Guest Post with Jenny Kane

This week I'm delighted to welcome the lovely Jenny Kane back to the blog. As the first guest in 2026, Jenny is going to tell us her exciting news about the Birth of a New Series.

Jenny, welcome. It's over to you!  

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year… if it isn’t too late to say that!

This year brings a brand new start for me when it comes to fiction writing. After years of largely concentrating on the romance market, I’ve left that world behind me for a while.

2026 sees my foray into the cosy crime arena. In particular – into the Cornish village of Mousehole and the home of The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives.

Blurb:

There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?

Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.

Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.

When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.

Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.

Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?

I loved writing every single one of my thirteen romcoms, but I’ve always had a fear of writing the same thing over and over again and so, potentially, boring my readers. So, as my publishing contract was ending, I took a gamble and didn’t try to renew it. That felt very scary – and I had a lot of wobbles as a result!

But what to write? Will another publisher take me on? What if I’m no good anymore?

It was on a walk across Exmoor that I worked out what I’d do next and that's down to my husband firing questions at me:

Q: Where was your most successful book so far set?

A: Cornwall

Q: What do you like reading the most?

A: Crime

Q: What’s the best market place to sell fiction in at the moment?

A: Not sure - probably cosy crime.

And that was that – by the time we’d got back to the car to drive home, I had a location, (Mousehole in Cornwall), I had two main characters, (Maggie and Ryan), and I had a hook (fish and chips.)

In that moment – The Fish and Chip Detectives were born! The first of their adventures will be published on 2nd April.

Buying Links

You can preorder a copy already, from all good independent book shops, eBook/audio retailers, as well as:

AMAZON UK -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Chip-Shop-Detectives-brand-new/dp/1399754491/ref

BOOKS KOBO - Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

WATERSTONES - The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones

AMAZON.DE - Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives

AMAZON US - The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency) eBook : Kane, Jenny: Books

Bio 

Based in the heart of Devon, award winning author, Jenny Kane, is currently having a wonderful time writing a brand new, cosy crime, series: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, for Hodder & Stoughton.

Jenny has also written the contemporary women’s fiction and romance novels, Summer at Sea Glass Cove, (Aria, 2024), Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed, (Aria, 2023), Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed, (Aria 2023,), Frost Falls at The Potting Shed, (Aria, 2022), Winter Fires at Mill Grange, (Aria, 2021), Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, (Aria 2021), Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange, (Aria, 2020), Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange (Aria, 2020), A Cornish Escape (2nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), A Cornish Wedding (2nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), Romancing Robin Hood (2nd edition, Littwitz Press, 2018), Another Glass of Champagne (HeadlineAccent, 2016), and Another Cup of Coffee (HeadlineAccent, 2013).

Under the pen name, Jennifer Ash, Jenny has written Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club (KDP, 2024), and The Folville Chronicles (The Outlaw’s Ransom, The Winter Outlaw, Edward’s Outlaw, Outlaw Justice – medieval mysteries published by Littwitz Press, 2016-2020.) She was the chief audio script and novel writer for ITV’s popular 1980’s television show, Robin of Sherwood. (AUK LTD, 2017- 2025.)

Jenny teaches a wide range of creative writing workshops including her popular ‘Novel in a Year’ course and her fortnightly ‘Fun with Words’ classes.

All of Jennifer Ash’s and Jenny Kane’s news can be found at www.jennykane.co.uk , Jennifer Ash https://www.facebook.com/jenniferashhistorical/ Jenny Kane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011235488766

Many thanks, Jan, for inviting me to your blog today to talk about the birth of my brand new #cosycrime series.

It's been a real pleasure, Jenny. The new series sounds wonderful and I hope the sales soar for you. I'm in awe of how many books you have written. It's exciting to know you are moving to write in another genre. 

Thank you for reading. Writers, have you been tempted to change genres? Readers, do any of your favourite authors write in different genres? I'd love it if you left a comment. Thank you. 

You may also follow me on:

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Threads - Jan Baynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Happy New Year to you all! 

It's that time again when I look back over the last year, referring to those goals to see how many I achieved and then put into writing my hopes for 2026. What will the year ahead bring?

At the end of 2024, I was thrilled to re-sign a contract with my publisher, Joffe Books/Choc Lit. It was for two novels, The Silent Sister and The Stolen Sister. Completing both books was obviously top priority for last year and I'm pleased to say that The Silent Sister was published on August 5th and The Stolen Sister will be published in seven weeks' time on February 24th. 

These were my writing plans and goals for 2025. How did I do?

• to work on edits when they arrive for The Silent Sister (already submitted to my editor) ✅
• to complete the first draft of The Stolen Sister ✅  
• to edit and polish it until it is as good as I can get it ✅
• to make a research trip to Crete where the novel is partially set ✅
• to submit to my editor by 1st May ✅
• to start a newsletter and build up a list of subscribers ❌
• to attend the RNA one-day event in August ✅
• to continue to support other writers ✅ 
• to write more flash fiction and short stories ❌
• to arrange more library and book-fair talks ✅(partially, but not as many as I'd have liked)

Thank you for all your support in 2025. I'd like to especially thank all of you who have bought or downloaded my novels. The number of reviews and ratings have blown me away and help so much to calm down the old Imposter Syndrome that's ever present!

In 2026, my goals will be less specific, perhaps. I'm currently working on a pitch to submit to my publishers for more novels and hope that my editor will like my ideas for a group of stories about grandmothers and granddaughters. As always with novels set in the past, the stories will involve a great deal of research so it will be some time before I complete a first draft. However, getting ideas down into an extended outline always helps me when I do start writing even though those ideas will evolve and change once I'm immersed in the new story. Here are my new goals:

• to submit a detailed written pitch for book seven to my editor
• to hopefully acquire a contract and begin to write the first draft 
• to discuss ideas for further books
• to start a newsletter and build up a list of subscribers (This is going to be the year!)
• to attend the RNA Conference
• to continue to try to improve and learn more about the craft of writing
• to continue to support other writers
• to promote my novels locally
• to continue to enjoy writing stories to share with my lovely readers

🍀🍀Wish me luck! 🍀🍀

STOP PRESS - Here is the cover of book six. I hope you love it as much as I do. It's all down to my wonderful cover designer, Jarmila. 

'Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter's search for the truth.

Crete 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of Fáros Limáni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island.

When she meets passionate Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades.

Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta's death, silversmith Zoë Cartyer receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta's dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she has never spoken of. 

Searching through her mother's belongings, Zoë uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart.

Determined to know the truth, Zoë travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother's letters. Through olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss - and discovers that her family was never as it seemed.

Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Barbara Davis, Angela Petch, Karen Swan, Amanda Weinburg or Anita Chapman.'

It's already on NetGalley and will soon be available to pre-order on Amazon.

You may also follow me on:

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Threads - Jan Baynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.

The Fact and the Fiction

All my novels have been set in the past so when asked what I write, I always reply, 'Historical fiction'. But what does that mean? Setting a book in a particular era is not enough, surely. For me, it's getting the right balance between fact and fiction. Too many facts and it risks becoming a history book. Not enough historical detail in the fictional story and it will lose its authenticity. 

In Writing Historical Fiction by Celia Brayfield and Duncan Sprout, Sarah Dunant describes historical novelists as '... time travellers, creating worlds that no longer exist and peopling them with living, breathing characters that both remind us of ourselves and yet are subtly - sometimes dramatically - different.' Research is an essential part of writing a historical novel. Before starting to write, I spend hours finding out what the world I'm creating was like by reading books, articles, personal diaries and blogs in libraries and online. During the writing of the first draft, I make a note of anything I need to research further and after completing the first draft, wherever possible, I try to visit the place where the novel is set, visiting museums and galleries there that show life and events in the era in which the story is set and generally absorbing the feel of the area. I then make final adjustments to the manuscript before submitting to my editor.  

My latest novel, The Silent Sister, is partially set in 1953 at the time of a devastating earthquake that decimated the island of Kefalonia. The novel tells of a young girl who is pulled barely alive from the rubble of the earthquake in which her parents and grandparents perished. As always, I started researching facts and the impact of the earthquake online. In one blog, I learned about an excellent book, Time After Earthquake by Evan John (published in 1954). He had visited the earthquake area of the Ionian islands very soon after the disaster happened. I managed to track down and buy a second-hand copy and the sections on Kefalonia and Argostoli, its capital, proved to be invaluable for my research. The fact that the author had been on the island at such a crucial time helped me when creating my characters. His book contained photographs of the devastation and these, together with the ‘before and after the earthquake’ photographs in Korgialenios Historical and Cultural Museum, Argostoli, that I viewed on a research trip to the island, were a reliable source of inspiration. I visited Kefalonia with a list of places to visit and facts to check before submitting my final draft to the publisher. 

