Please Welcome Guest Author - Rachel Brimble

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Brimble.

Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and when did you start writing?

I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 15 years and we have a teen and pre-teen daughter as well as my beloved black Lab, Max. I grew up in Bristol before moving to Wiltshire in 2001. I love being close to the countryside in one direction and the bustling Georgian city of Bath in the other.

I started writing toward publication when my youngest daughter started school full-time in 2005. The Wild Rose Press published my first novel in 2007 and I’ve had at least one novel a year published since. Harlequin Superromance publishes my latest contemporary romances and Kensington publishes my Victorian romances.

You’ve written several highly rated Romantic novels, including historical and suspense. Tell us about your books and what inspires you to write.

Aww, thank you for saying my books have been highly rated, that means a lot to me! I love writing contemporary and historical novels alternately – it keeps my mind fresh and hopefully my readers’ too! My editor at Harlequin (contemporary) is happy for me to write mainstream romance or romantic suspense in my current series, which is great. So far, I’ve written two of each and contracted for one more – I’m thinking this last one will be romantic suspense. I feel a murder coming on!

My Victorian romances are also linked by a secondary character in previous book, becoming the hero or heroine in the next book. I am contracted with Kensington to write two more by June 2015 which will be four in total. As for inspiration? That comes in the form of deadlines, lol!

Describe your writing process. When and where do you write?

I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mum so I treat my writing like a job and write from 8.30 to 3.30pm during the week and as much as family time allows over the weekend. My laptop is always turned off by 7pm for my relaxation – ie bath, followed by a glass of wine in front of the TV.

Where do your ideas come from?  Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

This can vary. Most of the time my inspiration comes from a premise and then I create a synopsis and character sketches which usually bring forth the conflicts.

How long does it take you to write a book? What research. If any, do you undertake when planning your book?

It usually takes me around six months to write a 85,000 word novel – my research is very limited, in that I focus on emotion more than anything else. For my Victorian novels, I make sure I have etiquette and social standing as spot on as I can, but again, the emotions are the focus of the book and love, hate, jealousy, greed and joy were the same in the 1800s as they are now.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A bit of both – I am becoming more of a pantser as time goes on but my work in progress is becoming a nightmare so I will definitely be plotting the next one more thoroughly. I like to start with a three page synopsis as an outline, character sketches for the hero, hero and villain, if I have one. After that, I dive straight in and write the first draft from start to finish without looking back. The hard part comes in the following drafts!

Of all your characters, do you have a favourite?

Oooh, difficult question! One of my favourite heroes is Will Samson from my Kensington debut, The Seduction of Emily…and one of my favourite heroines is Cat Forrester from my Harlequin debut Finding Justice. In fact, I like Cat so much she’s appeared in every book in the series so far and I’m on book four, lol!

Do you work with a writing/critique group?

I have three fantastic critique partners who I couldn’t be without – they are thorough but entirely constructive and I would be half the writer I am today without them. We work really well together and I hope we continue to do so for years to come. We met online and have never met in person so maybe one day I’ll fly to the States just to meet them. Why not??

What advice would you give to someone thinking of writing their first novel?

Write! That’s it – so many people want to write but don’t actually do it. Write your novel, attend as much workshops as you can and listen to people who have made their way through the writing gauntlet. I enrolled in many affordable, online writing classes when I started out and they were invaluable. Also, join a writers group and/or association like the Romantic Novelists Association. Talking to other writers is really, really important. Good luck!

Rachel’s latest book is A Man Like Him (book 2 in her Harlequin series) and available now. Here’s the blurb and buy links:

Changing her life...again 

After two years in hiding, Angela Taylor knows her independence is worth it. As long as she can escape her past, she has everything under control. Until a flash flood hits the park where she works, and hot Chris Forrester shows up the exact moment she needs a hero. 

Chris proves he can save lives-and weaken a girl's knees. But how can she make him understand that she's off-limits, that getting close to her will endanger his life? Her happiness or his safety: it shouldn't even be a choice.

Because when you love someone, you protect them, no matter the cost. At least, that's what Angela keeps telling herself....

A Man Like his is available from:

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Amazon.co.uk

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013 and she has since signed for three more.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

How to write and Sell your novel

Following on from the recent successful novel writing course I took part in with fellow author, Milly Johnson, I have  agreed to run an on-line, no-charge series of classes for The Author's Marketing Powerhouse.   The 10-week course will cover all aspects of writing your novel, from developing your idea to promotion and building an Author Platform.  Click on the link for more details, and sign up today.

