Hi Sharon, welcome back to Jaffareadstoo.
Sharon : Thank you so much for inviting me
onto your blog. I'm delighted to be back again.
Tell us a little about yourself
and how you got started as an author?
I’m a lady of a certain age –
which could mean anything, really, and I’m saying nothing more, except I have
grown-up children and several young grandchildren. I live with my very patient
husband and our German Shepherd dog, and when I’m not writing I’m busy with my
job in the NHS. I've always been an avid reader, and it was only a matter of
time before I put pen to paper and started writing my own stories. However,
after having five children, I stopped writing anything more interesting than
shopping lists for a long time. It was only when I was in my late forties that
I got the bug again. A trio of characters popped into my head and demanded that
I tell their story, and so the Kearton Bay series was born. It took a few years
of writing and re-writing before my first book, There Must Be an Angel was
ready, but I've since published five full-length novels and a novella. I've
also had two pocket novels published by The People's Friend. The first pocket
novel has recently been published by Ulverscroft, as part of their large-print
Linford Romance Library. I've had a short story in a charity anthology, Winter
Tales, and another published in a People's Friend special.
Your books are written in
Northern England, how have the people and the northern landscape shaped your
stories?
A lot of the people I write about
are loosely based on people I know. My characters' mannerisms, their thought
processes, and their idiosyncrasies come from people I'm very familiar with –
particularly the older generation. In my books, you'll often find an older man
or – more likely – woman, who is blessed with a dry sense of humour, a
no-nonsense way of looking at things, and a blunt way of expressing themselves.
My maternal grandmother was one of eight children, and I grew up surrounded by
various great-aunts and one great-uncle, who "said it like it is" and
took great pride in doing so. They could be cutting, but they were also very
funny. The people I see every day speak with broad accents, can cut you to the
quick with one comment, yet will happily and unthinkingly call total strangers
"love", and make cheerful conversation with anyone who catches their
eye. They can crease you up with laughter with a single word, or even an
expression. I love them, and I hope that's reflected in the characters I write.
As for the landscape – I love that, too. Whether it's the flat plains of
Holderness, the rolling hills of the Wolds, the wild untamed moors, the
breathtaking Dales, or the various towns and cities in between, I have a
passion for Yorkshire that means I can completely immerse myself in writing
about the area and the people within it. There's such a variety of different
landscapes in this region that it's never boring. Whether I want to set a story
in a pretty village, on the coast, an isolated farm, or an elegant city, I can
find just the location in Yorkshire.
As a writer based in the
North, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting
your books and if so, how do you overcome them?
I've not had any problems,
really. In terms of marketing, the fact that the books are all Yorkshire-based
seems to be a draw for many people. Yorkshire is well-loved. It's true that
it's sometimes difficult to attend events, many of which are based in London, but
I'm quite fortunate in many ways. Firstly, I belong to the blogging group, The
Write Romantics, which is a group of ten writers. We have our own private
Facebook group and we exchange ideas and information on there, plus two of the
Write Romantics are fellow Yorkshire lasses, and we meet up regularly to chat
and plan. Secondly, I belong to the Romantic Novelists' Association. The RNA
has a fabulous online presence which really helps with promotion, and there are
various events throughout the year, which members and non-members alike can
attend. Although the parties tend to be in London, the conference is held in a
different location each year, making it accessible to everyone. There is also a
get-together in York this year, which I'll be attending, so that gives me a
chance to meet fellow authors and hopefully get some insights and tips, and
make new friends.
In your research for your books,
did you visit any of the places you write about and which have made a lasting
impression?
I've visited them all! It's a
great excuse to go out for the day. The Kearton Bay books are based on Robin
Hood's Bay and I've visited several times, absorbing the atmosphere and taking
lots of photographs of the place, which helped in the writing. Kearton Hall,
which features in Once Upon a Long Ago, was inspired by Burton Agnes Hall in
East Yorkshire, and I visited the house several times. I love that building so
much! It was a pleasure to be there, and a pleasure to write about. Skimmerdale,
the location for This Other Eden, is based on Swaledale, which is where my
paternal ancestors, the Keartons, came from. I visited Thwaite (Beckthwaite)
and Muker (Camacker) way before I ever dreamed of writing a book, and I've
visited several times since. Research has taken me to Scarborough Castle, to
Middleham Castle, to the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth, to Whitby, to Goathland,
to Richmond, to Bridlington…Which has made a lasting impression on me? All of
them. I've loved each location, each building. The thing is, when I visit them,
I picture my characters living and working there, and it makes me very
emotional. The place that brought me to tears, in its own right, was the Bronte
parsonage. I will admit that I welled up when I saw Charlotte's little shoes
and glasses, and the quote from Jane Eyre on the wall: The marriage cannot go
on: I declare the existence of an impediment.
