publishing

  • Author interviews

    Samantha L. Valentine is writing it like it is

    The Meet Me in Berlin author on why realism is essential for a great romance.

    It’s the most romantic premise: two lovers from opposite sides of the globe vow to meet in the same place at the same time every year if they should ever lose one another. It’s also pretty unrealistic, which is why Sam Valentine says she made sure the rest of her new novel, Meet Me in Berlin, was unflinchingly true to life. In this contemporary romance, Casey, a British art curator, and Holly, an Australian photographer, grapple with grief, infidelity and heartbreak on their way to their HEA.

    That’s not to say Meet Me in Berlin is a heavy read – it’s balanced with plenty of laughter and spice too, which made working on the copy-edit earlier this year a real joy for me. 

    This is Sam’s second novel – her first, Normal Functioning Adult, has just been re-released under her own publishing company – and her work has also been featured in the Romance Writers Australia Sweet Treats anthology. As Meet Me in Berlin hits shelves, I asked Sam to share her thoughts about writing realistic characters in romance, the diversity missing from Australian fiction, and why she recently made the switch from hybrid to indie publishing.

    This is a long read but a really juicy one as we explore some topical issues – grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy! 

    Sam, it was so lovely to to work with you on Meet Me in Berlin. Can you share the story behind this book? What inspired it?

    It was mid-March 2022 when I first had the idea for this book, which came overnight! I wasn’t sure what was happening with Normal Functioning Adult (my first novel), and I was a bit down about receiving yet another rejection. A writer I was friendly with at the time had just started indie publishing short romances and suggested putting NFA to the side and trying something else – maybe writing a romance to indie publish. Immediately, I grabbed a notebook and googled Shakespeare plays for plot inspiration. Somehow The Comedy of Errors gave me the idea (I think it was the accidental meeting after a lifetime apart bit) of two people meeting, losing touch and looking for one another years later in a foreign city. I think the wedding shambles from Much Ado About Nothing gave me the idea of someone running from a wedding. The following day in my lunchbreak at work, I combined those ideas, scribbled out a basic plot and started writing that night. Ten days later, I had a very rough 38,000-word draft and it grew from there, taking a good year or so to complete.

    Other than getting the initial idea from a couple of Shakespeare plays, the events of the novel really weren’t inspired by anyone or anything – it’s all fiction – but the idea of ‘if we lose each other then we’ll return to this spot, on this day, at this time every year until we find each other’ was so unrealistic to me (yes, my own idea was unrealistic to me), I was inspired to make the rest of the novel as true to life as I could to make that concept believable. 

    Both your lead characters work in the art world and there are a couple of paintings that become meaningful for Holly and Casey. What role does art play in your life?

    Art and photography (how they feature in the novel) don’t play much of a role in my life at all. My wife is quite a good artist (drawing and painting), and we’ll go to exhibitions now and then, but I really don’t know a lot about paintings or the art scene, and I know even less about photography. 

    I stumbled upon Italia und Germania and Sappho and Erinna (the paintings referenced in the novel) when I was looking for art that suited the plot and characters, and I thought both worked well with the storyline, so I found ways to work them in. I also discovered a UK art podcast called The Week in Art, which I listened to every week while I was writing the novel, and I found a good photography podcast too. I still listen to the art podcast each week – it’s my comfort listen when I’m grocery shopping. I also love that my cover designer (who reads every novel she designs a cover for) modelled the illustration of Holly and Casey on the Sappho and Erinna painting and a scene in the book where they take a photo of themselves in a similar embrace.

    What did you find most fun or interesting about writing Meet Me in Berlin?

    It was a fun novel to write! Revisiting London and Berlin (virtually) was great, particularly London as I lived there for eight years and have such fond memories of that time. I even snuck in a street reference where I lived for a few years (Cruden Street in Angel). It was also fun to write a character like Casey who is very different from me – a mixed-race woman from East London. I did quite a bit of research to write Casey, which was interesting and insightful, particularly a book I read called Biracial Britain by Remi Adekoya. I liked writing British characters in general, too, as I did my linguistics degree in London and studied British English and English dialects, and my wife is British (not from London) so she likes that the novel features British characters. Making a silly concept like ‘if we lose each other, then we’ll come back to this spot, on this day, at this time, until we find each other’ realistic was also fun (and a bit challenging).

    I loved the way both characters deal with quite difficult circumstances and you don’t shy away from depicting morally grey actions, which we don’t always see in romance. I think it’s a great way to illustrate the growth of your characters. What made you want to lean into a realistic take rather than an idealised one?

    I’m not sure it was a case of wanting to – it’s just my style as a storyteller. I generally always write stories with a realistic take, but they’ll also have sprinklings of idealism, or at least convenient plot events to give a story a happier spin. Maybe that comes from growing up on fairytales, which are fantastic for conflict, flawed and morally grey characters, villains, dark themes, but also happy endings, satisfying character growth and positive coincidences. I’m a fairly down-to-earth, authentic and practical person and this probably comes through in my writing. That doesn’t mean I am my characters, of course, far from it, and I intentionally work hard to make my characters very different to me (my stories would be very boring if they were based on my life and I only wrote what I knew). So flawed characters who make questionable decisions (not necessarily always morally grey) will likely feature in all of my longer stories (maybe even my short stories, too — my RWA Sweet Treats anthology story certainly isn’t idealised and it will hopefully stand out for that reason). 

    Obviously there’s nothing wrong with idealised romances if that’s what people enjoy reading or authors like to write, but to me, fiction is an art form and art reflects society. Do we live in an idealised society? No. Is love and romance always idealistic, perfect and puritan? No. At its core, romance is about relationships, so it makes sense that it would contain realistic elements involving human actions and emotions. Humans are messy and flawed, their actions often a result of deep-seated wounds or their life experiences. Love and relationships can be complex and complicated. So why not show all of this in fiction as a depiction of contemporary life? That said, at the same time, novels are also great for escapism and relaxation and getting lost in other worlds, and this is where adding those idealistic elements, like happy endings or coincidences that wouldn’t actually happen in real life can help.  

