Sally Jenkins's Blog, page 4

The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley

Previously I’ve waxed lyrical about Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series on this blog. Tragically, Lucinda died in 2021 and the final book in that series was completed by her son, Harry Whittaker. I’ve now read, and thoroughly enjoyed, one of Lucinda’s earlier books, The Midnight Rose.
This book is also a dual timeline story and features a character searching for their roots, this time it’s a man, Ari Malik, and he’s following up the story that his great-grandmother’s son died at a young age. The ‘present day’ part of story is set in 2011 at a UK stately home which is being used as a filmset. The main protagonist is a young actress who is being hounded by the press. The historical story starts in India around 100 years earlier and features a mixed race love story at that same stately home, Astbury Hall.

In this book it feels almost like Lucinda is practising (in an already accomplished way!) for the feat of literary engineering that is the Seven Sisters. The Midnight Rose is a wonderful and educational work of fiction which combines the modern theme of celebrity with the enduring themes of social class, prejudice, family dynamics and love in all is guises.

A recommended read. And please leave a comment below to let me know what you think!

5 Questions About Writing With . . . Claire Sheldon

Crime author, Claire Sheldon lives in Nottingham with her family, and a dog called Podrick. She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis but that doesn’t stop her writing. Perfect Lie was released in 2020 followed by A Silent Child and A Burning Lie. Her latest book A Dead Lie was published on October 24th 2024. Claire’s inspiration comes from hours spent watching The Bill with her grandparents and then later, Spooks.

How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I use Scrivener so I input how many words I need to write and when I need to get them done by. Scrivener then tells me how many words I need to write each day. I try to stick to that and if I write more than that in a day, it just means I’ll get to the magic number quicker.

What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
If you’re writing for fun, then I don’t think there are any important qualities because you’re doing something you enjoy with no major goal in mind.
If you’re looking to get published then you’ll need patience (I have zero of that!) and perseverance, because it’s unlikely you’ll become the next best seller overnight. And even when you’ve written “The End”, there is still so much more work needed to get the book out there.

How do you market yourself and your books?
Social media is a great tool. I’ve joined several Facebook groups in my genre, such as UK Crime Book Club and Crime Fiction Addict. And also, a group called The Fiction Café Book Club, who are always happy to support authors.
In the real world, I’m part of a group that meets every month and we have different authors that come in and talk to us about their work. So, I occasionally run an event there.
It’s about getting your books out there and being “seen”. And, of course, supporting others, who will then go on to shout about your books in return.

Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I’ve got all of Stuart Gibbon’s “straightforward guides to” books, which have been really helpful for everything to do with police procedure. I also use Forensics for Dummies. And I’ve got The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, which details character traits for each emotion – great for those show don’t tell moments.

A top tip for other writers?
Never give up! Keep chipping away because you will eventually get there. It might be hard work but it will be worth it

 

About A Dead Lie – published 24th October 2024

A DEVOTED WIFE. THE PERFECT MOTHER. A DARK PAST SHE’LL DO ANYTHING TO OUTRUN. MEET DETECTIVE JEN GARNER.
Jen’s life is a balancing act between her past as an undercover police officer and her present as a mother. Until a woman claiming to be her best friend, Chloe Seaward, shows up on her doorstep.
But Chloe died years ago during an undercover operation.
Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with no one she can trust, can Jen uncover the truth . . . and keep her family safe?

