Problems with time frames for contemporary novels

My debut novel Return to Desiree Bay isn’t tied to a specific year in the 2000s, but my characters use smart phones, and there are several chapters that focus on social media and its potential for harm if it gets into the wrong hands. If you were to guess, you’d probably place the story in…

It’s ‘a beach read’ but that doesn’t mean it lacks substance

I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend of a friend who told me she wanted to buy my novel Return to Desiree Bay for her 87-year-old mother. She said her mother ‘loved romance novels’. I didn’t take offence but I did note her tone of voice. To my sensitive ears, it implied that…

If your author vibe is Liane Moriarty or Marian Keyes, own it

The following questions are asked often enough when an author submits their work to publishers: Is there an author or authors whose work is similar to your writing style? Or Name several published works you feel are similar to your manuscript. I used to struggle with this. I used to think, ‘My work is unique….