Pam Lecky's Blog, page 37
February 7, 2016
A Conversation with Author Phyllis Goodwin
Today in the Library we have Phyllis Goodwin, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Phyllis, please introduce yourself:
I was born in Bath, United Kingdom and spent my childhood in Argentina. I returned with my parents when I was twelve and attended a Grammar School in Bath. After working in London, I married and moved to the Midlands with my husband. In Southampton, I attended the University as a mature student whilst my two children were growing up. I now have four grandchildren and live on the Isle of Wight. I started by writing articles and a column in a Dog Paper.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
My parents read to me as a child and I liked telling stories by looking at the pictures. I didn’t go to school until I was seven. I do prefer books in my own genre and belong to a Writing group so I do read a variety of books written by members.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
My articles have been published in magazines and newspapers. My novel is an historical romance, self-published in paperback, available from Amazon. My non-fiction books are about Field Spaniels.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
The country where I grew up has influenced my writing. I like travelling and using impressions in my stories.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
My favourite time for writing is in the morning and I have to be strict with myself about going on line to check my emails and social media sites. I try not to do this until after lunch!
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
The best thing about being an author is holding the finished book in your hand and the worst thing is trying to use all your ideas and put them into print before it is too late.
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
I enjoy social media and Twitter is my favourite followed by Facebook and Pinterest.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
If I were not a writer, I would probably be a pain to my poor children!
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
My favourite book is ‘Pride &Prejudice’ by Jane Austen but if the earth is facing oblivion I may try to go to the Moon.
Please tell us what you are working on or your latest published work.
At present I am working on three projects. The first is a book of short stories called: ‘Dog Tales & Other Gems’. This is almost ready for publication when I’ve finished sorting the illustrations. Then my 2nd novel called ‘Home to Haiti’, an historical romance with a touch of mystery and thirdly a Memoir tracing my childhood from three months to 12 years in Argentina. At present this is called ‘It’s Raining Frogs’
If you would like to know more about Phyllis and her work please follow the links below:
Cry for me Argentina is available on Amazon.co.uk
Her Field Spaniel books are available to order by Email: goodwinmaydene@aol.com
January 29, 2016
Creating Characters Your Readers Will Love
It’s all very well to have a great story but it’s your characters who are going to tell it for you.
Georgette Heyer – One of my Writing HeroesBesides an overdose of historical detail (which can come across as patronising), a common irritant for me as a reader are characters that are so wishy-washy that you want to slap them … very hard. I have a dread of mousey heroines or nice heroes. One of my favourite authors is Georgette Heyer. But I find that the Heyer novels I read over and over are the ones with at least one strong protagonist, and more often than not, two, and they are usually at loggerheads for most of the novel.
Admittedly, when I started writing I didn’t really care much about an audience as I was writing purely for myself, never dreaming that I would someday be confident enough to publish. But once that idea came closer to reality, I did put a lot of thought into character development. It was important for me to come up with detailed back stories, even though after the first draft, most of that material was jettisoned. I think it is important for the reader to get glimpses of these rather than your book getting swamped with them. I like to use tiny snippets of flashback or reminiscing about the past to achieve this.
So then I had to think about what makes a character engaging, which meant analysing what I found interesting in the characters I like in my favourite books. It seemed to me that the characters with personality flaws or quirks were by far the most interesting – the more a character had, the more I could relate to them. Flaws add flesh and bone and make you think – that could be me saying or doing that. Above all, your characters have to be real, and for this genre, they have to be authentic for their time. For the author this means a lot of research and reading a lot of works from that time period. I find listening to music of the period, studying art and old photographs (luckily for me my favourite period is 19th century), helps me to get inside the heads of all of my characters; once you achieve that, it becomes a lot easier to tell their story.
So let me introduce my two protagonists.
Firstly, say hello to Louisa Campbell. She’s no ordinary Victorian miss. In fact, she is the product of a life far removed from what he
r heritage would suggest. Born to the last heir of an Irish ascendancy family, she never experienced the rights and privileges of her peers. Her father inherited a bankrupt property, gambled the pittance that was left and on his death, left his two daughters struggling to survive, moving from lodging to lodging in the less elegant quarters of 1880s Dublin. Genteel poverty is a knife-edge world and Louisa has to deal with all kinds of individuals most ‘ladies’ of the time would have shrunk from in horror. After encounters with grasping landlords, haggling with pawn-brokers and having to protect herself and her sister, she has become a resilient and self-reliant young woman. Taking care of her sister who is ill, has taught her patience and how to curb her impetuosity (but never fear, it is always bubbling away just beneath the surface). Every penny they have has to be eked out to cover rent, food and doctor’s bills, so she has a firm grasp of the basic economics of living. By the time Louisa inherits her previously unknown uncle’s estate, she is already a strong, independently-minded woman and probably more worldly-wise that most woman of twenty-three at the time.
Now, say how-do-you-do to Nicholas Maxwel
l, Esq. Leader of local society, Justice of the Peace and businessman, he is self-assured and fairly sure he can handle anything life throws at him. However, beneath the confident manner he is hot-tempered, holds grudges and doesn’t suffer fools. Louisa’s late uncle was a thorn in his side and he can almost be forgiven for rejoicing in that man passing through the pearly gates. He is delighted to have an opportunity to buy back the Campbell property which had once formed part of his estate but which his father had lost in a game of poker. He discovers that Campbell’s heir is a penniless Irishwoman and is sure that she will sell up. Nicholas cannot believe it when his approaches to Louisa are rebutted and she moves into Bowes Farm and leaves him in no doubt that she is a worthy advisory. A state of war is declared. Fireworks can only ensue … and they do.
The premise for The Bowes Inheritance was a wrangle over land and a strong woman fighting to keep it. But I have always been fascinated by the strange relationship between the Irish Ascendancy and their British counterparts. The Ascendancy were regarded as the ‘quality’ by the native Irish (though not necessarily loved!) and yet they were seen as second-rate by the gentry in England. I thought this would make an interesting background for my story. So I threw my heroine into a society predisposed to be suspicious of her. Then I added the Fenian bombing campaign that was raging at the time and set it in the beautiful Cumbrian countryside. The result was a battle-royal between two strong-willed and volatile protagonists. Hey presto, my book was born!
The Bowes Inheritance is available on Amazon (ebook or paperback).
