDER ON THE RUN

Paperback and ebook

Accent Press

December 1st

17th in the Libby Sarjeant series. Libby and friends get involved in a Running Club.

TERRI NIXON

PENHALIGON'S ATTIC

Paperback and e-book

Piatkus

01 December 2016

1910. Anna Garvey arrives in Caernoweth, Cornwall with her daughter and a secret.

Having come from Ireland to take up an inheritance of the local pub, she and her eighteen year-old daughter Mairead are initially viewed with suspicion by the close-knit community. Anna soon becomes acquainted with Freya Penhaligon, a vulnerable girl struggling to keep her family business afloat in the wake of her grandmother's death, and starts to gain the trust of the locals. As their friendship deepens, and Freya is brought out of her shell by the clever and lively Mairead, even Freya's protective father Matthew begins to thaw. But when a part of Anna's past she'd long tried to escape turns up in the town, she is forced to confront the life she left behind - for her sake and her daughter's too . . .

JANICE PRESTON

THE GOVERNESS'S SECRET BABY

Paperback/Ebook

Harlequin Mills & Boon

December 1st   

The beauty who tamed the beast. New governess Grace Bertram will do anything to get to know her young daughter, Clara, even if it means working for Clara's guardian, the reclusive and scarred Nathaniel, Marquess of Ravenwell.

Nathaniel believes no woman could ever love a monster like him, until Grace seems to look past his scars to the man beneath. But when he discovers Grace is Clara's mother, Nathaniel questions his place inthis torn-apart family. Could there be a Christmas happy-ever-after for this beauty and the beast?

MARGARET KAINE

KATIE'S KINGFISHER

Paperback

Colleywood Press

9 December 2016

A collection of ten short stories previously published in women's magazines in the UK, including ones published in Australia, South Africa, Norway and Ireland.

GWEN KIRKWOOD

RETURN TO BONNYBRAE

Paperback

Romaunce Books

December 2016

It is 1919 and Jamie Sinclair is a mere tenant farmer born out of wedlock. Catherine Capel is the daughter of a Scottish aristocrat, so even friendship is banned. Lady Capel is determined Catherine must marry a rich gentleman and introduces a widower, Lord Tannahill, but he cannot offer Catherine the love she seeks. When her grandfather is dying he divulges a family secret to Catherine, bringing her closer to the Sinclairs and infuriating her father. She insists on leaving finishing school to become a nurse. Her mother is appalled, especially when it brings her back into contact with Jamie Sinclair.

JANET WOODS

WHISPERS IN THE WIND

Hardcover

Severn House

31st December 2017

He is an earl who was left at the altar.

She was his childhood friend, his true love.

Now fate has brought them together again.

MARGARET MOUNSDON

Love Will Find A Way

Paperback

People's Friend Pocket Novel

15 December 2016

After an unexplained disappearance Sam Richards is back and filming a costume drama at Waterbridge Manor the home of Bethany Burnett's godfather Wendel. When Wendel volunteers Bethany's services as Sam's assistant she fears troubled times ahead.

E-BOOK PUBLICATIONS

ROGER SANDERSON

ACROSS DIFFICULT GROUND

e-book and pod

Desert Breeze

November 2016

Neither single mother Jenny, nor her climbing-instructor sister Fee are looking for love. But love finds them anyway, amidst the mountains of the English Lake District.

CLARE CHASE

ONE DARK LIE

eBook

Choc Lit

13t December 2016

A Ruby Fawcett & Nate Bastable mystery. Ruby accepts a job writing about colourful Cambridge academic, Diana Patrick-John. Simple enough. But then there’s the small fact that Diana was found dead in suspicious circumstances in her home – the very place where Ruby has now been invited to stay.

EMILY KERR

WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?

e-book

Crooked Cat Publishing

15th December

Lady Aurelia Osbourne-Lloyd has long wished her bank balance was as big as her name. But her home, Leydale Park, is more of a pile in a state than stately pile, and with her father off ‘finding himself’ in Thailand, it’s up to her to turn the family fortunes around by entertaining demanding tourists. When a Hollywood production company chooses the estate as a location for a Regency movie, a whole new level of chaos enters Aurelia’s life. Her quiet days shattered and privacy non-existent, she has no choice but to go with the flow and let them take over. Never mind the added distraction of dishy leading man, Xander Lord, who may have an ulterior motive for wanting to get close to her… Can Aurelia keep her cool in light of all the upheaval?

