Guest post from Natalie Normann

I first met Natalie when she joined the local RNA Chapter and very soon she became a very active and popular member of the group. 

Natalie, welcome. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about you as a writer.

I'm a Norwegian writer. My first book was published 25 years ago, so I've had a long career. I became a full-time writer about thirteen years ago, when I started writing historical romance series. Before that, I wrote serials and short stories for magazines, and also published thrillers and children's horror books. So quite a change of genres and a lot of different stories. 

You have written so many books. Where do you find your inspiration and ideas to keep your novels fresh and appealing for your readers?

I'm on my third series now, and the total of historical romance books I have published is 51. Because I write six books a year, it adds up surprisingly quickly.

I don't think inspiration is something you can wait for. I think it comes through writing. When I write historical novels, I find a lot of inspiration in the research. I love digging around for interesting details and always get surprised. It's half the fun of writing historical. Also, my readers sometimes suggest things that I can use, which I really appreciate. 

For contemporary romance, like Summer Island, I look at something that I love, something I feel connected to for a setting. And I love islands. My inspiration here comes as I develop the story.

My debut novel was a romantic thriller, published in 1995. Including my series, I have published 59 books as of June 2020.

How much planning did you do for each of your novels? Planner or pantser?

I do both. I never write a synopsis for a novel because I know that the story will change during the process, but I do a lot of groundwork before I start writing. I play with settings, letting characters and plot develop in my head and in my notebook, so I have an idea about where it should start and where it should end. And then, during the writing process, I have a grid where I fill in what happens. I use a pencil for this because there's an awful lot of changes that happen. Ideas tend to pop up and usually, they are better than the ones I started with. Stories develop while I work and I have learned to trust what happens.  

I’m full of admiration that your new novel, Summer Island, coming out soon, is written in English. It’s a first for you and it will be published by One More Chapter on 24^th June. Please tell us about that.

The last thing I had imagined when we came to stay in Cardiff for two years, was to write for One More Chapter. I've had to pinch myself more than once. The short of it is that I met Julia Williams from Harlequin and she later put me in touch with Charlotte Ledger. I sent her some of what I already had in English on my computer. She didn't really like any of it and asked me if I wanted to write a contemporary romance set in Norway. I jumped at the thought, not having clue what to write. I had so much fun finding the story and characters.

What were the main challenges you faced when writing in your second language?

I have to watch myself from using words I'm not totally comfortable with. I don't want it to sound like I have used Google translate or picked vocabulary out of a dictionary, and at the same time it shouldn't be repetitive – it can easily be flat. One problem is that I'm always confident what's American and what's British English. Luckily I have a wonderful proofreader who helps me. I love the challenge.

Can you say which came first, the characters or the story you wanted to tell?

I'm never sure what comes first when I start a story, to be honest. Sometimes I have a character in my head, sometimes I have a setting and look for a story that will fit. It's a puzzle and I like the process of putting it together.

Utsira

How important was setting your novel on an island off the coast of your home country of Norway?

The setting is so important in this book. I wanted a romantic setting, but I didn't want to set

in a city or a town. I wanted the Norwegian nature to be a big part of the story, and where I come from it's all coast, fjords and islands. Summer Island is a fictitious island, but it's put together by parts of real islands where I have spent summer holidays or long weekends since I was a little girl. Also, there has been so much Nordic Noir, and I wanted to share the beauty of a Nordic summer. It's not dark and grey all year round. We have beautiful summers, even when it rains.

I know you now have an agent. How crucial was her role when pitching to publishers and the novel being picked up by One More Chapter?

I already had the contract with One More Chapter when I got my agent, Lina Langlee. She has been so helpful and encouraging, and I think it's a good idea to have an agent in the UK, who understands the market and how things work. Because I'm still pretty clueless.

Where does the book fit in with your other novels?

It doesn't really fit with my Norwegian novels, because even if it's romance, it's a contemporary romance and that's a new genre for me.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on Christmas Island, the sequel to Summer Island. I'm trying really hard not to get it to noir since it's set in December. We'll see how that plays out. I love Christmas and it's the most important holiday in Norway. After weeks of nights getting longer and the days getting shorter, we fill our houses with Christmas lights and comfort food, and the celebrations usually start in November and last until after the New Year.

