I aspired to write for Mills & Boon for as long as I can remember and finally ‘got the call’ in 2021, but I certainly would not be where I am today without the help of the RNA and the NWS and now I want to give something back.
I’ve always worked with words – I studied English at Cardiff University, took a postgraduate degree in magazine journalism and I’ve edited magazines for the past 20 years. When my two girls came along, I wondered how I was ever going to find the time to work on my writing, but when you want something badly enough, you make the time, don’t you – even if it’s at 5am or midnight?
I attended various writing courses over the years, such as Fishguard, run by some of my favourite Mills & Boon writers. It was on one of these I learned of the Romantic Novelists Association and their New Writers’ Scheme. I thought how wonderful that you can send your manuscript off to be critiqued to find out if you’re on the right track, and so I did just that, submitting manuscripts year after year, honing my craft and getting invaluable advice from the readers. I also attended many RNA Conferences, where I got the chance to meet other writers and pitch to the Mills & Boon editors. This all helped to get encouraging feedback, and each year, I felt I was learning more and my writing was getting better.
Since I got published, I’ve become a reader for the NWS. What a privilege it is to read others’ work and to try to help them succeed on their own journey to becoming a published author.
This year, I want to continue to help those who are not yet published.
