Guest Post With Morton S. Gray

I am very pleased to welcome another fellow Cariad member to the blog this week. Her novel, A New Arrival in Borteen Bay, was published by Choc Lit, an imprint of JOFFE Publishing, on January 23rd. Described as 'a brand new and utterly heart-warming feel-good romance', it is the seventh book of seven in her The Secrets of Borteen Bay series. 

Welcome back to the blog, Morton. Thank you for taking the time out of what I know has been a full and exciting week for you around your publication day. It's over to you. 

What do I like (and not like) about being an author?

I’m sitting in a coffee shop writing this blog post for Jan. That’s one of the things I like about writing – you can do it anywhere. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an author and even though I’ve just had my seventh novel published I’m still not sure it still feels real. I love the writing process and particularly that time when I’m in the zone, totally wrapped up in my story and my characters seem to talk to me, guiding me through the story and insisting I write things down. I’m less keen when they do that in the middle of the night or when I’m in the shower though!

I particularly love it when a character seemingly disagrees with a direction or decision I have made for them. It’s almost as if they become real people to me and if I ignore their opinions the book won’t flow at all. That’s one of the reasons I don’t plot my novels in great detail in advance as things rarely go to plan. I particularly found this when I was writing A New Arrival in Borteen Bay, my latest published novel. In this one there are actually four main characters, Skye, Adam, Buzz and Wynn, all seemingly with their own opinions on the story! At times it was difficult to keep the four of them under control.

The part about being a writer I find most difficult is keeping up a social media presence. Writers tend to be people who like their own company as they have to spend such a long time on their own wrestling with words. I personally am quite shy, known for my teenage blushing, which is one of the reasons that I use a pen name. Morton S. Gray can be much bolder than real me. Morton Gray can be confident in interviews and on social media, but I’d still much rather lurk in the background.

However, I have discovered that I am actually quite good at networking online and have built up a solid base of writing friends, who all joined in when my latest novel A New Arrival in Borteen Bay was launched on 23 January 2024. I was overwhelmed and thankful for the support, lovely comments and reposts.

 

And what happens when you’ve launched a book out into the world? Well, you start the process all over again. Although, of course, you are rarely working on one novel at a time. I am usually researching and writing, whilst the ones that have been published are being promoted. So maybe one writing skill should be listed as juggling.

Bio

Morton lives in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel at age fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors. 

Morton worked for many years in the electricity industry in staff development and training. She is a qualified hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

Social Media Links

You can catch up with Morton on her:

website/blog www.mortonsgray.com, 

on Twitter - @MortonSGray, 

her Facebook page – Morton S. Gray Author - https://www.facebook.com/mortonsgray/ 

and Instagram - @mortonsgrayauthor - https://www.instagram.com/morton_s_gray/

Buying Link

Published 23 January 2024 by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

Morton S. Gray – A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

BLURB 

FALL IN LOVE WITH AN UTTERLY IRRESISTIBLE, BRAND-NEW ROMANCE ABOUT FRESH BEGINNINGS AND LETTING GO OF THE PAST.

Skye knows it’s now or never. It’s time for her to reveal herself to the father she’s never met.

So she hops on a plane from Dublin to the English seaside town of Borteen. 

But between the father she’s just getting to know and her worried mother, Skye realizes that the past is never that simple as a whirlwind of secrets turns their world upside down.

And now Skye has Adam, the hunky guy next door, to contend with. He’s determined to show her there’s room in her life for love.

Skye thinks they’re better off as friends, but Adam has other ideas. Even when she reveals a secret of her own.

Will Skye allow history to repeat itself? Or will she let go of the secrets of the past and open herself up to the future?

This uplifting and feel-good romance is perfect for fans of Beth Moran, Shari Low, Jessica Redland, Sue Moorcroft or Isabella Connor.

Thank you. Morton. We often read about the inspiration behind a book or a writer's writing journey, but we don't often hear about what an author likes or dislikes about the 'job'. I loved the part where you say your characters are real people who talk to you and share their opinions in order for the book to flow.

Thank you for reading. I'm sure like me you found Morton's post interesting. If you are an author, please share what you like best and what you like least about being a writer. How do they compare with what Morton has said? 

 

You may also follow me on:

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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 books - they each read like a beautiful saga - stretching over a couple of generations, the stories just grab you and draw you in.' 

Amazon Reviewer 5*

 

Guest Post With Luisa A. Jones 

This week I'm delighted to welcome author Luisa A. Jones back to the blog for the first guest post of 2024 and the first in my series featuring my fellow Cariad writers. The Cariad Chapter meets in person each month in Cardiff and on Zoom, also monthly, where RNA members come together for writerly chat from Norway, Italy, Cornwall, the Midlands and the South of England as well as those authors living locally in South Wales. Luisa's second historical novel, The Broken Vow, is published by Storm today, 22nd January, so I'm honoured that she's going to share her publication day with us and tell us what it's been like writing a novel about a minor character from her wonderful first novel, The Gilded Cage. 

Luisa, welcome. It's over to you.

Hi Jan. Thank you very much for inviting me to explain how I tackled writing The Broken Vow using a minor character from book 1.

In my first historical novel, The Gilded Cage, I introduced Charlotte Fitznorton. Charlotte was a spoiled and dislikable character, rude to her stepmother Rosamund, and oblivious to her sufferings. Encouraged by her odious father and snooty aunt, Charlotte’s only goal in life was to bag herself an aristocratic husband, and thus improve the status of the Fitznorton family.

The obvious topic for a sequel to The Gilded Cage was a continuation of Rosamund’s story. However, the more I thought about it, the more I was attracted to the idea of exploring what had made Charlotte such a spiky, unpleasant character. I wanted to know whether such a selfish young miss could mature into a young woman with a more generous and empathetic heart. I was partly inspired by Jane Austen’s reference to her wonderful character Emma as “a heroine whom no one but myself will much like”. Could I achieve a plausible character growth with Charlotte, or had I made her too obnoxious? What would it take to transform her?

Charlotte’s redeeming feature in The Gilded Cage was her love for her father, the hateful Sir Lucien. This didn’t manifest in positive ways: she craved his attention and disliked her stepmother, whom she saw as a potential rival for his affection. Charlotte’s growth would depend upon her developing a better understanding of the harsh realities of the world. She wasn’t an educated girl, and had been brought up with limited ambition or expectation. As long as she got her society wedding and a handsome husband who satisfied her father’s ambitions, she would be content. In The Broken Vow, I needed her to discover that she could be more than a trophy wife, and that marriage might not be enough to satisfy her in the long run. She needed to witness and experience events which would force her to grow up; to make mistakes, but ultimately to understand the satisfaction to be gained from doing things for others and finding an interesting purpose in life.

As well as encountering events which would make her confront her mistaken ideas and become a better person, Charlotte needed a positive role model. One of my favourite characters in The Broken Vow is Charlotte’s friend Venetia Vaughan-Lloyd, a former suffragette, whose world view is poles apart from Charlotte’s. Venetia’s experience of disability and past heartbreak, and her charitable works, have given her insights into a darker side of life. She’s a few years older, and more politically aware than Charlotte, with a better understanding of what a woman might achieve. Her good-humoured honesty and can-do attitude make her a perfect mentor.

It was a joy to bombard Charlotte with problems which would eventually transform her (with a little help from her friends). I hope readers will love following her redemptive coming-of-age journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Links:

www.luisaajones.com

https://twitter.com/Taffy_lulu

https://www.facebook.com/LuisaAJonesauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/luisa_a_jones_author/

 

Booklink: The Broken Vow

Blurb:

Marriage was what Charlotte had been brought up to. After all, it provided a happy ending for all the heroines in the novels she sometimes read. So it would be for her... right?

Born into luxury, Charlotte Fitznorton has always known a life filled with lavish parties and a line of suitors, all part of a future neatly laid out for her by her father, Sir Lucien. She is to marry well and continue the line at Plas Norton, the family seat. When Eustace Chadwycke - the son of a viscount - proposes just before leaving to fight in France, it seems Charlotte's destiny is perfectly falling into place. 

Then, tragedy strikes. Her father dies unexpectedly, and her future hangs in the balance - threatened by her hated stepmother Rosamund's surprise pregnancy. News of Eustace, returning from the war broken by its horrors, leaves Charlotte fearing her engagement may be as fragile as her inheritance.

Determined to at least save her impending marriage, Charlotte pours her energy into turning Plas Norton into a healing place for Eustace and other war-weary soldiers. But small-minded townspeople, a bossy head nurse, and her newborn baby sister's arrival push Charlotte to her limits. 

Just as hope is slipping through her fingers, a mysterious stranger arrives at Plas Norton. This newcomer holds the power to upend everything Charlotte has fought to preserve. Will she have the strength to protect her legacy, or could this visitor awaken a desire in Charlotte for a different life altogether?

A beautiful and heartbreaking historical novel, if you loved anything by Fiona Valpy or Lucinda Riley, this book is for you.

Author bio:

Luisa A. Jones lives in South Wales and takes inspiration from the Welsh countryside, towns, history, and of course its people. Her writing explores the dynamics within relationships, the pressures that mental health issues can exert on people, and how these can be overcome. 

Luisa studied Classical Studies at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London. Her previous jobs have included tour guide in an historic house; teacher in both primary and secondary schools; careers adviser; and corporate trainer/assessor.