West coast view

I know you write late into the night, so do you have a particular routine when writing?

Writing in two languages can be confusing. I had one incident where I was working on my Norwegian book and wrote a whole paragraph in English. My routine is mostly sitting in front of the computer and hammer away for as long as I can. I do a strict word count and stick to it, for both the English project and the Norwegian. It works better if I write on one during the day, and the other at night.

Where do you write?

When I write at night, I sit in my office behind a very messy desk. During the writing process, the piles of post-it notes grow and notebooks seem to appear and disappear on a regular basis. And I always loose papers, usually the ones with the most important information.

During the day, I write in a coffee shop. I miss my local Costa in Cardiff something awful, and because of the lockdown, there haven't been many coffee shops open in Oslo. Now it's slowly getting back to some kind of normal and I'm finding my way outside again.

What would be the biggest compliment a reader could give you after reading Summer Island?

That they fell in love with the island and the people living there, and that it gave them a break from the real world.

Thank you, Natalie. It's been fascinated to find out more about you and your writing. I'm reading Summer Island at the moment and loving it. Good luck with the sales of this wonderful book.

Blurb
He never meant to stay.
He certainly never meant to fall in love ...

Summer island off the coast of Norway was the place London chef Jack Greene should have been from. he's an outsider in the community that should have been his family, and now he's setting foot on the strange land he has inherited for the first time.

Ninni Toft, his nearest neighbour, has come to the island to mend her broken heart. With her wild spirit and irrepressible enthusiasm, she shows city-boy Jack the simple pleasures of island life - and what it means to belong. To a place. To a people. To one person in particular.
Home is where the heart is, but is Jack's heart with the career he left behind in London, or on the wind-swept shores of Summer Island, with Ninni?

Links to all books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Island-Natalie-Normann-ebook/dp/B07ZG82B33/

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

Twitter: @NatalieNormann1

Instagram: natalienormann

Thank you for reading. I'm sure you'll have enjoyed reading Natalie's answers. Do any of you write or read books in more than one language? We'd love it if you left a comment below. Thank you. 

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

Firsts For Christina Courtenay 

This week I'm delighted to welcome author, Christina Courtenay, to the blog as part of my series of Firsts. Her wonderful novel, Echoes of the Runes, was published recently and captivated me when I read it. I asked her to tell us why this novel is a first for her

Christina, welcome and over to you.  

Echoes of the Runes is a first for me in several ways – when it was sold to a publisher, it was the first time I’d had an agent representing me. It was wonderful to have someone fighting my corner, especially since my agent is Swedish and therefore totally on board with the Scandinavian theme. It was also my first book with Headline Review and working with the lovely team there was an absolute joy. 

And it was my first published book with a Viking setting. So a lot to celebrate there! I deliberately said first Viking book published though, because actually it wasn’t the first one I ever wrote. A very long time ago, when I decided I wanted to be an author, the very first thing I tried my hand at was a historical novel set during Viking times. I had never written anything at that point, but naively thought it couldn’t be that difficult, so I sat down and wrote a Viking story aimed at the Mills & Boon Historical line … and OMG was it bad!

I can laugh about it now and I have kept it as a reminder of how far I have come, but at the time I thought it was absolutely fine. I had no idea about plotting, characters, setting or head-hopping. No concept of writing style or misuse of adverbs. I hardly did any editing at all before sending it off, and as for researching the historical period – er, what? I was a complete novice and got just about everything wrong … and yet, I had such fun writing it! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I kept on writing, even when I received a rather brutal (and well-deserved) rejection of that story. It didn’t matter, because by then the writing bug had well and truly bitten me.

Add caption

All these years later, I have learned a thing or two (I hope!) and I have definitely done an awful lot more research into the Viking period. These days I try to get the setting and details right, and I can’t tell you how many fact books and articles I’ve read, as well as watching programmes and visiting museums and sites. In the name of research, I went to Denmark last year to see some wonderful Viking museums; I attended the York Viking Festival (great fun – can’t wait to go again!); I took my husband on a journey to the north of England in order to follow in the footsteps of the ‘heathens’ who attacked these shores a thousand years ago; and I’m hoping to visit Iceland and Dublin when the virus pandemic is finally over. These were all (or will be) firsts for me too and probably places I may not have considered going to otherwise, but they all proved hugely enjoyable.

