Find Out Friday: Kate Allan.

2/10/2012 9:26:56 AM

Hello and welcome to author, editor and rather appropriately, because it is the start of Valentine Week, Festival of Romance organiser, Kate Allan.

Now, Kate, you will be unaware of this fact, but your involvement in the FoR was the inspiration behind this feature. I was and still am fascinated about what went into producing such a successful event. At the time, I recall asking if I could interview you, and here we are.

One twelfth of the year is over, which makes us a month nearer to the second Festival of Romance. How are the plans proceeding?

The second Festival of Romance will be taking place about twenty miles up the road from where we held it last year in the county town ofBedford. The main venues which are at the Corn Exchange and Bedford Central Library are booked and at the moment we’re talking to publishers and authors about the events we will be running. We hope to have a full schedule by April, so if you have any ideas about what you would like to see at the Festival, now is the time to shout.

Last year’s was such a major success, how are you going to trump it?

Feedback from our first festival was fantastic but an author who attended thought it could be improved by being in a town centre and when I thought about it, I agreed. A town centre setting would provide easier access to the events. Our move toBedforduses a variety of venues, all within a minute or two’s walk of each other and we will also have the facility of the town’s central ticketing box office.

What was the thought process behind the event?

There are a number of conventions in theUSfor the romantic fiction genre, and here in theUKwe have crime festivals in Harrogate andBristol, and also SFF conventions. I thought that romantic fiction should have its own dedicated event on our shores.

Romantic Fiction Online spawned from the FoR – tell me about that. What are the aims and purpose of the site?

The site started as a social community to support the Festival but once it started to gather pace, it was clear that it should be a year-round website where readers and authors could talk about romantic fiction. Now we have four hundred members, a number of active sub groups and the forums and blogs are being well used to chat about all kinds of topics related to reading and also writing romantic fiction.

Many writers I have met and interviewed are multi-talented, with many strings to their bow. How many aliases do you possess and who are you the majority of the time?

This is a good question for me. The majority of the time I’m a mum and wife, and after that comes work. I’m a director of an independent publisher, Myrmidon Books, and also run a small literary agency. I am involved in organising the Festival of Writing that takes place inYork each year and is the biggest event of its kind for aspiring novelists. Add to that the organisation of the Festival of Romance and what does suffer is my own writing. It is a real challenge to find time for writing, but I seem to manage to do a little, not every day but more in fits and starts when I have a quiet few days in a row.

Which role provides you with the greatest satisfaction and why?

Being a mum wins hands down.

You are known for writing historical novels. What appeals to you about the Regency era?

It’s the era of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and also the period when Lizzy Bennet could walk across a field unchaperoned. The Victorian age has its merits but I prefer the less fettered spirits of the Regency era. The 18^th century appeals too but I am not sure I could write a hero wearing an itchy wig and powdered hair.

You have moved to writing contemporary romance. Is there a need for diversification within the writing world?

I certainly needed a change from Regency but my move into contemporary happened really be accident rather than design. I had a story idea and started writing it and the result with Secrets at City Hospital. I’d been in a large city hospital myself for a month and so the setting was just there, all researched for me already. A gift!

You are a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. When and how did you first become involved? Are you an active member?

I joined the New Writers Scheme of the RNA about ten years ago now and was in it for two years before I got my publishing deal. I just came across the organisation on the internet and it seemed like an excellent scheme as a proper novelist would read your efforts and critique them. Now I’m a full member I try and get to meetings but it’s been hard since having a baby.

I studied Rogue Male for English O’ Level. Having seen it as one of your recommended reads, I am wondering whether I should revisit it. As a fifteen year old, to me it was a book about a man hiding in a hole, attempting to assassinate a foreign dictator. Sell it to me, Kate.

Rogue Male is a classic and was one of those first teenage reads that set my pulse racing (with suspense and fear). I recommend you give it another try and see what Geoffrey Household is doing as a writer to give you that thrill of the chase.

Are there books you revisit as an adult and if so, what is it about them that makes them special, or is one read enough?

I recently reread The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler actually and thought it might have faded with the passage of time, but it hasn’t. Truly wonderful books stay wonderful I think. Or I wouldn’t still be finding new delights every time I reread Pride and Prejudice.

What are you working on at the moment and what can we expect next from Kate Allan?

I’m currently writing another medical drama romance, this one involving an animal hospital, and hoping to have it finished before the summer.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Kate and thank you for bringing the Festival of Romance into my life.

Snowbound on the Island is now available at Amazon.

Keep up to date with Kate on her website, follow her on Twitter or pop across to Kate’s Facebook page.

Find Out Friday: Sue Moorcroft

1/27/2012 9:28:33 AM

As we cheer at the imminent arrival of February, I am exceedingly (adverb) happy to welcome award winning author for Choc Lit, creative writer tutor and competition judge, Sue Moorcroft.

Good Friday morning, Sue. What have you put aside to answer these questions?

Finishing my WIP, Dream a Little Dream! (Don’t tell anyone on the Choc Lit team …) It’s due in on the 31^st and I’m putting the last loving polish on it. Of course, that’s prior to the editing process. Dream a Little Dream is a Middledip book, like Starting Over and All That Mullarkey.

You are one of the busiest people I know. How many ‘hats’ do you wear and how do you divide your time between your roles?

I almost don’t know where to begin this answer. But here are some of the things I do:

– write novels for Choc Lit

– two columns a month for Writers’ Forum

– judge and critiquing for Writers’ Forum

– judge for Writers’ News

– judge various other competitions as people offer the work

– write serials for magazines

– write short stories for magazines (has taken a back seat, lately, I’m afraid)

– carry out some tasks for the Romantic Novelists Association, following my eight-year term as a committee member

– a few things for National Short Story Week, as I’m on the steering committee

– tutor for the London School of Journalism

– workshops for various libraries or writing groups, as opportunities arise

– review books for various organisations on an occasional basis

– write a Formula 1 column for Girlracer.co.uk after each F1 race

– do the admin etc that arises from being one’s own boss

– and all the promo that arises from being a writer and wishing books to sell

– and all the social media that helps with promo/research/human interaction

– and all the research that my novelist’s nosy little heart demands

I suppose I apportion time according to deadlines. But if I can’t get on with my novels, I get grumpy, grumpy, GRUMPY! So I end up working a lot of weekends etc, especially if I’m behind with competition entries or student assignments. I used to deal with students and comp entries in the morning and write in the afternoon but I’ve changed things around a bit and tend to have whole days on one or the other.

As a child, what were your favourite books? What made them special?

I loved Enid Blyton books, particularly the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. I just devoured them. Also books about dancing, ponies and circuses. And dogs, but they sometimes made me cry. I began on adult novels (Nevil Shute, Alistair McLean) quite early in life – aged about eight or nine, I think. My dad used to vet what I was reading. (‘Lolita? Not that one, darling …’)

Who inspired you to write?

Did anyone? I don’t know. I feel it’s a compulsion rather than an inspiration. A voracious reader and a daydreamer, I suppose the natural thing was to write down stories that wandered around in my head.

Also, I had an absolutely horrible teacher in my last year of primary school, the kind who held the whole class terrified whilst he indulged in Tazmanian Devil type tantrums. But he told me I could write and said that one day there would be novels on the shelf with ‘Sue Moorcroft’ on the spine. He’s long gone, now, otherwise I could tell him that he was right. And that he was a nasty little worm who shouldn’t have been allowed near children.

At what point and how did you become involved with the Romantic Novelists Association?

I believe it was around 1999. I was with the short story agency, Midland Exposure, and at one of their parties I met an RNA member who told me all about the association and this marvellous-sounding thing called the New Writers’ Scheme. Within weeks, I saw that Marina Oliver, the then chairman, I think, was speaking at a local library. I went to the event and my mobile phone went off asMarina was speaking, so I had the ideal excuse to go up at the end and apologise for being so rude. She’s a lovely person, so put me at me ease, and I asked her all about the RNA. I don’t remember where I got the application form from, but I joined straight away and my membership has never lapsed.

Last year saw you take on the role of New Writers’ Scheme Agony Aunt. How did this come about and how is it going?

I pinched the idea from the Romance Writers of Australia, frankly! They have an agony aunt in their in-house mag, and I thought it would be a good idea, so offered. Anyone in the RNA can send me questions, not just NWS members. I’m kind of hosting the page, rather than setting myself up as the World Authority on Everything, and am procuring replies from other writers or industry professionals, where required.

Tell me about your role as a reader for the RNA.

I feel that the RNA NWS helped me so much (the wonderful Margaret James was the NWS Co-ordinator, then, and was an enormous help and support to me. And still is!) that it’s only right I put something back. From my judging/tutoring work, it seems that I have the facility to be objective about a manuscript and feed back in such a way that the writer can improve. So I do.

You are also a competition judge. What criteria do you follow when judging?

It depends what I’m judging and for whom. The organisation in question may well tell me what they’re looking for. I have to be objective and not reject, say, a sci fi story because I don’t care for sci fi, personally, of course. Though I can only use my judgement, I try to be fair. The bulk of my judging comes through Writers’ Forum and the editor and I have a view in common—the story is important. So beautiful pieces of writing with no plot do not fare well.

Do you use the same criteria as a reader for the RNA?

Not really. The function isn’t the same. For the RNA I’m trying to feed back to the writer areas in which I feel improvement can be made, and perhaps how. I’m not taking a hundred stories, making up a shortlist then choosing first, second and third. As an RNA reader I try and be realistic but encouraging—it has more in common with being a tutor than a judge. I have been in the New Writer’s shoes (and still am, every time I’m edited) and so I try and make truths palatable. I acknowledge that the writer might hate me for saying something, but I say it, and tell them why. I have twin strands of thought: publishing is a hard, competitive business, so you’re going to have to learn to take feedback; but if I can work hard and persist until my books are on the shelves, so can you. Those thoughts are behind every critique I write.

What is it that makes you want to teach the craft of writing?

Money.

OK, not just money. But, in a career as up and down as writing, it does help to have a bit of money you can rely on each month (to pay your son’s rent at uni …). As someone who didn’t like school or being taught, I’m kind of surprised that I do like being a tutor. I think it comes down to that thing about having a facility to feed back to people. Some people call this being opinionated! 

2011 was the year when I moved into the writing world, having lived on the outskirts for a while. I have found the residents to be friendly, supportive and nurturing. There is no jealousy. I think about this a lot – too much probably – but in other competitive markets, someone is always ready to gossip about you or put you down. What is it that makes the people in the writing world different?

Gosh. No idea. It may just be the RNA that’s mega-supportive and foster a ‘can do’ attitude? I certainly hear/read mean and bitchy remarks from writers in other areas, once in a while. But I, too, have met mainly with nurturing and encouragement from those who seem genuinely to want me to succeed. Maybe there’s some nice people and some not-so-nice in every creative industry?

What was the most important piece of advice you have been given, writerly or otherwise?

Don’t make enemies.

What is your favourite film and why? (It doesn’t have to be a romance.)

About thirty have just flipped through my head! I’ll say National Lampoon’s Animal House, with the late, great John Belushi, simply because I associate it with a happy, fun time in my life, and because it contains one of the funniest lines I ever heard.

And what sort of music do you enjoy?

