Juliet Greenwood's personal secretary chooses the winner of We That Are Left

Thank you to everyone who posted a comment about Juliet Greenwood's new novel on my blog.

As you can see, Juliet's personal secretary Phoebe was involved in the final decision. This is how she set about making her choice:

Hmmm - all those comments look good to me, says Phoebe:

But there can be only one winner:

Juliet says:

I loved all the comments on the blog. Thank you to everyone. I found it really hard to make a decision, so in the end I asked Phoebe to make the final choice. Here she is, the author’s secretary, taking her job very seriously. And the winner is – Rosemary Anne Smith!
 

Tales from the Outback - Choc Lit's Janet Gover talks about her new novel, Flight to Coorah Creek

It's the beginning of March and this means the print version of Janet Gover's fabulous new novel Flight to Coorah Creek is about to be published any day now!

I'm really looking forward to getting my print copy, even though I already have the ebook. There's nothing quite like the lovely touchability of a gorgeously produced book, and of course Choc Lit is famous for its beautiful editions.

Janet agreed to come and talk to me about Flight to Coorah Creek.  

So make yourself comfortable on my fat, squashy sofa, Janet, have a choc chip cookie and a latte, and let's get down to business.  Ooh, is that a book for me?  Thank you!

Who or what inspired you to write Flight to Coorah Creek?

I grew up in a tiny bush town in Australia. At the time, I thought it was lonely and remote and boring (especially as a teenager). But since then I have seen a lot of the world, and I now realise that my childhood was a unique experience. And quite special. These small towns are amazing communities and they have as much of a story as the people in them. In creating Coorah Creek (which exists only in my head and a map pinned to my office door) I am trying to share the experience of small town Australia.

The idea to have my characters work on an air ambulance arose from my own experience. I fell ill while in a very remote location – and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (which is very real) was called in to medi-vac me to hospital. In some ways, this book is my way of saying thank you to those fabulous people. 

What is this novel about?

It’s a book about overcoming the past. About guilt and redemption.

The story centres on Jess Pearson – a pilot who was arrested after drugs were planted on her plane. She was innocent, but still felt guilty over the young lives destroyed by the drugs she unwittingly flew into the country. She runs as far away as she can go – and takes a job flying an outback air ambulance in Coorah Creek. Where she meets Adam Gilmore – a doctor who is hiding his own secret past…

Don’t you just love a dark and damaged hero? Strong and silent and compelling… I do and Adam is all those things…

There are also little sub-plots about the town itself and the people in the town, who I hope will become the readers’ friends.

How did you organise your research?

My first job was to build the town. It had to be realistic. To have a reason to exist, and feel right.  I found a place in the outback where there was water, added a mine and started drawing roads.  I looked at Google Maps a lot to design my town layout.

I have done many trips in small aircraft – but I’m not a pilot.  I had to find a helpful one to tell me how to fly (or maybe not fly…  ) a plane. He was terrific and any technical mistakes regarding the plane are my fault entirely.

A doctor friend helped me with the medical bits.

As for the dynamics of the town itself – most of that didn’t need any research  - I lived it.

Who is your favourite character in the story?

I should say Adam Gilmore, the hero. I hope my readers will feel drawn to him – I certainly was.

But – if I am going to be totally honest, my favourite character is Sister Luke – and elderly Catholic nun who is a dreadful matchmaker, a bit of a busybody and the kindest soul in the world. She brings a touch of humour into Adam’s life.


What does a typical writer's day hold for you?

When I have a ‘writing day’ – I am at my desk in my office by 9 am. I then spend most of the morning faffing about on the internet, checking my books’ rankings on Amazon (I have GOT to stop doing that)  - which usually leads to buying a book or two.

At lunchtime, I walk to the supermarket – I buy my meat and fruit and veg  fresh every day – the walk clears my head and helps me focus. By the time I get back I am ready to stop fooling around and actually start writing.

I have also been known, when close to the end of a book, to get up early on the weekends when my husband is still in bed and write a quick 700 words before he wakes up.

What are you writing now?

I’m working on the next book in the Coorah Creek series. And I am totally in love with the hero. You’ll meet him briefly in Flight to Coorah Creek. His name is Dan Mitchell and he’s the park ranger at the Tyangi National Park.

He’s a former army sniper who saw service in Iraq.  Like many military men, he’s had trouble fitting back into society after his discharge. Enter Rachel Quinn – a former model and now a wildlife photographer with her own ghosts.

The two of them must work together to save horses running wild in the park – and, in saving the horses, they may just save themselves too.