Finally, like Jan, I am extremely grateful for the support of the writing community and all the lovely readers out there – they helped get Echoes of the Runes into the Top 100 Kindle chart, definitely a first for me! All in all, this book and my journey towards its publication has been a truly unique experience and I’ve loved every minute!

Many thanks for inviting me to the blog, Jan!

It's been my pleasure, Christina. I'm not surprised at the response to your novel and the amazing reviews it's receiving. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to The Runes of Destiny out in December.

Blurb:
When Mia inherits her beloved grandmother's summer cottage, Birch Thorpe, in Sweden, she faces a dilemma. Her fiance Charles urges her to sell and buy a swanky London home, but Mia cannot let it go easily. The request to carry out an archaeological dig for more Viking artefacts like the gold ring Mia's grandmother also left her, offers her a reprieve from a decision - and from Charles.

Whilst Mia becomes absorbed in the dig's discoveries, she finds herself drawn to archaeologist Haakon Berger. Like her, he can sense the past inhabitants whose lives are becoming more vivid every day. Trying to resist the growing attraction between them, Mia and Haakon begin to piece together the story of a Welsh noblewoman, Ceri, and the mysterious Viking, known as the 'White Hawk', who stole her away from her people in 869 AD.

As the present begins to echo the past, and enemies threaten Birch Thorpe's inhabitants, they will all have to fight to protect what has become most precious to each of them...

About the author
Christina Courtenay is an award-winning author of historical romance and time slip(dual time) stories. She started writing so that she could be a stay-at-home mum to her two daughters but didn't get published until daughter number one left home aged twenty-one, so that didn't go to plan! Since then, she's made up for it by having eleven novels published and winning the RNA's Romantic Novel of the Year Award for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014), both published by Choc Lit.

Christina is half Swedish and grew up in that country. She has also lived in Japan and Switzerland but is now based in Herefordshire, close to the Welsh border. She's a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology.

Author links/social media:

http://www.christinacourtenay.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/

Echoes of the Runes purchase links:

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echoes-Runes-sweeping-epic-forbidden-ebook/dp/B07T65CZPX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=christina+courtenay&qid=1579114778&sr=8-1

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Runes-Christina-Courtenay/dp/1472268261/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Christina+Courtenay&qid=1579624643&sr=8-6

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed Christina's post. Do you look back on your first novel and, like her, realise how much your writing has improved or was your first ever novel published?

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

Introducing Claire Sheldon

Throughout July, I shall be continuing with my series of 'Firsts'. Today I'm delighted to welcome another debut author onto the blog. A fellow novelist with Ruby Fiction, Claire Sheldon is a crime writer whose book, Perfect Lie, was published on June 16th. I asked Claire to tell us something about her own life that's linked to her novel.

Welcome, Claire. Congratulations on the publication of Perfect Lie. Over to you!

Why Jen runs so much in my novel….

Back in December 2015, I took my son Alex to his first Parkrun. He managed his first 2k in 17 minutes and 13 seconds. I was so proud of him that day! It was something I wanted to do myself but thought it would just make me more ill. Alex continued to do junior Parkrun and finally, when Melanie turned four she was finally able to join in after watching her brother do for years!

Having spoken to my neurologist about taking part and the impact on my fatigue, the wheels were set in motion for me to start Parkrun. Almost a year after I had made my son take part in junior Parkrun, I did my first event and proceed to walk the whole thing. I knew with my health it wouldn’t be the easiest thing. I first started with C25K (Couch to 5K) which didn’t suit me as I was only running once a week. Then my mum told me about an app for my phone that you can set interval timers on, so I started to set it. I did X minutes running and X minutes walking. It also meant I could listen to my music without having the annoying woman in my ear and that was how I continued happily for quite some time believing I would need to build myself up to run solidly for 5k.

