Catherine Bennetto’s laugh

out loud romantic comedies deal with the “Bridget Jones” dilemmas of

contemporary life – unexpected pregnancies, failed love affairs – have been praised

by critics for their wit, charm and freshness.

Hello there, I’m your host

Jenny Wheeler and today Catherine talks about the darker side of rom com, working

on top TV shows, and  marrying your best

friend.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why Catherine writes what she likes to readGetting started in TVIn favour of marrying your best friendNo pink fluff ! The darker side of romanceThe last book series she binge readOn going to work in a bikini

Where to find Catherine Bennetto:

Website: https://www.catherinebennetto.com/

 Twitter: @cathbennetto 

Facebook: @catherine.bennetto.3

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so what was the catalyst for it?

Catherine Bennetto - fresh rom com

Catherine: No, I actually can't remember a time when I didn't write because I remember my first book, if you could call it a book that I wrote. I think I was about nine or ten and even though I'd always written, I'd written poems.

I've got scraps of paper that my grandma has kept, when I wrote things for her when I was six and seven and I just always knew I wanted to write a book. But I didn't actually sit down to go 'Now I'm going to write a novel' until I wanted to be a bit older. So I went into television and did all of that, knowing that I would always write a book because I had always written.

I just wanted to be a bit more worldly and write with a bit more authority rather than completely make it up. So I started - I can't remember how old I was, in my thirties - and that's when I felt mature enough that I could actually write with authority on what I wanted to write on. But no, I was always, always going to write a book.

Rom Coms a natural choice

Jenny: You’ve published two well received rom coms aimed – dare I say it – fairly squarely at Gen Y and Gen X readers.  Was it a case of writing what you like to read -  more strategic? What made you decide on rom coms as your genre?

How Not to Fall In Love Actually

Catherine: No, it definitely wasn't just strategic. If there are people out there who can do that, then they must be brilliant. But no, I write what I actually can write I think and also what I like to read.

I like to read everything but I lean towards things definitely with comedy. I think even when I write things with a dark subject matter they come out a bit flippant and I can't seem to help myself. So now I write what I like and I never worried whether anybody was going to like it or read it. I wrote it squarely for myself and it's just amazing that it got published.

Jenny: Your debut novel was How Not to Fall in Love Actually. A play on the much-loved movie Love Actually – and your heroine worked in TV.   That was easy for you – because that’s what you did too, isn’t it?

Getting started in TV

Catherine: Yes, I've worked in TV since I was 22, I think, so in that book she's got my exact job.

Elizabeth Kingston was

reading racy historical romance as a pre-teen so it’s not surprising she’s a

successful author of two historical romance series – one Regency, and the other

in 13th century Wales.

His there, I’m your host

Jenny Wheeler, and today Elizabeth talks about keeping historical romance

relevant for modern readers, her obsession with the Mitford sisters, and

protecting against creative burnout.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why protecting her creative process is Elizabeth's No 1 thingHistorical romance and white supremacist ideologyHer current obsession with the Mitford sistersThe 'Once Upon A Time' moment that got her writingThe writers she admires mostWhat she'd do differently second time around

Where to find Elizabeth Kingston:

Website: https://www.elizabethkingstonbooks.com/

Facebook: @EKingstonBooks

 Twitter: @EKingstonBooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-kingston

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: And now here's Elizabeth. Hi there Elizabeth, and welcome to the show, it's great to have you with us.

Elizabeth: Hi Jenny, It's great to be here, thank you so much for inviting me.

Elizabeth Kingston historic romance novelist

Jenny: Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so, what was the catalyst for it?

Elizabeth: Hi Jenny, It's great to be here, thank you so much for inviting me.

Elizabeth: Well there is, and it's a great question. In my case at least there is a very definite answer. For me there was a "Once Upon a Time" moment and it was when I turned 40. It answers itself. I wrote my first novel when I was 29, almost on a whim. It had been a long standing joke between me and my friends for years that "Oh, one day I am going to write a novel A romance novel, I know what they are like, and I'm going to make some money."

