A Life Less Lonely

Last time I visited Liz, my Toni Sands hat was tipped saucily over one eye. As Liz has kindly invited me to call again, wearing my Jill Barry hat this time, I’d like to tell you about my contemporary romance, A Life Less Lonely, published by Endeavour Press. 

Like many authors, I’m often asked where I find ideas or why I chose to write a particular story. In this case, I’d written Chapter One of a book original entitled Twice a Bride. I uploaded my work to the Mills and Boon New Voices competition website in 2012, rose to the top of the list, but didn’t progress to the next stage. That’s life! Certainly it applies to a writer’s life and I decided, having received so many lovely, positive comments about Chapter One, to write the full story of Andrea, young military widow. Sadly, we’re all too aware of the real life Andreas, forced to deal with the trauma of their late husband’s repatriation, often putting on a brave face in order to help family and friends cope.

Dr Andrea Palmer has a young son and I’ve also given her an elderly mum, whose increasing confusion causes concern. Before you reach for the Kleenex, there’s also humour and hope for the future in the shape of a fresh challenge involving a delicious consultant called Keir Harrison. Sparks fly. Of course. Keir has a broken marriage behind him. As for Andrea - well, I do hope you’ll download the book and see what happens.

I enjoy a challenge but writing about memory loss and problems many of us have to confront, all wrapped up in a romantic jacket could have been more daunting than it actually was. Fortunately my other half refused to pass me the smelling salts and gave me some insight into pharmaceutical trials though the book is more contemporary romance than medical. I also received valuable advice from a dear friend who for some years did the job which Keir’s PA does.

What next for Jill Barry? I’m delighted to say there’s a sassy, spicy contemporary romance, this time with two younger main characters than Andrea and Keir. Devilish Delights is scheduled for publication by Accent Press on 19^th December 2013. The title refers to a fictitious musical and the action takes place partly in an idyllic part of Wales and partly in London’s theatre land.

As I write, I’m waiting to hear whether my second pocket novel, Girl with a Gold Wing, is to be published. This one’s set in the 1960s and as the title suggests, has an aviation theme.

So thanks again for inviting me along, Liz. And thank you, followers of this lively blog, for putting up with me.

Love

Jill  x

It's always lovely to have you drop by Sandra/Jill :) and tell us about your latest projects.  Liz x

Here's an Amazon link to A Life Less Lonely
Follow Jill @barry_jill and @tonisands
Like her at Facebook

More from the conference

Beginning to catch up with life after last week's conference and I've finally dug out some pictures.  This is Sandra Mackness (Toni Sands), me and Sue Smith (Jennifer Taylor) enjoying the Saturday night banquet.


I think the atmosphere could best be described as "lively"; these conference venues are always stunned by just how lively 150 romantic writers can be.  I fear they all believe that we are all incredibly sedate and wear pink. What a mistake to make!

The workshops were very informative, as was the published authors round table; lots to talk about at the moment with the surge of eBooks changing the face of publishing in the same way as the paperback -- according to publisher Simon Petherick -- did in the first half of the twentieth century. 

My colleague, Fiona Harper, gave an inspiring talk on using emotion and keeping it on the page. 

A panel of award winning writers, including Jill Mansell, Joanna Maitland and Elizabeth Chadwick talked about their careers and their writing methods.

This is Jill - who writes on the dining room table with the television on - showing us her essential "time line", aided by Joanna Maitland and Jane Wenham Jones who chaired the panel.

Linda Gillard (Emotional Geology) - another award winning author - gave a workshop on painting with words.

Our new chair, Anne Ashurst (Sara Craven), brought the conference to a close by drawing the winner of an amazing hamper of chocolate donated by Green & Black's - who also added bars of their Maya Gold to all the conference goodie bags.

It was a wonderful weekend. Much to learn and absorb about a fast changing business. Time to catch up with old acquaintances, make new friends and put real faces to the Tweeps I've come to know over the last year.