It’s almost finished. Usually when I have almost finished a book, I go through a crisis of confidence and think it’s total rubbish …. But this time… I think maybe this book is not too bad J

Five Quick Questions

Favourite contemporary novelists?

In romance – Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr and Jodi Thomas (all Americans).

In fantasy – Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and George R R Martin.

Favourite part of the world?

Everywhere!  Seriously – the more I travel the more I understand that every part of the world has its own special beauty. But if I had to choose – favourite place is the central Australian desert – which is harsh and beautiful, particularly in the early morning or late evening.  And my favourite city is London – which never ceases to impress me.

Favourite way to relax?

I love old movies and knitting – so I am at my most relaxed curled  up with the cat, watching Humphrey Bogart or Audrey Hepburn, and knitting some really nice colourful or textured wool. It’s best if the knitting pattern is fairly straightforward – so I don’t have to think about the stitches.

Favourite day out?

My husband and I are both history buffs – we are never happier than when we are scrambling around some ruined castle or Neolithic site. If it’s raining – a museum comes a close second. 

Favourite tip for would-be novelists?

Gosh – I have learned so much about writing over the past few years – it’s hard to pick one thing…

If I had to – I think it would be this. Writing and reading are two sides of the same coin. If you don’t love reading, you won’t love writing. Read books you love – and then try to write the sort of book you would love to read.

Thank you so much for chatting to me, Janet. I've never been to Australia and now I'd love to go there!  Maybe one day!

Here's a link to the Amazon UK print edition of Flight to Coorah Creek: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flight-Coorah-Creek-Janet-Gover/dp/1781890978/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393695400&sr=1-1&keywords=flight+to+Coorah+creek

Historical novelist Juliet Greenwood talks about life, love and loss

I'm delighted to welcome the novelist Juliet Greenwood to my blog this morning. Juliet's new novel We That Are Left is published today and I was very happy to be able to chat to Juliet about her writing life.

Who or what inspired you to write We That Are Left?

I’ve been fascinated by the First World War since studying the war poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. But I knew that I wanted to write about the experience of women and the civilians, who are so often forgotten. I was lucky to stumble across a wonderful book, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elsie-Mairi-Go-War-Extraordinary/dp/1848091354 - Elsie and Mairi go to War by Dr Diane Atkinson, which tells the true story of two friends who set off to help the men on the front line. They were amazing women, and from their story I also learnt about the many women who set up field hospitals, drove ambulances and braved horrific conditions and danger to help both the soldiers and the civilians caught up in the fighting.

My other inspiration was my mother, who as a teenager was in France when WW2 broke out and had to make a terrifying journey home on her own. I’ve never forgotten her stories of what she saw on that train journey as war erupted around her, including being hunted by a submarine as the boat crossed the Chanel. I’ve got family in France, so this really brought home the sense of civilians caught up in the middle of a war, and what it is like to experience an invasion, something we haven’t experienced in Britain for centuries.

What is this novel about?

We That Are Left is the story of Elin, young woman leading a conventional, comfortable life on the family estate in Cornwall in 1914. There are shadows in Elin’s life, but she pushes them to one side until war breaks out and her life changes forever. With her husband at the front, Elin has to take charge, finding hidden depths in herself and gaining new skills and confidence. She works growing much needed food and developing her mother’s recipes, and when a friend is in danger, she braves the horrors of occupied France in a desperate attempt to rescue her, racing through enemy lines in a battered ambulance. When the war is over, Elin is expected to return to being a dutiful wife, but with all that she has been through she finds this impossible, and so her own personal battles for freedom have only just begun …

How did you organise your research?

The locations were the most straightforward. Because I’ve family in France, I’ve visited the war graves and the trenches several times. I’ve lived in London, and Anglesey is just across the water from me. 

What was more difficult was finding out details of women’s experience in the war, as it has been less studied than the actual fighting. I found some great books and first hand experiences. One of the best things I did is a subscription to the British Library’s collection of online newspapers of the time. They have proved invaluable, not only in getting a sense of early 20^th Century life an attitudes, but also some of the recipes that Elin uses in the book. As shortages began to bite, there were plenty of recipes and advice on meals without meat (unthinkable for even modestly well-off families before the war) and how to make the most of what was available. There are also traditional Welsh recipes that Elin uses, that she has inherited from her mother, so I had great fun trying them all out!

Who is your favourite character in the story?

I think it has to be Elin’s friend Lady Margaret, known as ‘Mouse’, who is headstrong and reckless and gets herself into all kinds of trouble, but beneath all the bravado has a heart of gold. She can be exasperating at times, but is determined not to be constrained by being a woman. She flies an aeroplane and teaches Elin to drive, but it’s when she takes herself off to the front line to help soldiers and civilians that she really finds a sense of purpose, despite the dangers. 

