Author Spotlight - Sarah Morgan

Today the Minxes are super excited to welcome Mills & Boon Modern & Medical author Sarah Morgan into our author spotlight. Sarah's latest book, The Twelve Nights of Christmas, got a whopping 4.5 stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews!

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

I’d just given up my part time job and started writing full time, which was very exciting. I loved having the freedom to plan my own time (and not just because suddenly I could go and watch my kids play sport without having to ask permission from the boss….). Yes, it meant working all hours to keep up with a packed schedule because I was writing for two lines, Harlequin Presents and Medical, but I loved being the one in control.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

I love writing Christmas stories and I’ve done one, sometimes two, for medicals every year for the past seven years. Last Christmas I decided I wanted to use a festive theme in a Harlequin Presents. One of my favourite seasonal reads is A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. I’ve always enjoyed following Ebenezer Scrooge's progress from 'Bah! Humbug' to hope and love, so when I started writing a Christmas story for HP I knew wanted my hero to have a difficult past to overcome. I wanted him to be someone who, like Scrooge, doesn't enjoy Christmas; someone whose emotional journey is challenging. Instead of giving him a trio of ghosts to deal with, I gave him my heroine, Evie, a Christmas loving girl who forces him to face everything he finds difficult. I loved the idea of pairing a damaged hero who has no good feelings about Christmas with a heroine who adores everything about the festive season. The result was The Twelve Nights of Christmas.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

I hope to be writing in my luxury beach house, with a palm tree shading my laptop and my toes curled into soft white sand as white frothy waves lap at the shore………

Fortunately I’m a great believer in having a backup plan, so if the whole beach house idea fails to materialize I hope I’ll still be writing stories about characters I love. Maybe I’ll have to imagine the exotic beach, but that’s part of the fun of being a writer. You can take yourself anywhere you like and still be back in time for the school run.

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I bought it for my son and ended up reading it myself. It’s original, fresh, clever and completely engrossing. There is tension and conflict on every line and I couldn’t stop reading.

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

I wanted to be a writer from a very early age so I suppose I must have been influenced in some way, although I can’t pinpoint a particular book. I did read avidly as a child. I loved historical novels and read everything I could lay my hands on, particularly stories about the Tudors, Borgias and the Medicis (all gore, sex and drama).

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Neither. Love scenes are part of the developing relationship so they should feel like a natural progression in the story. The most important aspect of a love scene is to convey how the characters are feeling at that particular point. Like every other scene in the book, the love scene should move the story forward in some way – nothing should remain static. Every scene should either advance the plot or the conflict. It’s also important to remember to build the sexual tension so that when you reach the love scene it’s believable.

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

It involves champagne and a great hotel in Paris. The rest is private 

Seriously, I’ve had lots of romantic moments, but I often find the small gestures as romantic as the big ones. Showing someone you love them is romantic.

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

I wish I’d known how important it was to develop a website as early as possible. Once I was published I was so busy writing, working part time in a job and juggling a young family there just wasn’t time for ‘extras’ like thinking about the content of a website. No matter who does the design for you, it’s still a huge time demand on the author. And when I gave up my part time job and became an author full time the writing demands still took priority over a website. By the time I eventually developed one it was a very complex job to collate the number of books I’d written and work out the best way of showing them on the site in a way that it was easily navigable for readers.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Write every day and give yourself a minimum word count. Writing is a discipline. If you decide you’re only going to write when you’re in the mood then as soon as you hit a patch in the book that doesn’t flow well, you’ll walk away from the keyboard. It’s frighteningly easy to find excuses not to write (even cleaning the kitchen floor can become an excuse). I discovered early on that answers usually come to me while I’m working, even if it feels like a huge struggle. Yes, inspiration sometimes hits while I’m walking or lying in the bath, but more often than not I have the ‘lightbulb’ moment while I’m sitting at the computer working away. So now I write whether I feel like writing or not.

10. Tell us about your latest release

The Twelve Nights of Christmas is out now in Harlequin Presents Extra and it’s a feel-good, festive romance. My hero Rio has a very dark past and Christmas isn’t a good time for him. Evie loves Christmas, but this year she can’t get home to her grandfather because she’s working in one of London’s top hotels as a housekeeper. Rio is about to close the most important deal of his life but he needs to stay whiter than snow over the Christmas season. But then he finds Evie in his bedroom and his ruthlessly ordered life starts to fall apart………

The first chapter is up on my website and you can also find it at Amazon

I also have a Medical romance released this Christmas, Dr Zinetti’s Snowkissed Bride.