A wide variety. I love music with excellent lyrics, such as written by Newton Faulkner, Frank Turner and Regina Spektor. It can distract me from my own writing, though, as I listen and realise that their words are better than mine. Here are a few more of my most adored artists, throughout my life: David Bowie, Elton John, Gnidrolog, Dory Previn, Ian Dury, Leonard Cohen, Damien Rice, James Taylor, Neil Young, Andy Fairweather Low, the Beatles (both as a group and individual members), Queen, Sting, Beautiful South. There are loads more. I sometimes have classical music playing when I write. If I can’t tell you what I’ve been listening to, I’m pleased. It means I’ve been ‘in the zone’ and submerged in my story.

If you have any spare time, what is it you like to do?

Read. Watch Formula 1 (I am a self-confessed Formula 1 bore). Walk. Zumba. Yoga. Hang out with my friends. Read some more. Travel.

All right or alright?

All right. Alright seems alwrong, to me.

What do you have lined up for 2012?

Dream a Little Dream is scheduled for November publication. My backlist Choc Lit books come out in theUS in May. The new Formula 1 season begins in March. And I’ll just keep on doing everything I did in 2011, I suspect!

Sue Moorcroft writes romantic novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes for Choc Lit. Combining that success with her experience as a creative writing tutor, she’s written a ‘how to’ book, Love Writing – How to Make Money From Writing Romantic and Erotic Fiction (Accent Press). Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles and courses and is the head judge for Writers’ Forum. Her latest book, Love & Freedom, won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 at the Festival of Romance. She’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner.

Check out her website www.suemoorcroft.com and her blog at http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/ for news and writing tips. You’re welcome to befriend Sue on Facebook or Follow Sue on Twitter.

All of Sue’s Choc Lit novels and Love Writing are available as paperbacks and eBooks. Her early stuff is available in eBook format.

Sue – thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions – they are not the first and they will not be the last, I’m sure.

The next FoF is on February 10^th with another multi-tasking, ultra-busy author, Kate Allan.

 

Comments:

Sue Moorcroft:

1/28/2012 8:20:05 AM

Animal House.

For everyone who’s curious about the funny line in Animal House, it’s not X-rated, and I’ve already told Henri, back channel:

One of the Barbie doll girls says, of John Belushi, ‘That boy is a P-I-G pig.’ John Belushi says, ‘What am I now?’ Scarfs up an entire meringue, chews it up, blows out his cheeks and slaps them so the meringue erupts all over everyone and explains, ‘I’m a zit.’

x

 

Susan Bergen:

1/27/2012 9:44:09 PM

Sue Moorcroft.

I laughed out loud when Laura asked Sue what she did in her spare time.

That list of commitments made my jaw drop… Uber Multi-Tasker!

 

Eleanor James:

1/27/2012 7:47:43 PM

Interview.

I loved the simple questions with the simple answers! 🙂 I found it really interesting and unique.

I aspire to be like my mum, or at least one book, so this has really helped.

Thank you Sue and Mum. 🙂

 

Laura E. James:

1/27/2012 6:57:53 PM

Sue Moorcroft Interview.

You’re all very kind and thank you for your lovely compliments about my questions. They stem from a basic nosiness. Sue – like Henri, I am wondering what the funny line from Animal House is. I’ve tried to Google it, but it throws up many lines 🙂 I should know through osmosis, as my brother watched it many times in our youth, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the right order. Ahh – the wonders of rewind on the old VCR’s.

 

Sarah Tranter:

1/27/2012 6:44:27 PM

Sue Moorcroft.

Great questions Laura and really enjoyable answers from Sue. What more can I say? Fab!

 

Sue Moorcroft:

1/27/2012 5:33:56 PM

Find Out Friday.

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments. I really enjoyed doing Laura’s interview, because she found some questions to ask that were interesting and fresh. Oh! Just realised! I left ‘doing interviews’ off my list! 🙂 Have a happy weekend, everyone.

 

Anita Chapman:

1/27/2012 5:15:20 PM

Interview with Sue Moorcroft.

Hello,

Laura -I really enjoyed reading this-great questions!

Sue – it’s interesting to find out more about your work (how do you do it all by the way?!) and everything you do for the RNA. Best of luck with finishing your WIP.

Anita.

 

Henriette Gyland:

1/27/2012 4:01:30 PM

The funniest line.

Lovely interview, Sue, and I honestly didn’t know you had that many hats. A few, yes, but not THAT many! I’m also a great fan of the film “Animal House”, and can watch it again and again, but that funniest line, please tell me what it is as I don’t remember it word for word. Or if it’s not suitable to mention in public (very likely where “Animal House” is concerned), please email me privately. Hx

 

Laura E. James:

1/27/2012 3:10:08 PM

Sue Moorcroft.

Thank you everyone, for your lovely comments. Sue is a great interviewee and she never fails to bring a smile to my face. Glad you enjoyed the piece.

I think we could all use a cup of coffee now!

 

Jess:

1/27/2012 3:07:08 PM

Interview.

And I thought you were the busy one Laura!

 

Jan Brigden:

1/27/2012 1:46:29 PM

Interview with Sue.

Another fab interview, Laura. I can’t believe how many different hats Sue wears. What an exhaustive list! Thanks for giving us such an interesting & inspiring insight into your life, Sue. A fascinating read x

 

Celia Anderson:

1/27/2012 12:56:39 PM

Dynamo.

I’m also exhausted reading about Sue’s action-packed timetable. Wow – won’t moan about being busy any more, honest.

Interesting questions, Laura. Loved ‘All That Mullarky’ but I haven’t read ‘Starting Over’ yet, will Kindle it soon as I’ve finished the new P.D James.

 

Lucie Wheeler:

1/27/2012 11:32:52 AM

Interview.

What a fantastic insight to an extremely busy and successful author. It tires me out just reading what you do, Sue! Do you know what sleep is? You must try it sometime 🙂

Seriously, though, a lovely overview of what it takes to be successful. And very heartwarming to hear that you give back so much.

Oh, and some fantastic questions posed, Laura! A great read.

X

Find Out Friday: Charlie Cochrane

1/13/2012 9:51:30 AM

Welcome to the first Find Out Friday of 2012.
Today, I am very happy to welcome author, Charlie Cochrane. Happy New Year, Charlie. How was your Christmas? Did you catch any rugby?

Plenty, but only on the telly. And the iplayer. And maybe the radio. And my hero Nigel Owens was reffing some of them so things were great. As for Christmas, it was exemplary; just the Cochranes, plus eldest daughter’s boyfriend. Lots of games, quizzes, food, drink and laughter – what more could one ask for?

Do you make a point of switching off over holiday periods or do they provide you with an uninterrupted amount of time in which to write?

Hm. Depends. Less writing time when the big girls are back from Uni and the youngest off school, certainly, but I do try to get 500 words down every day. (That may not seem a lot, but it’s my standard writing amount even on a good day! I try to make it 500 really good words.)

How do you divide your day between family, writing and your job as a training provider for new, school parent-governors?

I juggle well. I have lots of lists. I have lists of lists. Seriously, it’s all about being ultra organised. Luckily my training is done freelance so I can pick and choose dates and it only averages out at maybe four evenings a month, plus some admin stuff. I regard my writing as being a ‘proper’ job too, so I make time (on a normal day) for writing, promo, etc. The only time I rarely write a thing is when we’re away from home, on holiday or a short break.

Were you a keen reader as a child and to which books did you return?

Yes. I read and reread Tolkien, James Thurber and an odd book called On the Track of Unknown Animals!

At what point in your life did you realise you wanted to write?

I’ve always made up stories in my head – or to amuse the girls when they were younger – but it was only when I discovered the Hornblower fandom (and the wonder of fanfic) that I started to get the ideas out of my head and onto ‘paper’.

Which authors inspired you and why?

Patrick O’Brian, because he’s the king of characterisation and Mary Renault because she can say more in one sentence than most authors can in an entire page.

You write historical gay romance – what in particular drew you to this genre?

The simple answer is that I think it chose me, rather than vice versa. Those are the stories that come in to my head. If I think a bit deeper, I guess that I’ve always loved period fiction, whether it’s O’Brian’s Age of Sail stories or golden age mysteries (Sayers, Christie and the like). I also love books from the late 19^th/early 20^th centuries. Conan Doyle, Jerome K Jerome – bring them on!

Tell me about the Cambridge Fellow Mysteries?

I’m a great fan of classic mysteries and one of my favourites is “Death at the President’s Lodging”. Great murder mystery (I defy anyone to solve it) and it has a couple of really ‘slashy’ scenes. I was reading them and thought, “Isn’t it a shame there aren’t classic age mysteries with gay detectives?” So I started to write one.

It had to be set in Cambridge because that’s my old University, it had to be Edwardian because that’s one of my favourite eras from which to read books and it had to feature two gorgeous blokes…because it had to.

The books are both mysteries and romances, and cover the developments in Jonty and Orlando’s relationship against a background of murder, mayhem and dotty secondary characters.

Did you set out to write a series?

Nope. It just happened. (That’s a pretty common experience for me.)

How do you go about researching crimes?

I don’t. Not actively, anyway. Let me explain – much of my research has come almost by osmosis. I have a magpie mind, which accumulates things from books, films, pictures, newspapers, etc, so I have a hoard of information for the era I’m writing in and – because I’ve read so many crime books – I have a bank of crime info to draw on as well. I do check facts as I go along, but the broad brush things are in place.

From where did the characters Jonty and Orlando appear?

I want to say that they sprang fully formed from my noddle, but that’s only partly true. Jonty was inspired by the wonderful actor Jamie Bamber, who seems to specialise in characters who suffer nobly (and beautifully), and then get shot. Both his looks and some of the situations I’d seen him in helped to form Jonty, although his sense of mischief is all mine.

Orlando? Hm, he’s drawn from those sort of ultra clever, slightly odd heroes of mine (Alan Turing ) and Sherlock Holmes spring to mind). I wanted him to be a complete contrast to Jonty and to fall helplessly in love with him, without realising what was going on.

What other projects do you have lined up?

In February I have a short story coming out from Carina. “Dreams of a Hero” is inspired by the Matt Alber song “Boeotia” and shows what can happen to even the most mild mannered person when they start having strange dreams. I also have a Paralympic themed short out form MLR in 2012.

And there’s about half a dozen half written stories to finish and submit over the next year. Surprising how far 500 words a day can go!

Which books are in your To Be Read pile and which books would you personally recommend?

Does it sound odd to say that my TBR pile is an unknown? I need to find a series which inspires me to read it through avidly, in the same way that the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency or the Bryant and May books did. Any recommendations?

As for my recces, I’ll go with my genre. “Whistling in the Dark” by Tamara Allen is a great gay historical. And “The Charioteer” by Mary Renault is a must read for any prospective author as well as being a cracking story. And I recently very much enjoyed “A Hundred Little Lies” by Jon Wilson.

In my head, because you write Historicals, I am imagining you sitting at an old, captain’s desk, quill in hand and fingers stained with ink, scratching out your manuscript. Normally at this point, I ask my guest if they are a pen and paper person or a straight to pc writer, but I am enjoying the quill and ink pot image, so I think I will leave it there.

If I had a quill and pot I’d be covered from head to toe in ink within seven and a half minutes. I really am ridiculously clumsy and messy.

Thank you so much for being my guest, Charlie. Enjoy 2012. I hear there’s some sport thing happening in the summer….

