Romantic Novelists' Association Blog

Interview with Vonnie Hughes

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Jackson) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:30:00 +0000

We’re delighted to have with us today, Vonnie Hughes, who is a New Zealander living in Australia. She tells me that from the age of seven she wrote poetry and short stories for various publications. She now writes Regencies and romantic suspense novels and short stories.

Vonnie, some writers need silence, others prefer the bustle of a coffee shop, TV, or music playing. What is your favourite mode of working?

Silence. I just love silence, even though I have a musical background, music annoys me when I write because it intrudes. Also, sometimes I read some of my phrases out loud if they are giving me trouble, so music doesn’t work for me.

How do you begin when you start a new novel?

Usually a new novel has rolled around in my head for some weeks—just before going to sleep at night, when I am driving etc. So when I come to begin, I use some of those thoughts. I type out a quick story line (which will change a hundred times) and I also do character sketches for all my characters. The character outlines are quite detailed, since I’m a writer whose plot often springs from the characters’ motivations and background e.g. in LETHAL REFUGE my female protagonist is quite stroppy, hard in fact, and also secretive, because she’s had to be to survive. However the male protagonist is a deep thinker since he’s gone the privileged school-university-professional work route.
　
Which authors would you say have most influenced your work? And which do you choose to read for pleasure?
　
As a Regency writer, the obvious answer is Georgette Heyer. I was introduced to GH at the age of eleven by my brother. With my romantic suspense books, the influence is much more eclectic. Writers such as Karen Rose, Nora Roberts (JD Robb), Jayne Ann Krentz, Lee Child and Kay Hooper spring to mind. I’m much more open to new authors in this field for some reason.

For pleasure, basically I’ll read anything written by Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick because I utterly love her quirky, troubled heroes and her (usually) assertive, troubled heroines. She has the gift of writing into her books weird alternative worlds and introducing character traits that with another writer you might think: good grief, what rubbish! But with JAK you don’t even blink, because she writes so well.
　
Have you ever redeemed and published a piece of work you thought might never see the light of day?

Yes, THE SECOND SON which is to be released on December 16 by Musa Publishing as an e-book. This was the prequel to a hardback published by Robert Hale Ltd last year named COMING HOME and it covers the same group of people. I began writing it first and my Regency critique group thought the hero was too harsh.

How do you relax? What interests do you have other than writing? Do you think it is important for a writer to take time off?

Heavens, it’s essential to take time off from writing. Staleness creeps in otherwise and for me a certain resentment about it eating up my life and how stressed I’m becoming with deadlines etc. Remember that deadlines are not necessarily book publishing ones. Often writers get them for blogposts, library talks, attending or helping with conferences, online classes etc. Being overwhelmed is not conducive to happy writing.

I exercise since I’m a long distance runner from way back. Now I’m way too old to be pounding the pavements for marathons and ultras, but I’m a member of a 24 hour gym (very handy as you can come and go as you please) and our labrador needs a jog/walk every morning for at least an hour. Otherwise I read and read. Getting pickier though. Once I had a sort of Puritan idea that whatever I bought, downloaded or borrowed I had to read. After all, I’d paid for them. Now if I think the book falls short for any reason or if I just don’t like it, I no longer persist. As they say, life is too short to read bad books.
　
What do you enjoy about your particular genre? Are you a specialist or do you have another identity?

I write in two genres - Regency and Romantic Suspense and using the same name for both at the moment because that is my brand - Vonnie Hughes. I wanted to retain the name I’m known for.

With Regencies I enjoy the challenge of writing with restrictions. There is always a huge controversy going on about what Regency heroines could and couldn’t do. However I write less about the ton and more about the emerging middle class which gives me more scope. My Regencies contain a lot of suspense as I’m not that fond of comedies of manners. I like to have my heroines and heroes getting their hands dirty solving crimes.

For the contemporary Romantic Suspense I can set myself free with no behavioural restrictions, no plot restrictions, and really enjoy myself.
　
Are you involved in social networking and blogs? Any tips for other writers?

Way too many for my liking. Musa Publishing like their authors to be on Facebook, and The Wild Rose Press encourages their authors to do so as well, so kicking and screaming I ended up there. Then there are the blog. Each publisher has one main one plus others for their subgenres. I have one. You can spend hours dithering around on blogs but you can learn a lot from them. Skip the recipes and the Man Candy ones and spend time on those that advise about the craft of writing, or where to research something. Read interviews with respected authors. I am also on many writers’ loops and they are a great fount of knowledge. They are also great time-wasters, so I’d suggest go on Bulletin for most loops except the ones you consider to be most important, and then use your delete button.
　
Do you edit and revise as you write, or after you have completed the first draft?

Both. I write for about an hour, take a break, then I come back and write some more. After that I either write the book in my alternate genre or do some networking. The next day I open the document and go back to check. Sometimes I have an idea overnight and have to go back to the beginning to fill in relevant details here and there to tie it in before carrying on with fresh writing.
But when the book is ‘finished,’ that’s when the work really starts. The first draft is just a pale, empty thing, screaming to be filled with characterisation and layers. I do around four-five drafts before sending it to a publisher.
　
Tell us about your latest book and what inspired you to write it.
　
This is difficult, because I have three ‘latest books’ all coming out within six weeks of each other.

On 16 December, Musa Publishing will epublish a Regency. THE SECOND SON is how Lord John Trewbridge inherits a marquessate for all the wrong reasons. I found it a difficult book to write, since the sequel had already been published.

On 13 January 2012 Wild Rose Press will release as a paperback my New Zealand-set Romantic Suspense LETHAL REFUGE. I’d been thinking of writing a suspense novel set in my home country for a couple of years and this is the result. NZ is a small country rich in diversity. Its police force is based on British lines.

Finally, on 27 January 2012, Musa Publishing will release another Regency MR. MONFORT’S MARRIAGE. Matthew Monfort has two excellent reasons for loathing members of the ton, but thanks to his father’s machinations he finds himself inveigled into offering for Lady Verity Tristan. Anyway it’s time he married and she’s...well, different; in fact quite delightful...and intelligent...and sweet...but she needn't think she’s going to win him over. I had fun writing this book because Matthew had a lot to learn!
　
Thank you Vonnie for taking time to talk to us today.
To find out more visit Vonnie at
http://www.vonniehughes.com
http://vonniehughes.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/VonnieJHughes

Interview with June Tate

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Jackson) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:30:00 +0000

A warm welcome to, June Tate, who was born in Southampton into a seafaring family. She followed the family tradition and went to sea, working for seven years as a hairdresser on the Queen Mary, and then the Mauritania.

A creative writing night school class started June’s writing career. She wrote articles and short stories before moving onto novels.

June, you write wonderful family sagas and have enjoyed a very successful career, can you tell us how it all began? How did you get your first break?

I wrote five Mills and Boon novels which were rejected, then I wrote a saga and as a member of the RNA, I met Judith Murdoch an agent and asked her to read my manuscript. She liked it and submitted the final copy to two publishers who held an auction between them. Headline became my publisher.

How do you set about your research? Do you interview people for their memories, or rely chiefly on books?

I am obsessed about accurate research and have shelves packed with reference books. I also trawl the internet and talk to anyone who may be able to help me.

Tell us about your office and the favourite things in it. Do you have a view or do you work facing a wall?

My third bedroom is now my office. I have a huge table facing a wall, away from the window which faces the garden. Above my computer is a large black and white picture of the Queen Mary, which my daughter Maxine gave to me. It holds so many happy memories of my youth and when I had a waist line!

Do you edit and revise as you write, or after you have completed the first draft? Which method works best for you?

When I write I am constantly editing. I read through my novel at three different stages, and edit again, so much so, that the final draft requires very little, apart from the fine polishing.

What tips would you give an aspiring writer on dealing with rejections?

I would say learn from every one. If the editors have made suggestions, take them on board. If not ask yourself how can I improve this piece of work. Don't take it personally!

If you could know the future, what would you wish for?

Entirely personal. Health and financial security for both my girls. With this any curve life throws is easier to deal with.

Do you have an exercise routine to help you avoid writers’ back problems, and does it work?

As for exercise. I don't! However I am going to join a fitness class for the over 50's to rectify this.

What should every good writer avoid?

A good writer should avoid repetition and above all avoid boring your reader. Instead surprise them, intrigue them and make them want to turn the next page.

Where would you most like to escape to and write?

I need to write in my office. This is my work place. Anywhere else would be too distracting.

Apart from writing, of which accomplishment are you most proud?

Apart from the birth of my two daughters, being a hairdresser on the Queen Mary where I met many Hollywood movie starts and VIP's.

Thank you very much for talking to us June and we wish you every success with your latest novel 'Their Guilty Pleasures'.

To find out more about June’s work visit her website at www.junetate.info

Interview with Maureen Lee

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Lightfoot) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

We welcome Maureen Lee, one time winner of the Romantic Novel Award to the blog today. Maureen was born in Bootle, on the outskirts of Liverpool during the Second World War. Later, she attended commercial college and became a shorthand typist. She started with short stories around the time the children began to arrive, and, she says, being a rather inefficient mother, at least had a hope of getting these finished.

In fact, Maureen sold about one hundred and fifty short stories, published in magazines all over the world, and also wrote two unpublished novels. These were followed by a successful full-length musical play, WHEN ADAM DELVED AND EVE SPAN, produced at a local theatre.

However, it wasn’t until 1990, when the boys had left home, (one still regularly returns with his washing), that I rented an office and got down to writing full time. Four years later my first saga, STEPPING STONES was published by Orion. It seemed only natural to begin the story in Liverpool and, following this, Orion commissioned me to write a trilogy set in ‘my city’ during the war.Since then, I have had a saga published every year.

I admire your tenacity, Maureen, and it’s a lesson to us all that a writing career can take a good deal of time and effort to build. So, tell us about your latest book and what inspired you to write it.

My husband and I were on holiday in Paris and we walked past a very narrow street called La Rue de La Grande Truranderie. I decided immediately I must write a novel about it. I had often wanted to include something about the French Resistance during the war - somewhat difficult when my books have to be set in Liverpool. However, I was able to fashion a story set half in Liverpool and half in Paris. AU REVOIR LIVERPOOL was published this Christmas.

Is a sense of place important to you in your writing?

A sense of place is extremely important for me. I am easily able to go back to my childhood home in Bootle, Liverpool, and visualise living in a little terraced house in a working class area close to the docks. I know the house intimately, can actually remember sheltering beneath the stairs with my mother and brother when the bombs dropped during the war.

You won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award in 2000. That must have been a great thrill, and certainly helped your career.

I can honestly say it came as a total surprise to me. I didn't have a speech prepared, forgot everyone's names and made a terrible show of myself. However, since then, I have felt a sense of pride to see myself described as an 'Award Winning Writer'. I was also short-listed and long-listed for two other books.

Are your books generally stand-alone titles, or do you ever write sequels?

I would love to write sequels. My second, third and fourth books formed a trilogy set during the war, so I knew what I had to do when it was started. However, I have tried a few times to write sequels because I get very fond of my characters - but find I have done all there is to do with them and can't go any further.

What are your views on the new digital revolution. How has it affected you as a successful writer?

Many years ago I wrote three thrillers - not the sort full of gruesome murders and lost body parts - but quite mild with a touch of romance. However, my publisher turned them down and they had been languishing in a drawer all this time, the print getting fainter and fainter. Then I heard about Kindle, discovered the thrillers had actually been typed on my first computer, an Amstrad that took 3" disks. I had the disks put on a CD and put one of the books, DUSK, on Kindle at 99p. But my publisher was upset and offered to publish it in print form one of these days, so I took it off. I do miss being able to check daily to see where it was in the chart - it reached fifteen. All my other books are on Kindle, but not so cheaply.

That’s an interesting take on it. A pity your publisher couldn’t see it as an advantage or form of promotion. But now for some less serious questions. Do you manage to ignore the housework?
I do very little housework, which wouldn't matter if I didn't fret about the place being so untidy.

Which is your all time favourite author?
Charles Dickens - I love his books.

Do you have any little quirks or habits you carry out before starting work each moring?

I always start my writing day with a tiny bar of chocolate that is less than 100 calories.

Do you still have an unfulfilled ambition?

I would love to see one of my stories made into a film or a TV play.

Any superstitions about your writing?

I never tidy my desk until the current novel is finished.

That has been absolutely fascinating Maureen. Thank you so much for sparing the time to talk to us. To find out more about Maureen Lee’s books, visit her website: http://www.maureenlee.co.uk/

Interviews on the RNA Blog are conducted by Freda Lightfoot and Kate Jackson. If you would like an interview, please contact me at:mailto:freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

Interview with Natalie-Nicole Bates

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Lightfoot) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

I’m delighted to have Natalie-Nicole Bates on our blog today. Natalie is a book reviewer and author. Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia. She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

You sound like a busy, energetic person, Natalie, tell us about your first book and the excitement of getting that call?

My first book is a romantic contemporary called CHANGE OF ADDRESS.

Saved from a traumatic past and successful in her present, Josselyn Adler’s dream of home ownership are dashed when Dr Ben Parnell shows up on her doorstep claiming to be the rightful owner of the house—and Ben has a will to prove it! To Josselyn, the house represents a new start in her life. With a stable home, hopefully a much wanted family wouldn’t be far behind. After a near career-ending allegation is made, Ben has returned home to lick his wounds. Now he must prove Josselyn’s claim to be a fake. But as he gets to know her, he can tell by her shy, often standoffish behavior, that Josselyn is a woman who has been deeply hurt in her past. Although he is attracted to the dark haired beauty that has invaded his life, he is still suspicious of her true motives and her past involvement with his father.

