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.

GUEST AUTHOR: Jane Beckenham

My next guest hails from Aotearoa. Where's that? I hear you ask.

Well, read on and find out, and say hi to Kiwi author, Jane Beckenham.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Well, I live in Auckland and as of today only 500 metres from the sea, but on May 20th we are moving from the home we have been in for 24 years.

Scary thought – especially all that packing, though at the moment we could be considered homeless as we have not found a house to buy yet! Anyone have a room to rent? LOL.

When did you start to write and how long did it take you to be published?
I started writing in 1998 (I think) when we bought our first PC. I did try a few years earlier, but that was by long hand and basically I’m too lazy to write long handed. I was a massive reader of M&B romances over the years and probably like many thought – hey I could do that – yeah right!

My first one, of course, was rejected by M&B and then I met Ellen Ben-Sefer online and we wrote several time travel romances together which were picked up early on.

What do you think it is about your genre that readers find so fascinating?
Not sure if it is fascinating, but I hope that with romances they find some form of satisfaction that can take them out of their own day to day life, give them relief from whatever is happening. Because in the end as writers we’re trying to entertain the reader.

Are you a pantster, scener, or plotter? Is it your characters or plot that influence you most?
I hate to admit but I’m a conglomeration of everything. Pantser to start with and then I realise I know absolutely bloody nothing about the story and have to settle down and figure it out – hence my graying hair. But my characters are definitely my biggest influence on the story.

Can you tell us about your latest release?
In June Samhian Books are releasing my 3rd book with them – SECRETS AND SEDUCTION. It’s about a widow whose husband was abusive who leaves her nearly bankrupt with a child who calls her mama and who really isn’t hers. It’s about the lengths we will go to, to save what we love the most even when she’s confronted by her dead husband’s brother who is determined to test her to the limit.

What are some fun facts about the geographic locations where your novel takes place?
Oh gosh, don’t know if it’s fun. But SECRETS AND SEDUCTION takes place in an olive grove. I can thank Tessa Radley for that as she wrote a book set on a vineyard and I though..hmmm… where else could it be set.

Also I was wanting my guy Mac to be a rough tough kinda guy and I was reading about Wildcatters, those guys who work on oilrigs. One of the most successful Glenn McCarthy became a multi-millionaire. So he was my road map for my hero Mac.

What’s the worst writing mistake that taught you a valuable lesson?
Not feeling as comfortable as I should with historical facts. While writing HEARTSONG, a time travel set in the time of Henry 8th and Anne Boleyn, it was a very complicated political time and I really struggled with this. I think if I wrote a book again at such a difficult time, I would really try and learn more. It was a real learning curve.

What’s the most unusual place you have visited?
I’ve lived in Israel, been in the Artic Circle, and to Russia and a few other places, but those would be the most ‘different’. Israel I adore, and Russia is very close to my heart. The Artic Circle at midnight on the longest day is really something.

Oh…and I’ve been to a penguin colony in Argentina that had over 5million penguins. That’s a bit different!

Which book that you’ve read has made a lasting impression on you? And why?
Oh, easy. All of Sandra Hill’s because of her great humor and strong characters, and Sophia James' Ashblane’s Lady. Fabulous writing, strong and beautifully crafted. Plus I was recently reading some Maureen Childs and I really liked those.

Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?
My baby Bingo - a dog we adopted 4 years ago – think that is a thread in this household. He had been an abused puppy that was rescued and we got him when he was about 4 months old. He’s my darling. We’ve also got 2 cats, but I killed all the fish. We went through a few of them over the years.

Are there any particular settings or sorts of characters you’d like to use in a future book?
I would really like to use a character- male or female – who is disabled in some way.

Do you have any advice/handy tips/craft skills you’d like to share with unpublished authors?
Don’t give up, even when the times are tough and you wonder what the hell you are doing attached to the keyboard when you could be outside in the sunshine and having fun, but just keep going.

But also remember to relax. It’s got to be enjoyable and I think there are times when it becomes a slog, rather than the pleasure we first had with writing.

So get some balance in your life otherwise it all just gets too hard to keep going.

Jane, it's been great having you here, thanks for visiting.

So, do you now know where Jane lives? The clues were in the opening :-) .

Some of Jane's other books:

If you'd like to know more about Jane, use this website link.

TOPIC: To regret, or not to regret - that is the question...