Writing Classes with The Author's Marketing Powerhouse

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Milly Johnson and I are running an afternoon 'crash course' 

in writing a book in Barnsley on Sunday 17th June 2pm-5pm.

Both of us will be giving a presentation, there will be afternoon tea, 

 plenty of time for questions and our latest books will be available to purchase.

We've both given our course before and they've gone down very well, so 

this time we've decided to join forces. 

We'll tell you how to take your idea from concept

to finished manuscript.

We'll also tell you:

How to make your novel flow

How to plot

The importance of dialogue

The importance of male protagonists in Romantic Suspense Novels.

How to approach an agent

What NOT to do

...plus lots more.

We intend you home with some supporting literature and full of enthusiasm

to get started.

The afternoon will run - approximately - like this

1.30pm - arrive early if you want to catch us for an early book sale

2pm - Milly will be talking with a Powerpoint Presentation

3.15pm - break for afternoon tea, cakes and a mingle

3.45pm  - I will present my Power Point Presentation

4.45pm - A Q & A session with both of us

5.00pm - book signings.

We do so hope you can join us.  Places are limited so please book early 

to avoid disappointment.  We won't be issuing tickets but you will be

give a booking reference number.

Kindest

Victoria and Milly

Vacations and presentations.

While on a vacation in Florida in December, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to promote my latest novel, Ring of Lies and give a presentation to the members of the Suncoast Writers’ Guild, chaired by Edwin Ellis, the director of the Guild.

After my presentation was over I signed copies of my novels and spent time chatting to the members. As everyone was very complimentary on the content of my presentation, I’ve decided to put my notes for the event here, so that any members who couldn’t attend can have access. I hope you find it useful.

Why all books need strong protagonists.

We’ve all read books and been disappointed when the characters fail to meet the demands of the plot. My job as a novelist is to get you totally absorbed in the story from page one to such an extent that you feel as if you are standing in the corner of the room witnessing the action.

So how do we, as writers, achieve that?

The magic key is character development – the one element that can define a book as a success or a failure.

Every work of fiction needs a hero – he may be a detective in a crime novel, an astronaut battling the alien in a science fiction book, the war hero in an historical, or in the case of romantic suspense, he’s the guy the heroine finally falls in love with.

Regardless of the genre, they all have something in common. They have to be someone you, the reader, can identify with. Someone you will care about. Moreover, it’s not just the main protagonists who need to be interesting, the villains should be compelling too. Otherwise, I’m pitting tough, intelligent protagonists against stupid villains which lead to a dull, contrived plot.

The romantic hero or protagonist differs from other heroes in fiction in that he must evolve from being self centered with a closed heart to loving fully, in other words, he must learn to commit.

At one time, he was required to be single, sexy, sweet (although that might not be evident at first), smart, and of course, solvent. But tastes have changed over the years. We no longer want the classical tall, dark and handsome hero of Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte. Although, that said, my heroes do fit the stereotype to a certain degree, only because I’m short and never had much luck with blond haired men.

Bonnie Tyler’s song ‘I need a hero’ sums up the modern romantic hero perfectly. He’s strong, intelligent and somewhat larger than life. Not only is he a good ‘people reader’ and able to see through everyone’s lies, he also has to be human, make mistakes and learn from them as we all do. He’s the guy we want on our side. The one who’s a little bit dangerous, the one our mother warned us about when we first started dating.

His strengths are the qualities that make the heroine and the reader fall in love with him.

But how do I create this desirable male?

Like many novelists, I write a short biography for each of my characters, other authors prefer to use a chart, such as the one to be found on this website : http://www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html    I include physical attributes, such as height, weight, hair and eye colour, whether they have any tattoos or scars. I also include such things as whether they had a college education, can drive and own a car, what their employment is. Some novelists I know write two or three pages on each character, but I would suggest you add as much or as little detail as you are comfortable with.

But you need to know more than your character’s background. You have to place them in conflict with each other and give them goals.

So what do I mean by goals?

The external goal is usually something simple and obvious – catch the killer or thief, solve the mystery and find the priceless antique. The villain’s goal, on the other hand, might be to exact revenge on the police officer who put him in jail or destroy the small town that shunned him. It is the external goal that drives the plot forward, and obviously, the protagonist’s goal is going to directly conflict with the antagonist’s external goal.

For example, in my latest novel, Ring of Lies, Grace Elliott’s goal is to discover her dead husband’s true identity and find out where the money to purchase the beach house on Gasparilla Island came from.

The internal goal is usually an emotional goal, hidden in the hero or heroines psyche, something which reveals an area of vulnerability. For example, a female police officer’s goal might be to catch the criminal, but her internal goal is to win the approval of her colleagues and family.

For example, in Three Weeks Last Spring, Walker’s external goal is to catch whoever is poisoning the fish in Puget Sound. His internal goal is to overcome his fear of commitment because every woman he’s ever dated has walked out on him when she learns how often he is working away from home.

Whatever the internal goal, the hero and heroine have to change and evolve during the course of the novel and become better persons through their relationship with each other.

The key is to create characters that are strong in their ideals and values, but who are prepared to listen, and if necessary change during the course of 100,000 words. After all, you don’t want to be three chapters into writing your novel only to realize you hate your characters. If you don’t like them, neither will your readers.

But internal and external goals and inner conflict isn’t the only trait characters need. To create tension and excitement, something must impede both the protagonist and antagonist achieving their goals. Without it, there is nothing to make the reader keep turning the page. Every major character must have something to lose as the book reaches the final climax.

It’s the combination of all these factors – believable characters and a realistic plot which makes a novel an enjoyable read. If I can achieve that, then I know I’ve done my job well.

Back-story

On my recent appearance on the Rony Robinson Show on BBC Radio Sheffield, we talked about back-story or the infodump, and why telling the reader too much, too soon, should be avoided.


What exactly do writers mean when they talk about back-story? Basically, it is filling the reader in on the background of your story, why the action takes place where it does, the subtext of your character’s lives, and the reasons for the big question or problem they have to solve.

Back-story is essential to novels, but the opening pages aren’t the place to go into depth about your character’s past or the places they inhabit. The trick is to give the reader just enough information to make them care, and want to find out what happens next.

You need to think carefully about the opening chapter. Readers don’t necessarily have to know that your heroine has blue eyes, blonde hair, and lives with her aged mother in a tumbledown cottage, or that the hero has two siblings who have green eyes and regularly tap him for a loan.

Think of the opening of your novel as the equivalent of an appetiser—a bit of teasing in order to keep the reader hooked. A couple of sentences here and there, no long blocks. Back-story is showing not telling. Your readers want to launch into the action. They want to see what’s happening. They don’t want to be told.

What about flashbacks – those little scenes where your character starts to think about something that took place weeks/months/years ago? Flashbacks can slow the pace of the story and confuse readers. They are best used in a prologue, but be careful that you don’t tell the reader too much, too soon. There are three primary ways to include back-story in your novel.

1. Dialogue.

2. Narrative.

3. Description.

I prefer to use dialogue. It feels more natural to have my characters talk about their past, or explain their reason for acting in a particular way. But it’s a personal choice and you have to decide what works best for that part of the story.

But how do you know how much back-story to use?

That’s a difficult question, and to a certain extent, the decision is yours. Just remember, too much back-story will make the reader bored and tempt him or her to put the book down. You’ll lose their attention. They may even wonder why they picked up the book in the first place, and that’s the last thing any writer wants.

Head hopping; To hop or not to hop.

Have you ever read a scene in a novel and suddenly wondered, ‘Who is thinking this?’ Quite often, it means that the writer has hopped into another character’s head and you, the reader, didn’t follow the shift. When this happens, readers will most likely lay down the book, never to pick it up again.

Some well-established romance authors, such as Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, Julie Garwood, and Lori Wick have mastered this style. But not every author has their expertise or quick-switch style.

For the new writer, mastering the point of view (POV) switch takes time. Just so you know what I’m talking about, let me define POV. Point of view is simply the perspective from which your story is told. This can include first, second or third person, omniscient, limited third person or whatever else is out there.

Head-hopping is not to be confused with multiple points of view. Most books on the craft of writing state that you should only use one POV per scene. However, sometimes it’s necessary to bend the rules. Editors, especially those of category, single title, and suspense romance, are looking for vividly created three-dimensional characters they can relate to, empathize with, or, if necessary, hate. Including both the hero and heroine’s viewpoint not only gives the reader insight into both sides of the developing relationship, it’s also a way to create and maintain, tension, conflict, and suspense. Being able to switch smoothly from one character’s POV at a pivotal moment hooks the reader and keeps them turning pages to find out what happens next.

That said, I’m not saying you should go out and write every paragraph from a different POV. Good writing is important. Too many changes and your readers become confused or just lose interest. They need to bond with your characters, and they can’t do that if you don’t give them enough time with them. Remember; if you must switch POV during scene make sure the switch is smooth.

When you understand the rules, then you can make the right choice for your story, and decide whether you want to be a POV purist, or a head hopper.

To find out which one I am, you’ll just have to read my books!