It was released December 16 at Secret Cravings Publishing. The most exciting part of the process was that the contract was offered only a week after I submitted. A week later, I was offered another contract for my paranormal short story, Antique Charming, which was released this past October by Books To Go Now.

Getting noticed with a first book is not easy but you seem to have succeeded wonderfully well. Are you involved in social networking and blogs? Any tips for other writers?

I currently use Facebook and Twitter. I highly recommend every author to do a blog tour when your next book is released. When ANTIQUE CHARMING was released, no one knew who I was. I booked a blog tour and visited 23 blogs in 7 days. Yes, it was a lot of work, but the exposure my story received was well worth it.

Third-generation funeral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized. She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and its upstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its once former glory. But a late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home still belongs to his family. Lizzie scoffs at his odd behavior and outlandish claims, but when a vintage photograph appears, she soon realizes, to her horror, that Adam Nichols did once own the funeral home—more than one hundred years ago—and now she has allowed this entity to pass into her home.

And here is the picture that inspired Natalie's novel.

What do you enjoy most about your particular genre? Are you a specialist or do you have another identity?

I started off as a contemporary writer. I like writing about the present and the everyday man and woman. But after I wrote Antique Charming and it was received well by my readers, I have developed a love for the paranormal as well. So I’m currently splitting my writing time between both genres.

Are you upbeat or concerned about the digital revolution? How do you think it might affect your own career?

I love, love, love the digital revolution! I think that the internet has opened up publishing to a whole new list of great authors. E-publishing offers an author more freedom to express themselves—grittier heroes, darker subject matter. I could go on.

Can you tell us something of what you are working on now?

I am currently working on a contemporary that takes place in the same idyllic little town that CHANGE OF ADDRESS was set. The hero and heroine, Ryan Maine and Amii Sloane, made a brief appearance in that book.

My next book, BACK TO YOU, is out January 30 from Bradley Publishing.

On the surface, Lynsey Reznor seems to have it all. She is beautiful, brilliant, and a successful true-crime writer who has been living the past decade in Miami. But what Lynsey lacks is what she needs the most - a family. After the death of her mother, and yet another failed relationship, Lynsey makes an impulsive decision to return to her hometown of Unity. But Unity will present its own bittersweet memories, most notably, her first love, Nick Lincoln. Twenty years ago, Nick broke teenager Lynsey’s heart when he decided to marry another. He had his own private reasons - reasons he never explained to Lynsey. Now she is back, along with a chance to reclaim her love. But Lynsey wants answers from him that he may never be able to give out of duty and guilt.

We’ll keep a look out for it. Thanks, Natalie, for sharing your views on writing with us. Now for some more frivolous questions:

Do you cry over your own emotional scenes?

I feel my scenes deeply, but never cried (I’m Russian—I’m tough!).

Do your family and friends get any sense out of you when you’re writing a book?

I think I’m a little bit of each of my characters, so yes. I always tell everyone to watch what you say to me because it may just find its way into one of my stories.

What is the most you’ve written in a week, and how did you get through it?

I wrote Antique Charming in one day. Granted, it is a short story, 4000 words, but I’m the kind of gal who can’t sit still. What should every good writer avoid? Asking for too much critique! It will leave you more confused than ever!

Are you good at ignoring the ironing?

Oh yeah…enough said!

Thank you so much Natalie, for taking the time to talk to us today. To find out more about Natalie’s books, visit her website: http://www.natalienicolebates.com

Interviews on the RNA Blog are conducted by Freda Lightfoot and Kate Jackson. If you would like an interview, please contact me at mailto:freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

Independent Releases

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:48:00 +0000

Many full RNA members have embraced the new technology in publishing and taken the opportunity to publish their back lists directly as ebooks as well as new works. So each month on the 15th we will publish a list of independent releases by full RNA members. Full Membership of the Association is open to all published writers of romantic novels and full length serials of at least 30,000 words. (Vanity and self-publishing do not qualify.)

So here's the inaugural list which includes many titles that have come out in the past year....

Anita Burgh MOLLY’S FLASHINGS
ebook
January 2012
£2.20
An irreverent look at English village life where as everything changes everything remains the same.
www.anitaburgh.com

Eileen Ramsay LACE FOR A LADY

ebook

11.11.2011

£2.86

The Napoleonic War is raging and the impoverished but aristocratic Lydia Carpenter is desperately trying to provide for her sisters. Her father has disappeared, and her once dearest friend, Lord Pittenmuir, has broken her heart. Defying convention she resurrects a smuggling ring, where the smugglers are men in women's clothes and she, the leader is a woman in men's clothing. But is there a spy among her smugglers and is it her father or is it Pittenmuir? Will love find a way as Liddy's love, loyalty and courage are tested to the full?

www.eileenramsay.co.uk

R F Long THE WOLF'S DESTINY (a Tale of the Holtlands, #3)ebook/Kindle
12/04/2011
$3.99 / £2.94
Two lives, one love, one destiny.

In the wild north of Sheninglas, Jeren and Shan have finally made a home together. But the Holtlands are not finished with them yet. When an assassination attempt claims innocent lives, Jeren can stand it no longer. She must make a stand against the tyranny of her brother Gilliad before it is too late. Shan meanwhile struggles against the seed of darkness planted in him by the Fell’na sorceress and the growing knowledge that no matter what he does, he is losing his beloved wife. All their efforts to stay together just seem to tear them further apart, underlining the differences between them. When Jeren declares her intention to go to war, Shan makes one terrible mistake which changes everything.

Their destiny is written. How can it be changed again?
www.rflong.com

Sheila Norton: SOPHIE BEING SINGLE

Kindle e-book

28 December 2011

£2.05

At thirty-four, Sophie Jennings is still single – but that’s the way she likes it. She has her own flat, a good social life and a gorgeous boyfriend, Charlie, who feels exactly the same as she does – settling down, marriage and children aren’t on the agenda for either of them. She also has her own business, ironically doing wedding hair and make-up. While her married and attached friends think she’s weird and her family think she’s selfish, all her bridal clients for some reason seem to want to use her as an agony aunt! Hearing about their horrible husbands and bastard boyfriends convinces her she’s definitely best off as she is – satisfyingly single. Or is she ...?

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Jen Black SHADOWS

Amazon Kindle

December 7^th 2011

£1.10/$1.72

A budding relationship. A young couple, shadowed in different ways by their pasts. A beautiful, but haunted, water mill in France.
Are the intense emotions Rory and Melissa feel their own, or those of the couple who haunt the mill?

Paula Williams PLACE OF HEALING

Kindle

December 24, 2011

£1.13

When talented cook Jess discovers her boyfriend had been cheating on her with her best friend (and getting creative with the chocolate mousse in a way that definitely wasn't on the menu!) she takes herself off to a remote corner of Somerset while she works out what to do next. But things don't go quite the way Jess planned and she finds herself caught up in family feuds and intrigues - while losing her heart to a big, barky dog called Benson.

www.paulawilliamswriter.co.uk

Nora Fountain CHAIN OF EVIL

Crime novel, with romantic thread

17 December 2011

£1.54 inc. VAT or $2.99

Adam and Rosie’s happiness is almost tangible. Rosie’s stepbrother, Greg Phillips envies them to the point of madness and schemes to get his hands on their money. Fuelled by drug addiction, he is prepared to kill to get what he wants, and he does. His devious plot results in Adam being locked up for Greg’s crimes. Rosie befriends Cindy, who may be able to identify Greg. Greg takes to stalking Cindy and injures her little boy. He then turns up at Rosie’s isolated home, drugged to the eyeballs. From there he abducts her and forces her to face her worst demons.

www. norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Anita Burgh LOVE THE BRIGHT FOREIGNER

Amazon Kindle

ebook

£4 . 31

Suddenly widowed, Ann Grange is convinced her life is over, but then she meets an enigmatic Greek, and her life changes. But is it forever, or is her happiness an illusion?

http://www.anitaburgh.com

Anita Burgh LOTTERY

Amazon Kindle

ebook

£ 4.31

Can money make you happy, solve your problems? Or does an excess of it create more? Peggy, middle-aged, married, a mother, finds out.

http://www.anitaburgh.com

Anita Burgh CLARE’S WAR

Amazon Kindle

Ebook.

£4.31

Clare, alone in France, is involved in three wars within one; with the Germans, with the Free French and with herself as she changes from spoilt child to caring woman.

http://www.anitaburgh.com

Sheila Norton: THE TROUBLE WITH ALLY

Kindle e-book

19 May 2011

£2.05

Ally doesn’t particularly want to turn fifty – but it doesn’t bother her half as much as everything else in her life is bothering her right now. Still smarting from the fact that her husband left her for a younger woman, she’s trying to cope single-handedly with a sick elderly cat, a sick elderly mother and a sick elderly car – to say nothing of two daughters who treat the house much like a comfortable hotel. And on top of everything else, she’s having trouble hanging on to her job.
So why does everyone else seem to think turning fifty is the trouble? And why does everyone seem to think she’s losing her mind? She’s not really going crazy ... or is she?

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Sheila Norton: OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES

Kindle e-book

20 April 2011

£2.05

Beth Marston never imagined she’d be in this position as she approached her thirtieth birthday: on her own with a four-year-old daughter, working as a cleaner in other people’s houses. What happened to the dreams she shared with Daniel, the love of her life, when they were at university together with the world at their feet? Come to that, what happened to Daniel, to make him fall out of love with her and leave her for another woman?
Beth is sure she’s never going to trust another man. Her child, and her best friend Fay, are all she needs now. Besides, she has enough on her plate trying to make ends meet, and getting perhaps a little too involved with the lives of the people whose homes she cleans.
But when she falls out with Fay, everything suddenly seems to come crashing down. And if someone really wonderful came into her life now, to make it all better, would Beth really be able to resist?

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Sheila Norton: BODY & SOUL

Kindle e-book

26 April 2011

£2.05

Rosie has a lot of doubts about her life. She feels middle-aged, bored and frumpy, and it doesn't help that PJ, her friend and colleague at the hospital where she works, has compared her to a comfy old armchair! Her marriage to the so-predictable Barry seems to be hurtling towards the rocks, and when the new consultant, Mr Ashley Connor, seems to be taking an interest in her, the temptation to have a little fun certainly appeals. But where is this going to lead her? Surely not anywhere that a sensible, mature, medical receptionist and mother of three ought to be going! Would she, and her marriage, be able to survive the Ashley Connor experience? To say nothing of the hospital gossip! Or should she forget it and stay safe, comfortable and bored ... with her body and soul intact?

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Sheila Norton: THE TRAVEL BUG

Kindle e-book

9 June 2011

£2.05

Maddy Goodchild considers herself a Bad Girl. Bad girls drink, and smoke, and swear, and have affairs with married men, don’t they? They certainly don’t spend their time keeping their bodies fit, and pure, like Maddy’s best friend Rachel. Maybe Maddy doesn’t like herself very much, but then again, she thinks maybe she doesn’t deserve to be liked. Fast approaching her forties, the only good thing she’s done in her life is bringing up her daughter Sophie – but when Sophie goes off travelling for a year, Maddy’s bereft. So there’s only one thing she and Rachel can do when they have a moderate win on the Lottery: go off on their own travels together! What adventures await the pair when they set foot together on foreign soil? Will they survive Rachel’s terrible map-reading and fear of driving ‘on the wrong side?’ The trip holds a few surprises for them both – and not all of them are pleasant.

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Sheila Norton: SWEET NOTHINGS

Kindle e-book

22 June 2011

£2.05

What’s so special about Penny Peacham’s home-made bread pudding – the same old pudding that she’s been serving up to her husband Archie and the rest of the family for ever – that it suddenly seems to be getting everyone all worked up? Could it be that there’s really some secret ingredient in the recipe, something fruity or spicy that works wonders for people’s love lives?
Penny has no idea how the fuss started. Somehow, in the middle of an interview on local radio about the need for a bypass, she mentioned the pudding – and before she knows it, she’s becoming an accidental celebrity!
All this is no help whatsoever to Penny’s daughter Michelle, whose boyfriend Robbie has disappeared mysteriously in the middle of a pub lunch. Michelle’s not really sure how much this bothers her – but if there’s any love-magic in her mum’s famous pudding, she could certainly do with a serving of it herself!

www.sheilanorton.co.uk

Sheila Norton writing as Olivia Ryan: TALES FROM A HEN WEEKEND

Kindle e-book

18 October 2011

£1.02

Katie Halliday’s off on her hen weekend to Dublin with her closest female friends and relatives. She’s hoping to relax, unwind, and try to forget the recent bickering with her fiancé Matt. But, encouraged by the alcohol and girlie banter, the other girls all choose this time to make some disturbing confessions about their own lives.
This series of shocks is bad enough for Katie to take on board, without the burden of keeping a shocking secret of her own. And it doesn’t help that she’s a little too attracted to gorgeous-looking Harry Cornwell, who’s been found by the girls as a ‘trophy’ for one of their hen-party games. But it won’t lead to anything – after all, Katie’s in love with Matt – isn’t she?
Katie begins to feel that she doesn’t actually know herself, any more than she knew her mum, her sister, or her best girlfriends. A hen weekend isn’t exactly the time to discover your world’s falling apart. But it might be the time to start putting it back together.

