I’m delighted to welcome Libby
Ashworth to the blog.
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| Libby Ashworth - Author |
Hello Libby – Thank you for joining me on the
Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat. But before we discover more about your latest
release, The Cotton Spinner, here are a few questions which will
hopefully give your readers and followers an insight into some of the things
that matter to you.
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?
Libby: I’ve
had experience of a variety of publishing routes. I’ve been a published short
story for a long time and those stories were always sold directly to magazines.
My first novel The de Lacy Inheritance
was also sold directly to a small independent publisher, Myrmidon. After that I
was taken on by an agent, but it didn’t work out so I decided to self publish
some of my work. Then I was accepted by my current agent, Felicity Trew at the Caroline
Sheldon Literary Agency and she is such a treasure! She negotiated a contract
with Arrow (Penguin Random House) within weeks of me signing up with her and
working with an enthusiastic agent and the editors at one of the major
publishing houses has been an amazing experience. So, if I were to give any
advice to other authors who are still seeking representation and a publishing
contract I would say aim high and keep on trying, but don’t be afraid of using
other routes as well.
Arabella: A slice of Chocolate Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and
Fries?
Libby: My hand
is hovering over the chocolate cake but my blood sugar level is telling me to
pick fruit!
Arabella: Who or what inspired you to write your latest release, The Cotton Spinner?
Libby: I had
the idea for my latest book, The Cotton
Spinner, when I was researching my family history. I could see from the
census records that my ancestors had moved from the small village of Whalley
into the town of Blackburn, about ten miles away, during the years of the
Industrial Revolution. They had been working as hand spinners and hand loom
weavers and it was clear that they had been forced to find work in the mills.
It was whilst I was wondering how they had coped with such a huge change in
their lifestyle that I decided to tell their story.
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?
Libby: I’m not
really a party person, but I do love the natural world. I’ve always wanted to
see the northern lights – and it would be wonderful to see them with the person
of my dreams. But if I were with the person of my dreams I think even a
shooting star would be enough.
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| Northern Lights |
Arabella: Currently, what is your most favourite T.V. programme, and
why?
Libby: The
trouble with watching drama on television when you’re a writer is the
temptation to analyse it too closely and begin to edit it in your head! The
best dramas are the ones that I become so involved in that I forget to do that.
I don’t have a particular favourite at the moment, but amongst the ones I’ve
enjoyed lately are The Split (and also I’ve caught up with The Hour on iplayer
which I thought was excellent). I’ve also watched the new Star Trek series on
Amazon Prime – Picard, which I enjoyed. I like Gardeners’ World too; it’s very
soothing. I also have a soft spot for Inspector Montelbano, although I think I
may be missing a lot by having to rely on subtitles
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| Star Trek - Picard |
Arabella: When writing a book or chapter, which do you concentrate on
first: plot, character, or setting?
Libby: It’s
always a mixture. I think the character comes first, but where they live and
what happens to them is what makes me want to tell their story.
Arabella: How do you research your novels and characters?
Libby: One of
my mainstays for researching The Mill Town Lasses series is a book that
originally belonged to my late father and is signed by the author George
Miller. It’s called Blackburn – the Evolution of a Cotton Town and is filled
with historical detail and extracts from local newspapers over the years.
Little did I know when I saw it on the bookshelf when I was a child what use I
would make of it!
Arabella: What advice would you give to someone who is starting out on
their writing journey?
Libby: Be persistent.
Believe in yourself and never give up. I was considering giving up a couple of
years ago, but decided to have one last round of submissions to agents with The
Cotton Spinner. If I had given up, the story would still be sitting on my
computer rather than the shelves of the bookshops.
Libby – It was great having you on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat and I hope
your readers enjoyed discovering some of your writing secrets. A trip to
see the Northern Lights to view the aurora borealis sounds amazing.
Best wishes for your release, The
Cotton Spinner
Arabella
www.arabellasheen.co.uk
About Libby: Ashworth
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| Libby Ashworth - Author |
Libby Ashworth was born and raised in Lancashire, where she can trace her family back to the Middle Ages. It was while researching her family history that she realised there were so many stories about ordinary working people that she wanted to tell. She has previously written historical novels - The de Lacy Inheritance and By Loyalty Bound – as well as local history books. The Cotton Spinner is her first saga novel. Libby currently lives in Lancashire with her son.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.elizabethashworth.com
Facebook: Libby Ashworth
@elizabethashworth
Twitter: @elizashworth
Instagram: libbyashworthauthor
Book Blurb: The Cotton Spinner
Lancashire, 1826
When Jennet and Titus Eastwood are
forced to move from their idyllic cottage into the centre of Blackburn to find
work in the cotton mills, their lives are changed in ways they could never have
imagined and their new home on Paradise Lane is anything but . . .
Then Titus is arrested and sent to
prison for attending a Reform meeting. Jennet is left to fend for herself and
things go from bad to worse as she finds herself pregnant and alone – with
another man’s child . . .
The Mill Town Lasses is a saga series. The
Cotton Spinner is the first book, out 16th April, to be followed by A
Lancashire Lass in August and a third book in February 2021.
Buy Links:
Amazon US:
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