January 28, 2016
A Conversation with Author, Sharon Booth
Today in the Library we have Sharon Booth, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Sharon, please introduce yourself:
Thank you very much for inviting me onto your blog. What do you want to kn
ow about me? Hmm, let’s see. Well, I write contemporary romance—”feel good fiction with heart”—and I’ve had two novels and a pocket novel published, as well as a short story in an anthology called Winter Tales, which was sold in aid of The Teenage Cancer Trust and The Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I live in East Yorkshire, with my very patient husband and our German Shepherd dog. When I’m not writing, I work for the NHS. I love Sherlock, Doctor Who, Poldark and The Musketeers. I eat too much sugar but I rarely drink alcohol. (I’ve been known to get up on the kitchen table and sing Abba songs into a hairbrush when I’ve had a couple of glasses, so best avoided, I think!) I’m one tenth of the Write Romantics.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
I read non-stop as a child. Books fascinated me and I can still remember the first book I ever owned—Noddy by Enid Blyton. She was by far my favourite author in early childhood. Later, I progressed to pony books. I still have a lot of my childhood books even now. When I was about thirteen, I read my first “grown up” books. I discovered Barbara Cartland’s novels first, in the school library, and quite enjoyed them. Then I saw The Dwelling Place by Catherine Cookson on the shelf, and that was that. I was hooked. I read every book of hers I could find. I stuck with that type of book for some years until I was introduced to Jilly Cooper by my mother. She gave me a copy of Polo because she knew I was horse mad and loved pony stories! Little did she realise. That set me off reading a whole new type of book. I don’t read erotica but I do love contemporary romances with a naughty twist and lots of humour. I love reading books in my own genre, but I also love cosy crime, supernatural crime, literary fiction…I’m quite happy to try different genres.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
Both. I self-published my two full-length novels with Fabrian Books. Initially, Fabrian was a small publishing company with two authors on its books. The plan was they would publish my four Kearton Bay novels and I would receive a percentage of the royalties. Then, after some discussion between us all, it evolved into an author collective. There are five of us now and we are each responsible for getting our own books ready for publication—hiring our own editors and getting our own covers made, for example—but we also help each other out. We may beta read for each other, help with cover design, formatting, or publicity. One of us runs the website and I take care of the Facebook page and Twitter account. We all have different strengths and it’s good to have people to share the journey with. I have also recently had a People’s Friend pocket novel published, and working with DC Thompson was a really easy and stress-free experience. It was lovely to see my book on the shelves in supermarkets and WH Smith. A dream come true. I hope I’ll have another pocket novel published by them one day. I’m working on it!
Which genre do you write in and why?
I write romance—as I said previously, it’s “feel good fiction with heart”. It’s contemporary and full of humour, but with a strong romantic story at the centre of it. I write the books I like to read the most, I suppose. If I fall in love with my hero, want to be friends with my heroine, have a few laughs and occasionally get a bit emotional as I’m writing, I know I’m on the right track.
Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
I suppose every author whose work I’ve ever read has played some part. It’s hard to say, because I think, as readers, we absorb so much from the books we read, and I’ve read a lot! If I was going to choose one person, I’d say Enid Blyton. Not because I write like her, but because she inspired me to want to pick up a pen and write my own stories, create my own characters, go on my own fictional adventures. I’ll always be grateful to her for that.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
I think it probably has. I love the British countryside and tend to set my stories within its landscape. I think the British have a certain type of humour, too, and I love that. I suppose my heroes are distinctly British, although I hadn’t thought about it until now. They’re not exactly hot Latin lovers. They’re rather stoic and not given to dramatic declarations of love. Deep within them, though, is a core of passion that only the heroines can awaken. And, again, they have that humour. Interesting question! I honestly hadn’t considered the matter before, but now I can see the link.
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
The first draft is a real chore. Forcing myself to sit at my desk and put words on the screen is so hard. When you first start a novel and it’s all very new and exciting, it’s not so bad, but as it goes on and you reach that horrible point when you just think everything you’re writing is rubbish and you can’t imagine why you’re bothering, then it becomes a real endurance test. The only way to overcome it is to get on with it. I make myself write and try to stay at my desk until I’ve written at least one whole scene. If I didn’t it would never get finished, so there’s no choice.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
I write in the mornings because I’m at work every afternoon, and I’m too tired to write at night. The mornings are my best time, by far. I get up, make myself a cup of tea, and head into my office to get that scene written before I do anything else.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
The best thing about being an author is, without a doubt, getting feedback from people who’ve read and enjoyed my work. I’ve had some lovely reviews, which I’m so grateful for. People I know have been so enthusiastic, but it’s a special thrill when I get a message on Facebook or Twitter from someone I don’t know at all, telling me they’ve read one of my books and loved it. That’s just amazing and makes it all worthwhile. The worst thing is having no time to spend with family and friends. Social life goes out of the window, really. When you’re trying to write a book and you also have a job to do it’s hard to juggle everything. I feel permanently guilty that I don’t spend enough time with my husband and family. It’s hard to get the balance right.
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
I enjoy Facebook. I love chatting to people on there, posting pictures, sharing other people’s photos and news. I also have an author page, because I think it’s expected now that writers do have these separate “professional” pages. Twitter is a bit trickier. I find it hard to keep up with what’s going on there, and it’s not as easy to follow as Facebook. I am trying to learn more about it because I know it’s important, but I feel more comfortable with Facebook. I have Pinterest boards and a blog, and I’m hoping to get to grips with Instagram soon, but it is all very time-consuming. If I wasn’t writing, I wouldn’t bother with any of them except Facebook, but maybe if I understood them more I would enjoy them more. That’s why I’m making it my mission to learn, but I don’t want to give up even more of my precious time. That’s the dilemma.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
Still doing my day job, working in a health centre, probably—and being a much better wife, mother and grandmother. Maybe I’d even bake, as I used to when my children were little. No, who am I kidding? I’d probably just read more.
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
Oh, gosh! Really? How on earth do you decide that? A literary classic like To Kill a Mockingbird or Jane Eyre? Probably wouldn’t have time. A great love story? I don’t think it would distract me from my fate. A crime or thriller? I’d be gloomy enough already. I would probably go for an Adrian Mole book by Sue Townsend. They’re absorbing and easy to read, hilariously funny, yet terribly poignant at the same time. I think if Adrian Mole was my last thought, I could face oblivion with a smile.