You can follow Charlie on Twitter, on her website through Facebook and via her blog.

Comments:

Charlie Cochrane:

1/14/2012 10:49:30 AM

Thanks, Gaycrow.

Gaycrow

I didn’t realise that book had been written on the way toAustralia. Life’s coincidences – don’t you love them? Will answer re series at LJ.

 

Laura E. James:

1/13/2012 10:57:10 PM

Thanks.

Gaycrow – thank you for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview all the way over inSouth Australia!

Charlie – it’s a pleasure having you here and you’re welcome any time.

 

Gaycrow:

1/13/2012 8:24:58 PM

Charlie’s interview.

(Here via Charlie’s LJ.) I really enjoyed this interview. I hadn’t heard of “Death at the President’s Lodging”, and managed to find a copy at my local library. It was interesting to find out that the author wrote it on the way toSouth Australia, which is where I live. I’m looking forward to reading the book very much.

 I have a couple of series to recommend … I’ll do that at LJ. 🙂

 

Charlie Cochrane:

1/13/2012 4:40:37 PM

Thank you!

Thank you for hosting me. I had great fun with these answers.

Find Out Friday Christmas Special: Carole Matthews

12/16/2011 9:05:57 AM

I am absolutely delighted to welcome to Find Out Friday, internationally published and award-winning writer of romantic comedy, Carole Matthews.

Thank you so much for visiting.

I am currently enjoying your latest book, Wrapped up in You, a great Christmas read which has received excellent reviews and can be purchased from Amazon
This book has one of the loveliest covers I have seen. It has glitter, snow, red foil and it is very tactile. I am now ready for Christmas.

I know it is deemed politically incorrect to judge a book by its cover, literally and metaphorically, but isn’t it part of the package that draws us in?

Gosh, yes. I’m a sucker for a pretty cover. This one has used up the entire glitter stock for Little, Brown for the year and I’ve made sure that my next cover for Summer Daydreams will also be suitably sparkly. I have it especially written in my contract that my glitter budget is MEGA!

What was the spark for the story of singleton Janie Johnson and Maasai warrior, Dominic?

I wanted to explore just how easy it is to find love in less traditional places these days. Once upon a time, you’d meet a boy at school or someone at work and that would be that. Now love, literally, has no boundaries. I thought it would be fun to look at that. I also wanted to write a Christmas book that wasn’t a typical ‘English’ Christmas and I couldn’t think of anywhere more different to set part of the book than the plains of the Maasai Mara.

You have grown particularly fond of Dominic. What makes him different to previous heroes?

Oh, he is just such a lovely romantic hero. He’s a man who’s very comfortable with who he is. He’s physically and emotionally strong, charming, funny and different. The more I wrote about him, the more I fell in love with him. As did Janie. And the ladies of The Nashley Church Flower Committee.

For fans who sign up to your newsletter, there is a special treat. Please tell me about the sequel and how this came to be.

It was my editor’s wonderful idea. When I’d finished the book, I was struggling to let the characters go. I wanted to know what had happened to them. Did they end up together? Did it all work out? I didn’t feel that I wanted to write a whole book about them, but their story hadn’t finished. So Cath suggested a short story sequel, which I just thought was a great idea. So the story finds them a year on, the following Christmas and my readers can find out how their story ends. It’s a tear-jerker!

What is your favourite and least favourite part of creating a book?

I love the whole writing process – even after twenty books. It’s the best feeling in the world when it goes right. The worst bit is thinking up titles. My sales team never let me have my own titles.

What is it within that keeps you writing?

I think it helps if you’re essentially an extremely nosey and gossipy person! I love telling tall-tales and Lovely Kev says that I never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. If I don’t write for a couple of weeks, I start to go slightly nuts and start to have conversations with myself in my head. Quite worrying.

Do you start with names for your characters or wait for them to grow into one?

I always start with the names. A name defines a person. I have several books of names to trawl through and I write them down if I hear a good name.

I wonder if subconsciously we give our heroes and heroines names of people with whom we associate good things. (I’ve just realised, it’s not that far removed from naming one’s children.) It’s quite a responsibility, isn’t it?

Yes. Just like kids, your characters are stuck with those names for a long time. The more books I write, the harder it is to pick appropriate names.

At the end of the working day, how easy is it for you to switch off and leave your characters on your desk? (Mine seem to follow me to bed…)

I don’t think writers ever switch off. There are so many of us on Twitter or Facebook during the night that I think it’s a common problem. Sometimes if my brain is busy, I might as well just get up and write.

I’m asking this next question as one who finds it difficult to stop writing once I’m in the flow, even when trolley jacks are propping open my eyes…

Has your disciplined approach to writing evolved over time or was it naturally occurring?

I’m naturally a very disciplined person and, if you’re going to produce two books a year, you have to be. I work eight till one, read the paper over lunch and then work from two through to six, five days a week. I try not to work weekends.

You love to travel. Has one country in particular inspired you?

I’ve loved everywhere I’ve travelled to – all for different reasons. I’ve written books set inPeru,Nepal,AmericaandAfrica. I’d like to write one set inChinatoo which is an amazing country. We tend to go on group holidays too, so it’s always interesting to meet our fellow travellers who are from all different walks of life.

Does where you write affect how or what you write?

I can’t cope with too many distractions. I could never work in a coffee shop as many writers do. I like a proper computer and a brick wall in front of me. I have Radio 2 on all day long for company.

Writing humour is a skill I have yet to master – I can see and hear humour all around but am unable to transfer it to the page. What is it that gives us those laugh out loud moments?

I think you’re either a funny person or you’re not. You can’t manufacture comedy. I’m from nearLiverpooloriginally and I think a sense of humour is hereditary. I tend to see the absurd in everything. I have tried in the past to write serious romance and I just can’t do it. My characters are always getting themselves in ridiculous scrapes.

How much can you tell me about your next book to be published, Summer Daydreams?

I’m really excited about this book. It features Nell McNamara who is a young mum trying to make her way in the fashion industry while juggling the demands of a child and a relationship. Something I think a lot of readers will identify with. I’ve had great fun writing this and have had a lot of help from my friend Helen Rochfort who is a fabulous handbag designer. It’s a really lovely, romantic book.

As a lover of stationery, this is a question I ask all my guests. Are you a pen and paper person or do you type straight onto the PC?

Straight onto the PC. My handwriting is so bad now that I can barely read it.

What is currently in your To Be Read pile?

There are 450 books on my to-be-read pile! Those near the top are My Summer of Living Dangerously by Julie Cohen and Are We Nearly There Yet by Ben Hatch.

I discussed with another friend the fact that most writers are multi-creative – many paint, some of us sing and some of us make excellent cupcakes. Is baking something you have always enjoyed doing?

I love cooking, but have only just reawakened my baking gene. Blame The Great British Bake Off. I love doing cupcakes as they’re so easy and quick. I find it therapeutic making all the sugar flowers and bits.

What question would love to answer but have never been asked?

‘Would you like to become writer in residence at NeckerIsland, Carole’ – asked by Richard Branson. I might well say yes.

For those of you wondering, Lovely Kev is indeed lovely. He is a true gentleman who, at the Festival of Romance, saved me from the early morning trauma of having to work a futuristically technical coffee machine. Thank you, Lovely Kev.

Lol. Yes he is very lovely. He came to be nicknamed Lovely Kev because that’s all that anyone ever says about him. When people come to my book signings they’re usually more interested in meeting Lovely Kev than they are me.

Carole, your books inspire me, your humour makes me laugh out loud and your warm and generous personality makes it always a pleasure to talk with you.

Thanks so much, Laura!

On behalf of my readers and from me, I wish you and Lovely Kev a happy and peaceful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

For all the latest news, you can follow Carole via Twitter @carolematthews,

or at http://www.carolematthews.com

or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carole.matthews
Find Out Friday is taking a break over Christmas and the New Year, although standard blogging will continue. Have a good one and I’ll see you in 2012.

© Laura E. James.

 

Comments:

 

Jan Brigden:

12/20/2011 1:44:45 PM

Find Out Friday

Fab interview! I love this slot. I had the pleasure of meeting Carole for the first time at the Winter Party (along with lovely Kev, of course) and really enjoyed talking to her, so it’s no surprise that this interview is so interesting and informative. Thanks, ladies!

Find Out Friday: Henriette Gyland

12/9/2011 9:35:03 AM

Find Out Friday has taken another international turn this week as we find out about Dane, Henriette Gyland, compulsive knitter, cat slave and guinea-pig whisperer.

Hello, Henri. How are you today? Ready for Christmas?

Not really, to be honest. At the moment I feel I’m being pulled in ten different directions, and whilst it’s great to be busy, having to “change” hats several times a day can be quite exhausting! Not only do I write, I also work as a language examiner and a translator, and this time of year is always hectic because most translation agencies close down for Christmas and New Year and therefore need to clear their desks beforehand. I have done some Christmas shopping but still have lots more to do, although most of it will be from the comfort of my home. Hurrah for the Internet!

How do you spend Christmas? Is it a time of calm or a time of excitement in the Gyland household?

I always start the 1^st of December by presenting my children with their advent calendars, where they get a little thing every day in the run-up to Christmas. Even though they’re no longer toddlers, they still get very excited about it. The presents used to be a small toy, a ball, or a funky pen, etc., but they’re getting a bit too old for that, so now it’s a piece of chocolate on weekdays and slightly bigger presents on Saturdays and Sundays.

Are there any Danish Christmas traditions that differ to British ones? What was a typical Christmas morning for you as a child?

I suppose the differences between a British Christmas and a Danish one are, first of all, the timing but also the rituals themselves. We celebrate it on the 24th of December with dinner, often consisting of roast pork with crackling or roast goose, served with caramelised potatoes, red cabbage, and redcurrant jelly. This is then followed by a cold rice pudding flavoured with vanilla. In it will be hidden one whole almond, and the one who finds it receives a token present (similar to the British tradition of putting a sixpence in the Christmas pudding). The trick is to see how long you can string out the suspense as to who’s got it!

After that we dance and sing around the Christmas tree, and then – finally – we get to open our presents. The tradition is to put real candles on the tree in specially designed holders, and then light them. I suspect you’re holding up your hands in horror – won’t the tree burn etc.? It doesn’t because we don’t normally take our trees indoors until very close to Christmas, and there’s enough sap in the tree for the candles to simply go out. My maternal grandfather used to say, “A Christmas tree never burns”, and it didn’t, although as a back-up he always had a bucket of water at hand…

There’s no doubt in my mind that Christmad – oops, a Freudian slip, I meant Christmas, of course – has become very commercialised, Denmark being no different to anywhere else, but once we get to Christmas Eve itself, I still find the whole thing enchanting. And I do love my lie-in on the 25^th.

What brought you toEngland?

Er, a bloke. To cut a long story short, it didn’t work out, but by then I’d found a good job, a nice place to live, and inDenmark, unemployment was very high in my field, so I stayed for a little while longer. I then met someone else and that, as they say, was that.

I am always impressed with bi-linguist/multi-linguists – I found O’ Level French tricky enough (yes, I’m old enough to be an O’ Leveller), do you speak other languages and is it something that comes easily to you?