If you were pitching the
North as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it
and what makes it so special?
We'd been on holiday – I won't
say where – but the entire time we were away, people were reserved, unfriendly,
didn't meet our eyes. We drove home feeling we'd never go to that area for a
holiday again. As we reached Yorkshire, we felt ourselves start to relax. We
stopped to buy a drink and were greeted with warm smiles and addressed as
"love". We looked at each other and said, "We're home".
That's Yorkshire, to me. I always feel as if I'm sounding like that character
played by Jim Broadbent in the Victoria Wood sketch, who bangs on about
"My north" then turns out to be living in Chiswick. I don't want to
come across as a professional northerner! I'm well aware that there are
magnificent landscapes all around Britain, and lovely people in all areas. We've
holidayed in some fabulous British locations and met some smashing locals. I
love Cornwall so much, I got married there! But there's something about the
north which stirs a passion. If you want scenery, we have it – whether you want
coast, lakes, moorland or mountains. We have beautiful, elegant cities like
York and Harrogate, grand architecture, ruined abbeys and castles, museums and
art galleries. We have a lower cost of living than many areas of Britain, and
most of all, we have the people. Northern people, full of warmth and humour,
and grit and determination, and courage and kindness. If you want to go home, go
north.
What are the ups and downs to
being an author?
Sometimes, it feels as if you're
never off duty. Even when you make a decided effort not to write for a day or
two, your mind never switches off. It's always plotting a scene, correcting
stuff you've already written, dreaming up new characters, new storylines. It
can be very annoying for those closest to us. I've been told many times that I
seem to just glaze over mid-conversation, as something occurs to me and my mind
goes to work. It's also quite a strain on your eyes! Hours spent at the
computer has, I'll admit, led to a deterioration in my sight and frequent
headaches, but then, I have a day job which also involves five straight hours
at the computer, so it's not good. The nerves are terrible, too. When you're
about to release a new book into the world, the fear that it will be
universally loathed is horrendous. You convince yourself that everyone will
hate it. You dread scathing reviews. Then there's the fear that you won't be
able to write another book. What if you've done everything you can do? What if
that's it? Not to mention the sheer effort involved in the actual writing.
Sometimes it's difficult to chain yourself to the desk when it's the weekend
and the sun's shining outside. But there are so many ups to this job, too.
There's nothing better than hearing from total strangers who've read your book
and loved it. It's so touching to get messages like that – to know that your
writing has moved someone enough to make that effort. Seeing your book in
print, reading good reviews, knowing that you did it – you actually told your
story. And there's the absolute joy of being immersed in an imaginary world,
mixing with people you've created, who come to mean so much to you they're
practically family. When the real world gets you down, it's wonderful to think
there's somewhere you can escape to, and you can make whatever you want to
happen, happen.
Writing is a solitary business -
how do you interact with other authors?
As I said earlier, I'm a member
of the Write Romantics and the RNA, so I have lots of online contact with
members of those groups. I also speak to plenty of other authors and bloggers
online. I meet up with two of the Write Romantics for lunch and a gossip quite
regularly, and the Write Romantics are planning a group get-together later in
the year. Hopefully, at least seven or eight of us will be there. I'm also
going to my first RNA event in September where I'll finally get to meet some of
the authors I've only ever seen on Facebook before. That will be interesting.
Nerve-wracking, but interesting. Next year, I'm hoping to attend the
conference, depending on where it's held, and I may then join the local
chapter, which means attending monthly meetings with several authors in my
area. My main problem is shyness and
lack of self-confidence. I'm working on it!
How supportive are local
communities to your writing, and are there ever any opportunities for book
shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your
work?
To be truthful, I've never
approached any of them, so I couldn't tell you. I suspect there are more
opportunities than I imagine, but I'm still working on the confidence issues –
see answer above!
If someone is new to your work,
which book do you think they should start with?
Gosh, that's tricky to answer. I
suppose you could decide where you want to read about – the coast, the moors or
the Dales. If you fancy the coast, try There Must Be an Angel, which is the
first in the Kearton Bay series. If it's the moors, my latest book, Resisting
Mr Rochester, is the book to choose. If the Dales grab your interest, read This
Other Eden. Described by one reviewer as "a huge jaunt of a novel",
it's set on a sheep farm in Skimmerdale (Swaledale) and features a rather
gorgeous farmer. I'm currently working on the sequel to that one. Whichever one
you choose, you'll find heroines you can relate to, heroes you'll fall in love
with, and glorious Yorkshire settings. Enjoy!
Resisting Mr Rochester, my latest
novel, is available to buy now.
Amazon UK
