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New Romantics Press @ the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Conference
Two members of New Romantics Press – Lizzie and Adrienne, travelled to Telford to attend the Romantic Novelists’ Association‘s conference. First stop was the LAMB INN – most appropriate, or so we thought – until we discovered it was the-inn-which-had-no-food. They were prepared to make us a tuna sandwich (thanks, but no thanks) so we quickly got back into Adrienne’s car and headed for Harper Adams University.
The eponymous Lamb Inn – which had run out of food!
Luckily, we managed to hit the snack bar before it closed, then high-tailed it to our rooms where we unpacked and got ready for the highlight of our day: the Indie Authors’ Cocktail Party, which Adrienne and I hosted in our kitchen. The guest of honour was lovely Freda Lightfoot (author of over 48 books) who went from saga writer to hybrid author, publishing her own backlist on Amazon in 2010. Freda was joined by another hybrid author, Margaret Kaine who has been a great supporter of NRP since it was first formed. Listening to Freda’s fascinating summing up of her career, we wish we’d put our books on Amazon before the algorithm changed and T&C became less favourable. The old adage time and tide wait for no man certainly
The old adage time and tide wait for no man certainly applies here. Cue clock face …..
Tempus Fugit – The clock tower at Harper Adams University
Freda talking to Margaret Kaine, hybrid author and supporter of NRP, about the difference between ‘then’ and ‘now’.
The purpose of the party was to celebrate the many successes achieved by indie authors, such as New Romantics Press and others, and to celebrate them. In recognition of the changing face of publication, the RNA established the Independent Author category almost two years ago. Lizzie was the second member to make the transition from the New Writers’ Scheme, with Alison Morton pipping her at the post as the first! After three years Independent Authors become full members of the association and have voting rights accorded to them. Here’s a snapshot of some of the Incredible Indies who joined us at our drinks party, along with newly designed Chair of the RNA – Nicola Cornick and Vice-Chair Alison May.
Recent blogs have concentrated on the marvellous panel talks and workshops organised by members of the RNA. But this post is all about how we spent the weekend networking, talking to agents, meeting editors and generally having some downtime after publishing ten books between us in under five years. Twelve books, if we add on June and Mags’s books, too.
One of the best parts of the conferences is touching base with friends we only see on social media and this conference was no exception. Shrieks of delight and recognition greeted us every time we turned a corner and bumped into old friends.
The gala dinner is always the highlight of such events and Harper Adams did us proud, ensuring that the food was top notch and banished all thoughts of the tuna sandwich we’d earlier turned down! Lizzie was glad that her new dress from GRIZAS (Lithuania) had arrived in time and didn’t clash with Adrienne’s zig-zag catsuit. Purrfect.
One notable absentee at the conference was the late Carole Blake, a wonderful agent and great supporter of the RNA. Sadly, Carole died last autumn and this fabulous quilt was auctioned off in her memory. As a result, enough money was raised to pay for two delegates to attend the conference in Leeds next summer. Carole would have heartily approved.
At the end of the gala dinner, two lovely NWS members sought Lizzie out to tell her how much they’d enjoyed TALL DARK AND KILTED. Next day, they bought more of her books –
Lizzie and Adrienne went their own way during the conference, attending those workshops which took their fancy, but meeting up back in the kitchen to share their experiences. Lizzie especially enjoyed the TIME SLIP seminar and Adrienne became a SCREENWRITER, albeit temporarily. Perhaps she’ll turn her Irish trilogy into a film? Wonder who’ll play the hero? Aiden Turner, perchance?
To round up the conference, Lizzie attended the ‘warts and all’ talk given by Mandy Baggot on her path to publication. New Romantics Press respect Mandy’s work ethic and how she’s made the transition from indie to contracted author at prestigious Ebury Press. Lizzie will be writing up Mandy’s talk for a forthcoming edition of Romance Matters, edited by Adrienne.
Well, that about wraps up this personal take on #RNACON17. Hope to see some of you at the Winter Party or an RNA Chapter Meeting very soon. Footnote: neither June nor Mags could make the conference this year and were missed. We hope they join us at the next one in Leeds, or at the Historical Novel Conference in Glasgow August 2018.
And finally, a big thanks to everyone who organised this fabulous conference – and a couple of photos which sum up the spirit of the conference for us and which we hope will leave you smiling –
And our favourite, taken by Anita Chapman . . .