Apart from English, which I started learning aged 11, and Danish (obviously), I speak German, French, and a tiny bit of Japanese. My German is good enough that I can pick up some of what’s said on the news (very topical now the Eurozone is in trouble), I occasionally help my son with his German homework, and one of my husband’s sisters lives in Germany with her husband, so I have plenty of exposure. Because of the similarities between the Scandinavian languages, I can also read and understand Swedish and Norwegian, but I can’t write it. Sadly my French and Japanese are a bit rusty – well, a lot – but I do tend to pick languages up quite quickly once I immerse myself in them and have considered doing a refresher course. When I have time. Which will probably be never.

Now – onto writing. Tell me about your membership with the Romantic Novelists Association. How did you become involved with the RNA?

Years ago I was involved in a local writers’ circle where we met fortnightly to discuss our work. When one of the other members realised that what I was writing was technically romantic fiction, she suggested I join the RNA. At that time I’d never heard of the association and hadn’t thought of my writing as a particular anything – I just wrote – but I took her advice and joined the New Writer’s Scheme. This was back when Marina Oliver and then Margaret James were the organisers, and they were both very encouraging. Since then I’ve been a member for more years than some people have had hot dinners.

What advice can you pass on to the New Writer Scheme members?

Write the best novel you can, and regard the comments from the NWS reader as a help. Don’t be disappointed if it’s not an instant winner – very few people make it with their first novel. I’ve probably written about nine, although some of those have been serious rewrites of earlier attempts. Writers are people with a story (or several) to tell, but that doesn’t mean that the actual craft of writing these stories down is perfect from the outset. It’s like a rough diamond – it needs to be cut, the rough edges smoothed away, before it can truly shine. Having said that, I’m the first person to sulk in a corner when things don’t go my way! 

As a New Writer, you entered the Festival of Romance’s New Talent Award. This was a last minute decision – why the uncertainty?

Because the first chapter (prologue) doesn’t actually start with the traditional lead-up to a romantic entanglement – e.g. a meeting, phone call, misunderstanding, a break-up, a new place, etc. – but with an elderly woman dying of a heart attack, alone in her house, while someone watches her through a pair of binoculars. The next chapter does carry on in the above tradition, but I still felt like a fraud – this is the Festival of Romance, and my novel starts with a mystery.

Then I thought, what the heck, nothing ventured and all that, entered it, and promptly forgot about it (blame it on the Hat Syndrome above). It wasn’t until the actual day I remembered and thought it probably wouldn’t win, and I decided to just enjoy the evening.

How did you feel at the moment you were announced the winner?

Well, I was utterly gob-smacked! After that I went through a whole range of emotions, from “Eek, what do I do now?” to “Oh, I’m supposed to go up there”, to “Wow, is this really happening to me?” to beaming from ear to ear. It was a truly special moment.

Can you tell me something about your novel and your chosen genre?

The genre I write in is difficult to pigeon-hole. Some call it romantic suspense, or romantic thriller, or even psychological suspense. If I was to label it myself, it would be something along the lines of kitchen-sink-mystery-romance-drama, but since this is not an easy thing to rattle off the tongue, it’s probably better to stick with the term romantic suspense.

About my novel, well, here’s a mini-blurb: A thirty-something ER doctor returns to her native Norfolk to sort out the estate after the death of her grandmother, only to discover that nothing is what it seems… sorry, but you’ll have to wait for the rest.

Now, I’m going to let you finish this sentence…The biggest news this year has to be…

…winning a prize! Signing a contract with a publisher! Sorry, that was two.

But these things did not happen overnight, did they?

No, it was hard work and determination, years of learning my craft, taking the advice I was given, revising, submitting, entering competitions, dealing with rejection, submitting again, and again. Disheartening sometimes, but I kept going because I couldn’t have stopped even if I’d tried. Once bitten by the writing bug…

What or who inspires you to write and which books are on your To Be Read pile? (My pile has recently evolved into a tower.)

News items, real-life stories, reading the classics, watching TV dramas, favourite authors, conversations overheard on the bus – all kinds of things coming together in one big melting pot.

My TBR pile is so tall it’s like an accident waiting to happen (I sleep right next to it, you see), but for the sake of brevity I’ve narrowed it down to six:

“Heartstone” – C J Sansom

“Star Struck” – Jane Lovering

“One Day” – David Nicholls

“Notorious” – Nicola Cornick

“Death in Hellfire” –DerynLake

“MollFlanders” – Daniel Defoe.

 Are you a pen and paper person or do you prefer to type straight to the PC?

A bit of both. I find if I’m struggling with a particular scene, or the words generally won’t flow, that it helps to grab a pen and a notepad, and go sit somewhere else. In the summer I sit in the garden, weather permitting, and in the winter on the sofa, sometimes with the TV on. Actually, it’s like my writing is more “free” with a pen in my hand, because I have to think on my feet away from my computer thesaurus. Dangerous things, thesauruses.

I also edit on paper, with a red pen, and I think this is influenced by my work as a translator – I simply have to print out my draft translation, put it next to the source text, and go through it section by section to ensure everything is present and correct.

Finally – guinea-pig whisperer? I’m intrigued…

It’s just about understanding the creatures, really. I have two, one is very greedy, the other not so, so for instance when they have their favourite food, cucumber, I give them different-sized pieces. Greedy-guts gets the biggest, which means they finish at the same time, and peace is maintained. Pig psychology at its simplest.

Henri, it has been a real pleasure having this opportunity to find out more about you and thank you for taking the time. Please let us know how your year progresses – it is going to be a busy one!

Speaking as a member of the New Writers Scheme, I think it’s fair to say, you are an inspiration to us and I thank you for that.

Have a great Christmas and enjoy what is to follow.

Henri can be found on Twitter @henrigyland

And on Facebook

You can find out about Henri and other great authors at Choc Lit.

Comments:

 

Jan Brigden:

12/11/2011 9:27:37 PM

Fab Interview.

Another great Find out Friday interview, Laura. Loved reading all about Henri’s journey to publication (whoop whoop!) and all about the Danish Christmas traditions. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Henri, and once again, Congratulations.

 

Sarah Tranter:

12/9/2011 8:50:09 PM

Henri.

Another great post Laura – and congatulations again Henri – 2012 is your year!

Sx

 

Susan Bergen:

12/9/2011 7:27:51 PM

Guinea Pigs.

Lovely interview and great to hear about another success (heard it first on ROMNA). Well done, Henri.

 

Must chat to you sometime, Henri, in your role as Guinea Pig psychologist. I’m the world’s champion Guinea Pig sexer. And I bet you can guess how that came about!

Susan.

 

Laura James:

12/9/2011 7:09:15 PM

FOF.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments. I have been very honoured to have such generous and open guests.

 

Lizzie Lamb:

12/9/2011 7:07:18 PM

What a gal.

Many thanks to Laura for this blog post. I don’t go on to that many blogs because there are hundreds of them but I do follow them over from Facebook/Twitter, if the blogger includes a link – especially if they are about my RNA friends (!) Henri, I bow to your linguistic skills; and Laura – sadly, I took have ‘O’ level French, too. But most of all Henri, I enjoyed reading about your path to publication and how honest you’ve been about how hard it is. IT IS. BLOODY HARD. Good luck to both of you with your writing. Lizzie xxx

 

Liz Harris:

12/9/2011 6:36:53 PM

Henri Gyland.

A very interesting interview. Thank you for it, Henri and Laura.

I can’t wait to read your book, Henri; it sounds intriguing.

Liz X

 

Henriette Gyland:

12/9/2011 5:22:05 PM

Thanks.

Thanks for all your lovely comments. It’s a pleasure being here today.

 

Debs Carr:

12/9/2011 3:58:13 PM

Congratulations.

Congratulations once again, Henri. I can’t wait to read your book.

Thanks for the interesting interview.

 

Janice:

12/9/2011 3:33:01 PM

Henri’s Post.

Your Christmas sounds lovely. Huge congrats on how far you’ve come this year Henri with your writing award and your book deal – all richly deserved. Happy Christmas to you and yours! xx

 

Sue Moorcroft:

12/9/2011 3:08:04 PM

Lovely.

Excellent post. Enjoy the run up to your first book being published, Henri.

 

Talli Roland:

12/9/2011 2:40:56 PM

Wonderful Interview.

Great interview, ladies. I loved hearing about the Danish Christmas traditions!

 

Rhoda Baxter:

12/9/2011 1:48:23 PM

Sounds lovely.

I like the idea of real candles on a christmas tree. I might have to try that when the kids are older.

What a great story. Congratulations on your successful year. May 2012 be even better!

Rhoda.

 

Angela Britnell:

12/9/2011 1:47:15 PM

Interesting!

Glad to read all about you and especially aboutDenmark. I lived there for several years and met my American husband there so have fond memories of Danish Christmases. All the white tree lights put me of coloured ones forever!

 

Lynne:

12/9/2011 1:16:29 PM

Wow!

What a brilliant story Henri!!! I’d always wondered what it felt like to be told you’ve won a competition when you’re in the room when the announcement is made!

It is a long time to wait for a book though, I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end!

Lynne.

 

June Gadsby:

12/9/2011 1:06:16 PM

Henrietta Hyland.

So glad that success has found you Henri – you are worth it!

 

Catherine Miller:

12/9/2011 12:39:31 PM

Interview.

Another great Find Out Friday. Thanks for sharing your story, Henri 🙂

 

Henriette Gyland:

12/9/2011 12:08:43 PM

Danish Christmas.

Thanks, Helen. I’m so pleased to be here today, and naturally very excited about my book. Sadly publication day probably won’t be until March 2013, so I’ll have to curb my enthusiasm a little. But, oooh….

Happy Christmas to you too, or “Glædelig Jul”, as we say in Danish.

Hx

 

Helen Hollick:

12/9/2011 10:58:47 AM

Thanks for sharing.

I’m so pleased for you Henri – can’t wait to read the book. And thanks for sharing about how you celebrate a Danish Christmas – very interesting

Best wishes for Yule – and your book!

What’s Happy Christmas in Danish?

Find Out Friday: Sue Fortin

12/2/2011 1:40:23 AM

A fellow member of the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme, I started getting to properly know Sue Fortin at the RNA Winter Party. She made me laugh. Lots.

Hi Laura, thanks for inviting me over to your Find Out Friday feature – much appreciated and yes wasn’t the RNA party fun, we certainly did a lot of laughing!

Now, Madame Fortin, tell me a little about your French side.

Well, it’s only by marriage and a very, very distant ancestor on my husband’s side of the family. The name Fortin is quite common inFranceand especially so in the French speaking part ofCanada.

France is a country you like to visit. Do you find time to write whilst you are there and in what ways is your writing affected by your setting?

We have a holiday home there which we have been renovating for several years now so when we visit it usually entails some sort of work, that coupled with keeping our four children occupied, doesn’t leave much time for writing. Having said that, I have bagged a space at the landing window, overlooking the countryside for that day when the renovation is complete and I can write to my heart’s content. I have been inspired by the area because I really do enjoy being there so it seemed only natural to draw on my local knowledge when I needed it for my novel ‘French Kissing in the UK’.

I read on your website, www.suefortin.com that you have always written, but it is only recently you have taken to writing novels. French Kissing In The UK is your first book, coming out next year – how did this come about and how did the story take shape?

Well, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and last year I had the opportunity while my daughter was at nursery so it was a case of ‘now or never’.

