Welcome to my little Valentine's Day special. Some lovely romantic fiction author joined me today to answer some VD related questions. Here is part 1:
Heidi Swain
Hello Simona. Thank you so much for
inviting me to take part in your fabulous, but tricky, Valentine’s Q and A. I
hope you enjoy my answers.
1. Why do you write romantic fiction/women’s fiction?
I write romantic
women’s fiction because I love telling stories about the kinds of lives I would
love to lead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy with my lot in life at all but
Wynbridge, and the surrounding countryside, has a lot to
offer and not just in
the hero department. I love looking at the relationships between women within a
tightknit community doing jobs most of us can only dream of and readers seem to
enjoy escaping in the pages just as much as I do.
2.
Your favourite romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
I’m sorry my love, but after lengthy
consideration I’ve come to the conclusion that, for me, this question is simply
impossible to answer. I’m a huge Milly Johnson and Trisha Ashley fan so I’m
going to cheat and say any or all of their books! However, The Yorkshire
Pudding Club from Milly and Wish Upon A Star from Trisha are probably my top
two from their lists. So far.
3.
Your favourite couple in a
romantic fiction/women’s fiction book?
I pondered over this question for some time
and keep coming back to the same couple, even though they don’t feature in what
could be classed as ‘romantic/women’s fiction’ I’m afraid. The duo I have
settled on is Pop and Ma Larkin, the dream team created by H E Bates in The
Darling Buds of May. For me they are the epitome of what a romantic relationship
should be.
4.
Your favourite couple from your
own books?
Jemma and Tom who own The Cherry Tree Café
in Wynbridge are my own top two. Jemma has never been the main character in one
of my books but both she and Tom feature in all of the Wynbridge tales. They
are madly in love, great parents, loyal and hardworking with a great sense of
what it means to be part of a community. They are the ‘together forever’
backbone of my writing and I’m very fond of them.
5.
The favourite romantic moment
in your books?
I think it would have to be that moment
when The Spark is acknowledged and you know, both as an author and reader, that
the couple in question are going to be together in the end. Sometimes The Spark
happens early on, sometimes later, but there is that lightbulb moment and you
just know that no matter how tough the journey gets, they’ll get there in the
end.
I also love the endings of my books when
all the threads are pulled together in the most romantic package I can conjure
up.
6.
Your favourite first kiss from
your books?
Not exactly a ‘first kiss’, in the truest
sense of the word, but I love that moment in Mince Pies and Mistletoe in the
pub when Steve cheekily kisses Ruby and despite her very best efforts she
simply can’t ignore the rekindled spark between them. So romantic.
7.
Your favourite first kiss from
another book?
I’ve immersed myself in the world of Harry
Potter again recently and I’m going to digress from romance fiction here and
say that (literally) magical first kiss between Hermione and Ron in the Deathly
Hallows has to be my favourite kiss from another book. Goodness knows we waited
long enough for it and although not particularly passionate or long lasting, JK
Rowling delivered it with impeccable timing and finesse.
8.
Your favourite memory of
Valentine’s Day?
Now this is quite simply horrid to admit,
especially for an author of fiction with a romantic premise, but my husband and
I haven’t celebrated Valentine’s Day for decades. When we first met at sweet
sixteen we used to exchange gifts and cards and go out to dinner and to the
cinema all the time, but now more often than not we don’t even see other on the
day and don’t do anything. I’m rather hopeful that this answer will be the
catalyst for reinstating date night and not just for February 14hth! We tell
each other we love each other every single day but the hearts and flowers have
been consigned to the loft…for now.
Heidi Swain Author Bio:
Although passionate about writing from an
early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a
newspaper career, married and had two children before she plucked up the
courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions
seriously.
A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage
paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes contemporary fiction
and enjoys the company of a whole host of feisty female characters.
She joined the RNA New Writers’ Scheme in
2014 and is now a full member. The manuscript she submitted for critique, The
Chery Tree Café, became her debut novel and was published by Books and The
City, the digital imprint of Simon and Schuster in July 2015.
Her second novel, Summer at Skylark farm
was published in June 2016 and her third, Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the
Christmas Market was released in October 2016. She is currently writing her
fourth book, Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage which will be published during July
of 2017.
