Getting to know … Nancy Jardine

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

Defy sub classification is probably more appropriate. My novels tend to straddle genres and sub-genres. The Beltane Choice is a Celtic/ Roman Britain adventure which has been described as having ‘serious historical content’, but since it also has strong romance elements it doesn’t fit the usual historical genre. Topaz Eyes is an ancestral mystery, with elements of romance, crime, danger and suspense.

Take Me Now is also a romance mystery, but what I call my ‘corporate sabotage mystery’. This one sat with the publisher’s editing department for a couple of months pre-publication since it didn’t quite fit The Wild Rose Press ‘suspense’ line. They eventually decided to publish it under their general contemporary line, but for it to fit there it needed revisions to make it more ‘sensual’.

Monogamy Twist is also an ancestral mystery - a sensual contemporary romance on a ‘dilapidated English manor house Dickensian Bequest’ theme. Dabbling With Time- a time-travel adventure for early teens that’s historically based has yet another different target audience but that’s still unpublished.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Each novel has been different. My Dabbling With Time time-travel and my historical The Beltane Choice, were at initial drafts around 2005 and worked on only during school summer holidays. They were then laid aside till around 2009 when more edits were done. The Beltane Choice was submitted to two places and rejected. Major redrafts were made after each rejection before it was accepted by Crooked Cat Publishing in Feb 2012. My debut publication was a romance, Monogamy Twist, was started around October 2010 and was accepted, at first submission, for publication in March 2011. Take Me Now was conceived around September 2011 and was accepted in February 2012, similarly on first submission. I began Topaz Eyes in September 2011 when I gave up teaching and submitted it late spring 2012.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Patchy! My writing flow is interrupted by many things, but mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I take time out to officially child-mind my toddler granddaughter (unpaid because I’m a soft touch). An exuberant 20 month old and a keyboard don’t progress well together so no writing is done on those days. I also have a large garden and jobs out there are very weather dependent- which in north-east Scotland means jump out when it’s not raining!  When not blogging, or social media-ing, during the remainder of my week, I’m writing. I aim to start at around 7.30am and I’m at the keyboard till maybe 11pm give or take meal breaks and an occasional snatch at the news. 

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

My historical work stems from loving to teach historical periods to my primary classes of 11 -12 year olds- the Celtic/Roman period a particular favourite. Monogamy Twist evolved from a combination of watching a TV version of a Dickens novel while simultaneously dabbling in my first serious ancestral researches of my own family. I had to create a fictitious family tree for Monogamy Twist and enjoyed the experience so much I decided to create an even more complex family tree for a mystery novel. Topaz Eyes is the result.

The idea for my fun corporate sabotage romance Take Me Now came from a family jaunt in a seaplane. In 2009, along with 8 members of my family, I hopped onto a seaplane in Glasgow and flew up to Oban in the west coast of Scotland.  That was on the Saturday morning, and to extend our fun family weekend we also chartered a catamaran and cruised around the islands for the rest of the day. An excellent evening meal and overnight in Oban was fantastic and we returned to Glasgow on the Sunday. Flying over and sailing around the islands was the trigger for my fun romance Take Me Now.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Technically speaking it was in 1999, I was 47, and my first book Locos 99 was a self-published non-fiction set of photocopiable resources for Aberdeenshire teachers- the topic being the Railway Works at Inverurie which had recently had a centenary celebration. I wrote, edited (some help from my husband) and printed 50 copies of the packs at home (Pack contained 100 sheets, a CD rom version and an audio tape of anecdotal memories of ex workers. My husband also helped me create an interactive website.)  A4 size sheets held by a slide binder were the most convenient printing format at that time for school copiers. The 50 copies were personally delivered to local schools.

However, since it was like worksheets I didn’t consider it my first ‘book’. I’m still sitting on the fence on that one. Maybe your readers can confirm?  Skip to 2005 and I wrote a full-length, non-fiction history of Kintore School (where I taught and the village I live in) which dated back to the early 1500s to the first ever recorded schoolmaster and schoolroom. All profits of the 350 copies sold went to school coffers. Thankfully Aberdeenshire Council had a printing division which printed and designed the cover. Whew! Both ‘Locos 99’ and ‘a squeel at kintore fir monie a year’ took my entire summer holiday to write but even by the summer’s end of 2005 I still didn’t consider I had written a book.