Getting The Call
It’s fabulous when another RNA member gets a great book deal. New Romantics Press really rejoices that lovely Vanessa Savage is that person. Now – if only romance could attract the attention of publishing houses, we’d be laughing . . . all the way to the bank. Or, maybe we should rob the bank and join the current ‘crime wave’.
The month of June was one looong rollercoaster ride. I got an email from my super-top-best-agent-in-the-world Juliet Mushens the day I arrived back from holiday, saying she thought The Murder House was ready to go out on submission.
Cocktails after the first call…
I’ve waited a long time for this moment – I’ve written the book, re-written the book, edited it, re-edited it. I’ve veered from optimism (hey – this is not bad!) to pessimism (this is the worst book ever written) many, many times. I was ready for it to go out there, but also terrified. Because this was it, wasn’t it? All those months of work and planning, this was it. It could all be over in a few weeks, or all about to begin.
It went out on submission in the UK and internationally the Friday after I returned from holiday. I didn’t know when responses would…
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Many thanks to Shelley Wilson for inviting me onto her fab blog. A retrospective is always good and it reminds me how far we’ve travelled in under five years. Here’s to the future – I’d like to write another couple of books while I still have the energy – LOL.
I’ve met my next guest on a couple of occasions, once at the Book Connectors meet up in Birmingham, and then again in Leicester just before Christmas. She is always so supportive of others, a delight to chat with, and an inspiration to all writers’. I am, therefore, over the moon to invite the lovely Lizzie Lamb to join me today to talk about her route to publication. Over to Lizzie…
My Work Desk
Many thanks to Shelley for inviting me onto her fabulous blog to talk about my route to publication. For those who don’t know me, I am in indie author and have just published my latest Scottish-themed contemporary romance, GIRL IN THE CASTLE. So, how did I manage to publish four novels in under five years and work collaboratively on two others? Read on –
Here’s an extract from the end papers of Girl in the Castle
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Take a Chance on Us
It doesn’t seem possible that almost five years have passed since we launched New Romantics Press. At the time, we each said: “We’ll be happy just to see our novel in print.”
Since then, we’ve been bitten by the writing bug and gone on to write further novels, win accolades, reach the finals of a prestigious book award and achieve bestseller status (historical romance>Scottish) on Amazon. Not to forget, hosting a wonderful book launch at Waterstones in Kensington. Between us, we’ve written ten fabulous novels and gained a host of readers who are hungry for more! With four new novels in the pipeline, we thought it time to thank our wonderful readers/supporters and to celebrate our achievements by uploading a Kindle book, containing the first two chapters of each of our novels to share with you.
The Kindle is almost a novel in its own right – almost forty thousand words in all!
So . . . if you have never read any of our novels, now’s the time to
TAKE A CHANCE ON US
Within the pages of the Kindle you will find: romantic heroes and heroines aplenty; men in kilts, cowboys, Victorian Misses, Twenties Girls, Wild Irish actors who bear more than a passing resemblance to Pierce Brosnan, feisty heroines who live on remote islands in the Atlantic, academics, priests, enigmatic heroes – and women ‘who love not wisely, but too well.’ In short, ten ideal summer reads to take to the beach with you – a book for every mood. Click here to read an extract/buy/share
Since publishing Take a Chance on us, Adrienne and Lizzie have written Fur Coat and No Knickers – a collection of poems and short stories and Girl in the Castle – fall in love with a Highlander (click on link to read/share/buy)
click here to download a copy of Take a Chance on Us
and, from all of us – thank you very much – have a great summer!
Lizzie, Adrienne, June and Mags
#ThrowbackThursday ~ The 20’s Girl, The Ghost and All That Jazz #histfic #romance @june_kearns
Many thanks to Cathy Ryan for reminding us all what a great book June has written. Great review, too; well worth revisiting.
Renee at It’s Book Talk began this meme as a way to share old favourites, as well as books that were published over a year ago. Not to mention those that are languishing on the to be read pile for whatever reason.
I’d like to showcase The 20’s Girl, The Ghost and All That Jazz this week. It was written by June Kearns and published in 2013, the second book by the author, both of which I love.