As for the idea, I had a random scene in my mind which had taken root in one of my many daydreams a long time ago. This scene involved a woman and her lover being confronted by her estranged husband. I had no idea what had happened leading up to that scene or what happened afterwards and so began my plotting and planning surrounding this one scene. As it happened, the scene never made the final draft. It just never fitted in properly.

Do you follow the ‘write what you know’ advice or do you think there is scope to express pure imagination?

Yes and no. I use as much as I can from what I know and have experienced but that isn’t always enough so I do have to use my imagination and talk to people who are ‘in the know’. Also it depends if you are writing about emotions or facts. Emotions and reactions vary from person to person whereas there is less leeway with factual information. You have to do your research as you can guarantee someone out there will find you out if you try and wing it.

How do you fit writing around a busy family life?

Burning the candle at both ends usually! I am pretty lucky in that I’m one of those people who can manage on little sleep, although now and again it catches up on me and I have to give in and have an early night.

Where is your favourite place to simply ‘be’ and where is your happiest writing place?

My favourite place to simply ‘be’ is our cottage inFrance, it’s so peaceful and has a real feeling of tranquillity and calm. My happiest writing place would be inFrancebut until the work has been completed it’s here in theUKat my kitchen table when there’s no-one else at home. Sometimes I like to write in silence and other times I like to have music like, Kings of Leon, Feeder or Prodigy playing in the background.

You are a member of Love A Happy Ending and Famous Five Plus. Please tell me about these groups, how you became involved and what you role is within them.

Love A Happy Ending is a platform for authors to promote their work with the support of readers who read and review their novels, blog and Tweet. It works positively for all those involved, increasing their profile. I originally joined Love A Happy Ending as an Associate Reader and recently was invited to swap sides and become a Featured Author where they would follow my publishing quest.

I have also recently joined the Famous Five Plus team. Again this is a platform for Indie authors to promote their novels with the support of book reviewers.

From our conversations, I know you are well read and you write book reviews on your blog, www.lovereadinglovebooks – firstly, how on earth do you find the time and secondly, what do you like to read?

I was going to say I’m a minute thief but that could make me sound really small – perhaps a time thief would be a better description! I grab five minutes here, five minutes there for my blog and it’s the same when I read although I try to do this for longer periods of time – half an hour before I go to sleep, twenty minutes or so in the morning before everyone gets up, waiting at the station for the children, sitting outside various after school clubs, that type of thing.

I really enjoy thrillers and murder mysteries by authors Mario Puzo, Scott Mariani, James Patterson, Harlan Coban, with Chris Kuzneski being a particular favourite.

On the lighter side, I like romance and through my blog I have discovered some really enchanting novels by Indie authors such as, Nicky Wells,Mandy Baggot, Juliette Sobanet, as well as those traditionally published, like Christina Courtenay and Sue Moorcroft.

How is your Work In Progress going? Are you able to tell me anything about the story?

WIP is going okay, a bit slow as I’m easily distracted by Twitter and Facebook. Without giving too much away at this point, it’s about fulfilling moral obligations even if it’s at your own expense and happiness.

What is your ultimate dream?

Naturally I want to be published, ideally traditionally. Ultimately, however, I want to write a darn good novel that people will really enjoy reading.

I’m convinced that my love of stationery is the reason I love to read and write. What inspired you? (Apart from a love of stationery, obviously, as I believe we all love stationery.)

Oh, I so love stationery!

I’m not entirely sure what inspired me to write, I think it’s just something that has always been in me but I’ve never really had the chance to pursue it until now. I suppose, in part, it has also been my lifelong love affair with reading and an overactive imagination that gave me the most inspiration.

Are you a straight to computer person or a pen and paper lady?

I started off as a pen and paper person, probably just to feed my stationery dependency but these days I tend to go straight to the computer, really just to save time. Once I’ve completed my first draft I have to print it off as I can’t edit so well on the computer – there’s something about physically holding the paper in my hands.

My To Be Read pile increased by three more books yesterday, (I can hear my husband’s eyes rolling) – it’s nearly as tall as Number Two child – what books are in your TBR pile?

Okay, a quick look at my Kindle and it goes something like this:

The Star Child – Stephanie Keyes

Mrs Mahoney’s Secret War – Claudia Strachan

Reaching For the Stars – Janice Horton

Stirred with Love – Marcie Steele

The Traz – Eileen Schuh

The Alchemist’s Secret – Scott Mariani

The Death Relic – Chris Kuzneski

Plus about 47 other books!

Finally, Sue, tell me how you plan to celebrate your first ever book launch.

Party! To say thank you to everyone who has supported me, family, friends and my lovely RNA, Twitter, LAHE & FFP pals.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

Thank you Laura – it’s been fun!

You can follow Sue on Twitter @suefortin1

On Facebook
On the web at www.suefortin.com
Or via her blog, www.lovereadinglovebooks

 

Comments:

Jan Brigden:

12/7/2011 8:06:11 PM

French Connection.

Another fab interview. My brother-in-law is French so really enjoyed hearing about Sue’s holiday home there and the history behind the Fortin name. Thanks, ladies! X

 

Linn B Halton:

12/2/2011 11:11:04 AM

A little bit French…..

I’ve just learnt something new about Sue …. loveFrancemyself and have many, many happy memories there. Wish I had even a ‘distant’ hint of French ancestry in my blood! Can’t wait to read French Kissing In The UK!

 

Lucie Wheeler:

12/2/2011 9:36:01 AM

Interview.

Lovely interview, Ladies!

So nice to get a little insight to how different people work. I have never been toFrance, but so many people tell me how beautiful the country is; my friend’s parent’s have a converted barn there and she goes regularly. Sitting by the window taking in the rolling countryside sounds amazing, Sue, I hope it isn’t too long until you get there.

Xxx

Find Out Friday: Catherine Miller

11/25/2011 9:30:07 AM

Welcome to this week’s edition of Find Out Friday, with writer Catherine Miller.

The first time I met Catherine was at six o’clock in the morning, at a petrol station on the M3. It was dark and Catherine had no idea what car to look out for. The fact I was meant to meet her at the service station is neither here nor there, but I overshot the main car park entrance and decided the well-lit BP garage was my best option.

We travelled together toWatfordfor the Festival of Romance having previously only met on Twitter. As I recall, Catherine, there was plenty of awkward driving, but never an awkward silence.

I think it’s fair to say, that set the tone of our friendship.

Right. Down to business. The first thing I’d like to discuss is your battle with dyslexia. Tell me about it.

I guess I don’t see it as a battle it’s just part of me. It was classed as brain-damage associated dyslexia which sounds scary but I came off lightly after being born breech, getting stuck and my heart stopping a few times. My Mum was told at that point I would be born with severe mental and physical disability (cerebral palsy) so when I finally popped out screaming she knew she had a fighter on her hands.

How did it impact upon your school-life? Did you enjoy school?

I’ve always loved learning but not as much as I love my Mum for fighting my corner. Aged 7, I could only write upside down and back to front. She fought my infant school to provide me with specialist teaching (after my teacher told her I would never amount to anything) and by the end of the year (so my mum proudly tells me,) I had the reading ability of an 11-year-old. Every school report I ever had says something about me being a day dreamer and I was, but not the void of nothingness some teachers seemed to think was going on. My 11-plus was interesting. I passed on Maths and failed on English by about 3 points. Passing both would have meant going to grammar school, but my junior school didn’t appeal and neither did we. Looking back, I’m glad. I really enjoyed secondary school and was in the top sets of my subjects. That helped my confidence whereas in grammar school, I may have struggled.

You went on to train as a physiotherapist. What drew you into this particular field of medicine?

I always wanted to work with people. I first thought about physiotherapy when I saw a video on hydrotherapy in Science class. I was also considering becoming a teacher, but when I went on a two week placement, I realised it wasn’t as one-to-one as I’d hoped. I went on to study Science: Health Studies at college and became a volunteer at a hospital inCanterburyin the physio department once a week. From there I knew I would love it.

Sadly, you had to leave physiotherapy behind. Why was that?

In my college years I had clouded vision in one eye. My other eye was compensating so it was only when I was washing my face with the good eye closed, I realised the problem. It turned out to be Uveitis, an inflammatory condition of the jelly in the eye. It was treated and it went away, but after qualifying as a physio and in my first job as a junior, it came back, this time with a host of other symptoms. It is believed the Uveitis is being caused by Sarcoidosis, an auto-immune disease. In the early days, the doctors thought it would burn out and go away, but it never has and I have to take medication for my eyes to this day. It was when I went onto immunosuppressants that it really affected my career. I was working in elderly care and was catching chest infections and colds. It got to the point where I decided I needed to make a decision. It was the hardest thing to do at the time, but the improvement in my own health shows it was the right thing to do.

Was it at that point you decided to develop your writing skills? How did you get started?

When I made that decision the biggest question was: What am I going to do? I had options available relating to physio. My department had offered to move me to out-patients, or I could have moved into training or lecturing, but I don’t think I would have been happy not working in the area I loved. But there was this other option nagging away at me – become a writer! It wasn’t completely out of the blue. I’ve written since I was a teenager. My first book attempt was at fourteen, then another whilst I was at University and it continued in my early physio days. Soon I was too busy with my career for writing and I hated not doing it. Being ill was a strange blessing giving me a permission slip to get on and follow my dream. I wrote my first short story when I was off sick and it was accepted by a local magazine. It gave me the strength to take the plunge.

You attend Writing Buddies on a fortnightly basis. How do you feel this helps with your writing?

Writing Buddies is different in that it’s not a critiquing group. Each fortnight we meet and we each say what we’ve been up to, followed by a general discussion on writing matters. In my early days there I compared it to going to Weight Watchers in the sense you wanted to be able to report you’d been writing in between those meetings. The group is incredibly encouraging and it is always great to see how everyone is getting on.

And please explain about the book launch last Saturday (19^th November). It’s all very exciting and we want to find out about it!

For the first anniversary of the Writing Buddies group, Penny Legg, founder of the group, organised a competition. I was amazed when all four pieces I entered got placed. A year later and all the winning entries have been published in an anthology and the book was launched last Saturday. It was surreal to be at an event featuring your own writing. The Major of Southampton attended and he talked about my drama piece, Permanent Ink, in his speech. He’d read it and really enjoyed it which left me a bit gob-smacked.

Where are you with your Work In Progress?

After a helpful report from the New Writers’ Scheme I have just started re-writing, Miles Between Us. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but then I’m beginning to understand that’s what being a writer is about.

Apart from writing, about what are you passionate?

I love travel and food. I try to squeeze in as much as time and money will allow. My other hobby is comping. No it’s not a spelling error. I enter competitions and class it as a hobby. It started at a wedding fair where, as part of a budgeting talk, the audience was told to enter wedding competitions. I did, along with a few other competitions and then received a phone call telling me I’d won a holiday toAustralia! (Part of my novel is set where we travelled to.) After that I was hooked and when I took such a big pay cut, the only way to go on holiday was if I won one. Since then I’ve won holidays toRussia,FranceandGermany. I’m one of those people that always have to be doing something and filling in competition forms provides a nice break from writing and you never know where you might end up.

I imagine, like the rest of us, you have a large TBR pile. Who and what is in it?

There are two piles, plus the book shelves! I’m a pretty fast reader but I just keep adding to it. There’s quite a mix, so I’ll name a few. The Somnambulist, by Essie Fox, Blue-Eyed Boy by Joanne Harris, and The Birthday Party by Veronica Henry.

