Today's guest needs little introduction, not least because this is her third visit to my blog - welcome back Sam!
Most of you will know Sam originally through her magazine stories and, more recently, through her successful career as a novelist. Sam's latest novel, Game of Scones, is being published tomorrow and as her digital publisher CarinaUK is well known for their fast turnaround, I asked Sam if she could talk a little about this.
Over to you, Samantha.
The turnaround with a digital-first imprint, like CarinaUK,
is very fast, and I’ve always wondered how some writers are able to produce
several books a year. It surprises me that I am now at a point where I can
write two in twelve months, with a little time to spare. I’m an author
full-time which, of course, makes a huge difference. However, I’ve particularly
noticed, whilst typing the last two books, that improvements in my writing have
speeded up the process.
Before my debut Doubting Abbey was published I had, um,
several rejected novels under the bed! I learned a lot from writing them but
they still took six months to one year each to finish. However, by now I’ve had
four novels pushed through the Harlequin revisions process, and I have to say
that’s made all the difference. My writing hasn’t become quicker, but I think
what I’m now producing is less first-draftish and therefore doesn’t – touch
wood – need quite so much work afterwards.
I’ve noticed that my prose is much tighter and I’ve also
managed to work on my two main weak areas, thanks to four books’ worth of
perceptive comments from my editor. Firstly, I never put in enough emotion, so
I focus on this from the start. Also, I’ve struggled over the years with making
certain characters likeable, so again, I check constantly, as I go, that no one
is whingeing too much, or being spineless, selfish... not if they are a
character I want readers to warm to.
It’s a bit like writing short stories... One year I sold
around fifty to The People’s Friend. After a while I had a good sense of what
the editor – and therefore reader – was looking for, so it meant that the first
version of these stories wasn’t as rough as they were when I first started
subbing shorts. My writing hadn’t got quicker, my understanding of what the
genre required was just better, from the start.
Before getting published I would get editorial reports done
on my books from organisations such as Cornerstones. I saw the cost as an
investment into my career. I learned a great deal from this, as the reports are
tailored to your own needs. I would ask for information on where I was going
wrong with a particular book, plus my writing in general.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be in the league of some Mills &
Boon writers, who produce five or so quality books a year, but if I can keep at
two, I’ll be more than happy. This would never have happened when I first
started out, as my first book reached 90,000 words and only had four chapters!
Now I also keep a firm control of my wordcount!
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Game of Scones
A story of icing and flour…and how
love doesn’t always go to plan!
Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s
summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There
she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her
parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and
obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea
shop – serving the perfect scones –with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niko by her
side…
Arriving back in Taxos for the first
time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired
little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village
she’s always loved. Together Niko and Pippa put together a proposal to save
Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream
project - The Tastiest Little Teashop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave
her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win
over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it
seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it…
If you’re a fan of
Lindsey Kelk or Lucy Diamond then don’t hesitate to step into Samantha Tonge’s
truly delightful tea shop.
Bio:
Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and two cats who think they are dogs. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels and short stories is her passion.
Samantha has sold over 80 short stories to mainstream women's magazines. Her debut romantic comedy novel from CarinaUK Harlequin, bestselling "Doubting Abbey", was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award, 2014. Its fun sequel is From Paris With Love. Mistletoe Mansion is a fun standalone Christmas novel.
Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and two cats who think they are dogs. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels and short stories is her passion.
Samantha has sold over 80 short stories to mainstream women's magazines. Her debut romantic comedy novel from CarinaUK Harlequin, bestselling "Doubting Abbey", was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award, 2014. Its fun sequel is From Paris With Love. Mistletoe Mansion is a fun standalone Christmas novel.
Thank you very much for visiting today, Sam, and good luck with the new book!
