Welcome fellow Harlequin author, Charlotte Phillips...



So happy to have my friend, Charlotte Phillips visiting with me today! Charlotte and I met when she joined the local RNA (RWA equivalent) Chapter for Bath & Wiltshire. She is a lovely, lovely woman and a great writer. Over to you, my lovely!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog! I’m so happy to be here :0)

1)   What is your writing routine?

I try to write Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm, but that varies all the time depending on what else I have on. Writing can be bumped by anything from school sports days to family illness. I am also not very good at saying ‘no’ and because I don’t actually ‘go out’ to work people (my mother for example) don’t think twice about dropping in. This is lovely, but extremely disruptive! I try not to write at the weekend and focus on my family instead, but I may make notes by hand or check emails, that kind of thing, when I have a spare moment.

2)   Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write?

To read it’s definitely contemporary romance, ideally with a comedy element, and I like to write in exactly the same subgenre. My favourite romance author is Jill Mansell, I love her mix of characters and funny situations. I wish I could make it look as effortless as she does!

3)   What do you expect from an editor?

I expect honesty. How that is delivered depends on the person, but I’ve been very lucky with the three editors I’ve worked with so far. All of them have been extremely good at being critical without being brutal. My skin is thin! When I first had the chance to work with an editor I was amazed at how objectively they see the project that you are sleeping and breathing, and I’ve had so many editorial suggestions that I wish I’d thought of. I expect to be pushed and although I may whinge about it, that’s a good thing. My editors have pushed me to do better than I ever thought I could.

4)   What are you working on right now?

I’m just finishing the second of three linked stories I’m writing for HarperImpulse, working title Room Service. They are funny, sexy romantic stories that stand alone, but are linked by the same backdrop – an exclusive boutique hotel in London. The first in the series, Your Room Or Mine? is currently available from all digital outlets. When I’ve finished this I will be starting work on a continuity book for Harlequin KISS, scheduled for next summer. That will be a very exciting experience for me, collaborating with three other authors.

5)   Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists?

Have a daily word count. I started off aiming for 1k a day. Once I achieved that, I moved onto other tasks like housework. It’s amazing how quickly that adds up into a book, and it also enabled me to balance the demands of family life and writing without too much guilt, particularly before I was published. Now I’m writing for two publishers I aim for 2k a day.

6)   Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt

All Bets Are On – Harlequin KISS August 2013

The stakes are high, but the prize is worth it! Ask Alice Ford to shine in the boardroom and it's a done deal. Ask her to go on a first date, however, and she's a quivering mess! So, when she discovers that she's the target of an office bet-to get her into bed-it's her professional nightmare!

Office legend Harry Stephens is her unlikely saviour. He even volunteers to teach her just how to avoid a heartbreaker. After all, it takes one to know one....

But what is Harry really after? And when his kisses throw a curveball into the situation, is Alice ready to gamble everything for love?

7)   What was your favorite subject in school and why?
English. I’ve always been more academic than sporty and English was my favourite subject all through school, especially creative writing. And some of the books I studied for A-Level English Lit are still among my all time favourites.

8)   What is your favorite dessert?
Apple and blackberry crumble, even in the height of summer. And if I say so myself, I make a mean one!

9)   High heels, sneakers or flip flops?

Excellent question! Flip flops definitely. My days of heels are on the dwindle. Although I recently spent far too much on a pair of shoe boots from Jigsaw that are utterly gorgeous and that I will hardly ever get the chance to wear!

10)                  Where can readers find you?



My first book, All Bets Are On, for Harlequin KISS is released this month (August).

Or the Book Depository with free worldwide delivery www.bookdepository.co.uk/All-Bets-Are-on-Charlotte-Phillips/9780373207268


4 comments

  1. Loved this interview! Looking forward to reading Charlotte's next Harper Impulse books :)

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  2. Hi Mandy! Thanks so much for dropping in. And thank you, lovely Rachel, for hosting me! Xx

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  3. Great interview ladies. I love crumble too but I'm too lazy to make it :) Can't wait to start reading All Bets are On Charlotte, it sounds like another fab read!

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