What three words would you use to describe Conquests?
Accurate historical romance.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I’ve got a couple on the go at the moment: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodson Burnett, No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Blood and Roses by Helen Castor.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writers’ block?
Watch The Jeremy Kyle Show. Sounds strange, but if you want to understand people and their relationships, motivations, hurts and grievances, that is the best place to find them. Writers’ block isn’t usually the inability to write, but the feeling that you have nothing interesting to say. I can guarantee you that you can create a blood feud through four generations through at least one episode!
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t be afraid of taking the slightly unusual route. I sent my manuscript off to several mainstream publishers, but a year later, they still said that they loved it. I stumbled across a smaller publishing house, emailed them my first three chapters on Monday morning, and was offered a contract by Wednesday. The most important thing is to get your name out there. Once you’ve done that, start introducing yourself to people as a writer. It’ll do no end of good to your confidence and make you the most interesting person in the room!