 As well as the wonderful collection of photographs, the displays of homes and local crafts in the museum gave an insight into what my characters' lives would have been like. Examples of stunning lacemaking and embroidery inspired me to make Cassia, one of my main characters, a lacemaker.

Here I am with Theo, the curator of the museum, who gave me so much help.

A visit to the cemetery in Argostoli was a moving experience when noting how many tombstones had the 12th August 1953 as the date of death, the day the earthquake struck. 

It was important not to let the historical facts override the human story I was telling. Just being on the Greek island again meant I could enjoy the wonderful beauty of Kefalonia, sample the delicious foods, as well as the welcome hot sunshine to add a real sense of place to the story. I hope the accuracy of my research has made The Silent Sister a credible and authentic novel of the time and place in which it is set. If you've read it, please let me know what you think. Thank you.

My next novel, The Stolen Sister, will be published in February next year. The research for that story also involved a research trip, this time to Crete. There, a woman in Chania Information Office was keen to help and answer my queries. She even rang her cousin, who was born in the early sixties, to check whether she was born in a clinic or at home and definitely not in a hospital. 

Thank you for reading. Readers, do you enjoy historical fiction? What do you like most about it? Writers, how do you achieve a balance between fact and fiction in your stories set in the past?

You may also follow me on: 

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham.

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.

Did you know that all my novels are available to read on KINDLE UNLIMITED for those of you who subscribe?

'I just adore Jan Baynham's novels - they each read like a beautiful saga - stretching over a couple of generations. The stories just grab you and draw you in.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amazon reviewer

GUEST POST WITH ANGELA PETCH

This week I'm thrilled to welcome back the lovely Angela Petch to

my blog. One of my favourite authors, Angela's most recent novel, The Lost Garden, was published by Bookouture on  September 11th.

Welcome, Angela!

Thank you so much, Jan, for inviting me to chat on your lovely blog. 

I think you're going to tell us why you wrote The Lost Garden so it's over to you.

Why did I write The Lost Garden?

I have to admit after seven historical novels set in Italy during World War Two, I felt stale, worried I was falling into a rut. I needed to write something different. Locations in my books are very important to me. I like to visit the places and winkle out stories. The little town of Sant'Agata near to where we live had always intrigued me. When we drive back to England in October, it is usually wreathed in Octobetr mists, perched on the rock above higgledy-piggledy cotto rooftops of the town
below. It has always seemed unearthly to me and for years it hasn't been possible to visit because of restoration work. To my delight, it opened up a handful of years ago, but I was so disappointed. The inside is now dedicated to a display of stories and fairytales. 

But I am an author. This shouldn’t disappoint me, surely? I met with a poster on entering which proclaimed that everything is a fairytale. (Tutto è  fiaba). Rather tatty cut-outs of classical characters: Cinderella, the Little Prince, babes in the wood and the talking tree replaced what I had hoped to find: the history of the castle itself. Surely such a prominent building must have seen activity in World War Two? Even the local tourist office was unable to supply me with information. There was a dog-eared book about local men transported to camps elsewhere in Europe, but nothing about what had happened in the town or castle during WW2.

But this castle needed another story…

As I leant against the low wall that lines the steps to the castle, a ginger cat (Tigressa in the book) rubbed against my legs and then jumped onto the wall. He disappeared and I was terrified he had come to harm. I peered over to see he was grooming himself on a ledge which ended in a copse. And then my imagination started to crank up its creaking wheels and I thought, what if it was an old path that led to a secret garden? I turned around and an elderly lady shuffled across the cobbles in her slippers below where I stood and entered a humble
house. She had to be one of my characters: a housemaid to the rich folk who lived in the castle. And then I pictured a sixteen-year-old in front of her easel, a bossy, slightly frumpy English governess hanging over her. That governess went at the structural edit stages but I was off...and almost one year later, my story was published by Bookouture. 