Misery in corporate America

So I started, and within a few sentences, I absolutely fell in love with it and it stopped being a joke immediately. I loved it, I finished that book and I started another one. And than I stopped altogether. There are so many things that go into that, but basically I stopped and I abandoned the second book.

I felt bad about not writing but I decided there was no point in trying to force myself and guilt myself into writing. So I let myself essentially quit.. It was a matter of "that was fun but that was it." I did assume that one day it would always come back. But one day I looked at myself and it had been ten years and it hadn't come back.

I realized the creative part of me was feeling suffocated. So as I said, I was turning 40, and that's the age when you look at where you have got to, and what you want, all the midlife crisis stuff is a cliche because it's so often true, right? And I asked myself "What do I want, and When was I happiest" and the answer was, when I was writing.

Feeling like a writer again

I wanted to feel like a writer again. That very brief time when I was creating, was the time when I was most myself. I wanted to be that person again, it was the most alive that I'd ever felt really. It was a struggle to get back to it, and that's a story in itself.

I was an administrative assistant, in a nice steady office drone sort of job that was really suffocating my creative side and I knew if I kept on with it I would still be miserable and I would get to the end of my life and I would still be wishing that I'd gotten back to writing. So, yes, misery in corporate America and a mid life crisis. That's my origin story.

Ladies of Scandal Book 1

Jenny: That first book you wrote, was it a historical romance?

Elizabeth: It was. It's published now.

Elizabeth Kingston was

reading racy historical romance as a pre-teen so it’s not surprising she’s a

successful author of two historical romance series – one Regency, and the other

in 13th century Wales.

His there, I’m your host

Jenny Wheeler, and today Elizabeth talks about keeping historical romance

relevant for modern readers, her obsession with the Mitford sisters, and

protecting against creative burnout.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why protecting her creative process is Elizabeth's No 1 thingHistorical romance and white supremacist ideologyHer current obsession with the Mitford sistersThe 'Once Upon A Time' moment that got her writingThe writers she admires mostWhat she'd do differently second time around

Where to find Elizabeth Kingston:

Website: https://www.elizabethkingstonbooks.com/

Facebook: @EKingstonBooks

 Twitter: @EKingstonBooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-kingston

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: And now here's Elizabeth. Hi there Elizabeth, and welcome to the show, it's great to have you with us.

Elizabeth: Hi Jenny, It's great to be here, thank you so much for inviting me.

Elizabeth Kingston historic romance novelist

Jenny: Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so, what was the catalyst for it?

Elizabeth: Hi Jenny, It's great to be here, thank you so much for inviting me.

Elizabeth: Well there is, and it's a great question. In my case at least there is a very definite answer. For me there was a "Once Upon a Time" moment and it was when I turned 40. It answers itself. I wrote my first novel when I was 29, almost on a whim. It had been a long standing joke between me and my friends for years that "Oh, one day I am going to write a novel A romance novel, I know what they are like, and I'm going to make some money."

Misery in corporate America

So I started, and within a few sentences, I absolutely fell in love with it and it stopped being a joke immediately. I loved it, I finished that book and I started another one. And than I stopped altogether. There are so many things that go into that, but basically I stopped and I abandoned the second book.

I felt bad about not writing but I decided there was no point in trying to force myself and guilt myself into writing. So I let myself essentially quit.. It was a matter of "that was fun but that was it." I did assume that one day it would always come back. But one day I looked at myself and it had been ten years and it hadn't come back.

I realized the creative part of me was feeling suffocated. So as I said, I was turning 40, and that's the age when you look at where you have got to, and what you want, all the midlife crisis stuff is a cliche because it's so often true, right? And I asked myself "What do I want, and When was I happiest" and the answer was, when I was writing.

Feeling like a writer again

I wanted to feel like a writer again. That very brief time when I was creating, was the time when I was most myself. I wanted to be that person again, it was the most alive that I'd ever felt really.

Nicky Pellegrino’s readers tell her that if they can’t go to Italy on holiday, reading one of her eleven novels so full of friendship, laughter, beautiful Italian food and sunshine is the next best thing.