www.oliviaryan.com

Noelene Jenkinson OUTBACK HERO
Ebook - all formats Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Release date - Feb 23 2011
$1.99
Photo journalist, Kate Reed, can´t forgive her neighbour, Matt
Thornton, for being the pilot of the plane that killed her mother ten
years ago. Now, with Kate´s family homestead in debt and up for sale,
Matt offers to buy it. Kate resists and leaves for her new job in
Paris to forget the man she has fallen in love with. Will their true
feelings for each other ever be revealed?
http://www.noelenejenkinson.com

Noelene Jenkinson A WHIRLWIND ROMANCE
Ebook - all formats Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Release date - March 11 2011
$1.99
Working girl, Whitney Leighton, manages a small antiquarian bookshop
in Melbourne. One windswept Spring day handsome and wealthy Zach
Chandler calls in to collect some books. With just one meeting, he
asks Whitney for a date and, after a whirlwind romance, they fall in
love and Zach proposes. Can their love survive the many obstacles in
their path?
http://www.noelenejenkinson.com

Noelene Jenkinson STARTING AGAIN
Ebook - all formats Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Release date - March 29 2011
$1.99
Under witness protection and relocated with a new identity, Clare
Rayne cannot release her fear of the past - until Blake Fielding
pulls up in her driveway. Clare discovers Blake is a counsellor sent
to help her and, as they work together, they fall in love. But Blake
resists involvement and leaves when their consultations are complete.
Will he return, or must Clare face her future alone?
http://www.noelenejenkinson.com

Noelene Jenkinson OCEAN BLUE
Ebook - all formats Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Release date - Feb 23 2011
$1.99
Marine biologist, Sophie Brookfield, travels to the Great Barrier
Reef off the Queensland coast of Australia, to complete her thesis
research on green turtles. Attracted by helicopter pilot, Drew
Mitchell's magnetic charm, Sophie finds herself falling in love but
fights her attraction. Heartbroken, she returns to Sydney. Will she
ever see Drew again?
http://www.noelenejenkinson.com

Noelene Jenkinson NANNY WANTED
Ebook - all formats Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Release date - March 11 2011
$1.99
Elly George, company CEO, offers to mind her godchild while her best
friend is in hospital after an accident. When she hires Rusty Webster
as a live-in nanny, attraction and romance blossom. But Elly isn´t in
the market for a husband. Can Elly overcome her doubts and take a
risk on happiness, and will Rusty change her mind?
http://www.noelenejenkinson.com

June Davies THE FAMILY BY THE SHORE (1994)

Kindle and Smashwords

09/13/11

£1.72 / $2.99

Contemporary Family Saga. An Air Mail letter and wallet of photographs bring unexpected – and shocking – news for Laura Robbins and her younger brother and sister at Spryglass, the tall old house facing the seashore. For Laura especially, everything changes forever. As well as great happiness, the months ahead hold heartache, conflict and tragedy for the family at Spryglass. Riven by doubts and regret. Laura unexpectedly finds consolation in the undemanding company of Shaun Pembridge. It is a friendship, however, which is to threaten Laura’s whole future.

www.junedavies.com

June Davies OVER THE HILLS (2010)

Kindle and Smashwords

09/18/11

£1.72 / $2.99

Historical Romance. World War II is over. Ellen Butterworth’s sweetheart comes ashore and they begin making a future together. Brian is restless and ambitious, however, finding it difficult to settle into civilian life. An urgent telegram from home sees Ellen travelling through the night across country, interrupting their wedding plans and leaving Brian alone and far away . .

www.junedavies.com

June Davies THE AMETHYST NECKLACE (2009)

Kindle

11/09/11

£1.72 / $2.99

Historical Romantic Suspense. The amethyst necklace had been at the heart of everything. Was at the heart of everything here at Blackthorn Manor . . . and had been for centuries. Meirian Penlan is drawn into a web of scandal, deception, blackmail and tragedy. Discovering a bundle of old love letters and a terrible secret, Meirian risks her life not only to right a dreadful wrong – but to unravel the mysterious disappearance of the precious amethyst necklace.

www.junedavies.com

June Davies THE DOG STAR (2008)

Kindle

11/21/11

£1.72 / $2.99

Historical Romantic Suspense. At Clockmakers Cottage on the rugged Lancashire coastline, Amy Macfarlene is apprehensive lest their father’s packet, Jenet Rae, doesn’t sail home in time for her sister Fanny’s wedding to Theodore Buxton. Something other than that causes Amy sleepless nights, though. She witnesses her fiery-tempered brother and Theo keeping a clandestine meeting at dead of night, and sees a bulky package, a purse of gold sovereigns and snub-nosed pistol changing hands . . but Fanny won’t listen, nor heed Amy’s warning.

www.junedavies.com

Jen Black FAIR BORDER BRIDE

Amazon Kindle

October 14th 2011

£2.06/$3.20

Harry Wharton, on a mission for his father, lies about his true name to Alina Carnaby. Caught up in the middle of a cattle raid he is left for dead. Alina hides him, but her father threatens to kill him because his family name is Scott.
An exciting historical romance interwoven with exploits of the Border reivers, outlaws and gangsters who terrorized the Anglo-Scottish frontier in Tudor days.

Nora Fountain BLACKTHORN CHILD

Historical romance

13 June 2011

£1.78 inc. VAT or $2.99

Henry, Lord Downley, and his French wife, Marie-Isabel, have everything except an heir. Henry adores their daughter but longs for a son. Their second child is almost due when Marie-Isabel takes a fateful trip alone into the woods she loves. Caught in a snowstorm and in labour, she takes refuge in Betsy Sweetapple’s cottage. Betsy, dismissed by Henry for immoral behaviour, has just given birth all alone to a stillborn daughter. Impassively she watches Marie-Isabel die, producing a strong, healthy son. Seeing a chance to avenge imagined wrongs, she swaps babies. Julian, the ‘Blackthorn Child’, is eventually rescued from a hellish childhood but the estate has been vested in his sister’s line. The truth emerges on Betsy’s death-bed. Can the estate ever be restored to its rightful owner?

www.norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Nora Fountain PICTURES IN PROVENCE

Originally Hale Rainbow Romance

28 August 2011

£0.89 inc. VAT or $0.99

Joanna is astonished to find a portrait of herself in an exhibition in a Paris art gallery. The attractive gallery owner, Gilles Ledoux, invites her to the opera, but then tries to remove himself from her life. When Joanna, a violinist, has an accident and injures her wrist, she accepts a summer job – at Gilles’ home in Provence. She is in love with Gilles and believes he is attracted to her, but is that all? And why won’t he introduce her to the artist whose exhibition she visited? Could he be jealous?

www.norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Nora Fountain LOVE THINE ENEMY

Second World War saga, originally Thorpe large print

9 September 2011

£1.78 inc. VAT or $2.99

In Paris 1939, with the world on the brink of war, Helen Latimer, of a good English family and Max, a handsome, wealthy young German, fall madly in love. When Helen becomes pregnant they plan to leave France for neutral Portugal, but Max is kidnapped by his Nazi brother Hermann’s henchmen. Helen’s brother, Charles, persuades her to return to England while Hermann convinces Max she has had his child aborted. A devastated Max marries Margrethe, Hermann’s sister-in-law and, to avoid scandal, Helen marries Charles’s friend, Roland. However, Helen and Max are destined to meet again…

www.norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Nora Fountain STORM DAMAGE

Originally Hale Rainbow Romance

9 October 2011

£0.89 inc. VAT or $0.99

Guy Devereau erupts into Poppy’s life one wild October night, a casualty of the storm. The power lines are down, it’s freezing cold and, delirious, Guy hauls her into his bed. How better to obey doctor’s orders to keep him warm?

The following morning, Poppy discovers that Guy is the absentee landlord who wants her out of her cottage. His injury has affected his memory and he has no recollection of the previous night.

How can she remind him, when the glamorous Nerissa turns up to claim him as her fiancé? But why does Guy keep finding excuses to be with Poppy?

www. norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Nora Fountain TO SARA – WITH LOVE

Originally Hale Rainbow Romance

15 November

£0.89 inc. VAT or $0.99

Sara unwittingly becomes embroiled in a feud between her old friend, Karen, and Karen’s stepbrother, Grant. She was doing Karen a favour so why is Grant hell-bent on punishing Sara?

www. norafountain.co.uk (in progress)

Anna Jacobs, MISTRESS OF MARYMOOR

2011 £2.55 approx

1759: A dark stranger, a moonlit horse ride, a crumbling mansion- is this a nightmare or a dream come true for DeborahJannvier, dependent on her stingy uncle? One evening, a handsome stranger arrives at the cottage, asking Deborah to accompany him by horse to Marymoor, where her great-uncle Ralph is on his death-bed. If she’ll promise to do whatever Ralph asks of her, she’ll be made mistress of Marymoor. She’ll have to leave tonight. Dare she trust herself to this stranger? And what will she have to do to secure her future?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Mistress-of-Marymoor&bookID=20

Anna Jacobs REPLENISH THE EARTH

2011 £2.55 approx

In 1735 Sarah Mortonby’s mother dies in poverty, and a shocked Sarah finds she has inherited the family estate. Advised to sell the crumbling manor house to her neighbour, Mr Sewell, she visits it and decides to keep instead. Sewell is furious – and he is a man noted for getting his own way at all costs. Desperately needing help, Sarah proposes to her bailiff, Will Pursley. Can they save the estate together or will Sewll win? And will the fondness growing between them turn into love?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Replenish-the-Earth&bookID=17

Anna Jacobs THE NORTHERN LADY (formerly A FORBIDDEN EMBRACE)

2011 £2.55 approx

Regency romance: When her mother dies, she arranges for Cassandra to have a season in London, with the family the cast her off when she married a rich northern millowner. Reluctantly, Cassandra agrees, but she’s no meek debutante. Unfortunately, her efforts to help her cousin Susannah avoid marriage to a man she’s afraid of, leave Cassandra so compromised she has to marry him herself. It’s all such a tangle. Can she find happiness with Simeon?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=A-Forbidden-Embrace&bookID=15

Anna Jacobs PERSONS OF RANK

2011 £2.55 approx

Regency romance: “Persons of Rank do not fall in love!” declares the Dowager as she sends her niece Beatrice to London in search of a suitable husband for her granddaughter Eleanor. Shy Beatrice soon crosses every eligible man off her list, except handsome Justin Serle. Despite her own feelings for Justin, Beatrice is determined to save him for her cousin.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Persons-of-Rank&bookID=55

Anna Jacobs MARRYING MISS MARTHA

2011 £2.55 approx

When Captain Merrivale dies, his daughters Martha (28) and Penelope (24) have only a tiny income. Millowner Jonas Wright is looking for a teacher/companion for his four young daughters, since his wife is a semi-invalid. The sisters are offered employment and decide to accept. In the dirty mill town they find challenges and danger – but will they also find love? And can a stubborn spinster be persuaded to marry?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Marrying-Miss-Martha&bookID=25

Anna Jacobs, SEASONS OF LOVE

2011, £2.55 approx

1835-45: Born to an impoverished clergyman with a joyless attitude to life, Helen Merling still manages to grow up with a loving heart and happy nature. When she meets an actor, she falls for his seduction and must marry. After several years of unhappiness, he dies in Italy. Two years later she meets Charles Carnforth, an older man who falls in love with her, and marries him out of friendship. When he dies, she goes back to England, where she falls in love with his heir. But the fact that she’s pregnant to Charles rather complicates things.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Seasons-of-Love&bookID=14

Anna Jacobs AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

1918: Serena has been waiting to turn thirty and come into her inheritance. She leaves home but finds her stepfather has stolen her money and is desperate to bring her back and keep the secret safe. Marcus’ life has also been changed by the War. His injuries will get better, but he has other problems and very little money. When he stops men from kidnapping Serena in the street, it brings him love but also puts his life in danger. How will the two of them survive a wicked man’s desperate attacks?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=An-Independent-Woman&bookID=30

Anna Jacobs THE WISHING WELL

2011, £2.55 approx

When her unfaithful husband, Craig, dies, Laura Wells decides to leave Australia and go back to her native Lancashire to help nurse her ailing mother. After all, Laura’s two children, Ryan and Deb, are grown up now, and Deb has made it plain that she holder her mother responsible for her father’s desertion and death. Laura needs a job and somewhere to live. When she meets a man near the wishing well in the park, she finds he needs a housekeeper. It seems her wish for a job has been answered. Kit Mallinder is a former journalist, convalescing after a car accident. Can the two of them help each other to build new lives, or will Laura’s children complicate matters?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=The-Wishing-Well&bookID=26

Anna Jacobs FAMILY CONNECTIONS

2011, £2.55 approx

Sorting through her father's papers after his death, Gina Porter discovers evidence of a secret in his past. It seems she may have family on the other side of the world, in the North of England. She decides to travel to England and meet these unknown relatives. At her home near Blackpool, Peggy Wilkes wakes every day to verbal abuse from her bullying husband. She too has decided that the time has come to make a new start. As these two women embark on their personal voyages of self-discovery, they meet new people and forge bonds which will reinforce for both of them the value of family connections...

