Hi Shaz, thank you so much for hosting me today.Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
I’ve always written since a child but writing for a living started back in 1997 after my dad died. I’d also left a horribly stressful job in office management that same year, around the time my father in law also passed away – and I’d experienced ill-heath – what a year! So, I gave myself a good talking to and decided to turn to freelance writing as a full-time job. It was the best thing I’d ever done.
I wrote features, short fiction, entered competitions, online content – in fact anything that brought in money. Yes, a few times I took on part time temporary work to help the cash flow but knowing they were short term helped me stay focused on my writing and treating it as a job. I bless the day I did that but with the two dads had been around to see my books published.
If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Wedding Bells for Woolworths, what would it be?
That’s interesting!
The war is over and in ‘austerity Britain’ the girls from Woolworths find they still have battles to fight and friendships to hold on to. Of course there are lighter moments with the impending marriage of Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and the London Olympics of 1948. There is also romance for one of our girls.
Sarah's idyllic family life is under threat with worries about her husband, Alan. Does he still love her?
The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of their lives together. And although they experience loss, hardship and shocks along the way, love is on the horizon for the Woolworths girls . . .
Which of the characters has changed the most from what you had initially planned for them since you first started writing the series?
Being to youngest of the trio I would say that Freda has grown the most since 1938 when they all met for their interview with Betty Billington. A shy frightened child she has blossomed so much, although she has still had heartbreak along the way. In Wedding Bells for Woolworths she is really up against it being involved with a local criminal and falling out with her mates.
Mind you, speaking of Betting Billington she too has had quite a journey…
What themes do you find interesting to explore whilst writing The Woolworth Girls series? And how much research do you need to undertake?
So much research goes into writing sagas. Setting fiction around historical events means I have to ensure every fact is correct. Yes, I enjoy researching WW2 – even WW1 in my current work in progress, and also post WW2 in Wedding Bells for Woolworths. There are also my main characters and how their lives fit around the historical settings. They have to ‘of the time’ and think as young women would in their time period. I also like to examine the older characters as their lives go back so much further. I would say the main theme of my books is friendship, closely followed by family.
What attracted you to writing a series of books rather than standalone novels?
Would you believe that The Woolworths Girls was a stand-alone book? I recall the day my then editor rang me to say how well the book had done in the first week of publication and would I stop writing the current book and write another…
I was in Ramsgate with fellow authors working on The Teashop Girls at the time. We were in an ice cream parlour treating ourselves to ice cream cornets – we ordered larger ones to celebrate and sat by the harbour discussing titles. I ended up wearing most of my ice cream as it melted will we chatted! The teashop book went onto the back burner for a couple of years as I wrote more Woolies books.
I’ve loved writing the Woolworths series and I’m grateful my loyal readers have taken the girls and the town of Erith to their hearts.
What ingredients do you think are essential for a war-time saga?
I would say the most essential ingredient has to be truth. If we as writers can’t tell the truth of that time and how events affected people’s lives, we should go away and write another genre. In fact, I’d say the same of any period setting for sagas. Another ingredient would be a very good setting, quickly followed by friendship – and a dash of romance!
If the Woolworth Girls series was to be turned into a film or TV drama, who would you cast in the main roles?
Wouldn’t that be a lovely task?
I feel that going back in time I’d pick Peggy Mount to play Ruby, and David Kossoff (from The Larkins) to play Bob. A younger John Mills would have to be George Caselton.
However, if the series were to be picked up now I’d be delighted for actress, Laura Main to play Betty Billington. Laura played doctor’s wife, Shelagh Turner in Call the Midwife. In fact, I hinted as much on Twitter but she never responded…
What was the first book that you read that made you think 'I would like to write something like that one day'?
As a youngster I was enthralled with Little Women and the dynamics of family life – and the romance. However, it would have to be Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance (1979) little knowing that the wonderful story would stay with me until I decided to write my own sagas. Gradually I discovered saga authors like Carol Rivers and Iris Gower and thought ‘wow, I really want to do this…’ It took a few bad books before I made it.
What would you say is the best thing about writing? And on the flip side, what is the hardest?
It is lovely to see my books in supermarkets, bookshops, and libraries but the ultimate thrill is hearing from readers who recognise settings and tell me how much they enjoy my stories. It is such an honour. I love the research and planning as well as the outline for the next book gradually takes shape.
The flip side is the actual writing of the book. This is where discipline steps in and I have to shut out the outside worked while I write. I run my own writing classes and never stop telling students how they have to tell family, neighbours and friends they are not available to go shopping, have visits, and take in parcels. Tell everyone they are busy and close the door on the world until that day’s wordcount goal has been reached.
If you could give some advice to your younger self about the whole writing/publication process, what would it be?
I would tell myself to be more confident about my writing. Remind myself how at school I was encouraged by one teacher who said my storytelling was first class. Moving onto the years when I earned a living as a freelance writer, but held back from writing novels – or giving them enough attention – I would have sat myself down and said not to waste time part owning, and running a magazine as it was diverting from my dream of being a novelist.
If you could write in a collaboration with another author, who would you like to write with and why?
I could never see myself doing this as I like to be in control. My husband would add here that I am a control freak! I also like to take the blame for any errors in my career rather than share them – or blame someone else!
And finally, what can we expect from you next?
Quite a list!
Next is Christmas with the Teashop Girls which comes out in October 2020, followed by a very special book, A Mother Forever (March 2021) that goes back to 1905 and follows the early life of Ruby Caselton from the Woolworths series.
I’m currently writing a completely different story set in WW2 which should be published October 2021.
Thank you so much for your interesting questions
Elaine xx
Website: elaineeverest.com
Facebook: Elaine Everest Author
Twitter: @ElaineEverest
Instagram: @elaine.everest
Wedding Bells for Woolworths by Elaine Everest is out now, published by Pan Macmillan, priced £6.99 as paperback original and eBook.
Although last week saw the publication of the paperback edition version of Wedding Bells for Woolworths, today I have a hardback copy, thanks to the generosity of the lovely Megan at ED PR, to give away to a follower of the blog.
*Terms and Conditions* – As with all giveaways on the blog the giveaway is open to existing followers, enter via Rafflecopter form below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by email and/or Twitter. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties and will be deleted once receipt of the prize has been confirmed. NB. Please do not add details of this giveaway to other sites without my permission.
a Rafflecopter giveaway All book titles in bold are Amazon UK Affiliate links which will earn me a few pence if anyone clicks through and makes a purchase - any money earned will go towards buying books or gifts for giveaways.
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