DEIRDRE PALMER

NEVER COMING BACK

ebook and paperback

Crooked Cat Publishing

8th December 2016

Layla is struggling to come to terms with the death of her friend, Danni, at a student party, a year ago. Perhaps she never will – because only Layla knows what really happened that night. When Layla meets Morgan, there’s an instant connection between them. But until she confronts the past, she can’t face the future,

let alone allow herself to fall in love.There is only one way out: Layla must confess her secret to Danni’s parents. But can she risk breaking their hearts all over again? And will Morgan still love her, once he discovers the kind of person she really is?

"A delicately explored and excellently written novel of grief, guilt and the importance of beginning again” ~ Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times bestselling author

JO THOMAS

NOTES FROM NORTHERN LIGHTS

FORMAT; E-novella

PUBLISHER: Headline

DATE OF RELEASE; 15th December

A sparkling short story set in Iceland, from the bestselling author of The Oyster Catcher, The Olive Branch and Late Summer in the Vineyard, available exclusively in ebook.

JULIE HOUSTON

AN OFF-PISTE CHRISTMAS

ebook novella

WHITE GLOVE

November 3rd 2016

The last thing Harriet Westmoreland wants is Christmas away from home,

particularly when skiing, snow, heights and freezing her backside off are on the menu. While her own family, together with her best friend Grace's, are soon whizzing down ridiculously high and scary mountains in the fashionable Italian resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Harriet is stuck in the remedial class on the nursery slopes unable, it seems, to remain vertical. Tired of trying to stay upright in the dunces' class, Harriet decides to overcome her fear of heights and take her bruised body off to explore the refugios in the magnificent Dolomites above Cortina. And maybe catch a glance of George Clooney, rumoured to be in town... But what happens next triggers a totally unexpected avalanche of events which proves that, for friends Harriet and Grace and all their families, Christmas really is a time for little miracles...

ELISABETH HOBBES

THE SAXON OUTLAW'S REVENGE

ebook

Mills & Boon

1st December

At the mercy of her enemy! Abducted by Saxon outlaws, Constance Arnaud comes face to face with Aelric, a Saxon boy she once loved. He’s now her enemy, but Constance must reach out to this rebel and persuade him to save her life as she once saved his… Aelric is determined to seek vengeance on the Normans who destroyed his family. Believing Constance deserted him, he can never trust her again. Yet, as they are thrown together and their longing for each other reignites, will Aelric discover that love is stronger than revenge?'

ELLY REDDING

TRUE COLOURS

Paperback and e-book

SilverWood Books

25 November 2016

When Kate’s seriously successful and gorgeous ex-fiancé walks back into her life,

her first instinct is to run – in any direction which isn’t his. So maybe agreeing to accompany him to Majorca, as his interpreter, isn’t such a good idea. But sometimes decisions just aren’t that easy. As the chemistry between them bubbles with renewed vigour, she is sorely tempted. Can a leopard really change its spots – or is she just deceiving herself with the man who broke her heart?

VICTORIA CORNWALL  

THE THEIF'S DAUGHTER

eBook

Choc Lit

6th December, 2016

Hide from the thief-taker, for if he finds you, he will take you away … Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers. Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good. When her brother, Silas, asks for her help to pay his creditors, Jenna feels unable to refuse and finds herself entering the dangerous world of the smuggling trade.Jack Penhale hunts down the smuggling gangs in revenge for his father’s death. Drawn to Jenna at a hiring fayre, they discover their lives are more entangled than they first thought. Trust and loyalty are tested to the limits, but can there ever be love, as Jenna is a thief’s daughter – where blood always runs thicker…

HELEN J. ROLFE

IN A MANHATTAN MINUTE

paperback

Fabrian books

OCTOBER 2016

Jack exists in a world that has seen its fair share of tragedy, but also success and the wealth that comes with it. One snowy night, he crosses paths with Evie, a homeless girl, and it changes everything. It’s Christmas and a time for forgiveness, love and Happy Ever Afters. And when the snow starts to fall, the truth could finally bring everyone the gift of happiness they’re looking for.

