Hi Rosemary! It's great to have you stop by my blog for a little bit of a catch up and to learn more about your novel, THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE - let's start things off with my questions!
1.)
What did you want to be when you grew up?
At first I wanted to be a witch, and made lots
of potions from leaves/ petals/ insects etc. which I’d then try and get my
brother to drink. Then I wanted to be a ballerina but my ballet teacher said
I’d have to give up riding (apparently they work different muscles!) I wrote
all the time, and loved making up stories – but when I was young and working
class, writing was something you were good at not something you could do as a
career!
2.)
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
Tea. I am a total tea monster and drink so many
cups of tea that my blood must be at least 80% tannin.
3.)
What genre do you typically read? Why?
I’m an avid reader - my tastes often change/
come and go. I used to read all the
Booker long list, but these days I’m more likely to read the Richard & Judy
list. When I’m writing I read crime and
psychological thrillers, and romantic comedy, and uplit. It’s easier to list
what I don’t read – but I’m not going to do that as I don’t want to offend anyone!
4.)
Share a favourite childhood memory.
My older brother was a bit of a Gerald Durrell
– he loved and collected all sorts of animals. One of these was a jackdaw which
he soon grew tired of. I took it on, taught it to fly, to feed, and to come
when I whistled. This was in junior school. One day he just didn’t come back. I
wrote a poem which was then on the schools programme on BBC Radio. It’s a
favourite but also a painful memory. I can still remember the smell and the
whirr of wings and the feel of those claws in my hair (he liked to perch on my
head).
5.)
Do you have any shameless addictions? ie. Tea, Books,
Shoes, Clothes?
Sssssh – don’t tell. Clothes. I have loads and
loads of lovely and brightly colourful clothes which I hardly ever get the
chance to wear now that I don’t host my own cabaret show, or perform poetry so
much. Also – being of a certain age – my weight tends to fluctuate so nothing blimmin
fits!
6.)
What do you think is the biggest challenge of writing
a new book?
Keeping it simple and knowing what to leave
out. Am currently struggling with the structure of my new novel in progress.
7.)
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages a day?
As long as I’ve written at least 1,000 words a
day, I’m happy. I tend to measure my writing via scenes. I’m now on a deadline
which means I’m going to have to up this to 2,000 words a day.
8.)
What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
It’s not something I’ve considered – yet. Never
say never. That’s the great thing about writing a novel – they’re all
different.
The Trouble With Love by Rosemary Dun, pub. Sphere 1st August 2016
Polly Park lives on the side of Bristol’s historic harbour. She
reckons she’s a Renaissance Woman who has it all: own house, a thriving
business, a close family of friends, she doesn’t need a man – but, she’s not a
nun. So when she meets Spike, the fact that he's emigrating to Australia in six
months' time is not a problem - no commitment or messy endings. But she doesn't
bank on falling in love, or on making a certain discovery after he's gone.
Three years on, Polly is a single mum to her hard-of-hearing,
gorgeous daughter Rowan. She starts dating single dad Max and may finally be
ready to take a chance on love. Then, out of the blue, Spike returns with his
glamorous girlfriend in tow, and suddenly Polly finds herself in the middle of
a very sticky situation . . . Will Spike's return resurrect Polly's feelings
for him? Where does that leave Max and Polly? And how will all this change
effect Rowan? Nothing is simple - but then, that's the trouble with love . . .
The Trouble with Love is
a fresh and funny romantic comedy that explores both conventional and modern
dilemmas in love. It will make you think and it will make you laugh. “Mamma Mia
meets Jane Austen – with less singing”.
“Polly
and Spike are my favourite romantic couple for a very long time, and I loved
immersing myself in their Bristol. It’s a feel-good book for Renaissance Women
and Men everywhere.” Julie Cohen (a Richard & Judy Book Club
author).
"Rosemary reminds us that falling in love
is never easy... Yet the magic she sprinkles over each page simply forces us to
believe that anything- including love- is possible!" Lola
Jaye
Rosemary Dun is a lover of words and a performer of poetry and
The Trouble With Love is her debut novel with Sphere, Little Brown. She’s a
creative writing tutor with the Open University, mother to two grownup
daughters (how did that happen?) and she lives near the Somerset coast where
she watches the ships roll in – and out! She’s writing her new novel in her
dream blue and white she-shed.
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