Guest Post with Anni Rose

This week I'm delighted to welcome another Choc Lit author onto the blog, Anni Rose. Anni's second book, A Recipe for Mr Perfect, was published on September 28th.

Anni, welcome!

Thank you, Jan, for inviting me onto your blog today as part of my blog tour for Recipe for Mr Perfect.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing.

I have always loved both reading and writing. As a child, I was always happiest losing myself in fictional worlds. I turned out numerous stories and recently when we were clearing out my mother’s house some of my earlier works made a reappearance. On leaving school, the need to earn a living sort of got in the way of any creative ambitions and I became an accountant where my only published work apart from regular financial reports was the employees’ handbook.

A local writing course and an encouraging group of writing friends re-ignited the fiction flame many years later and I went on to win or be short listed in a number of writing competitions and had short stories published in Writers Forum, My Weekly and Sophie King’s ‘How to Write your Life Story’.

These days I would describe my writing as modern romantic stories with a healthy dollop of humour thrown in and was delighted to be signed by Choc Lit this year. It really was a dream come true.

What inspired you to write Recipe for Mr Perfect?

Usually, I get an idea for a character first, but in this case, I used to take wedding photographs and the idea for Recipe for Mr Perfect started with an incident I witnessed while waiting at one Register Office for “my couple” to arrive. The wedding before was being photographed on a patch of grass next to the building. Believe me, compared to that, Darren and Leanne’s wedding was a very toned-down affair- what is it that’s said about truth being stranger than fiction.

Can you summarise your new novel in just a few sentences?

A romantic comedy about the friendship between three women who work together. Outside the office, they may each have a life of their own, but when each woman suffers a personal catastrophe, they can’t help but bring their problems to work. Are office relationships strong enough to help each other through their own crises? and who all find love when they least expect it.

Plotter or pantser?

I’d like to say I was a plotter. I like to have the beginning and the ending sorted out in my head before I start, but what normally happens is that once I start writing I go off at a tangent and end up somewhere quite different to where I expected.

Which is more important - plot or character?

I need to know who my characters are before I can start writing, once I know who they are, I find it easier to figure out how they will cope with whatever the plot throws at them. My plots are generally sparked by an idea, that can come from anything. Quite often it is a snatch of overheard conversation or even a misunderstanding.

On a more general note, do you have a particular writing routine?

Mornings normally start with a dog walk. I love that time and need it to get my head round the day ahead, what needs to be done, in terms of writing and life in general, once back, a cup of tea and I’m ready to get going. I am most productive in the mornings, sometimes I will get so involved in a storyline that I’ll keep going all day, but sometimes I just feel relieved when some words appear on the page.

What is the biggest compliment a reader could pay you after reading Recipe for Mr Perfect?

It’s still early days for me, so I’m always amazed when anyone says they’ve read my book. But I’ve had some lovely reviews; it’s so lovely to hear what readers think of books, I’m always happy when they say they enjoyed reading it, especially when it cheered them up or made them laugh. 

This is your second published novel and I know there are others on the way. What should readers expect when they pick up an Anni Rose book?

I am definitely a Happy-Ever-After writer, so hopefully readers will always be reasonably happy with the ending, in that everyone ends up where they should be! I like humour and try and make sure I include some in every novel.

What are you currently working on?

Now you’re asking! I have so many ideas at various stages of development. All my books are set around the fictional town of Redford but are standalone books, although some of the characters reappear in more than one. My third combines the heady world of probate research with the equestrian community and the one I am currently working on is about a registrar. Surely if you marry people every day then your own happiness must be guaranteed, mustn’t it? 

I know you are also a photographer. Do your pictures inspire scenes or plots in your writing or do you keep the two areas of expertise separate?

Not exactly and if I see something that I think will be useful, be that a landscape or an outfit, then quite often I take a quick picture. It’s so easy these days with a phone and I do take a huge amount of pictures, but the images I enjoy creating most at the moment are more abstract, something with multiple images, or slow exposure, that you can’t always see with the naked eye.

Thank you, Anni. I wish you lots of success with your new novel.

BLURB FOR Recipe for Mr Perfect: 

How do you know if you’ve found Mr Perfect or Mr Perfectly Useless? 

Jess Willersey realised things with Martin weren’t perfect, but it’s still a shock when he leaves. Is she destined to a singleton lifestyle with only her cat for company, or could a certain hat-astrophic encounter with a handsome stranger at a rather unusual wedding signal a turning point?

At the same time, Jess’s best friends and work colleagues, Maggie and Sarah, are going through their own personal disasters – from shocking family revelations to dodgy dating app-related drama.

To top it all off, it seems that the handsome stranger won’t remain a stranger – and when Neil Jackson turns up at the friends’ offices with yet another bombshell, how long will he stay ‘Mr Perfect’ in Jess’s eyes?

BIO:

Born and raised in Berkshire, Anni emigrated to Wiltshire six years ago, where she lives with her husband, sister, two dogs, a cat and Midge, the grey speckled hen.

Away from writing, Anni can usually be found behind a camera, walking the dogs, enjoying one of her husband's curries or sister's bakery treats.

Links on Amazon/other platforms:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lqwepf

Apple: https://apple.co/3BpysL9

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3iM3p4H

Google Books: https://bit.ly/3uVCGYv

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3AmzplN

Website: https://bit.ly/3AsYFHc

Author Links:

Twitter: @AnniRoseAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnniRoseAuthor

Website: https://anniroseauthor.co.uk

Instagram: anniroseauthor

Thank you for reading. Do you keep hobbies or your other job separate or do you include them in your fictional writing in any way? I'd love it if you left a comment. Thank you. 

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

To find out about all my books, please visit Jan Baynham Amazon Author Page.