Editing, Podcasting and a Flash Fiction Competition

I’ve been buried deep in structural edits for the past month. This has involved improving character arcs, deepening internal conflict rather than relying on external conflict and trying to ensure that my secondary characters remain sympathetic throughout the book. After doing the major changes, I downloaded the document to my ancient Kindle to read, and I scribbled notes about all the additional things that needed changing. The manuscript is now covered in my scarlet Microsoft Word ‘track changes’ deletions, amendments and insertions. I wish my editor much luck in deciphering it all!
This is the third novel of my three book contract with Choc Lit and, at the moment, I don’t know what comes next. It may be time to branch out. Watch this space! 
In other news, I have taken part in my first ever podcast. I chatted with Natalie from the US Fiction and Friends podcast for nearly an hour. It’s amazing how the time flies when you’re talking about reading, favourite books, authors and, of course, writing. The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple and Spotify.
I am also now part of New Street Authors and have my very own page on the NSA website. New Street Authors is a collective of indie authors with links to the Birmingham (UK) area. Regular readers of this blog will recall that I published several books independently prior to my career with Choc Lit. These books are still alive and kicking on Amazon and, therefore, I’m keeping up to date with developments in that area.  
Finally, the New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2025 is now open for entries of up to 300 words. The entry fee is £10 and first prize is a generous £1,100! Second place gets £300 and the third placed writer will receive £200. £1 from every entry will be donated to the writing charity, First Story. Closing date is Friday 31st January 2025.

In my next post, crime writer Claire Sheldon will be answering five questions about writing.

Flash Fiction Opportunities

Sometimes, in the midst of trying to churn out a novel, hook an agent or sell ourselves to a publisher, we forget about the fun side of writing. We overlook what drew us to pick up a pen in the first place.
Many years ago, short pieces of writing attracted me to this industry. I loved the satisfaction of sending a reader’s letter to a magazine, often swiftly followed by seeing it in print and receiving a small cheque in the post. Next came magazine articles and short stories. There were rejections aplenty but they helped build the thick skin and determination which are essential to all writers. And when the acceptances came, they were all the sweeter because of those previous failures.
Nowadays I rarely write short pieces and I miss the satisfaction of regularly finishing something, sending it out into the world and carrying within me the hope that it will find success. If a piece missed it’s target, I was disappointed but not distraught. The amount of time ‘wasted’ writing the story was not huge and by then I always had at least one other thing ‘out there’ and the hope that it would land on the right desk at the right time.

It’s different with novels. They take a LONG time to write, publishers and agents take a LONG time to respond and when the coveted acceptance finally arrives, it’s a LONG time before the book is actually published. I think that’s why flash and short fiction opportunities keep catching my eye. I’m tempted to take a break from the long game and have a bit of fun with something short!

Here’s a few of the things that have caught my eye:

Flash Frog
Flash Frog are looking for stories of up to 1,000 words. The website says: “We like our stories like we like our dart frogs: small, brightly colored, and deadly to the touch.”  Flash Frog publishes a new story every week, accompanied by specially created artwork. Payment is $25 per story.

Seaside Gothic

Seaside Gothic is based in the UK and does what it says on the tin i.e. it publishes short pieces of seaside gothic literature. If, like me, you’ve never come across this genre, a full definition is on the Seaside Gothic website.  The magazine’s next open reading period is 7th to 13th October 2024 and they pay £0.01/word. Full details are on their submission page.

New Writers Book Review Competition 2024

This one closes 30th September 2024 – so be quick! First prize is £50 and there is a limit of 1,000 words. Entry is free but you must subscribe to the New Writers e-newsletter. N.B. The novel or poetry collection you review must be published and available to purchase in the UK. And it must be the first novel or poetry collection published by that writer (but can have been published prior to 2024). See the competition website page for full details.

If you want to read some short fiction and play judge/editor by deciding whether or not that piece was successful in the big wide world, you might enjoy Hit or Miss? 33 Coffee Break Stories.

5 Questions About Writing With . . . Sarah Rodi

Sarah Rodi has been a magazine journalist for over 20 years, but it was her lifelong dream to write romance for Mills & Boon. She now writes Viking romance for them!

Sarah Rodi

Sarah is also the volunteer coordinator of the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. She can be contacted via @sarahrodiedits or sarahrodiedits@gmail.com. Or visit her website at sarahrodi.com.

How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?

I’m usually motivated by a deadline! If I see one is looming, I divide the number of words I need to do by the number of days I have to write the book in, which usually sends me into a panic and motivates me to sit down and get it done. Staring at that first blank page is the hardest thing, but once you get going, you have something to work with and edit, and then it starts to flow. I struggle to write every day, but I aim for about 10,000 words a week, in between working and juggling family life. I have been known to write 20,000 words in a weekend when I’m up against it, but I wouldn’t recommend it, and steady, daily targets are definitely the best way to go.