Finally, are you a pen and paper gal, or a straight to computer person?

Straight to the computer. I often find my writing makes much more sense if I move sentences about and it’s so much easier with copy and paste. I plan on paper though.

Catherine, it’s an absolute pleasure being your friend and I wish you well with your writing.

You can follow Catherine on Twitter @katylittlelady, or at www.katylittlelady.com

 

Comments:

Debs Carr:

12/24/2011 10:18:30 AM

Great Interview.

Thanks for the in depth interview and here’s to your writing going from strength to strength in 2012.

 

Jan Brigden:

12/7/2011 7:56:37 PM

Better late than never!

Just catching up with these great Find out Friday features, Laura. Thanks to both you and Catherine for a really interesting interview. Quite humbling. Determination will out, as they say. Very inspiring indeed! X

 

Henriette Gyland:

12/5/2011 12:26:47 PM

Great interview.

Catherine, what an extraordinary journey you’ve been on, and are still on. Your positive attitude in the face of various medical issues is humbling, and I think it’s wonderful you’re doing so well with your writing despite dyslexia. As you put it, it’s just a part of you.

Also, I truly didn’t know one could enter competitions for a living… Absolutely brilliant!

Henri x

 

Deborah Rickard:

12/1/2011 4:13:57 PM

Interview.

Thanks both for a really interesting interview. So lovely to learn more about you ‘in-depth’ Catherine!

 

Laura E James:

11/30/2011 6:14:58 PM

Thanks.

Thank you all for your lovely comments. Catherine’s story is very inspirational.

The next edition is with Sue Fortin.

Lucie Wheeler:

11/30/2011 9:29:40 AM

Latecomer.

Sorry, I’m a real latecomer to this interview. What a lovely insight to your life, Catherine. Thanks, Laura, for such a fantastic feature. I look forward to next week’s! x

 

Talli:

11/27/2011 10:59:40 AM

Wonderful!

Great interview, ladies. Catherine obviously has buckets of determination, and I’ve no doubt she’ll be successful as a writer!

EmmaPass:

11/25/2011 7:44:38 PM

Interview.

This is such an inspiring story! Thanks for posting such a great interview, Laura, and thanks for sharing your experiences, Catherine. I really enjoyed reading this post.

Bluestockingmum:

11/25/2011 7:42:10 PM

That’s what makes us stronger…

Another splendid interview, Laura. Lovely to hear Catherine’s journey and the challenges which we both relate to, eh?

Uveitis is one of the primary symptoms of my Behcets disease but thankfully, I’ve had less than a handful of flare-ups in my lifetime.

Catherine, you are a strong soldier. Keep battling, and with your writing, braveheart.

Wonderful to have met you (both 😉 )

xx

 

Anita Chapman:

11/25/2011 5:06:45 PM

Hello.

Hello Laura and Catherine,

It was lovely to meet you both at the RNA Party last week. Laura, I always enjoy your Find Out Friday posts and Catherine, it’s interesting to find out more about you. Your story is inspiring and I wish you much luck with your novel- great title too.

Anita X

 

Sue Fortin:

11/25/2011 2:13:37 PM

Great Interview.

Really interesting interview – just shows what you can achieve despite what the ‘experts’ say! Well done ladies.

 

Catherine Miller:

11/25/2011 11:51:43 AM

Kate.

Hi Kate, I agree, although I didn’t always realise. It’s like your brain is freed up. And, yes, the typos/mistakes that slip through can really bring a different meanings.

 

Kate Allan:

11/25/2011 10:12:29 AM

Interview.

I’m dyslexic and I know there are several authors who are. Personally I regard it as a gift as I know it means I can get from A to C without needing or worrying about B. And computers with spell checkers seem to sort out most jumbled letter situations although occasionally hilarious things do appear in manuscripts.

Find Out Friday: Lucy Felthouse

11/18/2011 6:35:35 PM

This week, for the third edition of Find Out Friday, I have something a little different as I find out about Lucy Felthouse, writer of Erotic Romance. Whilst the content of this interview is universal, please be aware that Lucy’s sites contain adult themes and this interview contains links to those sites.

Whilst studying a Creative Writing course at university, Lucy Felthouse was persuaded to write a saucy story. She did so and is now an established erotic romance author. We met at the amazing Festival of Romance in October this year.

Good day to you, Lucy. What were you doing before I interrupted you with all these questions?

A million and one things – answering this interview was a very welcome respite! I divide my time between writing and doing PR, Marketing and Web Design for other writers and publishers, so I always have lots on the go!

Now, your foray into writing erotic romance began at university with a friend persuading you to write an erotic story, as described on your website http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk Can you recall what went through your mind at that time?

If I remember rightly, I laughed at first, thinking it was a ridiculous idea. But the friend who suggested it was quite serious, and eventually dared me. Of course, I couldn’t say no then!

What or who was it that encouraged you to pursue writing in this genre?

It was the aforementioned friend who first came up with the idea, but there were several people around the table that fateful lunchtime that then took an interest in what I was doing and encouraged me to write more!

How did you go about getting published and how long was it before you saw your stories in print?

Very soon after I penned my first erotic piece, I started researching the genre. I bought and borrowed erotic books, and discovered the now sadly folded magazine, Scarlet. They had a section for erotic stories, so I sent them a story and much to my delight, they published it! That was the biggest encouragement of all and I continued writing, having my work appear on several websites, and eventually in a printed book published by Xcite Books, called Seriously Sexy 3. Since then I’ve had many stories published, including several more by Xcite Books and other publishers.

Over the past two years, I’ve been learning how to write romance and I understand the reader has a certain level of expectation – boy meets girl, conflicts prevent them from initially getting together, but ultimately there must be a happy or hopeful ending. As an erotic romance writer, what expectations must you fulfil?

Oh crikey, that’s a tough question. I’m far from being an expert, but I think in erotic romance, you have to have the balance right between the erotic elements and the love interest. You also have to create characters that people will enjoy reading about, become invested in, and ultimately, care about what happens to them.

Is there a standard word count?

Not really. The beauty of publishing nowadays is that it’s so much more flexible. Each publisher has their own guidelines and length of stories they’re looking for, but because ePublishing and eReaders mean you can publish any length of story, it’s easier for a writer to simply write a story and see where it goes, rather than being restricted by a word count. Naturally with print, the word count restrictions are still there, but that just means that if you’re aiming to write something to fit a certain anthology, or a full-length novel, you have to be more disciplined!

Do you become attached to your characters or do you find it refreshing or even necessary to move on?

With short stories, I don’t often become attached to the characters because I’m writing more about a ‘scene’ in their lives, rather than giving them any background, or anything for the reader to become invested in – there’s just no time. This is why some people don’t enjoy short stories – but I love reading them (as well as writing them), they’re ideal for busy people who only have time to read for short periods.

I have, however, written a couple of short stories where I’ve felt I could write more about the characters. For this reason, I’m planning to pen some sequels – watch this space!

I recently finished my longest piece to date, a 23k novella (it just went off for submission, wish me luck!). I most definitely got attached to the characters, and admit to having a huge crush on the main male character, Damien.

What sparks your imagination? What makes you think ‘That’s a great story – I’ve got to write it’?

Anything and everything. Ideas come to me completely at random (though frequently when I’m in the shower); it could be a film, a book, a person, a place, something I saw… all it takes is one little spark and I can come up with a story idea. That’s the easy part. The hard part is writing it!

Your recent tweets had me smiling. I believe you were finishing a draft, but had to stop for tea. How do you fit writing around family life?

I’m in a pretty good situation, really. I’m still living at home with my dad, and he’s at work all day so I have peace and quiet during the daytime. I tend to do writing then, and do other things (like answering interviews!) during the evening. My boyfriend and I have a fairly long-distance relationship, so we only see each other at weekends, anyway. So my life is pretty organised and somehow I squeeze a million and one things into it. But, as I always say, it keeps me out of trouble. Sort of.

What is the initial reaction when you state your profession?

As I mentioned earlier, my time is divided between writing, and doing PR, Marketing and Web Design for other writers and publishers. It’s quite handy, really, because if I think someone would be unhappy with what I do writing-wise, I just don’t mention it. Many people’s eyes glaze over when I mention PR, Marketing and Web Design so it’s a very nifty way to end a conversation and avoid further questions.

I’m not embarrassed about the erotica and erotic romance writing, it’s just that if people don’t ‘get’ it, they seem to think that just because I write it, means I’ve done it, which is just ridiculous. They don’t accuse Stephen King of being a freaky murderer, or Charlaine Harris of being a vampire, do they?

On the other hand, if I sense people will be cool with it, I’ll just tell them. It’s led to a great deal of very interesting conversations.

You were a member of the panel entitled ‘For Her Eyes Only’, discussing reading and writing erotic romance, at the Festival of Romance. Was this your first panel? Tell me about your experience.

Yes, it was my first panel. I was quite nervous about it. I’ve done readings before, but that’s different as you’re just saying the words that are on the page. Panels, however, mean people could ask you absolutely *anything* and you have to use your brain to come up with the answers! Fortunately, nobody asked me anything too taxing and I had a good time answering questions and listening to the ones my panel-mates gave.

What tears you away from writing?

Reading, eating, TV shows and films containing hot guys, and sleep. Oh, and the weekend, which is when it’s ‘playing out’ time – i.e. no work! Though having said that, most of the readings I’ve done are at weekends. I’m actually doing a reading tonight (18^th) at Sh! Women’s Store in London with Victoria Blisse, then tomorrow (19^th) I’ll be at Olympia in West London for the Erotica show, where I’ll be doing another reading and appearing on a panel.

Are you a straight-to-computer-person or a pen and paper writer?

Both. For the most part it’s straight to computer. But if I’m really struggling, or the lure of Twitter is just too much, I’ll take a pen and notebook and go and write in another room, then type it up later.

Every interview, I ask about To Be Read piles. Mine increases daily (tree-books and e-books). What is in your TBR pile and who inspires you the most?

My TBR pile is the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen in your life. I literally have no idea how many print books I have, and I have around 500 books on my Kindle. Basically, I read tons of erotica and erotic romance. If we’re talking non-erotica, I’m also a lover of chick-lit, paranormal, horror and crime.

You have raised a lot of money for cancer charities and the British Heart Foundation. No question, just a thank you.

It’s lovely of you to mention. Charity means a lot to me, which is why I like to give something back. One of the anthologies I edited actually has a portion of the proceeds going to Help for Heroes. It’s an erotic uniform anthology, which I thought was a great tie in for the charity. The anthology is called Uniform Behaviour and is available from all good eBook retailers.

Lucy has a website http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk

and a blog http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/category/blog where you can keep up to date with her activities, subscribe to her newsletter and find out about the lovely lady herself.

You can follow Lucy on Twitter: @cw1985

Or on Facebook: (http://www.facebook.com/lucyfelthousewriter

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Lucy, and good luck with your ventures.

Comments:

 Laura E. James:

11/22/2011 7:49:49 PM

Find Out Friday.

Thank you for your lovely comments. I’m pleased you are enjoying the series. This Friday, come and find out about Catherine Miller.

 

Caroline Bell Foster:

11/22/2011 5:40:31 PM

Interview – Lucy Felthouse.

