Christina Hollis—England's Finest Traditions

A parade of Morris Dancers, followed by tea, cakes and chatter in front of a roaring log fire. What could be more English? Rain of course—but more of that later. A lot more...

While the Romantic Novelists' Association has local groups all over Britain, its administration is mostly carried out in London.  The association's Summer and Winter parties are held in the capital, too. Using the trains here can be a trial, with lots of strikes and continuous engineering works, so a couple of years ago the RNA's York chapter decided to hold their own get-together once a year for all those "Up North" who might not otherwise get to meet fellow members. The York Tea is now a big event in the RNA's calendar.

On your marks, get set...

My daughter is an archaeologist who spent a lot of time training in York. She loves the city. Despite being Softy Southerners, we got such a lovely welcome at last year's York Tea that we booked our tickets to the 2018 party as soon as they went on sale.

We spent the morning before the party investigating York's shops. It's one of the few English cities which wasn't flattened, first by bombing during the Second World War, then by over-enthusiastic planners during the 1960's. York's little alleyways and quaint shops make it heaven for any writer in search of inspiration. There was an extra novelty the day we were there—a national assembly of Morris men—and women—plus other traditional dancers, all in full costume.

Just the thing on a wet day!

This year's York Tea was held in the Merchant Taylors Hall, a medieval guildhall. It is a stunning building, with beautiful stained glass and a log fire roaring in the hearth. The hall is so close to the city's famous wall that when we looked up through one of the high windows, we could see people walking along the rampart, almost within touching distance!

Catching up with fellow writers was a great way to start the afternoon, and the party got better and better as time went on. First, several delicate china cake-stands were delivered to each table. They were loaded with dainty sandwiches and delicious slices of cake. Next, waiters delivered a tiny cone of pretend newspaper filled with a little piece of fish in batter and a giant chip—a novel take on that British favourite, fish and chips. There was limitless tea and coffee, and a glass of prosecco for everyone.

Tea and cake is one of my favourite treats, so I was in heaven. That wasn't the end of the fun. Top author and stalwart of the RNA Jean Fullerton gave a brilliant speech inspiring us all to stand up and be counted as Romance writers. It's a genre that is always misrepresented in the press as "bodice rippers" written by Ladies of Leisure. We all know better, and Jean encouraged us to spread the word. 

Delicious!

After several hours of fun, DD and I said our goodbyes and stepped out into...the mother and father of an English downpour. Our hotel was less than a mile away from the hall and as both DD and I are used to being outdoors in all weathers, we decided to risk doing the journey on foot. That was a very bad idea. We had an umbrella, but in such heavy rain we needed the waterproofs and walking boots we'd left at home, not high heels and party dresses. We arrived back at our hotel looking like two drowned rats! 

Apart from our soaking, there was only one disappointment over our whole long weekend.  Before I left home, I'd searched everywhere for the book of walks through York's "snickleways" (historic alleys and byways) I'd bought in the city last year. I never found it, and we were so busy while we were in York, we never had time to buy a replacement—not that we had enough time to go for a walk! Still, when I eventually find my copy it'll be the perfect excuse to head back to York for another long weekend.

Christina Hollis: The Worth Of Workshops

 Hard at Work! 

I’m a keen member of the local branch of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The Marcher Chapter takes its name from the border country of the Welsh Marches, where England meets Wales. We have meetings every six weeks or so between March and November at The Courtyard, Hereford’s centre for the arts. Our members are scattered far and wide over the West Midlands and East Wales, and Hereford is easily reached by train and road. The possibility of rail delays and the state of the roads puts us off travelling in the short, cold and dark days of winter. That’s when we stay at home and write.

Each Spring and Autumn, the Marcher Group holds writing workshops. Members taking part submit a piece of their work to our Chairman-Co-ordinator, Ann. She makes sure the writer’s name doesn’t appear, then allocates a number to each piece and distributes them via email to the rest of the workshop participants. We then read and critique all the pieces, ready to spend the day of the workshop discussing each of the entries in turn. You can see RNA authors Fay Wentworth, Georgia Hill, Christina Courtenay, Joanna Maitland and Ann Ankers hard at work in the picture above.

Find out more at myBook.to/HisMajestysSecret

The Marcher Group has been running biannual workshops for several years now. It really helps to have several other sets of eyes concentrating on a piece you’ve toiled over until you’re too close to appreciate its worth-or see its flaws! 