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Family-Connections&bookID=35

Anna Jacobs KIRSTY’S VINEYARD

2011, £2.55 approx

Kirsty has inherited a vineyard in Western Australia from Ed James, a lonely old man she befriended at the library. But there is a condition to his legacy. She must give up her quiet life in England and live at the vineyard for a least one year. How will a shy librarian cope on her own in a strange country? And Ed, a skilled matchmaker, has also suggestedKirsty consider marrying her new neighbour, Sam. This is going too far. She has no plans to marry again, thank you very much. Neither has Sam. But one thing is certain, Kirsty’s move to Australia will change her life for ever.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Kirstys-Vineyard&bookID=39

Anna Jacobs THE CORRIGAN LEGACY

2011 £2.55 approx

Meet the Corrigans. Childless Maeve, though rich and successful, is dying of cancer. She wants to leave her business empire to one of the offspring of her two estranged brothers, Des and Leo. But which young relative should she choose? As the younger generation begin to gather around Maeve, old secrets are revealed, new allegiances made, and there are surprises for every member of the family - because the Corrigan legacy isn’t what it first seems.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=The-Corrigan-Legacy&bookID=32

Anna Jacobs SAVING WILLOWBROOK

2011 £2.55 approx

When Ella inadvertently discovers that her husband Miles is planning to sell their farm without her agreement, it's the final straw: her marriage, already on the rocks, is over. Determined to save Willowbrook, and to protect her daughter Amy from a father who doesn't love her, Ella embarks on a mission to build the farm into a successful bed-and-breakfast business. But Miles hasn’t given up and she owes him money. Cameron O'Neal arrives in the Wiltshire village and offers to help Ella, she finds herself torn between a fear of getting hurt again, and a powerful attraction to a man whom both she and Amy instinctively like.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Saving-Willowbrook&bookID=42

Anna Jacobs CHANGE OF SEASON

2011 £2.55 approx

If you take a devoted wife and mother, and push her out of her cosy home in Australia into a whole series of crises and new situations in England, don’t expect her to be unmarked by it. If this trusting wife then finds out about her husband’s philandering, you can expect big changes to occur - especially when she realises he’s just had an affair with her best friend. And if all this happens at a time when she is winning acclaim as an embroidery artist and has just come into an inheritance that will give her financial independence, then the outcomes of the trip may not be quite as her manipulative husband expects.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Change-of-Season&bookID=22

Anna Jacobs CHESTNUT LANE

2011 £2.55 approx

When novelist Sophie Carr rescues a man hiding in her garden from a group of paparazzi, she finds that her new neighbour is ageing pop star Jez Winter. She's loved his music for years and knows he's had a tough time lately, with an intruder slashing his face, then a car accident putting his ability to play music at risk. Life's not been easy for Sophie either, losing her husband just as she was taking off as a novelist and having difficulties with her control freak son William and her daughter Andi, who is into recreational drugs. And Sophie also has a secret to hide, one which makes her very wary of getting involved with Jez or anyone.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Chestnut-Lane&bookID=40

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, QUEST, #1 Chronicles of Tenebrak

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

At fourteen, Katia is chosen to serve at the Sisterhood's temple in Tenebrak. But violent Discord engulfs the planet threatening the 20,000-year-old Sisterhood's existence. In a satellite far above Tenebrak, Davred, brilliant xeno-anthropologist, studies the Sisterhood, and risks everything by deciding to help them. But neither Davred nor the Sisters know all the secrets of this mysterious planet.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Quest&bookID=49

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, LANDS OF NOWHERE, #1 Chronicles of Tenebrak

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

The Kindred desperately need refuge from Those of the Serpent, whose incense-choked shrines worship pain and suffering, and from Robler, the insane Exec in charge of the Confederate satellite circling above them. In the legendary Lands of Nowhere the mysterious deleff have already saved the Kindred twice. But why are the deleff so reluctant to let them leave the closed community of Dsheresh Vale?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Lands-of-Nowhere&bookID=50

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, SHADOW OF THE SERPENT, #1 Chronicles of Tenebrak

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

When the members of the Kindred pass through a portal and are scattered across the twelve claims, they face the dark threat of being discovered by Those of the Serpent. As each group journeys towards the fateful rendezvous it finds unexpected allies. The depraved evil of the Serpent threatens to engulf them. Will their Quest against Discord be successful?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Shadow-of-the-Serpent&bookID=51

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, PRICE OF WISDOM, #1 Chronicles of Tenebrak (shortlisted as Best Australian Fantasy Novel of 1996)

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

Across the length and breadth of the Twelve Claims, the armies of the Serpent are massing. Their cult of evil and suffering threatens to spread throughout the Confederation. Discord is everywhere - even on the satellite circling the planet Sunrise. In the High Alder the Kindred prepare to make their stand. Only Herra's wisdom can defeat the Serpent. But can the Kindred afford the bitter cost?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=The-Price-of-Wisdom&bookID=52

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, ENVOY, futuristic thriller/romance

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

All Channa Harknell knows is war. Yet now, as Shavlan Envoy to the Confederation, she must negotiate peace. The Galactic Confederation is determined to stop the war between the Shavlans and the Deorin. Its Mediator, Joran Lovrel, brings all his wiles and experience to beak down Chana's resistance to peace. But can Channa trust him? Isolated in the neutral territory of the Confederation's base, Mediator and Envoy begin a battle of wits more demanding than any military campaign. Meanwhile, in Shavla new allegiances are formed, fresh betrayals hatched. And in the name of peaceChanna must face more danger than she has ever encountered in a lifetime of war.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Envoy&bookID=48

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, TENEBRAK: THE FOUNDING, Early Chronicles of Tenebrak

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

How it all began: After Karialla’s village is destroyed by raiders, she braves many dangers to reach Tenebrak and complete her training as a healer. But the Healers’ Courts have been destroyed and she despairs. Then others join her one by one, helped by alien beings called deleff. The group must defeat a new group of raiders, then confront Rojan, who as a town elder is more interested in money than justice.

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Tenebrak-the-Founding&bookID=59

Anna Jacobs, writing as Shannah Jay, SWORD OF AZARAY (Young adult fantasy story)

November, 2010, £1.92 approx

In Azaray a magic sword has sung all true Kings to the throne. But Pavros, a powerful wizard, has killed the true king and
scattered the sword across the ring of worlds. The hilt, scabbard and blade each lies on a different world. The true king’s children, two boys and a girl cross from one world to the next to rescue the parts of the sword, battling against fearsome enemies and the most powerful magician ever. Will they reunite the three parts of the sword and win through to Azaray?

http://www.annajacobs.com/book.aspx?title=Sword-of-Azaray&bookID=58

Interview with Angela Britnell

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Lightfoot) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Today I’m delighted to welcome Angela Britnell to the RNA Blog. Angela grew up in Cornwall which she left at eighteen to join the Royal Navy. While serving in Denmark she met her US Navy husband with whom she has three sons. After many years of travelling they now live in his native Tennessee. She volunteers at her local library, and frequently returns to Cornwall to visit family and friends.

I love Cornwall, having lived there myself, but we'd love to know, Angela, what made you want to write and how you got your first break.

I discovered a love for writing about ten years ago and sold my first novel in 2006. As an empty nester I have a lot more writing time now, but you only have to look at my school reports as a five-year-old to see that even then I loved English and hated Maths. Nothing has changed. I did a creative writing class mainly to escape my three rowdy sons for a few evenings! I was immediately hooked, started with short stories then moved on to finally complete a whole novel. I was lucky when a small Nashville publisher was looking for contemporary romance manuscripts for a new line they were going into.

Today, being Friday 13 is supposed to be unlucky, so maybe you'd better not send anything more out until tomorrow, although I can see you aren't the sort to rely on luck. Some writers need silence, others prefer the bustle of a coffee shop, TV, or music playing. What is your favourite mode of working?

I don’t like to be interrupted when I’m writing and prefer it fairly quiet although I’ll sometimes put on some background music. I’m fortunate to have my own office having taken over my oldest son’s bedroom and painted it a pretty peach colour when he moved out. You’ll see in the photo there’s a tea table in the background – essential to keep the creativity flowing. For more inspiration I’ve also got some of my father’s paintings, many Cornish pictures, plus a very tempting Johnny Depp calendar.

You look very comfortable there, Angela, so how do you set about starting a new novel?

I often envy plotters who have everything neatly planned before they start writing but don’t think I’ll ever be one. I start with a vague idea which might be the main characters and/or a story idea. My first chapter always gets rewritten multiple times as I discover through some bizarre process where it might be headed. It sounds crazy but seems to work for me.

Do you find time for interests other than writing? Do you think it important for a writer to take time off?

I still read a lot although not always romances. I love a good mystery particularly by Elizabeth George or P.D.James. I do water aerobics several times a week and enjoy spending time in my garden. It’s definitely important to have time away from writing although that doesn’t mean it always leaves you alone - I’ve got story and character ideas in many different places from airport departure lounges to church!

Tell us about your latest book, and what inspired you to write it.

My latest book is called OPPOSITES ATTRACT and is based on a dating agency which purposely mismatches people.

Why can no one believe Holly and Brett are content with their single lives? Certainly not their interfering parents who decide to take action. The "Opposites Attract" dating agency has the theory if normal matchmaking hasn’t worked they’ll turn it upside down. The uptight British policewoman and the laid back Southern writer are complete opposites and so make the perfect mismatch. A weekend in Paris turns magical but secrets, lies and sheer stubborness threaten this romance before it hardly gets off the ground.

This pair will fight love all the way and it’s a question of who’ll give in first. The idea took seed when reading about online dating sites and how differently many people start relationships these days. My characters are an English woman and a Southern man - I’m from Cornwall and my husband is from Tennessee - so you can draw your own conclusions where a few of the ideas might have come from!

What a good idea, that sounds fun. And now for some less serious questions:

Are you ever driven to write by hand?

Rarely. I started off writing by hand until I discovered the story emerged far quicker on the computer and was so much easier to edit. I can’t imagine how Jane Austen managed! If you could know the future, what would you wish for? Probably the obvious - health and happiness for my children, many more years with my amazing husband and of course to see as many books as Nora Roberts!

When do you write best? Are you a lark or an owl?

A lark. I always wake early although don’t usually start writing then. I try to get all the routine life-gets-in-the-way jobs done in the morning and then settle down to write after lunch. If I’m on a deadline I might do some more after dinner but generally by nine in the evening my brain cells are pretty much closed down for the day. When it’s American football season here I write a lot more as my husband is usually laid out in the recliner yelling at the TV and doesn’t notice if I’m in the room – or even on the planet sometimes!

Can you multitask?

How can you even ask that of a mother of three sons? I had to learn to in order to survive - I think most women are experts.

I can see that as a woman in an all-male household, multi-tasking will be essential, so what do they think of your books?

The aforementioned sons are more into sports, sci-fi and fantasy NOT contemporary romance. Having said that they’re my greatest supporters along with my long-suffering husband. They happily brag on me to their friends as long as I don’t ask them to actually read one of my books! They also help with my web page and are dragging me into the 21st century by getting me on Twitter and Facebook.

We’ve loved talking to you today, Angela, and wish you all the best for the future.

To find out more about Angela’s books, visit her website: http://www.angelabritnellromance.com

http://twitter.com/angelabritnell

www.facebook.com/angelabritnell

OPPOSITES ATTRACT Jan 2012 from http://DesertBreezePublishing.com

IT’S COMPLICATED July 2012 from Desert Breeze Publishing

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCE Magna Large Print Books early 2012

Interviews on the RNA Blog are conducted by Freda Lightfoot and Kate Jackson. If you would like an interview, please contact me at:freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

Interview with Judy Astley

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Lightfoot) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

I'm delighted to welcome bestselling author Judy Astley to the blog today. Judy says that she can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write, but at the staid and traditional girls’ school she attended, fiction was not encouraged. ‘It was feared that all we wild 1960s teenagers would go to The Bad without firm control over our imaginations.’ I’m happy to tell you that she didn’t listen to this advice, and continued to indulge her imagination, to the good of us all.

So, Judy, I know you are a devoted member of the RNA, can you tell us how you first heard of the organisation, and in what way it has benefited you?

It was Katie Fforde who told me about the RNA when we were doing a bookshop talk together in Guildford, several years ago (and talked so long in the restaurant beforehand that we were almost late, running in all puffed and pink at the last minute). She said I should join as the parties were great – a clincher for me! I’ve met so many terrific people and great friends through the RNA and I love how supportive it is to everyone.

The parties certainly are great, but of course writers have to work hard too. Can you work anywhere or do you have a favourite place to hide away and write?

I work best on my Apple iMac which is on a glass desk in our bedroom on the top floor, overlooking the Thames. That’s the ‘default’ place, just me with my cat Veronica sprawled across my lap. I do have a little Mac laptop as well which I use on my downstairs desk or if I’m away but the big Mac is where I feel most workmanlike. The river is very calming when I’m having a panic about whether I can ever write another line that makes sense and the cat and those writer-essential fingerless gloves keep me warm in winter.

Do you do much planning when starting a new novel? Would you call yourself a plotter or a pantster?

I wish I could say I’m a plotter and I expect my editor does too. I’m sure it would make life so much easier if I had the whole book worked out before the start but I just can’t. I start with a loose idea, a theme, maybe something that’s made me cross. I get a first chapter down and let it run from there, though I usually have an ending and several key events in mind. It does mean I waste a lot of time dithering and worrying about where to go next but somehow it gets there. The upside is getting those wonderful moments where you sit up in the middle of the night and it comes to you: “Ah – so that needy friend, she’s the ex-lover’s wife!”

Where to you find inspiration for your characters?

My main men are loosely based on people I fancy a bit. I like louche, arty/musician sorts, a bit Keith Richards, Serge Gainsbourg, James May kind of thing. Absolutely NOT George Clooney. And I’ll see people around and think, ooh, I like that look, or how someone speaks. In my new book, THE LOOK OF LOVE, I have an older woman who was entirely based on a woman I saw dining with her family at the Manoir Au Quatr’ Saisons. She was probably over 80, incredibly stylishly dressed and I suddenly ‘got’ what Statement Jewellery meant.

Can you tell us a little about your next book?

This new one, THE LOOK OF LOVE, is a good-fun one about Bella who, having suddenly lost three quarters of her income (plus her ex-husband wants to cash in his half of the home), rents out her house as a location for a clothes makeover show and ends up as one of the participants. There are actually three romances in it as Bella, her mother and daughter all have relationships under way. In fact, in a bid to give older women a better-than-usual deal with fiction sex, the mother gets a bedroom scene with her lover in the Ritz hotel, complete with champagne and cake. Bliss.

That sounds good. Three cheers for the older woman. And now to some lighter questions. What was your favourite book as a child?

Anne of Green Gables. That and Anne of Avonlea. Both copies in our house had been my mother’s when she was young. I adored Anne and identified with her as my mother used to complain that I never stopped talking. I loved the constant trouble she was in, the wild imagination, the insecurity about how she looked (which I had too). It wasn’t till I was in my thirties that I discovered there were loads more books in the series and I read every fabulous one during a bout of flu.

Which were the first three ebooks you downloaded?
The first to the iPad was Jill Mansell’s ‘To the Moon and Back’, then Kate Long’s ‘Mothers and Daughters’ and Graham Greene’s ‘The End of the Affair’. I’ve got a good fortnight’s holiday’s-worth stacked up ready to read but I still actually prefer ‘proper’ books.

If you could choose to be something other than a writer, what would it be?

Tricky one this. Apart from being an idle, monied lady of pleasure I can’t think of a job I’d rather do. But – and this might sound weird - I do quite fancy running a stylish undertaking business. The 60s generation are starting to die off and I think they’d definitely go for a more sort-of Conran style operation than the grim, beige Dickensian high-street premises that exist. I should get in quick before Mary Portas gets in on the act, though I’d prefer not to be too hands-on.

Have you trained your husband to cook for you while you write?
As a life-long feminist I’m a bit shocked at this question! This is 2012, right? Jon and I both cook, both shop, both deal with laundry. Having said that we do accommodate each other’s work deadlines. If he’s mastering a difficult album (he has a music studio in the house) I’ll do supper and likewise, if I’m on a roll with the book he’ll do it. All I really ask when I’m cooking is that he doesn’t talk to me during The Archers.

What is the most you’ve written in a week and how did you get through it?

Well – I’m a terrible procrastinator (based on the fact that I’m forever sure I can never write another publishable sentence) so I take the deadline right to the edge and end up whizzing frantically through the last couple of chapters. So probably the most I’ve written in a week was 15,000 words a couple of books ago, with the final 6,000 crammed into the last day. Bizarrely, those last 6,000 flowed incredibly fluently, needed no changes at all and I’m still pretty pleased with them. All the same, it’s not a work-method I recommend.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, Judy. To find out more do visit her website at http://www.judyastley.com

Interviews on the RNA Blog are conducted by Freda Lightfoot and Kate Jackson. If you would like an interview, please contact me at:freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas - Judy Astley Adorns The Tree with a Grenadian Angel Brings Her Grandmother's Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:50:00 +0000

Today our RNA tree is adorned with Judy Astley's Grenadian Angel....

My favourite tree ornament isn’t a very old one. She’s a black angel dolly from Grenada and we’ve only had her for four years.

Jon and I are very boring about holidays. Every year we end up, in late November, at the same hotel on the island of Grenada, meeting and having a great sunny time with the same bunch of people.

On our first visit we went to a small shopping mall and discovered a gallery called Art Grenada where we both fell in love with the vibrant naïve paintings of Canute Caliste (http://tinyurl.com/bnbbyqq)who lived on the nearby island of Carriacou. The gallery owner was called Richard. He was the thinnest, most unhealthy-looking speciment of humanity we’d ever seen but his enthusiasm and knowledge of Caribbean art was tremendous. Gradually, thanks to Richard, our Caliste painting collection grew and a gallery visit was a high point of each holiday.

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the whole of Grenada and it was three years till we returned. The shopping mall was still there but the Art Grenada premises were now empty. In a gift shop next door I asked about Richard. ‘Oh he passed away.’ The lady told me sadly, ‘He wasn’t well for a long time.’ I knew him only through those annual visits but his death made me terribly sad. I thanked the lady and, with Richard very much in mind, I bought this Christmas angel from her and took her home.

You can follow Judy on Twitter here.

And her latest book is available from the the 5th January....

When a makeover turns into a nightmare...

On The Eleventh Day of Christmas - Gilli Allan Decorates the RNA Tree

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

On the tenth day of Christmas Gilli Allan shares a special ornament...

I don’t have one favourite Christmas ornament. I could offer several, some because they are beautiful, like my feather peacock, or some because they’re cute and funny and make me laugh, like my flying sheep, or my fairy, who looks like an eccentric Ophelia at her most crazy. Or I could go for sentiment, and offer the red sparkly Santas that my son picked out in Woolworths, when he was tiny, which have graced our tree ever since.

My mother died in 1986, the year my first book was published. Then Christmas irrevocably changed. No more large, fun, family gatherings at my parents’ spacious home. From then on my siblings and I did our own thing. Yet I still try to recreate the Christmases of my youth. I make my own mince pies, sausage rolls, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. I even make bread sauce, solely because the scent of milk and bread crumbs, simmering with the clove studded onion and bay leaves, evokes the warmth of my mum’s ‘Christmas Eve’ kitchen.

So the ornament I’ve chosen is the one I rescued, after my father died in 2009. It goes back as far as I can remember ̶ to those days when we hung the tree with threaded puffs of cotton-wool, to mimic snow. Those were the days when we woke early, in feverish excitement, with a heavy, crackly knitted stocking across our feet; the days when grandparents, aunts and uncles all visited. The Christmas of my own childhood.

You can follow Gilli on Twitter here.

On the Tenth Day Of Christmas - Angela Britnell Hangs a Sicilian Glass Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:06:00 +0000

On the tenth day of Christmas Angela Britnell hangs her favourite ornament on the RNA tree...

Every year when I hang this beautiful Sicilian glass ornament on our tree so many memories flood back. We'd only been married a couple of years and were stationed at the US Naval base at Sigonella. Our first son was a month old and we lived in a villa on the slopes of Mount Etna. Christmas was a magical time on the island and to the Sicilians it was a time for family and celebrating the true meaning of the holiday. We still crave the wonderful chocolates they sold and oranges picked straight from the trees and sold in the local streets. On Christmas Day the traditional firework displays and guns shot into the air had to complete with Mount Etna erupting. The sight of glowing red lava against the night sky is something we'll never forget. One day before Christmas we went shopping in the lovely city of Taormina and stopped outside a shop selling hand painted glass. This ornament was hanging in the window and although it was expensive we decided to buy it along with three similar ones. We have treasured them now for twenty-six years and they've survived multiple moves and three rambunctious sons. One day we'll share them between our sons and hope they'll continue the tradition of hanging them in pride of place on their own Christmas trees.

You can follow Angela on Twitter here.

Why can no one believe Holly and Brett are content with their single lives? Certainly their interfering parents don't and they decide to take action. The 'Opposites Attract' dating agency has the theory if normal matchmaking hasn't worked they'll turn it upside down. The uptight British policewoman and the laid-back Southern writer are complete opposites and so will make the perfect mismatch. A weekend in Paris turns magical but secrets, lies and sheer stubbornness threaten this romance before it hardly gets off the ground. Holly and Brett will fight love all the way and it's a question of who'll give in first.

Interview with Talli Roland

noreply@blogger.com (Freda Lightfoot) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Born and raised in Canada, Talli Roland now lives in London where she is able to enjoy the three loves in her life: rom-coms, cupcakes and Starbucks. Despite training as a journalist, she prefers making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. I think most of us can empathise with that one, Talli, so tell us what made you want to write and how you got your first break?

I don’t even remember starting to write – I just did! I was always scribbling something . . . a poem, a short story, a make-believe newspaper article. When I was nine, I wrote my first travelogue, a non-fiction piece called ‘Disasters in Florida’, based on a family trip to Orlando. My real piece de résistance, though, was my novel called ‘Glint off the Gold’, which I completed on the Commodore 64 at age thirteen and sent off to various publishers. And thus began my long love affair with rejections!

My first big break was when a small publisher contracted me to write a London travel guide. Although non-fiction was never really my dream, I figured being published in any genre was a good first step. It taught me a lot about how the process works.

Some writers need silence, others prefer the bustle of a coffee shop, TV, or music playing. Or you may need your cat on your lap. What is your favourite mode of working?
I need to be at my desk in my office, and it needs to be silent. I get distracted very easily, and my attempts to write in coffee shops have been disastrous. Usually, I end up spilling sugar on my keyboard, or eavesdropping. My office is a ‘safe zone’, where the only distraction is Twitter.

How do you relax? What interests do you have other than writing? Do you think it important for a writer to take time off?
I drink a lot of wine! I must admit that for the past four years, I’ve been very focused on building up my writing career, and I haven’t taken much time off. When I do feel the urge to get out of the flat, I go for a run through Hyde Park to clear my head. I also enjoy travelling with my family in Egypt and Canada.

Do you have a critique partner, or share your work with anyone before you submit to an editor?

I have a fantastic critique partner. We met through our blogs a few years ago, and she’s been invaluable. I also have several beta readers I use to give me feedback and help tailor the story once it’s at a more readable stage.

Do you edit and revise as you write, or after you have completed the first draft? What method works best for you?
I power straight through to the end. My first drafts are always rubbish, but there’s no way I could edit as I go – usually because while I know the main turning points, I have no idea how the characters will get there. It’s only once I have everything on paper that I can begin to shape it all into a narrative that makes sense.

Are you involved in social networking and blogs? Any tips for other writers? Social networking has been a great way for me to meet other writers and get the word out about my novels. Being published with a small publisher means that I do all my own promotion and marketing (with a very low budget!). By taking the time to build up a network on Twitter and in the blogosphere, I was able to get a small army of supporters behind the launch of my first two novels, which drove them into the top 100 on Amazon Kindle on release day. One of the most important things in social media is interaction, and I spend at least an hour each day reciprocating comments – if someone comments on my blog, I visit theirs and comment, too. It’s only by building relationships that people will be eager to help when it comes to spreading the word about your novel.

In what way has the RNA helped you or your career?

I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme a few years ago as an unpublished writer, and I received very detailed and helpful feedback that definitely helped me become a better writer. Although that manuscript was never published, I rejoined the next year as a full, published member. Before I heard about the RNA, I felt very isolated – like I was writing in a cave, groping around in the dark and unsure which way to turn. Meeting members of the RNA made me realise there’s a very supportive community of people who want you to succeed.

With the increasing popularity of ebooks, how do you think digitisation might change your own career as a writer?
Ebooks have helped my career enormously. My first two novels were published by a small publisher, and distribution was an issue. However, with ebooks, there are no distribution issues – you have equal shelf space – and this was definitely a factor that helped my debut novel succeed. Ebooks and the ability to self-publish have also provided authors with options other than hopping on the query-go-around, and I’m taking advantage of that. I recently made the decision to leave my publisher and self-publish BUILD A MAN, my latest novel. It was a scary step to take, but for me, it was the right one.

Tell us what inspired you to write it.

BUILD A MAN follows an ambitious tabloid reporter who goes undercover to construct the nation’s perfect man. It’s set in a cosmetic surgery clinic, and it was inspired by my time working in a five-star spa in one of London’s wealthiest boroughs. I had so much fun writing it, because my main character gets to express many of the things I would have liked to!

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today, Talli, and we wish you every success with your new book. Talli’s debut novel, THE HATING GAME, published by Prospera Publishing, was an Amazon Top 100 bestseller and shortlisted for Best Romantic Read at the UK’s Festival of Romance. Her second, WATCHING WILLOW WATTS, was selected as a 2011 Amazon Customer Favourite. BUILD A MAN is her latest release. You can find out more about Talli on her blog here. http://talliroland.blogspot.com/

Interviews on the RNA Blog are conducted by Freda Lightfoot and Kate Jackson. If you would like an interview, please contact me at:freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk

On The Ninth Day of Christmas - Tamsyn Murray Adds A Toy Soldier To The Tree

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

On the ninth day of Christmas Tamsyn Murray adds a toy soldier to the RNA tree...

My favourite ornament is this wooden Toy Soldier from The Nutcracker. It was a gift to my daughter when she was about five from an aunt and, despite the fact that it doesn't sparkle and glitter like the other decorations, it has found a place on our Christmas tree ever since. If you look carefully, you can just see the red string hanging from the bottom - pulling it makes the soldier leap in the air as though he is dancing in the ballet. My daughter was fascinated by him and made me tell her the story of The Nutcracker over and over, although she always questioned the wisdom of fighting an army of mice with gingerbread soldiers.

It soon became one of our Christmas Eve traditions, as much a part of the celebrations as leaving sherry and a mince pie out for Father Christmas, or trying to sneak a stocking full of presents into her room without waking her up. She's too grown up for such things now (apart from the stocking, because you're never too old for those) but I'm looking forward to introducing my newborn son to the Toy Soldier and the story of The Nutcracker in the years to come. If nothing else, at least he'll learn never to rely on gingerbread soldiers.

Tamsyn's latest book is My So-Called Phantom Lovelife. You can find out more about it and her at www.tamsynmurray.co.uk.

I knew the boy was different when I saw him walk on water…

When fourteen-year-old Skye Thackery meets Owen Wicks, it’s not exactly love at first sight. She’s getting over a broken heart and he’s – well – a ghost. But as Skye gets to know him, she can’t help wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Dating a ghost isn’t easy, and things get worse when Owen declares he’s found a way to stay with Skye forever. His plans make her uneasy – the shadowy organisation which claims to be able to help him is bad news, and it seems Nico, her ex, is involved too.