However, I decided to try to write a proper book, i.e. a novel! First one published by a small publisher was Monogamy Twist August 2011- royalties to me at last!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Like and have to do are two different things. I have to do lots of gardening to keep up with my large area, most of which I like doing. Ideally I love to read and wish for more time for that. Since becoming serious about my writing around late 2008 I don’t have much ‘free’ time for anything but researching (some ancestry) and writing.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That a story can evolve from such a small germ of an idea. I’m mostly a ‘pantser’ in that I create as I go after having a very loose start point. That has been the case for most of my novels – except my latest publication Topaz Eyes which needed a lot of advance planning, the start point being the family tree for the mystery. After the tree was created and the world locations chosen for the treasure hunt, I found I was often reverting back to being a ‘pantser’ as I added, chopped, and changed to suit the timeline and the twists in the plot. And, like most new writers, the social media and marketing of my novels came as quite a shock.  

How many books have you written?

Largely answered already but in a nutshell: 2 non-fictions, 2 ancestral mysteries, 1 historical, 1 fun contemporary romance, 1 time-travel for early teens (unpublished).

Which is your favourite and why?

The Beltane Choice holds a big piece of my heart. It was the one that I really wanted published, had worked on it for ages, and Crooked Cat Publishing made me so happy when they accepted it. But then, I could also say I really want my time-travel for early teens published too, and that’s not happened yet. When that is published it will, no doubt, become my favourite. Or, maybe it’s all of them? …just kidding but I do love them all.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

As a pre-10 year old I wanted to be a ballerina like the ones in my weekly comic ‘Sandra of the Secret Ballet’. As a teenager, I was heavily influenced by some of the excellent teachers at my school but when it came to making university choices my two preferences were to be a librarian or a teacher. I became a teacher.

What are you working on now?

I’m almost finished the sequel/ follow on to my historical novel The Beltane Choice. As with all my other projects I’ve tried to do something a bit different with this one and at the moment it’s less of a romance, and more of an adventure with even more ‘serious historical’ content. The research has been fascinating for it and extremely time consuming since I have been so easily diverted by finding something else I didn’t really know or understand about Celtic/Roman Britain AD 70s and 80s.  I’m also 14 thou+ words into a family saga that’s very loosely based on my own family black sheep.

Thanks for inviting me today, Lorraine!

Titles available:

Topaz Eyes

The Beltane Choice

Take Me Now

Monogamy Twist

Amazon UK author page: http://amzn.to/N6ye0z  

Amazon.com author page: http://amzn.to/RJZzZz 

Blog: http://nancyjardine.blogspot.com

Nancy’s Novels: http://nancyjardineauthor.weebly.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/XeQdkG

Twitter: @nansjar

About Me: http://about.me/nancyjardine

Linked-In: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-jardine/3a/9b0/a91/

 

Bio:

An ex-primary teacher, Nancy Jardine, lives in the castle country of Aberdeenshire – Scotland. Ancestry research is an intermittent hobby: neglecting her large garden in favour of writing is becoming the norm. Activity weekends with her extended family are prized since they give her great fodder for new writing, and child minding her energetic granddaughter every week is an absolute joy.

A lover of history, it sneaks into most of her writing along with many of the fantastic world locations she has been fortunate to visit. Her published work to date has been two non fiction history related projects; two contemporary ancestral mysteries; one light-hearted contemporary romance mystery and a historical novel. She has been published by The Wild Rose Press and Crooked Cat Publishing.

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Getting to know ... Pamela Kelt

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

My first book to come out was Tomorrow’s Anecdote and it’s a quirky one - part newsroom thriller, part genealogical mystery, part rant, part retro suspense. Three other titles (due out this summer) sit nicely on the historical fiction shelf: Dark Interlude, Half Life and The Lost Orchid – fictional characters (on the whole) set against real-life incidents. Finally, I’ve been developing a sideline in teen fantasy: Ice Trekker and the Legends of Liria series.

What made you choose these genres?

The first book I completed was The Lost Orchid, a tale of botanical shenanigans in 1885 England. I was taking my two dogs for a walk past Guy’s Cliffe, a local beauty spot by the river, complete with picturesque ruin of a Gothic mansion. It’s supposedly, haunted, of course. I had a crummy new boss and suddenly realised I hated my job. I began to develop a story, reading up on the exploits of crazy Scottish plant collectors. I never realised I liked history until I began to research it for myself. Now I’m hooked.

I tried my hand at YA books inspired by the Edge Chronicles. I’ve read them all. It’s harder than it looks, but it does make a lovely change because I don’t have to do that much research. When I get stuck, I can just make something up.

