Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Rachel Dove: The Path to Publication

Today we welcome Rachel Dove to the RNA Blog. Rachel won the Prima 'Flirty Fiction' competition and her first book The Chic Boutique on Baker St is available now and published by Mills & Boon.


I am sat writing this engulfed in piles of clean washing, whilst my boys use every trick in the book (where is this book?) to avoid going to bed. My day consisted of school runs, cleaning, looking after the pets and dashing to the hairdressers to get my mop chopped. This afternoon however, I spent the day at the library I read in when I was a girl, but this time people had come to see me, and hear me read from my book.

I was the original nerd at school. Still am, and very proud of it. I actually knocked myself out on the way from this library after the weekly school visit, because my head was so engrossed in the book I had borrowed that I forgot to watch where I walked. I love reading, and started writing my own tales as soon as I could hold a pen. I got serious in my early twenties, doing a few courses, submitting properly, and I kept trying. With no success. I have the rejection letters to prove it.


When I heard that I had made the shortlist in the Prima Flirty Fiction competition to be the next Mills & Boon author, I was in shock, to say the least. When I heard I had won, I was elated, and I haven't come down to earth yet. Writing is hard, solitary, and draining sometimes, but when you see your book, out there on the shelf, or read a review, it really does make it all worthwhile.



It's been a surreal few weeks, juggling radio interviews with food shopping and chickenpox bouts, magazine interviews interspersed between the school runs and walking the dog, but it's a fantastic experience, and now the dust is settling a little and my next book is taking shape, I just can't wait to see what's around the corner.


Everything from this point is icing on the cake, and I am extremely proud and grateful for my journey. I wear my rejection letters like a badge of honour.
About Rachel:
Rachel Dove is a former adult education teacher, born and raised in Yorkshire. When she is not writing, reading or dreaming of a farmhouse with chickens in the wilderness, she can be found raising her two boys with her husband whilst the cat and dog look on. Raising boys seems to consist of arguments over the washing basket, the scraping of various food substances from furnishings, refereeing, and counting to ten. One of the many reasons that Rachel chooses to climb into a book, or set about writing the next adventure.

Thank you for telling us about your wonderful journey, Rachel. Good luck with your future writing.

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5 comments:

@juliawildauthor said...

What a fun interview! Sounds familiar - writing with children around and being swamped by washing and family paraphernalia! I know what that's like. Very best of luck to you with your writing career.

Sheryl Browne said...

This made me smile. Well done, Rachel, on juggling family and persevering. Wear though badges proudly, m'dear. :) Absolute best of luck to you! xx

Rachel Dove said...

Thank you ladies! Another wash is on, and the laptop is out! :-)

Mandy said...

Love this post! Well done! The washing never ends I'm afraid... LOL!

Mandy xx

Anonymous said...

Love your description of raising boys - I have 3 and now a new grandson! Writing and doing all that isn't easy well done :)