What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?

Passion to write and publish books. You need a spark of an idea, a way with words, the dedication to sit down and get those words down on the page, despite a busy schedule and friends inviting you out, and being committed to getting it written. Focus on the end result, but most of all, make sure you’re enjoying yourself while you’re writing. I believe if you are loving your characters and what you’re writing, your readers will enjoy your writing too. I certainly have a passion for writing and a need to share my characters with the world. I have the commitment, even if I never have enough time. But you have to create those opportunities for yourself to write. Make your writing a priority.

How do you market yourself and your books?

I often do a Blog Tour around the publication day of my latest release to drum up some excitement. I also write monthly blogs and newsletters from my website, offer giveaways, and create posts and videos on my Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok pages. I also volunteer with the RNA to make friends and help other writers. It’s not an easy thing to promote yourself, so I tend to focus on my books rather than myself. Last Christmas I ran a book review advent calendar where I created little videos about other authors and their books each day. That was fun and forced me to post something every day.

Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?

I studied English at university and then a postgraduate degree in journalism. My full-time job is as a magazine journalist, so I have always worked with words. I used to go on a lot of creative writing courses – in Fishguard, and on those run by Mills & Boon authors Sharon Kendrick and Kate Walker. These were incredibly useful. But it was when I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association that I really started to make some progress with my writing. I submitted to their New Writers’ Scheme each year to get a critique on my manuscript. This was invaluable in honing my craft. The RNA also hosts a Conference where you can pitch your novel to an agent or publisher. This is how I pitched my first novel to Mills & Boon. I would not be where I am today without the RNA, which is why I now volunteer as their New Writers’ Scheme coordinator to give something back.
Best book that’s helped me? The Emotion Thesaurus.

A top tip for other writers?

Keep going. Believe in yourself. If you’re writing a romance and need help, join the RNA.

About Her Secret Vows With The Viking – published August 29th 2024

All my stories begin with a tiny spark of an idea, and this one was no different. A Viking boy, wounded and left for dead. A Saxon girl, who rescues him. I do love a forbidden romance! And so Her Secret Vows with the Viking began.
Knowing her father would never allow her to marry a Dane, my heroine, Ædwen, and hero, Stefan, say their vows in secret. But when Stefan’s memories return and he remembers who he is and what happened the day he arrived on these shores, he cannot forgive Ædwen for hiding the truth from him, so he leaves.
My story starts almost two winters later, when Ædwen is distraught to be marrying the hateful Lord Werian. Her father has convinced her that her previous, clandestine union was invalid. Even though Stefan abandoned her, there has not been a day gone by that she hasn’t thought of him.
Anger has kept Stefan away these past years, and he has made a name for himself as King Canute’s right-hand man. But upon hearing about Ædwen’s impending wedding, his unsatiated vengeance and desire burns. He is determined to take his revenge on Ædwen and her father. He interrupts the wedding ceremony, announcing to the congregation that Ædwen is already married – to him – and he has returned to claim his wife…
I hope you enjoy it.

Her Secret Vows with the Viking is available from Amazon.

Conferences and New Directions

There isn’t a writer in the world who doesn’t sometimes (or most of the time!) feel dispirited, discouraged and disappointed about the words they are producing (or not producing) and about their writing career in general. The best way to combat this is to come out into the world, blink hard in the bright light, and then TALK TO OTHER WRITERS.

Flying the flag for the Birmingham Chapter at #RNAConf2024

I spent the whole of last weekend talking to other writers at the RNA 2024 Conference. We commiserated with each other about what a tough and fickle mistress the publishing industry is. We clapped and congratulated award winners as they received their trophies. We exchanged tips and advice for navigating the writing world. And we followed each other on social media so that we can continue to champion each other in the coming months.
We were also bamboozled by a plethora of information from wonderful speakers. We filled our phones with pictures of their bullet-pointed slides and scribbled down nuggets of sage advice.
And, on Saturday night, we let our hair down and danced like no one was watching! And no one was watching – everyone was too busy waving arms, gyrating hips and booming out the song lyrics. 