Please tell us what you are working on or your latest published work.
A Kiss from a Rose is the second in my Kearton Bay series. It’s set in the same fictional village on the North Yorkshire coast as my first book, There Must Be An Angel, and features some of the same characters. However, it can be read as a standalone.
Here’s the blurb:
In spite of managing to get a black eye at her best friend’s wedding, Rose MacLean knows she’s never had it so good. As a partner in a thriving business, her financial problems are easing, and her eldest daughter has finally found employment, while her youngest is doing well at school.
But Rose’s life never seems to run smoothly for long, and, sure enough, her eldest daughter has soon walked out of her job, while her youngest appears to have had a personality transplant. To make matters worse, her mother is back on the scene, and she seems to be reliving her misspent youth with her oily-haired, horse-faced ex, Alec Thoroughgood.
With her best friend preoccupied with the arduous task of baby-making, Rose finds herself relying more and more on the quiet Flynn Pennington-Rhys, who seems to be everyone’s hero. But Flynn has his own problems, and as events take an unexpected turn, Rose realises that she may not always be able to rely on him.
Will the quiet man come through for her? Will her daughters ever sort themselves out? And will Rose ever get her bedroom back from her mother, or is she destined for a life on the sofa?
A Kiss from a Rose was published by Fabrian Books in September 2015. Amazon.co.uk
If you would like to know more about Sharon and her work please click on the links below:
January 22, 2016
A Conversation with Author, Mary Grand
Today in the Library we have Mary Grand, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Mary, please introduce yourself:
I was born in Cardiff and have retained a deep love for my Welsh roots. I worked as a nursery teacher in London and later taught Deaf children in Croydon and Hastings. I now live on the beautiful Isle of Wight with my husband, where I walk my cocker spaniel, Pepper, and write. I have two grown up children. ‘Free to Be Tegan’ is my debut novel. It is to be the first of a series of novels set in Wales. The second will be set on the spectacular Gower Peninsula.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
As a child I loved Enid Blyton.
Now I read each day and enjoy a wide variety of books. Recently I have read The Return by Victoria Hislop, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Body on the Beach by Simon Brett, and Recipe for Life, the autobiography of Mary Berry.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
I am self – published.
Which genre do you write in and why?
I write Woman’s Fiction. My central characters tend to be women at a crisis point of their lives.
Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
Joanna Trollope and Jane Austen are both authors I admire and both have inspired me to want to write accessible and interesting stories.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
Although I live on the Isle of Wight, my roots are in Wales. My debut novel Free to Be Tegan is set in the wild Cambrian Mountains, and the novel I am writing at the moment is set on the stunning Gower peninsula.
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
I think one of the hardest things for me is to actually shut myself off from all the other things I could be doing. I have found having a routine has really helped. Now I walk the dog first thing and then aim to turn off my internet and settle to writing. Working from home can be challenging and I know some writers go out to cafes and libraries. However, for me, it has huge benefits, including warmth, comfort and free coffee.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
I think the morning is a good time for me. However I also get inspiration in the middle of the night and now keep a pad and pen next to the bed.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
One of the things I love about being an author is creating a whole world of characters and a life for them. I also enjoy researching the places I set my stories in.
One of the hardest things for me is when I hit a wall. I find the best remedy is to go out with the dog up on the downs or on to the beach or alternatively go for coffee and cake with a friend. (Cake always helps!)
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
I really enjoy Facebook. I have made lovely friends in various groups who have been incredibly supportive and encouraging.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
If I wasn’t an author I think I would like to work with an animal charity or a bookshop.
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
I think I would need to escape somewhere beautiful, maybe I would read The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Would you like to tell us what you are working on or your latest published work.
Free to Be Tegan
Tegan was brought up in a psychologically abusive cult. This is the uplifting story of her journey to find herself and flourish in a world she has been taught to fear and abhor.
Guilt and shadows from her past haunt her in flashbacks, panic attacks and a fear of the dark. However, she also finds a world full of colour, love and happiness she has never known before.
The story opens as Tegan, aged twenty seven, is cast out of the cult, rejected by her family and the only life she has known. She is vulnerable and naïve but she also has courage and the will to survive. She travels to Wales, to previously unknown relations in the wild Cambrian Mountains.
The wild beauty of the hills, the people she meets and the secrets slowly revealed by the cottage all provide an intriguing backdrop to Tegan’s drama.
The novel is set in spring. Although it grapples with difficult issues it is far more than a mere tale of survival. It is one of hope, new growth, of the discovery of self and the joy of living.
If you would like to know more about Mary and her work please click on the attached links:
Buy ‘Free to be Tegan’ on Amazon
Mary’s Author Page on Goodreads
January 21, 2016
How to Market your Self-Published Book
I’m joking; if I knew I’d be a millionaire. If anyone tells you they have the magic formula – back away very slowly. I do believe that there is one little pie
ce of magic involved, but I’m not going to reveal what it is until the very end.
This world of promotion and marketing is all very new to me. This time last year I wasn’t even sure I was going to publish. However, encouraged by my wonderful editor, Hiliary Johnson and friends and family, I finally took the plunge last July and set my book baby free in the big bad world. Frankly, that was the easy bit; what came next is like something out of a nightmare. There I was clutching my book baby and no clue how to get it noticed. I ran around like a headless chicken trying this method and that. Some succeeded and others failed. What follows is a ‘History of the Trials and Tribulations of an Indie Author in the Virtual World’!
A slight tangent first. Here is a checklist. If you cannot tick off all of these then don’t read any further.
I have written the best possible book/short-story/script/play, etc., that I possibly can.
I have had my work professionally edited and proofread at least once (best friends, grannies, etc., do not count!)
I have the best possible book cover, that has been well researched (i.e., appropriate to my genre).
I have a blurb that will have potential readers salivating.
I realise that the hard work is only beginning! [No groaning please]
All of that in order? OK, let’s proceed. Just to be clear, my book is my debut and entirely self-published in July 2015. It is available as a Print on Demand paperback (POD) and ebook, is historical fiction, and so far only on Amazon. I can’t comment on any other platforms as I have not used them yet. I am not going to endorse any particular method but I will tell you what has worked for me.