HI there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Nicky talks about her affinity for all things Italian, the ‘Seize the Day’ experience that made her determined to write fiction, and  the foodie tour she’s leading to Sicily in 2020.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

The 'mistake' that led to a winning formulaWhy beginning is harder than finishingHer passion for all things ItalianThe 'Seize The Day' experience that got her startedWhy shegave up a magazine editorship to write booksThe blossoming of popular NZ women's fiction

Where to find Nicky Pellegrino: 

Website: https://www.nickypellegrino.com/

Facebook: @nickypellegrinoauthor

 Twitter: @nickypellegrino

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Nicky. Hello there Nicky and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Nicky Pellegrino; "uplit" fiction

Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so what was the catalyst for it

Nicky: Well I'd always wanted to write. It was why I became a journalist, because I'd come from a very ordinary working class Northern English background and I didn't know any writers. So that's why I went into journalism, because I thought 'one day I'll write a book.'

I had lots of ideas - and ideas are the easy part. But I hadn't sat down and done anything about it. And then one day I was at work - I was deputy editor of the New Zealand Woman's Weekly - and I got an email from a friend who was in Television New Zealand at the time, to let me know that Angela d'Audney, who was a very well known New Zealander on television had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was terminally ill.

A 'Seize the Day' moment

I didn't know her well, she wasn't a personal friend. I had only interviewed her a couple of times, but it was one of those 'Seize the Day' moments. I knew she was only in her 50's and it made me think that you just don't know what's around the corner. I realized if there is something you want to do, you should really get to it and do it. And the thing I wanted to do was write this novel that was in my head.

Delicious: Nicky Pellegrino

I went home and that night I started writing Delicious, my first novel. I just plunged into it. I didn't have a plot, nor a character breakdown. I was working on an ancient computer that was made before email was invented, it was all very ill advised. But I just kept plugging away at nights, weekends and holidays - I did get a better computer - but I just kept going.

In between all this Angela d'Audney had asked me to write a book with her and that was an amazing gift she gave me because I didn't know if I could write a book. And now she was running out of time and I had a publisher's deadline so I really couldn't waste time being insecure and worried about it. I just had to get on and do it.

Finishing the Book

So I finished that book, and then going back into my own book seemed incredible because it didn't involve the sadness of seeing this friend who looked a little less well every time I visited her.

Back in my own imaginary world with these characters I'd invented suddenly it felt "This is great!" That was it really, I was incredibly lucky to get a publishing deal for that first book. I am not one of those writers who have half finished manuscripts or rejected manuscripts lying around, everything I have started I've finished and it's been published which I think is a little unusual.

Jenny: I think it is, yes.

Nicky Pellegrino’s readers tell her that if they can’t go to Italy on holiday, reading one of her eleven novels so full of friendship, laughter, beautiful Italian food and sunshine is the next best thing.

HI there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Nicky talks about her affinity for all things Italian, the ‘Seize the Day’ experience that made her determined to write fiction, and  the foodie tour she’s leading to Sicily in 2020.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

The 'mistake' that led to a winning formulaWhy beginning is harder than finishingHer passion for all things ItalianThe 'Seize The Day' experience that got her startedWhy shegave up a magazine editorship to write booksThe blossoming of popular NZ women's fiction

Where to find Nicky Pellegrino: 

Website: https://www.nickypellegrino.com/

Facebook: @nickypellegrinoauthor

 Twitter: @nickypellegrino

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Nicky. Hello there Nicky and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Nicky Pellegrino; "uplit" fiction

Was there a “Once Upon A Time’ moment when you decided you must write fiction or you would have somehow let yourself down, or not completed something you were meant to do?  And if so what was the catalyst for it

Nicky: Well I'd always wanted to write. It was why I became a journalist, because I'd come from a very ordinary working class Northern English background and I didn't know any writers. So that's why I went into journalism, because I thought 'one day I'll write a book.'

