I just can't believe that seven years ago on this date, my first book was published.
Wallflowers Don't Wilt.
Regency, two women and a man and I had so much fun writing it.
The story came about because a group of us were chatting in our Fb group one day about what to write. This idea came out of the blue, and the others said, 'go on then'.
So I did. Everyone helped me polish it, and decide where to send it. I sent it to the late, lamented and I miss them, Breathless Press, who answered in three days. It was a yes.
And Raven was born. My name isn't a secret, but nor is it romantic so I chose Raven (because it's the bird that brings news and there was one in the garden during those three days I was waiting to hear,) and McAllan, because it is a play on probably the best whisky in the word.
When I read back over Wallflowers I can see how my writing has evolved and hopefully got better.
I don't just write Regency these days, although there's rarely not a Regency brewing in my mind. I've got my Kera Faire dark romance, my YA as J Lilley and my latest creation, Katy Lilley for rom com. Yes lots of 'hats', but it seems to work for me. Gets me into the right mind set.
When I look back at all the books I've been lucky to have published over the years I'm stunned. I have to give a lot of credit to Justyn Perry and the team at Breathless Press all those years ago for letting me swap genres to see what I was capable of. They gave me the confidence to try new ideas. My present publishers (Totally Bound, Evernight Publishing and Manatee Books are equally as supportive of me dipping in and out of one area to write something different. Thank you everyone.
Of course it doesn't stop there with all the hard working team at the publishers. I was lucky in that Doris O'Connor and I 'clicked' ad we do what we call rediting on each other's works before we send them in. That's short for red penning. Berta reading. Telling each other what we think and why. We are we both admit, each other's harshest critics. Even so mistakes get past us. The trouble is you tend to read what you know should be there.
Most of all though this is a thank you to you, the readers. Without you, I'd be all on my own, rereading everything myself.
And on that note, back to edits, but first, just to show you...
(From Wallflowers Don't Wilt)
London, 1817
“The last time, thank goodness.” Arabella, Lady Dunsmuir,
smiled at her companion as they took their seats among the wallflowers at Lady Hersingsham’s Annual Ball.
The wallflowers—those unfortunate young women who, due to
age or appearance, took little part in the festivities at a ball.
Serena, Lady Saltsey, nodded in agreement as both settled their
dresses around them, their ankles covered as polite society decreed.
Their fans were retrieved from the ribbons, which secured them in
elegance on to their skirts, and readied them for use if they deemed
necessary. They could choose to dance or to be content to sit, watch,
and discuss the latest on dit being furtively whispered among their
peers. Furthermore, they also chose to only wear the finest clothes, the
most up-to-date-designs, and wear them with elegance and grace. In
addition, they ignored the put-downs, pithy comments, and snide re-
marks said loudly enough for them to hear, and treated them with the
contempt they felt they deserved. They were two very strong-willed, self-assured young ladies, determined to lead their lives as they so
desired. Damn the consequences.
Arabella was the more forthcoming of the two. Many times, her
outspokenness had earned her harsh words from parents, governess-
es, and even at times Serena.
Serena, her opposite in most things, was ever a peacemaker, but
could be as equally outrageous when she chose. She chose, however,
to do so in such a manner that the parties involved were never quite
sure what act of rebellion or sheer stupidity had occurred.
There was the time they had wished to see the fireworks on the
Thames. Forbidden to go, Serena had donned the footman’s breeches
to facilitate her escapade. Or the occasion it transpired that her new
ball gown had been inexplicably festooned with “moth holes,” be-
cause to her mind it had been totally unflattering. Serena largely got
away with her excesses.
Poor Arabella had to face her punishments. As she always felt
whatever misdemeanor she had carried out had been successful, punishment seemed a small price to pay, especially when shinning down
the ivy from her bedchamber was so easy to accomplish.
As she gazed around the room with interest, Serena answered
Arabella. “At times I thought this day would never arrive. Now we
have only this last ball to endure, and tomorrow we can say farewell
to all this.” She waved her hand around the ballroom at the laugh-
ing men and women, the pitying glances from those dancing, and the
looks of despair from those seated nearby.
Arabella found her other hand and squeezed, smiling as their pinkies linked, entwined, and made silent promises.
“Tomorrow, Serry, just one more night before we are together.”
~~~~~
And from my latest (as Katy Lilley, New Beginnings for Bryony Bennett)
which you can still buy from Amazon...
here
Present Day...
It was
darned hard not to punch the air or run around the room like a demented hen
when you’d just been given the good news she had. Instead she rose—oh so
dignified, and totally at odds with her normally less than sedate image of long
skirts, floaty blouses and hair that didn’t look tidy for more than three
minutes at a time - and glanced across the desk to the man who sat there.
Let’s hope my knees don’t give
way. Not the look I’m aiming for. Did he really say what I think he said?
He
stared back impassively, and for once she didn’t hate the prim, work uniform
suit she wore. She had gone straight to the solicitor’s office when she finished
her shift and hadn’t found time to change into something less constricting. Now
she was glad of that.
