Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in England with my husband and two dogs. We’re in full lockdown at the moment, two of my three grown-up children are living with us again — so a full house! I’m not into housework and a terrible cook but luckily my husband’s a foodie and loves cooking!
I’ve only one published novel, the first book of “The Shorten Chronicles.” It was published in October 2020 but at least five more books in the series are planned.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It was a ‘who’ that inspired me to write. My mother. She was a published author in the 1980s when it was much tougher to get published. I was a teenager, terribly self-obsessed, and thought being a published author was no big deal. My mother has dementia now so it’s really horrible that I can’t tell her how proud I am of her.
“Stranded” was inspired by a dream and a TV show. I know … crazy. I dreamed I was back at university (a concrete-ugly 1960s campus here in England). So, in the dream, I got into a lift in a tower block but stepped out into a deserted country lane. And then I work up and thought, ‘this is the start of a story.’ A while later, I was watching Downton and thought, ‘How would a modern girl cope in the real Downton?’ And then I thought, what would it be like to be torn between two boys, one a millennial and one born in 1904? It went from there!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Eccentric working hours. I wake up at 4.30 am to make the most of the quiet time before the household wakes up. Recently, I’ve been busy with marketing “Stranded,” but I want to get back into the habit of writing and editing in the morning, then doing admin/marketing in the afternoons. I also have a day job, doing the accounts for my husband’s company, so I have to make time for that too. OK, bit of a workaholic…
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the classic fantasy novels, like “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Lord of the Rings.” But I also like modern fantasy books: “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher, “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness, and “Fortune’s Fool” by Angela Boord (won the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off last year). These books completely take you out of reality. Wonderful.
What are you working on now?
Book 2 of “The Shorten Chronicles.” “Escape” will be published in October this year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Apart from Awesome Gang … that’s easy: BookBub. But it’s very difficult to get featured in their emails. I’ve been incredibly lucky and “Stranded” is a Featured Deal on Valentine’s Day. Really excited!
My own website (www.rosalindtate.com) showcases “The Shorten Chronicles,” but it will take time for people to discover it.
The same goes for my Readers Club. Readers who join via my website or a link in the books, get a short story, exclusive to the Club. It’s a prequel to the series and once readers have read it, they see Hugo in a completely different light! I email everyone once a month with bookish news, but also with fun facts I think they’ll enjoy. Oh, and cute pics of Bella — Charlotte’s inspiration. What I hadn’t expected is that readers see “Stranded” in different ways and remember some aspects over others. Some enjoy the historical aspects, the clothes and etiquette, others love the love triangle and support Team Hugo or Team Freddy. Others are more interested in parallel universes and the science behind the portal.
I’m going to invite a few readers to join Team Charlotte. These are the most enthusiastic (and pedantic!) readers. They’ll get a free copy of “Escape” well before publication, and will come back at me with typos (there are always some) and comments and suggestions. I take these very seriously. For example, if they really hate a plot twist or scene, I’ll go back and change it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not sure I’m qualified to answer this — I’m a new author myself!
But for authors out there who are still working on their first novel, I’d say, ‘Keep Going.’ There’s a wealth of help online if you know where to look. Places like Jericho Writers; and you can find a good editor through them too. Editors are like princes. You have to kiss quite a few frogs before you find The One. And a professional editor is a must. You want the first book to be as good as it can be.
When you’re a year or so off publishing, do Mark Dawson’s 101 course (Indie publishing is tricksy) and read every word on self-publishing David Gaughran has written.
If you write literary fiction, then it may be worth finding an agent and traditional publisher, but bear in mind, traditionally published authors get 14% of the royalties (Indie’s get 70%) and if you go Trad, you’re handing over the rights to your books and characters to someone else. You’ll have no control over branding, the cover or marketing.
And once this pandemic is over (and it will be soon I hope), enjoy meeting other authors at conferences and training days. Indie authors are a supportive bunch. In fact, the thing I have second most enjoyed is meeting other authors (virtually). But the best thing is talking to readers (via email: rosalind@rosalindtate.com). Their enthusiasm motivates me to finish “Escape” and buoys me up, and it will do the same for you when you publish.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Never give up. Never surrender.” Galaxy Quest.
What are you reading now?
“Gate of Shadows” by Mark Wells. It’s a portal fantasy/mystery set in a beautiful Cambridge college. I loved his first book, so had to read the second one!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the final edit of “Escape,” and after that, I’ll be researching Book 3, “Exile.” I’m hoping it will involve travelling somewhere exotic…
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I might be there for a while, so I’ll take some doorstops that have passed the test of time. “Lord of the Rings,” “The Shannara Chronicles,” and “Middlemarch” for some non-fantasy. Oh, and “The Vampire Diaries,” for lighter reading.
Am I allowed a luxury? If so, I’d like a computer so I can write. Desert Island Discs allow that if it can’t connect with the internet…
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