I’m
delighted to welcome Elly
Redding to my blog.
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| Elly Redding |
Hello
Elly – I’ve been looking forward to hosting you on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat,
and I am eager to learn some of your writing secrets. But before we discover
more about your latest release, In Too Deep,
here are a few questions which will hopefully give your readers and followers
an insight into some of the things that matter to you.
Elly:
Thank you, Arabella, and I’m really pleased to be here 😊
Arabella: Authors can release
books, making them available to readers in various ways…via an agent, or
working directly with a traditional publisher, or they can even go the
self-publishing route. Which method of publishing do you prefer, and why?
Elly: It’s great, these days, that we have the choice of so
many options. Having secured an agent,
some years ago, while I was writing screenplays, I decided that this time I’d go
it alone with my novels. Winning the New
Talent Award at the Festival of Romance for my first book, ‘True Colours’,
certainly gave me the confidence to try. However, time was limited so I used SilverWood
Books, who held my hand, as I took my first steps down the self-publishing
route. This time, backed by their
expertise and advice from The Alliance of Independent Authors, I will be
launching the ebook version of ‘In Too Deep’ on Amazon, as well as a paperback
version through SilverWood and KDP.
There’s a lot to learn as an Indie Author, but I’m definitely enjoying
the experience.
Arabella: A slice of Chocolate
Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and Fries?
Elly: Definitely
a slice of chocolate cake. My mouth waters at just the thought of it, but
(sadly) it would have to be dairy and soya free these days. Allergies and intolerances are such a pain!
Arabella: Who or what inspired you
to write your latest release, ‘In Too
Deep’?
Elly: I love second chance romances. I also like a little
bit of mystery, so that it’s not just the ‘will they/won’t they get together’
by the end of the book, but also what’s happened to them in the past, to cause
them to break up in the first place? In
my latest book, ‘In Too Deep’,
Isy takes on the role of amateur detective, and discovers a little more than
she bargained for as she seeks to uncover the mystery of Jack’s troubled childhood.
Arabella: If the person of your
dreams, (husband/wife/partner/or superstar), were to take you out for the
night, where would they take you and what would you do?
Elly: I love travelling on trains, and I’ve always wanted
to travel to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper from London. A great way of spending a night with the man
of my dreams, so long as he doesn’t snore 😊. And a brilliant springboard to touring the
Highlands, which is definitely on my rather long bucket list. It might also be a precursor to something
else lurking close to the top of this list: a trip on The Orient Express. I’m always optimistic!
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| The Orient Express |
Arabella: Currently, what is your
most favourite T.V. programme, and why?
Elly: I’m currently about to start watching the third
season of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.
Season one was so fresh and entertaining, with witty writing and
brilliant characterisation. Season two followed in the same vein. I also loved
the clothes, the scenery, the sense of atmosphere created. I do hope the latest season doesn’t
disappoint!
Arabella: When writing a book or
chapter, which do you concentrate on first: plot, character, or setting?
Elly: I think, for me, the characters always come first,
little seeds developing and buzzing around in my brain, long before I put them
down on paper. Once I’ve got to know
them, then a sense of the plot develops, or as a fellow writer brilliantly says,
‘the stuff that happens’. Then all I
have to do is work out how they’ll react and where it will all take place. Or,
possibly, where I’d like to go for a spot of research. After all, there’s only
so much you can gain from the Internet.
Arabella: How do you research your
novels and characters?
Elly: I thoroughly enjoy research and we’re so lucky these
days to be able to access so much information.
It’s amazing what you find on YouTube.
However, there’s nothing quite like personal experience. Friends, friends of friends or family are
invaluable, and they all have their stories to tell, whether it’s how to
restore a building or ride a motorbike (when you’re too much of a coward to do
it yourself.) All great fun.
Arabella: What advice would you
give to someone who is starting out on their writing journey?
Elly: Try and set out a time, if you can, on a regular
basis, when you can write. I know, with life, that it’s always easier said than
done, and I have definitely struggled with it over the years. But, as a friend once said to me, you can
always edit what you’ve written. But you can’t edit a blank page. I think she was probably right!
Also, join an organisation, if you can. Writing can be so lonely. I belong to The Romantic Novelists’
Association, where you can make friends and receive advice, as well as have
your work critiqued by a professional author, as part of their New Writers’
Scheme.
Thanks, so much Arabella, for having me on your
blog. It’s been great fun answering the
questions.
Thank
you for joining me on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat, Elly.
You’ve
whetted my appetite…I’m tempted to experience an over-night excursion on the Caledonian
Sleeper from London to Scotland. I’m not too sure about The Orient Express –
the thought of discovering a murder whilst journeying in a far off country is
daunting.
Oh,
and just for you… The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (soya and dairy-free)
If
you click on the link and then “Jump to Recipe” you’ll find a list of
ingredients and cooking instruction. It says you can use almond milk in place
of soya. Happy eating.
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| Vegan Chocolate Cake |
Best
wishes and good luck with your latest release, In Too Deep.
Arabella
About
Elly Redding
 |
| Elly Redding |
Elly
Redding is an award-winning romance writer. Having originally written
screenplays, her first novel, ‘True Colours’, won the Festival of Romance’s New
Talent Award, and third prize in the Independent Author Book Award “Words for
the Wounded”, as well as being voted Chill with a Book Readers’ Book of the
Month and receiving a B.R.A.G. Medallion.
Born
in London, she now divides her time, with her husband, between Bedfordshire and
Devon, where she loves art, dancing and watching the waves.
Elly
is a member of The Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors, and
would love to hear from you. She can be found @ellyredding on Twitter, Elly
Redding Author on Facebook and Elly Redding on Instagram.
Her
website is www.ellyredding.com
Website
and Social Media Links:
Facebook: Elly Redding Author
Twitter: @ellyredding
Instagram: Elly Redding
Book
Blurb:
In Too Deep
Set
in the rolling countryside of Devon, ‘In Too Deep’ is the emotional story of a
woman’s determination to win the trust of the man she’s adored since they were
thrown together as children, by forcing him to confront the darkness of his
long-lost past.
Blurb on back of Book:
One
little lie. A guilty secret. And the man she mustn’t love…
It’s
been six years since Isy Forrester left home. In that time, she’s strived to
forge a new life for herself in London, away from Jack Mancini, her father’s
adopted son, and his devastating betrayal of everything she thought they
had.
Only
now her father’s in hospital, and the house that’s been in her family for
generations is at risk. Forced to return to Devon, she finds Jack as
infuriating and stubborn as ever, and just as irresistible. Soon she realises
the bright lights of London can’t hold a candle to him.
But
Jack has a past, one which he refuses to share with her. And until he can trust
her with these deepest secrets, how can she risk her heart? How can she even
begin to help him, when he won’t tell her what happened all those years ago –
before her father brought him home to Hambledon Hall?
Release
date: 3rd February 2020 (as a paperback and ebook)
Available for PRE-ORDER
on:
Amazon
US:
Thanks so much for having me as your guest today. It was great fun! I know what I'll be doing this afternoon... Making that chocolate cake - what a lovely thought x
ReplyDeleteElly - Thank you for being such and amazing guest on Arabella's Blog and Chit-Chat. And wishing lots of Internet surfing and Orient Express train journeys in the name of research.
ReplyDeleteArabella
I'll let you know how the trip goes - good job I write love stories and not whodunits! x
DeleteFabulous blog and great to learn so much more about Elly and her writing. Looking forward to joining her on (I wish) the Orient Express! X
ReplyDelete