The Write Stuff with... Caroline Roberts

Today it's my stop on the My Summer of Magic Moments so I'm delighted to be handing the blog over to author Caroline Roberts with her tips for aspiring authors.

Hi, it took me quite some time to get published, it was a huge learning curve along the way and still is! But I got there, I somehow managed to hold on to the dream and believe in my stories, and I’m so proud that my fourth book ‘My Summer of Magic Moments’ is about to be published with Harper Collins. So here are my writing tips:  

Write what you are passionate about. If you love what you write this will make the writing process so much easier, and it will come through to readers (and hopefully publishers/agents if you are looking to be published) and spark their imagination and interest too.

Finish the book! Don’t pressure yourself that it has to be perfect, just keep going forward and get the story down. Make time to write regularly, and you will get there. Remember: ‘Don’t get it Right, Get it Written’. Editing is for later.

Emma's Review: My Summer of Magic Moments by Caroline Roberts

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

When a seaside escape spells a little romance . . .

Claire is ready for a bright new chapter. Winding her way to the coast for a cosy cottage retreat, she prays that three weeks of blissful peace and summer sunshine will wash away the pain of the last year.

Claire’s a survivor – she’s growing proud of the scars that prove it – and she’s determined to make the most of each and every day, to seize those little magic moments that give life its sparkle.

Her plan for peaceful solitude goes awry when handsome, brooding Ed turns up in the cottage next door. Will a little summer romance prove the worst distraction? Or might it be the perfect remedy?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Food & Drink Month: Q&A with Caroline Roberts

Sadly there's just over a week left for this Food and Drink feature month but I'm pleased to say that I still have some fantastic guest features to share with you this month.  Next up I'm delighted to welcome Caroline Roberts back to the blog for a Q&A about her new Tea Shop series, The Cosy Tea Shop in the Castle (which I'm still hoping to review before the month is over) was published earlier this year and the follow up The Cosy Christmas Tea Shop is due out in October.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
Hi Sharon, I love writing and reading, and I have wanted to be a novelist for years. It took me several years to get published, and I had to persevere through lots of submission rejections on the way. I finally got my break with Harper Collins in 2015 with my debut novel, The Torn Up Marriage. I’m a normal (my friends might argue with that!) mum with two grown-up children, a dog who I love to walk, and I’m lucky to live in Northumberland, a beautiful part of the world; its stunning countryside, golden sandy beaches, historic castles, and wild moorland inspire my writing.

If you had to do an elevator pitch for The Cosy Teashop in the Castle, what would it be? 
Star-baker Ellie risks it all for her dream of running her own teashop. With a slice of castle life and a cast of show-stopping characters including the truly scrumptious castle manager, Joe, this is a fabulous, heart-warming read – simply irresistible.

Was the teashop in Claverham Castle inspired by a real teashop? 
Yes, my friend ran the tea rooms at Chillingham Castle for many years. It’s near to my home in Northumberland. It’s a beautiful, old stone castle set in the most gorgeous countryside, and is such an amazing, quirky, historic place. I even worked “undercover” as a waitress for a day when I was writing the book, so I really knew what it would be like.

I could imagine a Teashop Dream coming true there, and a beautiful love story too.

Ellie's love of baking was influenced by her Nanna, did you have a similar role model?
There is often someone special in your life who influences you. For Ellie, it was her Nanna, who had sadly died. I lived a long way away from my two Nan’s when I was growing up in Cornwall (they lived in London), so I think the grandmother character in my book was aspirational. My Little Nan was a really good baker though – I remember her lemon meringue pie being delicious. 

Describe Ellie in three words.
Friendly, warm, brave.

What can we expect from you next?
I have just finished writing The Cosy Christmas Teashop – a poignant, funny and festive sequel to The Cosy Teashop in the Castle. Expect to see more of Ellie and Joe’s romance and the ups and downs of castle life, as well as some fun and fabulous wedding scenes, with tinsel, baubles, mince pies, and mulled wine a plenty. Not long to wait, as it’s going to be published in October 2016! 

Guest Book Review: Caroline Roberts - The Torn Up Marriage

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

A memory: golden-tipped sand dunes, early June heat waves blurring the Northumberland coastline. Michael racing towards the shore, Emily on his shoulders, their laughter ringing out against the crash of the rolling waves. A family together.

Two years later, and the landscape of Kate’s marriage has changed irrevocably. When Michael came home one evening and dealt the fateful blow to their marriage, neither could have imagined the heart-wrenching journey stretching before them.

Her happy home with Michael and their two beautiful girls has been washed away like footprints in the sand.

Amazon link: Kindle or Paperback

Debut Spotlight: Caroline Roberts

One of the things I've loved since setting up the blog is interacting with authors, both existing authors who I have been a fan of for years but also meeting and getting to know new authors such as Caroline Roberts whose debut novel The Torn Up Marriage has just been published.

Caroline writes contemporary fiction; emotional stories about love, loss, betrayal and family, that explore how complex and yet beautiful love can be. She has dreamed of being a novelist from the age of 18, and has written for many years but went the long route, working in a bank, bringing up her family and helping to run a holiday park. The submission process to agents and publishers was a rollercoaster ride of rejections, but she held on to her dream, worked hard, and kept writing. Last year, after 5 years of submitting she was offered two deals with major publishers within one hour on the same day! She accepted with Harper Impulse (Harper Collins)- woop! Caroline lives in stunning rural Northumberland; its golden beaches, castles and beautiful countryside have inspired her writing. 

Why do we hurt the ones we love, and can there ever be a way back? 

“The Torn Up Marriage” is about betrayal, complacency, love and loss, and that key instinct to protect your family. But what happens when you tear that family apart? Kate and Michael are about to find out as they cope with the crushing fallout of his affair, whilst trying to protect their two young children. This powerful and poignant novel captures the explosiveness of everyday life and what it is to be human; to make mistakes.

Set in the historic town of Alnwick, Northumberland, with its stunning backdrop of castles, moorland hills and coastline, this relationship story of love and family takes you in a rollercoaster ride of emotions along with Kate and Michael. 

Michael’s mother’s battle with breast cancer shatters them all, yet shows them how precious life, love and family is. Can they find a way back and fight for their battered yet enduring love?
So, what would you do if it happened to you? Could you betray? Could you forgive?

Where do you get the inspiration from for your stories? 
I am intrigued by relationships and by the “messier” side of love – it’s more true to life. A magazine article initially sparked the idea for “The Torn Up Marriage”, detailing how difficult it had been for a family coping with the fall-out of an affair, but how they were trying to make it work. I wanted to show how everyone involved would feel, the betrayer as well as the betrayed, the children, the grandparents; the idea just grew. I have also had close friends who have been through affairs and break-ups. I think in any long term relationship there are ups and downs. I remember the early years when my children were very young being a difficult time. There are so many other factors involved, work, the demands of young children, feeling knackered most of the time, and suddenly you’ve been thrown from being a couple, with time and energy just for each other, into a whole new world.