What did researching the period teach you?

One of the big surprises was just how much women did in WW1. I knew that they took over much of the work at home, but I hadn’t realised how much they also did on the front line, including picking up bodies in No Man’s Land and driving ambulances. This was when women were considered too fragile to work or even study, and who were there simply to support their husbands – with marriage being their only respectable option in life. It also taught me how much we owe to these women, as they were also the women who after the war forged careers and created the freedoms and opportunities we have today.

The other thing that surprised me was just how much WW1 echoed the experienced of WW2. Although there was not rationing until the end of WW1, there were shortages and people had to find different ways of living. There were air raids, too, with first Zeppelins and then early aeroplanes making their way across the Chanel. It was clear that lessons had been learnt, so that things like rationing were put in place right at the start of WW2.

What does a typical writer's day hold for you?

I have a part time day job, so those days I tend to do research and social networking as I need a clear mind to really get going on my writing. On my writing days, I get up early and take my dog for a walk. This is my thinking time, when I’m working out my mind the day’s work, or sorting out a particularly knotty problem.

Thank you for chatting to me, Juliet.  Congratulations on the publication of this lovely new novel! 

If you would like to win a copy of We That Are Left, please leave a comment on this blog post.  

Juliet will choose a winner and I will ask the winner to contact me in March 2014.

http://www.julietgreenwood.co.uk/

http://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/

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https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood

‘We That Are Left’:    http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Are-Left-Juliet-Greenwood/dp/190678499X

‘Eden’s Garden’: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edens-Garden-Juliet-Greenwood/dp/1906784353

The RoNA shortlists 2014

The RoNAs are the UK equivalent of the Oscars for romantic novelists.  So I am absolutely delighted to have my novel The Wedding Diary on the list of nominations for this year's prizes. It's great to be in the company of so many authors whose work I know and love.

I am hugely indebted to my wonderful publisher Choc Lit for taking a chance on this novel written by an author who has no track record as a writer of romantic comedy.  Thank you, Choc Lit, you're the best publisher any author could wish to find!

Many congratulations to everyone on the shortlists and looking forward to the awards event, when the prima ballerina Darcey Bussell will be presenting the prizes.  I shall be in the same room as my perfect heroine and so, whatever happens on the night, I know I shall have a fabulous time!

Here are the shortlists in full:

Contemporary Romantic Novel

Helen Chandler, Two for Joy, Hodder & Stoughton
Susan Elliot Wright, The Things We Never Said, Simon & Schuster
Veronica Henry, A Night On The Orient Express, Orion
Lisa J Hobman, Bridge Over The Atlantic, 5 Prince Publishing
Lisa Jewell, Before I Met You, Arrow
Pippa Wright, The Foster Husband, Pan

Epic Romantic Novel

Jessica Blair, The Road Beneath Me, Piatkus
Mary Fitzgerald, The Love Of A Lifetime, Arrow
Emma Fraser, When Dawn Breaks, Sphere
Kate Lord Brown, The Perfume Garden, Atlantic (Corvus)
Jennifer McVeigh, The Fever Tree, Penguin
Lucinda Riley, The Midnight Rose, Pan

Historical Romantic Novel

Charlotte Betts, The Painter's Apprentice, Piatkus
Christina Courtenay, The Gilded Fan, Choc Lit
Liz Harris, A Bargain Struck, Choc Lit
Joanna Hickson, The Agincourt Bride, Harper Collins
Carol McGrath, The Handfasted Wife, Accent Press
Annie Murray, The Women Of Lilac Street, Pan

Romantic Comedy Novel

Jenny Colgan, Christmas At The Cupcake Café, Little, Brown
Jenny Colgan, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, Little, Brown
Margaret James, The Wedding Diary, Choc Lit
Milly Johnson, It's Raining Men, Simon and Schuster
Ali McNamara, Step Back In Time, Little, Brown
Fiona Walker, The Summer Wedding, Sphere

Young Adult Romantic Novel

Liz Bankes, Irresistible, Piccadilly Press
Christina Courtney, New England Rocks, Choc Lit
Alex Gutteridge, Last Chance Angel, Templar Publishing.
Imogen Howson, Linked, Quercus
Marie-Louise Jenson, Smuggler's Kiss, Oxford University Press
Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth, Corgi

RoNA Rose Award

Louise Allen, Forbidden Jewel of India, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Caroline Anderson, Snowed in with the Billionaire, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Liz Fielding, Anything But Vanilla, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Joanna Fulford, His Lady of Castlemora, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Kate Hardy, Bound by a Baby, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Kate Hardy, Her Real Family Christmas, Harlequin Mills & Boon

The Exeter Novel Prize Shortlist 2013

Cathie Hartigan, Sophie Duffy and I are delighted and proud to announce the shortlist for the first Exeter Novel Prize. We enjoyed reading all the entries and, when we were compiling a longlist to send to our final judge, the London literary agent Broo Doherty, we had to make some difficult choices.

We suspect Broo had to make some difficult choices, too!

Here are the entries Broo chose:

67 Ways to Kill Your Sister - Sonia Weiss

A Puff of Madness - Heather Reed

Brighton Revels - Anne Summerfield

Sealskin - Su Bristow

The Bean Farm - Joan Brennan

Timed Out - Barbara Hudson

The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in Exeter on 22nd March. See www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk for full details.

The shortlisted authors are all winners and will all take home a cash prize. Who will the overall winner be? Well, that's a big secret between Broo and Broo!

We're looking forward to finding out who will be the winner of this trophy and £500. The runners-up will each receive £50.

The Creative Writing Student's Handbook

The whole book has now been serialised on www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk.

If you're a student of creative writing, or if you teach creative writing, Cathie Hartigan and I would be very happy to receive any comments on the book.  The final chapter will be free on the website until the end of February.  Then we will be sifting through all the feedback and producing a final version.

Thank you to everyone who has downloaded individual chapters (thousands of you) and commented on the website or emailed Cathie and me direct.

We hope we've given lots of people some useful help and guidance on their writing journey.

Meet novelist Pauline Barclay

My guest on my blog this month is contemporary novelist Pauline Barclay, who has flown in from warmer climes to tell me a little about herself and her approach to writing.

Do sit down and have a chocolate biscuit or several, Pauline. I’ve got some mulled wine for us, too – it keeps out the cold!

Thank you so much, Margaret, for having me here, it is wonderful, a tad chilly compared to where I live, but with your heating on high, I'm snuggly.

When and how and why did you start to write fiction?

I've been writing for most of my life. When I was younger I wrote poems and at the age of 11 I wrote a song that was sung by my class on Parents’ Day! Over the years I've written around 15 short stores and six full length novels. The first two novels are confined to the archive on my laptop! As for the short stories, one of these was dusted down, re-written and edited by my editor for Christmas. Maybe in the future I will delve back into the archives and take another peek. As for how I got into writing fiction, I can’t really remember. I have always had an over-imaginative mind. My mother often said to me when I was younger, "Pauline, you're in a world of your own!"

 Do you come from a creative or artistic family or are you the odd one out?

My mum used to be creative, not writing but making things. When my sister and I were young, she made many of our dresses and knitted all our jumpers and cardigans, often from her own designs. In later years she made soft furnishings, foot stools etc. One of my brothers loves to cook and is very creative with his cooking. I am the only writer so far!

What time of day do you write - morning, afternoon, evening, any time?

I tend to write in the afternoon when I have dealt with all my other responsibilities. Otherwise all I have to do would peck away at my head and I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

What's your favourite part of the writing process - planning, writing the first draft, editing?

I enjoy it all, though I do enjoy the first draft and the editing process. Planning to me is ongoing. The main plot is there, but as my characters grow and become real they often take me down a road or into a situation I had not initially planned.

What are you working on now?

I am working on book 5, sorry no title yet, not even a working one! This book has been a challenge so far, but it is slowly moulding itself into something I am feeling more and more confident with.  I'm about half way with the first draft on my laptop, but the plot is complete in my head!

What's your best advice for anyone starting to write fiction?

Oh I don’t think I am one to give advice, only to say have a go and whatever you do enjoy it. Should you want to take it to publication, then make sure you use a professional editor, not only will they help polish your book, but they will teach you a great deal on how to write your story beautifully.

Five quick questions:

Cat or dog or budgie person or no pets at all?

Dog without hesitation, we have two gorgeous doggies.

What precious possession would you save from a flood?

This is tough, and I'm assuming we are not talking people or pets, so I'm going to say my laptop.

Who is your major literary inspiration?

Mmm, not sure I can answer this! There are many, but I would like to add one lady author who has been an inspiration to me and took me under her wing a few years back and that is historical novelist Helen Hollick

What, if anything, stops you writing and thinking about writing - hobbies, R&R, sleep, nothing?

Sometimes I wish I could just switch off, but I rarely do and there is always something that triggers further thoughts on my writing. I am a sad case I think!

What are your writing ambitions?

Now this is a dream, I would love to be successful and dare to dream of having a best seller.

Thank you, Pauline – it’s been great to talk to you!

www.paulinebarclay.co.uk

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