I had lots of ideas - and ideas are the easy part. But I hadn't sat down and done anything about it. And then one day I was at work - I was deputy editor of the New Zealand Woman's Weekly - and I got an email from a friend who was in Television New Zealand at the time, to let me know that Angela d'Audney, who was a very well known New Zealander on television had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was terminally ill.

A 'Seize the Day' moment

I didn't know her well, she wasn't a personal friend. I had only interviewed her a couple of times, but it was one of those 'Seize the Day' moments. I knew she was only in her 50's and it made me think that you just don't know what's around the corner. I realized if there is something you want to do, you should really get to it and do it. And the thing I wanted to do was write this novel that was in my head.

Delicious: Nicky Pellegrino

I went home and that night I started writing Delicious, my first novel. I just plunged into it. I didn't have a plot, nor a character breakdown. I was working on an ancient computer that was made before email was invented, it was all very ill advised. But I just kept plugging away at nights, weekends and holidays - I did get a better computer - but I just kept going.

In between all this Angela d'Audney had asked me to write a book with her and that was an amazing gift she gave me because I didn't know if I could write a book. And now she was running out of time and I had a publisher's deadline so I really couldn't waste time being insecure and worried about it. I just had to get on and do it.

Finishing the Book

So I finished that book, and then going back into my own book seemed incredible because it didn't involve the sadness of seeing this friend who looked a l...

Liz Freeland's new mystery hero Louise Faulk is one of New York's first woman police officers, a sharp-witted young woman of modest means who solves murders and combats prejudice as she builds an independent life in 1913 New York.

Hi there I'm your host Jenny Wheeler and today Liz talks about her long lived career and what's kept her going as she's published close 50 books in romance, chick lit, family drama and now her new mystery series.

Here's great news! We've got five signed copies of Book One, Murder in Greenwich Village, to giveaway to five lucky listeners. Just enter here, or go to Jenny's Facebook page. If you don't do Facebook you can email me at [email protected] to go into the draw. We'll give away one paperback a week through until April 30. Winners will be advised by email or Facebook.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why Liz writes under three different pen namesHer early career in romance and chick litHer move into historical and cozy mystery Spending time as an artist in a New York garretThe writers she admires mostThe secret to authoring more than 50 books

Where to find Liz Freeland: Website: https://elizabeth-bass.com/As Elizabeth Bass:  @ElizabethBassAs Liz Freeland:https://www.facebook.com/authorLizFreeland/

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Liz. Hello there Liz and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Liz Freeland - mystery author

Jenny:  Beginning at the beginning – was there a “Once Upon a Time” moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if so what was the catalyst for it?

Liz: Well it's hard to say, because I think I have pretty much always loved telling stories. I wrote stories in school, but I think the biggest catalyst was when I was a theatre geek in high school. I went to college and studied theatre, and started play writing. That's how I really started taking myself seriously as a writer, trying to write plays.

After college, I started turning my hand to fiction. It's hard to write plays for yourself, especially when you're completely undiscovered and you don't have a lot of venues to get your work performed. So I started writing stories, and even novels on my own after work. I really enjoyed it. You sort of get to be the puppet master of everything. It's great. You're the director, the actor, you're everything in a novel so I really love that aspect of it. I never really looked back after I started writing fiction that way.

Fifty romances under three names

Jenny: You’ve had an amazing career – writing more than 50 romances and contemporary fiction titles under other names including Liz Ireland and Elizabeth Bass. We’ll get to that a little later. Firstly though, your new series  is a mystery set in pre-World War 1 New York. It features Louise Faulk, a sharp witted young women of modest means trying to make a life for herself in the great city . What led you to make this jump to mysteries?

Liz: Well I read romance, and then for a while I was writing "womens fiction", which are just family dramas. I went through a period where I was having a family drama of my own, and I just didn't feel like writing that kind of book anymore. I felt blocked. I'd always loved mysteries, but I felt intimidated by the idea of writing a mystery actually. I held them in a lot of reverence and I thought the plots were more intricate than I would be capable of. So I dallied with them on my own, but I hadn't tackled one seriously. However, I decided it was just the time to do it. I'm lucky enough that I have a great relationship with an editor at Kensington, and he said "if you wanted to write a historical mystery, that would be very interesting to us". So I went ahead and took the leap.