I feel my writing has improved a lot since I’ve been attending these sessions. The chance to network, and learn how to accept criticism as well as how to frame it tactfully are invaluable, too. I live deep in the countryside and can go for days without seeing anyone outside my immediate family, so the chance to escape from behind the keyboard once in a while is something I always enjoy. Face-to-face interaction with professionals who have read my work has improved my confidence and speaking skills, too.

I submitted the opening pages of the book which became His Majesty's Secret Passion for The Wild Rose Press to one of the Marcher Group workshops. You can find out more about the book a workshop panel inspired at myBook.to/HisMajestysSecret. 

Nearly all the works put through the scheme by other authors have been published. It's Beta reading to the max!

On the strength of the Marcher Groups comments on a piece of mine submitted to a more recent workshop, I worked the sample pages up into a full-length novel. Love Lies Bleeding will be published by Endeavour books later this year, and the encouragement I’ve had from the Marcher Group was invaluable. 

To me, that really proves the worth of workshops.

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. Catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage  worldwide.

Christina Hollis—Reading, Writing, Then Talking About It...

This Is Not Lancaster University...

July is the month for conferences. This year, the Romantic Novelists' Association's annual gathering was held at Lancaster University, Bailrigg, in the north west of England.

I live in an old house set in a Gloucestershire bluebell wood. Before getting our puppy and joining the dog-walking community, days could pass without me seeing anyone apart from family members. The thought of spending four days living in student accommodation with well over two hundred other delegates—all within a USB-stick's throw—was a scary prospect. 

Like diving into a pool, after the initial shock I found the conference a fantastic experience. I could choose from over thirty sessions. They covered all aspects of the writing process, from Speed-Dating For Writers in the search for your ideal critique partner,  to Working Effectively With Bookshops, Libraries and Festivals. 

With Julia Ibbotson (centre) and Dorinda Cass (right)
at the Gala Dinner. Pic: John Jackson

I attended a total of thirteen sessions. While each talk was brilliant in its own way, the stand out presenter for me was Sarah Wendell, of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. In Reviews—getting them, dealing with them and managing them, she explained that for a book's five-star ratings to be taken seriously, it needs reviews from readers who were less than impressed. Glowing reports can always be bought, or squeezed out of your relatives and friends. Bad reviews are more likely to be honest. Some people just don't like some books. If a review is posted by an idiot with a personal axe to grind, it's pretty obvious, and you can discount it.  Sarah's advice included eating so much chocolate your fingers get too messy to dash off a scathing reply to your critic. By the time your hands are clean again (and in my case, when you've run off the calories) you'll have calmed down, and decided to keep silent. Comments by the author cast a shadow over the dialogue between those who read the review, and dialogue means exposure. Nobody wants to think the author is watching, ready to pounce. After hearing Sarah's talk, I'll never be afraid of sending my books out for review again. I might be afraid to read the reviews, but that's no problem. I'll follow another piece of her advice, and get someone else to read them for me!

Find Out More At myBook.to/MyDreamGuy

The most daring session I attended was Romantic Bondage—facts for fiction. I found out that when it comes to BDSM, not all ropes are created equal. If you want to tie your heroine to railroad tracks (or whatever) you'll need soft, specially treated hemp. Remember, you read it here first!

If you've never been to a conference before, take the plunge. It won't be as scary as you think, and you'll learn a lot. 

If you're an experienced delegate, what's the most useful thing you've taken away from a conference? 

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage worldwide, and from http://bit.ly/1iNf2Gw in the US.

Christina Hollis—Writing, Learning, and Networking: The Romantic Novelists' Association Conference 2015

My Souvenir

I arrived home only five minutes ago, straight from this year's Romantic Novelists' Association conference. It was my first full conference, and it was such a great experience I dumped my case and came straight online to tell you about it.

The conference started at 8:30am on the 10th July, and went right through to 10pm on 12th of July. It was held at Queen Mary's University, Mile End, in East London. Delegates used student accommodation on the campus. It's a great way for the university to earn money while its students are on their long summer vacation.

