Hi Jean! I am so thrilled to have you visit my blog today - Jean and I became quick and firm friends when we met at the 2010 Romantic Novelists Association conference in Greenwich. Since then I have called on Jean for help with my own Victorian novels, purely because I love and admire her books so much. I am proud to call you my friend, lovely lady! Let's start with my questions...
Hi, Rachel, thank you for hosting
me on your website today and what a interesting set of questions.
1.)
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A costume designer and I nearly
was. Because of my love of history and all things historical I was glued to our
black and white TV set whenever anything historical was showing. All the women
of my family worked in the Rag Trade as machinists and I made all my own
clothes so when I left school I followed in their footsteps and got a job as a
designer’s assistant in one of the clothing factories in Aldgate. After
learning how to draft and cut patterns for new designs I decided to apply for
an apprenticeship with Berman's And Nathan's the big
constumiers in London. I got the post
too, but sadly the £4 15/- per week they were offering wasn’t enough for me to
live on so I had to turn it down.
2.)
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
Tea for me, please. Milk no
sugar.
3.)
What genre do you typically read? Why?
That’s a tricky one as I’m happy
to read anything that holds my interest. For contemporary fiction I’d go
for Carole Matthews, Jill Mansell or Julie Cohen and I do like a bit of crime but
my real love is well-written and historically-accurate story that transport me
back in time. I’ve found a couple of new authors recently Paul Fraser Collard
and William Ryan’s his Korolev series set in 1930s Stalin Russia but as I say
I’m open to offers and like to discover new authors
4.)
Do you have any shameless addictions? ie. Tea, Books,
Shoes, Clothes?
Matching underwear I’m always
buying new sets. When my three daughters were younger and money was tight I
used to have to make do with washed out miss-matched undies but not anymore. I
know if I ever got knocked down and taken to hospital I’d have a great many
things to worry about but thankfully, my underwear wouldn’t be one of
them.
5.)
What do you think is the biggest challenge of writing
a new book?
Getting to know the characters
and that normally take the first 1/3 of the book after which the writing becomes
quicker. By then I’ve already established in the readers mind the world my
protagonists inhabit so I don’t have to describe everything again and as I get
to know them they start to give their own responses to situations.
6.)
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages a day?
I try to get at least a scene
done each day. That usually works out to about 1200 – 1400 words but if
possible I like to push on to do hall of the next before I finish for the day.
Of course it doesn’t always work out like that but if I don’t set a target time
would just slip by. I write a log for each day of what I’m going to do so
perhaps admin 9.30 – 11 then a bit of social media until 12 then lunch followed
by four hours of writing between 1.30 and 5.30 then another couple of hours
after dinner from 7 – 9 after which I flop in the armchair alongside the Hero
at Home to catch up on some TV.
7.)
What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
Readers love them and so do I.
They allow you and your readers to follow your characters through various
stages of their lives and it’s very satisfying. However, there are a couple of the
drawbacks for the writer is you can get stuck there and too comfortable but the
big problem is you can get bored. Luckily, after 4 books of my Victorian East
London series I was asked to jump forward 100 years and write the East London
Nurse series and now I’ve been contracted to write a World War 2 East London
series title and released to be announced later this year. The wealth of
research into such a fascinating period of East London’s history will keep me
engrossed for a while, I’m sure.
Thanks again for inviting me, Rachel. XX
Blurb:
It's
1948 and the nurses of the East End of London are making the most of life
post-war. For Connie in particular, things are looking rosy as she looks
forward to planning a future with her sweetheart, Malcolm. But, as many a young
bride-to-be has proved, the course of true love never did run smooth and Connie
finds herself having to grapple with interfering mothers and Malcolm's
reluctance to set the date.
But
while there are many obstacles to overcome before walking down the aisle, at
least Connie can relax in the knowledge that she'll soon be married to the man
of her dreams, can't she?
Life at work isn't all smooth sailing either. The
newly-formed NHS is keeping the nurses of Fry House extremely busy and as ever
in the life of a nurse heartbreak lurks at every turn. But there are some new
faces to keep things interesting. And one in particular might be the answer to
all of Connie's problems...
Writing about Jean’s earlier books
readers have said:
‘A delightful, well researched story that depicts
nursing and the living conditions in the East End at the end of the war’
(Lesley Pearce)
‘...The writing shines off the page and begs for a sequel’ (Historical Novel Society)
‘...The writing shines off the page and begs for a sequel’ (Historical Novel Society)
‘…you will ride emotional highs and lows with
each new birth and death. Beautifully written with some sharp dialogue.’ (THE
LADY)
‘5 star read! Going on my Top Reads for 2014!’
Dizzy C book blogger
‘I just love Jean Fullerton's books - they are
so evocative of a time gone-by in the East End of London.’ Chris a Reader
Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie
available in paperback and kindle from WHS, Waterstones, all good bookshops and
supermarkets and from Amazon:
Visit Jean’s website on www.jeanfullerton.com
Follow Jean on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jean-Fullerton-202631736433230/
or Twitter @JeanFullerton__
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