Pre-Launch:
I probably fell down here at the very first hurdle. I didn’t have a coherent plan or budget, at all. I did read up on it but was so stressed about getting the book up on Ama
zon on time that I let all of that stuff drift. I didn’t have a strong social media presence either. I only set up my website/blog a few weeks before launch. I joined Twitter a bit late as well and had no clue how to use it well. I did announce my book on my personal Facebook page and I got an overwhelming response from my friends and family (this probably accounted for most of my sales in the first 3 months). I set up a page on FB for the book but then found myself duplicating posts and probably annoying the hell out of people. I have since created a new author page as opposed to a book specific page, ‘cos I plan on writing more books!!
So what should I have done or done better?
Pre-launch promotion will build up interest in your book. Set up your author website/blog as soon as possible. I use WordPress – it’s free and it’s easy to use. I did purchase my domain name so that I could use www.pamlecky.com – it looks more professional than a long and hard to remember URL.
If you are launching an ebook on Amazon, you will have the choice of loading it up for pre-order. Do it – I did get a reasonable number of pre-orders, but I didn’t promote it enough!
Obviously, build up some anticipation on Twitter and Facebook and if you don’t have an author page, create one. I try to keep my personal stuff and publishing stuff separate. Invite your friends to ‘like’ your author page that way they have a choice. I now keep my promotional stuff almost exclusively on my author page.
Sit down and decide on a marketing budget.
I made a book trailer with the help of my daughter and promoted it before launch. It is a nice to have, and we had a lot of fun putting it together, but I honestly don’t know if it generates sales. I suspect if you are an established author it might. I was able to make mine very cheaply as my daughter is a bit of a whizz on the tech stuff and had previously made a book trailer as part of a school project (her writing was published before mine, by the way!). The main cost was the purchase of iStock images (between $1-3 each), some video and I also bought a backing track (all very reasonable if you look around). Word of warning – don’t infringe anyone’s copyright. Purchase the licences or don’t do this at all.
I had business cards printed. Cost me about €20 euro for 200.
You can give these to people or ask to leave a few in shops, pin to notice boards wherever you can. Ninja dress-code and stealth advised! The title of my book was long and I was using my maiden name, so the cards were a very handy way of making sure that people searched for the right book when they went online. These definitely generated some sales.Things I didn’t do but might be worth looking into:
Amazon and Goodreads ads pre-launch.
Send a copy of your book to reviewers well before launch – great pre-launch reviews would be worth their weight in gold and if you are going the POD and ebook route, you could add them into the book cover/inside blurbs, etc. before launch.
Book launch: I didn’t have the funds and the advice out there was not to bother if you are self-publishing and going the POD route in particular. The cost would have been high for me as I would have had to buy the books from Amazon and pay the huge whack of postage they charge from the US (I think it is different if you are resident in the UK as CreateSpace print there). ALSO, the sales would not be recorded as sales, only as purchases by me. (Sales count if you are going out looking for an agent/publisher at a later date). I was told by an industry professional (and open to correction on this) that the definition of a successful book is 2,000 sales in 2 years. Again, this could be for a traditionally published as opposed to self-published book.
Post Book Launch:
These are in no particular order:
Radio Interview: I was lucky that a friend of mine had a contact with a local radio show that did author interviews. Slightly terrifying to do but actually was OK once you got into it. Did it generate any sales? I really don’t think it did but I have a link to it on my website (looks good if potential agent/published has a peek) and it was great experience for when I go global!!!
Goodreads Giveaway: You must set yourself up as an author and put up your book det
ails (you will have to have an ISBN). Definitely the most useful promotion I have done. I put up six copies of my book (signed) and ran it for one month. Over 1,000 people entered. I also run a Goodreads Ad for the book that is ticking away in the background. You set your own budget for these, and pay per click. I also found Goodreads support staff very good to deal with as the advertising pages are a little tricky. Over 500 people have added my book to their ‘on the shelf to read’ list – hopefully potential sales. Goodreads is great in that readers can post reviews and ratings, follow you, follow your blog, etc. Just be aware that Goodreads is owned by Amazon.Kindle Select: I resisted joining this initially and have to say it works very well. I have now run two countdown deals (ebooks at 99p/99c for a week) and sold about 140 books this way. Your book also goes into Kindle Unlimited where subscribers read your book for free. Amazon pays you a small amount for each page read, out of a global fund. People have read the equivalent of 40 copies of my book and although the income is small it is still getting my book out into reader’s hands. Hopefully if they like it they will remember me and buy the next book.
I begged for Reviews on Amazon & Goodreads: OK, you are unknown, first book and you desperately need those reviews so swallow your pride and ask – blanket requests for reviews don’t work. Email/text/message people one to one – they will usually respond. It keeps the ball rolling for you. The more reviews that are up the more notice people will take of your book if they come across it in a random search. It also affects how Amazon ranks your book.
Book Promotion Company: Boy, did I fall for this one. I won’t name the company and I don’t think it really matters which one you use. They will promise you the world. It didn’t work for me. They tweeted (only) about my book a couple of times a day for a week. It cost be $60. I deliberately didn’t do any other promotion that week to see if it worked. It didn’t produce 1 sale. The only good thing from it was that it generated about 70 twitter followers. Two people visited my website that week and they probably weren’t as a result of the promotion. Approach these with extreme caution. I certainly won’t use one again.
FACEBOOK: I love FB and find it much easier to use than Twitter. Finding writer groups, etc., is a great idea. Not only did I find my editor but I have found groups of authors who specialise in my genre. Most are indie like me and very supportive. As an aside, I have also found some great blogs hosted by these authors that really help with either writing or research. Well worth finding these and contributing – good things will come of it. Best of all was finding FB Twitter Groups. I have found these invaluable for promotion. They are closed groups (sometimes genre specific) that agree to retweet each other’s posts. You agree to 100% reciprocation. I am in a few different ones but there is an Indie specific one. PM me for details.
Facebook ads: I have run two of these. Gained me a lot of likes but did not boost sales. I have now set up a ‘Buy Now’ button on my author page – it’s getting some clicks and may generate some sales. It’s free, so why not do it.
Facebook Promotion of your posts: I only recently discovered that the posts you put up on your author page only reach a certain percentage – that is why you will see ‘do you want to boost this post’ messages. I thought that everyone who liked a page saw the posts – not the case, my friends. I was more than a bit miffed when I discovered this – on average only about 150-200 out of 3,000+ people actually see what I post on my author page.