The Netgalley reviews are very favourable and I hope new readers will enjoy my new story that dips into history, the supernatural and mysterious, inspired by an ancient castle, perched on the Rock of the Wolves.It is such fun to magic up stories and I hope readers enjoy the latest.

Thank you, Angela. I'm sure they will. I haven't quite finished reading it but I'm loving it. To know that the story was inspired by a real town and castle, and especially by a real ginger cat, makes it all the more special.

BLURB

It hides a family secret that could change the course of the war.

Italy, 1930s. Tina lives in the crumbling castle of Montesecco with only her strict father and their maid, Allegra, for company. She's never allowed to ask questions about her mother who died in childbirth. But the day Tina discovers a hidden, crumbling door, everything changes.

Inside is an overgrown garden. Ivy and roses adorn the stone walls. Fresh water springs from a fountain and the scent of wild herbs fills the air. How did she never know this beautiful place existed? Excitedly begging Allegra for answers, the elderly woman's face turns pale. 'You must never mention this to your father. It's not safe. You've found your mamma's garden.'

The Count believes Tina's mother died because of the garden: but Allegra refuses to say more. Certain she can feel her mother watching over her, Tina secretly tends the garden herself. And when war breaks out, Tina's encounters with local resisitance fighters mean the garden becomes a place of refuge, a p[lace of hope - and a place of great danger when Tina must prove where her loyalties lie once and for all... 

Will Tina ever discover the truth about her mother? Or was the garden, with all its secrets, never meant to be disturbed?

An absolutely breathtaking and stunning historical novel about the incredible risks people took in wartime, family secrets, loss and love. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore. 

Read what everyone's saying about The Lost Garden:

'Oh blimey. absolutely stunning... Spellbinding and beautiful... A favourite, top tier, stick-with-me forever book... Gave me a day full of joy... So much courage and strength... A definite must-read.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Had me at secret garden!... Stunning... Gorgeous... Absolutely wonderful... A completely captivating  and emotional novel that I will never forget!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Something spell-like about this book... I found myself unexpectedly teary more than once... A novel that sneaks up on you... it gets under your skin. Five stars.' bookcoffeebrews. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Beautiful... I was swept away... it felt like stepping into another world...  I found myself eager to return to the book every chance I got...Full of heart... Immersive and moving.' Goodreads reviewer. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BIO

Angela Petch is an award-winning and bestselling writer - plus the occasional poem. Every summer she moves to Tuscany for six months where she and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out. When not exploring their unspoilt corner of the Apennines, she disappears to her writing desk at the top of a converted stable. In her Italian handbag or hiking rucksack, she always makes sure to store a notebook and pen to jot down ideas. 

The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of her family live. When Angela's not helping out with grandchildren, she catches up with friends. 

LINKS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Blog: https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch

Instagram: @angela_maurice

BUYING LINKS

https://geni.us/B0FHBH86K4author

Add it to your TBR here: https://geni.us/B0FHBH86K4social

And more links here:

Audio:

UK: https://ow.ly/foW150WV3iA

US: https://ow.ly/sseh50WV3iC

: https://ow.ly/qCSq50WV3iB

The Tuscan Secret

A Tuscan Memory

The Tuscan Girl

The Tuscan House

The Postcard from Italy

The Girl Who Escaped

The Sicilian Secret

Mavis and Dot

website 

Thank you for reading. I'm sure you enjoyed finding out more about Angela's fabulous new novel, The Lost Garden.

My Book News 

This afternoon, I submitted the structural edits for book six, The Stolen Sister, partially set in Crete, and due out on February 24th, 2026. 

A reminder for those of you who prefer to support independent bookshops, you can now order both The Secret Sister and The Silent Sister from Cover To Cover, a gem of a bookshop in beautiful Mumbles, Swansea. 

https://cover-to-cover-mumbles.myshopify.com/collections/fiction

You may also follow me on: 

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham.

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.

Did you know that all my novels are available to read on KINDLE UNLIMITED for those of you who subscribe?