    Love and relationships can be complex and complicated. So why not show all of this in fiction as a depiction of contemporary life?

    It’s interesting to me that there’s often this expectation in contemporary fiction, mainly women’s fiction and romance, that novels mirror modern society in terms of what characters do, say and think, but when a book has flawed, morally grey characters and actions that would actually happen in the real world, it’s often not well received. That seems very contradictory to me. I’ve even had a beta reader of another story tell me my character couldn’t think something because they were judging another character! To have a character only act and even think in a certain way is preposterous. 

    So far, I’ve received some really great reviews and feedback for Meet Me in Berlin, which is wonderful, and quite a few readers have commented how much they like the flawed characters. So I think generally readers do like reading about conflict and complicated actions. However, I’ve also received some not-so-great reviews, which is fine, that doesn’t bother me so much, and readers can dislike books and review however they want. But the content of some of these reviews has surprised me, which ties into the idealised view of romance books and morally grey characters. 

    In the case of Berlin, this relates to infidelity. Firstly, novels aren’t manuals for life. It’s not a novelist’s job to set the world to rights with their stories. Stories need conflict and how the plot unfolded around this topic in Berlin created the perfect conflict, both external and internal. Secondly, the way it pans out is very realistic. So many people become unhappy in relationships, even when they’re about to get married, but don’t know how to leave and end up doing something stupid as a way to get out of the relationship. People also fall for other people when they’re in relationships – it happens! Is it a hurtful, shitty thing to do? Of course it is, but I wasn’t going to turn my fictional story into a non-fiction moral compass on fidelity – who am I to tell people how to manage their relationships? I’m an author making up stories – the characters aren’t me and their story isn’t mine. I’ll also say that I’m purely talking about character flaws and morally grey actions here; I don’t think filling a book with hateful content or behaviours towards certain groups for no reason under the guise of fiction is okay.

    You’ve also said you want the world to read more diverse Australian stories. Why is that important and what do you think is missing from Australian literature?

    I don’t believe Australian fiction is nearly as diverse as people like to think it is, and I’m not sure it’s improving much either. I’ll focus on the Australian lesbian/sapphic space because that’s my area. I could count on one hand (maybe two) the traditionally published adult lesbian/sapphic novels that have been produced in this country in the past few years. There has been a small increase in lesbian/sapphic romances (of varying subgenres) overseas, and there are some Australian own voices authors with international publishers, mostly romance authors as well. But sapphic women are more than coming-out stories (which is often a YA story) and romance! 

    I see Australian agents and publishers seeking ‘diversity’, yet their actions don’t appear to support a lot of diverse fiction, because in reality, it’s about business and markets. 

    I also don’t like this notion that queer stories have to be happy ones (like YA and idealised romance). Queer women do all the things heterosexual women do – they work, get divorced, have families, grieve, have addictions, lose people, take drugs, have mental health issues, struggle with life, have affairs, get into debt and so forth, so where are these stories with lesbian characters? They’re certainly not being published by Australian publishers and I doubt it’s because they’re not being written. 

    Both Normal Functioning Adult and Meet Me in Berlin were taken seriously by big five publishers, but NFA was turned down because they didn’t know how to market it (it’s just women’s fiction but features gay women – it couldn’t be marketed alongside other women’s fiction?) and Berlin was turned down despite the publisher loving the book because apparently the market is saturated with rom-com type novels (although it’s hardly saturated with Australian sapphic rom-coms) and retailers only want the big-name authors at the moment, i.e., authors big on BookTok. So Australian publishers and agents can scream diversity all they want but at the end of the day it doesn’t trump markets, and until it does, we won’t see an increase in Australian traditionally published diverse fiction. 

    Sapphic women are more than coming-out stories and romance! 

    This is why indie publishing is popular for lesbian and sapphic fiction, because it really is the only option for so many of us. I also see a lot of people saying ‘it’s better than it was’ or ‘there’s loads of LGBTQ books now’ because queer YA is becoming more popular globally, which is great, but YA is just one genre and it’s very different to adult lesbian fiction, so it’s frustrating when people lump the entire community into one basket. Also, so many people get their books from walking into bookshops, Big W or the library. They won’t find indie published or small press digital-only books in there, so they’ll continue to never know such stories exist.

    I also see a lot of binaries in fiction – books are gay or straight, black or white, male or female, there’s very little middle ground. Something that hasn’t yet been picked up in Meet Me in Berlin by any reader and that was intentional on my part, is the blurred binary theme running through the novel – Casey is biracial, Holly is bisexual, and Dante (the wedding planner) is non-binary. Something small, but it was me saying not all fiction has to fit into a binary. 

    Let’s talk about the publication journey. Your first novel, Normal Functioning Adult, was with hybrid publisher Shawline, but you’ve since switched to indie publishing. Was working with a hybrid publisher a good training-wheels step?

    Yes, I think so. At the time of deciding to go down this path, thinking about indie publishing and doing all the things I knew I’d have to do to get a book out there was too much for me to get my head around. I knew the costs involved in getting an editor, cover designer etc., and the time it would take me to indie publish, so I went with a hybrid because the outlay was about the same. While it didn’t end up being the right path for me, it gave me the opportunity to get my novel out into the world, build an author platform, learn more about publishing contracts and processes, meet some new authors, and I made a great friend (another Shawline author) that I am so grateful is in my life now. 

    Also, the timing of everything worked out well because I was able to align the republication of Normal Functioning Adult with the release of Meet Me in Berlin meaning I could use the same cover designer, which has been great for branding, and I created a business name to publish under so I was able to coordinate this across the two novels and get the same designer to create publishing logos for me, which appear on the spine and in the front of the both books. 

    So I feel like the way it all worked out was all meant to be!

    What are the upsides to indie publishing?

    Being able to source my own cover designer, editors, proofreaders, and set my own release dates has been great. I’ve also really liked being able to do my own typesetting and being able to update my manuscript so easily if there’s an error or issue. Higher royalties are also an advantage.

    What do you find challenging? Do you have any advice you can share with other authors?

    Indie publishing has been challenging because there is so much to do, and just getting my head around all the things has blown my mind a bit! Although getting two full length novels ready to indie publish at the same time was a bit full on – I don’t recommend doing that. Dealing with Ingram Spark, Amazon etc has been tricky. My advice for those who’d like to indie publish is to set yourself a release date that gives you plenty of time to do everything you need to do. Then start looking into indie publishing, the different options and platforms, make yourself a plan and away you go. Think about editors and cover designers ahead of time because the good ones are often booked up months in advance. If you have a Mac, invest in Vellum (typesetting software) because it will save you a stack of money in typesetting fees (I bought it at a reduced price on Cyber Monday). There’s also quite a few good indie publishing Facebook groups and look at other indie authors to see what they’re doing.

    What’s your experience of the editing process like, having been through it a few times now for your books?

    So far I’ve had good experiences with editors, so I’ve been lucky, and I enjoy sending my stories out for editing feedback. I’m okay at editing my own stories, too, since I did editing in my Master’s, and I also did the Cut, Shape and Polish course through Australian Writers Centre, which I found really helpful for reviewing my own novels. But there’s always a layer of subjectivity when self-editing so I like to send my work out to someone else to edit.

    My advice for those who’d like to indie publish is to set yourself a release date that gives you plenty of time to do everything you need to do.

    Can you share any insights or aha moments that came to you during the editing process?

    For the developmental edit I had for Meet Me in Berlin, it was interesting to have another person’s view of the characters and plot because often editors will see what the authors can’t. Sophia, my developmental editor, gave some great recommendations to shape the novel, and I changed quite a few scenes from that edit. It was also interesting to have a different perspective on the characters. The description that is in the blurb about Casey, that she ‘works hard, plays hard and loves hard’ comes straight from Sophia. Although I’d spent a year writing Casey before sending the novel out for edit, I had never thought of her in those terms, but it was the perfect description for that character. 

    Your copy-edit was also an eye-opener because I had no idea how much I used certain words and action beats, and there were so many sentences that I wasn’t happy with, but I’d read the novel that many times it got to the point where I just couldn’t think of alternative phrases or words, so the copy-edit really helped with that. And picking up my Terry’s Chocolate Orange error was brilliant! [Note: A helpful thing that editors can offer is fact-checking! In this instance I double-checked a reference to this chocolate’s packaging and corrected the colour of the wrapper for Sam.]

    What stage of editing do you find most helpful?

    I find them all really helpful. A structural edit is great, but it often results in a stack of rewriting and reworking characters and plot! Copy-edits are great because you feel like you’re closer to finalising and it helps clean up all those clunky sentences and repetitions. Proofing is also good because by that stage you’ve read your own novel that many times that you think there couldn’t possibly be any mistakes, but there always is and I’m always interested to see what my own eyes missed.

    I know you work full-time, so fitting writing in must be tricky! How do you stay on track with your writing goals?

    I certainly had to give things up in order to write, like TV. Other than the news and a few shows here and there, I barely watch TV anymore and that gives me a lot of more time to do writerly things. To fit it all in around my day job, I mostly write/do author stuff in my lunch breaks (it’s amazing how much you can get done in a 45-minute lunch break if you focus), evenings, weekends and holidays. I don’t much else in my spare time – I hang out with my wife and dogs and see family and friends, but otherwise I’m usually doing author stuff of some description. 

    After a big push to release two books this year, what’s next for you?

    I have a few stories sitting there I’m planning to get back to. I’m starting with a short story I wrote last year that I’d like to extend into a longer short story and publish as a digital-only release, possibly for Sapphic September. It’s a light-hearted, fun, contemporary romance (at this stage anyway, that could change!). I’d say it’s a fish-out-of-water trope.

    Finally, Sam, what would you like your books to be known for?

    I like the idea of my books being known for something that’s just a little bit different, like romance that has a bit of edge and grit, or engaging women’s fiction that features diverse characters. Regardless of the genre, I definitely would like my books to be known for being authentic stories with real-life themes and storylines that feature flawed, realistic characters. 

    Find Sam’s books and sign up for her monthly newsletter via her website. You can follow Sam on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon.

  • Author interviews

    “I want my characters to be relatable and authentic” – Stephanie Hazeltine on writing domestic thrillers 

    Stephanie Hazeltine wearing a pink top and smiling in front of her computer monitor

    As a primary school teacher, Stephanie Hazeltine always thought she’d write children’s books one day – but when she started writing, it was the heart-racing thriller genre that got her hooked. She’s just released her second domestic thriller novel, You Weren’t Watching, which is book two in her Suburban Secrets series.

    I was delighted to work with Stephanie on a line and copy-edit for You Weren’t Watching earlier this year, so I know just how much readers are going to love this book! It’s a pacy read that centres around the nightmare of a child’s disappearance, but also touches on postnatal anxiety and depression, the challenges of motherhood and co-parenting, and the knotty complexities of female friendships.

    Here, Stephanie shares how she got into writing, dealing with confronting themes in fiction, and how she navigates the self-publishing journey.

    Tell us a little bit about yourself and your new novel, You Weren’t Watching.

    I live in Melbourne with my husband, two kids and two cavoodles. I’m a primary school teacher who loves reading, running and Caramilk chocolate. I got into writing during lockdown and haven’t looked back – I’m constantly plotting stories and trying to find the time to write them all.

    You Weren’t Watching is an interconnected standalone novel in the Suburban Secrets series. It centres around a group of women and their children in the quiet suburb of Rosewood. When one of the children is kidnapped, the women must come together. But with every passing moment, more horrifying secrets are uncovered and it’s a race against time to save more than just one Rosewood resident.

    You Weren’t Watching throws you into every parent’s worst nightmare and makes you question who you can really trust.

    What made you want to be an author? 

    I actually wanted to be a children’s author originally because I loved reading to my students and sharing different books with them. Then a friend encouraged me to do a creative writing course and that sparked the desire to write novels. 

    How did you get started? 