Switching from romance to mystery

A Cowboy's Heart - Liz Ireland

Liz Freeland's new mystery hero Louise Faulk is one of New York's first woman police officers, a sharp-witted young woman of modest means who solves murders and combats prejudice as she builds an independent life in 1913 New York.

Hi there I'm your host Jenny Wheeler and today Liz talks about her long lived career and what's kept her going as she's published close 50 books in romance, chick lit, family drama and now her new mystery series.

Here's great news! We've got five signed copies of Book One, Murder in Greenwich Village, to giveaway to five lucky listeners. Just enter here, or go to Jenny's Facebook page. If you don't do Facebook you can email me at [email protected] to go into the draw. We'll give away one paperback a week through until April 30. Winners will be advised by email or Facebook.

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why Liz writes under three different pen namesHer early career in romance and chick litHer move into historical and cozy mystery Spending time as an artist in a New York garretThe writers she admires mostThe secret to authoring more than 50 books

Where to find Liz Freeland: Website: https://elizabeth-bass.com/As Elizabeth Bass:  @ElizabethBassAs Liz Freeland:https://www.facebook.com/authorLizFreeland/

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Liz. Hello there Liz and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Liz Freeland - mystery author

Jenny:  Beginning at the beginning – was there a “Once Upon a Time” moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?  And if so what was the catalyst for it?

Liz: Well it's hard to say, because I think I have pretty much always loved telling stories. I wrote stories in school, but I think the biggest catalyst was when I was a theatre geek in high school. I went to college and studied theatre, and started play writing. That's how I really started taking myself seriously as a writer, trying to write plays.

After college, I started turning my hand to fiction. It's hard to write plays for yourself, especially when you're completely undiscovered and you don't have a lot of venues to get your work performed. So I started writing stories, and even novels on my own after work. I really enjoyed it. You sort of get to be the puppet master of everything. It's great. You're the director, the actor, you're everything in a novel so I really love that aspect of it. I never really looked back after I started writing fiction that way.

Fifty romances under three names

Jenny: You’ve had an amazing career – writing more than 50 romances and contemporary fiction titles under other names including Liz Ireland and Elizabeth Bass. We’ll get to that a little later. Firstly though, your new series  is a mystery set in pre-World War 1 New York. It features Louise Faulk, a sharp witted young women of modest means trying to make a life for herself in the great city . What led you to make this jump to mysteries?

Liz: Well I read romance, and then for a while I was writing "womens fiction", which are just family dramas. I went through a period where I was having a family drama of my own, and I just didn't feel like writing that kind of book anymore. I felt blocked. I'd always loved mysteries, but I felt intimidated by the idea of writing a mystery actually. I held them in a lot of reverence and I thought the plots were more intricate than I would be capable of. So I dallied with them on my own,

Kathryn Hughes' first dual time line novel, The Letter, became a word-of-mouth best seller that knocked Gone Girl off Kindle’s Number One spot.

Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Kathryn talks about her stories of family secrets and deep emotion, and having actress Joanne Froggart – Anna Bates in Downton Abbey – voice her third book, The Key  - for audio.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

The difference between writing a book and being a writerThe fascination of the story ideaMen like them too: 'dual time line mysteries with emotional depth'Her latest book - set in Spain and ManchesterThe page-turning writers she admires mostHow she'd like to give herself a ten year head start

Where to find Kathryn Hughes: 

Website: https://kathrynhughesauthor.com/

Facebook: @KHughesAuthor

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/khughesauthor

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Kathryn. .  Hello there Kathryn and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Kathryn: Thank you very much for having me, it's my pleasure.

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning – was there a “Once Upon a Time” moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?? And if so what was the catalyst for it?

