romance novel – Anne-Marie Ormsby

BETRAYAL PHOTO

This week I have the pleasure of welcoming fellow Cat Lesley Field to my blog to discuss her latest book Betrayal. I recently discovered that I have very few romance novels on my read list – Wuthering Heights seems to be the only one! So in an attempt to remedy this I am having a chat with Lesley about her ‘contemporary romance.’

Tell us the basic premise of your novel?

I’m never really sure where my ideas come from, which is probably a bit scary.

However, Betrayal, is about a lawyer, Jessica, who thought her life was settled and she knew where she was going. Then suddenly it was all gone and she was faced with starting again in a new city and in a new job. But a chance meeting forced her to face her own inhibitions and she ended up having a one night stand with someone she felt an instant connection with. But inhibitions returned in the cold light of day and she fled, never expecting to see him again. But life has a way of taking charge and her one night stand appeared again. Sadly things were not as she thought and she was not prepared to be betrayed again. Fighting the attraction between them she then found herself caught up in a plot to frame someone. But is she in time to save them? And will she get her happy ever after? You will have to read the book to find out.

Did you take any inspiration for your story from real life?

Partly. Before I retired I was a Personal Injury Lawyer so I gave my heroine the same profession. She became disillusioned with the law, and to some extent I did towards the end of my career. So I guess I took that from my own personal experiences. There is a horse in the story and again that is taken from my own love of horses.

Why did you choose the locations you use and did it take a lot of research? Do the locations hold personal significance?

I set my contemporary romances in Canada, as it is the home of my heart. My parents were going to emigrate before I was born, but then changed their minds, so I really should have been born Canadian. I love the country and my husband and I have family and friends there so visit as often as we can. The location just outside Calgary is based on personal knowledge. The town where my heroine moves to is loosely based on a town we visited. For research I use the internet, or just go back into my head and remember visits and what I did, what I saw and how I felt at the time. There is a section in Betrayal which is set in The Core shopping mall in Calgary. I went there with my husband for research and we had lunch and listened to the grand piano being played. So that scene is taken from our visit.

What is you ideal writing environment?

My ideal writing environment would be to have my own writing room where I had a computer set up permanently, with all my research folders to hand. That is my dream. Reality is, I write on my laptop which is on the dining table. So I have to clear everything away when we need to eat in the evening. But I have a wonderful view of the garden so I can’t really complain.

If you could have an evening in a hotel restaurant with any famous character/person alive or dead, who would you choose?

I think I would love to meet with Sarah Maclean who writes historical novels. I write historical as well as contemporary and I love her style of writing.

What are you working on next?

At the moment I am working on an historical series called, Lords in Love. There will be 4 books in the series. I have books 1 and 2 completed. I have just finished the first draft of book 3 and book 4 is still in my head.

Betrayal is available now on Amazon through Crooked Cat Books!

Keep up with Lesley online here –

www.lesleyfield.com

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Final Cover Soulweaver

This week I’m very excited to be talking to Australian author Heidi Catherine about her new novel The Soulweaver.

I’ve always had a fascination with the afterlife and the concept of reincarnation, and they are major themes that I have kept coming back to in my own writing. Everyone feels differently about the idea of an afterlife and everyone has a different idea of what it might be like. (If you have read Purgatory Hotel you will know my own vision is a bit unpleasant for those that deserve it.)

When I read the synopsis of Heidi’s novel I was instantly intrigued – I had found a kindred spirit! So I was quite eager to pick her brains about one of my favourite subjects and learn more about her own thoughts that had inspired the novel.

Tell us the basic premise of your novel?

The Soulweaver is a story about a girl who’s haunted by memories of having lived before. As these memories sharpen, she has to choose between the man she loved in her past life and the man she loves now. I was fortunate enough for this book to win the Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Pro award, which was a huge honour.

What or who inspired you to become a writer?

My mum has always loved to write and had a children’s book published when I was in my early twenties. This was great inspiration for me to turn my own love of writing into something more, as I could see what was possible with hard work and persistence. Mum is now my biggest fan and reads all of my first drafts. Her very unbiased opinion is that they’re all brilliant…

Are your locations based on real places?

The Soulweaver is set in Australia, Hong Kong, London and New York, which are obviously all real places. But there are also scenes that are set in ‘the Loom’, which what most people would call heaven or hell. It’s described in the book as “a place where reward and redemption are rolled into one”. If we do go somewhere after we die, I’ve always thought it would be the one place. I can’t see how it’s possible for the universe to be so black and white that one soul is considered good and another evil, when there are so many shades of grey. I really enjoyed being able to explore this concept as I wrote the novel.

Did it take a lot of research for your locations and do they hold any real life significance to you?

The story is told in parts, with each part taking place in a different city from the point of view of a different character. I’m Australian so the scenes set there didn’t require too much research and I’ve spent time in Hong Kong and London so could also draw on my experiences there. I’ve never been to New York, so those chapters required a little more research. Google is a writer’s best friend! I really liked how changing the setting gave each part of the book a distinctive feel. As for the Loom, that required a whole lot of imagination rather than research, which I always find far more enjoyable.

There’s a supernatural feel to the story, and obviously a lot of it is based around reincarnation, is this something you believe in?

The idea of reincarnation has always fascinated me and I would very much like to believe it’s real. I’ve heard some incredible (and very convincing) stories about children remembering their past lives, with these memories fading as they’ve grown older. I’ve also met people who I’ve been certain I’ve met before. In the first chapter of The Soulweaver, Hannah sees Reinier for the first time and is overwhelmed with the feeling she’s seen him a million times, yet she’s seen him never. It’s a feeling I’m sure many readers will relate to. Reincarnation makes a lot of sense to me, and although nobody can be completely certain as to what happens to us after we die, I’m positive that something happens. The Soulweaver is just one of a billion possibilities.

Tell me an ideal set up for a day of writing – where are you, is there any music etc?

I mostly write at home when my kids are at school. We moved house about a year ago and I claimed one of the living spaces as my writing room. I’ve filled it with books and have a desk in the corner near the window. Usually I’ll light a candle, put on some music and read my angel cards. Then I’ll get stuck into it. If the words don’t flow, then I’ll take my dogs for a walk and try again. My dogs are big fans of writer’s block.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on Books 2 and 3 of The Soulweaver series, which follow my characters into their next lifetimes. I also have a couple of crime novels and a middle grade novel sitting on my computer, which I’d like to revive. And I’ve recently published a prequel novelette to The Soulweaver series, which is called The Moonchild and available for free on Amazon.

The Soulweaver is out now on Amazon – Buy The Soulweaver on Amazon

Book 2 of the Soulweaver series The Truthseeker is out through Crooked Cat Books on 19^th March 2018.