As one door closes…
In my forties life took an unexpected and unwelcome turn. Still grieving the loss of my mum, I then discovered my husband had been having an affair while I was touring the country in a play. I left the marriage and our home and found myself living in a rented room. There were many sleepless nights, wondering where my life was headed.
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to make a positive change.
One morning, in the early hours, I fired up my laptop and began writing; not a sad tale, but a romantic comedy about a middle-aged woman starting over. It became my therapy, my happy place. I wrote every day and looked forward to finding out where my characters would lead me next.
As I became fully immersed in the story, something started to shift. Writing was gradually giving me back my confidence and zest for life. I cycled to Paris for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of Mum and soon afterwards landed my first West End role in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap.
Dare to dream…
During my off-stage time I continued working on my novel, now entitled Learning to Fly. Giving it one final polish, I self-published through Amazon/Create Space. I will never forget the thrill of holding my book in my hand. But I didn’t want my writing journey to end there, so I dared to put myself forward as a guest speaker at Blackwell’s New Writers at the Edinburgh Fringe, and much to my surprise, was invited to take part!
What now? I asked myself. Then I saw this: BUDDING WRITER? We’re looking for authors to join the HQ Digital Family! With nothing to lose, I submitted my manuscript. With 90% of actors out of work, I’m well trained in not taking rejection to heart, but to bounce back even stronger – though not always as easy as it sounds. You could have knocked me down with a feather when HQ agreed to work with me! After numerous rounds of edits (and much pulling of hair on my part!) Learning to Fly became The Start of Something Wonderful! The reworked version will be relaunched on 8th May 2025.
Who do you think you are?
Like many actors/authors I suffer from Imposter Syndrome. Who do you think you are? whispers an annoying voice in my ear. I will be forever grateful to HQ for having given me the opportunity and the confidence to keep going. Now my next challenge was to write book two, find an agent and secure a book deal – simple? Wrong!
Never judge a book by its cover.
I have my ex-husband to thank for planting the seed of book two in my brain. Being a Neapolitan chef, I got to know his hometown, its traditions and wonderful cuisine from an insider’s viewpoint.
Naples is a city of contradiction and often misunderstood due to its connection to organised crime. Dig below the surface and you’ll find it’s a mixture of beauty, danger, chaos, tradition and wonderful cuisine. Despite living in the shadow of a live volcano, Neapolitans have a joie de vivre and a natural live-in-the-moment mentality, which doesn’t require self-help books or life-coach sessions.
Sometimes things happen for a reason…
Juggling my small role in Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, I wrote during my off-stage time. During the run, Agatha inspired me to add a sprinkling of danger into the mix, and so Marriage, Mafia and Mozzarella began to take shape. Then the pandemic hit, and the show closed. Writing helped me escape during that difficult time. With my darling dad stuck in a care home, forbidden to have visitors, I had to do something…
RAF Benevolent Fund to the rescue!
Having fought in WW2, Dad was considered a member of the RAF family. Thanks to their charity and the local authority, I was able to bring Dad home to live out his final months with me. Dad had always championed my writing and kept encouraging me during many periods of writers’ block. After he passed away, I took part in the Dambusters’ Cycle Challenge in memory of him. And so, the seed of another book was sown…
Never, ever give up
As I began writing The Unexpected Flatmate, dedicated to the RAF Benevolent Fund and loosely based on my pandemic story, I was still looking for an agent for Marriage, Mafia and Mozzarella. I contacted 73 agents, both here in the UK and in the US. Responses were rare, but many years of looking for acting work gave me the self-belief and drive to keep going. Eventually my dogged determination paid off and I landed my dream agent!
Kill your darlings
That famous piece of advice held me in good stead throughout the editing process. At our first meeting, my agent put forward several changes to my manuscript, including a change of title to A Scottish Teashop in Napoli. However, she emphasised that as it was my project, I must speak up if I didn’t agree with any of the suggestions. I put my trust in her many years’ experience and have subsequently learned so much from her.
Be open to change
I was thrilled when my agent secured me a book deal. I was soon to learn that this was just the beginning. I was put in direct contact with the publisher’s editors, and so several weeks of ruthless editing began. I killed many darlings, including the final chapter, which I’d worked on day and night – I had even compiled a romantic Italian playlist for this scene, which took place in the underwater Roman city of Baia! I wanted to cry.
Now, when I read the revised chapter, which takes place on a rainy day in Scotland, I’m grateful to the editor for setting me on the right path. And who knows? That scene might end up in another book somewhere, sometime!
A Scottish Teashop in Napoli will be launched on 3rd July 2025 by Bedford Square Publishers.
Author Links
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The Start of Something Wonderful Amazon Link
A Scottish Teashop in Napoli Amazon Link
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