Today’s blog features published author Joy M. Lilley on writing two novels. She can be found on Amazon’s author page.
I first began to write seriously after retiring from a long nursing career back in 2008.
My first attempt was to write a short story for the Lady Magazine. They had previously published a couple of my letters. The remit was to write a Mills and Boon flavoured love story in the setting of a National Trust site. I chose Sissinghurst Castle as the location and busily set about crafting the love interest. On completion I proudly sent the work off to the magazine headquarters and was sorely disappointed to learn some months later that I had been unsuccessful.
Not to be deterred, I decided to send the work to a publisher in London. They said yes its good; now please send us the full manuscript. Panicking, I let them know it was a short story, but that I could expand the work and would send it in on completion. It became my first novel, Figs, Vines and Roses; the publisher wanted several thousands of pounds and for me to sign the apposite contract found alongside the letter of acceptance. I could ill afford the proposal and found another, reasonable vanity press publisher and the book was released in January 2013.
The next venture was a plethora of short stories, just one of which was published, entitled Lost and Found it went into a book along with many other writers short stories.
Following this, my second novel The Liberty Bodice began to take shape, after a visit to Market Harborough where the liberty bodice was made. Touring the factory museum, my mind wandered back to childhood when my sister and I were made to wear the rubber buttoned garment along with a vest.
I have always been interested in WW2 and the story turns to the famous S.O.E. [Special Operations Executive] agents, when our heroine joins the force that became known as Churchill’s Secret Army.
It is a story to inspire all adult readers that tells of great courage in the face of adversity.
Links to Joy’s books
To read Figs, Vines and Roses
To read The Liberty Bodice on Kindle from Amazon, choose a site:
- Amazon US (Kindle): The Liberty Bodice
- Amazon UK (Kindle): The Liberty Bodice
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