11. What’s next for you?

I’m in the middle of a new project for Harlequin Presents and after that I have an exciting idea that I’m keen to explore. Life gets a little crazy towards December and I’m typing and cooking turkey and wondering why I always do this to myself. I know other writers who give themselves the whole of December off, whereas the only thing I give myself is a nervous breakdown. Only kidding – I love everything about the festive season and writing is part of the routine for me. I’m never going to complain about spending my days living in a glittering jet set world alongside a sexy Presents hero.

Thanks to all the Minxes for having me here and a Happy Christmas to all!

Getting an editor's attention in a lift

Imagine yourself stuck in a lift with the editor of your dreams. You don’t want to pitch to her, after all, being confined in close quarters with a writer has got to be every editor’s nightmare.

But you’re clutching your manuscript.
She leans closer, taps it with a long red fingernail, and asks:
“So, what’s it about?”
You got in on floor 4, and when you reach G, the chance is gone.
Have you got a snappy one liner prepared? If not, check out these movie taglines for inspiration. All of them encapsulate the movie that spawned them. See if you can identify the movie from the tagline, and if not, I’ve put the answers in at the bottom. Enjoy!

The Taglines:
1. Love means never having to say you are sorry.

2. The following three are all for the same movie:
Collide with Destiny
A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets
Nothing On Earth Could Come Between Them.

3. For anyone who’s ever been set up, stood up or felt up.

4. The most magnificent picture ever!

5. It’s all about love, actually.

6. Here comes the bribe

7. "What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?"

8. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

9. "In space, no one can hear you scream."

10. Sometimes what you’re looking for is right where you left it.

Answers:
1. Love Story, 2.Titanic, 3.Bridget Jones’ Diary, 4. Gone with the Wind, 5. Love Actually, 6. The Proposal, 7. Sleepless in Seattle. 8. Jaws 2, 9. Alien, 10.  Sweet Home Alabama.

The Friday Roundup

So, the New Voices Competition is over, and first order of business must be to congratulate the winner! Leah Ashton's wonderful story Secrets & Speed Dating will be published by Mills and Boon as part of her prize, and we're all dying to read Sophie and Dan's story! Many congratulations, Leah!

In Harlequin, the So you think you can write week is on its final day, do pop over if you haven't already to read the advice and articles before they're gone.

We got news from Ian Skillicorn (thank you, Ian!) about the Short Story Radio Romance Award, 2011 - details are below...

Now in its second year, this writing competition offers romantic fiction writers the chance to have their work recorded and broadcast, as well as to receive a cash prize. We are looking for an engaging and entertaining romance story, told in no more than 4,000 words, similar to the type of romance story you will find in a women's magazine.

The winning story will be recorded and broadcast on the Short Story Radio website and podcast. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £50 (approx. 78 USD or 57 EURO) and the title of winner of the Short Story Radio Romance Award 2011. The short-list judge is Pat Richardson, former Fiction Editor at Best magazine (UK) and the founder of Perfectly Worded Writing and Editing Consultancy.

We are now accepting entries for this competition. The deadline is November 15th 2010 and the winning story will be broadcast from February 14th 2011. Enter now at http://www.shortstoryradio.com/short_story_competitions_romance.htm

Hear last year's winning story All Good Things by Linda Mitchelmore at: http://www.shortstoryradio.com/player/stories/all_good_things/player.htm

And Stylist Magazine are running a microfiction competion - and there are only a few days left on this one, so check it out quick...Here's the info:

If your manuscript is still a long way off completion, why not wax lyrical in just 100 words or under? That's the maximum you need to pen to be in with a chance of winning our microfiction competition. As well as being published on stylist.co.uk, you'll win a creative writing course at the London School of Journalism to set you on the path to the bestseller charts

Microfiction - or flash fiction, sudden fiction or the short, short story as it's also known by the literati - is the art of telling a story, complete with gripping plot and jump-off-the-page characters in as few words as possible.

We've set the limit at 100 words per story for our series of daily microfiction competitions, the first of which will run from 10am - 5pm on Wednesday 3 November.

We'll be looking for creative flair, surprising twists, razor sharp observations and a fresh voice. If you're up for the challenge, check it out!

Find out more here : http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/article/350/tell-us-a-gripping-story-in-100-words

And last, but by no means least, the lovely Gilles Marini is the winner of the Ultimate Romantic Hero Poll!

And he certainly looks happy to hear it... 

Author Spotlight - Sue Moorcroft

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?


