Hey Foxtrotting Folk,
Whether you’re stepping into summer in the northern hemisphere or feeling the chill of winter in the southern, I hope that life is treating you well and your eReader is full. If not, scroll down to check out the offer below!
My exciting news (for me at least) this month is that I’ve been stocked by two of my local bookshops — Farrells in Mornington and the Rosebud Bookbarn. I’m so grateful to both bookshops for making one of my authorly dreams come true. It’s a bti of a thrill to see my book on the local bookshop shelf, and so far (fingers and toes crossed) sales seem to be going reasonably well. One of the most challenging things for an Indie author is distribution and getting the word out there … Nudge, nudge. If you’ve enjoyed any of my books, I’d be super grateful if you could spread the word or even write me a short review — it would make my day and seriously means so much!
With one week to go until the end of the school term, I’m currently in the thick of school marking and reports, so forgive the brevity of this newsletter. I’m crawling my way to the mid-semester holiday, so I can put my feet up (and write and read more). This time next week, I’m heading back to the UK to spend time with my mother and to visit old friends, and promise to bring you more news in July from sunny England (or maybe not so sunny!).
So, here’s some more really exciting news. I’m part of an amazing Free Romance Book Offer with more than a thousand free ebooks. Grab the offer while you can because it’s only available for one day only - 20th June! I know I’m going to be stocking up…
Here’s the link:
Check out www.romancebookworms.com today and fill your eReader!
Talking of support and fellow Indie authors, this month I’m bringing you news of fellow Aussie romance author, the lovely Leanne Lovegrove! Without further ado, let me introduce you to this month’s Author in the Spotlight:
Leanne Lovegrove
How and why did you become a romance writer?
I have always been a voracious reader and have always loved words and writing. A deep dissatisfaction with my day job turned me to writing and eventually my two loves morphed. I dreamed of writing a novel for years and of course, my favourite novels have a romance or love story in them, so it was easy to gravitate toward writing those sorts of stories.
Do you have a writing routine? What is your writing process?
I don't have a writing routine except to say it is snatch and grab writing time in between the day job and family commitments. I have over the years gotten into some sort of routine where I do usually devote time everyday to writing even if I have worked all day. I am a plotter and always plan out the entire story before I start. I'm happy to meander away from the outline, but I always need it before I start writing.
Can you tell us a little about the Bellethorpe series? Where did the inspiration come from? What is the setting etc.? How steamy are they?
The small town of Bellethorpe is a fictional town based around the Granite Belt region in Queensland where lots of loveable and quirky local characters live. It took me a little while to realise writing a series was where 'it' was at and when I decided to do that, I wanted a small town community to be the connection. Think rural, wine region, mountains and bush walks, cold weather, lots of farming and agriculture and that's Bellethorpe. There are 3 stories so far, Love In Between, Caught In Between and this new one, Buried In Between. They each focus on a different couple but like all great books in a series, common townsfolk keep popping up. They are on the sweeter side of spice. If anyone is interested I have a free short story which introduces two characters that will later appear in a future book in this series. If you sign up to my newsletter at https://www.leannelovegroveauthor.com/ you can get it for free!
Who is the favourite character you’ve written and why?
Probably Caleb from the first Bellethorpe story, Love In Between. He's a hot chef from the big smoke who has escaped to Bellethorpe after an incident in his famous Sydney restaurant, but also because he has to care for his niece. He's loyal, committed, hard-working and overcomes his battles to be a great dad and partner.
Which other authors inspire you?
I'm a huge Kate Morton fan, that is where I get my love of setting from, oh, and old houses. But in relation to romance and women's fiction, Rachael Johns would top the list along with Karen Swan and a whole stack of other Aussie authors. The list is endless.
What are the top three books on your tbr?
At the moment they are all review copies:
The Mistress of Dara Island by Averil Kenny.
The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton and
Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft.
What are you working on at present? When can readers expect to be able to get their hands on it?
I am working on a four-book series and it's something a little different for me. Firstly, they are set overseas in exotic locations with one millionaire character. They were such fun to write and the first book in the series will release in September of this year.
While those four books release, I'll be working on a women's fiction novel, my first! It is a dual timeline story set on Bruny Island.
Click on the image below to get your copy.
Keeping it short and sweet today because I’m off to stuff my Kindle!
Happy reading and very best wishes,
Anna
xx
P.S. As always you can find me in these places:
You can find me in these places: