FOCUS ON: Carmarthenshire Chapter

Today we welcome Sandra Mackness to tell us the latest news from the Carmarthenshire Chapter.

Welcome, Sandra.

 



 

The Carmarthenshire chapter was first founded by Liz Fielding but over the years, most of the original members, including Liz, have moved away or no longer belong to the RNA. That left Christine Stovell, Rachael Thomas and me.

 

In December 2012 we got together with members living in the Vale of Glamorgan and that meeting was attended by Jean Fullerton. 

We have decided to meet again in Cardiff on Tuesday 29th April. This will be an opportunity to look back at how we’ve all progressed since our last Cardiff meeting and I know from experience how generous and supportive the published members are towards those still working towards publication. Liz Fielding is hoping to cross the border from England to Wales and there should be around six to eight of us.

I’d like to take this opportunity and say, if you live within easy distance of Cardiff, we’d love it if you came along too. We will confirm venue and time at a later date but I think a 12.00 to 3.00 pm session is best, as three of us are bound by train connection times.

 

Cardiff has an awesome castle and museum plus a great shopping centre, all within walking distance of the bus and train stations so you could combine research with lunch and writerly discussion. 

My email address is sandramackness@btconnect.com if you’d like to join us on this occasion or be kept informed of further meetings.

Thank you, Sandra, we hope you have a lovely time at your get together. 

Brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman. If you wish your Chapter of the RNA to be featured or you have a book due for release please contact us on: elaineeverest@aol.com

 

Pippa Croft on New Adult Fiction

NEW ADULT – FRESH START

In May 2013, I was lucky enough to sign a three book deal with Penguin Books for a series of sexy ‘New Adult’ romances set at Oxford University. Although the process has thrown up some big challenges, I also think it’s revitalised my writing career and made me far more willing to experiment in future.

New Adult is a genre that focuses on the relationships and lives of young people who are over 18 but just starting out on adult life. They may be students or new to a career but definitely with their adult lives ahead of them. The books often contain gritty themes – they’re definitely not sex and shopping books.  Concerns about parents, siblings and friends, difficult childhoods, uncertainty about the future – all figure, just like in real life. There is also a lot of sex (hurrah.)

The Oxford Blue series tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between Alexander Hunt, an aristocratic British army officer who is studying a Master’s at the fictional Wyckham College, and Lauren Cusack, an American Senator’s daughter doing her Master’s in Art History. While the setting– an Oxbridge college – is very familiar to me, almost every other aspect of the series has been as much of an adventure for me as my characters!

At 21 and 25, Lauren and Alexander are the youngest hero and heroine I’ve ever featured and the novels are the first I’ve ever written in the first person, present. So, I’m now getting inside the head of a character (Lauren) who’s younger than my own daughter. This hasn’t been as difficult as it might seem because I used to write for Little Black Dress books which were aimed at a similar age group to this series.

While NA mainly focuses on the lives of young adults, the readership is much broader because we can all empathise with the joy and pain, and insecurities of early adulthood. I’ve already had a touching comment from a reader in her sixties who said she felt very emotional reading the book because it reminded her of the intense days when she first met her husband.

My daughter and her friends have also been a huge inspiration to me. I’m not suggesting you couldn’t write a series of this type without children of a similar age but the insight and feedback flying between my daughter and me has been invaluable.

Almost by definition, NA books tend to be very sexy, ranging from merely hot to erotic. This aspect was familiar ground to me because all my books have been very sexy.  However... it did take some getting used to writing sex scenes in the first person. There’s no POV ‘safety net’ between you and the character  and it can feel odd to describe lovemaking as it happens (but also a lot of fun.)

Combine the first person POV, the present tense and the young characters and you have an added intensity to the emotions and action. I recently had to go back and edit one of my other 3^rd person novels, and the difference was noticeable.  Many people have also said that the new series has a faster pace than my other books, which I also think may be due in part to the POV. I’m never going to be a New Adult but I feel rejuvenated as a writer and I’d definitely do it all over again!

Pippa Croft also writes as Phillipa Ashley.
Follow her on twitter @PippaCroftBooks or visit her page on Facebook. 
Website: www.phillipa-ashley.com
Link to Amazon: The First Time We Met

Thank you, Pippa, for joining us today.

Brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF - Jill Steeples

Jill Steeples lives in a small market town in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children. She writes short stories for the women’s magazines and romantic comedy novels for Carina UK.  When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, baking cakes, eating them and drinking wine.

Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off

Bride-to-be Anna is devastated when she discovers her fiancé, Ed, has been having an affair. Hurt and confused, Anna flees to the seaside in need of some serious soul searching, but should she still go ahead with her wedding or should she just call the whole thing off?

What gave you the idea for your book and how long did it take to write?

I’m fascinated by the idea of temptation and where it can lead you.  I wondered what might happen if you stumbled across your best friend’s diary.  Would you really be able to resist taking a sneaky peek?  And if you did take a little peek, what might happen if you discovered something you really didn’t want to know?  This novel took me four months to write.

How did you find your publisher?

I saw a call for submissions from Carina just as they were setting up.  I was intrigued, knowing they were part of Harlequin, about their new digital imprint and hoped my novel might be a good fit for their line.  I quickly sent off my full manuscript and couldn’t believe it when I received an email some weeks later saying they’d like to call me to discuss my manuscript.  It really was a dream come true.

This is your second book for Carina. How did the process differ from your first book?

The big difference was that I had a deadline to work to which focussed my mind somewhat!  My first novel was written over the course of a year and went through the RNA NWS scheme so I was able to make several changes to it before submitting to publishers.  Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off was written to a much shorter timescale and I’d barely written ‘The End’ before it was sitting in my editor’s inbox.

What is next in your writing life?

I’m delighted to have a further two book contract with Carina UK so I’m currently drafting my third novel which has a working title of My Perfect Boyfriend.  It’s a romantic comedy which I hope will be published later this year.

Website: http:// www.jillsteeples.co.uk

Blog: http://www.jillsteeples.co.uk/blog/

Carina:  http://www.carinauk.com/

Amazon: Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off

Thank you, Jill, for joining us today.

Compiled by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

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Liam Livings: Men and the RNA

Today, we are delighted to welcome new member, Liam Livings. Liam agreed to answer our questions about being a male member of the RNA and what he thinks of the association.

Are male writers welcome within the RNA?

I’ve found two other male members of the RNA: Bill Spence, writing as Jessica Blair, has 23 novels to her name, is more regularly borrowed from UK libraries than King or Le Carre, and was shortlisted for an award at the RoNAs on 17th March. Andrew Shephard, who uses the pen name Robert Fanshaw, said, ‘The RNA is a useful source of information and contacts. I went to the conference in the summer and met loads of fantastic, experienced writers who made me feel very welcome. A man attending the Conference is in a small minority, but a shared interest counts for more than a shared gender.’

I’ve always worked in mainly female workplaces: nursing homes, hospitals, so am well used to being outnumbered by women. I’ve been to five or six RNA London chapter meetings, and every time, being the only man hasn’t really been an issue.

I was welcomed very warmly into the RNA. At the first meeting, one of the women said they used to have a man coming to the London Chapter meetings, ‘but never a gay man, although we did have a gay women once before, if that’s the correct term.’ Some people may have come over all how very dare you at that, but I’ve received enough genuinely hurtful comments to recognise a benign one when I hear it. Another author, during a conversation about Nanowrimo, said that of course I didn’t mind being the only man there did I because I liked the attention? I agreed, and she nodded knowingly with a wink, and we continued our conversation about to plan or not to plan, and how I’d written so much during Nanowrimo. Conversations like that are what going to writers groups are about, not one's sexual persuasion. 

Can men write romance?

I write a niche genre within romance: male/male fiction. Within that niche, as a male, I am a minority. I’m often asked how that makes me feel, being a minority in a genre about gay men, of which I am one. Good writing is good writing, and bad writing is bad writing, whichever gender you are.

I’ve read some awful schlocky romance by both genders. And some marvellous romance by both genders too: men can write romance just like women can write crime/horror.

I’ve also read some great male/male romance by both sexes, as well as some dire male/male romance by gay men and straight women.

It’s about how that writer tells the story, and whether their voice appeals. There are some writers who could write about taking their mum to buy a new fridge, and I know I’d be enchanted by the story and voice. There are others who, despite filling four hundred pages, failed to actually tell me the story, or make me smile, cry or laugh. That skill isn’t determined by gender. More women write romance than men. There are more female midwives than male, by 99 to 1, but it doesn’t mean the male midwives are any worse at midwifery than their female counterparts. 

How have you found the RNA since becoming a member?

I’ve found the newsletters informative, and am looking forward to the RNA conference in summer. I’ve read Robert Fanshaw’s blog about his experience as a man at that conference in 2013, and am looking forward to joining his small minority of men in 2014.

I believe writers need other writers and the RNA does a great job at connecting them, in real, face to face life. I’m all for social media, but there’s something wonderful and human about making connections in real life. And that’s why I come back to the meetings.

Liam’s blog:  http://www.liamlivings.com/blog.html

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/liam.livings

Twitter:         @LiamLivings

Thank you, Liam. We hope you enjoy your first conference.

Complied by Elaine and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

Suzanne at her Peak

Zanna Mackenzie lives on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border with her husband, 4 dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.

When Faith meets Zane she enjoys his company even though she can’t help wondering why he’s so reluctant to talk about himself.

Then the past comes back to haunt her in the shape of Zane’s business partner Matt, the guy who broke Faith’s heart years ago.

What name do you write as? If it is not your given name why did you change? If it is would you ever write under another name?

I write under the pen name of Zanna Mackenzie. My real name is Suzanne Farmer and I thought that sounded a bit boring so I wanted to change it to something with a more lyrical feel to it!! My mum called me Zanna when I was little so I went with that as my alternative first name and chose Mackenzie as my surname because my husband and I used to live near Edinburgh and I always fancied being Scottish!

What gave you the idea for your book and how long did it take to write?

I love setting my books in my favourite UK locations and have written books set in the Scottish Highlands,North Yorkshire, the Lake District and now, in my latest book, If Only You Knew

Once I had the ‘where’ and the key settings of the café and the extreme sports centre, the characters and ideas just popped into my head. The original outline plot idea and the eventual plot share some similarities but there were a lot of changes along the way!

The first draft probably took about four or five months. Then I read it through away from the computer and filled an A4 notebook with comments about what needed to be changed, what bits needed extra information, which aspects of the characters needed fleshing out etc. I spent another few months working all these edits into the manuscript. Altogether it probably took about 8 months, though not working full time on it.

Do you plan your novels? If you do how long will this take?

I start off with a setting, a plot, listing the key plot points and where they occur in the story, and have detailed biogs for the characters. Then I start writing and inevitably things take on a mind of their own and the plot deviates and characters start behaving how they want to! I remember in one book a man who should have been a minor character suddenly started getting ideas above his station and decided he wanted to compete with the ‘hero’ for the attentions of the lead female. I decided to let him try his luck and see if he won her heart or not!

If you would write a book in another genre what would you choose?

Funny you should say that... I’m in the middle of writing my first romantic suspense at the moment. As a child I was a tomboy and loved racing around playing with guns so I’m thoroughly enjoying writing a feisty female lead for the book who can be just as tough as the guy she finds herself working with to solve the mystery.

What’s next in your writing life?

I’m a little torn in a way. I have the aforementioned romantic suspense novella to finish but I also have three incomplete WIPs in the contemporary romance genre. I really need to pick one project and focus on it!

If Only You Knew : Available in paperback/ebook on Amazon UK

Suzanne's Blog: http://www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk/

Thank you, Suzanne

Complied by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

FOCUS ON: Chelmsford Chapter

This month we feature the RNA Chapter from Chelmsford. We spoke to Sheila Norton about the band of members who meet in Essex.

Welcome Sheila, tell us a little about your Chapter.

We meet once a month at The Saracen Hotel in Chelmsford. There are as few as five or as many as eighteen and we have been meeting since 2008.

When do you meet?

We are a luncheon club and meet from midday and are generally finished by three. We don’t have speaker events but meet to discuss our writing, socialise and support each other.

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

Yes, anyone is welcome.

What do you have planned for 2014?

We’ve just had our Retreat Day which was very successful. Apart from that we will have more lunch meetings.

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

We are basically good friends, who understand each other’s concerns, celebrate each other’s good news and commiserate with the bad.

Who is the contact for new members?

Currently myself: sheilaann.norton@sky.com

Tell us more about your recent Retreat Day.

Firstly, on behalf of the Chelmsford Chapter, I would like to thank the RNA committee for the £100 grant which enabled us to hold a really successful and enjoyable Retreat Day on Thursday 13th February.

Our grant was used to hire a conference room at The Saracen Hotel in Chelmsford. Fifteen of us got together there for a day of intense writing-related activity. The morning was devoted to a Q & A session, chaired by Jean Fullerton. Questions about any aspect of writing had been sent to Jean in advance, so that she could compile a list to work through, with questions being put in the first instance to those present who were most likely to have some useful response, and then thrown open to discussion amongst us all.  This led to some really interesting and useful discussions and took us right through to the break for our superb buffet lunch (the cost of which we had shared between us).

After lunch we had a few more questions, followed by a discussion about books we had recently read. We then moved on to a Flash Fiction game devised by Fenella Miller, which resulted in some hilarious pieces of short writing and certainly lightened the tone! We finished at 3.30pm and all who attended have agreed the day was such a success, we’d love to do something like it again sometime.

Prior to the event I contacted the Essex Chronicle, who duly featured a piece about our day, in the paper, together with a picture of some of us taken outside the Saracen Hotel the previous week, holding copies of our books

Thank you, Sheila.

Brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

If you wish to have your Chapter featured here please contact the blog team on elaineeverest@aol.com

Lucy Felthouse - Red Hot!

Today Lucy Felthouse gives us her take on stately homes

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres, lengths and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several ‘Best’ anthologies from Cleis Press.

In Stately Pleasures Alice Brown is the new temporary property manager at Davenport Manor. Unfortunately, she screws up and is given a shocking ultimatum by her boss. Stunned, she goes along with it, but when the dust settles she realises there are worse things she could be doing to advance her career.

What gave you the idea for your book and how long did it take to write?

I’ve been utterly fascinated by stately homes for years. For me, visiting them is like being in a different world – imagining how people lived when the building was first inhabited, wondering how current residents live. It’s something that’s always sparked my imagination. The longer I’ve been writing erotic romance, the more I seem to see naughty potential in seemingly innocent objects and places. So putting together a stately home and my imagination produced a very naughty book! It’s the first novel I wrote, so it took a while as I had to conquer the learning curve, but I think it took about five or six months, which I don’t think is too bad for a first-timer!

When promoting your books do you prefer radio interviews or blogging - and why?

Because of what I write, I find that the promotional opportunities are different than for mainstream authors. I can’t imagine my local newspaper or radio station would be comfortable covering what I write. I have been on radio once, which was a rather nerve-wracking experience, so I’d definitely go for blogging. I can write and re-write a blog until I’m happy with it, but if I’m on live radio, there’s so much potential to screw up.

How did you carry out your research?

I visited lots and lots of stately homes and gardens, looking at them with the express purpose of figuring out where and how my characters could get up to their shenanigans. The rest, I’m sad to say, is total and utter fabrication.

What is next in your writing life?

I never stop. I’ve always got something on the go. Though I want to write more novels, I also still like to write short stories and novellas, so I’ve always got more than one WIP on the go. I also have my second solo novel (I co-authored a sports romance) sitting on my computer ready for me to go through and edit it before sending it to a couple of beta readers. It’s pretty long, so it’ll take a while, but I adored writing the book and just hope it gets published and that people like it! In the meantime, I have short stories and novellas scheduled to release in coming months.


Lucy's website.

Stately Pleasures. 

Thank you, Lucy, for joining us today.

Compiled by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article

IT'S SUMMER PARTY TIME!

Today we are chatting to hard working committee member, Tracy Hartshorn about our annual Summer Party that is an important date on the calendar of The Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Welcome to the blog, Tracy. Sorry for so many questions but we thought our newer members would like to know as much as possible about the Summer Party.

Where is the party to be held this year?

The Summer Party this year will be held at the Royal Overseas League, which is on Park Place, off St James’s Street, London on May 22nd. It’s a lovely venue, with a huge room perfect for networking.

What is your job as part of the team?

My role is to make sure everyone gets their tickets in good time for the event, and I’ll also be on the door on the night, welcoming everyone in. My friend and fellow committee member, Pamela Fudge, will be helping me this year.

Can members bring along family and friends?

Oh absolutely! It costs a little more for non-members (£39) but they are very welcome. And you don’t have to be with a member to attend. If you’ve ever wondered what we do at the RNA, and are considering joining us, you’re welcome to come along and meet us. We’re a nice, friendly lot and we don’t bite!

For anyone contemplating attending for the first time what can they expect?

It’s an informal affair with drinks and nibbles, where everyone, writers, editors, agents and other industry professionals, network and chat with each other.

Are there any speeches or special events during the party?

Generally the Chair will say a few words to welcome everyone, and the Summer Party sees the presentation of the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers Scheme members who have had their first book published. But generally, the emphasis is on people being able to meet and get to know each other.

What is appropriate attire for the party? Long or short? posh or plain?

Whatever you feel most comfortable in. Some use the party as an excuse to buy a new frock and dress up to the nines. Others wear smart casual. I believe there is a dress code for some parts of the club, but as far as I’m aware this doesn’t apply to the Hall of India and Pakistan.

Is there to be formal seating this year?

Not as far as I’m aware. Generally the room is set out with seats all around, with the centre clear (apart from a few side tables) so that people can stand in groups and chat.

What advice can you give for anyone attending alone and for the first time?

Don’t be nervous. There will always be someone to talk to. If you are attending alone for the first time, let me or Pamela know at the door and we will find someone to take care of you. You’ll find that once you’ve broken the ice with one person, the rest comes easy.

Will there be refreshments? If yes do we need to state vegetarian?

There will be one complimentary glass of wine or a glass of orange juice per person, after which there is a bar at which people can buy their own drinks. There will also be nibbles. There is no need to state vegetarian as we always ensure there are a good selection of vegetarian choices.  I should perhaps emphasise that the nibbles are just that. Bite-size portions. It’s a good idea to either eat before you arrive or go out for a meal afterwards.

How can we obtain tickets?

You can find the Summer Party booking form on the RNA website here: http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/activities  Alternatively I will be attending the RNA meeting in London on 15th March 2014, and bringing plenty of tickets with me, so if you’d like to save on postage, bring along your booking form and your payment and I can give you your ticket on the spot.  I will also bring Summer Party tickets along to the RNA awards ceremony at 1 Whitehall Place on Monday 17th March, so if you’re there you could get your ticket then. (Please note: I would prefer a cheque or a postal order in payment, otherwise it means me travelling home with a lot of cash, which I’d rather avoid if I can).

Thank you, Tracy for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions.

The blogging team will be attending the party so if you have a book to promote or would like to write a craft article for us please track us down have a chat.

Complied by Elaine and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

HER LAST ASSASSIN - Victoria Lamb

Today we welcome Victoria Lamb to our blog to talkabout the last in her Lucy Morgan trilogy.

Her Last Assassin is the final book in my ‘Lucy Morgan, Shakespeare’s Mistress’ trilogy, and is published this week in hardback and ebook. This was my first-ever fiction series, and it’s been a steep learning curve from contract to publication of Book Three. So I thought I’d describe how it was commissioned and developed.
 

Back in spring 2010, I produced a detailed synopsis and the first 25,000 words of The Queen’s Secret, a Tudor Court novel with thriller elements. My agent sent it to Selina Walker at Transworld, who was interested enough to suggest changes. I continued to work on The Queen’s Secret for the next six months, then we formally submitted the finished manuscript to Transworld along with synopses for the next two books.

On November 17^th 2010, I headed to the RNA Winter Party in London with a group of glam writer friends. During our pre-party drinks, my mobile rang. It was my agent, telling me Transworld had made an offer for the trilogy. I was over the moon, and blurted out my good news to everyone. I was going to be a Transworld author! And it was my birthday too, by happy coincidence.

His Dark Lady was the second book. At nearly 150,000 words with four narrative characters – Lucy Morgan, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth I, and my fictional spy Master Goodluck – it is the most complex piece of fiction I have ever tackled. The action of The Queen’s Secret takes place over nineteen days: His Dark Lady spans nine years. One story strand follows the Babington Plot against Elizabeth I, and ends with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, implicated in that conspiracy. Another deals with Shakespeare’s rise in the theatre, and the disgrace of his mother’s kinsmen, the Ardens. The plotting alone – working out fiendishly complicated character arcs and timelines - took weeks.

So we come to Her Last Assassin, the third and final book in my Lucy Morgan Trilogy. During the course of this novel, my heroine Lucy Morgan faces her greatest challenge, Shakespeare embarks on a love affair which could lead to his death, Queen Elizabeth comes under threat from a secret assassin within her own household, and spy Master Goodluck is forced to confront his shadowy past when his world begins to crumble. And the one who pulls all these strands together is Lucy.

Writing a trilogy is a difficult challenge, not least in terms of maintaining continuity and narrative tension from book to book. But I find it more liberating than writing a stand-alone novel. You can return to lost threads or answer a question in a later book, and build your world and its characters slowly and deeply, adding layers in each volume.

Now I’ve tasted trilogy writing, I’d love to write an even longer series. Meanwhile my Tudor trilogy comes to its conclusion with Her Last Assassin – rather a sad thought, but it will be exciting to start a new project!

Photo by Barbara Alderton: from left to right, Cal Andrews, Victoria Lamb and Jenny Barden at the RNA Winter Party 2010, the night Victoria 'got the call'

Victoria Lamb’s website: http://www.victorialambbooks.com/

Her Last Assassin: available in hardback/ebook on Amazon UK

Thank you, Victoria

Complied by Elaine and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article.

Australia to England and Back Again - in print at least

Janet grew up in the Australian outback, but has travelled to more than 50 countries as a journalist and a computer consultant.  She has found herself at gunpoint more often in the latter role, which surprises her. Writing books is by far her safest job. She lives in London with a green-eyed Englishman and a grumpy cat.

Jessica Pearson is carrying a terrible burden of guilt. Will flying an outback air ambulance help her atone for a lost life? And what of Adam Gilmore – a doctor with dark secrets of his own. Can they find redemption and love in a town on the edge of nowhere?

What gave you the idea for your book and how long did it take to write?

Some years ago, while on holiday in the central Australian desert, I fell ill. The Royal Flying Doctor Service transported me out of there – may even have saved my life. And it did not cost me one cent. I always wanted to write a book about what it’s like in the remote outback. Basing the story around an air ambulance seemed a good way to do that.

I started writing this book at what was a difficult time for me. I had just lost my father, my husband and I had just moved to New York City – a fabulous place, but very lonely if you don’t know anyone. I usually write a book in about 7-8 months. This took over a year but I am proud of the result.

When promoting your books do you prefer radio interviews or blogging - and why?

I was a TV journalist for many years – and I do find it quite strange to be on the other side of the microphone. Radio interviews make me a little nervous.

I rather like blogs – because I always come back and read the comments – and reply to them. It brings me closer to my readers… and I like that.

How did you carry out your research?

The town of Coorah Creek is fictional. The first thing I had to do was find a suitable place to build it,

somewhere that would support a town of this size. Then I started to draw a map of the town and buildings so I wouldn’t get lost when writing.

Jess is the pilot of an air ambulance and luckily I knew a pilot who was happy to help me with that. It was the same with medical knowledge for Adam’s character… I found a friendly doctor to help.

The internet of course, is a wonderful research tool – but I am always careful to choose reliable sources …

What is next in your writing life?

I have almost finished writing the second book set in Coorah Creek. This is the story of Dan – the ranger at the national park, who was involved in a rescue in the first book. Other characters from the first book appear in this one too. I want my readers to feel as if going back to Coorah Creek is like going home.

If you could rescue only one book from your burning home what would it be?

I have a rare old cloth bound edition of Rudyard Kipling’s Animal Stories. It has the most wonderful colour plates. It contains the first short story I ever read – a story about a polo pony called the Maltese Cat. My father introduced me to Kipling’s stories when I was very young, and this is what inspired me to start writing before I was even a teenager. 

If your book was turned into a film who would you like to play the main   characters?

I think – Dr Adam Gilmore is Aiden Turner – although about five years older. Or maybe Richard Armitage (yes – I loved the Hobbit).

For Jessica – maybe Claire Danes – she has that mix of strength and vulnerability.

http://janetgover.com/

http://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/flight-to-coorah-creek/

Thank you for being with us today Janet.

Compiled by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog or would like to write a craft article

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NURSING IN LONDON'S EAST END POST WORLD WAR II

READ ABOUT JEAN FULLERTON AND HER MOVE FROM VICTORIAN NOVELS TO STORIES OF POST-WAR EAST LONDON NURSING

Jean was born in East London and in 2006 she won the Harry Bowling prize, giving her an agent and a contract with Orion. After four award-winning Victorian novels Jean jumped forward to post-war East London with her fifth, Call Nurse Millie, released last year. The second in the series, All Change for Nurse Millie, is now out and she as just finished the third. 

Nurse Millie Sullivan is now Nurse Millie Smith, married to aspiring MP Jim Smith. NHS has just started, so nurses are busier than ever as the community realise that they no longer have to pay. Minor ailments need attention, babies need to be helped into the world and larger-than-life characters need keeping in line so Millie has enough drama to deal with without more at home...and Alex Nolan, her ex-fiancé, is back in town.

All Change for Nurse Millie has just been published. Was it hard to find another storyline to carry Millie into book three?                                           
Thankfully not. I’d plotted the storyline for the second book and the first book of Connie’s alongside Call Nurse Millie to too ensure continuity. Of course, things changed as I wrote it but it’s about getting the timelines to stay true.

Christmas with Nurse Millie was easy because I already had student nurse, Annie, in Call Nurse Millie and the O’Toole family in All Change for Nurse Millie so I just bought both thread together for the Christmas Novella.   

Your first books are set in the 1800s and your later ones post WW2. Which time period do you prefer?

I’m not really sure. I’ve loved all things historical since Roger Moore galloped across our 9” TV screen in Ivanhoe. Each book I write is like a history project. In the post-war books is I am able to bring much more family history into them as it’s the period my parents lived though. For them things were always before or after the war. My father fought in Africa in the 8^th Army while my mother endured the blitz and was even trapped in the Bethnal Green Tube disaster.

How do you carry out your research?

I go back to primary sources as much as possible. I must have every 20^th century nursing biography good, bad and dire. I also have a sizable selection of 1940/50s nursing, midwifery and medical text books which I base the nursing elements of the story on plus my own 25 years of nursing knowledge.

Would you like to have worked with Nurse Millie?

I think Nurse Millie worked much harder than I ever worked and for less pay. Nursing was a vocation not a job. In Millie’s fictional timeline she started training in 1937. At that time a nursing career meant foregoing marriage and children, Thankfully for Millie - and my story - WW2 changed that as post-war there was a shortage of nurses. To read more fully the differences between Millie’s working life in East London and mine visit My time as a District Nurse    

How do you fit your writing around your busy home life?

Goodness only knows. I still work full-time and I write in the evenings and Saturday, aiming for 1500 or a scene a day. That way I don’t forget what I’ve written the last time. It’s the only way. Sadly, 124,000 words don’t write themselves.

What is next in your writing life?

I’ve just finished the first book of Nurse Connie Byrne’s story and will be starting her second in a month or two. Then who knows but I’m certain whatever I write after that it will be set in East London.   

Jean’s website: www.jeanfullerton.com

Many thanks for chatting with us today, Jean.

Compiled by Natalie and brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog.

TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY

Today your blog team is more than thrilled to be able to announce the publication day of Truly, Madly, Deeply. The team will be front of the queue to buy their copies.

Truly, Madly, Deeply is the second anthology of the Romantic Novelists' Association and we’re just as proud of this fantastic collection of stories as we were of the first, Loves Me, Loves Me Not (2010), both published by Harlequin Mills & Boon.

The paperback edition of Truly, Madly, Deeply contains 24 fabulous short stories. As a wonderful bonus there's also a digital extended edition containing a further 11 stories - fantastic for those who like to read electronically!

Speaking of giveaways, The Romantic Novelists' Association has some copies of Truly, Madly, Deeply to give away, along with pretty RNA fans - the kind of fan that you wave around in front of your face to cool you, not the 'We love the RNA!'-type fan. Although we’re sure they're all pretty.

Click HERE to be entered into the free draw, your chance to win one of the first copies of Truly, Madly, Deeply.

And come along to the Truly, Madly, Deeply Facebook Party from 9am on Friday 21 February 2004! Lots of the contributors will be posting about their own romantic experiences – either ‘truly romantic’, ‘madly romantic’ or ‘deeply romantic’.

Mills & Boon http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/truly-madly-deeply

Amazon

Paperback - http://amzn.to/1e3zwBo

eBook - http://amzn.to/1gembbZ

iBooks http://bit.ly/1f9D4YW

Google Play http://bit.ly/1fdIMaH

Kobo http://bit.ly/1gemlAe

Meet the gang behind Romaniac Shorts!

Today we welcome The Romaniacs who will introduce themselves and tell us all about their fabulous charity anthology.

We are honoured to be on the blog today to tell you about our anthology, Romaniac Shorts.

We each have our individual strong points which has been amazingly productive in getting the book to this stage. Here’s how we did it …

Promo Chick – Lucie

I love promotion so took the reins, sourcing blogs and sites to visit, including the RNA, and writing the launch posts. I may consider ordering a sandwich board…

Cover Girl – Vanessa

 We all brainstormed the kind of look we wanted for the cover before I started work – style, colour scheme etc– and I took everyone’s input and designed a bright, bold, illustrative cover. The different colours and styles of the shorts represent not only the eight Romaniac’s but also our eight differing writing styles – an eclectic mix that blends together beautifully!

Strapline Sweetie – Laura

I tend to throw every idea in my head into the Romaniac pot, which the ladies miraculously manage to sort, and that's how the strap line came to be. In true Romaniac form, we voted, and 'Fashionably Brief' won.

As a lover of concision, I enjoyed the challenge of putting together the Amazon description.

Grammatical Goddess – Jan

 With very little experience at writing short stories or flash fiction, I felt nervously excited by the challenge and found the whole process from budding concept to blossoming creation to full bloom Romaniac anthology, hugely gratifying. I've also a good eye for detail so thoroughly enjoyed helping to wheedle out those grammatical gremlins and pesky typos.

Yummy Mummy – Catherine 

I've been in charge of the baby board meetings. They like to give the okay on everything. Here they are signing off the final proof.

 Magnificent Multitasker - Celia 

I have never had any confidence in writing short stories until meeting The Romaniacs, but in the last few months I have read their excellent work, picked up tips and had lots of advice. With the launch of our first book I'm proud to be part of this excellent collection.  With the amazing support from the others, even with lots going on in my very busy day job, I have managed to not only contribute to the anthology but, hopefully, give a lot of advice and encouragement back.

Dame Discussion – Debbie

There’s nothing better to get creative juices flowing than to have a discussion about things. And there’s nothing I’m better at than adding my two-penneth (which I did several times whilst compiling our anthology stories!) When deciding which charities to support, it was me who suggested Dyslexia Action as I felt it was a more general cause that everyone could relate to.

Tech Queen – Sue

As Geek Girl, it was my job to format and load 'Romaniac Shorts' onto Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing. Loading it was relatively straightforward but the formatting took extra work. It wasn't until I had everyone's stories that all the little differences in presentation were apparent. Things like font, margins, indents, speech marks, spacing, etc, all these had to be adjusted for continuity purposes. I also had to make sure I had an up to date copy of the anthology as it circulated the group for proofing and editing. From a technical point of view, I think we've all learned a great deal from the process - it's been a lot of work but it's also been great fun and extremely rewarding.

 

Romaniac Shorts is a diverse collection of short stories and flash fiction and is available to download now on Amazon. All proceeds shall be donated to Dyslexia Action and the RNA. 

Thank you, ladies!

Brought to you by the blogging team of Elaine Everest, Natalie Kleinman and Liv Thomas.

Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com if you wish to be featured on our blog.