I am delighted to welcome Time-Travel Romance
and Women’s Fiction Authors
Cass
Grafton and Ada
Bright to my blog.
Cass
Grafton and Ada
Bright
Hello Cass and Ada – Thank you for giving me
the opportunity to host not one, but two authors on my blog today. As an
author, I’ve worked as a team with editors and publishers alike, and I’m now eager
to learn your secret for working in such close collaboration with one another to
produce a Time-Travel Romance.
But before we discover more about your latest
release, The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen, here are a few
questions which will hopefully give your readers an insight into some of the
things that matter to you.
Arabella:
Are there any organisations, writing, or reader groups, you belong to? And, how
do they support or help you in creating such wonderful, inspirational novels?
Cass:
I’m a member of the fabulous RNA (Romantic
Novelists’ Association) and the SoA (Society of Authors), but Ada and I rely
very much on each other when we’re co-writing. I also regularly meet up with
some other writers here in Switzerland (for lunch, prosecco and writerly
chats), and they are incredibly uplifting meetings!
Ada:
There are a couple of people that I work with,
interviewing and sharing plot problems, that make my writing life bearable, but
I’m so lucky to have a writing partner that is stuck with me and all my needs
at all hours of the day and night that I’m lazy about making it into other
official groups.
Arabella:
Where do you read? Sofa or bed or ____?
Cass:
My bed is such a comfortable nest, I can’t
read there or I just fall asleep, so I’d say the sofa.
Ada:
I read best in a comfy chair, where I can
curl up and be overlooked by anyone who might notice I haven’t moved, done
chores or eaten since I started reading.
Arabella:
In your latest release, The
Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen, who is your favourite character and why?
Cass:
Jane Austen, definitely. She’s such fun to
work with, though she does have a tendency to run away with our plot at times!
Ada:
My favourite character is our MC’s boss,
James Malcolm. I see him as a very solid, upstanding man who makes me laugh
whether or not he means to.
Arabella:
When writing a novel, how do you work? Are you a plotter or pantser?
Cass:
I’m mainly a pantster when I write solo, writing
random scenes as they come to me. When co-writing, we always outline a top-line
plot before we start to write, but beyond that, it’s a case of trying to keep
it in our heads and a rein on the characters as they try to derail us!
Ada:
I am a pantser who tries really hard to be a
plotter because I see it works so well for Cass when we co-write. But it’s not
natural so I write big chunks just as they come to me, aware that I’ll probably
have to rework everything once I actually figure things out.
Arabella:
Which would you prefer to do: 1) spend a morning vigorously working out at the
gym, 2) be pampered from head to toe at the spa and beauty salon, 3) indulge
and pile on the pounds with a romantic dinner for two?
Cass:
Romantic dinner for two, all the way!
Ada:
I’m going to go with being indulged at the
spa. I love how it’s timeless, relaxing and quiet. But I would definitely need
a big dinner after, so I’ll cheat and say both 2 & 3.
Arabella:
Which would you rather wear: beach shorts and top, a long evening skirt and
blouse, pyjamas and slippers?
Cass:
At home, I live in my ‘fat pants’ (stretchy
leggings that expand as necessary) and a slouchy top. I’ll make a bit more
effort if I’m going out in public.
Ada:
If there are going to be photos, then I’d
lounge around in a long skirt and blouse looking into the distance with a
romantic look on my face (which wouldn’t work, as I’m an awful model). If there
were no photos, put me in PJs all the time.
Arabella:
We all have a long list of books we keep meaning to read but never have the
time for --- which book is a must read
for you this season?
Cass:
I’m a huge Christmas nerd and love this time
of year when all the Christmas romances are coming out. My must-read
next-on-my-list is Kitty Wilson’s latest in The Cornish Village School series,
Christmas Wishes.
Ada:
My brother’s wife is a much cooler reader
than I, and she tells me I need to read All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony
Doerr.
Arabella:
What about your future plans? Any books or series in the making?
Cass:
I’ve got an upbeat contemporary romance set
in Cornwall coming out in January. Ada and I are just starting to write the
third book in our Jane Austen series, and I’m also writing a new uplifting
women’s fiction novel with a quirky heroine.
Ada:
I have two books in the making, (though there
are three more swimming around in my mind). As Cass says, one is Book three in our
time-travel series, and I’m also working on a murder/mystery that is done in my
head but still needs 30k words to have it make any sense.
Arabella:
Thank you so much for joining me on Arabella’s
Blog and Chit-Chat, Cass and Ada. I’ve
been bombarded with information about your personal lives and your technique
for working collectively and successfully as co-authors. Your methods seem to work, so good luck with
your latest release, The
Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen, and any future projects you undertake together.
All the best,
Arabella Sheen
A
proud bookworm since childhood, Cass writes the sort of stories she loves to
read – heart-warming, character driven and strong on location. Having
moved around extensively and lived in three countries, she finds places
inspiring and the setting of her novels often becomes as much a part of
the story as her characters.
She
has an over-active imagination, is prone to crying with happiness as much
as she is at sadness, but when it comes to her writing she leans heavily
towards the upbeat and insists on a happy ever after. As one of her
favourite authors, Jane Austen, once wrote, ‘let other pens dwell on guilt
and misery’.
Cass
loves travelling, words, cats and wine, but never in the same glass. She has
two grown up children and currently splits her time between Switzerland, where
she lives with her husband and imaginary cats, and England, where she
lives with her characters.
Ada
has lived all her life in Southern California, which makes her intolerant to
any weather above or below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. She grew up much more fond of
reading than sports or socializing and still tends to ignore everyone she
loves, all her responsibilities and basic life needs when she’s in the middle
of a book.
She
is luckily married to a handsome and funny man who doesn’t mind that the
laundry never gets put away and she has three amazing children. Ada spent over
a decade as a photographer before dedicating herself to writing, though she
still believes that life should be documented well and often.
There
is nothing she loves more than a good, subtle love story whether it be in real
life, tv, movie, theatre or book form… well, except cake. She also really loves
cake.
Social Media Links
Blog: www.tabbycow.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/cassie.grafton
Twitter:
@CassGrafton
Instagram: @cassgraftonauthor
@adacakes
Book Blurb: The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen
Rose Wallace thought her
time-travelling adventures were over. Jane Austen is about to prove her wrong.
After becoming trapped in present-day Bath due to a
mishap with her time-travelling charm, Jane Austen is safe and sound back in the 1800s thanks to Rose’s help. Now, Rose is ready
to focus on her fledgling romance with dreamy Dr Aiden Trevellyan.
But when Jane reappears in the present, it looks
like Rose and Aiden have no choice but to follow her back to 1813…
Staying in the Austen household, Rose and Aiden are
introduced to a number of interesting figures from the past, including Jane’s
eccentric – and surprisingly modern – neighbour. Suddenly Rose’s life is in
need of a re-write as she discovers some unexpected ties to Jane Austen's world
and her past.
Release
Date - 7th November 2019
Hi Cass and Ada - Thank you both for being amazing guests on Arabella's Blog and Chit-Chat. I hope you have fun sharing.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your latest release, The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen, and any future projects you undertake together.
Best wishes,
Arabella Sheen
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for having us! (ignore my longform name - this is Ada... oh no, is that deleted comment going to be there forever? :( :( )
ReplyDeleteHi Ada - It was lovely having you share some of your writing secrets with your readers. Good luck for tomorrow...RELEASE DAY!
DeleteArabella