Today's guest at Author Talks is Hazel Statham, author of the historical romance novel, DOMINIC.Hazel lives in Staffordshire, England. She started writing at fifteen and has written on and off ever since. She has always been fascinated by history and writes mainly in the Regency and Georgian eras, although she has been known to occasionally stray into Mediaeval times.
When she was a child, she often told herself stories and this just progressed to committing them to paper to entertain family and friends. However, there have been gaps in her writing years where marriage and employment intervened, but now that she no long works, she is able to return to her first love and devote her time to writing.
She had her first two novels published in 2005.She has been married to her husband Terry since 1969 and they have a grown daughter and beautiful grandson. Apart from reading and writing historical novels, her other ruling passion is animals and until recently, she was treasurer for an organisation that raised money for animal charities.
She currently shares her home with a lovely yellow Labrador named Lucy, who is her constant companion. Lucy is a real sweetie, but it’s not always easy working at the computer with a large Labrador trying to get on your knee!
You can visit her website at http://www.hazel-statham.co.uk/!
Welcome to Author Talks, Hazel! Can you give us a little bit about your background?
I live in the UK and am now officially 'retired', although I haven't worked for the past thirteen years due to my health. I have been married to my husband, Terry, for 38 years and we have a beautiful five-year-old grandson named Daniel who spends a lot of time with me whilst his parents are working. Apart from writing, my other ruling passion is animals. Over the years, we have owned everything from hamsters to horses and currently share our home with Lucy, a lovely Labrador. Until recently, I was the treasurer of a group who raised money for animal charities but unfortunately we had to close.
How long have you been writing?
Many, many years. In fact, I have written on and off since I was fifteen.
Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
It took quite a lot of persuading to get me to submit my first manuscript. About three years ago, I joined a writers' group at our local college and the lecturer who headed the group constantly badgered me to try submitting. It took a long time for me to agree as, not thinking I was good enough, I was frightened of rejection. When I eventually plucked up the courage, I was delighted when I had two manuscripts accepted by All Romance Books.
Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
I had an agent some years ago but I heard many adverse comments about the agency and withdrew my work. I think it all depends on who you are pitching to as to wheather an agent is necessary. There are many publishing houses that will accept unagented work but there are also those that will only accept work submitted through agents. If possible, I prefer to work without one.
Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?
'Dominic' is a Georgian Romance and I wrote it for light relief as my previous book had been quite intense.
Dominic Blake, Earl of Vale, is a young man of privilege and breeding whose world is turned upside down by Jack, a beautiful young girl in boys' clothing whom he finds sheltering on his doorstep after fleeing an attack by her brother.
Despite leaving his protection, Jack is once more destined to enter Dominic's life when, injured in a horse race, Dominic is forced to rusticate to his father's estate and again meets Jack in her boyish guise. In turn, she becomes his pupil and his love.
Despite danger and misunderstandings, this is the story of their unconventional and delightful courtship.
Do you plan subsequent books?
I have three Regencies awaiting publication and two further manuscripts under consideration. My current work in progress is again a Regency.
Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
My best ideas come to me just as I'm dropping off to sleep and I have to write them down immediately, otherwise I forget them. It's as if I find the flow easier at night. I do write during the day but it takes more concentration to get it right.
Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
If you have the desire to write - just do it! Publication is just the icing on the cake. However, if your desire is to become a published author, I would say write what you know. As a writer of historical fiction, I know that research is an invaluable tool. If you are stating fact, make the story fit the fact, not the fact fit the story. Stay true to the era in which you write. There are too many readers out there who know their history and will put aside a book that takes liberties with fact.
Thank you for coming, Hazel! If you would like a chance to win a copy of DOMINIC, leave a comment below. All winners will be announced at http://www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/ on Sept. 30. Good luck!
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