As Owen prepares to risk everything, Skye begins to wonder if she really has a future with him, or if his desire to be more than just a ghost will cost them everything.

In Memory of Penny Jordan - Best Selling Romantic Novelist

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Penny Jordan died on 31st of December 2011.

Penny Jordan was a global star of Mills & Boon, not only in Category Romance, but an international best seller when they first ventured into single title, under the Worldwide imprint, with her stunning revenge novel Silver (1989). She loved and continued to write category romance, but latterly she had added novels for Harper Collins -- wartime romances under the pen name Annie Groves, which she loved writing, drawing on family history for some of her inspiration, and also big family sagas like Silk and Scandal, under her own name.

She was phenomenally hard working but could always find time to support other writers, especially those still aspiring to be published. She was generous and the success of authors she had advised was an on-going delight to her.

In March 2011 Penny Jordan received a lifetime achievement award from the RNA.

We miss her and here are some of the comments from her fellow writers....

The sadness and love expressed by so many of us say a lot about Penny
herself.

Not only is she a talented storyteller - she is a kind and generous soul -
who always has words of encouragement for others.

She has always been a wonderful ambassador for our work and our association.
She been an inspiration to me in more ways than I can say.

Like so many others I am deeply saddened to hear of her illness - and my
thoughts are with her and those closest to her.
[Janet Gover]

We've had a few chats at various "dos" and she is always so friendly. A very talented lady, who never flaunts her bestseller status. [Gail Mallin]

She is a a real RNA stalwart and a true star. [Jenny Harper]

She's a true inspiration for all of us, so incredibly hard-working and always kind and generous with advice. Long before I came to England and joined the RNA, I had heard of her and seen her books in many different countries, but although I was in awe the first time I met her, she soon put me at ease. Am thinking of her. [Pia Fenton writing as Christina Courtenay]

She is such a wonderful and generous person - a role model for us all. [Katie Fforde]

She is always so self-effacing and generous to others. [Jan Jones]

Like so many I'm in shock and unbelievably sad. Penny was a friend and a
mentor. I cherish memories of shopping for handbags with her in Dubai and
comparing shoes at RNA events. Her glamour.... a goal to try an reach....

She is a writing pro who never stopped growing as writer - never happy with
just good enough and as other have said has encouraged many of us on our
way...

My prayers are with her. [Liz Fenwick]

This is sad news indeed. Penny Jordan is a name I've known since I was a young girl, with many of her books lying about the house, and my mother an ardent fan, of course. My thoughts are with her and her family. [Jane Holland, daughter of Charlotte Lamb]

I wouldn't presume to say I knew her well but having chatted to her on many
occasions in the past nine years I have always found her unfailingly kind
and very modest.

I know she was genuinely interested in helping and guiding aspiring authors
and that over the years, she has mentored several unpublished members of the
RNA.

I can completely understand why she wanted to keep her illness private as
people, even talented, vibrant people like Penny, who have a terminal
diagnosis often become defined by that rather than the person they truly
are.

But as a true storyteller she will leave a wonderful legacy for her family,
friends and fans alike; over 200 well-crafted and page-turning romances.

[Jean Fullerton]

Like everyone else, I am devastated by this terrible news. Penny was a huge support to me when I was getting published and encouraged me during the many times I wanted to give up.She is a truly special person and the world will be a poorer place without her. [Julia Moffatt]

I'm greatly saddened to hear the news about Penny, a highly successful author, who was never too busy to offer advice to others trying to get on to the ladder of publishing success. I was one such beneficiary.

I shall always remember her with affection - her generous nature, her warmth as a person and her enviable instinct for glamour. [Liz Harris]

I never met Penny but corresponded via e-mail from time
to time. She was so generous in her support and praise for all new and
inexperienced writers- as I was six years ago. [Fenella Miller]

Penny is an inspirational woman. So hard-working and dedicated to her craft. And, on a more superficial note, always so elegant. [Gilli Allan]

My thoughts and prayers are with her family. She spoke at the first RNA meeting I first went to in Circencester. She was an inspiration and as a result I joined the RNA. God bless her. [Sheila Johnson]

I met her first at the Cheshire RNA chapter, where she was
incredibly kind to this newbie author who only had one book out with a tiny
publisher. [Lynne Connolly]

How shocked I am at the news about Penny. I have many, many Penny Jordan books. They are keepers. [Vonnie Hughes]

On The Eighth Day of Christmas - Julie Cohen's Own 'Faberge Egg'

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:50:00 +0000

On the eight day of Christmas Julie Cohen adds her favourite ornament to the RNA tree...

My favourite ornament

My mother is both artistic and deft and can create beautiful things for her family and friends to enjoy. The walls of the house where we grew up are decorated with her framed embroidery; she made me Hallowe'en costumes and beautiful beloved rag dolls when I was growing up. She used to decorate wedding cakes with delicate hand-made sugar flowers and she has made her home both comfortable and elegant.

When I was about seven years old, she went through a phase of making Christmas ornaments out of egg-shaped styrofoam balls, covered with velvet ribbon, jewelled pins and sequins. They were things of baroque beauty, every one different and marvellous. Every year I would set them out carefully in a row to savour the differences. My personal favourite was made of pink velvet and crusted with rhinestones, topped with an elaborate pink bow. Later, when I saw my first photograph of a Faberge egg, I would think of that ornament. When we decorated the Christmas tree, I always put that pink velvet ornament in pride of place, right in the front of the tree at eye level, where it would catch the light and sparkle.

I tried to make one myself. While I'm reasonably artistic, I've never been gifted in crafts, like my mother; when I made my ornament, the ribbon wouldn't stick to the egg, the pins were all wonky, the bow was bedraggled. You could see white styrofoam peeking through the decorations. Mom wouldn't let me throw it away. Ashamed, I hung it right at the back of the tree, where no one would see it. But mysteriously, it kept on migrating to the front of the tree. In pride of place.

I know now that my mother moved it. It was her favourite.

My latest book: The Summer of Living Dangerously:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Living-Dangerously-Julie-Cohen/dp/0755350634/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

I have a free Christmas-themed read up on my website, to read or download:
http://www.julie-cohen.com/books/the-black-sheep/

January Releases

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

JoJo Moyes ME BEFORE YOU
Michael Joseph
£7.99
5th January
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Judy Astley THE LOOK OF LOVE
Black Swan
Paperback
£6.99
5th January

When a makeover turns into a nightmare...

Benita Brown I'LL BE SEEING YOU
Headline
05 Jan 2012
£18.99 Hardback

As the tragedy and uncertainty of the Second World War takes hold, a young woman must learn to let go of the past in this enthralling, romantic and heartbreaking novel.

www.benitabrown.com

Essie Fox SOMNAMBULIST
Orion
5th January
£7.99
'Some secrets are better left buried...' When seventeen-year-old Phoebe Turner visits Wilton's Music Hall to watch her Aunt Cissy performing on stage, she risks the wrath of her mother Maud who marches with the Hallelujah Army, campaigning for all London theatres to close. While there, Phoebe is drawn to a stranger, the enigmatic Nathaniel Samuels, who heralds dramatic changes in the lives of all three women. When offered the position of companion to Nathaniel's reclusive wife, Phoebe leaves her life in London's East End for Dinwood Court in Herefordshire - a house that may well be haunted and which holds the darkest of truths...

Leah Fleming THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER
Simon and Schuster
Hardback
19th January

Two women meet in a lifeboat as the Titanic sinks. May and her family were outward bound for Idaho but her husband and baby are lost in the sinking. Wealthy Celeste, returning from her mother's funeral in Lichfield to her son and abusing husband, befriends this third class passenger. Then the Captain rescues a child and May clings on to her with relief. As dawn comes and the Carpathia rescues the survivors, a friendship destined to last a lifetime is forged despite social differences but then May makes a startling discovery. Her split second decision changes all their lives for ever.

From the streets of New York where Angelo waits in vain for his Italian wife and baby, to Lichfield's Cathedral Close, via Tuscany's rolling hills, the unfolding story spans fifty years, two continents and the secret of that fateful night reverberates through three generations of these survivors.

Victoria Connelly DREAMING OF MR DARCY

Sourcebooks

Paperback

$14.99

When a new version of Jane Austen's Persuasion starts filming in the seaside town of Lyme Regis, Austen fan Kay Ashton can't believe her luck especially when she catches the eye of the handsome actor playing Captain Wentworth. But is he really the perfect hero?

www.victoriaconnelly.com

Benita Brown writing as Clare Benedict SOPHIE’S WEDDING
Ulverscroft/Magna
Large Print
Hardcover
£20.99
01 Jan 2012

As they gather for their best friend’s wedding three friends find themselves at turning points in their lives. Alison wonders if she can find happiness again; Francine must decide between an old love and a new opportunity; Carol asks herself if her own marriage is worth saving. One thing is certain-change is in the air!

www.benitabrown.com

Charlie Cochrane ALL LESSONS LEARNED

Samhain Publishing

ebook

The Great War is over. Back at St. Bride’s College, Orlando Coppersmith is discovering what those years have cost. All he holds dear—including his beloved Jonty Stewart, lost in combat. A commission to investigate a young officer’s disappearance gives Orlando new direction…temporarily. The deceptively simple case becomes a maze of conflicting stories—is Daniel McNeil a deserter, or a hero? As he hovers on the brink of despair, a chance encounter in France brings new hope and unexpected joy. But the crushing aftereffects of war could destroy his second chance, leaving him more lost and alone than ever…

Janet Woods ROMANTIC INTERLUDES
Belgrave House
Electronic download
USD $5.00
A collection of fourteen contemporary romance stories from a prize-winning novelist.
http://www.belgravehouse.com

Janet Woods TALL POPPIES
Severn House Hardcover
$19.99
Two men hold the key to Livia's heart and happiness, both WW1 heroes. Through no fault of his own - one of them nearly breaks it.
http://www.janet-woods.com

Margaret Mounsdon - THE MATTER OF THE HEART

People's Friend 696 -

Pocket Novel

£1.99

When Dominic Talbot award winning screenwriter leaves his briefcase in the back of one of Georgia Jones's mini cabs it sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever

www.margaretmounsdon.co.uk

Margaret Mounsdon - SECOND TIME AROUND

My Weekly

Pocket Novel

£1.99

Widowed Elise Trent thought no one could replace her beloved husband Peter in her affections, until she met policeman Mark Hampson

www.margaretmounsdon.co.uk

Vanessa Devereaux CATER TO ME

Cobblestone Press www.cobblestone-press.com

99 cents

e-book-short story

January 4th

Sometimes doing something wrong is heavenly

Vanessa Devereaux HOW I MET MY LOVER

Evernight Publishing www.evernightpublishing.com

e-book-novella

January 20th

The last thing Emily expected to do when she returned to Seattle was run into her old school buddy, Mia. Mia was always quite the girl so Emily isn’t too surprised to hear she’s an escort. Emily against her better judgment decides to give it a try and meets the man of her dreams.

Matt’s been a career bachelor and a tough undercover cop so you’d think posing as a client for an escort would be a piece of cake. What he didn’t count on was Emily opening the door to him and his heart.

Vanessa Devereaux FORBIDDEN

Total E Bound www.total-e-bound.com

e-book

January 23rd

When Maggie falls for Dr. Jon Gunderson she not only loses her best friend’s trust but her life takes an unexpected turn.

Julie was Maggie’s mentor and has been her best friend for as long as she can remember.

When she finally gets a change to visit her on the island of Majorca, she falls for Julie’s son, Jon, and the two enjoy a week of sexual bliss.

When Julie finds out about their affair, she can never forgive Maggie.

However, Maggie carries a secret that will have life-altering changes not only for herself but for Jon too.

Portia Da Costa FAR FROM PERFECT
Samhain Publishing
Trade Paperback
$14.00
Enduring passion, turbulent emotions, and an engagement of convenience... can Nick and Anna be together without reliving a painful conflict from their past?
http://www.portiadacosta.com/farfromperfect.html

Angela Britnell OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Desert Breeze Publishing

Available in ebook format

$5.99

www.angelabritnellromance.com

On The Seventh Day of Christmas - Kate Lord Brown Shares a Camel

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:08:00 +0000

On the seventh day of Christmas Kate Lord Brown hangs a camel on the RNA tree...

Here is our cross eyed camel :) He's not the loveliest decoration on the tree, but means a lot as he was given to us at a clandestine live Nativity on a remote farm here last year (live camels, donkey, baby etc!), our first Christmas in the desert.

Kate xx

You can follow Kate on Twitter here.

New Year's Eve, 1940: Evie Chase, the beautiful debutante daughter of a rich and adoring RAF commander, listens wistfully to the swing music drifting out from the ballroom, unable to join in the fun. With bombs falling nightly in London, she is determined that the coming year will bring a lot more than dances, picnics and tennis matches. She is determined to make a difference to the war effort. 5th January, 1941: Evie curses her fashionable heels as they skid on the frozen ground of her local airfield. She is here to join the ATA, the civilian pilots who ferry Tiger Moths and Spitfires to bases across war-torn Britain. Two other women wait nervously to join up: Stella Grainger, a forlorn young mother who has returned from Singapore without her baby boy and Megan Jones, an idealistic teenager who has never left her Welsh village. Billeted together in a tiny cottage in a sleepy country village, Evie, Stella and Megan must learn to live and work together. Brave, beautiful and fiercely independent, these women soon move beyond their different backgrounds as they find romance, confront loss, and forge friendships that will last a lifetime.