    I started with a writing course that I completed during lockdown with a newborn baby. It started as a distraction from newborn monotony and lockdown boredom, but I fell in love with creating and it’s taken off from there. 

    “I want my characters to be relatable and authentic so I try to inject a bit of myself into (some of) them. The status quo before things get thrilling is what my life often looks like.”

    What draws you to writing domestic thrillers centring on women’s lives? 

    I want my characters to be relatable and authentic so I try to inject a bit of myself into (some of) them. The status quo before things get thrilling is what my life often looks like. It’s centred around my children, my family, my friendships. I love to read thrillers, so turning that everyday life into something devastating or scandalous is fun. 

    There’s some confronting themes and storylines in your work – does this involve lots of research to ensure you’re getting the details right?

    I have some lovely friends and family who work in emergency services, law enforcement and legal proceedings and they keep me on track so that my details are pretty accurate. 

    The mental health theme, particularly perinatal mental health, is something I’m really passionate about. I suffered postnatal depression and anxiety when my first child was born and it took me some time to realise that it’s totally fine and very common, and I wanted to highlight this in my books so that women who read them realise that too. I’ve had a lot of mothers reach out and thank me for discussing perinatal mental health. It’s also been a really therapeutic way of sharing some of the feelings I’ve experienced through my characters. 

    How do you protect your own mental health while exploring such dark content? 

    It probably seems odd but writing itself is one of the ways I protect my mental health. It’s a creative and emotional outlet for me, even when the content is dark.

    Have you learnt anything that you weren’t expecting about dealing with sensitive material in fiction?

    Not from my books yet, but from working with other authors and speaking with readers, it can certainly be a real minefield. Almost anything can warrant a trigger warning and we don’t know what our readers have experienced. I try to be as transparent as possible and list the trigger warnings at the front of my books. 

    You’re an indie author – why did you decide to go down the self-publishing path? 

    The first answer that comes to mind is the fear of rejection. But in addition to this, I really like having control over what and when I create and release my work. I set my own deadlines and keep them realistic around being a mum and a part-time teacher.

    What are the challenges involved in self-publishing? And do you have any advice for others who might be considering the indie route? 
    The hardest part, for me, has been marketing and getting eyes on my book. I feel I spend almost an equal number of hours writing as I do marketing and admin tasks, and that makes me sad because I love writing. As I become more experienced, I’m sure this will change but for now it’s a juggle. 

    My advice for others would be to establish some friendships/relationships with other indie authors because their knowledge is golden. I could not have navigated editing, formatting, uploading to different distributers, marketing etc without the people I met along the way who had already self-published. 

    “My advice for others would be to establish some friendships/relationships with other indie authors because their knowledge is golden.”

    How essential is working with an editor (or several editors!) as part of this process? 

    Crucial! For both of my books I have had an editor do a structural report very early on in the project and then a line edit at the end. As a self-published author, it’s all on me. There’s no publishing company to fall back on. So when my book goes out, I want it to be perfect because it represents my name only. Having an editor gets me as close to perfect as I can hope.

    Who else is essential on your publishing team? 

    A cover designer, beta readers (I’ve got three plus a proofreader) and ARC readers who I have reached out to over social media. I’m also part of two writing groups and we talk all week sharing motivation and ideas – and a really good barista. 

    What’s next for you – when can we expect the next instalment in your series? 

    The next instalment in the Suburban Secrets series won’t be until next year but I’m hoping to release a completely separate thriller later this year. Stay tuned.

    Where’s the best place for people to buy your books?  

    Paperback copies are available on Amazon. Otherwise you can get the ebook on Kindle, Apple, Kobo or Nook. 

    Find out more about Stephanie on her website and stay up to date on her books over on Instagram @stephaniehazeltinewrites

  • Author interviews

    “I love to push limits in romance” – Natalie Murray on writing historical fiction, switching to contemporary romance, and how editing brings out her best

    Natalie Murray is an Australian author to watch. If you’re a fan of historical romance, you might already know her Emmie and the Tudor King series, which follows a young woman’s time slip into Tudor England and entanglement with a (fictional) fiery ruler. It’s swoon-worthy, passionate, transportive reading.

    Now, Natalie has returned to the present day with a contemporary romance novel set in Newcastle, NSW – where she now lives and where I grew up! – and I was so delighted to work with her on a structural edit for this manuscript late last year. Her best-friends-to-lovers story is heart-wrenching, funny and adorable in equal parts and I can’t wait till everyone else gets to read it too. In exciting news, that won’t be too long! Natalie’s contemporary romance has just been acquired by Allen & Unwin and is due to hit shelves in early 2024.

    Here, Natalie takes us through her journey from TV news reporter to author, the joys of writing both historical and contemporary fiction, her top advice for aspiring authors, and why the romance genre will always be her true love.

    Tell me about your journey to becoming an author. You have a background in journalism – what inspired you to make the leap to writing fiction? 

    I’ve always been a writer in some form, but until recently, it was only ever non-fiction. While I spent years writing news articles, business materials and blogs, I’d convinced myself I’d never attempt to write fiction, despite being a voracious reader. But when I was pregnant with my first child and at home feeling unwell, I began experimenting with writing short romance stories and immediately became hooked. When I published the stories online and received wonderful feedback from readers, I decided to try writing a full-length novel. I was watching the TV series The Tudors at the time, and having dreams about the Tudor period, so I decided to turn one of those dreams into a novel, which led to the first book in my Emmie and the Tudor King trilogy!

    Has your experience in writing for media helped you in writing books? Or is it an entirely different beast?

    I primarily worked as TV journalist, which requires you to ‘write to the pictures’ with as few words as possible – a very different process to describing a world for readers to imagine across tens of thousands of words. While plotting novels and character arcs bears little resemblance to anything I’ve worked on for the media, working as a journalist did teach me vital skills about the mechanics of writing and sentence structure and the importance of telling a good story and telling it quickly. So, there is probably more crossover than I think! Witnessing the idiosyncrasies of people and society as a reporter has also probably enriched my novels and characters in ways I don’t even realise.

