Happy Publication Day To Me!

And Nikki Moore and Brigid Coady! My lovely fellow Harper Impulse writers!

The three of of us have an anthology out today titled Be My Valentine.

Treat yourself to a little Valentine gift! It's only 99p and contains no calories, but lots of love and feel good moments. Better than chocolate... almost!

I have promised myself that every publication day I will treat myself to flowers. So this morning I bought a small bouquet of my favourite coloured roses. They're yellow with orangy-pink tips at the petal. Lush!

Fake Friday with Brigid Coady

I don't know about you but I could do with it being Friday - I'm off to Center Parcs for the weekend. Only problem is I have a mound of things to do before I can get there. Once I am there I can relax. Why was I born such a worrier?

To take away my worries, I have Brigid Coady on my blog today. I had the pleasure of meeting Brigid at the HarperImpulse party back in October - we were one of the last to leave the pub :) And we found a chips! I think we did meet way back in 2011 at the RNA Conference because we have been 'friends' on the internet for a while.

Recently her short story The Last Kiss was released by HarperImpulse. And I have to say, I've read it and it's lovely. The great thing about a short story is that if you only have a small window of time for reading, you can pick it up and finish it there and then, giving yourself a little emotional burst. This short story did just this.

Welcome, Brigid!

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I have always been a big reader and made up stories. I’m not sure I consciously thought about being a writer until I was sixteen and started my first novel. Then it took me another thirteen years to actually realize that writing made me feel complete.

Did you manage to get the first book you wrote published, or is it tucked in a drawer somewhere?

My first book was for Mills & Boon. It is tucked away on my hard drive, I did re-read it recently some of it was good, some of it not so much!

What do you read while you write, or don’t you?

I have to read when I write but I can’t read in the genre I’m writing. Mostly it is because if I do I compare myself and start moping. At the moment I’m reading a lot of George RR Martin and YA novels but as I’m about to start a YA book, I need to change genres.

Do you have a favourite author?

I have two, Georgette Heyer and Dorothy L Sayers. They see me through thick or thin. Good times and bad.

What do you do with a paperback once you’ve read it?

I keep them! Which is why when I moved recently I had to cull hundreds of books. It was like giving away my babies.

What’s the best bit of writing advice you’ve ever received or read?

‘Write Crap’ – it is what Julie Cohen has posted on her desk. It reminds me of the famous Nora Roberts quote ‘You can’t fix a blank page but you can fix a bad one.’

Are you nervous about friends reading your book?

I’m nervous about my family reading it and my non-writing friends. I’m lucky that many of my friends are also writers and have been reading my stuff for years.

Publication date 12 Dec 2013

Tea or coffee?

Decaff coffee or hot water (letting the writer image down)

Starbucks or Costa?

Starbucks, my local one has been the site of many writing days for me

Chocolate or ice cream?

Chocolate ice cream! - Oh, good answer there! Best of both :)

Dogs or cats?

Both. I grew up with a cat that ruled us for 21 years and then spent a few years being owned by a Battersea Dogs Home mutt.

Thank you so much Brigid for visiting my blog! Good luck with the short stories. 

Out now!

Blurb:

‘Poignant, funny, realistic yet romantic, these stories make you relive the good times and sigh over the sad ones. I loved them.’ – Katie Fforde

First kisses are the ones that ever one celebrates, the ones you remember. The ones you hope to treasure as it happened, storing up your memories to take out and relive.

But what about the last kiss?

The first in The Kiss Collection, an exciting new series of short stories from Brigid Coady & HarperImpulse.

Links to buy: Amazon UK  ~ iTunes

About Brigid Coady: 

I was born in the UK but raised round the world and spent most of my childhood with my nose in a book. When I was seven I wrote my first proper story about a magic puddle that flipped up to reveal a secret world underground.

I'm now a non-practicing engineer who works in project management. I write romance and young adult stories. I've been a voice-over and radio continuity artist. I love country music and used to have my own radio show. My boyfriend says I have an unhealthy obsession with Kenny Chesney. I live in London.

You can find me on Twitter as @beecee or on my blog