Book Competitions: The world isn’t fair, you already know that. Most of the big competitions won’t accept Indie authors. That’s just the way it is. However, there are competitions out there that do. Research and find them. If your book wins an award I imagine it is a huge boost to your promotional opportunities. My book was long-listed for an award and I use that extensively in promotions, added it to the Amazon and Goodreads’ description of the book. It will also go into the promotion for the next book – you see how it works?
Book Reviewers: I have sent my book to reviewers that I have found through FB/Twitter or blogs. I have never paid for a review and never intend to. Don’t risk it – Amazon will find out and withdraw the review and Lord knows what else. Anyway, isn’t it dodgy? Would you really be happy with a fake review? Lots of reviewers have blogs and the more prestigious the reviewer the better the exposure for you and your work. Be mindful; the Amazon top 100 reviewers are virtually impossible to engage.
Writing Websites: I had a link to an Irish writing website as the owner also ran the company which did my first structural edit. Through some emailing, I have managed to get two articles published online and they are currently reviewing my book. Well worth a look on the internet to see if there are any you can contact. Again, probably not massive exposure but it all helps.
National Media: Forgive me while I fall around laughing. In Ireland you have virtually no chance of national coverage unless you are in the know. End of and I don’t intend wasting any more time or money trying to get the national broadcaster or newspapers to review my book (several copies of my poor book lie forlorn in their storage areas or waste bins). If my book ever wins an award, I will have one more go at this, but I won’t lose sleep over it in the meantime.
Local Press: the local papers are much more amenable to supporting you. I was able to have a large piece put in a Dublin-wide paper. Not sure if it generated any sales but didn’t do any harm and a few people mentioned that they had seen it.
TWITTER: Grrrrrrh. Can’t make up my mind about it. I find it clunky. Most of my followers are authors or book promoters and guess what they are doing? Yeah, promoting. I could have a rant about automatic DMs but you might be eating your breakfast. Don’t you hate when you follow someone famous and all they do is tweet constantly about their book and never interact. You just know someone is doing it for them. I don’t believe that is what Twitter is about. Interact with me like a normal human being and I will start a conversation – it might go somewhere, we might become friends or not. I am more inclined to look into the work of someone who has the courtesy to ‘talk’ to me (and that goes for FB as well). I’ll leave it there – I think you know what I’m saying. It has its place but don’t become obsessed with it. Social media can suck the life and the hours from you.
Blogging: Write about the things you love. Write well and you will pull people to your site. Keep it interesting by doing a mix of stuff. I don’t use the blog to directly promote (bar the actual book launch and perhaps some big book news) but the information is there for any visitor to see. Make sure that people can sign-up to follow your blog, can contact you easily (I actually set up a separate gmail account for this as I didn’t want to give out my personal email). Most importantly, set up a Newsletter sign-up. Capture those emails so that when it comes to the next book launch you can dazzle with your amazing cover/blurb and exclusive content.
BookBub: is supposed to be good for promoting a book deal but notoriously difficult to be accepted. Haven’t tried it yet.
So, you have to ask yourself – what am I trying to achieve? It isn’t just about sales. It is about establishing yourself as a professional writer. Instant success and massive earnings only come to a few. You are building up your profile over time. Write well and the reviews will come. People will notice and recommend your work and this in turn will generate those precious sales.
So what is that little piece of magic I mentioned at the start? Haven’t you guessed?
Your writing, plain and simple!
January 15, 2016
A Conversation with Author, Michael Wills
In the Library today we have Michael Wills, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into his life as an author.
You are very welcome, Michael, please introduce yourself:
I grew up on the Isle of Wight at a time when the railway engines really did go cho cho. At school I became an avid reader and I still have my “Head Librarian” badge to prove it. On leaving school, I trained to be a teacher and then spent two years working in a very rural secondary school in Kent. So rural in fact, that children would frequently use the excuse that they could not hand in their homework as the school farm’s goats had eaten their books.
I retrained to teach English as a Foreign Language and then spent 13 years working in Sweden before returning to the UK with my Swedish wife and three daughters to start a language school. I sold the school ten years ago and retired.
I have a plethora of interests and hobbies, primary amongst them is a fascination with history, especially the Viking period. Apart from spending a great deal of time researching and writing historical novels, I am an amateur radio ham and an even more amateur carpenter. I sail my little boat for two months each summer, and whenever the opportunity arises I thoroughly spoil my grandchildren.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
Looking back now I can see that as a child I developed a very enquiring mind and this has endured. I read far more non-fiction than fiction. This is especially important as part of the research process for my stories. Although in the past I read books from a wide range of genres, today I read mainly historical books. However, I have to confess that I have a sneaking fear that I will subconsciously “borrow” ideas from other writers, so I tend to avoid reading novels based in the same time period as that which I am currently writing about. Having said that, I have to admit that at the moment I am re-reading the classic Viking story – “The Long Ships”.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
When I was working in Sweden I wrote and co-wrote a number of English language teaching course books. These were traditionally published. So I am fully aware of the benefits and the drawbacks of working with a publishing house and also the huge time lag between manuscript and finished book. When I started to write novels, the knowledge that thousands of books are published each month and that the field is intensely competitive, daunted me somewhat. At my age, I do not have the time to do the rounds of agents and publishers for several years, trying to get attention. So I decided to self-publish.
Which genre do you write in and why?
As I have mentioned, my speciality is historical novels. However, I have tried something else. My wife assiduously reads and re-reads every version of my manuscripts before they go for editing, however, she is not overly fond of historical novels. To provide some relief for her I decided to write a thriller. “One Decent Thing” is currently being edited and I hope to publish it next year.
Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
Without doubt what initially moved me to start writing was “places and things”. Let me explain. I have had the privilege of travelling extensively; it was the nature of my work when I had a language school. I took every opportunity to visit places of historical interest and researched them thoroughly. Travel is still the biggest influence on what I write, be it sailing into an old Viking harbour, watching an historical re-enactment such as the Battle of Saratoga or visiting an ancient castle. There is nothing more inspirational for me than experiencing historical environments, seeing or perhaps touching ancient artefacts and treading the ground where my historical characters might have walked.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
Undoubtedly the rich history of the Isle of Wight, (I went to school just an arrow shot from Carisbrooke Castle), stimulated an interest in the subject. But there was another thing which affected me and many others. It may seem difficult to believe now, but in the forties and fifties, the Island was very isolated and one felt cut off from the rest of Britain. I knew adults who had never visited the “mainland”. This isolation helped me to develop a strong sense of imagination and, as I have already mentioned, curiosity.