Great interview. I missed Lucy’s panel session at the Festival of Romance, so lovely to get to ‘know’ her via this interview. Lucy, I was born inDerby(smile) and now live inNottingham.

 

 Sarah Tranter:

11/21/2011 3:19:01 PM

Lucy interview.

Thank you – really interesting!

 

 Sue Fortin:

11/18/2011 9:18:51 PM

Interview.

What a great interview ladies – really enjoyed it. Thank you!

Find Out Friday: Mandy Baggot

11/11/2011 9:20:03 AM

Welcome to the second edition of Find Out Friday. Today, we find out about the Lady herself, singing authorMandy Baggot.

Before we met, I followed Mandy on Twitter and watched a great version of ‘I Put A Spell On You’, on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSSv0nbX2M and was immediately bewitched by this person known as Lady Baggot.

Good morning, Mandy. How is the fair Lady Baggot this November day?

I’m cold Laura! I have long sleeves and a fleece on! Anyone would think it was winter!

I’m going to ask the obvious question. Tell me about the title that is not in print; tell me about the ‘Lady’.

Haha! I don’t really know how that came about. I think it was because of my You Tube video of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face. Lady Baggot started being bandied around and I quite like it! She is a bit of an alter ego I have to say and I get away with saying a lot more under her guise! Although some people do think I’m really titled. I’m not. You can take the girl out of the council estate but you can’t take the council estate out of the girl. I know my roots and it doesn’t involve castles and stags heads – unless it’s a really heavy weekend!

I’ve come to realise that many writers are extremely capable of other crafts – you sing, others knit or paint, sculpt or act – why do you think this is?

I think writing is a performance art, as much as singing or acting. We stand on a virtual stage and every time our readers open a book they are expecting a performance. It’s a bit like being a one person production team because, let’s face it, we have to write the script, choose the people for the leading roles and even design their costumes!

You have to be very creative to be a writer so naturally a creative streak leads to other things. Having said that, apart from writing and singing, I am pretty useless when it comes to art and making things. It was a standing joke at school that I couldn’t even draw a straight line with a ruler.

You know I want to ask about the singing as it’s a passion we both share. Tell me how you got started.

I’ve always sung! I started out at primary school, singing in the church for Christmas productions, but I never got the high-voiced angel parts because of the volume and tone of my voice. I always got the loud, boisterous, sinner parts! What were they trying to tell me?! Then, at senior school, I was in the choir, but what really set me apart was my impression of Tom Jones. We did a charity fundraiser at school and I dressed as Tom (complete with wool as a hairy chest) and it brought the house down. I think it was then I realised I was never going to be a soprano!

After that I discovered KARAOKE! No going back after that!

Where do you practise singing? Does the family join in and can you all sing? (This is a question of debate in my house.)

I practice at home usually, in the office, because most of the backing tracks are on the computer. I do have a karaoke machine too though! Yes, my family love to join in and my two daughters both have amazing voices for their age. I’m not a pushy mummy, I don’t prop them up with microphones in their hands and demand they sing and practice until every note is right, but I do encourage their love of music and dance and hopefully help them develop their skills! It’s all about the enjoyment for me!

My husband Mr Big isn’t a singer, but he is a great guitarist and we have formed a little duo called ‘Hard Drive’. We are working on a set list that includes:-

ZZ Top – Tush

Bob Seger – Old Time Rock n Roll

Chuck Berry – Johnny B Goode

We hope to launch ourselves to the world at my summer 2012 book launch party!

Which song would you absolutely love to crack and which one would you take to the Albert Hall?

Ooo that’s a toughy! There are songs I love that I just can’t sing. I guess I would love to crack something by Mariah Carey but that’s never going to happen! But I would take Adele ‘Someone Like You’ to the Albert Hall. I don’t think my version is too shabby! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiKzpzmHAmo

Do you play any instruments?

Um, I used to! I played piano for a couple of years at primary school but I gave it up. I really wished I had continued it because the most I can play now is Chopsticks! My daughter is learning so I sometimes sneak a go with her book!

I also played the clarinet at senior school but I never really got into it. I mean you can’t really start a band with a clarinet can you? I’m hoping Mr Big might teach me guitar. I’d like to learn but it’s finding the time!

Does your love for music influence what or how you write? Do you write in silence or to a musical backdrop?

Ah ha! It actually varies! Most of the time I write in silence but then, when the characters are nailed and I have my theme and my feel up and running, I sometimes need a bit of music to keep that inspiration flowing. With Strings Attached I have a suggested playlist at the front of the book full of music I listened to while I was writing it. It should hopefully enhance the reading experience and give readers a flavour of the ambience.

In Strings Attached, your hero is Quinn Blake, a Rock God. What is it about the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle that you find attractive?

What’s not to like about the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle?! Obviously I had to do a lot of research, go to a lot of concerts, flirt with lots of rock stars etc. I WISH! I love the buzz of a concert and Mr Big and I do try and go to gigs of artists we admire. We were lucky enough to see Gary Moore several times before his sad death this year and my favourite is of course Bryan Adams who I am seeing in December!

With Quinn’s scenario in Strings Attached it was all about him being the ultimate pin-up, perfect from head to foot, sexy, charming and hot, every woman’s fantasy. But what’s going on under that perfect surface? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

How is Quinn Blake doing? How is his tour going?

He’s doing really well although he needs to get his tweets up. I think he’s spending far too much time enjoying himself when there is serious promoting to be done. He’s in Manchester now and on to Glasgow next! He’s been very warmly received so I’ve heard!

What sort of questions does his Twitter community ask?

They ask all sorts! But then I only know what he copies me in on and what he tells me! He’s had long discussions about guitar models, pizzas, hot tubs, song choices and underwear! In fact he offered to give away a pair of his pants if Strings Attached got into the Kindle top 100. It hasn’t quite made it yet but there’s still time!

Writing, like singing, is a passion for me. Is it the same for you? Have you always written and how did you get started?

I’ve always written, since school and it always involved romance and action. It’s widely known that I wrote for my friends an ongoing saga including them, New Kids on the Block and the Italia 1990 England squad. We all went to fabulous parties, got married off and had babies. There were car crashes and deaths and half-brothers and long lost sisters – I could have been on the Dynasty script writing team at age fourteen!

2008 saw the publication of your first book, when you chose to self-publish. Can you tell me something about your decision to go down this route?

In 2005 I had my first daughter and after a break from writing when life took over I got back into it on my maternity leave and wrote Excess All Areas. In 2008 I found out about the website Youwriteon.com where you can post your work and get reviews from other members on the site. I joined the site and they then announced they would be publishing a certain number of books by Christmas. I literally had a couple of weeks to pull the book into shape if I wanted to be included in this project. I managed to do it and it was published in December 2008. It wasn’t a choice to be self-published back then; it was making the most of an opportunity that fell into my lap. After that Youwriteon.com set up the publishing as a permanent thing and I had re-caught the writing bug.

I was still sending out submissions to traditional publishing houses up until I decided to self-publish Strings Attached. I usually have great feedback and requests for full manuscripts but ultimately a ‘no’. Now, with the e-book taking over, I wonder what a traditional publishing house could give me that I can’t go out and do myself. A big, fat, advance is obviously the answer but I hear they are in short supply right now!

I adore your new covers; they’re eye-catching and carry the silhouette theme. Is this the new branding? How do you go about choosing the design?

Yes! This is Brand Baggot! I’m glad you like it! A really good friend of mine did the original covers for the books, with limited resources and my budget of nothing and I will always be grateful to her for doing that, but long term I wanted my books to be uniform and give the readers a flavour of Lady Baggot’s work from the outset. I now have an amazing cover designer helping me and we worked together to create a look that’s original and very me! I thought I didn’t know what I wanted but when it came to designing the cover for Strings Attached I told the designer I wanted ‘my name big and bold like Tilly Bagshawe and probably a bluey colour with stars’. I then looked at covers out there and told her the styles I liked and she sent me various images to look at. Once I had chosen half a dozen images I liked, she mocked up covers and then I had the hard task of choosing! I asked Team Baggot to help me! These are friends and Associate Readers with Loveahappyending.com who go out of their way to support me and my books. Well, we all chose the same design and the silhouettes won the day!

Tell me about book trailers. Do you develop the idea or do you have a team? How do you transfer what is in your head into an informative and entertaining trailer?

Ooo I love a good trailer! This is my chance to produce a lead-in like a Hollywood style preview! Another great author Suzy Turner actually helped me get started on the trailers. She produced a great one for her book Raven and she give me tips and advice to get me started on the trailer for Strings Attached. For me the music is the most important thing because that sets the whole mood of the book so I chose some royalty free music and then started on what I wanted to say. Then I got to choose the pictures I wanted!

I’ve just created a trailer for my 2012 release Taking Charge and I love this trailer! The music is brilliant and I hope I am tempting people into this American tale with the mini-movie featuring a fat man with a doughnut and a hot ice hockey player!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QygMK9Gz_lA

On your website www.mandybaggot.webs.com, you mention a character by the name ofMilo, and I gather he’s a little special. What would you like to tell us about him?

Haha! Milo is very special to me yes! Milo is a character mentioned in every one of my novels. It started by me desperately trying to think up a name for a bit part character and always thinking of Milo and then thinking ‘no I used that in the last book’. Then I thought well what a great idea, why think up another name for a bit part character when I can just use the same one! So now it is my ‘thing’ to always have a Milo in my books. Sometimes he just gets one mention, other times he gets a speaking part but in Taking Charge he’s actually a proper character! But it’s up to the readers to decide whether they think he is actually one and the same person or not! Who knows maybe he’ll get his very own novel one day? At the moment it’s a bit like ‘Where’s Wally?’ – It’s ‘Where’s Milo?’ have you found his mention yet?

You also mention that you prefer action to relaxation. Do you switch off, other than when sleeping?

In short – NO! I never switch off. I am always working! If I’m not at the computer working I am playing with my girls or generally being mum. The only time I sit down is at night, about 9.00pm. I watch television for an hour or so and then I go to bed and read for a bit. That’s it!

I only really switch off from work when I am on holiday, but even then I am usually texting about work!

My To Be Read Pile has increased over the weekend. Actually, there are three TBR piles. What is in your TBR pile and which authors influenced you as a child?

At the moment I have:-

Two Talli Roland books – The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts

A lovely MS from a loveahappyending author Sue Fortin

Bagpipes and Bullshot – Janice Horton

When Tomorrow Comes – Joanna Lambert

Plus a whole host of erotica I won at the Festival of Romance from the lovely Total E-Bound

I don’t think I was influenced by authors as a child with regard to writing. I loved Enid Blyton The Faraway Tree books and also Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a bit older. And of course Judy Blume – my first dabble into the world of men and their ‘Ralphs’!

This is the penultimate question. Are you a straight to PC person or a pen and paper kinda gal?

Both! Mainly I am a straight to PC kind of girl but there are places where you can’t take a laptop – like the Christmas Fair I did at the weekend. Between customers and sales I wrote (with pen and paper!) about eight pages of my work in progress Do You Remember?

And finally, Mandy; writing or singing? Which are you most passionate about?

Writing without a doubt. I love it; I made a big leap and gave up my job to pursue a career in it. A lot of people said I was foolhardy to do that but I wouldn’t change it and a few more book sales and I’ll prove them all wrong! I hope!

Thank you so much for being my guest on Find Out Friday, Mandy. I look forward to seeing you again soon, when we shall practise our duet.