The launch price of The Silent Sister is 0.99p. and 0.99c. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Sister-captivating-sun-drenched-historical-ebook/dp/B0FCH2BY4H/

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Sister-captivating-sun-drenched-historical-ebook/dp/B0FCH2BY4H/

Guest Post With Georgia Hill

This week, I'm delighted to welcome lovely author, Georgia Hill, back to the blog to talk about her writing and her latest novel, Magpie, published on September 9th by Bloodhound Books.

Georgia, welcome back. It's over to you.

Thank you so much for having me on again, Jan!

So, where do you get your ideas from? 

Writers are often asked this. Anywhere, everywhere and from anything is the short(ish) reply. The longer answer is that inspiration is a fleeting and ephemeral thing. Disparate strands float around and then crash into each other until impossible to ignore. While writing The Sea Glass Necklace, set in a sleepy Devon town called Flete, the nugget of another dualtime historical novel was playing constantly in the background …

It’s been impossible to ignore the popularity of witch-themed books. I read and enjoyed Weyward and Widdershins, loved Elena Collins’ The Witch’s Tree and devoured every witchy book Syd Moore has written. Witches and their persecution hold a fascination for me, which probably dates from visiting, as a small child, The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. It left an indelible impression.

I love the research so began diving more deeply into the subject. It was engrossing but distressing. Then I happened upon the story of The Bideford Witches, three women who have the sad claim to be the last women in England to be hanged for witchcraft. They met their fate at Heavitree in Exeter. A Devon-born friend told me Heavitree means hanging tree … The Bideford Witches inspired Prudie Tenpenny, one of main characters in Magpie. Like many women who were accused of witchcraft, she is old, marginalised and her status is gradually stripped away.

When I decided Flete would have a cobbled street with half-timbered buildings, I knew I had my link. Tenpenny House is the place my heroines share – just at different times in history – in 1660 and 2018. It’s as much a character as the humans in the book. The other strand which began working its way in was the English Civil War. I find it an intriguing period; complex and confusing. It tore the country into pieces, families were riven apart, and brother was set against brother. But I was interested in the aftermath. How did you reconcile living with people who had once been your sworn enemies? Surely old resentments would bubble up? Things were beginning to come at me thick and fast!

I began to get that tingle, that sixth sense that I was onto something. I struggled with making the modern narrative as dramatic and emotional as the historic until I happened upon a Radio 4 programme about a woman who had suffered from deepfake porn. And there it was, my twenty-first century plot. 

I’m back to writing a contemporary romance at the moment, the fourth in my Lullbury Bay series. The next one is out in October.

 

I love writing dualtime historicals but they are involving and, quite frankly, exhausting. It’s good to mix it up and write something different. Have I finished with Flete, my sleepy seaside town in Devon? I don’t think so. It’s just a matter of which historical period to land in next!

Bio

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and dual narrative romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband 9also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen and collecting elephants. She's also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she's lived. She's worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do.

You can find her here:  

X @georgiawrites

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/georgiahillauthor

Website www.georgiahill.co.uk

Two women. Two centuries. One house full of secrets.

A spellbinding tale for fans of Weyward, where the past never truly dies…

When Beth Loveday retreats to a shadowed corner of the Devon coast, she hopes to rebuild her life in peace. But the old timbered shop she buys—Tenpenny House—has other plans. Strange objects hidden in the walls. A book of forgotten remedies. And dreams that feel like memories.

In 1660, Susanna Loveday walks the same worn floors. Apprentice to a healer, she's swept into a deadly game of suspicion and power when whispers of witchcraft begin to spread. As danger closes in, a single choice will echo through time.

Linked by blood and bound by secrets, Beth and Susanna are caught in a web that spans centuries. The truth lies buried—but Tenpenny House remembers everything…

BUY LINKS

geni.us/-Magpie

Thank you, Georgia. Your new book looks and sounds wonderful. It's on my TBR pile and I can't wait to read it. 

My Book News 

Thank you, too, if you have already read The Silent Sister. The fantastic reviews are still coming in and, to date, the number of ratings and reviews now totals 503!

I've almost completed the structural edits for book six, The Stolen Sister, partially set in Crete, and due out on February 24th, 2026. 

For those of you who prefer to support independent bookshops, I'm delighted to let you know that you can now order both The Secret Sister and The Silent Sister from Cover To Cover, a gem of a bookshop in beautiful Mumbles, Swansea. 

https://cover-to-cover-mumbles.myshopify.com/collections/fiction

You may also follow me on: 

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham.