1924. The English Shires, after the Great War.
When her jazzing flapper of an aunt dies, Gerardina Mary Chiledexter inherits some silver-topped scent bottles, a wardrobe of love-affair clothes, and astonishingly, a half-share in a million-acre ranch in south-west Texas.
Haunted by a psychic cat and the ghost voice of that aunt Leonie, Gerry feels driven to travel thousands of miles to see the ranch for herself.
Against a background of big sky, cattle…
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Sparkler Special: Meet The Award-Winning Kaisha Holloway of The Writing Garnet
In our continued series of meeting and greeting new blogger, this time The Writing Garnet – Kaisha Jayne. Read and enjoy.
The Writing Garnet, and Me.
by Kaisha Holloway
Firstly, let me start by saying how honoured I am to have been asked to appear on The Romaniacs blog today! I idolise each and every one of you, if I could bow down to you all I would…I just wouldn’t be able to get back up again!
Let me introduce myself; I’m Kaisha, otherwise known as TWG (The Writing Garnet), a single, chronically ill mumma to a beautiful little girl. TWG is book focused as well as lifestyle focused. I’m honest, I write from the heart, and I wouldn’t be here without any of you.
‘How did TWG come about?’ Is a question which I get asked a lot of the time! Part of me would like to answer that question every time with a sarcastic response, such as ‘on a whim’. But, since I have no reason to hide behind…
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Fur Coat & No Knickers by @AdrienneAuthor ~ Collection of #shortstories #poetry #FridayReads
A great collection of short stories and poems for slipping in your handbag/beach bag and reading with a glass of summer wine. Thanks to Cathy for he continued support – much appreciated!
Author: Adrienne Vaughan- Published: December 2016 by New Romantics Press
- Category: Short Stories, Poetry, Book Review, Books, Reading
A mixture of thrilling, gripping and heart-warming short stories for a cosy fireside read anytime, anyplace.
Fur Coat & No Knickers is a varied collection of short stories and poems encompassing a wide range of differing emotions, and giving a glimpse into people’s lives. Adrienne Vaughan manages, with concise and in depth prose, to reach the heart of each character and create well crafted and multi layered storylines in just a few pages. The characters are relatable and so very well drawn, in realistic situations that must happen all the time.
Some stories are thought provoking, such as A Married Man, when thoughtless actions can cause unforeseen and tragic repercussions. George and Mildred is a lovely story of the start of a mature romance, which benefits from a little canine help…
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‘Fur Coat and No Knickers’ by Adrienne Vaughan #TuesdayBookBlog #BookReview @adrienneauthor
Another fabulous review for Adrienne’s FUR COAT AND NO KNICKERS via blogger and writer Alison Williams. Thank you Alison.
A mixture of thrilling, gripping and heart-warming short stories for a cosy fireside read anytime, anyplace. Fur Coat & No Knickers will introduce you to an impoverished heiress desperate to keep up appearances; a bitter and broken-hearted widow whose wilful terrier leads her to romance; an ageing theatrical masquerading as a highly-paid carer and a woman whose husband has maintained a secret family throughout their married life! These are just some of the fascinating and unforgettable characters in this fabulous new collection by award-winning author Adrienne Vaughan.
Writing a good short story is a tricky thing, and something that many novelists find difficult. The transition from novelist to short story writer isn’t easy and, having read and enjoyed this author’s novels in the past, I have to admit I was a little worried that these stories might not work as well as her novels undoubtedly do.
But…
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Girl in the Castle: Henriette’s Highland Hideaway by Lizzie Lamb @lizzie_lamb #TuesdayBookBlog
Author: Lizzie Lamb- Published: April 2017 by New Romantics Press
- Category: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Book Review, Books, Reading.
Her academic career in tatters, Dr Henriette Bruar needs somewhere to lay low, plan her comeback and restore her tarnished reputation. Fate takes her to a remote Scottish castle to auction the contents of an ancient library to pay the laird’s mounting debts.
After a show of justified outrage with unfortunate consequences, Doctor Henriette Bruar with the help of Professor Maddie Hallam, has secured a job cataloguing the library at Castle Tèarmannair. She is hopeful of finding some valuable books; to secure funds for restoration of the castle and, hopefully, in the process also help her career. Her position as an academic and possibly furthering that position at St Guthlac’s is now in jeopardy and time away, giving Henri chance to try and repair the damage, is just what she needs.
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