If you’re thinking of self-publishing, you cannot go wrong following Mandy’s example. She is truly professional and inspirational.

You can follow Mandy on Twitter @mandybaggot or on her website www.mandybaggot.webs.com

All of Mandy’s books are available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Mandy+Baggot&x=0&y=0

Find Out Friday: Debbie White

11/4/2011 9:56:56 AM

Welcome to my new feature, Find Out Friday, where I shall be interviewing fellow writers and authors about their work, lives and what lies ahead.
My first and extremely welcome guest, is Debbie White.

I met with the lovelyDebbie Whiteat the inaugural Festival of Romance two weeks ago in sunny Herts.

Hi Debbie and welcome to my website. Thank you for agreeing to be my first guest interviewee.

Hello Laura, it’s great to be here. Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to guest. It’s my first time, so I’m sure you’ll be gentle with me. Lol.

We first virtually met on the Aspiring Authors group on the Festival of Romance Online site and then at the actual event. How did you hear of it and what convinced you to attend?

I came across the Festival of Romance site by chance as a result of my online activities and networking. Fate, serendipity, luck (although I believe you make your own luck) – whatever, it was, someone visited my blog who was a member of the RNA and when I returned the visit, I spotted their Festival of Romance Badge and clicked on it. The next thing I knew I had a new network of writer friends, all kindred spirits, who were interested in the Romantic Genre, and from our interactions I heard about the Festival of Romance weekend.

As for my motivation and what convinced me to attend, it was a combination of the lovely support and relationships I developed with my fellow rookie writers before I attended, and my personal circumstances. I’ve had all sorts of health and personal problems over the last year and needed a kick start to get my writing back on track.

When did you start writing and what was the impetus?

Oooh, good question. I had to retire from my career within Lloyds Bank at the tender age of thirty-two due to Behcets disease. At the time I was a Bank Manager and had battled health problems (mainly arthritis) for several years. For a long time after I ‘gave in’ to my health constraints, I felt like a failure and as if I’d somehow ‘lost’ my job. Of course that wasn’t the case. I needed to stop working to be able to manage my illness and control it, rather than the other way around. Living life at a steadier pace meant I could cope with the daily challenges and keep afloat with what was then my young family. The trouble was my brain was still alive, even though my body wouldn’t always let me do what I wanted it to! I tried a little craft business, painting and sewing personalised keepsake gifts, but my health got the better of that too. It was purely a survival instinct and the need to keep going, but I’d dreamed of writing for many years (since a child) and somehow, something made me start writing. I started a blog and began the dream of becoming a published author. You have to have dreams and a goal in life, and having survived almost twenty years in business, despite my health issues, I was firmly of the mindset that ‘the organism that adapts will survive’ and I re-invent myself whenever the need arises…

Do you have a writing regime? How do you find the time to fit writing around family life?

Again, because of personal issues my writing regime has been somewhat sporadic of late, but because I’m fortunate enough to be at home all day, I tend to sit at the laptop to write as soon as the children are off to school, and work until they’re in from school. In addition, I’m often found awake and tapping away at ridiculous ‘o’clock in the morning. You have to write when the inspiration strikes, even if it is when you wake and can’t get back to sleep. I’m like an Eveready battery – always ready to write.

I know you have had a tough few years – you are very open about your situation and feelings in your blog www.gonnabepublishedoneday.blogspot.com To what extent does your health and personal situation affect your writing? 

Very much so. To be honest, writing has been my salvation. It provides me with purpose, and great distraction. It’s cathartic in that it allows me to vent my feelings and use some of the emotions in the works that I write. Most of all, it keeps my brain busy and helps stop me from dwelling on negative emotions and things I can’t control. I’m a positive person. And I’ve always worked hard. The one thing you need as a writer is to work hard, but be very, very resilient.

How do you overcome the daily challenges of life?

Most of my day-to-day challenges are health related. To this end, I try to keep as physically active as I can – swimming and walking. I can’t do weight bearing activities as it flares my arthritis but I firmly believe that swimming most days has kept my joints mobile, kept those endorphins flowing, and most importantly kept me out of hospital for much of the last ten years.

 Now, we’ll move on to your novel, Mother’s Love. Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind this story?

MyNanbrought me up from the age of two and adopted me after I was abandoned (so I thought) by my mother and father. I’ve recently found out this isn’t strictly true, but whatever the facts – which are too long to go into on this interview – myNanwas a remarkable, albeit formidable, lady. She made me into what I am today. Much of the novel is based around the character that was myNan. It’s about real life, family secrets – and how families can sometimes hide the biggest secrets from each other- and the games that people play when they love someone.

Then there was the moment of the New Talent Award announcement at the Festival. How did that feel?

Honestly – it was surreal. Completely surreal. Back in the summer when I emailed that chapter of my novel and the synopsis, all I had in mind was attending the Festival of Romance weekend as some sort of attempt to kick start my writing career. I’d had the novel critiqued under the RNA NWS http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/index.php/join/new_writers_scheme and because of my personal circumstances; there hadn’t been any chance to do anything in the way of revisions. When I sat there and my name was called out in the ‘Commended place’ I could not believe it. I don’t know whether it was because I was so not expecting it, or that the title of the novel wasn’t mine, but I sat transfixed to the chair. The people on my table nudged me and had to encourage me to get up. Listening to the other awardees I was so giddy with excitement, I really couldn’t believe it. When it came to the second place, another writer’s name but my title, ‘Mother’s Love’ came out. Our titles were similar – hers was ‘Tough Love’ so I was a little confused but thought no more about it.

That was until later in the evening, I plucked up courage to go and speak with Jane Judd, Literary Agent, knowing if I didn’t say hello and thank her for the award, and the opportunity to submit my full Manuscript, I’d regret it. I shook hands nervously, bumbling that there had been a bit of a mix up with the titles, but thanked her for giving me the commendation for ‘Mother’s Love.’

‘Is that the one about the Grandmother?’ Jane asked.

‘Yes that’s mine.’

‘No, that was definitely second,’ she said.
Second, fourth, I genuinely didn’t care. I’m sure any aspiring author would agree, to reach the top four in any kind of contest when you crave publication is massive achievement and a big boost to your confidence. However to hear Jane’s comments and get the opportunity to submit to her is prize enough.

And how did you celebrate?

Ahh, in customary manner with red wine and with friends – new friends that I’d met just a few hours previous, but I’m sure will now be firm friends throughout – other members of the Aspiring Authors/RNA New Writers Scheme.

I understand you were still a little in shock the next day. What did you do to prove it wasn’t all a dream?

As I drove home toSouth Shropshire, still pinching myself, I decided I would email Jane Judd to thank her for her vote and the opportunity to submit my full MS, any wannabe writer’s dream. Jane replied a few minutes later.

Can you tell me what you plan on doing next?

Oooh, well, there’s LOTS of hard work to do next on the revisions to get ‘Mother’s Love’ up to scratch to submit to Jane. That will keep me busy for the next few weeks at least. I already have a prequel in mind, so I’d like to get to work on that. In addition, for some time, I’ve had plans to do some non-fiction proposals and see whether I might gain publication along those lines – one about living with and adapting to chronic illness and pain and the other about surviving a broken heart. These two things I have experience of…

So, what with these projects and three other novels I have scribbled in notebooks, I think I have a few years worth of work to keep me going!

I have just gone through my To Be Read pile in an attempt to sort them, but it is such a large pile, I have given up and decided to read each one as I come to it.

What is in your TBR pile and which authors get your creative juices flowing?

This answer can’t be a quick one, Laura, and it’s by far my most difficult to respond to as I have a bookcase full of TBR’s! There are at least twenty books. No, I’m not joking! I love books. Any books. Most genres. If it’s well written and has depth, I love to read it and study the craft of writing. In particular, I enjoy reading works that are completely different to the type of things I write. Literary fiction like, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini, ‘This Human Season’ by Louise Dean, (having read her, ‘The Old Romantic,) ‘Even the Dogs’ by Jon McGregor (I read his, ‘Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things’) and I have ‘Burning Bright’ by Tracy Chevalier in my pile to read.

On a creative level, I also like to read (and study) some of the authors I aspire to. In particular, I’ve been inspired by the work of authors like Joanna Trollope, Kate O’Riordan, Margaret Forster and Elizabeth Buchan. I enjoy Historical Romantic Novelists/Saga’s by authors like Jean Fullerton orDilly Court, and contemporary women’s fiction from some of the masters like Carole Matthews, Sue Moorcroft, and Katie Fforde.

You see, I told you there were a lot! Honestly, Laura; there are genuinely so many writers who get my creative juices flowing, we could be here all day. And I don’t want to omit anyone, so perhaps we’d better stop now. Lol.

Do you think tree-books will be completely replaced by e-books?

No, never. Too many people love to feel smooth paper of a proper book between their fingers as they flick the pages. And let’s be honest, not everyone is digitally/technically inclined. However I have a Kindle which I love for taking on holiday (with my virtual stack of ten novels, lol) and if travelling, say, on the train. I think there’s a market for both.

Finally, and I am asking this simply because I love pens, what type of pen do you write with or are you a straight-to-pc-person (STPCP)?

When I’m working on the novel I’m strictly a STPCP! However, there’s nothing I like more than a proper pen for when I print out my WIP and want to look through it and work on revisions. For this, and any other ‘important’ work, even signing letters, I like a proper fountain pen and have a beautiful bronze coloured Lamy Fountain that I was given a few years ago and is very precious to me.

Debbie, it has been wonderful getting to know you and thank you so much for taking the time to visit my website.

It’s been a pleasure, Laura, and an honour to be asked. Thank you. And super to have met you in the flesh too recently!

You can follow Debbie via her blog site www.gonnabepublishedoneday.blogspot.com or on Twitter @Bluestockingmum.

Comments:

Celia Anderson:

11/10/2011 6:40:27 AM

New Friends.

Have been meaning to read this since you did it! Great interview, regards to both interviewer and interviewee. Lovely to meet you both at the festival too. I’m really fed up about missing the chance for more socialising at the Winter Party but work and a recent ’90 year old Dad’ health crisis have put paid to it. Hope to meet again soon xxx

 

Flowerpot:

11/7/2011 5:42:37 PM

Blog.

Great interview – really enjoyed reading that!

 

 Laura E James:

11/5/2011 5:17:27 PM

Thanks.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this interview and also to those who have commented. Debbie was a joy to interview.

 

Debs Carr:

11/4/2011 8:28:07 PM

Debbie.

Thanks for the fascinating interview and good luck with your submission To Jane Judd.

 

Rosemary Gemmell:

11/4/2011 7:50:43 PM

Debbie.

Really enjoyed the interview, ladies. Great news about Mother Love and being able to submit it when ready, Debbie!

 

Talli Roland:

11/4/2011 2:38:12 PM

Find Out Friday.

Great interview, ladies!

 

Joanne:

11/4/2011 1:25:37 PM

Debbie.

Way to go Debbie!

 

Joanna Cannon:

11/4/2011 1:02:59 PM

Find out Friday.

Lovely idea for a regular series and some wonderful questions!

 

Sarah Tranter:

11/4/2011 12:10:23 PM

Debbie.

Brilliant!

 

Suzannah:

11/4/2011 11:13:16 AM

Find out on Friday.

Fantastic interview and a real pleasure to read 🙂