If you get the chance to go any sort of writing conference (or to a gathering relating to whatever passion floats your boat), please go! You will find your tribe. Like me, you’ll come home feeling a whole better (and totally exhausted!)
Everything I learned at the conference is now pointing me in a new direction for my books. It’s going to take a long time to come to fruition so I’m not going to jeopardise anything by revealing it yet. But watch this space!

A new direction that I can tell you about is an occasional new series on this blog, to be called ‘Five Questions About Writing With …’ It will reveal the lives and tips of a variety of writers across different genres. First up will be Sarah Rodi who writes Viking Romance for Mills and Boon. Stay tuned!

Finally, I’ve been playing around with Canva and produced a graphic for my very first novel, Bedsit Three. What do you think?[image error]
Bedsit Three is a psychological thriller featuring family relationships and it is now free to read on Kindle Unlimited for the first time ever! And only 99p to buy.

Book Group Recommendation: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

I run a monthly book group. There are 12 of us in the group and I choose our books from the numerous book group sets available from Birmingham Libraries. We always get a cross-section of opinions on each book; some members will rave about the book and others will detest it so much that they can’t finish it.

Recently we read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not the actress) and it provoked one of the best discussions we’ve ever had. It’s about an elderly lady in the late 1960s who joins several other older people as a permanent resident in a hotel. She longs for her grandson to visit so that she can show him off to the other residents. He doesn’t appear but Mrs. Palfrey strikes up an unlikely friendship with an impoverished young writer.

I found it an easy, gentle read but the novel has a lot to say about the issues and indignities of growing old, much of which is still relevant today, for example, loneliness, infirmity, abandonment by family and fear.
The ladies in my group are all retired and were open about their opinions on the treatment of older people, their fear of needing care, the advantages and disadvantages of ‘retirement villages’ and how we encourage our children to fly the nest and go away to university, but often they never return. We came to the conclusion that there has been no improvement in how we treat older people over the last 50+ years.
But the book is not all doom and gloom. The residents have eccentricities and there are lovely comic cameos plus a marriage proposal! I’d never heard of Elizabeth Taylor but she is a wonderful writer and creator of characters. Read her books!

On the subject of book group discussions, it was lovely to hear from a group who have read and discussed Waiting for a Bright New Future. They all enjoyed the book and found it uplifting (which was my aim!), the group favoured the character of Florence (she’s a colourful, middle-aged, tribute band singer and I loved writing her!), one member guessed the ending but the others were taken by surprise and there was general consensus that a sequel would be good in order to find out what happens to Stuart. I’m also aware of two other book groups borrowing the five copies of Little Museum of Hope in Birmingham Libraries. I have no idea what their verdict was! And I’ve just noticed that Amazon have reduced the price of the paperback to £4.65 (for how long, I don’t know), if you fancy a bargain.

If your book group has read a book that created a good discussion please share it in the comments!

Sorting Out the Admin

Being a writer isn’t just about the writing. Being a writer is like a running a small business, which is why all the big name authors employ assistants to help them. Those of us without the financial resources to do that, have to do it all ourselves! I’m currently taking a break from getting the words down while I wait for an editorial decision from my publisher and I’m using that time to get some of that admin done.

Firstly I’ve checked that all editions of my books are registered with the UK’s Public Lending Right. This is done via the British Library and ensures that authors receive a small amount of money every time their book is borrowed from a library. I’d like to say that this money is payable every time a book is borrowed from ANY UK library but the payments only apply if the books are borrowed from a sample of libraries across the UK. This sample changes from year to year and you can see which libraries are included this year and next on the website and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. Unfortunately for me, Birmingham Libraries (where I know there are several copies of my books and they do get borrowed!) is not in any of the recent samples. But maybe a library elsewhere has copies too!

I’ve also made sure that all editions of my paperback books are registered with ALCS. One of the reasons for doing this is to ensure I receive a small royalty if any of my books are sold secondhand via the World of Books website. More details about how this works can be found on the Society of Authors website. In the future it’s hoped that more secondhand booksellers will join the scheme. Fingers crossed!