My first book, Uphill All the Way (Transita), had been out for a few months. I was selling a lot of short stories and writing my second magazine serial. Also, I was working as a creative writing tutor for various institutions. I was writing another novel and had begun it about four times because it didn’t want to behave itself.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

Want to Know a Secret? is about money and family and which is most important (and to whom). I’m always surprised when people put money before people. It happened within my extended family and I thought, ‘It’s only money!’ So, Want to Know a Secret? explores how necessary money is for happiness. Diane, my heroine, has decided views (on this and everything else). James has pots of money but finds happiness elusive until he meets Diane and finds it moving enticingly closer. But then the unexpected happens.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

I want to continue writing romantic novels and achieve sufficient sales to concentrate on them rather than all the other writing-related stuff I do. Whether I actually like this reality when I achieve it or find I miss the variety of my current workload, is a whole other question …

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

Gosh. There are sooooooo many – I read about three books a week. Dream Man by Linda Howard.

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

Yes, Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice. It was the first adult novel I read, when I was nine. I loved it for the excitement and adventure and for the romance between Jean and Joe. I was blown away by the way in which Nevil Shute made it appear that all hope was gone – but then it wasn’t. Nevil Shute was a favourite of my father’s, too, and I used to enjoy discussing NS’s work with dad. I have everything NS ever published, I believe, even the posthumous stuff, which, I’m sure, he had good reason not to have submitted for publication.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

No, of course not – wash out your mouth! They’re the best bits! I look forward to writing them. They’re the culmination of all the tension and plotting.

I have to say that not all the members of my family feel the same about reading them. My mum is embarrassed, my brother says it’s icky reading love scenes written by your sister and my son gives the book to his female flatmate to read to herself and then summarise for him.

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

I’ve been looking at the screen for a while, trying to summon up the archetypal romantic moment – and I’ve failed. The things that stick in my mind always include humour or they’re x-rated. Or both. My husband standing me on a step to propose to me, because I’m much shorter than he is … that’s the kind of things that I remember. For me, it’s much more memorable than if he’d gone down on one knee, which, I’m sure, would have made me feel ridiculous.

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

About continuing education. I don’t mean taking a creative writing degree but about going to conferences and talks, not just to learn about the craft of writing but about current opportunities and to network with interesting and useful people. Joining the Romantic Novelists’ Association was the first step in this process – there are so many great, published, writers, that they gave me a can-do attitude. (If they can do it, I can …)

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Don’t make enemies [in the publishing business].

10. Tell us about your latest release, Want to Know a Secret?

Diane Jenner finds her life turned upside down when her husband, Gareth, is in a helicopter crash and, in the aftermath, his double life is revealed. It’s not the normal kind of double life and Diane’s astounded at how easily and thoroughly he’s pulled the wool over her eyes, mostly because they live in a tiny, remote village in The Fens and Diane is isolated.

James, the one with the dosh, has become so used to the twin millstones of wife and fragile daughter around his neck that he’s almost forgotten how to grab his own happiness. Or maybe he just hasn’t wanted anything enough for a while? That changes when he finds himself part of the secrets so diligently kept for so long.

And, in the back of his Mercedes, he connects with Diane is a way that makes him want … well, you have to read the book.

I really enjoyed plotting this novel and was delighted with the result. I decided, in the end, that Diane did want to know the secrets. But, for a long time, I wondered.

11. What’s next for you?

I’m writing a book that, for now, is called Love and Freedom. It’s about Honor, an American woman who comes to England to track down her English mother who left her when she was a baby. This is another book where the plotting is going like a dream and all kinds of things are happening that I didn’t anticipate. I love unfurling a story slowly, never letting the reader see too far ahead into the journey but making it worth it when they get there.

After that I’m going to write Liza’s story. Liza is the sister of Cleo from All That Mullarkey and I really liked her. Cleo was a bit naughty and so is Liza.

And, after that (yes I really am planning this far ahead) I’m hoping to write a book set in the glittering world of Formula 1 racing. I love F1 but need to do quite a lot of research – there’s more to it than what I see on my TV. I’ve begun writing a column for www.girlracer.co.uk, wich I hope will help.

Available now here

Visit Sue's website here

Check out Sue's blog

Follow Sue on Facebook and Twitter @suemoorcroft

NaNoWriMo

The following Minxes have signed up to do the madness that is NaNoWriMo this year. Here's wishing you ladies all the best of luck.

• Sally
• Joanne C
• Joanne P
• Romy

We'd also like to send best wishes to Lacey for her last two weeks of exams.

You go girls!

I don't have any wise words for anyone who's entering except that I managed to write 51,000 words in 30 days last year. In addition to a day job and young children - so it can be done. And YOU can do it!

In case you're still debating the merits of NaNo, Sarah Duncan points out the pros and cons on her blog.

Let us know if you're also doing NaNo this year, so we can all hold hands together.

PS: If you haven't already voted for your Ultimate Romantic Hero (right sidebar), please do. We need to break that deadlock!