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
In my specialisation the most difficult thing is to get the right balance between history and fiction. One has to be absolutely true to the facts without letting them overwhelming the story. When I met the editor who had done a structural edit on my novel, “The Wessex Turncoat”, she suggested that I might be more comfortable writing historical non-fiction. That was a real wake-up call for me. I took the manuscript away and re-wrote it with a much stronger story line.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
I have this old fashioned Anglo Saxon work ethic, no reward without effort. Thus I have to justify the luxury of my mid-morning coffee with a couple or three of hours of writing. Yes, the mornings are the best time for me.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
Without a shadow of doubt, the best thing is to have someone tell you that they enjoyed reading your book. The worst thing is that writing is a very introverted activity, a lonely process, natural ebullience has to be subdued, I sometimes find that quite an effort.
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
I resisted getting involved with social media for a long time, partly because I did not understand its value but also, quite frankly, the whole thing seemed a bit like a dark art to me. However, when one of my daughters started a social media company, resistance was pointless. I now enjoy using Facebook and Twitter, though I find the former to be the more useful.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
Up to no good at all I fear. I really need an outlet for a vivid imagination. However, if I were to be banned from using a computer I think I would dust off my old guitar, learn to play properly and imagine that I really missed my calling in the sixties, or perhaps fritter away the hours with a fishing rod in my hand, day dreaming about the sails of Viking ships appearing over the horizon.
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
What a difficult question! I have considered this at great length and my putative answer ranged from the bible at one end of the scale to Spike Milligan at the other. However, what I eventually alighted on was that I would read my diary. I kept a diary all through the sixties and part of the seventies, and then started again in the nineties. What better way to exit the world than to consider what I did when I was here and be grateful for having lived, loved and laughed through one of the most remarkable periods in history.
Please tell us what you are working on or your latest published work.
In a sense my career has gone full circle, the teacher in me came to the fore and I decided to write a trilogy of 
Viking adventure stories for children headlined, “The Childre
n of the Chieftain”. The first one, “Betrayed” was published in June and I was delighted to have it chosen by the Historical Novel Society for their 2016 Indie competition longlist. It also gave me a huge thrill to find that the book was being used in some primary schools. To assist its use in schools I have a free download Activities Booklet on my website. The second book in the series, “Banished”, will be published later this month.
You can find out more about Michael and his books at the following links:
January 10, 2016
Edith Somerville, Irish Author (1858-1949)
Sometimes I cannot believe my luck. Pondering on where to start the research for my next novel, I suddenly remembered how much I had loved watching The Irish RM on TV. I was fairly sure it was the right period and remembered how affectionately my father had spoken of the novels of Somerville & Ross. So off I went and downloaded a few of the books. I could not believe it. What better source of contemporary writing could there be; set in the south of Ireland and in the timeline of my current work in progress! Of course the novels are dated but the level of detail, from a research point of view, is pure gold. What surprised me most was the writing; the descriptions are often lyrical and the underlying humour had me chuckling away.
I had to find out more about Edith Somerville.
EdithShe was born on the 2nd May 1858 in Corfu, daughter of an army officer. A year later, they returned to the family home at Drishane, Castletownshend, Co. Cork. Edith’s family was well connected, being acquainted with the likes of W.B. Yeats and Lennox Robinson and related to George Bernard Shaw, Lady Augusta Gregory and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Edith was a devoted sportswoman who in 1903 had become master of the West Carbery Foxhounds. Her love of the sport is often the back bone of many of the RM stories. She was a fine artist and studied in London, Dusseldorf and Paris and her paintings were exhibited in Dublin, London and New York. She became president of the Munster Women’s Franchise League (a suffragette movement) but it is her writing partnership with her cousin, Violet Martin, that she is most remembered for. This is how Edith described her first meeting with her second cousin:
“It was, as it happens, in church that I saw her first, in our own church, in Castletownshend. That was on Sunday, January 17, 1889… it has proved the hinge of my life, the place where my fate, and hers, turned over, and new and unforeseen things began to happen to us.”
Both ladies had already published, but over a year after they first met they began work on their first novel together, An Irish Cousin. Violet adopted the pseudonym ‘Martin Ross’, using her surname and the name of the family seat in the West of Ireland. At the time the ‘Shilling Shocker’ was fashionable and they first approached writing in this vein, but as their relationship progressed their artistic ideals changed. They were delighted when An Irish Cousin was accepted for publication. Their second novel, Naboth’s Vineyard (1891) received good reviews and they began to take themselves seriously. Their full-length novel, The Real Charlotte, was published in 1894 but only after they had overcome all of the difficulties of being single ladies, existing purely on pin money and being expected to fulfil all of the demands of their respective families.
The novel was well received but they were urged to write short stories by their agent. The huge success of their Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. in 1899, led to a demand for more stories of the same kind. They published two further sets of these, Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. in 1908 and In Mr Knox’s Country, in 1915.
VioletThen devastation struck; in 1915 Violet died of a brain tumour in a Cork nursing-home and Edith, shattered by grief, determined to write no more. She was in London still recovering from the shock of Violet’s death when the Easter Rising of 1916 broke out. On 9 May she wrote a letter to The Times, blaming the British government for the state of affairs in Ireland. After that she tended towards Irish Nationalism, and as an adept musician at parties she specialized in Irish tunes and Nationalist songs.
Around this time she turned to spiritualism and believed she could communicate with Violet’s spirit through séances. She was convinced that Violet wished her to go on writing. Thereafter, she insisted on using the pseudonym of ‘Somerville and Ross’, as she believed that the spirit of her dead partner was actively assisting her. She was to go on to write five further novels and various other works in the course of the next thirty years.
She was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters by Trinity College Dublin in 1932. In the same year, W.B. Yeats invited her to become a member of the Irish Academy of Letters and, nine years later, the Academy bestowed on her the Gregory Gold Medal, its most important literary award.
Drishane HouseShe lived on at the family residence, Drishane House, until 1946 and then moved, with her younger sister Hildegarde, to a house in the main street of Castletownshend, which bore the name ‘Tally-Ho’, the name which the cousins had used for the residence of Charlotte Mullen in The Real Charlotte. She died in 1949 at the great age of ninety-one.