Bryony
Bennett forgot all the nasties of the last year. The replacement boiler she’d
purchased to the detriment of her new car fund. The aborted holiday, when Matt
the rat showed his true colours, and allegedly forgot to remove his other
girlfriend’s knickers from his pocket. Bryony had slapped him hard enough to
see her hand print on his cheek, looked downward and said in a scathing tone,
‘I would knee you somewhere delicate except it’s too tiny to find’, before
throwing his car keys into the canal and storming off. Although, with
hindsight, the knicker scenario might have been on purpose, they’d been arguing
a lot in the previous weeks, and several months later she was relieved it had
happened when it did. Especially when she heard from a friend of a friend of
his that the other girlfriend had ditched him. He’d be sniffing around like a
truffle hound in autumn if he knew of her good fortune. And she knew however
hard she tried to keep it quiet, somehow the news would get out. Things about
money seemed to be absorbed by osmosis and shared.
If she added the week in the rain she had in
Suffolk, instead of a week of sun in Tenerife after she’d torn up her ticket
and thrown it over him like confetti, and he’d rebooked the seat for his new
girlfriend, she had a right to be satisfied things had turned out as they did.
Bryony had heard from the same friend of a friend of his that the woman had
overdone the sun on their first day and had spent the rest of the week moaning.
Was she a bitch to be secretly pleased?
Probably and I don’t care.
Milly would be happy he’s gone. She never rated him.
Somehow
Bryony even managed not to well up as she thought of her fun loving,
outrageously dressed godmother, who died in her sleep after what she’d called
the best day ever. A tandem parachute jump with a twenty something hunk called
Antonio, followed by a ride in a speedboat, and a dance with her heartthrob—and
current lover—an impossibly handsome Cuban salsa dancer called Juan-Carlos
Orguiza twenty years her younger.
That made her think of something.
‘You
mean?’ She daren’t put it into words in case she jinxed it. Just say it. ‘All of it?’
He
nodded. ‘After expenses of course, which I assure you are modest. Your
godmother was a very forward thinking lady.’
She
had another thought. ‘What about J-C O?’ Her godmother’s nickname for him.
‘He
was unable to attend, but his share has been accounted for, a very substantial
share. The rest is yours.’
‘Pinch
me, will you? So I know it’s not a dream.’
The
grey haired, stereotypical solicitor beloved of nineteen twenties novels shook
his head and almost smiled. ‘No need, you are indeed awake.’ He steepled his
hands and rested his chin on them. Was he going to offer a cup of weak Earl
Grey and some seed cake next?
‘Apart
from Mr Orguiza’s bequest, your godmother left you everything. To be precise,
her savings, her house and all her assets, after all bills are paid. You are,
if I may say, a very wealthy woman. I do hope you will let Struthers, Startwell
and Stott advise you.’
Were
all solicitors carved from the same block of wood? At least, if they were over
fifty? Having been introduced to all three members of the firm she would swear
they were interchangeable. This one was Startwell… she thought. He actually
smiled on occasion, or at least looked less grim than the other two.
‘Oh, you may say it,’ Bryony assured him. She’d
ignore the rest until that bit sank in. ‘Twice if you want.’ A thought struck
her. ‘Ah, what’s wealthy exactly?’
He frowned. Had she committed some solecism
she knew nothing about? Surely it was okay to ask? After all, if it was a
couple of hundred thousand that would be rather nice, but not go a long way
once she’d paid her mortgage off—if she
could pay her mortgage off—and babied her aged sports car to last another year.
‘Well,
now. It seems Miss Millet dabbled.’
‘Dabbled?’
She thought Milly more into pottery than paints. ‘You mean, painted or
something?’ Did she sound as confused as she was?
‘Or
something. She played the stocks.’
The
slang sounded wrong coming from him, and Bryony wondered if she had heard him
correctly. ‘Er, did you say stocks or slots?’
‘Stocks.’
‘Yeah,
that’s what I thought you said.’ A picture of her octogenarian godmother, in a
flowing skirt, oversize butterfly sunnies, and platform heels, playing a
machine somewhat like the pinball wizard in the rock opera Tommy, had flashed
into her mind with the thought of slots. She’d just watched the film for the
umpteenth time the week before and had a wee weep afterwards. It was a
favourite of both her mum and Milly. Aged hippies if ever there were any. Their
attitude had rubbed off on her. ‘Was she any good?’
He smiled, and looked half human, not a robot.
‘Well, now let me just say, at a very rough estimate her estate after tax is in
the region of two million, six hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Give or take.
I’d call that very competent.’
The
butterflies in her stomach did a war dance, goose pimples jumped on goose
pimples and the room swayed. Bryony swallowed and hoped to hell she wasn’t
going to pass out or throw up.
Give or take what?
~~~~~
Happy reading,
love, Raven xx
ps, better mention the lovely hubby with whom I travel to so many places and get ideas for my stories. Thanks hon xx