MAXINE MORREY

The Christmas Project

Ebook

HQ Digital

14th November 2016

Professional organiser Kate Stone has never – NEVER – been tempted to hit a client over the head with a snow shovel, but Michael O'Farrell is the most obnoxious – and heart-stoppingly gorgeous – man she has ever met. If he weren't her best friend’s brother, she would not have waited on his doorstep in the freezing cold for five minutes, let alone an hour. Kate knows, however, that her job isn’t just about tidying up, sometimes she needs to be part therapist too, and Michael clearly needs her help to declutter his heart as well as his home. But with the festive season just around the corner there isn’t much time to get Michael’s house ready for the O’Farrell family celebrations, but everyone knows that at Christmas anything can happen…

SELF-PUBLISHED

ROSEMARY MORRIS

FAR BEYOND RUBIES

e-publication and paperback.

Books We Love

(Paperback) 20th November

In 1706 When Gervaise sees Juliana for the first time, he recognises her, but not from this lifetime…

HELEN J. ROLFE

CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE KNITTING BOX

e-published

self-published

1st December. 

Christmas is coming and New York is in full swing for the snowy season.

But at The Little Knitting Box in the West Village, things are about to change … The Little Knitting Box has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades, and since she arrived fresh off the plane from the Cotswolds four years ago, Cleo has been doing a stellar job of running the store. But instead of an early Christmas card in the mail this year, she gets a letter that tips her world on its axis. Dylan has had a tumultuous few years. His marriage broke down, his mother passed away and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces as a stay-at-home dad. All he wants this Christmas is to give his kids the home and stability they need. But when he meets Cleo at a party one night, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on and pick up the pieces, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back. When the snow starts to fall in New York City, both Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely so black and white and both of them have choices to make. Will Dylan follow his heart or his head? And will Cleo ever allow herself to be a part of another family when her own fell apart at the seams? Full of snow, love and the true meaning of Christmas, this novel will have you hooked until the final page.

JENNIFER YOUNG

BLANK SPACE

Ebook

Self-published

21 December 2016

When Bronte O'Hara finds an injured man in her kitchen in the run-up to an international political summit in Edinburgh, a world she thought she'd left behind catches up with her. When the man makes his escape, the police seem less interested in finding out where he went and how he came to be there than they  are in Bronte's past — more specifically, her ex-boyfriend, Eden Mayhew. Eden's an anarchist, up to his neck in any trouble around — and he's missing. The police are keen to find him, certain that he'll come back. Who can she trust — and what has Eden's disappearance got to do with the handsome stranger?

ELIZABETH BAILEY

A CHANCE GONE BY

ebook

Self-published

11 December

Marianne dreams of him. Being only his friend is a constant ache. Justin’s engagement signals the end of hope. But scandal strikes. Dare she seize her chance?

CHARLIE COCHRANE

WILD BELLS

ebook

Self published

1st December 2016

Two stories. Wild Bells - The Shade on a Fine Day:

Curate William Church may set the hearts of the parish's young ladies aflame, but he doesn't want their affection or presents, no matter how much they want to give them to him. One night, eight for dinner at the Canon's table means the potential arrival of a ghost. But what message will the spirit bring and which of the young men around the table is it for?

The Angel in the Window:

Two officers, one ship, one common enemy. Alexander Porterfield may be one of the rising stars of the British navy, but his relationship with his first lieutenant, Tom Anderson, makes him vulnerable.

When danger comes more from the English than the French, where should a man turn?

LORRAINE M.L.M

SeQuence

The Heart of the Ocean, Book One

Ebook and Paperback

Independently published

2 November 2016

From chaotic voices on Earth to the tranquillity of the Kingdom under the Moons.

A young love. A new world. Four Kingdoms in a Game of Sequence. Who wins when Life and Death are on the line?

SUSANNE O'LEARY

THE PRODIGAL

e-book, paperback

Susan O'Leary

December 15

Book 2 in the Tipperary Romance series.