But one day I found myself without my phone, so without the intervals, and I decided to give it ago and just jog and see how I went. Somehow I did a whole 5k without having to stop to walk! I can quite happily say that this has continued to be the case. My personal best is 40.51 and though Parkrun has been cancelled due to COVID-19, Podrick (my dog) and I are still running once a week around the park near where I live. Sometimes Alex comes too if I can drag him out of bed. Both my kids have sadly lost interest in junior Parkrun and if I can stay in bed on a Sunday I will as this has turned to be my only lie-in day. They can both look after themselves with TV and breakfast in the morning! I kind of miss Parkrun but at least now I can get up and go when I wake up and not need to be there for 9 am!!! I have also become an advocate for Parkrun and I’m always telling people they should join and take part. I am not sure how much success I am having though!

Jen runs so much in my books because in my head that’s me! My daydream is of being faster than everyone else and running with such elegance and style as the faster runners seem to do. The record for the female runner in Long Eaton is 15min 51sec and I’m a very long way off that goal!

Thank you, Claire. What an inspirational post for people wanting to run, especially for those with health problems. Good luck with the sales of Perfect Lie. The reviews are amazing.

About the author

Claire lives in Nottingham with her family, a cat called Whiskers and a dog called Podrick. She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and as a result of the disease had to reduce her hours working in insurance for an Insolvency Insurer. This spare time enabled her to study a creative writing course which inspired her to write her debut, Perfect Lie. 

When Claire isn't working she enjoys reading crime novels and listening to music - the band Jimmy Eat World is her biggest muse! Claire is also an avid reader and book blogger.

Blurb for Perfect Lie

What is 'perfect' trying to hide?

Jen Garner tries her best to be 'wife and mother of the year'. She helps organise school plays and accompanies her husband to company dinners, all with a big smile on her face. 

But Jen has started to receive strange gifts in the post ... first flowers, and then a sympathy card. It could be just a joke; that's what she tells herself. 

Then the final 'gift' arrives, and Jen has to question why somebody is so intent on shattering her life to pieces ...

Links to the book

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XdiWyM

Kobo: https://bit.ly/36T7mO0

iBooks: https://apple.co/2TVYvpj 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3dj40WZ

Barnes Noble: https://bit.ly/3gAeT8V

Claire's Links

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/clairesheldonauthor/?fref=tag

Twitter: @ClaireEESheldon

Blog: A Story About a Girl

Thank you for reading. What have you done in your life that happens to your main character? I studied art and specialised in pottery and ceramics just like Alexandra in Her Mother's Secret. 

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

Deciding What to Read

I am a slow reader and my TBR pile is getting 'higher'! I'm sure there are a lot of you like me and you are not really making inroads into the pile before you're attracted to yet another title. I started to think about what prompts me to buy a book. Those of you who know me will say it's a striking cover design, an intriguing title and unanswered questions in the blurb maybe. Yes, it's all of those things but what else? Looking at the list of what I'm hoping to read next on my Kindle, I've tried to categorise my choices to show the range of novels I found there.

Genre - I enjoy historical novels and family sagas. As well as meeting strong characters, who often have battles of their own to face, I learn about what it was like to live during those times and how society has changed. Here are two I can't wait to read:
- Set in 1908, The Ferryman's Daughter by Juliet Greenwood has been described as a gripping new saga of strength, family and hope. I had the pleasure of welcoming Juliet onto my blog on May 25th where you will find out more about her and her novel.
- Heartbreak in the Valleys by Francesca Capaldi. It is set in the Welsh valleys in 1915 during World War 1.

Recommendations - Over lockdown, I have 'attended' a number of virtual Society of Author events as well as those at the wonderful Hay Digital Festival. One book that I definitely wanted to read was Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet after hearing her interviews and reading such good things about the novel. It is inspired by Shakespeare's son of the same name who died. The story of the bond between twins and the grief that pushes a marriage to its limit, the author reimagines the life of a boy whose name was given to one of the most famous of plays, Hamlet.

Crime - I enjoy reading crime novels and next week I welcome fellow Ruby Fiction author, Claire Sheldon onto my blog. Her debut novel, Perfect Lie, is already receiving lots of 5* reviews. However, what attracted me to the novel was this in the blurb - the main character, Jen, has started to receive strange gifts in the post ... first flowers, then a sympathy card. It could just be a joke...But then the final gift arrives, and Jen has to question why somebody is so intent on shattering her life into pieces... My imagination is going into overdrive and I'm looking forward to finding out what's going on to this person who is striving to be the 'wife and mother of the year'.