How long does it take you to write a book?

If I don’t get distracted, four or five months. The YA titles maybe two or three.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I like to think I’m disciplined, but it’s becoming increasingly chaotic. I certainly work hard, but I can’t write anything sensible until after 10.30. I am most definitely not a morning person. I became allergic to early mornings when I worked on newspapers. Most mornings, I blast away doing mainly admin/PR until lunch, grab a carb-free bite, walk the dogs, then blast away editing or writing most afternoons. Oddly enough, I often get a surge of ideas around five o’clock, then I crumple in a heap. Weekends are much the same. Recently, I’ve developed a truly shocking habit of ‘just checking my emails’ at 10pm. Fatal.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Some are based on personal experience, but most of the time, my brain starts popping when I actually stop working and take a break. Ice Trekker and Half Life, for instance, very different books, were inspired by a trip to Tromsø, north of the Arctic Circle. Dark Interlude was partly based on my thesis on 17th-century Spanish interludes, mingled in with settings from trips to Scotland. I feel a bit guilty about Dark Interlude, as it’s based on a near revolution in Glasgow – and I hadn’t been to the city at the time! Worse still, I’m from Edinburgh. The cheek!

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Ha! It’s called The Evil Magi of Scrunge, a dark political fantasy. I was 34. A couple of years before that I tried my hand at a locked library mystery (vicious academic found strangled by a chained book), but I never actually finished it.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I’ve become a conference groupie. Every time my husband gets an invitation (now that my daughter’s at uni), I wangle my way in and hit the art galleries and culture hot spots while he stoically attends the sessions. I get myself kitted up with a sun visor, sunglasses, map, cash, camera, mobile phone, sensible shoes and a museum pass … and hit the road. I probably look like a deranged lady golfer, but I love it. I think it’s because it takes me back to the glory days of Interrail.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

There were mutinies throughout and after the First World War which were hushed up – never mind the events of Black Friday, when Glasgow was on the brink of revolution. The Red Flag flew in George Square and Churchill sent in the troops. They never told us about that when I was at school.

How many books have you written?

Eight and counting.

Which is your favourite and why?

It has to be Tomorrow’s Anecdote as it’s such a personal tale. Oddly enough, I only wrote it because I’d just received a snippy rejection in the post complaining about adjectives and the agent’s personal dislike of books in the first person. I was so cross, I just let rip. ‘I’m going to write like I want!’ I raged and began to pound at the keyboard, without so much as a plan to start with. When my husband read the first few pages that evening, he was in bits – and he’s a tough critic. ‘Write it like that,’ he urged. ‘As it comes.’ So, I worked on the story, and then it just poured out. When Crooked Cat signed me up, I laughed and cried simultaneously while jumping about the kitchen and playing ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ really loudly on my laptop. The dogs went berserk, too. Now the book’s out there, I’ve found I’ve actually come to terms with quite a difficult chunk of my life. It represents a watershed, professionally and personally. Now, I feel quite fearless – and that’s something from a spotlight-spy creature like me.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Guess what? A writer.

What are you working on now?

I know one shouldn’t edit and write at the same time, buy hey. I’m putting the finishing touches to another YA story, a crazy Regency-style adventure called True Haven. I’m also halfway through Machiavelli’s Acolyte, a blood-stained tale of power and corruption featuring the most charming anti-hero imaginable. I think of it as Dexter meets the Borgias. I love villains, so this time, they’re getting centre stage. And both books are written in the first person. So there.

Bio

Author Pamela Kelt’s background is in languages. She took Spanish at the University of Manchester then went on to Oxford to complete an M. Litt thesis on ‘Comic aspects of satirical 17th-century comic interludes’, which was far more interesting than it sounds.

After becoming a technical translator, she moved into copywriting, PR, proofre

ading and teaching English. On a stint in Australia, she landed a sub-editor’s job and entered the world of journalism, especially enjoying page layout and writing features and reviews.

Educational magazines and online publishing followed. Then, one bright day, while walking the dogs, thinking ‘to heck with a career’, she took the plunge into writing for herself. She is now the author of six books for adults, teens and younger readers. Pam writes full time in leafy Kenilworth where she enjoys walking her two daft dogs, watching her windowsill orchids grow and keeping up with the best mystery and adventure stories around.

