Hi ya'll!! Today on the blog we are happy to be welcoming the amazing author Rachel Brimble for an interview.
Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage 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. Since 2013, she has had seven books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and an eighth coming in Jan 2018. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. 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
Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Brimble/e/B007829ZRM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1490948101&sr=8-1
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble
There's
safety in solitude…isn't there?
Single
dad and best-selling thriller writer Ethan James has no problem being
Templeton Cove's most famous recluse…until a surprise visit from
the past plunges him into a real-life crime drama just as feisty
nurse Leah Dixon barges her way into his world.
Ethan's
first priority is to protect his daughter. His second priority is to
keep Leah out of this dark web—and that means out of his bed.
Except Leah isn't going anywhere; she's afraid little Daisy is in
danger. Ethan couldn't live with himself if anything happened to
Leah…but pushing her away may be even harder!
Buy links:
Amazon
UK:
Barnes
& Noble:
Kobo:
Cassandra's Writing World: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Rachel Brimble: Ooh, that’s a tough one! I really love anything by AJ Nuest and Kelly Moran and I am constantly wishing for their big ‘breakthrough’ moment. I recommend your visitors look up these great romance authors – it’s only a matter of time before they’re riding high. Trust me!
CWW: What’s the best way to market your books?
RB: I wish I knew *sigh* Promotion is tough and made worse by having little to no marketing support from publishers as authors did years ago. I am yet to discover ‘the secret’ even if it exists. Word of mouth is definitely the best way to sell books, but I also utilize social media, blog appearances and online release parties.
CWW: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
RB: I research very little for my contemporary work – mainly concentrating on a hero or heroine’s occupation if I’m not familiar with it. I usually choose settings I know well. I live in one of the most beautiful parts of England where I have Bath nearby in one direction and the Cotswolds in the other. I am yet to exhaust places within my driving distance
It’s another story for my historical work. That’s takes a LOT of research. Until now, I have only written Victorian so I have learned a lot over the last six years, but my next project is Edwardian so I literally started my research from scratch. It’s one of the best aspects of the job!
CWW: How many hours a day do you write?
RB: I am lucky enough to be able to work full-time around my family and parents so I work 8.30am to 5.30pm (with two dog walks in between) Monday to Friday and then grab whatever hours I can at the weekend. Strictly speaking, I shouldn’t be working at all at the weekend but I’m finding I am more and more now my daughters are getting older.
CWW: How do you select the names of your characters?
RB: By luck! I often start books with character sketches and as I get to know the characters, their names come to me naturally. For my historical books, I scroll through popular names of the time and come up with them that way. I’m yet to change a name halfway through a book, but I know authors often do!
CWW: What is your favorite childhood book?
RB: The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton – I was addicted to these books and they were the reason I wanted to become an author. I loved the relationship dynamics and the mysteries. So much fun!
CWW: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
RB: From research through to the final draft, it usually takes me 5-6 months.
CWW: What books have most influenced your life?
RB: Not so much books, but authors have influenced my work and work ethic – I especially admire Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon and Jill Shalvis. They are prolific and write fantastic stories that give their readers familiarity, yet something new each time. I hope I do the same…
CWW: How do you develop your plots and characters?
RB: I usually start out with a germ of an idea and then scroll the internet for pics of my characters – I then write character sketches which usually confirms their goals, motivations and conflicts. I then write a 3-4 page synopsis, followed by a brief chapter plan. The first draft is written from start to finish without looking back. The hard work comes with the following drafts! I am most definitely a plotter
CWW: What are your future project(s)?
RB: I am currently working on revisions for an Edwardian romance as well as writing the final draft of a new contemporary, which I hope will be the first in an ongoing series.
As for releases, I have a new romantic suspense, If I Want You, releasing November 8th from The Wild Rose Press and book eight in my Harlequin Templeton Cove series, A Stranger In The Cove, releases January 1st 2018.
Do you have any advice for someone trying to get published?
Write, write, write! Writing is a craft that, I believe, anyone can learn. You need to be committed to a project and see if through to the end. Once it’s as good as you can make it, submit to agents and editors – if you are too afraid to put your work out there, you won’t be published unless you’re prepared to go the self-published route. Also, read. A LOT. And different genres because you never know when something will strike a chord with you and maybe even send you in an unanticipated direction. Have fun!
Thank you for sharing with us Rachel!!!! And until next time happy reading and writing!!!!