Having left her hometown in County Tipperary after a scandal ten years earlier, Dessie Broadbent arrives back on a special assignment. When she reconnects with family and old friends, history threatens to repeat itself as she is drawn into a love affair that might cause yet another scandal. The arrival in town of a man of from her past adds a further twist to an already impossible situation.  

Lynda Stacey: Thank you reader!

Welcome to Lynda Stacey who writes her thoughts on book reviews.

Even though I’d written ‘privately’ for years, as a debut author I was both excited and full of dread at the thought of getting reviews. Every thought went through my mind, including: It’s real, people are

actually going to read my book. They’re going to judge it. What’s more, they’re going to publically say whether they liked it or not. But, what if it’s rubbish? What if no-one likes it? What if I make a fool of myself?

Apparently, all of these thoughts are normal. Are they?

I can honestly say that on 19^th July 2016, my launch day, I held my breath. I knew the book had been read by reviewers through Netgalley and I waited, clicked the amazon link a hundred times and gasped as the first reviews dropped in.

Then I read the words:

I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I shouted - all out loud - which, to me, is the sign of a brilliant book. When I become so immersed that I lose the real world completely. And that is what this book did. Anne's Book Corner.

I have to admit, every emotion went through my mind and eventually, I sat and I cried. The excitement of finally becoming a ‘real’ author began and I could begin to enjoy the experience. Every review gave me a further boost. Every kind word gave me the encouragement to carry on and I can honestly say that it’s the reviews that encourages me to write more great books.

With the good, comes the bad. I fully appreciate that not everyone will like what I write and one day I know I’ll get that dreaded 1-star review. But till then, I’m taking great pleasure in getting so many lovely 4 and 5-star reviews and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to leave them.

So…. Do reviews really matter?

YES…. they mean absolutely everything. They give much needed feedback, encouragement and they give the author the determination to carry on and to write their next book, the best they can.

The reviews also give the author the confidence to promote with confidence. There’s nothing like a good review to get an author to shout about their success.

How to get more reviews?

This is where you have to turn into a salesman.

Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews, you’re selling your book. What’s more, people expect you to ask. Just do it nicely, but don’t over-insist. If they don’t do it after the 2^nd time you ask, don’t push them anymore.

Put both Facebook and Twitter messages out on a regular basis (once/twice a month saying that ‘reviews are really appreciated’ or ‘thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed my novel this month’. People like to be appreciated, so this encourages those who didn’t review yet, to get on and do it.

Add a picture, there are loads on GOOGLE IMAGES that say… please review, or thank you for your review.

Also, thank people for retweeting your adverts on twitter. Again, do them often. It gains momentum and interest. I always say thank you and attach a picture of book with a buying link. Then, if they’ve retweeted, you’ve been polite. But also, you got another advert out and a reminder that if they haven’t yet… they should buy the book.

Theoretically, the more books you sell… the more reviews you should get.

Personally, I never have a problem asking for reviews. If I know that someone is reading the book, or if a reader sends me a private message, saying that they’ve read ‘House of Secrets’. I message them back and ask them to review. I tell the truth, that my novel is floating in and out of the top 100 of Romantic Suspense and that I’d love to keep it there… and that their review would help me..!!

It’s all about getting the readers to believe that THEY ARE HELPING YOU…!! And they are..!!

And once they have done you a review, go back and thank them for their time. Readers would remember this and when your next book comes out, they’re more likely to buy it than the book of an author who didn’t correspond.

But, it’s not just about what I think… here are the thoughts of two other authors.

Rachel Louise Dove, winner of the Mills and Boon Prima award:

Reviews for any author are important. In today’s age, we all look at reviews as an indication to whether to buy a product, and books are no different.

Being a debut author, reviews to my book were crucial, much appreciated and both feared and gratefully received! If you enjoy a book, taking two minutes to say so in a review helps an author make a living, improve future books and gives them a nice boost too!

Link to Rachel Louise Dove’s  novel.

Lizzie Lamb, Indie author:

As an indie author, reviews are really important because they help build my readership and draw readers to my Amazon Author Page where all of my books are displayed. New readers often comment that they read the reviews BEFORE downloading the book.

Link to Lizzie Lambs novels.