She lives in Norfolk with her wonderful family
and a mischievous cat called Storm.
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Heidi_Swain
Jennifer Joyce
1. Why do you write romantic
fiction/women’s fiction?
I love fun, light fiction with a sprinkling of romance, which is what I aim for
when writing my books. I also like exploring the dynamics of friendships and
family relationships.
2. Your favourite romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
Thirty Nothing by Lisa Jewell. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read
it!
3. Your favourite couple in a romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
Dig and Deen from Thirty Nothing. I’d love to go kite-flying with them.
4. Your favourite couple from your own
books?
Ruth and the person she ends up with from A Beginner’s Guide To Salad (I don’t
want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet!)
5. The favourite romantic moment in
your books?
I loved writing about Delilah’s first date with Adam in The Wedding Date as
they go to a café that sells only sweet things. I really wanted to go there
myself!
6. Your favourite first kiss from your
books?
When Judy and Calvin have magically switched bodies in The Mince Pie Mix-Up and
Calvin – in his wife’s female body –
is afraid where the kiss will lead to, so he tells her he’s got a headache. It
wasn’t romantic, but it made me laugh.
7. Favourite first kiss from another
book?
Dig and Deen again, because I always want them to get together SO BADLY.
8. Your favourite memory of Valentine’s
Day?
I once celebrated Valentine’s Day early. My oldest daughter was due a few days
before Valentine’s Day, so we knew we’d be sleep deprived and busy
feeding/changing nappies/mopping up sick (which isn’t very romantic) on the
actual day, so we brought it forward and had our own Valentine’s Day before
everybody else!
About the author:
Jennifer
Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband
and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts is out now. You can
find out more about Jennifer and her books on:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/writer_jenn
1. Why do you write romantic
fiction/women’s fiction?
I think love is one of the powerful, transformative forces a human being
can experience, and it’s what elevates the human condition more than anything
else. I love exploring these effects in
fiction – love in all of it’s forms – how it can heal, destroy, transcend time
– and what we will do for it. Then
there’s the other love too – for what we do, what inspires us, gets us out of
bed in the morning – I like weaving these elements together.
2. Your favourite romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
For many
years it was To Hear a Nightingale Sing by Charlotte Bingham – as a young adult
I read it over and over again. It’s still such a beautiful, heart-breaking love
story.
3. Your favourite couple in a romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
It’s so hard to pick one. But I think Rose and Jaimie in Lazy Ways to
Make a Living are one of my favourites.
4. Your favourite couple from your own
books?
Ivy and Stuart in A Cornish Christmas.
5. The favourite romantic moment in
your books?
When Tom and Ria see each other at the gala event in The Summer Escape.
It’s a really beautiful, warm night, fairy lights, lanterns …
6. Your favourite first kiss from your
books?
Ivy and Stuart’s kiss on New Year’s Eve, there’s a jazz band, they’re
all beautifully dressed and everywhere there are twinkly lights.
7. Your favourite memory of Valentine’s
Day?
We hadn’t made any specific Valentines plans,
but I came home to find that my husband had made a beautiful, romantic dinner
and set the table and was grinning like a school boy – it was
irresistible. He is so practical most of
the time, and is not the most romantic person generally, so when he does things
like this it’s just so unexpected and beautiful.
Aven Ellis
Links
1. Why do you write romantic
fiction/women’s fiction?
Aven Ellis
1.
Why do you write romantic
fiction/women’s fiction?
I believe in love. That it can bring out the
best in people. There’s nothing else I’d even consider writing.
2.
Your favourite romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
I really don’t have just one. I love the
romantic books written by Holly Martin. I also love Maeve Binchy.
3.
Your favourite couple in a romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
Gabe and Pip in Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin. They were magic to
me.
4.
Your favourite couple from your own
books?
I’m in love with Collins and Luca in my
upcoming release, Save the Date,
Chicago On Ice #3.
5.
The favourite romantic moment in
your books?
When Matt comes back for Holly in On Thin Ice, Dallas Demons #4
6. Your favourite first kiss from your books?
Lexi and Niko in Breakout, Dallas Demons #3
7.
Favourite first kiss from another
book?
Kit and Stevie’s first kiss in On Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy.
8.
Your favourite memory of Valentine’s
Day?