The Sixth Day of Christmas - A Butterfly from Kate Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

On the sixth day of Christmas a butterfly graces the RNA Tree courtesy of Kate Johnson...

To be honest, the butterfly is only a year old. I bought it at a Christmas market last year, where they had a whole upside down tree covered in brightly coloured gossamer butterflies. It was spectacular; but unfortunately my budget only ran to one pretty butterfly, who now has pride of place on top of the tree. We used to have a gold star, but that kept falling off and had to be lashed in place with a load of ribbons. Before that was an angel, which I believe I made fresh every year out of an old loo roll inner and a ping pong ball. On balance, I think the butterfly is more elegant, yes?

You can follow Kate on Twitter here.

The portal to an alternate world was the start of all her troubles
– or was it?

When Eve Carpenter lands with a splash in the Thames, it’s not the London or England she’s used to. No one has a telephone or knows what a computer is. England’s a third world country and Princess Di is still alive. But worst of all, everyone thinks Eve’s a spy.

Including Major Harker who has his own problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in Yorkshire. Turns out the best person to help him is Eve.

She claims to be a popstar. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for ‘spy’. Eve knows all about computers, and electricity. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad.

And Harker is falling in love with her.

On The Fifth Day of Christmas - A Pink Porcelain Heart From Chrissie Manby

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

On this fifth day of Christmas Chrissie Manby brings another ornament for the RNA tree...

My favourite Christmas ornament was made for me by my nephews, Harrison and Lukas. It's an avant-garde sort of bauble - a pink porcelain heart decorated with my initial in blue (my favourite colour) and a generous splash of thick blood-red into which Lukas has carved the word 'love'. The boys were seven and four when they made my heart in one of those ‘paint your own pottery’ shops in South London. Every time I look at it I remember how much fun we had that afternoon. My sister and I drank tea and gossiped while the boys got to work on a veritable production line of gifts for their grannies, their dad, their other auntie and me. I can still picture their bright blond heads bent low over the painting table as they concentrated hard on making each bauble special and different.

Christmas seems to arrive about every three months these days and my nephews are growing up quickly. Harrison no longer believes in Father Christmas and even Lukas (six) wants to see solid evidence. Still, their excitement as the big day approaches is contagious and I am thrilled to be spending it with them again. I can’t wait to see Lukas’s rendition of the Holy story (he’s a keen actor) and see Harrison’s Christmas cartoons (he’s a budding artist). I’ve no children of my own so I feel incredibly lucky to be able to witness such magical moments in their young lives. I shall treasure their bauble for all my Christmasses to come.

Chrissie Manby is the author of fifteen romantic comedies including Kate’s Wedding, Getting Over Mr Right and Seven Sunny Days. They are all published by Hodder. More details can be found on her website: www.chrissiemanby.co.uk. You can follow Chrissie on Twitter here.

On The Fourth Day of Christmas - Liz Fenwick Brings Her Grandmother's Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

On the the Fourth day of Christmas Liz Fenwick brings us an old glass bauble for the RNA tree...

Our tree is filled with so many memories that it's hard to choose...the wooden bear from Calgary days, the elephant from Indonesia, the camel from Dubai, The cowboy boot from Houston, the onion dome churches from Russia, painted seashells that children have done, silk China Men from our trip to Beijing, and the list could go on. But for me each year it's the careful unwrapping of the last remaining glass baubles that were my grandmothers. She died long before I was born so each year these fragile pieces connect me to her and to the past.

I remember those childhood days watching the snow falling outside and hours spent dreaming of Christmas lost in the reflections caught in the glass....

I'm now hoping that everyone had a magical Christmas and a wonderful start to the New Year...

You can follow Liz on Twitter here.

Her début novel, THE CORNISH HOUSE, comes out on 24th May 2012...

When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her step-daughter Hannah desperately need.
Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, a rambling house steeped in history. Maddie is enchanted by it and determined to learn as much as she can about its past. As she discovers the stories of generations of women who've lived there before, Maddie begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.
But Maddie's dream of a calm life in the countryside is far from the reality she faces. Still struggling with her grief and battling with Hannah, Maddie is unable to find inspiration for her painting and realises she may face the prospect of having to sell Trevenen, just as she is coming to love it.
And as Maddie and Hannah pull at the seams of Trevenen's past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations.

On The Third Day of Christmas - Jane Odiwe Bring Us a Jane Austen Bauble

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

On the third day of Christmas Jane Odiwe shares a Jane Austin ornament for our RNA tree...

I love my Christmas tree, and decorating it in my family is the highlight of Christmas. I’ve collected many baubles over the years and choosing whether to have a colour scheme or go for all over vintage colours always causes great debate in our house. This year we’ve chosen silver, gold, and a pale blush pink with clear glass.

I’ve been collecting baubles and ornaments for many years now - some of my favourites include some fragile white porcelain figures, which I bought when my children were tiny. They consist of angels, teddy bears, toy soldiers, toy trains and kittens, amongst others. I love vintage-style glass birds with feathers, and have used some of those on the mantlepiece in a green swag with faux and real roses. Like a lot of RNA members who love shoes, they feature too – I have some tiny shoe ornaments, period designs, ballet shoes, and skating boots.

It’s very hard to choose a favourite ornament because I have so many that I love, but this year to my family’s great amusement I bought a Jane Austen bauble for my tree. It’s very pretty with a hand-painted silhouette of Jane and strips of Pride and Prejudice can be read through the glass. It really glitters in the light, and is a beautiful new addition to the tree!

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year!

You can follow Jane on Twitter here.

Here latest book...

One dark secret can completely ruin a bright future…

After capturing the heart of the most eligible bachelor in England, Elizabeth Bennet believes her happiness is complete—until the day she unearths a stash of anonymous, passionate love letters that may be Darcy’s, and she realizes just how little she knows about the guarded, mysterious man she married…

On The Second Day of Christmas - An Angel from Jill Mansell

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

On the second day of Christmas Jill Mansell adorns our RNA tree with an angel...

Here's our favourite ornament, the angel currently touching the living room ceiling as she perches on top of our tree. Years ago when the children were very small, my book sales were nose-diving and my publisher had been forced to let me go. Money was extremely tight and we had none to spare for Christmas decorations. So I drew the angel with ballpoint pen on a square of rubbery foam bought for ten pence from a craft shop. I cut her out, stapled her together at the back and my daughter painted her with glue and sprinkled her with glitter.

She's been the star of our tree every year since - Christmas just wouldn't be the same without her.

A very happy Christmas to all!!!

To find out more about Jill you can follow her on Twitter here.

Here's her latest book....

When Ellie Kendall loses her husband Jamie in an accident she feels her world has come to an end. But life has to go on and eventually she’s ready for a new start – at work, that is. She definitely doesn’t need a new man, not while she has a certain secret visitor to keep her company...

Entrepreneur Zack McLaren seems to have it all, but the girl he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him a second glance. Why can’t she pay him the kind of attention she lavishes on Elmo, his time-share dog?

Having moved to an exclusive flat in North London, Ellie becomes friendly with neighbour Roo who’s harbouring a secret of her own. Between them, can both girls sort out their lives? Guilt is a powerful emotion.

But a lot can happen in a year in Primrose Hill...

On The First Day of Christmas - A Venetian Ornament from Juliet Greenwood

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

The first ornament on our RNA Christmas tree comes from Juliet Greenwood...

This little gondola is my favourite Christmas ornament.

My family bought it when we went to Venice in the 1960s, when I was about eight. My parents had escaped backgrounds of utter poverty in the 1920s and 30s to become teachers, and so loved travelling. They would pack me and my brother into a clapped-out camper van (Volkswagen, of course) and take us all over Europe for six weeks each summer. We would break down regularly and camp in the wilds, getting caught in forest fires, and every now and again, woken in the middle of the night by suspicious soldiers with guns. That year, we spent a day in Venice, complete with a ride on a gondola.

Ever since then, the little gondola came out each Christmas to have pride of place on the windowsill as the entire extended family packed into a little cottage in the Welsh hills. When the lights finally broke, we wound new fairy lights to light up the little lanterns so it could continue to be part of the Christmas spirit.

I love this little gondola because it holds so many memories. It’s very frail, but it still comes out each Christmas to sit in state. It should be a slightly tacky souvenir, but it’s the associations that make it beautiful. It’s inspired at least one story, and I’m sure it will many more.

And yes, that is Mr Darcy standing next to the gondola. A friend made it as a Christmas card, and it also comes out each year. The beginning of a new memory, perhaps?

To find out more about Juliet visit her here.

Merry Christmas from the RNA - Liz Harris Shares A Stocking for Christmas..

noreply@blogger.com (liz fenwick) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:18:00 +0000

I still give my sons - now 31 and 32 - a Christmas stocking.

Last year, my younger son’s partner, Angie, came to stay for Christmas. Naturally, Angie, too, had to have a stocking, and I had great fun filling a stocking for a girl – a first for me.

For obvious reasons, ‘Father Christmas’ decided not to creep into the bedrooms to put their stockings at the end of the beds, but to leave them beneath the Christmas tree.

After breakfast, we all went into the sitting room, and lo, we found the stockings. But there were four stockings, not three. The fourth stocking was for me.

And this was a very special stocking. Not just because it was my first from my sons. Not just because everything in it showed a great deal of thought. It was very special because the stocking itself had been made by my non practical older son!

Luke had bought the satin, fur and beads and, guided by his creative partner, Sophie, had cut out and sewn the stocking together. Then he had sewn on every bead individually. He had not allowed Sophie to do so much as one stitch.

Happily, the first three stockings contained Kleenex, and this was put to good use as I saw the thought and care that had gone into making my stocking.

The stocking adorned the sitting room for the whole of the Christmas period. I've attached a photo of it - I think it looks pretty good.

Follow Liz on Twitter here.

Coming out in the New Year...

‘Dark Deception’, a People’s Friend Pocket Novel, is due out on March 22^nd, 2012

‘The Road Back’, published by Choc Lit, is due out early in 2013

Please come back on Boxing Day to see how the RNA is decorated on the first day of Christmas....

The New Writers’ Scheme 'Inside Out' Part 5 - NWS Alumni

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Jackson) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:30:00 +0000

Since it began, The New Writers' Scheme has launched the writing careers of many romantic novelists. NWS alumni's books are stocked in bookshops and libraries worldwide, they are shortlisted for and win awards and feature in the best seller lists.

Do you recognise any of these writers?

They are all NWS alumni.

Left: RNA Winter party 2010.

In this final part of the series we meet four NWS alumni who tell us about their time in the NWS. A warm welcome to Katie Fforde, Jan Jones, Jean Fullerton and Nell Dixon.

Katie FForde, the RNA's President, found her own unique voice with the help of the NWS.

Katie, tell us about your journey through the New Writers Scheme? How long were you a member? Did the sort of novels you write change while you were in the NWS?

I was a member of the New Writers' Scheme for a long time. It was more generous in those days and you could miss delivering a book for a year if you needed to. All the time I was part of the scheme I was aiming for Mills and Boon. Elizabeth Harrison, who organised the scheme when I first joined told me I wasn't a Mills and Boon writer. Alas, in spite of my best efforts, she was right!

When you started it, did you ever envisage you would be where you are today?

I never, ever envisaged I'd be where I am today. Not that I'm ever quite sure where that is! I just wanted to be published.

What did you learn from the NWS?

I learnt an awful lot from the NWS and the RNA in general. I learned you have to persevere, that no part of a book is 'good enough' it all has to be your very best writing, and that you need to keep the pages turning.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

I think my advice is the same as what I learned from the NWS and the RNA. ie, don't give up, never be slapdash, and make sure your strong plot is turning the pages. Don't be self-indulged. If it doesn't further the plot, cut it out, OR, if you love the scene, make it further the plot.

To find out more about Katie's work visit her website at http://katiefforde.com/

Jan Jones writes short stories and serials as well as novels. She was shortlisted for the RNA Love Story of the Year Award 2011 and the Best Historical Romance award at the Festival of Romance 2011.

Jan, tell us about your journey through the New Writers Scheme? How long were you a member? Did the sort of novels you write change while you were in the NWS?

I joined for the first time in 1987 - in those days it was still possible to join in July for half fees and have your mss read the same year! I got a second read, but no take up.

I submitted for the next two or three years before lack of money and an expanding family made writing novels impossible for a while. However, the critique experience had really woken me up to how much difference editing and polishing can make to a script, so when I moved on to short stories I was in a much stronger position as a writer.

Over the next few years I had lots of stories published, but when my main magazine outlet folded, I saw it as a sign to concentrate on novel writing again. I rejoined the RNA in the mid 1990s, submitting contemporaries, regencies, then contemporaries again. Stage by Stage - my debut novel - was finally published in 2005.

When you started out, did you ever envisage you would be where you are today?

Not at all.

Do you think you would be where you are now if you'd never become a member of the NWS?

Goodness, no. Without the support, the passing on of expertise, the friendships, the sheer generosity of everyone in the RNA, it would all have taken much longer. There is also the fact that I met and pitched to my first publisher at an RNA Conference!

What did you learn from the NWS?

I learnt the value of friendly, constructive, impartial criticism. You might not agree with it, but the very fact that someone has highlighted a problem means you need to look at it and decide why it has been picked up on.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Easy - get ready to enjoy yourself! Be prepared to listen and learn and make friends - and also to give back wherever possible. Everyone has areas of expertise that can be of use to someone. The single most useful thing I ever did was to go to my first conference. The joy of spending a weekend with people just like me has never left me. It's why I now run them!