About Lynda Stacey:

Lynda, is a wife, step-mother and grandmother, she grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire. Her own life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.

Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.

She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her husband, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.

Links:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter @Lyndastacey

Website

Book Blurb:

A woman on the run, a broken man and a house with a shocking secret …

Madeleine Frost has to get away. Her partner Liam has become increasingly controlling to the point that Maddie fears for her safety, and that of her young daughter Poppy.

Desperation leads Maddie to the hotel owned by her estranged father – the extraordinarily beautiful Wrea Head Hall in Yorkshire. There, she meets Christopher ‘Bandit’ Lawless, an ex-marine and the gamekeeper of the hall, whose brusque manner conceals a painful past.

After discovering a diary belonging to a previous owner, Maddie and Bandit find themselves immersed in the history of the old house, uncovering its secrets, scandals, tragedies – and, all the while, becoming closer.

But Liam still won’t let go, he wants Maddie back, and when Liam wants something he gets it, no matter who he hurts …

Winner of Choc Lit 2015 Search for a Star competition.

Thank you for your useful article, Lynda.

What are your thoughts on book reviews? Please leave a comment below.

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

Ask the Industry Expert: Literary Agent, Jemima Forrester

It's time for another of Helena Fairfax's interviews with a publishing industry expert. This month we're delighted to meet Jemima Forrester of the David Higham Agency.

Thanks so much for stepping into the spotlight, Jemima!

Please tell us a little about the David Higham Literary Agency and how you came to be a part

of it. 
David Higham Associates is one of the most successful and well-respected agencies in the UK. Since its beginnings in 1935, the agency has represented and continues to represent some of the biggest literary names in the business – from Graeme Greene and Dylan Thomas, to Paula Hawkins and Bernard Cornwall. David Higham represents authors of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, as well as illustrators and script writers for film and TV.

I joined David Higham as an agent in September this year and I’m looking predominantly for commercial and upmarket fiction, as well as some non-fiction. I come from a publishing background and spent the first seven years of my career as an editor, most recently as senior commissioning editor for fiction at Orion Publishing Group.

The role came about rather serendipitously. I’d often thought of agenting as something I’d love to get into, but never thought I’d be able to move across without starting again at the bottom. When Lizzy Kremer, an agent I deeply admired and respected (and who is particularly well known to the RNA), approached me about the role she was looking to fill at David Higham, I quickly realised what an incredible opportunity it was.

So here I am, a couple of months in and really enjoying it. I’ve already taken on a few very exciting new clients and I’m actively growing my list.

What do enjoy most about your job? And least?

I love the variety. I love that one day I can be holed up in my office, totally engrossed in an edit for a new author I’m working with, and the next I can be out and about meeting new people and attending events. It’s a real adrenaline rush when you stumble across a fantastic new writer or a book that’s so brilliant you can’t put it down. That’s a feeling I had a lot as an editor and one I imagine I’ll still have in thirty years’ time!

I don’t think I have a least favourite thing. It’s only been two months so perhaps I’m looking at everything through rose-tinted glasses! 

What is it you are looking for when a manuscript lands on your desk? Are there any specific plots or themes you’d like to see?

Within fiction, I’m looking for women’s fiction that’s fresh, funny and smart, as well as gripping crime, thriller and psychological suspense novels, and upmarket reading group fiction. I also like YA crossover, historical fiction and the more commercial end of speculative fiction and magical realism.
As you can tell, my taste is pretty broad! I’m really drawn to distinctive narrative voices and unusual narrators. I love a high concept and anything with a strong and original hook. I love stories about families and relationships. If you can make me laugh out loud as well as tug on my heartstrings, I’ll be forever yours!

Do you ever find authors outside the slush pile? If so, how? 

Yes, absolutely! A lot of the larger writing courses and MA programmes (like the Faber Academy or City University) hold readings and produce anthologies of the students’ work. The standard is often very high and it’s not unusual for graduates of these courses to receive a lot of interest from agents. There are also panels and one-on-ones at writing festivals and graduate days. I find these a really great place to meet and chat to prospective authors. It’s less relevant for fiction than it is for non-fiction, but sometimes social media can play a part. It’s a great way to keep on top of emerging trends and to discover and connect with new people.