Believe it or not, I loved Valentine’s Day
parties in elementary school. I really got into decorating my box for
Valentines. ;-)
About the author
I live in the Dallas area with my family. I enjoy clipping out recipes I will never get around to trying, working out, and chatting with friends on social media. I’m a hockey nut (Go Stars!) and watch as much as humanly possible. I also love shopping and fashion and admit to being obsessed with whatever the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing. In addition to be obsessed with the Duchess, I’m equally obsessed with any show or cookbook featuring Gordon Ramsay.
Links
Website/Blog - http://avenellis.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/@AvenEllis
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AvenEllis1
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aven-Ellis/e/B00GHUYO90/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1455968038&sr=1-1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/avenellis/
Cressida McLaughlin
1. Why do you write romantic
fiction/women’s fiction?
For me, there’s nothing better than a love
story. Of course there are many
different types of love, so it’s a very wide remit, but when it comes to my
writing, as
well as the books I enjoy reading, romantic love stories are the most satisfying. They encompass so many different emotions, and can make you feel on top of the world or break your heart. Who doesn’t love a will-they-won’t-they scenario, and a happy ever after?
well as the books I enjoy reading, romantic love stories are the most satisfying. They encompass so many different emotions, and can make you feel on top of the world or break your heart. Who doesn’t love a will-they-won’t-they scenario, and a happy ever after?
2. Your favourite romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
This is such a hard question! I am choosing The
Unfinished Symphony of You and Me by Lucy Robinson. I was so swept up in it, I
laughed and I sobbed, I identified with the heroine Sally and drooled over Julian,
the hero. The ending was beautiful,
satisfying perfection.
3. Your favourite couple in a romantic
fiction/women’s fiction book?
I adore Laura and Nick in A Hopeless Romantic
by Harriet Evans. They’re so down to earth, she’s hilarious and insecure, but
so warm hearted, and he’s completely dreamy, but has his own secrets and
worries. The circumstances they meet in make their relationship especially
difficult, and they both get things wrong and misunderstand each other. They’re
beautifully flawed, and I love them.
4. Your favourite couple from your own
books?
This always changes depending on which book I’m
writing, and I don’t want to give anything away about The Once in a Blue Moon
Guesthouse, so I’m going to pick Summer and Mason from The Canal Boat Café. Summer is trying to rescue her mum’s floating
café even though, at the beginning, her heart isn’t fully in it, and Mason, all
dark curls and easy warmth, gives her something else to focus on. I love the journey they go on to find each
other, and I like to imagine them in Willowbeck - with the café and The
Sandpiper, Archie and Latte causing mischief around them – and wonder what
they’re doing now.
5. The favourite romantic moment in
your books?
I love the scene in The Canal Boat Café where
Mason and Summer lie on the roof of his canal boat and look up at the stars.
I’m not sure I can think of anything more romantic than that; the peace and
quiet, the river, the night sky and stars above, the warmth, comfort and
anticipation of lying side by side like that, in the dark.
6. Your favourite first kiss from your
books?
The kiss at the end of A Christmas Tail,
between Cat and Joe, when he appears in the hall, covered in snow, and she
gives him a dodgy performance of a Christmas song, is my favourite so far. It
makes me go a bit tingly thinking about it.
7. Favourite first kiss from another
book?
I recently finished New York, Actually by Sarah
Morgan, and there was so much tension and build-up between Molly and Daniel, so
many ‘almosts,’ that their first kiss, when it came, was wonderful – sensuous
and romantic.
8. Your favourite memory of Valentine’s
Day?
I’ve never done anything wildly romantic or
outlandish, and I wasn’t ever one to get lots of cards on Valentine’s Day, but
I love the whole idea of sending anonymous cards – romance and mystery, what
could be better? – so I used to make cards for my crushes when I was in school.
I love doing that!
When I was twelve, a boy took me to see
Jurassic Park at the cinema. It doesn’t sound particularly romantic, but I love
that film so much (I’d already seen it once by then) so it was a brilliant date
for me.
Now, my husband David and I will usually stay
in and have a romantic meal, which is very different from a trip to the top of
the Eiffel tower or the Empire State building, but it suits us perfectly. I’m
hopeless with heights, for a start!
Twitter: @cressmclaughlin
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