    What do you love about writing love stories? 

    Oh gosh, what don’t I love! I’m an incurable romantic and never tire of perfecting a line of swoon-worthy dialogue or writing about the accidental brush of knuckles or the zing of a moment of direct eye contact. Every time I write a romance novel, I get to fall in love all over again, which is a high I’ll never stop chasing. While I’ve written fast-paced stories before with plenty of action, there’s something about the stillness of romance that I also love… of letting two characters shift into each other’s spaces and come to the realisation that each one is having a profound and life-changing impact on the other. It’s also great fun to write pages of romantic tension and then finally reach that explosive kiss or that confession that makes the reader’s heart beat harder. It’s also a genre that guarantees a happy and hopeful ending, so it feels like a safe space in which to escape.

    “Every time I write a romance novel, I get to fall in love all over again, which is a high I’ll never stop chasing.”

    Your first books are historical novels – what sparked your interest in Tudor England? 

    I’ve been captivated by the Tudor period for as long as I can remember, which is one of the most dramatic periods in British history. All you need to do is look at the Tudor family tree to see that this family was a hot mess of treason, love and betrayal. That said, I didn’t want to write another book about its established events or about Henry VIII’s wives or daughters. So, I decided to create a reimagined history in which Queen Elizabeth I married her rumoured lover Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and they had a son, Nicholas Tudor. My muse for this fictional king was probably the real Henry VIII in his younger years, who was not only ridiculously smart and talented but – according to reports – a total hottie. He was more than six feet tall, athletic, and known to be extremely handsome. My King Nick is part young Henry: charismatic, clever, and fiery to the end. It’s a fun story to lose yourself in!

    What funny or surprising details did you unearth while researching the period?

    There were plenty of surprising and funny tidbits, but I remember being quite amused to discover that water was considered unhealthy in Tudor times, so most people drank ale all day to stay hydrated – or wine if you were rich. One would assume the Tudors were permanently tipsy! That said, drunkenness was not tolerated, and there were punishments for alcohol abuse. If you were drunk in public and making a nuisance of yourself, you could be forced to wear a beer barrel as a form of humiliation, which was known as a ‘drunkard’s cloak’. You would be made to parade around inside a huge, heavy barrel with holes cut out for your head, legs and arms.

    Your next book is a contemporary romance, which I was thrilled to work on recently. What was it like moving into the contemporary genre? Do you think you’ll stay in the here and now or will historical romance come calling again? 

    Some of the Emmie and the Tudor King series is set in the present day, so I’d already played in the contemporary landscape and thoroughly enjoyed it. I never actually intended to become a historical romance author: I wanted to write a novel set in Tudor England that had the feel of a contemporary romance (a bit like a novel version of the TV series Reign). I always planned to move into the contemporary space once I’d finished the Tudor series and believed it would be easier because there is much less research involved. However, I was wrong! The Tudor setting provided so much immediate ‘story’ to work with… joustings, feastings, dances, the royal court – even beheadings. Writing contemporary romance means I’ve had to come up with 90,000 words of story and complications without that initial material to bounce off. I’m still not sure which is easier!

    Give us a teaser – how would you describe your upcoming contemporary romance book?

    I’m so excited about my next novel, which is a best-friends-to-lovers contemporary romance set in Australia! It’s a swoony and angsty story about love and friendship, loss, and finding the courage to follow your heart, even if it means facing your biggest fears. While offering plenty of sizzling romantic chemistry and light moments, the book explores the impacts of trauma and health anxiety in the era of ‘Doctor Google’ – something I have personally battled. Best-friends-to-lovers is my absolute favourite romance trope, so I have always wanted to “give it a crack”, as we Aussies like to say. In this one, you can expect slow-burn tension, forced proximity, ice-cream kisses, cute texting, and swoony confessions. After writing three books set in Tudor England, it’s been a joy to write a story set in my own backyard. And I just adore the male lead in this book, Ryan James. He is such a sweetheart.

    I know you have a really detailed process when it comes to writing a novel. How essential is working with an editor to your process? 

    I can’t imagine completing a book without an editor. Every time I’ve revised a novel after receiving feedback from an editor, I’m blown away at the improvement, and I always end up turning around and blurting to my husband: “It’s absolutely amazing what editors can do!” No matter how much careful thought I put into each book, how much plotting, or frantic revisions, I can only take it so far without the expert eyes of an editor to lift it to the next level. After working on multiple drafts of a full-length novel, it’s also easy to lose sight of both the bigger picture and the very small things that an editor will spot immediately. 

    “Editors have given me so many invaluable insights, like how to get more out of a theme, how to optimise the structure to ensure the climax hits at the right time and with the right degree of gut punch, when to boost the tension and when to pull it back, and the importance of character consistency.”

    Can you share any insight into lessons you’ve learned from the editing experience?

    I’ve become better at guessing what editors are going to pick me up on, so I tend to clean those up as I write in the hope that, one day, an editor will say to me: “It’s perfect! You don’t need to change a thing!” (In my dreams, haha.) Editors have given me so many invaluable insights, like how to get more out of a theme, how to optimise the structure to ensure the climax hits at the right time and with the right degree of gut punch, when to boost the tension and when to pull it back, and the importance of character consistency (which can be a tricky thing to get right). Sometimes I tend to overwrite and be a little heavy-handed, and you, Penny, have been particularly wonderful at shaving off superfluous language. Overall, I’ve learned from working with an editor that no matter how polished a novel is, it can always be better.

    What writing or editing rules do you love to break? 

    I love to push limits in romance. The overwhelming majority of readers who loved the Emmie and the Tudor King series said they adored the lead male character, Nick Tudor, but a few readers have complained about his fiery, egotistical nature. But I was creating the character of a sixteenth-century Tudor king, and I wanted him to be authentic. So, I set out never to compromise on his personality or soften him to make him more palatable to a twenty-first-century audience. I also probably use too many adverbs and adjectives and insert a touch too much emotion into my writing at times, but that’s because these are things I love as a reader. My favourite author is Paullina Simons because she doesn’t hold back on angst and emotion. I love and need the ‘happily ever after’ in romance, but before I get there, I want to be kicked in the heart. Probably because it makes the make-up kiss that much sweeter!