Collaborative novels
An Irish Cousin (1889)
Naboth’s Vineyard (1891)
In the Vine Country (1893)
Through Connemara in a Governess Cart (1893)
The Real Charlotte (1894)
Beggars on Horseback (1895)
The Silver Fox (1897)
Some Experiences of an Irish R. M. (1899)
A Patrick’s Day Hunt (1902)
All on the Irish Shore (1903)
Some Irish Yesterdays (1906)
Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1908)
Dan Russell the Fox (1911)
In Mr Knox’s Country (1915)
Solo novels
Irish Memories (1917)
Mount Music (1919)
The Big House at Inver (1925)
The States through Irish Eyes (1930)
An Incorruptible Irishman (1932)
The Smile and the Tear (1933)
The Sweet Cry of Hounds (1936)
Sarah’s Youth (1938)
Maria and Some Other Dogs (1949)
January 8, 2016
A Conversation with Author, Carla Vermaat
Today in the Library we have Carla Vermaat, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Carla, please introduce yourself:
My name is Carla 
Vermaat. I am originally from The Netherlands, but I live in Cornwall in the UK now for about 10 years. In Holland I have published 20 crime thrillers and romance novels – the next one is going to the printer as we speak. I also wrote over 65 romance stories (23k words) for a Dutch magazine. I currently live on the Cornish north coast, close enough to the beach to go for a walk.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
I have always been reading. I remember we celebrated ‘Sinterklaas’, sort of the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus, only the date is on the 5th December. As a family we used to come together at my grandmother’s and as we were with 8 adults and 6 children, we all had only one or two presents. Mine was always a book and as soon as it was time to unwrap it (which we did in turns) I started to read it… I have periods that I read a lot, other periods I don’t read at all. I tend to prefer books in my own genre, there are enough available!
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
Both. I am still publishing my books in The Netherlands in Dutch with Ellessy, a publishing house. (In Holland authors generally don’t deal with literary agencies). My (first) book in English is partially self published, in cooperation with my Dutch publisher, but I do the marketing, etc., here myself.
Which genre do you write in and why?
I mostly write crime, although occasionally my Dutch publisher asks for a contemporary romance. I do one-offs but I am also writing one book a year for a series about an Amsterdam based policewoman. My first book in English, Tregunna, is also the first of a series.
Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
I can’t say. Reading other books, I guess, made me jealous and itchy do start writing my own. When I had my first job in an office at about 18 (as a merchandiser’s assistant) I told my boss I wasn’t interested in a career in the company, because one day I would be an author. I can still remember him laughing about my arrogance …
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
I don’t think so, although we can never wipe what has formed us or our experiences.
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
Proofreading is my worst nightmare. I hate to have to read the story over and over again when I get it back from the editor. I can’t say you can overcome it, you just have to sit down, get your head into gear and do it.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
Mornings are better, although I can write any time of day.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
Best thing is that you can let your imagination go, create families and characters and live a second life for a while. There is no flipside – I love it.
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
Having partially self-published Tregunna, I became aware that I didn’t know enough about marketing. I have always believed that a good thing only needs word-of-mouth advertisement, but this industry is slightly different. Eventually you will get there without any marketing, but it may take a few years, or even decades. I don’t particularly like using platforms such as FB and Twitter, etc., because it takes so much time – which may explain why I don’t use them much.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
Painting; when I’m not writing, I paint landscapes and seascapes.
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
I wouldn’t read, I would write – about my feelings, I guess.
Please tell us your latest published work.
My book is called, TREGUNNA.
In a farmhouse on the Camel estuary in Cornwall, a 5-year old girl finds her parents brutally slaughtered. Fifteen years later the house is deserted and the killing still remains a mystery.
Then the body of a 50-year old woman is found on a cliff edge in Newquay. DI Andy Tregunna is faced with the task of leading the investigation, but soon personal matters force him to step back.
On compassionate leave and with little else to do than fight his own demons, the unsolved case becomes more and more an obsession to him. As he is drawn deeper into a dark world of secrets, lies and revenge, his private investigation collides with his personal life.
The truth is even more sinister than can be imagined …
Carla is a member of Crime Writers Association (www.thecwa.co.uk)
You can find out more about Carla and her books at the following links:
December 29, 2015
A Conversation with Author, Zara Stoneley
This evening in the Library we have Zara Stoneley, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Zara, please introduce yourself:
I grew up in small village in Staffordshire. After completing a degree, working as an IT consultant, and then combining running a dog grooming business with family life, I returned to my love of writing. In 2012, I secured my first publishing contract with Xcite Books, the erotic imprint of Accent Press, and a year later signed a deal with HarperCollins.
I now write fun, romantic romps set in the British countryside and split my time between a country cottage in a Cheshire village, surrounded by family, friends and assorted animals, and an apartment in Barcelona.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
I’ve always been an avid reader and as a child spent most of my time in my bedroom curled up with a book – refusing to go down for dinner until I’d finished my chapter! At various times as my son grew up, I had less time to bury my nose in a book, but now he’s gone to University I’m back to reading more than ever. I read all sorts, from books by Jilly Cooper and Fiona Walker that are similar to my own, to romcoms, thrillers and anything else that grabs my fancy. My son recently thrust a copy of ‘Game of Thrones’ into my hands and insisted that as I enjoyed ‘Lord of the Rings’ I would love it. One wonderful thing about being an author is that you also quite often get copies of new books from your publisher.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
Mainly traditionally, although I have self-published an erotic romance trilogy which I am planning on re-releasing soon – reworked with the eroticism toned down.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
Where I live now has definitely influenced my writing; my editor suggested that I write a series of books set in horsey Cheshire and these novels are firmly anchored in the English countryside and its way of life.
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
I always find the middle of the book a challenge, however well or badly I have planned it out in advance. I think this is the critical point where you know whether you understand your characters, their motivations and conflicts well enough, and whether the plot is working with or against them. My solution is always to stop trying to squeeze the words out, go back to the drawing board and look more closely at the main characters. It then becomes obvious (nine times out of ten!) what is missing, or where adjustments to the original plan need to be made. A plan is fine, but quite often I find that characters have developed in unexpected ways!