Authors I know - Today is the publication day for my good friend, Sue McDonagh's third novel in the art cafe series, Escape to the Art Cafe. Set on the beautiful Gower peninsular, I know I will be in for an entertaining escapist read. I thoroughly enjoyed her first two books and like them, I understand this one may be read as a standalone. However, I'm looking forward to meeting up with some of the characters from those earlier books, too. I'm sure that as well as the humour and romance in the novel that I'm bound to find in Sue's writing, she will be discussing serious issues, too.  

Sequels and books by authors whose novels I've enjoyed before - Three books stand out on my list: 
Angela Petch's novel The Tuscan Girl. I chose this after enjoying her wonderful WW2 story, The Tuscan Secret 
Endless Skies by Jane Cable. I love the way Jane's stories look back to the past and know this is a book for me.
The Runes of Destiny is due out in December and is Christina Courtenay's sequel to Echoes of the Runes. Her timeslip novel was excellent and I can't wait to continue with the story.

I have read so many amazing books recently and maybe that is for another post but I hope you've enjoyed a peek at what is waiting for me to read over the next month or so.  
Why not pop a recommended title of a book you've enjoyed in the comments? Thank you.

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

Eight Weeks On

It is eight weeks since my debut novel, 'Her Mother's Secret', was published and I've been reflecting on what has happened since. I wasn't expecting the book to have been received the way it has and I'm very grateful for all the wonderful messages and reviews. If it has helped people escape the awful situation in which we find ourselves, I'm more than happy. It's brought back memories of holidays spent on Greek islands for many. There are now forty two reviews on Amazon. Some are duplicated on Goodreads but many on there are different ones, too. A big thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write them. 

Appearing on a large number of blogs has been amazing, every one having been offered by generous members of the writing community. They were all so different. Some asked my to write a piece on a particular topic, for example, the inspiration for my novel -

'At the time, I'd been reading a novel where the rustling in the trees sounded like whispers and inanimate statues took the form of the ghosts of people they represented. combining both ideas, I asked myself what if the whispering could show the presence of a past family member. Always fascinated by family secrets and the bond between mothers and daughters, I knew I had the basis for a story.'

Others wanted to know about the setting - 

'Having visited many times and being struck by the wonderful palette of colours seen in every landscape, Greece was my choice of background. The island is not based on one particular place but is an amalgam of areas I've visited. Every holiday has contributed to the whole backdrop where I've tried to show the climate, the vivid colours of the sea and the flowers as well as the warmth of its people.'

Another asked me to reflect on my writing journey and how it felt to get published in the end -
 ...becoming a published author ... was both exciting and nerve wracking, but I did it! My advice to anyone reading this is never give up. It's never too late!

Some were question and answer interviews where I loved the variety of the questions. Another blog post was in the form of sharing opening lines and others reviewed the book. Thank you all for getting my name out there. 

In the same way, I hope that welcoming a number of authors onto my blog in my series of 'Firsts' in May and June has had a similar effect for them. Two writers, Juliette Lawson and Kirsten Hesketh, were debut authors and Juliet Greenwood talked about her first novel with a new publisher. The comments on my blog tend to be from just a few loyal followers but stats show that the posts are read world wide. I look forward to sharing more guest posts with you in July.

Virtual meetings have become the norm. As co-organiser of the newly named Cariad Chapter of the RNA, we now meet via Zoom and it's been good to include our members from Norway, Cornwall and Bristol, too. Our June meeting was a virtual mini-writing workshop with author, Jenny Kane. Great fun, it made up for having to cancel the writing day we'd booked with her due to lockdown.


Since publication day, I have also taken part in my publisher's Choc Lit and Ruby Virtual Book Festival. It ran over two weeks and I shared a day with the lovely writer, Marie Laval. A wide variety of events took place with readings, videos and give-aways.I ran two competitions - one was to choose an actor to play Stelios from 'Her Mother's Secret' and the other was to tell me the name of the underground lake in Kefalonia that inspired my short story, 'The Phantom Boatman' last year.


