Many thanks to Jenny Harper for inviting me to be a follow-on guest on this blog tour. http://www.jennyharperauthor.co.uk.blog/

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

At the moment I am working on the third in my historical trilogy. It is tentatively called, EMMA AND HER DAUGHTER, but that could change. I am about four or five chapters away from writing THE END on the first draft now but then will come all the hard work when I have to put in more, accurate, historical detail which I hope will leave my reader wanting to know – and read – more.

I’m also working on a novella as I’ve recently had some good success with two of those, both published by Choc Lit. The novella is contemporary, so I’m wearing two different hats at the moment.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN IS GENRE?

Does it have to differ? I think people read a particular genre because they like it, be it crime, science fiction, historical, literary, romcom, or whatever. They will know, to a certain extent, what sort of book they are reading and will be disappointed to find it radically changed from their preferences. So, I think all a writer can do is to make their characters more memorable and their settings more interesting.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

Writing both historical and contemporary means I can move from one to the other as the mood (and sometimes deadlines!) takes me. I like writing historicals because I also like reading and the research can be, and often is, very absorbing. I learn things. Historicals, by the very definition of the word, is the past and I find that with contemporary writing I can be more ‘in the moment’ as it were, and the writing is more immediate.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

With discipline! I would be a wet weather writer by choice, but make myself do a certain amount of hours, or words, each day – well, that’s the theory. When I start a novel I have a loose idea of what I want for my heroine, how the story will start, how the story will end, but the rest is a journey for us both. And I hope my readers enjoy the journey.

I have just done my first booksigning for EMMA: There’s No Turning Back at Another Chapter on the Quay in Brixham. Here’s a photograph of me with best-selling historical novelist, Kate Furnivall, who is also a fellow member of Brixham Writers.

Following me in this blog tour are Michelle Heatley, Christine Stovell and Cathy Mansell.

MICHELLE HEATLEY: Michelle’s debut novel, FISH SOUP, is to be published in 2014 by Sunpenny. She is also a short story writer and has seen her work published in the UK and Australia. She has also been broadcast on SoundArt Radio. When she’s not at her desk tapping the keys (she is working on an historical novel at the moment) she likes nothing better than to cook – bread, cakes, biscuits and puddings are the current favourites thanks to her Christmas present Kenwood Chef. Second favourite thing to do is to go fishing on the boat she shares with her husband and come back home to cook their catch for supper. http://fishsoupnovel.blogspot.co.uk/

CHRISTINE STOVELL: Winning a tin of chocolate in a national essay competition at primary school inspired Christine Stovell to become a writer. After graduating from UEA she took various jobs in the public sector writing research papers and policy notes by day, and filling up her spare drawers with embryonic novels by night. Losing her dad to cancer made her realise that if she was ever going to get a novel published she had to put her writing first. http://homethoughtsweekly.blogspot.co.uk/

CATHY MANSELL: Cathy is an experienced writer of romantic fiction and, amongst other posts, is Life President of Lutterworth Writers’ Group. Cathy spent her childhood in Ireland so her novels have that touch of authenticity. But writing isn’t all Cathy does – she was a contender in the TV programme, Food Glorious Food, with her recipe, Cathy’s Crumb Crumble. Cathy now livcs with her husband in rural Leicestershire where she writes daily in her ‘Loft Study’ overlooking trees and fields. http://blog.cathymansell.com/