I’m also going to be running a free prize draw in the next edition of my newsletter to win a signed (or unsigned if you prefer!) copy of The Promise. At the moment brand new paperback copies of The Promise are only available exclusively from me (there are a couple of secondhand copies on World of Books!) and it is also available on Kindle with an updated cover. If you’d like to be in with a chance, please sign up for my newsletter ASAP and before 26/6/2024. My newsletter is published less frequently than this blog and contains more general content for readers rather than specifically for writers. I’d love to have you on board!

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

As an author I found the premise to Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang intriguing:

A struggling writer, June Hayward, is friends with a bestselling author, Athena Liu. Athena dies in a freak accident while June and Athena are alone in Athena’s apartment. June spots Athena’s just-completed, latest manuscript and steals it. This paper copy is the only one in existence – despite this being the age of the internet, Athena works on an old typewriter.
June edits and tweaks the manuscript and then passes it off as completely her own work. Publication of the book causes social media uproar but not, at least initially, for the reasons you might expect.

Most of us writers have, at one time or another, felt some degree of envy at another’s success. But how many of us would be prepared to take the same action as June? Hardly any of us, I imagine (and hope!). That is what makes this book so compulsive – it tips us into somewhere we dare not tread.

Yellowface would make a great book club read (or it might be something you discuss within a writers’ group) because it encompasses so many issues. The following discussion prompts popped into my head as I was reading:

Can/should an author create a character from a background of which they themselves have no experience, e.g. a different race, sexual orientation etc. ?What makes someone keep working towards their ambition despite numerous knockbacks?Does it matter if your family are ambivalent/disinterested in that ambition? Would there ever be a circumstance in which the stealing of a manuscript was acceptable?Was Athena also a thief? Did she deserve to have her novel stolen?How would you feel if someone used part of your life story in a novel without asking permission? Social media plays a large part in the book. Has it become too powerful?

If you’ve read Yellowface and would like to add to the list of issues it raises, please leave a comment in the box below.

On the subject of book clubs, a reader has told me that they have suggested Waiting for a Bright New Future as a possible read for their book group. If it gets through, I’ll be both intrigued and apprehensive to find out what they discuss and the verdict on the book!

A Bit of Glamour!

Contrary to popular belief, an author’s life is more hard slog than glitzy glamour but once in a blue moon we do get the chance to raise a glass and to nibble canapes. One such occasion arose this week for me – my first ever publisher’s party.

All the Joffe Books partygoers!

Joffe Books (of which Choc Lit are part) held a garden party in London to celebrate their tenth birthday. It took place at the swish Six Park Place next to Green Park. We Choc Lit authors met in a pub beforehand and made our grand party entrance en masse (safety in numbers!).

There were bubbles, nibbles and lots of chat. It was great to meet the Joffe/Choc Lit team in person and put faces to names. The weather stayed dry, if not exactly warm and there were ‘going home’ presents of a Joffe birthday mug and tote bag. But the best takeaway of the evening was the feeling of camaraderie between the Choc Lit family of authors and the knowledge that though we may write in our individual garrets, others are going through the same trials and tribulations as us.

Finally, a competition I spotted (that’s right, I haven’t quite unsubscribed from all those newsletters!):
New Writers are running a free-to-enter poetry competition with the theme of ‘Summertime’. Poems can be up to 20 lines long and the closing date is 20th June 2024. First prize is £50 and publication on the NewWriters.org.uk website (and the inaugural issue of the New Writers Anthology) plus a copy of Jordan Hamel’s debut poetry collection. 
How to enter: Send entries as attachments (MS Word or PDF) to competitions@newwriters.org.uk and use “Summer Poetry Competition” as the subject of the email. Use your poem’s title as the file name (avoid calling it ‘Summertime’). Ensure your name or other details are not written on the entry (and no need to add a word/line count).

Now all we need is the sunshine back for some summer inspiration!

Some of the ChocLit authors enjoying the party vibe!