Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
Today I am joined by Denise Lawrence the author of Go Steal a Bridegroom. Welcome.
1) Can you tell us a bit about your first book?
Set in Sweden, the story is about English girl, Prue Claybourne, who goes to Stockholm on business. She meets and bonds with Hildi Dahlgren who invites Prue to her midsummer wedding. However at the wedding rehearsal Prue is inexplicably drawn to the bridegroom. Time to go home! But disaster strikes and the two protagonists are thrown together, alone, at the Dahlgren family’s holiday home on a Baltic sea lake.
2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?
Reading! When I was a child I wrote stories which were re-hashes of books like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ As a young mother I joined a local writing workshop, then wrote and sold many magazine stories. Eventually though, I embarked on a novel.
3) How long did it take you to write your first book?
It took me about eight months to write.
4) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?
I was determined to explore the possibilities of traditional publishing seeing self-publishing as a last resort. Barley Books, the first publishers to take me on, sadly went out of business before contracts could be exchanged. After some time on a back burner, my novel was eventually submitted to, and accepted by Bettina von Cossell at Mezzanotte.
5) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?
My first tip to a would-be novelist is to join a local creative writing group. Constructive feedback on your writing is essential. Social contact with other writers is invaluable.
Tell us about your first…
6) Person you fell in love with
After enduring a long and rocky marriage I met someone who treated me with kindness, consideration and love. At last I was living a romantic novel and can heartily recommend it!
7) Holiday you went on
When my son married his Swedish sweetheart in her local hometown of Karlskrona, I was so moved by everything, the ceremony, the church, the old traditions, that I knew I had to write about it. And only in a novel could I do justice to it all. ‘Go Steal a Bridegroom’ is the result.
8) Sport you enjoyed participating in
I always enjoyed sport as a youngster, particularly tennis. I also played hockey for my grammar school’s 2nd X1 team.
Thank you so much Denise for answering my questions and taking part on Fab Firsts.
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
Today I am joined by Denise Lawrence the author of Go Steal a Bridegroom. Welcome.
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| Amazon UK |
Set in Sweden, the story is about English girl, Prue Claybourne, who goes to Stockholm on business. She meets and bonds with Hildi Dahlgren who invites Prue to her midsummer wedding. However at the wedding rehearsal Prue is inexplicably drawn to the bridegroom. Time to go home! But disaster strikes and the two protagonists are thrown together, alone, at the Dahlgren family’s holiday home on a Baltic sea lake.
2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?
Reading! When I was a child I wrote stories which were re-hashes of books like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ As a young mother I joined a local writing workshop, then wrote and sold many magazine stories. Eventually though, I embarked on a novel.
3) How long did it take you to write your first book?
It took me about eight months to write.
4) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?
I was determined to explore the possibilities of traditional publishing seeing self-publishing as a last resort. Barley Books, the first publishers to take me on, sadly went out of business before contracts could be exchanged. After some time on a back burner, my novel was eventually submitted to, and accepted by Bettina von Cossell at Mezzanotte.
5) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?
My first tip to a would-be novelist is to join a local creative writing group. Constructive feedback on your writing is essential. Social contact with other writers is invaluable.
6) Person you fell in love with
7) Holiday you went on
When my son married his Swedish sweetheart in her local hometown of Karlskrona, I was so moved by everything, the ceremony, the church, the old traditions, that I knew I had to write about it. And only in a novel could I do justice to it all. ‘Go Steal a Bridegroom’ is the result.
8) Sport you enjoyed participating in
I always enjoyed sport as a youngster, particularly tennis. I also played hockey for my grammar school’s 2nd X1 team.
Thank you so much Denise for answering my questions and taking part on Fab Firsts.
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