A friend asked me the other day if I could change anything on this journey I've made to becoming a published writer what would it be. It set me to thinking long and hard about the topic.

*I wish I'd discovered RWAustralia sooner than I did. Until I entered the RWA Emma Darcy Award I never even knew they existed.

Joining this writing organisation has enriched my professional and personal life as a writer. I've learned so much about the craft of writing, the publishing industry and how everyone fits within the jigsaw, networking, pitching, developed friendships...the list could go on.

*I regret not having pitched to an editor or agent at a conference earlier than I did. Public speaking, interview situations, anything that resembled either of these petrified me (even though I'm a teacher and can quite happily make a fool of myself and love it in front of a classroom full of children).

I put it off for nearly six years, preferring the anonymity and safety of emails and letters. I'm still reluctant to tackle this sort of situation but I can now do it because I know what to expect. I also realise the value of networking and meeting industry professionals face to face. Putting a name to a face (on both sides of the interview table) is such an important step.

*My latest wish is that I'd developed myself as a plotter and planner in my writing style rather than as a scener and panster. It's something I'm now working on and, unfortunately I'm finding it quite a challenge. I'd been told time and again by other writers (published ones) that it's an important skill to develop but I went on my merry way, happy to write as I wanted, instead of learning and changing. Better late than never, eh?

This might seem like a negative list of regrets, and I guess to some extent they are just that, but timing has a funny way of working out and I've learned sometimes there's nothing you can do but accept this. For some reason they happen when they do.

Reminds me of the reed-in-the-water analogy - you learn to bend with the current rather than break.

If you're a fellow writer, is there anything you wish you could have learned sooner in your writing career? Care to share?

Who's That Girl? interview with Nicola Sheridan

Some more home grown Aussie talent!

Please make Nicola feel welcome.

 Name?  Nicola E. Sheridan.

Where are you? Western Australia.

How many years have you been a member of RWAustralia? One year - and what a year its been! 

What genre/s do you write? I write parnormal/fantasy romance.

Who are your favourite authors? I love J.K. Rowling and Karen Marie Moning. Totally different authors, but completely amazing world builders!

What inspired you to write romance? I have always enjoyed fantasy, but  lamented it's lack of sexiness. Every book deserves a sexy hero and really, what's a book without a little romance? I just love the romantic aspect of writing and couldn't write a book without it. 

What's the best thing about going to conference? I've only been to "Romancing the West" twice, but I love being around other people who do the same thing I do.

Sometimes, as a writer you feel like you're the only person who does what you do... until you go to a conference and talk to all the others! I also love hearing other peoples advice on writing. You always learn something new. 

And lastly, finish these statements...
My greatest strength as a writer is... the fact I want to write, rather than have to write. That, and a ridiculously over-active imagination.
A sexy hero needs... a sexy back!

My latest WIP (work in progress) is about... Genies, DemonSpawn and Kuala Lumpur. I'm having a lot of fun!
When I write I like to... listen to Arabic music very loud. My poor neighbours! Haha!
My best writing milestone to date is... getting published. MAGICAL GAINS was published in March 2011 by Eternal Press and I just got a contract for my second book, MAGICAL CREATIONS, due for release in October 2011.

If you'd like to find out more about Nicola, click on the website link, or follow her blog or Facebook group. You can also find her author page at Eternal Press.

GUEST AUTHOR: Anne Whitfield

My special guest author today is Anne Whitfield.

An avid reader long before she put fingers to keyboard, Anne also considers herself a storyteller who loves to entertain her readers. She writes contemporary romance novels, short stories and historical women's fiction (and is published with Knox's Robinson Publishing).

Her latest release is THE HOUSE OF WOMEN (avaialble June 2011), but I'll let her tell you more about it in the interview.

Please welcome, Anne to my blog hotseat!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Australian born to English parents who emigrated to Australia in the 1960s from Yorkshire. I’m married with three children and live in a wonderful part of New South Wales, called the Southern Highlands, nearly two hours drive south of Sydney.

I did live in England for three years in the eighties and lived in a very old farmhouse (built in late 1700s) with no modern conveniences like central heating! The pipes used to freeze in winter and we’d have to get water in buckets from town, or melt snow. It was all very strange for an Aussie girl!

However, living in England gave me the love of history.


When did you start to write and how long did it take you to be published? 

I started writing in 1997, but didn’t finished that first novel until 1999. After a few false starts, and a tight escape from a vanity publisher (I had no idea what one was at the time!) I signed with Samhain Publishing in 2005.

Can you tell us about your latest release? 

I loved the idea of a large family all pulling different ways. With a selfish mother, a tyrannical father and seven daughters, the family was complex, but add to that a lost love, a heroic butler and a handsome stranger, well, the real fun began then!

THE HOUSE OF WOMEN was a great book to write.
 

THE HOUSE OF WOMEN
Leeds. 1870. 
Lonely and brokenhearted, Grace Woodruff fights for her sisters’ rights to happiness while sacrificing any chance for her own.
The eldest of seven daughters, Grace is the core of strength around which the unhappy members of the Woodruff family revolve. As her disenchanted mother withdraws to her rooms, Grace must act as a buffer between her violent, ambitious father and the sisters who depend upon her. Rejected by her first love and facing a spinster’s future, she struggles to hold the broken family together through her father’s infidelity, one sister’s alcoholism, and another’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy by an unsuitable match.
Caring for an illegitimate half-brother affords Grace an escape, though short-lived. Forced home by illness and burdened with dwindling finances, Grace faces fresh anguish –and murder– when her first love returns to wreck havoc in her life.  All is not lost, however. In the midst of tragedy, the fires of her heart are rekindled by another. Will the possibility of true love lead Grace to relinquish her responsibilities in the house of women and embrace her own right to happiness?

Which book that you’ve read has made a lasting impression on you? And why?
Most of Audrey Howard’s books leave a lasting impression on me. I love her books. The heroine usually goes through hell before the happy ever after ending. Catherine Cookson’s Tilly Trotter series and also, THE DWELLING PLACE as firm favourites, too.

Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?

 Yes, I have our little dog, Angus, who is a Tenterfield Terrier (like a Jack Russell) and he’s my constant companion. He likes to sit under my desk, but around 10:30am he knows it’s morning tea time and if I don’t get up, he starts to ‘talk’ and jump about. So, I get up and put the kettle on for a coffee and he gets a chewy bone.

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

I’ve just started writing my next historical. As of yet it doesn’t have a title, but the main characters, Charlotte and Harry, are there, demanding to be heard. It’s set in Yorkshire England again, about 1874.

Aside of this new story, I have plenty of finished books waiting to be published. Stay tuned!

Do you have any advice/handy tips/craft skills you’d like to share with unpublished authors? 

Advice can be tricky, because so much depends on the writer and what they write, but first I would say, never give up! This is a hard and at times very frustrating business, be prepared to wait for results. Learn everything you can about it.

Talk to other writers, join writing groups and especially try and find a good critique group, who will help you polish your manuscript before you send it out.

Research agents. Research publishers. 

Anne, it's been wonderful having you here! Thanks for answering my questions.

Some of Anne's other books:

  
Feel free to visit Anne at her website (for more of her books and free stories) or blog, she'd love to see you there!

Day in the Life of a Cat

Being a little snowed under with writing at the moment, this is an easy topic to cover. So, you're get a something on cats. Self-indulgent (but hey, doesn't that suit a feline?) and more than a bit cutesy (my cats have now hidden my digital camera somewhere as they got sick of me stalking them - sigh).

Ever wondered what the moggies do while you're away?

Well, I had bird-cam, corner of the house-cam, plant-cam, door-cam and room-cam snap some of the things my 3 cats did during the course of a day.

Watching the world go by...

What? You mean this isn't a cat hammock?

Is that a bird I see perched at the top of that tree?

Why do things standing up when you can lie down?

What do you mean this is a road for cars? It's my rolling around and get dusty spot!

I TOLD you there was something on top of the roof!

Hanging out together...

Lick one, spit algae, lick two, spit algae...

Yes, I AM Kylie Griffin-look at my awards!

Mary Hawkins "Baragula" Giveaway Winner announced!

Anyone who comments went into the draw for this fabulous give-away!

The winner will get to choose which one of the Baragula series books they would like to receive.

The name plucked out in the draw is...

Cath

Congratulations! Please contact Mary - mary (at) mary-hawkins (dot) com - an she can arrange for your prize to be sent to you!

(Mary is on holiday at the moment but will be back in about a week, so she'll contact you then.)

Happy reading!