    “I love and need the ‘happily ever after’ in romance, but before I get there, I want to be kicked in the heart. Probably because it makes the make-up kiss that much sweeter!”

    What advice can you offer other aspiring authors? 

    Still on editing, I think it’s important for aspiring authors to remember that editors are on your team. The first few editor comments you receive can feel like criticism, but it’s not in a disapproving way; it’s because they’re fighting for you to create the best story you can. On writing overall, my main advice to authors is to finish the damn book. When you start writing your first novel, it is far too easy to give up. It’s a tough, gruelling process that can take years, and when no one is paying you a cent, no one is reading a word of it, and the couch is whispering your name, the urge to just walk away can be overwhelming. But the only way a book is written is that it’s written… one word, one sentence, one day at a time. There’s no shortcut. But if you just keep going, you will reach the end, and then you’ll have a full draft to go back and begin editing, which is when the magic happens and the fun begins. So, don’t be discouraged if your first draft isn’t as polished as you’d imagined. My first drafts are almost unreadable. But just finish the damn book, and then you can go back and fix it, which is a deeply enjoyable part of the process and easier than writing that first draft. 

    That’s excellent advice and I couldn’t agree more! Finally, what’s next for you? What are you working on now? 

    I’ve just finished plotting my next Australian contemporary romance, which features the tropes of grumpy-meets-sunshine and fake dating (with a twist). I can’t wait to start writing it! And I’m hugely excited to have nearly finished my first contemporary romance co-written with US author Jenny Hickman, which is called Hating the Best Man, which will be out in spring 2023. Jenny and I have fantastic writing chemistry and the same taste in all things romance, and I can’t wait for us to work on more books together. This is only the beginning.

    For more about Natalie’s books, follow her on Instagram @nataliemurrayauthor or visit her website.

  • Author interviews

    “Don’t wait for the perfect conditions” – Clare Fletcher on building writing momentum

    There’s an iconic scene in Clare Fletcher’s debut novel Five Bush Weddings involving a steamy kiss and a thud as a meat pie drops to the ground, all but forgotten in the heat of the moment. 

    This hot/sweet/funny scene characterises Clare’s book, a rural rom-com that shakes off stereotypes to reveal a glimpse of modern life in the bush, with all its beauty, hardship and humour. It follows Stevie, a talented wedding photographer who captures a steady stream of rural romances through her lens but can’t seem to frame up her own happily ever after. Stevie is a hot mess and a hot item on the local gossip’s Bush Telegraph – and then her ex’s best friend, Johnno, reappears, reigniting old memories and confused feelings.

    I loved this book, not just because of Clare’s beautiful writing, but the way she threads real rural stories – the connection of country communities, the struggles farming families face trying to forge ahead in an ever-changing landscape – with the issues many women in their thirties grapple with, no matter where they’re from. It’s set between Brisbane and country Queensland, and Clare draws on her own background growing up in a regional town to fill the scenes and characters with authenticity.

    Clare is also a journalist so I was keen to hear if her day job helped her get the words for her first novel down on paper (yes and no!). Here, she shares her writing journey, her experience of being edited (not nearly as brutal as she expected), why playing team sport as an adult is a little like writing a book, and what readers can expect from her next…

    Congrats on the release of your first novel! I loved Five Bush Weddings and found it got me thinking about my own life journey, as Stevie grapples with her life decisions, a bad breakup and the pressure to settle down. What sparked the idea for the book? 

    I decided quite consciously to try to write a book, which had been a lifelong dream I’d spent three decades doing nothing about. When I decided to try writing a romance, thinking it would be quite formulaic, I wanted to explore that messy period in your early thirties when it feels like there are lots of conflicting expectations for women – have a brilliant career, get married to the perfect man, have babies, own a house, travel the world, be creatively and spiritually fulfilled. Very few people can knock all those off and if you haven’t done any of them, cue the soul-searching! And so many of those things are down to chance – I think we all have a beloved friend who just hasn’t met the right partner, through no fault of their own, but judgemental people can treat them like it’s a shortcoming or a character flaw that they’re single. Anyway, I liked the idea of a heroine who’s pretty great at her job but a bit aimless and hopeless at life, finding joy and purpose without needing a man to ‘fix’ her. A wedding photographer seemed like a great protagonist to explore different types of love as well as some fun parties!

    I love the way you portray rural Australia in the story. What was your aim in writing about the country? Were you hoping to give people a more informed glimpse?

    Growing up in a small town in regional Queensland is something I’m so proud of and grateful for, and this story is one big love letter to it. I’m a townie so I don’t have lived experience of working the land, but I’ve worked in small town pubs and restaurants and done peripheral farm jobs like cotton chipping, bug checking and grape picking! It feels like there’s a lot of rural-set crime fiction in Australia at the moment, so I wanted to try telling a more joyful story about country communities. And a lot of rural romance is understandably set in more idyllic locations – lush high country, wineries or vast stations – so I thought it would be fun to use the more prosaic settings of the places of my youth. I think there’s a real resilience and camaraderie, and a very unique sense of humour, that comes with the harsh unpredictability of living on the land. 

    How much of the story is based on your own experiences of living in the country and overseas? 

    All of Stevie’s terrible habits, many of her experiences at parties, and her memories of New York, are mine!

    Is it difficult to mine your own life experiences for art? 

    Actually, I think it can be too easy! Often I’d use a memory or an experience as a starting point to imagine a scene, and a lot of those very specific details remain in the final book. My sister told me the other day that everyone at home is speculating about who the Bush Telegraph is based on – that’s the trouble with having recognisable details, sometimes people forget the characters are fictional (I swear)!

    Tell me about your journey to becoming an author. When did you start writing fiction and why? 

    I’d always loved creative writing as a kid but it never felt like a realistic career path, so I didn’t dedicate much time to it after university. I think I had grown a bit depressed that I was ignoring this thing I’d always wanted to do, so I decided I had to give it a proper try. Weirdly, it was starting to play team sport in my mid-30s that got the ball rolling – it was a great reminder that the world won’t end if you’re bad at something, it can still be fun even if you suck, and that you can see improvement when you keep trying. Even getting into running was a great lesson in the way small, regular increments can add up to a big achievement. So I signed up to do the Year of the Novel course at Writing NSW in 2019. I don’t think anyone needs to study writing to start a book, but I knew I needed external accountability and structure. I didn’t finish the book in that year but it was exactly what I needed, and also helped me connect with fellow writers as well as a teacher who would go on to become my mentor. 

    “It was starting to play team sport in my mid-30s that got the ball rolling – it was a great reminder that the world won’t end if you’re bad at something, it can still be fun even if you suck, and that you can see improvement when you keep trying.”

    What about the nuts and bolts of writing a novel. Did your background as a journalist help? 

    It’s just chipping away over time. Journalism has made me very lazy without a pressing deadline, so it was a real mind-shift to keep working on this manuscript no one might ever read. There were weeks and months when I didn’t write, which can be something we gloss over when we’re telling the neat story of how a book gets written, but at a certain point you find you’ve invested so much in the characters that you need to finish it. Journalistic training has given me an appreciation for clarity in writing, some skills in observation, and maybe all those hours of transcribing interviews helped with writing dialogue!

    How long did it take to write Five Bush Weddings?

    It was a bit less than 18 months to finish the first draft. I was working full time, and pregnant for the last stretch! That ended up being the deadline I needed – imminent labour. While I was on parental leave, I worked with a mentor to refine the manuscript to submit to agents. Once I found my agent, it took a few months to lock in a publisher; and once the contract was signed it was less than a year to publication. So in all it was about three-and-a-half years, from starting to publication.

    How did you find the editing process? Scary, empowering, fun?

    This is where I think I was lucky to have worked in journalistic editorial, because I knew what to expect somewhat. I was absolutely packing it waiting for my structural edit, but book editors are much more gentle with you than a newspaper or magazine editor! I couldn’t believe the way my copy editor explained every suggested change, and offered lots of kind compliments to offset the constructive criticism (this is professionally known as the ‘shit sandwich’ or ‘compliment lasagne’). At the end of the day, editing is about making a piece of writing the best it can be, and making sure nothing stands in the reader’s way of enjoying the story. Suggested changes aren’t personal, you’re on the same team, and as the author you always have the right to accept or reject a change 

    “At the end of the day, editing is about making a piece of writing the best it can be, and making sure nothing stands in the reader’s way of enjoying the story.”

    Can you share any insight into lessons you learned from the experience? 

    My publisher (Nikki Christer) did my structural edit and that was a great learning experience. When she suggested my main character was a bit unlikeable, at first I freaked out, thinking it would be a huge job to rework her. But Nikki helped me see that a few simple scenes building Stevie’s relationship with her mum and her best friend could do a lot of heavy lifting to show why these people stick with Stevie even when she’s not making great decisions. Nikki also told me to go back and read Bridget Jones’ Diary and I think that can be really helpful, revisiting a touchstone book when you’re struggling with something.

    What writing/editing rules do you love to break? 

    ‘Show don’t tell’ is good advice a lot of the time, but sometimes we go too far in that direction when a bit of exposition can be much more efficient! I just bloody love words so I probably pepper in way too many adverbs (Kurt Vonnegut would never) and description… but that stuff is so pleasurable for me to write, I hope it’s enjoyable for readers, too.

    What advice would you give other aspiring authors?

    Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, the perfect idea or some arbitrary skill level to get started. Once you’re writing you’ll learn so much as you go. I think women in particular are often waiting for permission or over-qualification to start writing and sometimes you just have to ask yourself – would a mediocre white man hesitate in this situation?

    What’s next for you? What are you working on now? 

    I am getting close to my submission deadline for the second book in my contract. Obviously it’s an immense privilege to be contracted but it’s also done my head in a bit – working with very different expectations to the first time around. This new story will be in the same universe as Five Bush Weddings, with different main characters. There’s a historical timeline thread as well as the present day. Deb balls, beauty pageants, a collection of vintage dresses and women’s rugby – a weird cocktail!

    Pick up a copy of Five Bush Weddings here and find out more about Clare (and sign up for her excellent newsletter) here.

  • Author interviews, Editing, Writing

    “I like to make people laugh, but I also want to make them feel” – Karina May on writing rom-coms, travelling for inspiration and dirty first drafts

    Debut author Karina May was born to write rom-coms. She’s the kind of funny that leaves you gasping for air, and her sharp observations have a way of injecting life into tired romance tropes.

    Karina’s first novel, Under the Influence, will be released on 1 September under the HarperCollins imprint Escape. It follows banker Louise Lane and philanthropist Blake Goldfield as they grapple with their unravelling lives, the weight of society’s expectations and their unlikely attraction as their paths cross in flashy Sydney and beautiful Peru. 

    I’m so excited for the launch of this book, not only because I got to work on it at both structural and line-editing stages, but because I know exactly how much dedication and determination has gone into this incredible achievement.

    I met Karina when we were both working as editorial assistants for a niche publisher of craft magazines. Back then, our biggest creative hurdle was coming up with headlines for articles about sewing techniques and scrapbooking tools. It was seriously tough work and whenever we were stumped, our foolproof formula was to simply add ‘-tastic’ to the topic of choice. Tassel-tastic! Cushion-tastic! Quilt-tastic! I’m happy to say our standards have lifted significantly since then. 

    While I stayed in magazines, Karina was savvy enough to opt out of the declining industry early, moving into the booming world of digital marketing. She kept her creative muscle flexed writing rom-coms for fun, and here we are! Under the Influence is out now and Karina has another two novels in the works for next year (more on that below).

    I used my considerable influence with Karina to ask her about her journey to published author, her writing routine and, of course, how she feels about the editing process. 

