Who's That Girl? interview with Cody Young

Cruising across The Ditch, you get to learn about another Kiwi, folks! Well, actually she's an import but...I'll let Cody tell you all about herself...

Name? Cody Young.

Where are you? I’m in Auckland. I’ve lived in New Zealand since I was a teenager, but I’m from the UK. I was born in the New Forest – which sounds very romantic – but actually it was a perfectly ordinary little hospital. 

How many years have you been a member of RWNZ? I’ve been a member of RWNZ for three years, and plan to join all the others (RWAustralia, RWAmerica), if they’ll have me.

I know I wouldn’t be published if I didn’t belong to RWNZ – all the encouragement and advice from other writers has been invaluable.

I found my publisher, Embrace Books UK, through a call for submissions in the RWNZ newsletter. 

What genre/s do you write? Historical romance and Young Adult fiction. My novella, SCANDAL AT THE FARMHOUSE, is out now.

Who are your favourite authors? Charles Dickens is a big favourite. Jane Austen. Shakespeare. Yes, I know, golden oldies. Marian Keyes, Lee Child and Ruth Rendell.

In the romance world I like Anna Campbell, Lisa Kleypas and Diana Gabaldon. 

What inspired you to write romance? I went to get some advice about becoming a writer from British playwright Tony Parker  - he came to our local library one snowy evening when I was seventeen.

I told him I wanted to write plays full of ‘social comment’, but at home, under my bed, was my work in progress – a story about an English girl falling in love with a Russian guy at the Olympics.

Eventually I must have realised that I wanted to write romance. One of these days I’ll finish that story, too. 

Who's your dream agent/publisher? I don’t know. I already have my dream editor – Jane Holland – she’s an author herself, and she’s the daughter of prolific romance writer Charlotte Lamb. Jane is incredibly knowledgeable, and she has helped me to take my writing to a whole new level. 

What's the best thing about going to conference? Our conferences are the highlight of my year. I learn so much every time – but I’d have to say the best thing is being with my writer-friends and making new ones. I wonder if that should read ‘writer-fiends’ …they all write so fast! 

My greatest strength as a writer is... my determination to succeed. It isn’t easy taking the knocks and the rejections, but if you don’t get back up and send out the next manuscript, you’ll never get to enjoy the successes. 
A sexy hero needs to be... good-looking enough to catch your eye, witty enough to make you laugh, and wise enough to know when to shut up and move in for the kiss. 

Cody's twins...

My latest work in progress is... a full-length novel set during World War Two. The hero is a handsome RAF pilot who has been badly injured, and he’s afraid he’ll never walk again. Before his accident he was a real Romeo so he thinks his life is over. He is wrong. He falls for a fiery young Irish girl who is working as a servant in his house, but she is determined to resist him and all the other men in the village. It’s been great fun to write.
My best writing milestone to date is... finishing a full-length manuscript in three months – the housework may have suffered a little, though! I have four-year-old twins and they need lots of love and attention so I have to plan my writing around them. 
When I write I like to... block everything else out and write as fast as I can before the inspiration disappears or the twins fill the vacuum cleaner hose with water.

You can follow Cody on her blog.