What advice would you give someone submitting to you?  

Take a look at interviews like this or at my profile on the DHA website to see the sort of books I’m looking for and make sure that ties in with what you’re submitting (this goes for any agent you’re looking to submit to). Make sure you’re manuscript is in the best possible shape it can be. When you finish writing, go back and edit it or rework it until you’re completely happy with it. Sending your work off before it’s ready is just shooting yourself in the foot. Also spend some time writing your cover letter and (max. two-page) synopsis. If you’re not sure how to do these, look for guidance online. They are really important and a strong reflection of you and your book.  

Like most agents, I see an awful lot of submissions and, while I’ll give each one due consideration, I don’t have a huge amount of time to spend on each one. I have to make a decision quite quickly based on a relatively small amount of material, so it’s worth making sure that material is as smart, polished and appealing as it can be.

Do you think these days aspiring romance writers have a better chance of being published if they are planning a series? Are stand-alone novels more likely to be rejected by publishers and agents?

I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. I do think there’s a certain appetite for series fiction, especially in the very commercial ebook market, but I’m not aware of publishers prizing series fiction over standalone novels in the romance genre. I’d say they have equal footing when it comes to consideration and publishers will be far more focussed on characterisation and plot.

What benefits do you feel an agent can offer an author? 

There are lots of benefits! Agents and authors work together as a team (often throughout the author’s entire career) and it’s a nice feeling to know that there’s someone out there who is firmly in your corner and is rooting for you professionally. It’s obviously the agent’s job to manage the financial and contractual side of the author’s career and make sure the author is being published by the best possible publisher with the best possible deal. But beyond that, agents also help manage and direct the author’s career over the years, offer support and guidance and liaise between the author and the publisher when necessary. There are some conversations you don’t necessarily want to have with your publisher (you really hate the cover they’ve suggested, for example) and it definitely helps having a mediator in those situations.

What’s your favourite romance novel of all time?

I probably have to be really unoriginal here and say Pride and Prejudice. It was Jane Austen who first fuelled my love of books and Pride and Prejudice is one of the two novels I reread every few years (the other one is To Kill a Mockingbird). In fact, one of my last acquisitions at Orion was a sequel written by debut novelist (and RNA member) Terri Fleming, entitled Perception. It tells the story of the forgotten Bennet sisters, Mary and Kitty. If you loved the original, keep an eye out for it next summer!

Apart from your own authors, which book have you enjoyed the most in the past twelve months, and why?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I was late to the party with this one, but I absolutely adored it. It was charming, witty and, ultimately, heart-breaking. I watched the film adaption recently on a plane and cried so much an air hostess stopped to check if I was OK. My husband was suitably mortified.

Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – I picked this up from my teetering to-read pile recently and devoured it in one sitting. It’s very cleverly constructed, deeply intriguing and she really brings her characters to life. 

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon – if you haven’t read this novel yet, you must. Set in 1976 in a small suburban community, it’s part mystery and part coming-of-age story with a gorgeous child narrator at its heart. The writing is just beautiful.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

I’m a real foodie and keen amateur cook, so I love trying new restaurants and throwing dinner parties for friends and family. To combat this, I’m also a runner and, when the weather permits it, I love jogging by the river in Hammersmith. As I get to read so rarely for pleasure I often listen to audiobooks when I run. I’m currently really enjoying the audiobook of Miss You by Kate Eberlen. On quiet evenings in, I love catching up on my latest box-set addiction. I’ve just finished the latest season of Game of Thrones and am now midway through Outlander.  

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

Varied, inspiring, tea-fuelled.

Thanks so much for your considered answers, Jemima. You've given us all food for thought. (And you've given me some new authors to add to my TBR!)

If you've enjoyed Jemima's interview, or have any questions at all, please let us know in the comments!

***

About Helena:

Helena Fairfax's engaging contemporary romances have been shortlisted for The Exeter Novel Prize, the Global Ebook Awards and the I Heart Indie Awards. Her latest release is a boxed set of romantic suspense novellas called A Year of Light and Shadows, now available on Amazon and from other e-book retailers.

Thank you, Helena and Amanda for a most interesting interview. 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