    Cover of Under the Influence by Karina May

    Your first book, Under The Influence, is out on 1 September. Congratulations! How long have you been dreaming of this moment? 

    Thank you! I think I’ve dreamt of this moment for as long as I’ve been writing creatively – around 10 years or so! Like so many of us do, I changed the goal posts almost as soon as I started. Initially, I was writing a book just for fun – to see if I could actually do it … but that quickly changed to wanting to get it published!

    Can you give us a rundown of your journey to becoming a published author? When and why did you start writing?

    I have a background in journalism and studied communications at uni so I’ve always loved writing. My first couple of jobs were in magazines, writing articles. When I was growing up I actually wanted to be a foreign correspondent. I did a uni placement at an English broadsheet in Bangkok and quickly realised that a foreign correspondent was not the same as a Getaway reporter (LOL), so I ditched my Catriona Rowntree fantasies and went into magazines. I wrote non-fiction stories exclusively for years until the unfortunate decline of magazines pushed me to re-skill in digital. Once I wasn’t writing as much in my day job I found myself with a bit of an itch to scratch. I’ve always enjoyed being a storyteller, so I started jotting down funny anecdotes – mainly dating stories – then tried to string them together to make a book. Note: this is not how you write a book! 

    Writing a novel around a full-time job is no easy task. How do you juggle your fiction writing with your day-to-day life? Can you share any tips for being consistent with a writing routine?

    For sure! When I first started writing I was working in a pretty demanding full-time job. I wrote in the evenings as a bit of an outlet, and on some weekends. Now, I’m lucky enough to work for myself as a freelancer so I can choose my hours (to a degree). I’m someone who can’t really write in short bursts so I typically structure my week around writing blocks – at least one or two hours. I normally write first thing – which is a big change to how I started – as I’m less likely to skip the writing this way. My client/paid work has to get done, so I know that I’ll get to it after writing and I’m normally happier once I have some words down, too. So my main tip is, writing first! Even if that is before the sun is up (vom).

    Travel is a big theme in your work. What role does travelling play in your creative process? 

    It plays a massive role. My writing ideas are mostly sparked by being in new environments. My senses and observational skills are heightened and the juices start flowing! It could be an experience, a conversation, or even a look that gets the imagination going. It’s almost like when I’m away, I give myself permission to play – I’m now doing my best to give myself the same permission slip when I’m home. It’s about harnessing that ex-pat mentality and curiosity in everyday life. 

    I know you’re a fan of writing getaways – I’m always jealous to see you writing in beautiful locations! Where, apart from Sydney, did you pen Under the Influence?

    Oh yes, I’ve lost count of the number of writing getaways I’ve done (so very lucky!) I actually started writing Under the Influence in Berlin in late 2019. I was there for six weeks and wrote the first 30,000 words in my studio apartment in Kreuzberg and in surrounding cafes. The rest of the novel was written during Covid time. Between lockdowns, I managed to escape to Patonga on NSW’s Central Coast with my amazing writing pal, JoJo Swords, for some editing. Editing can be very painful so I like having a change of scenery (and a buddy).

    “The main thing I love about the editing process is help with identifying my blind spots”

    Speaking of editing, I’m lucky to have worked with you on a few manuscripts now, and I know you’ve worked with other editors and beta readers too. What do you find most helpful about the editing process? 

    Gosh, I’m so lucky to have you edit my books. You make them exponentially better! I think the main thing I love about the editing process is help with identifying my blind spots. By the time I’m done, I’m normally so close to the story that I can’t see the wood for the trees. It’s so helpful having expert assistance to suggest which parts of the story need attention and why. I think the why is just as important, as I’m not going to make any changes unless I truly believe it’s going to better the story. 

    How important is it to you to get that outside perspective when you’re shaping your story? 

    It’s imperative. I think it’s helpful to get the advice of an expert editor to help with the technical elements, like ways to raise the stakes, and a handful of trusted beta readers to tell you in non-technical terms what they love and what might not be working as well. Once you have multiple opinions you can identify trends. If everyone is saying the same thing it’s hard to ignore! 

    What writing or editing rule do you love to break? 

    Haha, I love this. Apart from thinking punctuation is entirely optional (sorry, Penny!), maybe the rule that you should write a dirty first draft. I’m not someone who can get my thoughts down fast. I am certainly of the school of thought that you can’t edit a blank document, but I’m also cautious about making more work for myself by writing too much nonsense. I don’t make myself write every day, so if I’m writing rubbish I won’t persist. I personally like to write a pretty clean first draft. I write leanly, then add.

    What do you want Karina May books to be known for? 

    Oh, that’s a tricky one. I’ve been told that my stories are ‘lively’ – I think that means that I have big plots with big characters. I like to make people laugh with my writing, but I also want to make people feel. To make big feelings, ideas and themes more accessible by delivering them in a palatable way. Palatable? I’m not sure I would buy something marketed as palatable, so let’s go with spunky. I also want my books to just be a bit of fun! I have so much fun writing them – especially the travel aspect – so I want people to have fun reading them!

    What advice would you give aspiring writers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

    Seek out expert advice! Whether that’s a course at the Australian Writers Centre (where I did the Write Your Novel six-month course, twice!) or listening to writing podcasts (my current faves are The First Time pod, Talking Aussie Books and Writes4Women), and when the time is right, engage a professional editor like Penny! [Ed’s note: I did not pay her to say that!] Not only does being tapped into the writing community provide you with support and accountability to help you stay motivated, it will set you up with the foundations you need to create a manuscript worthy of publication. And, read lots! Everyone says this – because it’s true. Reading widely will help your writing, and it’s also useful for staying on top of trends and understanding where your manuscript fits in the market.

    And finally… when can we expect the next Karina May story?!

    Ooh, 2023 is going to be very exciting! I recently signed a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan, so I’ll have new books out in March and December next year. I’m also going to start work on my fourth book. I have an idea for the one after that too, so for the moment it’s writing, writing and more writing!

    You can pick up Karina’s delightful debut Under the Influence here or follow her on Instagram @karinamaywrite