This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
An award-winning romance author, Mandy Baggot is here today to chat about her sizzling new summer read Truly Madly Greekly, while sharing what she believes to be the most important thing to remember when writing.
Tell us about your latest book.
Truly Madly Greekly features sisters Ellen and Lacey as they travel to Corfu to plan Lacey’s big, fat Greek wedding. But nothing is as it seems. Lacey is having doubts, Ellen’s hiding secrets and the animation team are just too delicious to resist! It’s a fun, summer read with romance at its heart, an idea sun lounger read or the perfect escape if you can’t make it abroad this year.
Where do you find inspiration for your books?
I find inspiration pretty much everywhere I go. Truly Madly Greekly is set in Corfu which is my destination of choice for most of my holidays. I’ve been travelling to the island since 2003 and for the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice a year. The hotel we stay in, Mareblue Beach, Agios Spyridon inspired the hotel Blue Vue in the book. The very first pages were created sat around the pool listening to the waterfall and sipping a cocktail.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I have two young daughters so writing doesn’t ever start until they’re at school (don’t ask me about the holidays!). I tend to pop onto social media first thing and see what’s going on there. I’m dead nosey and don’t like to miss out on anything if I can help it! Then I usually reply to emails, check Amazon, check Facebook (again), check Amazon… are you spotting a theme here?
I generally get down to proper writing business about 10.30am until 2.30pm.What books have you been recommending recently?
Obviously, being signed with Bookouture, I’ve been reading a lot of their novels just lately. Silent Scream and Evil Games from Angela Marsons are two of my favourites. I do love a good police thriller.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I’m a very bad writing planner and if I can get away with not doing it at all then I will – which is completely opposite to how I am in life! I find planning takes the fun out of writing for me. I like my characters to develop the story for me. I have an idea for a book and let the characters tell me where it’s going. I have to rein them in now and then but that’s all part of the fun. I’m not a fan of dozens of drafts either. I write it, I edit it, I send it to my editor and she edits it some more, I make any changes, my editor might suggest more tweaks and then hopefully it’s done!
What was your journey to being a published author?
I started off as a self-published author. My first book Excess All Areas (also set in Corfu) came out in 2008 and I then self-published another four novels. I signed with American publishing house, Sapphire Star for two books, then HarperImpulse for two books and now Bookouture. I’ve seen a lot of changes along the way!
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Put pen to paper and go for it! If you have a love of writing and the basis of an idea then what are your waiting for? Before I ‘became’ an author, writing was something I did to relax, to de-stress, to escape for real life. Enjoying it is the most important thing!
What are you working on at the moment?
Edits! My next book comes out in the autumn so I’m shaping it up right now. I do have a couple of other projects burning away in the background but that book has my attention at the moment!
Thanks, Mandy!