Last week, 'Her Mother's Secret' came out in audio. At first, it felt strange to hear the voices of my characters who had lived in my head for so long. Read for Isis Audio Soundings by Deryn Edwards, I am delighted with it. What has made it particularly worthwhile for me was to receive an email from a partially sighted reader who had been frustrated that she couldn't read the e-book but had just finished listening to it and wanted me to know how much she'd enjoyed the story. 

I've joined an on-line writing course that meets fortnightly. Taught by the amazing Jenny Kane, it already seems to be just what I need. Above all, it will give me the opportunity to write outside my comfort zone and experiment with different genres. I hadn't written a short story for a while apart from some Flash Fiction pieces and it felt good to submit one for a critique from Jenny yesterday. I have also booked a workshop on Conflict with Alison May at the end of the month.

So that's it. Eight weeks of being a published author. I'm a bit sad as I'm regularly checking the Amazon rankings to see how my 'baby' is doing. For two whole days in May, it was #1 Amazon Hot Release in Greek Travel. Because this will not happen again, I had to screen shot it! I told you I was sad. It has now settled at #7 - #8 in the Greek Travel Best Sellers. Do you do this?

Thank you for reading. How did you feel in the weeks after your first ever novel was published? I'd love to read your comments. Thanks.

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

MY INSPIRATION FOR 'A PARIS FAIRY TALE'

I'm delighted to welcome author, Marie Laval, to the blog today. We share the same publisher, Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction, and I first met Marie at the RNA York Tea last September. During the recent Choc Lit and Ruby Virtual Book Festival we shared a day and exchanged pieces about the inspiration for our novels.

Over to you, Marie!

It takes me so long to write a novel that I can’t always recall what gave me the original idea for a story. I can however remember exactly where and when 'A PARIS FAIRY TALE' was born in my imagination. I had gone shopping in Manchester with my daughter Clémence and we sheltered from the rain in the beautiful John Ryland’s Library on Deansgate in the city centre. After walking around the impressive, atmospheric building, I sat in front of a computer and played around with an interactive programme describing the history of illuminated manuscripts in medieval Paris. I was particularly fascinated by the work of Jean Rémiet, an illuminator also known as ‘the master of death’ for the way he portrayed death and illness – I know, not very cheerful! From that moment on, I was hooked… It took two years to finish the story!

If it hadn’t been for the rain, I would never have ventured inside the library that particular day and got involved in the interactive display. And if hadn’t been for my daughter standing patiently next to me for over an hour whilst I took frantic notes and muttered to myself like a mad woman, 'A PARIS FAIRY TALE' might never have existed! 

Blurb for A PARIS FAIRY TALE

Is Paris the city of happily ever afters?
Workaholic art historian Aurora Black doesn’t have time for fairy tales or Prince Charmings, even in the most romantic city in the world. She has recently been hired by a Parisian auction house for a job that could make or break her career. Unfortunately, daredevil journalist Cédric Castel seems intent on disrupting Aurora’s routine.
As Aurora and Cédric embark on a journey across France, they get more than

they bargained for as they find themselves battling rogue antiques dealers and personal demons, not to mention a growing attraction to each other.
But with the help of a fairy godmother or two, could they both find their happily ever afters? 

AUTHOR BIO

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern languages teacher and in her spare time she loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes.

She writes both historical and contemporary romance. Her historical romance The Lion’s Embrace won the Gold Medal at the Global Ebook Awards 2015 (category Historical Romance), and best-selling Little Pink Taxi was her debut romantic comedy novel with Choc Lit.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!

A PARIS FAIRY TALE is available as an ebook and an audio book from Amazon

You can find out more about Marie on:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MarieLaval1
You can also find on Pinterest the many beautiful photos of Paris and illuminated manuscripts which inspired the writing of A Paris Fairy Tale https://www.pinterest.co.uk/laval0232/

Thank you, Marie. Set in my favourite city, I love the sound of your novel and it's already on my Kindle, moving to the top of my TBR pile.  

Thank you for reading. You may also follow me on @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

Guest Interview with Juliet Greenwood

Today I'm delighted to welcome Juliet Greenwood to the blog in my series of 'Firsts'. I'm a big fan of Juliet's writing, having enjoyed her previous three books, but her first novel with Orion, 'The Ferryman's Daughter', has just been published.

Juliet, welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing.

'The Ferryman’s Daughter' is my first book for Orion and is a total dream come true. I'm still pinching myself. I’ve always had a passion to be a writer, but like many authors, it’s been a long road with many digressions (mainly to do with making a living!) in between. I started my writing career with stories and then serials in magazines, before three historical novels published by Honno, a small press based in Wales. I’ve lived and worked in many different places, including London, but now live in a traditional quarryman’s cottage on the edges of a village on a mountain slope in Snowdonia. I love my garden, which is surrounded by the stone walls of sheep fields and is where the quarryman’s family would have grown food to supplement a subsistence wage. I’m doing my best to follow their example, including a small polytunnel where I have a cutting from the Hampton Court vine that produces delicious grapes.

What was the inspiration for ‘The Ferryman’s Daughter’?

The original inspiration was the story of Rosa Lewis, born a little earlier than my heroine, in 1867, who rose from being a domestic servant to become a renowned cook, including for royalty, and eventually owning The Cavendish Hotel in London. She was the real-life inspiration for the popular 1970s drama series ‘The Duchess of Duke Street’ and was a wonderful character, who defied expectations of what women were capable of, to become a success in her own right.

Set in 1908, how much research did you have to do? How did you set about it?

Because two of my previous novels have been set in the early part of the twentieth century, including during the First World War, I’d already done quite a bit of research. It’s a time I find fascinating because it was when so much was changing in society, particularly for women, who had been fighting for decades for the right to education and control over their earnings and their lives. I do much of my research through books and online, but I also love learning about the everyday part of ordinary lives in the past by visiting places like the squatter’s cottage in Blists Hill in Ironbridge, which gives an idea of how our ancestors lived their lives, from the kitchen range to the pantry and the sparse sleeping arrangements. I love St Ives, but I only knew a little of the history, so I enjoyed learning more about its past and its transformation from fishing village into hub for artists and tourism it is today.

I read that you write about 'determined young women fighting to make their own futures against the odds'. Can you tell us about Hester's character in your new novel?

I love Hester. All my heroines are independent and determined, but Hester takes it to a whole new level. Most of my heroines have to overcome some level of poverty to make their way in the world, but Hester has been born into a family on the edges of destitution, always one week’s missed rent away from the workhouse and a dad with a tendency to put his need for a pint with the lads in front of keeping the family together. Hester sets out to make her own money, so she can take control of her life and look after her younger siblings, overcoming every setback, including panic buying of sugar as the First World War breaks out that threatens to destroy her fledgling business.

Hester is astute enough to realise the only way she can break free from the life of endless, mindless drudgery she is expected to follow is to learn a skill, so she sets about it. She’s always being dragged back as, like so many just making ends meet, however hard she works and saves, there’s always some family crisis that sends her back to the beginning. But each time she picks herself up, dusts herself down, and starts all over again. What I also love about her is that she might have had the minimum of education, but she’s nobody’s fool. She’s quite capable of standing up for herself, especially when she takes over the rowing of the family’s ferry and has to deal with drunks and wandering hands, using her wits (and the odd reminder than they can swim the rest of the way if they prefer) to keep herself safe. And when it comes to love, she’s determined to follow her heart, however impossible it might seem, rather than settle for (the decidedly creepy) young man her father has chosen for her, mainly for the convenience of free pints down the local. I will always love Hester for her loyalty and her fierceness and her absolute determination never to settle for second best and always be her own woman, despite living in a world in which women weren’t expected to be anything at all. Go, Hester!

You live in a beautiful part of the world and I know you enjoy walking. How much planning and thinking can you do on your walks?

I think I can safely say most of it! I live a few minutes from the North Wales coast and the island of Anglesey, as well as being in the heart of the mountains of Snowdonia, so my dog walking time is also my thinking time. It’s where I work out knotty problems of the plot, or simply don’t consciously thing about it at all but let my mind roam free, and usually by the time we are back for breakfast a solution has appeared. I find

Llandwyn Beach

if I’m at home, there’s always something to distract me, but just me and the dog and the countryside, meeting fellow early morning dog walkers along the way, is when I can empty my mind of everything else and concentrate. I’m feeling incredibly lucky at the moment as, although I’m missing the sea, I have many and varied walks from my cottage.

What do you think would make a good question for a book group where ‘The Ferryman’s Daughter’ was being discussed?

What do you think Hester learns from working for Miss Chesterfield, the middle-aged, self-made businesswoman who sets up a convalescent home for recovering soldiers?

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer?

That it takes a long time! Because we can all tell a story and can write, and usually do some creative writing at school, it seems like a natural skill. But writing a novel is anything but. The best piece of advice I was ever given was to think of learning to play a musical instrument. You wouldn’t expect to pick up a cello one week and play at the Albert Hall the next. To reach the level of skill to perform to even the smallest audience (let alone a paying one!) requires hours of practice, day after day, week after week, year after year. It’s the same with writing. Most published writers have plenty of ‘bottom drawer’ manuscripts that will never see the light of day, because they are the hours of apparently thankless, unpaid and unseen exhaustive effort in which you learn your craft. And that’s before you start working with an editor and learn to hone a whole other level of skill, just as you thought you’d mastered the thing in the first place. And, as with a musical instrument, the learning never ends. On the other hand, that’s part of the thrill, of challenging and stretching yourself. 

Nowadays, after fifteen or more years of serious bashing away, I know when I’ve finished a novel. It’s when I’ve written and rewritten it so many times, bearing in mind everything I’ve been taught and hunting down everything that doesn’t hang together and doesn’t work, that I loathe everything about it, and never want to see it again. Then I send it off to my agent and editor and a whole new round of work begins. But that’s also when I fall in love with it all over again, and the passion to get it right returns - and there’s no better feeling than when a book finally comes together!

I love your analogy comparing writing to learning a musical instrument and agree that learning never ends. Thank you, Juliet. It's been a pleasure to have you here and to learn more about you and your new novel.

 BLURB for 

The Ferryman’s Daughter

Published by Orion May 14^th 2020

My first book for Orion is set on the Hayle Estuary, near St Ives in Cornwall, at the time of the Great War. It is the story of Hester, who is forced to take over the family business of rowing the ferry across the river to keep a roof over their heads. But Hester has a dream of one day becoming a professional cook and opening her own establishment in St Ives, so creating a better life for herself and her family. Even with everything against her, Hester remains determined to succeed …

 Can Hester help her family escape desperate poverty and fulfil her dreams?

1908: Hester always loved her mother best, her father had always been a hard man to like, spending more time (and money) in the local than with his family. When her mother dies suddenly Hester is placed in the position of care-giver for her younger brother and sister, only for her father to get badly injured in an accident. As the years pass it is only Hester who can keep her family afloat, now rowing the ferry night and day to keep them all from starvation, she sees her dreams of working in a kitchen and one day becoming a cook, slipping further and further away.

But just how far is Hester willing to go to make her dream a reality? And as the threat of war comes ever closer to the Cornish coast, will it bring opportunities or despair for Hester and her family?

BIO:

Juliet Greenwood has always been a bookworm and a storyteller, writing her first novel (a sweeping historical epic) at the age of ten. She is fascinated both by her Celtic heritage and the history of the women in her family, with her great-grandmother having supported her family by nail making in Lye, in the Black Country, near Birmingham in the UK, and her grandmother by working as a cook in a large country house.

Before being published by Orion, Juliet wrote three historical novels for Honno, the Welsh Women’s Press, reaching #4 and #5 in the UK kindle store.

Juliet lives in a traditional quarryman’s cottage between the mountains and the sea in beautiful Snowdonia, in Wales in the UK, and is to be found dog walking in all weathers, always with a camera to hand…

Social media links:

Juliet’s Blog: https://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/

Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/juliet.greenwood

                                                         

Twitter            https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood

Instagram:     https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood

The Ferryman’s Daughter:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083N19BTF/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

US: https://www.amazon.com/Ferrymans-Daughter-gripping-saga-tragedy-ebook/dp/B083N19BTF/

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading about Juliet and her first novel for Orion. You may follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.