Jessica Blair

Just One More Day

JUST ONE MORE DAY                   

The cover for my new novel to be published in February 2015.  The story concerns three WAAFs and the Lancaster bomber crews serving on a Lincolnshire airfield during the Second World War.

I recently gave a talk to a reading group in my village. With this picture loaded on to my iPad I was able to pass this picture round the audience for each them to see and handle it, thus using the maxim:-   Authors should use all the tools of their trade to promote their work.

Listen to your characters.

My publisher, Piatkus, like my outline for a new novel and will be issuing a contract shortly. Now I can get stuck in, developing the outline into a novel of 100,000 words. An exciting journey lies ahead of me. My working title is Tread Softly, Alice. That of course may change before  I submit the final work by the first of February 2015. At the moment, 1900 is the year in which the novel will open and before the final words are written it will have taken me to Yorkshire, Scotland, and South Africa and maybe to other lands if the characters tell me where they want to go. Yes, my characters do talk to me! We have some very interesting conversations. Generally we agree on the direction the story of their lives should take and generally we come to an amicable conclusion.   Towards the end of my first Jessica Blair novel, The Red Shawl (1993), I was going to kill my leading female character  but she said to me, ‘Don’t do that and I will provide you with a second novel.’ I took her advice and sure enough the fact that she was alive led me to writing, A Distant Harbour (1994)

A Writer Recharging Batteries

Had a few days break from writing to visit my grandson and his partner in Southampton. They laid on some glorious weather for me and my daughter.  Apart from relaxing in their garden we visited Mottisfont, a country house with extensive grounds and gardens, and sailed to the Isle of Wight and back on the ferry. This was made most interesting by my grandson’s knowledge of the shipping and shore installations of this busy stretch of waterway. All grist for the writer’s mill.

I came back refreshed and ready to start on my next book  but before I can do that I need verification that my publisher, Piatkus, likes the outline I sent before I had my break in Southampton. I’m itching to get started and use up some of that new battery power.

New Novels Coming From Jessica Blair

My Novella WHISPERS IN THE SNOW will be coming out as an ebook published by Piatkus on 4th December. It has a Christmas theme  with an old Lincolnshire Second World War airfield as the background. That is a nice lead in to my next full-length Jessica Blair novel JUST ONE MORE DAY the background of which is also Lincolnshire.  With the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War next year the novel is about three WAAFs and the aircrews serving on a bomber station.  It is due in February

RNA Meeting

Today I have been at the May meeting of the Northern Group of RNA (Romantic Novelists’ Association) at Beckwithshaw near Harrogate. We enjoy a nice lunch of our choice at the Blacksmith’s Arms and then follow it with a topic or topics connected with writing. Today we had no set subject having replaced it with a Question & Answer session. It proved a good one with everyone chipping in with something of interest.

We talked about reviews and reviewing and how the scene had changed with computers  and easy access to putting reviews by anyone on the internet. We applauded the newspapers , national and local, and magazines still using reviews by genuine and competent reviewers. Can we trust many of the reviews that pour on to our screens via the internet?

We talked about the pros and cons of self-publishing and the roads that can be followed in that field. We believe that many of the people seeking to self-publish do not realise what is involved beyond the writing of the novel. Most of that work is borne by the publisher who, with the knowledge of the workings of publishing, brings expert knowledge to the scene that is beyond the reach of most self-publishing  would-bes.

We had an interesting round the table – What we are working on now. The variety gave insight into what people were achieving, what they were aiming at, and what progress their writing was making.

It was a very enjoyable meeting. I was particularly pleased to see Ken McCoy who had a book out today entitled ALMOST A HERO. Good for you Ken.

Work updated

The Novella, Whispers in the Snow is finished and with my publisher, Piatkus, in time for Christmas. Busy checking the copy-edited manuscript of Just One More Day due out early next year. Makings of a new novel are buzzing in my head.

RNA Awards event.

Here is a link that might interest you http://www.piatkusbooks.net/an-evening-of-celebration-at-the-romantic-novelists%e2%80%99-awards-ceremony/

Yes, it was a great evening for me at which I was well supported by my family and my publisher Piatkus. I thank all those who have supported me, before, during and after the Awards event. It has been a memorable time. Now it is back to writing the next novel by Jessica Blair. In the meantime, before I reveal what that novel might be,  let me say that a novella, entitled WHISPERS IN THE SNOW will be out for Christmas and a full-length novel JUST ONE MORE DAY will appear next February.

RNA AWARDS CEREMONY held in London. 17 March

Life is just about settling down again after the RNA Awards Ceremony.  As I wrote last time the announcement that I had been shortlisted set the publicity ball rolling and as it grew in pace it grew in size. I survived and looked forward to the Awards Ceremony in London. I was listed in the Epic Romantic Novel Category with five other authors. The winners in each category went forward to the main award. I didn’t win but it was a great evening mingling with other writers and most of all with my two editors from Piatkus, my publisher.  They had put forward my novel, THE ROAD BENEATH ME and I reached the final six of my category, seen here.

RNA Awards

Since the announcement that I had been shortlisted in the Epic Romantic Novel category of the Romantic Novelists’ Society’s Awards my writing life has been in upheaval. Fortunately I had completed and sent to my publisher, Piatkus, my latest novel JUST ONE MORE DAY which will be published early 2015 (the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War).  My editor at Piatkus  said she would like another full-length (100,000 words) Jessica Blair novel  and asked if  I would  like to write a Christmas Novella (20,000 words) in time for Christmas?  So my writing time ahead was mapped out. I got on with the Novella and was thinking about the longer novel when I was informed I had been short-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel Of The Year. Excitement?  Oh yes! Family delighted! Then, when the news and the full short list was made public, I was the only male appearing in the list. I learned other men, writing under a female name,  had been nominated in the past, but no man had ever won the outright prize. Since the category short-lists were made public, I have been interviewed and appeared twice in the Independent, appeared in the Sunday Express,  the Gazette & Herald, York,  Darlington and Stockton Times,  interviewed on BBC Radio 4,  BBC Radio Leeds,  BBC Radio Birmingham, BBC Television Look North,  and I have had two signing sessions, one in Whitby and the other in Guisborough.  Life got a bit hectic.

It all seems a continuation of last year’s publicity which arose through a small item appearing in the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette which was taken up by a Newcastle Press Agency which in turn was taken by Mail On Line. That was taken up all over the world from Alaska to Australia. Contacts came into my Publisher, Piatkus, and led to an interview, via Skype, with an  American TV Company.  That calmed down and I got a novel written – the one that is coming out next year.

Then the announcement of the  RNA Awards came this year. I’ll come down to earth after the RNA awards ceremony next Monday. After that I will start on another Jessica Blair novel.

Publishing Day

PUBLISHING DAY !!

A TAPESTRY OF DREAMS  hardback

IN THE SILENCE OF THE SNOW paperback

both  by JESSICA BLAIR and published by PIATKUS an imprint of Little Brown Book Group

IN THE SILENCE OF THE SNOW