Jan Jones, Roger Sanderson, Jenny Barden and their RNA team plan these events years in advance, so nothing could be done when a strike of London Underground (subway) workers was called last week for 9th July. That was the day when most people would be arriving at the campus. Worse still, mainline trains running from the west of the country into London would be cancelled, too. People like me who live right out in the shires wouldn't have a hope of getting to the university, as the total lack of parking space there meant bringing a car was right out of the question.

I went up to London a day early to avoid the problems, but lots of people didn't have that option. They battled in on foot on the day, hired cabs, and tried to find a space in one of our traditional red double-decker buses. British people are famously good at queueing, but things got heated and the police had to be brought in to calm things down. You couldn't make it up. We English are usually so peaceful!

The (Prince) Regent's Canal, On Campus

The first day of the RNA conference, Friday, was an industry special. There was a panel of agents discussing their part in an author's career, and talks by editors, publishers, mass book buyers and reviewers. Workshops on character development, finding your writing voice and how to promote yourself, your brand, and your book filled the rest of the weekend. You could learn to punctuate with confidence, experience the intricacies of dressing like a Geisha or a Victorian woman, or (and this was my favourite workshop) learn to shed your inhibitions and project your voice at the same time by jumping up and down and grunting like Bigfoot. Anyone who could do that in a room containing thirty other people had no worries when it came to a one-to-one appointment with one of the agents or publishers who also attended the conference.

Saturday Evening's Gala dinner gave the 300 delegates the chance to dress up and glitter beneath the spectacular vault of books contained in the university's grand Octagon library.

A Touch Of Hogwarts At Queen Mary's

I'm not really a party person—I'd rather read ( or write!)—but the atmosphere was infectious. Joining the Romantic Novelists' Association and taking part in its local chapter meetings has boosted both my career, and my social life. If you've never got around to joining a special interest group like the RNA that's local to you, why not take the plunge? I enjoy being an overseas member of the Romance Writers of America, but however good their online seminars, magazines, message-boards and loops, networking is much more fun when you do it face to face.

What do you think are the best things about belonging to a creative writing group?

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold more than two million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books on her website. Her current release, Her Royal Risk, is published by The Wild Rose Press and is available at getBook.at/Her_Royal_Risk and http://bit.ly/1MpGd3D

Christina Hollis: This Writing Life...

On Sale Now

I've written here about the importance of getting someone else to read your creative writing, to give you a different perspective on your work. On 31st March I stepped up and took the challenge myself at a workshop arranged by the local chapter of the Romantic Novelists' Association. You can read about that in more detail here. Seven of us met to discuss our current projects, and it was invaluable. If you get the chance to do something like this, grab it with both hands. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I submitted the first pages of a manuscript that's undergone a radical reworking, but it was fine.

Everyone liked the revised version, thank goodness! The Survivors' Club is a contemporary romantic novel whose heroine, Eden, is a victim who learns to stand up for herself. Adam is a burned out executive who forges a future by slamming the door on his tumultuous past. They need each other, but the past threatens to tear them apart. Why is Iolo the mysterious drifter so obsessed with Eden's home at Owl Farm? And why has the place always been known as The Ghost House?

I hadn't been sure whether or not to include the supernatural element in The Survivors' Club. The workshop convinced me to go ahead and do it. This is a complete departure from my normal style, so here's a short extract from The Survivors' Club to whet your appetite:

Iolo woke with a smile on his face. 

There’s change in the air, he thought. I can hear movement inside the house. Maybe today’s the day for Owl Farm. 

His optimism didn’t last. As he worked the life back into his feet, the weight of ages dropped onto his shoulders again. Without opening his eyes, he stretched his neck. There was no point in going out yet. It felt too early.

Down on the floor, Bran thumped his tail against the dusty floorboards. Iolo opened his eyes, blinked once or twice, and yawned. He stretched again. Then he listened, hoping to hear a Northwesterly rising from the direction of Horsgrave Wood. Strong winds used Owl Farm like a reed, softening their cries in the chimney throat. When that happened, Iolo could pretend they carried Julia’s voice. 

That wouldn’t happen today. The air was still as a sepulchre. He shook himself, then closed his eyes again.

At times like this, the woman he loved felt further away from him than ever.

If you'd like to keep up to date with the progress of The Survivors' Club, drop me a line at christinahollis@hotmail.co.uk and I'll sign you up for my occasional newsletter. 

Christina Hollis writes both contemporary and historical fiction - when she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter and Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com