Guest Post With Amanda Giles
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| Beside the Seaside |
Welcome, Amanda. Please tell us about your lovely new novel.
Over to you!
Thanks for inviting me on to your blog, Jan.
The Beat Of Our Hearts is my debut novel. Originally titled Drummer Boy, it’s been living in my writer’s mind for quite a while. As an 80s girl at heart, I remain a fan of the music. I’ve a romance story about a ‘New Romantic’ band tucked away in a box, which focused on the singer. However, drummer Jonny was always a favourite character. I was wondering about a romance for him when into my mind came Sian, fully formed. (It’s fab when that happens!) She was a Welsh army training sergeant, not given to the nonsense of the pop music world. I knew that one day they would have their own story.
I honed my writing skills at Hastings Writers’ Group, one of whose founding members was author Catherine Cookson. I actually won the Catherine Cookson Cup in 2017.
We moved to mid-Wales in 2021. Sure enough, Sian and Jonny popped up to remind me of their existence. Bo the border collie brought their story to life, which begins with a journey from London to Llandovery. We explored their Welsh route, visiting Tintern Abbey and Raglan Castle, and sampled the Welsh cakes. I even marched into the Castle Inn on a whim, where they showed me the bedroom with the fourposter bed. However, I must confess I only ventured part way down Devil’s Bridge Waterfalls (gulp!). It was fascinating and became Sian’s family’s proposal point. Research can be a challenge but great fun.
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| Devil's Bridge |
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| Proposal point at Rheidol Gorge |
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| Breezy day at Tintern Abbey |
Set in 1988, rock star drummer Jonny comes to the rescue of army training sergeant Sian, not with a white charger, but with a red… Well, you’ll find out when you read it. From rainy London to lush Welsh hills, they share, laugh, and squabble. But can they solve the mystery of the farm saboteur? Will Bo the border collie recover? And can Sian release past heartbreak to take a chance with a drummer boy?
Social Media
Facebook: Amanda Giles Author https://www.facebook.com/catinabasketauthor/
What do the readers say?
‘Read this yesterday, from start to finish. Really enjoyed the journey through Wales - like going home - and the devil's cauldron – my, that took me back. I remember being terrified on those steps as a child. It even made it into my 13th Century Welsh romance! Brava!!’ Sue Cook, author.
‘I really enjoyed this. "The Beat Of Our Hearts" is a fresh and engaging story with two very different but stunning main characters. Congratulations!’ Sandra Mackness, author.
‘I really enjoyed it.’ Enid Reece, author.
Thank you, Amanda. Your novel sounds great and I look forward to it appearing in my local library in the summer. I can't wait to find out if Sian and Jonny do get together. Good luck!
Thank you for reading. I'm sure you agree that Amanda's story sounds intriguing with two very different characters. Writers, have you ever had a fully formed character arrive in your mind as Amanda did? If so, we'd love it if you left it as a comment. Thanks.
*** STOP PRESS - Not only have I finished the first draft of book six, The Stolen Sister, but the structural edits have arrived for book five, The Silent Sister. Watch this space for details about a publication date.
There will be a break from guest posts now until May. The next blog post will be about my research trip to Crete where The Stolen Sister is partially set. Two weeks and I'll be there!
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