To find out more about Jan's writing visit her website at
http://www.jan-jones.co.uk/

Jean Fullerton writes historical romances set in London. She was shortlisted for the 2010 Romantic Novel of the Year Award and recently won the Festival of Romance's Readers Award for the Best Historical Read 2011.

Jean, tell us about your journey through the New Writers Scheme? How long were you a member? Did the sort of novels you write change while you were in the NWS?

I started writing after I was sent on a stress management course and the tutor advised us to take up a hobby. As a life-long reader of all types of historical fiction I thought I’d have a bash at writing a story. Just for fun, you know. Nothing serious!

Anyhow, I sketched out a rough plot on a sheet of A4 and opened my laptop on the kitchen table and typed Chapter One. After just a dozen or so pages the story just seemed to pour out as if someone had shaken up a bottle of cola and undone the top.

I finished that book in about four months then I started another. Again the story flowed. Of course, I had no idea about technique or formatting, I learnt that later, I was just telling the story.

I’d written three books before I discovered the RNA. I joined the New Writers Scheme in 2003 and sent in my second novel. It was through the NWS that I learnt the craft of writing a publishable novel. I was a member of the scheme for four years and had written 10 books before I finally wrote No Cure for Love which won the Harry Bowling Prize in 2006.

Although the period I write has moved forward to the 19th and mid-20th century I have always written Historical so the type of novel I write didn’t change because of the NWS, but the way I write them certainly has. The NWS helped me perfect technical issues such as point of view, showing not telling, dialogue and pace. It also helped me develop my narrative voice and understand story structure.

When you started it, did you ever envisage you would be where you are today?

I had no idea I could write let alone become a published author on my third contract with an international publisher. I’m dyslexic and at school English lessons were torture. The thought of actual earning my living by the written word seemed ludicrous, so as soon as I could, I dropped it as a subject. I only learnt to touch type last year. But, really although I’ve come a long way, no writer can rest easy because you’re only as good as your next book.

What did you learn from the NWS?

I’ve learnt a great deal of things from the NWS about plotting, style, dialogue and characterisation but I think the most valuable lesson it taught me was how to be edited. Someone once said ‘No book is written it’s re-written’ and that is so true. I don’t complete my first draft and send it to the printers, it goes through an extensive editing process, which often involves adding in, taking out or re-writing scenes. The NWS report is very like an editor’s line by line editorial notes and it helps you learn the professional discipline of reworking your story until it is the best it can be.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Join, join, join NOW! It is tougher now than ever to get published, but you only have to look at the number who graduate from the scheme and achieve publication each year, to realise being part of the NWS massively increases your chances.

To find out more about Jean's work visit her website at http://www.jeanfullerton.com/

Nell Dixon writes warm-hearted contemporary romances. She won the RNA's Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year in 2010.

Tell us about your journey through the New Writers Scheme? How long were you a member? Did the sort of novels you write change while you were in the NWS?

I was a member for three years. I had two full novels and one partial go through the scheme. All of those books have since gone on to sell to publishers. Originally, I was aiming for Mills and Boon's romance line but realised my stories are a bit quirky and too richly populated to meet the readers expectations for that line. Now I write everything from short novellas for a dedicated sweet romance publisher to longer contemporary romances for my mainstream publishers with a dash of humour and a hint of suspense.

When you started it, did you ever envisage you would be where you are today?

No, I just wanted to be published. I didn't give any thought to what would happen afterwards.

What did you learn from the NWS?

I learned about adding emotion and conflict to my work. I learned to make my endings as strong as my beginnings and it gave me deadlines and my first taste of feedback in a constructive way.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

For me it was a big step, I was investing money I didn't really have and making a proper commitment to becoming a writer. To get the most from the NWS you need to be aware of the dedication you need to finish a book, and how you'll feel having someone else comment on your work. If you dream of becoming a published author, are willing to work and love to write then go for it. You won't regret it and it could be the start of the journey of a lifetime.

To find out more about Nell's writing visit her website at http://www.nelldixon.com/

Thank you to Katie, Jan, Jean and Nell for sharing your experiences of the New Writers' Scheme. Your successes will inspire NWS members to persevere with their writing.

To find out more about the New Writers' Scheme visit the RNA website at http://www.rna-uk.org/

Sincere thanks to everyone who has taken part in this series and generously shared their experiences of The New Writers' Scheme.

The best of luck to all those joining the NWS in 2012.

The New Writers’ Scheme 'Inside Out' Part 4 – 2011 NWS Graduates

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Jackson) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:06:00 +0000

2011 has been a bumper year for the New Writers' Scheme with a total of eleven members finding publishers for their novels so far. A very warm welcome to four of these, Liz Fenwick, Linda Mitchelmore, Liz Harris and Henriette Gyland who share their NWS journey with us.

Liz Fenwick was a member of the NWS for six years. Her novel, THE CORNISH HOUSE will be published by Orion in May 2012.

Liz, tell us about your novel's journey through the NWS? Did it receive a second read? Had it been submitted before?

THE CORNISH HOUSE was my second novel that went through the NWS and it went through twice. The first year’s really positive comments helped me to revise the book and bring the best out of it. The second year provided more positive criticism, which I took on board before sending it out to the market. The book never received a second read.

What difference did the NWS make to your writing and to you as a person?

The NWS does many things...the first it gives you a solid deadline to work with and this is an important thing to learn to live and work around. It also teaches you that you do have to show your work to others. This leads to the important skill of learning how to take constructive criticism. The feedback you receive from the NWS is intended to improve your work. That doesn't mean it doesn't sting but once your work is out in the wide world people will both like and loathe it. The NWS prepares you for this in a way. It also provided me with a reader who wasn't biased. Unbiased readers are hard to find when you begin.
Do you think you would be where you are now if you'd never become a member of the NWS?

I certainly wouldn't be here yet. I had and still have the persistence needed to become published, but the NWS gave me a push up. By encouraging new writers the RNA gives them a chance to get feedback and the chance to network and learn about the industry. In a sense it gives new writers the chance to become ‘professional’ in a safe environment.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Enjoy, work hard, make friends, listen, learn and grow with the feedback that you will receive.

Follow Liz on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/liz_fenwick
To find out more about Liz's work see her website http://lizfenwick.com/

Devon based author, Linda Mitchelmore's historical novel, TO TURN FULL CIRCLE, will be published by Choc Lit in June 2012.

Linda, can you tell us about your novel's journey through the NWS? Did it receive a second read? Had it been submitted before?

To Turn Full Circle, is my first historical novel, although I have written six contemporary novels. You can imagine my joy when it went to a second read. Both readers said they thought it would be perfect for Robert Hale so that was where I sent it myself - no agent being required for Hale. I got a huge dent to the ego when it came back within a week! I then told the NWS how surprised I was at this and it was suggested I try it at Choc-Lit - again, no agent is needed. But Choc-Lit do require a male point-of-view so I worked hard at writing one in and submitted it three months later. I was soon asked to submit the rest - much to my joy! - but had a nail-biting six month wait before I was finally accepted. My book is scheduled for publication in May 2012.

How long were you in the NWS?

Too long! is the short answer. I wrote six contemporaries, and all but one went to second reads. I kept getting so close but not quite there yet. But although those second reads were sent to top agents and I received very kind and constructive rejections from them all, I wasn't taken on. In 2004, I was awarded The Katie Fforde Bursary and I'm only too pleased I can now look Katie in the eye, her faith in me justified at last!

What difference did the NWS make to your writing and to you as a person?

I don't know that the NWS has made any difference to my writing as such - I've always been told I have a strong 'writing voice' and I can only write how I write and what I like to write about. I am a seat-of-the-pantser! But always emotion led.

As a person, being a member of the NWS has been life-enhancing. Meeting full members - whether big names or not - I was always made very welcome by everyone - not made to feel less of a writer in any way at all because I was on the NWS scheme and not between covers yet.

I think that my first ever submission went to a second read was what probably urged me onwards, made me believe in myself that I can write and would be published one day.

Do you think you would be where you are now if you'd never become a member of the NWS?

Possibly not as I am at this very moment with a novel contract and being uber-excited at seeing suggestions for book covers! But I was a widely-published writer of short stories for the womag market before joining the NWS so I would still be writing.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Get the champagne in the second you send off your submission! There's always that chance that talent and luck will go hand in hand for you and that your first submission will find a top agent and a top publisher and will fly. But, if it doesn't happen like that for you, then don't give up - never, ever give up. Each novel you write will be better than the one before as you hone your craft. If you go to the RNA conferences you will meet a wonderful bunch of women (and a few men!) who think like you, act like, you, share your dreams. A writing buddy can be good, too - healthy competition as you try to best one anothers daily word output! And remember .....champagne is better for the keeping!

Follow Linda on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lindamitchelmor

and on the Novel Points of View blog at http://novelpointsofview.blogspot.com/

Liz Harris's graduation from the NWS happened with two novels being accepted within a week. One novel by ChocLit and the other by D.C. Thomson for a People's Friend pocket novel.

Liz, tell us about your novel's journey through the NWS? Did it receive a second read? Had it been submitted before?

THE ROAD BACK was submitted once only to the NWS, and it got through the second read. When Melanie told me that it had gone for a second read, and later that it had got through, I was absolutely over the moon. It was a wonderful moment.

How long were you in the NWS?

I’ve been a member of the RNA since 2005 (I think), and a member of the NWS since I joined. So that’s 6/7 years. I believe that I joined just before the 2005 Royal Holloway Conference, and then went to the Conference.

What difference did the NWS make to your writing and to you as a person?

A huge difference to both - they are connected. If you want to write, and I did, anything that helps you to improve your skill in writing – and that improvement is something that you can see for yourself – develops your confidence and has a positive effect on the way that you see yourself in relation to the thing that you want to achieve.

The NWS critiques are a master class in writing. I don’t believe that anyone can approach his/her own work with a truly objective eye, and there can’t be a better objective eye than that of someone already published in that genre, someone who is focused on telling the truth with a view to helping the writer to improve, rather than someone who aims to say only what they think the writer will want to hear.

We all have writing mannerisms, just as we have verbal and physical mannerisms, and the NWS critiquer, not blinded by affection and the desire to avoid giving any sort of pain, is the person to point out those writing mannerisms so that they can be eliminated.

No matter how carefully and sensitively the critiquer presents criticism, there will always be pain, but, to quote a familiar cliché, No pain, no gain.

The best critiques begin with praise for what the writer has achieved, and then go on to offer constructive criticism of the areas that need addressing. I have been fortunate to have had some of the best critiques.

Do you think you would be where you are now if you'd never become a member of the NWS?

It’s a very difficult market, and I’m not sure that I would be published. I’d like to couple the RNA with the NWS in this. By learning about the publishing industry, which I’ve done through my membership of the RNA - and very enjoyably, too – I was better equipped in my quest for publication. The NWS helped me to hone the skills that enabled me to take advantage of what I’d learnt through the RNA.

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Go for it! It’s quite amazing value, and there is nothing – absolutely nothing – more exciting than feeling your book improve beneath your fingertips. You cannot reach this point by yourself, but you can with the aid of the NWS.

Follow Liz on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/lizharrisauthor

and Facebook www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674179771&ref=ts

Henriette Gyland's persistence has paid off in 2011. Her novel has been accepted by Choc Lit and she won first place in the Festival of Romance's New Talent Award.

Henri, tell us about your novel's journey through the NWS? Did it receive a second read? Had it been submitted before?

Yes, it's been through the NWS several times before, once where it made up parts of another novel, where eventually I scrapped the other half because it was a different story (and pretty bad too!), and once as a partial. The title has changed a couple of times – and probably will again – and I've even changed the main character's name, plus added a male view point.
I think this particular novel illustrates my development as a writer, from that early idea, badly executed, to something publishable, and although I've never had a second read, I've always found that a constructive first read is enough to go back to it and improve it. There's nothing stopping you from sending it in again later on.

How long were you in the NWS?

As much as I hate to admit it, I've been on the scheme for about 12 years, although in my defence some of that time was spent looking after young children, which isn't exactly conducive to writing. Not in my house anyway!

What difference did the NWS make to your writing and to you as a person?

The NWS readers helped me see where I was going wrong with my writing, but also praised me for the things I did right. I took on board their advice, sometimes grudgingly, and realised later that they were so spot on. On a personal level, because the RNA allows membership to unpublished writers, through the NWS, I felt I was part of something. That was and is really important to me. Writing can be a lonely existence – chatting to fellow writers makes you feel normal.

Do you think you would be where you are now if you'd never become a member of the NWS?

Categorically no. Not sure where I would be, but probably in some dark corner muttering to myself and feeling resentful and left out...

What advice would you give a writer thinking about becoming a member of the NWS for the first time in 2012?

Write the best novel you can, and take the NWS reader's comments in the spirit they're intended, as a help. Don't get hung up about not getting a second read. Enjoy being a New Writer and having the luxury to work on your novel for as long as you like. Come to the parties!

Follow Henri on Twitter at https://twitter.com/henrigyland

and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Henriette-Wulff-Gyland/761371494

Thank you to Liz, Linda, Liz and Henri for sharing your journeys through the NWS. Your successes will inspire other members of the NWS to keep on writing. We wish you all every success with your novels.

To find out more about the New Writers' Scheme visit the RNA website at http://www.rna-uk.org/

Information about 2012 membership will appear on the RNA website in mid December.

The final part of The New Writers’ Scheme 'Inside Out' - NWS Alumni will be posted on 20th December.