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
I find it easiest to work in the morning if I’m plotting, but if I’m in full flow writing then late evening is my most productive time.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
I just love writing, creating new settings and characters, watching them develop and conquer their fears and all the obstacles I throw in their path. Holding the finished book in my hand once it has been published has to be the highlight though. On the downside I have to cite negative reviews – a story is such as subjective things and although authors know that some people will love their books, love their voice, they also know that others will not – and sometimes vehemently dislike what they read.
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
It can be very time consuming, and definitely needs managing or I can find that half the day has been devoted to social media and no words have been added to my book – the most important thing! I think Facebook is the most rewarding forum as you can engage properly with people, but twitter is great for keeping things snappy. I’m also starting to explore Pinterest and Instagram, but these are fairly new to me.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
I always wanted to be a vet when I was younger, but somehow ended up an IT consultant! But I ran a dog grooming business when my son was young, and still love my animals… so it would probably be something pet related!
Please tell us about your latest published work.
My latest book is ‘A Very Country Christmas’ is a free novella.
A short Christmas story of three courses: Love is in the air in Tippermere, as Lottie dreams of a white Christmas with no trimmings – other than her hot and hunky eventer, Rory. But things are never quite that simple on the Tipping House Estate.
Festive fervour takes over and it isn’t all seasonal peace and goodwill as expectations rise and it soon escalates from cosy dinner for two, to all the trimmings for ten! With missing turkeys, loose horses, troublesome terriers and randy huntsmen, Lottie is hard pushed to find time for a kiss under the mistletoe, let alone find the opportunity to woo Rory with her sexy Santa costume.
But there is only one thing Lottie really wants for Christmas, and only one man can deliver it…
Available FREE from – Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Sainsbury’s Google Play
To learn more about Zara and her work follow the links below.
Website Twitter Facebook Amazon Google+ Pinterest
December 18, 2015
A Conversation with Author, Felicity Fair Thompson
This evening in the Library we have Felicity Fair Thompson, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.
You are very welcome, Felicity, please introduce yourself:
I was born in Australia and after a short career in ballet in the UK, I spent several years as Senior Assistant Manager at the Odeon Leicester Square, the first woman in Rank’s West End Cinema management team. In 1977, I settled on the Isle of Wight where my interest in photography and travel expanded into film making and writing.
I have a Masters degree in Screenwriting: University of London, and have taught Short Film independently and for Screen South. My last film, a drama documentary about Carisbrooke Castle was broadcast on SKY TV, and over the 2014 Christmas period on Thats Solent TV. Three of my other fourteen travel films made for the retail market have been shown on Australian television.
My published writing includes two children’s stories, an EU funded community play, scenic travel features, theatre reviews, poetry, personality profiles and three novels – The Kid on Slapton Beach has had rave reviews: see www.wightdiamondpress.com.
From 2000 to 2005, I founded and hosted the Weekend Writers’ Conference on the Isle of Wight, with speakers and delegates attending from Britain, Europe and the US. I gave workshops alongside Sir Andrew Motion at the Tennyson Bicentenary celebrations at Farringford, and I am one of The Shore Women poets.
I teach Creative Writing independently – http://www.learnwriting.co.uk, and at the Isle of Wight College, and I work one to one with young people with learning difficulties.
Did you read much as a child? Are you an avid reader now? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?
As a child I did read, fiction and poetry, but I wrote my own stories too. I love reading – but it’s hard getting time for it. I want to read a book cover to cover – I want a book I can’t put down. More than particular genres, I want wonderful stories, and emotional engagement.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
Both. Making travel films for retail taught me I could market and distribute my work, so with changing times, I wasn’t afraid of starting a tiny publishing firm and through that publishing my own writing.
Which genre do you write in and why?
I write personal dramas – rights of passage, and domestic drama, but I think more importantly my writing has a common theme – characters who are prepared to chance everything, jeopardise everything, to do what they need to do. It is true of my three novels – and my children’s stories.
Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
I think it was my mother, Joan Kinmont. She was a writer herself – of plays and narrative poetry. I remember her winning a playwriting competition where the judge was Noel Coward, and the stars in her eyes that night in Sydney when he presented her with the prize. Her narrative poem, This My Son, held the record for the most book sales in Australia from 1939 to 1952. She taught me to like stories, and better still she took us to the theatre all the time too – ballet, opera, plays, revue, and film.
Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?
Sometimes Australia has influenced me. In my first novel Cutting In, my heroine is Australian. Maybe that makes her more outspoken. Maybe it makes her need to prove herself in her new surroundings… I have written a screenplay set in Australia. Maybe I get cold when I sit still for ages writing because of less sunlight in UK, and that makes me write into dark places!
What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?
Getting enough time is the hardest. It’s difficult not to be distracted by everyday life. You just have to make time – persevere, and keep going. Writing takes time and concentration – and focus.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?
I’d write all day if I could. I like daytime writing – it is quiet and undisturbed, but I do teach too so I have to work around other commitments.
What is the best thing about being an author? And the flipside – what is the worst?
I find great satisfaction in making the characters come to life, getting my reader to think these invented people are so real they will invest their time in them, believe in them, want them to succeed.
The worst thing is the time it takes to achieve that!
Is social media an essential chore or something you enjoy? Which forum do you prefer?
Social media isn’t a chore but it is essential. It can be fascinating, but sometimes I spend ages trying to figure out how to do something! But when it suddenly works, and you know it looks how you want it to, it’s wonderful! I like twitter better than facebook because it is slightly easier to work, but I’m far from an expert on either! I haven’t got a handle on linkedin! Pinterest I want to do but haven’t quite made my way in yet. The thing that concerns me most is using writing time to use any of these amazing opportunities.
If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?
I would be dreaming stories, or painting them maybe. I would probably be doing more teaching.
It’s the last day and the earth is facing oblivion – what book would you read?
Rumer Godden – The River
If it’s really then end of the world: The Book of Common Prayer – to end on the beautiful language and phrasing.
Please tell us about your latest published work.
I’d like to tell you about The Kid on Slapton Beach. It is historical fact told through fictional characters. It has sold more than 2000 paperback copies in just seven indie book shops by direct sale from the publisher, and that’s not including chain book shops, worldwide and internet sales. Young Harry is one of three thousand people forced to leave the UK Devon coast in the Second World War as US troops move into the area for secret D-Day rehearsals in April 1944. But what if your most treasured possession is left behind?
It’s hard to tell a story about a secret and not involve the internet.
To discover more about Felicity please see the links below:
