Meet Suzy Turner - versatility is her middle name!

Yorkshire-born novelist Suzy Turner is my guest on my blog today - welcome, Suzy! I'll just go and put the kettle on and then we can have a nice natter over coffee and cake. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your new novel Forever Fredless! 

Suzy has worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor and magazine editor. Early in 2010 however, she began writing full time and has since completed six books for young adults (the Raven Saga and The Morgan Sisters series) and one chick lit novel, Forever Fredless.

Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 15 years, Michael, their two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she's a princess, is still her home

When and how did you become a writer of fiction, Suzy?  

I was made redundant from my job as a magazine editor a few years ago and so it seemed the perfect opportunity to follow my dream of becoming an author. Luckily, I have a very supportive husband who encouraged me to do just that! So, after a few rejections from literary agents, I decided to go it alone and self publish and I've just released my seventh novel.

What attracted you to chick lit?

Chick lit is my first love when it comes to books. I grew up reading it, learning all about love and life (and sex!!!). It's just such an enjoyable genre to read and, like a fellow author recently said to me, it's like being surrounded by your best friends.

What comes first with you - story, situation, character, setting?

I think it's different every time. With my first books, it was the setting, the second series it was a character and for Forever Fredless, the situation! My next chick lit book (in the planning stage!) is very much about the setting.

Did the characters in Forever Fredless turn up in your head unannounced, or did you have to work hard at developing them? 

I've been pretty lucky with characters so far, they have always just appeared, often unannounced and I love it when happens because I am often surprised!

Who is your favourite character in Forever Fredless, and why? 

Julianne (editor of Liberty Magazine) was a lot of fun to write but I particularly love Kate's mum. Although she's only in the book a short time, I really loved writing her. She's very unusual in that she lives a nomadic lifestyle in Africa!

Do you intend to write more chick lit?

Absolutely! I have so many ideas in my head but I need to finish my next YA book first, and then I can concentrate on my next Chick Lit book which is going to be lots of fun - both researching and writing.

Please tell me five fascinating facts about you?

Fascinating? Oh dear, am I fascinating? 

Yes, of course you're fascinating - all writers are fascinating, aren't we?

Erm... 

1. I chew my tongue when deep in concentration.

2. I grew up in Portugal (where I currently live with my husband).

3. I have a belly button piercing!

4. I worked as the Script Supervisor for a British movie that was recently shot in the Algarve. Find out more here: http://www.therightjuice.net/the-team/

5. I was once interviewed by ITV Yorkshire about living in Portugal, and I'm so embarrassed every time I see it!

Give us a taster of what Forever Fredless is all about?

Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday.

Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?

Ooh, sounds great - looking forward to reading!  Thank you for talking to me today. Funny - all the cake seems to have disappeared...

For more details about Suzy and her books, visit:

Website: http://suzyturner.com

Chick Lit Blog: http://www.fictiondreams.com

YA Blog: http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/suzyturnerbooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@suzy_turner

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/suzyturnerbooks

The Creative Writing Student's Handbook - are you a writer?

It's the beginning of October, which means there is a new chapter of The Creative Writing Student's Handbook up on the Creative Writing Matters website - and it's free for a whole month.

This new chapter deals with the actuality of being a writer.  What do writers do all day? What inspires and what depresses them? Do they think writing is worthwhile? If you decided you wanted to write, where should you start?

After you've read the chapter, please comment if you wish.  Cathie Hartigan and I would love to hear from you.

http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk/the-creative-writing-students-handbook.html

Five pretty twinklers...

It's always great to get a good review and so I was delighted to receive this one from Long and Short Reviews, a prestigious US website.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/the-wedding-diary-by-margaret-james/

I'm now entitled to display the coveted LASR magic button which comes in Wedding Diary blue. It's so pretty and I am so thrilled!

The bad stuff...

There's plenty to be said for being a self-employed writer, even though most of us don't tend to earn a lot of money. Many of us earn some money, we are our own bosses, we can go to work in our pyjamas and we don't have to join the rat race on the daily commute.

But there are drawbacks, and in this chapter of the online free guide to creative writing, creative writing teachers Cathie Hartigan and I suggest what can drag us down and what we can do about it. Here's the link: http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk/the-creative-writing-students-handbook.html

Anybody got any more comments/suggestions? Facebook, Twitter, the Creative Writing Matters website or this blog would love to hear from you.

iTunes freebie - this week only!

Rose Courtenay is having a busy week!

Who is Rose Courtenay?

She's the heroine of my Dorset trilogy and you can read the first part of her story free on iTunes this week.

Rose is very dear to my heart.  She's been with me for a very long time. She first walked into my head about ten years ago and told me to tell her story. Nowadays, I probably know more about Rose than I know about myself. I also know about her descendants, and this year I am writing her great-grand-daughter Rosie's story. Actually, I've got a bit out of sequence, because her grand-daughter Lily's story is still to be written. But there's time.

Busy, busy, busy!

Click on this link to download your free book: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-silver-locket/id550223793?mt=11

Amazon Daily Deal

Yes, it's one of those blink-and-you-miss-it offers. The Kindle version of my Charton Minster Trilogy is only 99p on Amazon's UK site, but only for today, Sunday 21st July. The Daily Deal is just what it says - a bargain for one day only.

It's been very gratifying to see it race up the Kindle chart today. Click on the link below to see if you fancy the books?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charton-Minster-Trilogy-Choc-ebook/dp/B00CS7OD24/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1374416141&sr=1-1&keywords=charton+minster

RNA Conference 2013 - the hot pix!

The RNA Conference 2013 was held in tropical Sheffield, and my goodness it was hot.  We were based on one of Sheffield University's sites, The Edge, which is a beautifully designed and landscaped place on the edge (fancy that) of the city. The lake was especially lovely and as I walked around it on Saturday morning I was very tempted to kick off my shoes and have a paddle.  But I didn't want to scare the moorhen chicks.

As usual, Conference Organisers Jan Jones and Roger Sanderson did a fantastic job of finding a great conference venue and making sure everything ran like clockwork. Well done, huge thanks and even huger hugs to Jan and Roger - two bright twinklers in the RNA heavens!

I took a few photographs of us all having a great time - that is, working really hard and being inspired by the excellent speakers Jan and Roger lined up for us. I was sad to leave and am already looking forward to the RNA Conference 2014.

At the Saturday night gala dinner - here is the lovely Jan Jones, Conference Organiser and all-round good egg!  Thank so much, Jan - you did a fantastic job.

...and here is Jane Lovering, RNA Major Award Winner in 2012, sitting next to Roger Sanderson, Jan's fellow Organiser and equally good egg.

Of course, my local RNA Chapter - The Devon Violets - sent a contingent to the conference. Here are Su Bristow, Cathie Hartigan and my lovely self getting ready to stuff our faces with roast duck, followed by vanilla bean cheesecake - delicious!

We actually did quite a lot of work.  I talked to lots of writers and now have most of my Writing Magazine articles for 2014 mapped out and organised - thank you, RNA members! 

Finally - here are my fellow Choc Lit authors Christine Stovell and RNA Chairman Pia Fenton, AKA Christina Courtenay, discussing weighty matters like plot, characterisation, structure, narrative viewpoint, and fancying a glass of something cold and white.

I'm sure a great time was had by all. Thank you, RNA - you've been my inspiration throughout my writing life, and I know you will always continue to be.