Firstly – no question about it – whether you are just starting out or writing your tenth novel, if you put words to paper on a regular basis, if you craft each sentence, read how-to books, devour other authors’ work to pick up tips, care passionately about your creativity… you ARE a writer. It can be hard to believe this if you are at the aspiring author stage, with no formal validation for your work. And it’s obvious but there is only one answer to this: start showing your work to other people who will give you honest feedback.

I’ll never forget the very first page of my very first book. No one knew I’d been writing. I shoved it under the bathroom door to my husband one day. It was the first time I’d ever shown my work to anyone. Impatiently I waited outside whilst he read. “Yeah – it’s not bad,” he said. He hadn’t laughed at me. That was all I needed to continue.

The next step was to join an online writing group and upload my work to a forum where other writers would critique my work. This was nerve-wracking as the criticisms came in – but I realised this process was making me a writer. I was mixing with my peers and – more importantly – learning. And still no one laughed at me. It felt good.

Next is to send your work out to an agent or publisher. Nerve-wracking again as the standard rejections or negative comments fly back. But it just took the odd positive comment to encourage me and silence the voices in my head suggesting that I would never, ever become a proper member of this profession.

Once published, of course, the self-doubt doesn’t magically disappear, the causes of it simply alter. Poor reviews and low rankings can feed the negativity. A trip into GoodReads or onto Amazon can be all it takes to burst your balloon of confidence about BEING AN AUTHOR. On those occasions, I suggest re-reading your good reviews. Or look up one of your favourite author’s books – read the bad comments about their stories which you will hotly disagree with, thus proving, as a writer, you can NEVER please everyone so you shouldn’t take the 1*s to heart.

Try to take a positive slant on the revisions that come in from your editor. They aren’t saying your book is lacking. Nor are they doubting your talent. Quite the opposite in fact – the message is, we trust in you to make this the book the very best it can be and here are our suggestions; we value you and your work enough – we are excited about this project enough –  to have spent our time going through and putting forward ideas to make it even stronger.

And don’t compare yourself to other authors – there will always be a writer with a higher ranking or better sales. It doesn’t devalue your work. There are lots of reasons why some books sell and others don’t – the publisher, the marketing, the title, the cover, a little bit of luck… My summer romance, Breakfast under a Cornish Sun is out in July and I am already telling myself not to be disappointed if it doesn’t end up as a Hollywood movie, with Chris Hemsworth playing one of the starring roles and accompanying me on the red carpet!

Finally, network and get yourself a band of writing buddies who will be there for you no matter what. I’ve declared a hundred times I am going to give up writing – because of rejections flocking in or the stress of a bad review. I wouldn’t still be putting finger to keyboard today – and believing in myself – if it wasn’t for those writerly friends who understand and have either told me to man up or offer a bucket-load of virtual chocolate.

For me…

Firstly, I think it is the rugged nature of the landscape. Unlike other British seaside resorts, such as Bournemouth or Southport. There is an air of danger, with the unruly cliffsides and weather. It has such a thrusting, jagged coastline. And I think this lends itself to my idea of the people – more specifically the men – who might live there. Rugged themselves. Outdoor types. A touch of the wilderness about them. Nature-lovers.  Hmm – just the perfect material for a passionate and romantic hero you might want to get down and dirty with. Ahem!

Secondly – in contrast to my first point, I think it is the “cosy factor”. The image I have in my head of afternoon tea shops. Scones. Jam. Cornish pasties. Fish and chips. Comforting food and drink like mead or scrumpy. Whereas other seaside resorts fill my mind more with images of arcades and kiss-me-quick hats. Cornwall has retained a strong sense of authenticity and makes me think of beautiful sunsets and views of seals. A British coastline at its best.

Thirdly, with the strong accent and its position in the far South-west, Cornwall almost feels like a separate part of England. This gives it a little bit of the exotic. Ironic for me, because, Cornwall, whilst it is mild, often attracts the heaviest and most frequent downpours and when I was seven it rained constantly during our summer holiday there – we never holidayed in Great Britain again!

Finally, its history. Tales of pirates and smuggling. Castles and more castles. This gives Cornwall an aura of being a place where you can still life live in the raw, without the sophistication of modern technology and rules and regulations. A place where you can have an adventure and might meet a lover who takes you totally by surprise. It certainly takes the life of my new book’s heroine in a new direction.

So if you fancy a moving, romantic read set in this beautiful corner of the world, why not preorder Breakfast under a Cornish Sun Kate Golightly has two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams. Will she succeed? How does Cornwall surprise her? Find out this summer!

No, really it is! Kate Golightly heads off to Cornwall in search of her very own Aidan because… well why not read the blurb below! I can’t wait for you to meet the story’s two very hot heroes and lovely singer Kate!

DREAMING OF THE PERFECT MAN?

Kate Golightly needs to move forward and what better way to do that then with a trip to the Cornish coast with best friend and boss, Izzy.

The sea wind is just what Kate needs to finally relax and begin to let go of her past. Except she’s suddenly got one big reason to panic! She RSVP’d ‘yes’ to the Queen Bee of her high school’s wedding saying she’s bringing her boyfriend (she doesn’t have one) who looks just like Ross Poldark!

With only two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams Kate is under a lot of pressure for the Cornish coast to deliver…

A hilarious and moving romantic novel from bestselling author, Samantha Tonge. A must-read this summer!