Luisa loves using her creativity for crafting and baking, as well as writing historical and contemporary fiction with romantic elements. She and her husband are the proud owners of Gwynnie, a Volkswagen camper van built in 1974, which inspired the story behind Luisa's first book, Goes Without Saying. They have three children, a dog and two cats.

Becoming an author fulfilled a lifelong ambition. Her first historical novel in The Fitznortons series, The Gilded Cage, was released by Storm Publishing in 2023, followed by the sequel, The Broken Vow, in January 2024.

Thank you, Luisa. After thoroughly enjoying The Gilded Cage where I met Charlotte Fitznorton for the first time, I can't wait to see how her character grows and changes in The Broken Vow. The stunning cover and intriguing blurb have made me even more impatient to start reading it.

Thank you for reading. I'm sure like me you found Luisa's post interesting. Have you read other books where a character changes and transforms as he/she matures? I'd love it if you shared the title in the comments. Thank you.

 

You may also follow me on:

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

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 books - they each read like a beautiful saga - stretching over a couple of generations, the stories just grab you and draw you in.' 

Amazon Reviewer 5*

 

Reflecting Back and Looking Forward

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The blog is ten years old this January and when I started it back in 2014, the advice for would-be writers was to have a blog. Jan's Journey into Writing began. At the time I was writing short stories and only dreaming of completing a full-length novel. I made many friends online through the blog and I still like going back to read those early posts and especially the comments from readers. Over the years, though, the number of readers has diminished and certainly, those who take the time to comment are often in single figures. So, is the ten-year anniversary the time to stop and move on to a newsletter? Or can you successfully have both?

In 2023, I wrote 23 blog posts. Fourteen of those were guest writers who wrote about their forthcoming books and for me, supporting other authors is one of the most rewarding features of running a blog. I love hearing about the 'stories behind the stories,' the research writers have undertaken and about their writing journeys. Until I get my newsletter started (which I should have done by now!), I shall continue with the blog if only to invite other writers to tell us about their books. Watch this space for news of a newsletter! 

2023 was an eventful year for me. In February, I submitted my fourth novel having extensively researched it the previous year with visits to the Italian POW Chapel in Henllan, near Llandyssul, West Wales, attending an open day at Hut 9 Prisoner of War Camp in Bridgend and a wonderful trip to Sicily itself. My previous publisher, Ruby, an imprint of Choc Lit, was taken over by a much larger publisher in March and The Secret Sister was published by JOFFE BOOKS in August. I have been delighted with the way that the novel has been received, both maintaining a fairly respectable Amazon ranking and with 809 ratings/reviews to date. Messages from readers about how much they have enjoyed the story have been very rewarding. My only problem now is that the old imposter syndrome is back with a vengeance and I worry about what readers will think of novel five. But, did I feel the same at this stage with The Secret Sister? 

Because my other novels were published during COVID, this time I was able to have my first proper book launch, that was shared with lovely Cariad author friend, Imogen Martin, whose wonderful debut, Under a Gilded Sky, was published by Storm in September. 

In 2023, I did two library talks, one at Blackwood Library, Gwent and the other at Builth Wells Library in mid-Wales. They both took place before the publication of The Secret Sister. 

In August, I attended the RNA Conference in Imperial College, Kensington, my first since before the pandemic. It was excellent; I learned so much and enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones. The highlight was meeting the editors of my new publisher and spending time with them. 

I went on two writing retreats, one day at Parc Bryn Bach, near Tredegar, with the writing group from Blackwood Library, and a four-day residential retreat with the Cariad Chapter of the RNA at Painscastle in mid-Wales. Being able to focus and immerse myself in my writing with other authors was wonderful. 

I was pleased to attend the annual launch of the Worcestershire LitFest Flash Fiction 2023 Anthology again this year. Three of my flashes were included and I read out the one that had been shortlisted. 

I took part in NaNoWriMo again this year and wrote over 50,000 words of the first draft of novel five. I shall be telling you more about that in the coming months. The working title is The Silent Sister but I expect that will change. Are you like me? I have to have a title and cannot work with just a novel number as a title.

A big thank you for your support in 2023. 

So what are my writing plans and goals for 2024?

Back in 2014, they were very specific when I was mainly writing short stories. Now, my goals have more to do with my novels:

• to complete the first draft of The Silent Sister 
• to edit and polish it until it is as good as I can get it
• to submit to my editor
• to make a research trip to Kefalonia where the novel is partially set
• to start a newsletter and build up a list of subscribers
• to attend the RNA Conference in August at Royal Holloway
• to continue to support other writers
• to start researching and planning novel six, to be set in Crete.

Wish me luck! 

Thank you for reading. Which do you prefer? Reading a blog or a newsletter or both? What makes you comment on a blog post? I'd love to know. Thanks.

You may also follow me on:

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

For morer information about me and my books, please visit my Amazon page.