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.

Did you know that all my novels are available to read on KINDLE UNLIMITED for those of you who subscribe?

The launch price of The Silent Sister is 0.99p. and 0.99c. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Sister-captivating-sun-drenched-historical-ebook/dp/B0FCH2BY4H/

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Sister-captivating-sun-drenched-historical-ebook/dp/B0FCH2BY4H/

 The RNA Summer Fling

There was no RNA weekend conference this year, but on Saturday, I attended their Summer Fling, a one-day event, held at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. Because of the 9.00 am start, I travelled with other members of the Cariad Chapter by train on Friday afternoon and stayed overnight at a Premier Inn close to the conference venue. The Chapter was well represented and here we are at Bella Italia enjoying a meal on Friday evening:

Everything about the event the next day was superb. The venue was beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off the stunning ceiling. 

It was so good to catch up with old friends, make new ones and be in the wonderful company of supportive RNA members again. There was a buzz about the whole day. After a warm welcome and inspirational address by the Chair, Seána Tinley, we were straight into the presentations. The first speaker was Fiona Lucas who gave us a wonderful, thought-provoking talk on Character Mottos. The session was interactive and we built characters using mottos that reflected their core beliefs. I found this session extremely useful. By brainstorming with my partner, Catherine, I ended up with a much clearer picture of my main character in novel seven. My motto for her was The truth will out. 

The second session was by another superb speaker, Virginia Heath, who gave us a fabulous presentation on Saggy Middle Busting. I'm sure it's something we as writers can all relate to. Her talk was inspiring, motivating and full of humour. I shall definitely have the images on her screen in my head as I try to 'MAKE THE MIDDLE MATTER' in novel seven.

After the coffee break with more lovely cakes, there was a video presentation from Boldwood Books with tips on how to match your books to the correct readers and marketing in general.  Choosing the correct social platforms for your reader demographic was stressed and how it's so important to get to know who your readers are. 

This was followed by a talk by million-selling author, CarrieElks, Writing Is Only the Beginning: Building a Career as an Authorpreneur. She gave us nine rules to follow, talking about how to master marketing and build a long-term brand. She gave us tools to grow our readership and hopefully gain success in our writing story. Although I was in awe of her success and the huge numbers of books she's sold, there was plenty of advice to take on board even at my modest stage. One of the things I took away was when acknowledging how writing can be a lonely business, Carrie recommended 'building your village'. The support of the Cariad Chapter has been exceptional on my own writing journey. 

Next was a delicious lunch. It was generally agreed that the quality of the meal and refreshments was excellent. It also gave time to chat with friends and network with other writers. 

The afternoon sessions began with Charlotte Ledger of One More Chapter talking about The Secrets of a Bestseller. She spoke about the Sunday Times bestseller, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe - how it was acquired, given its title and how steps were taken for it to shoot up the charts. Charlotte again reinforced the importance of understanding your readers, connecting and engaging with your reading community.

Two editors, Annie Warren and Helena Bacon, then gave a presentation called Rev Up the Tension with Mills & Boon. They talked about the Three Cs - Chemistry, Conflict and Construction. As with the other presentations, I found plenty to apply to my own writing, especially when at the editing stage.

There was another tea and coffee break before the last session. This was Time Management and Procrastination - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, was presented by a panel of very successful, busy writers - Seána Tinley, Ruby Basu, Lisa Firth and Liam Livings. They talked about how they arranged their lives to best make time for writing. Each one had different ways of doing this, each had different times of the day when they were most productive.

©Katie Ginger

After a celebratory glass of fizz on the way out and saying our good-byes, we left for home. My head was buzzing with everything I'd learned, conversations I'd had with writers I previously admired from afar, inspired and motivated to get back to my writing. A huge thank you to the RNA organisers and presenters for such a fantastic event. You are 'simply the best'! 

Thank you for reading. 

My Book News

Thank you, too, if you have already read The Silent Sister. I've been delighted with the response from readers and humbled by the fantastic reviews.

Structural edits have arrived for book six, The Stolen Sister, partially set in Crete and due out in early 2026. Watch this space!

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