On To Novel Two
I was unprepared for the wonderful response I received for Her Mother's Secret through so many reviews and messages. Thank you all. If you remember, I wasn't sure about posting scenes of the fictional Greek island with all the colour, sunshine and photos of a setting reminiscent of holidays when so many people were having to deal with the awful effects of COVID19. Very soon, it was obvious that the novel became an escapist read for people during lockdown. I hadn't written it with escapism in mind but I was more than happy if it helped people deal with the isolation. Naturally, I'm wondering whether my new novel will be viewed as well by readers and how I will deal with things if it's not. There is now a level of expectation that wasn't there for my debut.
It got me thinking about what my novels offer readers and what kind of books they are. I am about a third of the way through writing novel 3. Each one is different, of course, but do they have common elements that readers will come to expect as they get to know my writing? I remember having a conversation about this with an editor at an RNA Conference even though the novels may not fit into a definite genre. Here are some of my thoughts::
- all three books are dual narratives and tell a mother's story and a daughter's
- actions and decisions taken in the mother's story will have consequences for her daughter's story
- the novels deal with relationships in families, especially within three generations, and always explore the unbroken bond between mothers and daughters
- they are character-driven where I hope the reader experiences a whole gamut of emotions
- there is always a family secret that comes to light as the stories unravel
- there will always be a romantic love interest; sometimes it's the character's first love, often it's a forbidden love because of cultural or social class differences
- all three novels take place in the past. Her Mother's Secret is set most recently in 1969 and 1991 whereas in Her Sister's Secret is set just after WW2 in 1946-7 and in 1965-6. Novel 3 is set in 1940 and 1959.
- all my novels have one section set in a foreign country - Greece, Sicily or Northern France. In the case of Her Mother's Secret, both Elin's and part of Alexandra's stories are set against the backdrop of Greece. Home for my characters is always rural mid-Wales where I was born and brought up but some of the characters travel to other countries to find answers once secrets are revealed.
The RNA Learning Programme for 2020-21 has just been announced and I have registered for this course. I think it will be useful for me to identify my brand still further. People who've attended Anna Craig's sessions before have said how good they are and I'm really looking forward to it.
If you do download Her Sister's Secret, (I'd love it if you do!) I hope you will enjoy firstly travelling back with Rose to the years just after the war and then spending time with Jen as she comes to terms with a family secret. Her life is put on hold when she spends the summer of 1966 in Sicily in search of answers.
Blurb
How far would you travel to find the truth?
It's the 1960s and Jennifer Howells is a young woman with the world at her feet, just on the cusp of leaving her Welsh village for an exciting life in the city.
Then the contents of an inconspicuous brown envelope turn Jennifer's world upside down. The discovery leaves her spiralling, unsure of who she is. Overnight, Miss Goody Two Shoes is replaced by a mini-skirted wild child who lives for parties and rock'n'roll.
But Jennifer's experience with the excesses of sixties' culture leaves her no closer to her true identity. She soon realises she will have to travel further - first to Cardiff, then to Sicily - if she is to find out who she really is...
Thank you for reading.
If you are a writer, how did you feel when your second novel was about to be published?
If you are a reader, do you buy books on the strength of an author's previous book?
You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.
Great post, Jan. I know exactly what you mean. I didn’t sleep a wink the night before my second novel was published. My debut had done very well and by the time it came out, it had already been well reviewed. The second book wasn't as actively marketed so I didn't have any of that advance enthusiasm to reassure me, so I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the first. It didn’t do quite as well but readers still loved it, and it ended up on the Daily Express top's 'best summer reads'list that year, so it was okay. Like you, there are certain similarities in my books that I think readers like – I like dual narratives and family secrets, too. Good luck with Her Sister’s Secret – I’m sure it’ll hit the spot, and hopefully Pull in some new readers who'll buy your first book, too. Get some bubbles ready for publication day and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. It's very reassuring to read your reply. I remember reading 'The Things We Never Said', enjoying it very much and on the strength of that first novel reading 'The Secrets We Left Behind'. I was certainly not disappointed and have gone on to read your other novels, too. When I started writing dual narratives, I remember following your blog posts about them. Thanks too for your good wishes. I would love to pick up new readers for my debut if readers enjoy 'Her Sister's Secret'.
DeleteAh, that's lovely to hear, Jan. I have to confess I still haven't read Her Mother's Secret but it's there on my Kindle and I will get to it eventually (so many books, so little time...)
DeleteMany congratulations on the success of Her Mother's Secret. I loved it. The sense of place you created made me feel as if I had been transported to Greece. And now Her Sister's Secret is due out soon - more congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. I'm so pleased you enjoyed Elin and Alexandra's stories. If you read 'Her Sister's Secret', I hope you will be taken back in time to rural mid-Wales in Rose's story and gain a flavour of the sixties through Jen's rebellion and her search for answers that takes her to Sicily.
DeleteHuge congratulations, Jan! You are following a well-trodden tradition: giving your reader what she wants: more of the same while creating a new, fresh story around familiar motifs. All three of my books have recurring devices & a great many of my readers seem to like that.
ReplyDeleteThere is always a level of expectation with a second book - I was terrified to be honest! It hadn't been hard to write. That's another trope - second novel syndrome - which for me didn't apply. But I was still afraid I hadn't been able to come up with the goods! The same applied to my third. I don't think we ever stop being afraid we might not be able to pull it off again!
Speaking as a reader, if I have enjoyed an author's previous books, I absolutely do buy books based on that. The best of luck with book 3! How good does it feel to be writing it? (I'm on #4 & honestly? Terrified all over again!) xXx
Thank you, Carol. It's so reassuring to know that I'm not alone. I agree with you that the problem wasn't with the writing and it's not second novel syndrome. It's that sense of expectation, isn't it? I have loved all of your books and you definitely have a 'brand'. I would always know when I'm reading a CL book. Can't wait for Book 4!
DeleteMy second novel was a sequel and I had left enough teasers at the end to hopefully interest readers to continue the story. Thankfully they did. I write sagas and love the genre. Family life, it's ups and downs with a little mystery thrown in is exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading myself. I had begun to wonder whether they had gone out of fashion. However, your debut has made me realise they are still very much alive and I look forward to reading book two!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Like you family stories intrigue me and it was no surprise when I started writing that they would form the basis for my novels. I hope you'll enjoy Rose and Jen's stories when you come to read 'Her Sister's Secret'.
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