I’m delighted to welcome romance author, Catherine Tinley to my blog.
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| Catherine Tinley - Author |
Hello Catherine – It’s lovely to connect with you via the Romantic Novelists’ Association and I’m so pleased to be able to unearth some of your writing secrets. But before we discover more about your latest release, A Waltz with the Outspoken Governess, 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: You’ve got an idea for a story but it has yet to take shape. Where do you start? Do you concentrate on the location in the story, or developing the characters personalities and conflicts, or are there other key points you might consider?
Catherine:
In a romance, conflict is key to everything. There is always a mix of internal
and external conflicts to keep things interesting. Internal ones are to do with
each character’s motivations, patterns, beliefs, past experiences, and
assumptions, while external ones are plot events and devices that drive the
story forwards. I usually start with a plot idea – a key external conflict.
Then I ponder who the characters will be. Who would react in interesting ways
if thrown into this situation? Location for me is a more superficial layer to
be added afterwards. I’m primarily driven by an interest in how people interact
with each other. So-called ‘minor’ characters are always interesting to me too.
Catherine:
My heroine, Mary, is in crisis when her father is arrested. She takes a job as
a governess in the household of Sir Nicholas Denny to get close to the gaol
where her father is being held, but has to promise the agency that she will
behave in a demure, non-opinionated way. This proves more difficult than Mary
anticipates, particularly since she and Sir Nicholas spark off each other in
ways that are new to her. As well as trying to sneakily visit her poor Papa,
there are interesting family dynamics within the Denny household that Mary must
navigate, along with her growing attraction to Sir Nicholas – and the need to
bite her tongue and play the part of the dull governess.
I chose the topic because I think most
of us have been in situations where we can’t speak freely for whatever reason,
and feel frustrated by it. Women in Regency England often were advised to offer
no opinions, as many topics were considered the business of men and men only,
and some women were forced to hide their intelligence when in company.
Arabella:
Roses, Lilies, or another flower of choice?
Catherine:
I love flowers, but my favourite garden plant is my gorgeous lavender bush. It
smells divine and looks gorgeous in bloom. I always try to add a few flowers
into any bouquet I get.
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| Lavender Bush |
Arabella: You’ve arranged to meet with friends and family for an afternoon of fun. In the present socially restricted climate, where do you go and what do you do?
Catherine:
We
walk in Narnia. I’m lucky to live near one of the most beautiful places on the planet
– Rostrevor, Co Down, in Ireland. Our family walks take us through places with
names such as the Meadow, the Fairy Glen, the Old Wood, Fiddler’s Green,
Kilbroney Park, and Cloch Mór. CS Lewis, himself a County Down man, famously
said the area was his idea of Narnia.
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| The Fairy Glen - Rostrevor - County Down |
Arabella: All authors love and need to read. When choosing a book, do you:
a) pick off the shelf?
b) search online?
c) go with friends
recommendations?
d) other…
Catherine:
All of the above. Outside historical romance, I enjoy high fantasy – which is
also romantic in its own way. I also like contemporary romance and chicklit. My
recent reads include The Flat Share (O’Leary), Normal People (Rooney), the Red
Queen series (Aveyard), the Pern Dragonriders series (McCaffrey), Grace after Henry
(Shortall), and The Queen’s Wing
(Thorne). I’d recommend every one of them.
Arabella: The moment we are published, a career path is usually envisaged. Do you have any aspirations or ambitions for yourself and any future novels you might write?
Catherine:
I’m currently working on a 1987-set story with the Irish conflict as
background, and a supernatural element. It’s fun to write, but too early to say
if I have something there. Think the TV show ‘Derry Girls’ - but with romance
and pathos, not comedy. I began writing it in the year before Derry Girls came
out, and it’s always interesting when things pop up in the zeitgeist.
In the meantime I’m continuing to write
Regency Romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon, and still really enjoying it.
I’ve signed another two-book contract and my next deadline is at the end of
January, so I’m flat out writing the story of Lady Cecily, whom my readers may
know from the ‘Runaway Governess’ and ‘Christmas Cinderellas’ tales. I thought
it was about time she took centre-stage and got her own story.
Many thanks, Arabella! This was fun!
Catherine
- It was lovely having you as a guest on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat, today.
And to be sure, place names such as Fairy Glen or Fiddlers’ Green can only be imagined
and conjured into reality by the Irish. If I’m ever near County Down, I’ll be
sure to call. Look out for me on your walking travels in Narnia.
Arabella
About Catherine Tinley
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| Catherine Tinley and Friend |
Catherine Tinley writes witty, heartwarming Regency love stories for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She has loved reading and writing since childhood, and has a particular fondness for love, romance, and happy endings. After a career encompassing speech & language therapy, Sure Start, maternity campaigning and being President of a charity, she now manages a maternity hospital. She lives in Ireland with her husband, children, and dog and can be reached at catherinetinley.com, on facebook here and twitter here.
Website and Social
Media Links
www.facebook.com/catherinetinleywriter
www.twitter.com/catherinetinley
www.instagram.com/catherinetinleywriter
Book Blurb: A Waltz with the Outspoken Governess
A quiet governess…
An
unruly heart
Sir Nicholas Denny is desperate to find a governess to care for
his boisterous nieces and nephews. Demure vicar’s daughter Mary Smith seems
ideal—at first. All too soon Nicholas discovers a different side…a beautiful,
vivacious woman, even if she infuriates him with her strong opinions! When he
waltzes with Mary at a party, he knows he’s in trouble—the spark between them
is so tempting, but she challenges everything he thought he wanted in a wife!
Buy Links
http://getbook.at/WaltzGoverness
Release Date 1st January 2021
Catherine Tinley writes in the most beautiful language.Her novels make me so happy.she is a very humble pleasant and giving person as is evident from her retweets and encouragement to so many authors and readers.
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