Kathryn Hughes - Best Selling mysteries

Kathryn:    I don't think there was an actual catalyst for it. I think, looking back, I'd always wanted to write a book, not necessarily be a writer. Those are two very different things. And in my 20's I had a go. I don't know if you've heard of Mills & Boon in New Zealand, the romance publishing house offering formulaic and extremely popular stories. I was mistaken in thinking it might be easy to write - it's not, it's extremely difficult, and they have very high standards, but nevertheless I did write about 50,000 words - it was probably terrible and I have no idea where it's gone to, I hope it never surfaces ..!

But back in 2007 I did have an idea for a book and it was around an old un-posted letter. Who wrote the letter, but never sent it who was intended to receive it, but didn't, and why it never got posted, I had absolutely no idea. I just had the idea, and all I had to do was expand it to 90,000 words. . . Easy!!!

Jenny: Yes - we all know how easy that is! But just tracking back a little to your remark about the difference between writing a book and being a writer. Could you expand on that?

How Kathryn got started

Kathryn: Well I was very naive. I thought if I wrote a book a publisher was going to say 'Oh a book, wonderful' and publish it. I didn't realize, "No" One book deals are hardly ever heard of.... I'm talking about commercial fiction They want to know you can keep producing, ideally for most publishers, at least one book a year. Publishers, quite rightly, don't want to invest in you unless you can do that. Quite understandably because they have to persuade supermarkets to take your book, they have to help build your brand. Naturally, it's a lot of hard work for them, so you have to be able to followup with more books and then it's great for everybody.

Kathryn Hughes' The Letter - No 1 on Kindle

Jenny:  It seems quite amazing to me that you say you had this one idea, about an unpublished letter, and nothing else and you managed to expand it into a 90,000 word novel, especially as an inexperienced writer. Perhaps now it would be easier to spin out the story lines... But how did you get from that kernel to a whole tree, and what kept you focused in the hard times.

Kathryn: I think it was because I thought it was a really good idea. I liked the fact that the letter had not been posted, even though it had a stamp on, and it was all ready to go. And then the idea of someone finding it, and the distraction of what was going on in her life at the time - the mystery - taking the ...

Kathryn Hughes' first dual time line novel, The Letter, became a word-of-mouth best seller that knocked Gone Girl off Kindle’s Number One spot.

Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today Kathryn talks about her stories of family secrets and deep emotion, and having actress Joanne Froggart – Anna Bates in Downton Abbey – voice her third book, The Key  - for audio.

Six

things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

The difference between writing a book and being a writerThe fascination of the story ideaMen like them too: 'dual time line mysteries with emotional depth'Her latest book - set in Spain and ManchesterThe page-turning writers she admires mostHow she'd like to give herself a ten year head start

Where to find Kathryn Hughes: 

Website: https://kathrynhughesauthor.com/

Facebook: @KHughesAuthor

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/khughesauthor

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Kathryn. .  Hello there Kathryn and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

Kathryn: Thank you very much for having me, it's my pleasure.

Jenny: Beginning at the beginning – was there a “Once Upon a Time” moment when you decided you wanted to write fiction?? And if so what was the catalyst for it?

Kathryn Hughes - Best Selling mysteries

Kathryn:    I don't think there was an actual catalyst for it. I think, looking back, I'd always wanted to write a book, not necessarily be a writer. Those are two very different things. And in my 20's I had a go. I don't know if you've heard of Mills & Boon in New Zealand, the romance publishing house offering formulaic and extremely popular stories. I was mistaken in thinking it might be easy to write - it's not, it's extremely difficult, and they have very high standards, but nevertheless I did write about 50,000 words - it was probably terrible and I have no idea where it's gone to, I hope it never surfaces ..!

But back in 2007 I did have an idea for a book and it was around an old un-posted letter. Who wrote the letter, but never sent it who was intended to receive it, but didn't, and why it never got posted, I had absolutely no idea. I just had the idea, and all I had to do was expand it to 90,000 words. . . Easy!!!

Jenny: Yes - we all know how easy that is! But just tracking back a little to your remark about the difference between writing a book and being a writer. Could you expand on that?

