Keep on writing!

I think I said in an earlier post that I was a writer and not much of a blogger, so I'm staying true to form. However, I'm not a recluse and I had a great time at the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year event in London on 17th March. Lovely to meet the authors who were shortlisted in each category - especially as I was the RoNA Organiser this time around and knew there would have been no winners if I hadn't sent all the books out to our army of readers for scoring - with a bit (lot!) of help from my assistant, Nora Fountain.

My next outing was to do a talk to media students at Bournemouth University on writing short fiction for publication - which is how I started this whole writing thing. Not sure how - or indeed why - I made the leap from 1,000 word stories to 100,000 word novels but it seemed like a good idea at the time. With my eleventh novel, It's In The Cards, due to be published December 2014 I think I can safely say it was one of my better ideas.

Meantime, my first mainstream novel, Widow On The World, published in 2006, is now available on Kindle. Yes, it is about a widow, but no, it isn't a sad book - far from it - and it's a novel that I'm still very proud of.

Finally, I'm so happy to say that my current work in progress (new novel) is now complete - or as complete as a novel can be before the edit (which is actually my favourite bit!) so watch this space.

Speaking at the RNA regional lunch

It can be a bit daunting speaking to a group of fellow writers - quite different from giving a talk to non-writers. Not worse - just different. They certainly don't want you to tell them how it's done!

However, all writers are interested in how you began, how you fit your writing into a busy life, whether you plot or not and things like that. So I talked about what made me start writing, when and why I went from short story writing to novel writing. It was when I got to the bit about not plotting that a fascinating discussion took off between those who do - only a small percentage of the group - and those who don't - most of us. I'm sure in another group the numbers would be quite different. Fascinating!

Time Ran Away With Me Again!!!

So, Christmas came and Christmas went. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends but didn't get a lot of writing done. In early January I was the speaker for The Parkstone Yacht Club Ladies Luncheon Club. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. Such lovely people!
Close to the end of January I went to the Dunford Writers weekend at the fabulous Mayfair Hotel in Bournemouth. I was a group leader and I'm pretty confident that mine was the best group - bursting with talent and great ideas.
Being with so many talented authors gave me the kick up the backside I needed to come home and get back to the book I'm currently writing - or was currently neglecting. Now it's going really well and the awful weather is helping to keep me indoors and getting on with it.
Dorset is awash with flood water and getting blown to bits, but I'm safe, warm and dry and I hope that you are, too. Roll on Summer!!

A Writer - Not A Blogger

As you can probably tell, I'm not much of a blogger and yet I do keep a diary - and have done since 1981 and I fill it in daily!! - but the attraction of blogging remains a bit of a mystery to me. How on earth do all the bloggers keep up with their blogs - along with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc, ect, etc and still get their books written??

SO - what have I been up to since October? Besides getting on with novel number 12, I found the time to attend the Dunford Writers' Day in Fareham. Fabulous group of people, and very professional writers so their opinion of your manuscript really counts. (Thank goodness they liked mine!!!) Also did various WI talks around Dorset and only managed to get lost once - and that was the sat-nav's fault! Fancy telling me I was at my destination when I was clearly in the middle of nowhere! I've have no idea why a dog walker was in the middle of nowhere as well, but she was able - thankfully - to point me in the right direction.

As a committee member of the Romantic Novelists' Association I enjoyed the festive lunch laid on for us before the committee meeting. I've been Organiser of the RoNAs (Romantic Novel Awards) this year (and that proved to be a job and a half - with all those spreadsheets it was like being back at work). Don't let anyone tell you that books are no longer getting published by traditional publishers - because my house was filled with books that definitely were!!! After the meeting was the Winter Party and in a massive room packed with writers you almost had to shout to be heard.

At the end of November, my eldest grandson, Tyler, came to help me bring the Christmas decorations down from the loft (At the last count there were 8 Santas either singing, dancing or lit up around my sitting room). Later in the day we were joined by my other grandson, Bailey, and the two of them decorated the Christmas tree between them - with 3 sets of lights, and all the tinsel and baubles available flung onto its branches it is a sight to behold! What a brilliant job!!!!!!!

December so far has been one festive feast after another. Lunch with my ex-colleagues at Bournemouth University was followed a few days later by the Society of Authors regional lunch in Ferndown, then by Wessex Writers' festive tea in Lymington, and then tea and cake with two writing friends at Compton Acres in Poole. Tomorrow I will be at BBC Radio Solent for Katie Martin's Christmas Party live on air at 1pm, and on Sunday I will be at Psychic Robert's (link on my website) for his usual festive meal, then just a couple of lunches with good friends and a Nativity play in the run up to Christmas.

Am I writing? Well, not as much as I would like - but I'm having a great time and there's always next year!!! Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and a massively productive New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trip to Swanage

Little trip to Swanage WI to give a talk tonight and anyone who knows me will be able to tell I'm already in a tiz! Yep, I do know where Swanage is - it's the fine tuning when I get there i.e. finding the actual place, that always bothers me. Still, have sat nav (and sister sitting in the car as an added precaution), will travel - and I'm looking forward to meeting my audience. WI members are always lovely in my experience. 

It's a busy life!

Earlier this year I took over the role of  RoNA Organiser for the RNA and suddenly discovered all over again just what busy means. If you are a would-be author don't let anyone tell you that books just aren't getting published these days. I've been amazed by just how many newly published novels have been entered for for the RoNA Awards sent in by both large and small publishing houses - amazed and heartened because it means there is hope for us all.

Dealing with RoNA entries, and all that entails, apart I am working on my own latest novel and wondering how I managed to get to chapter four with practically no time to spare. Besides writing when I get a moment, I also enjoy my role as a speaker for the WI, for local libraries and other various organisations. I don't think anyone has ever yet fallen asleep. I love writing, so talking about how I came to be a writer and how I do it comes very easily. I also really enjoy the question and answer session that follows every talk. Not everyone wants to write fiction, but quite a few people in each audience like the idea of writing their own life story - to inspire even one person to do just that would be fantastic.

Novel number eleven has been accepted for publication

As a writer you never take anything for granted, so I was thrilled when my publisher contacted me to say they wish to publish novel number eleven, It's In The Cards. My books are always about family life and this one is no different. Ellen has reached 40 heart whole and fancy free and is determined to stay that way. Her family are equally determined to see her happily married, so their hopes are raised through the roof when not one, but two men from her past come back into town, and a battle of wills begins.

Am I working on another novel - you bet I am!!!!