Tomorrow’s Anecdote – Now out with Crooked Cat

Dark Interlude – out June 2013 Muse

Half Life (with Robert J Deeth) – out August 2013 Muse

Ice Trekker – out September 2013 Muse

The Lost Orchid – out soon Bluewood Publishing

The Cloud Pearl (Legends of Liria) – out November 2013 Muse

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Have Idea, Will Travel (or rather, will travel, have idea)

Magdalena from Salford wants to become a travel writer. She asked: can you give me some advice on travel writing? I’m going to be taking a number of trips this year and hope to write up some of them, but I’m not sure how to find angles for features.

Firstly, you need to think about query letters. These can be sent either before or after a trip, but it is essential that you know exactly what your article will cover and how you intend to deal with the information, so it is often easier to query after you get back. However, if you do query in advance, make sure you mention when you will be going, so that the editor doesn’t ‘pencil you in’ too soon if she likes the idea.

I find my angles for travel features often occur to me when I’m actually in the location. I see something unusual, or notice a particular event that is different, and then build my article around that. It’s quite difficult to decide in advance, before you’ve even visited a place, what it is that is going to stand out. Keep your eyes open at all times, sometimes even a taxi trip can provide the inspiration for a unique angle. I always chat to locals and try to get to see the place through their eyes.

Also, do bear in mind that you can often write several different articles using the same information from different angles.

Markets need to be fully researched, but the following websites might be of benefit to you.

http://www.wexas.com/travel/traveller/

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/destinations/europe/

http://www.internationalliving.com

http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

http://www.goworldtravel.com/

You can write your article on a trip taken as far back in the past as you like, as long as your facts are completely up to date. When querying, don’t mention when the trip took place, but send in an outline showing how you will deal with the information and the tone the article will take.

One final point, few editors will accept a travel feature without illustrations, so take lots of high quality pictures.

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Getting to know ... Sarah England

What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?

Expected falls into humour, with a splat.

 

What made you choose that genre?

It kind of chose me. I’m the Queen of Jinx - the sort of person who gets trapped in revolving doors, trips up, says the wrong thing, gets into a mess and can’t get out of it etc. – so I decided to make it into an art form. 

How long does it take you to write a novel?

I have only written the one and it took about two months. The editing then took about three weeks but I did it at least eight times. So it’s a little difficult to say. I am hoping my next one will be around the three month mark.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Totally erratic. My husband keeps normal hours, which massively interferes with my abnormal ones. I can type frantically for 4-5 hours with no break and not noticing the time. Then I can lie there like a tragic drama queen for a whole morning doing absolutely nothing.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Tragically mine are from real life experiences, or someone else’s tragic life. Sometimes odd characters and plot ideas pop into my head as I go along and a new seam of thought opens up.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Well I have been a short story writer for about 8 years or so now – with many, many short stories in national magazines, papers & anthologies. So my first publication was in 2006 with My Weekly. However, my first attempts at novels, which I had the brass neck to send out to publishers because they were such tomes of utter tosh, were sent out in 2002. Oh the shame. Expected is my first published novel and I was 48 when I first drafted it out.    

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read. I also shop like a demon. And I have a gorgeous springer spaniel called Harry, who doesn’t get walked enough.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Just how much I started to love my characters and how they took on a life of their own.

How many books have you written?

I also have a collection of thrillers called 3am and Wide Awake which is currently out with Alfie Dog Fiction and also on Amazon. These are mostly medical, supernatural, horrors and thrillers with twists.

Which is your favourite book and why?

It has to be Expected because there is so much of the young ‘me’ in the very stupid Sam….

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I used to devour all my mother’s Victoria Holt’s and wanted nothing more than to be a beautiful heroine. An actress. I then went on to become a dingbat daydreamer who tried to make people laugh.

What are you working on now? 

I am about to start one of two projects – either a sequel to Expected or a supernatural thriller. I veer wildly between horror and comedy….

Sarah has had over 140 short stories published and a serial with Woman’s Weekly called Someone Out There, published March 2013. She currently has two published books – a short story collection, 3am and WideAwake, and a comedy novel Expected.

3am and Wide Awake

Expected

U-tube video: http://youtu.be/rsvi9yI5S-g

Website: http://www.sarahengland.yolasite.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahenglandauthor

Twitter: @sarahengland16

Linkedin:    uk.linkedin.com/pub/sarah-england/6b/5b2/127/

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-England/e/B005P0GDYW/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/489204.Sarah_E_England

Smashwords: free download of short comedy: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sengland

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