How Kathryn got started

Kathryn: Well I was very naive. I thought if I wrote a book a publisher was going to say 'Oh a book, wonderful' and publish it. I didn't realize, "No" One book deals are hardly ever heard of.... I'm talking about commercial fiction They want to know you can keep producing, ideally for most publishers, at least one book a year. Publishers, quite rightly, don't want to invest in you unless you can do that. Quite understandably because they have to persuade supermarkets to take your book, they have to help build your brand. Naturally, it's a lot of hard work for them, so you have to be able to followup with more books and then it's great for everybody.

Kathryn Hughes' The Letter - No 1 on Kindle

Jenny:  It seems quite amazing to me that you say you had this one idea, about an unpublished letter, and nothing else and you managed to expand it into a 90,000 word novel, especially as an inexperienced writer.

Peter Watt’s big canvas Australian historicals have garnered a popular following far beyond the shores of his homeland. And that’s how Peter - a man of action who’s been described as “the Australian Wilbur Smith” - likes it, because he’s always had a primary aim of entertaining readers and elevating Aussie stories to international notice.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Peter talks about living his dream life – volunteer fire fighting for six months of the year and writing his new historical series in the other six .

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:

Why he's got the ideal lifeHow Wallarie became a star in GermanyThe little known history that excites himHow his passion for Aussie history has inspired othersThe writers he admires the mostWhat he'd do differently next time: (you'll be surprised!)

Website: http://www.peterwatt.com

Facebook:  (Fans of Peter Watt books - Public group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/60777773968/ 

What

follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

Jenny: But now, here’s Peter. .  Hello there Peter and welcome to the show, it’s great to have you with us.

How Peter got started as an author

Peter:  Hello Jenny and 'Kia Ora' to all my New Zealand readers. (Ed note: Kia Ora is a Maori greeting of welcome.)

Peter Watt: Author and volunteer fire fighter

Jenny:  That’s fantastic, and you do

have a lot of New Zealand readers.  We’ll

get on to that.  But beginning at the

beginning, I always like to ask this question although it’s maybe a little clichéd

– was there a “Once Upon a Time” moment when you decided that you wanted to

write fiction?  And if so, what was the catalyst for it?

Peter:  Yes, well I’ve looked at this

question many times and I think I was aged 7 sitting on a tractor …. driving

round and round in circles, and of course in those days there were no cabins,

you just sucked in the diesel and sucked up the dust, and I thought to myself,

I’m going to start creating stories in my head so I don’t go mad.  It started there, Jenny.

Jenny:  But it took you a long time then

to get round to doing it.

Peter:  Yes, you know, we make the mistake of letting life get in the way and not devoting ourselves to what we really want to do.  I was about 50 when I commenced writing “Cry of the Curlew” (Book One in the Frontier series) and from there it’s been history, with all the other books following.

Cry of the Curlew: #1 in the Frontier series

Jenny:  Did you always know it would be

historical fiction that you would want to write?

Peter:  Yes, most definitely.  I was influenced by James A. Michener, Leon Uris and many of those other American writers who tended to write with the historical background. I always thought that our part of the world, Australia and New Zealand, had got very little exposure in literature, so I devoted myself to that.

 Jenny: 

I know you’ve said that actually you probably have been responsible for

a little bit of a tourist boom drawing people to Australia, having become

interested in the Australian stories, so you’ve been successful at that.

Peter:  Yes, it’s nice when I receive

emails from American readers who say, you know we never thought about coming to

Australia until we read one of your books. 

And I would sometimes meet them at the airport and give them a bit of a

guided tour.

Peter's 12-book Aussie family saga

 Jenny:  Fantastic!  What a lovely thing.  You’ve led a remarkably adventurous life and we’ll get onto that, but your series – you’ve got a 12 books Frontier series which is a very big family drama, in fact it follows the rivalry between two families and now you’ve started a new series, The Queen’s Colonial.  There have been a few stand alones and I think a Papua New Guinea trilogy in the middle there somewhere, but let’s talk about the latest book,