Written by Rosie Dean
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Rosie's novel, Vicki’s Work of Heart, is on a birthday blog tour today, organised by Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources.
The blurb:
Vicki’s Work of HeartStranded at the altar, knee-deep in her fiancé’s gambling debts, Vicki Marchant seizes her freedom and moves to France, to paint.
It’s her time. No man will get in the way of her ambition again.
She learns two things: some men are hard to resist, and her judgement of them is still on the dodgy side.
| Author Bio – Rosie Dean |
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 Rosie Dean has been writing stories and plays since she was big enough to type. After studying ceramic design and gaining a ‘degree in crockery’ as the man in her life calls it, she became an Art & Pottery teacher. Seven years later, she moved into corporate world, writing training courses and marketing copy until the lure of being a full-time writer became irresistible. Her passion is to write entertaining love stories that can make a reader chuckle, laugh out loud or, occasionally, feel a lump in the throat. Most of all, she loves developing the characters who inhabit her stories – eccentricities and screwball scenarios pop up in all of her work. Some of these characters have four legs – because animals offer an interesting counterpoint to human dramas.  Rosie lives on the Isle of Wight, and can see the sea from her writing den. |
| Social Media Links – | |
| http://twitter.com/RosieDeanAuthor | |
| www.facebook.com/RosieDeanWriter | |
| Web site | www.rosie-dean.com |
| Amazon Author Page | |
| Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7486336.Rosie_Dean |
| https://www.pinterest.co.uk/RosieDeanAuthor/isle-of-wight/ | |
| BookBub | http://www.bookbub.com/authors/rosie-dean |
Q1. Your book, Vicki’s Work of Heart, takes place in France, why there?
I very much wanted my heroine to escape from her failed relationship and have a fresh start. France is a spacious and scenic country – which suits her artistic nature. Also, the men have the sexiest accents (in my humble opinion) of any in Europe. I set it in the rural region of Limousin because of its beauty and because it’s the perfect location for my hero, veterinarian Christophe Dubois.
Q2. What is your greatest writing achievement?
Aside from completing each manuscript, which always feels like a massive triumph , my fourth book, Gigi’s Island Dream was a finalist in two competitions run by Romance Writers of America, and actually won the Readers' Choice Award from Ancient City Romance Authors.
Q3. Do your books always go the way you plan them?
No! If only they would. One of the first novels I wrote, was for young adults. I had this idea for a girl who’d run away from home and wanted to become a pop singer. Well, only a couple of chapters in, this girl who was sleeping rough, went into a department store and, to my surprise, stole a pair of trousers. Suddenly, my rather sweet teenager had become slightly psychotic. As a result, the story I wrote was far darker and, actually, more intriguing. It’s still, however, lurking in my bottom drawer because I moved on to writing rom-coms.
Usually, I start a novel with a destination in mind but not always the route planned. My subconscious gets in the driving seat and often takes me on a journey I hadn’t anticipated. That, my friends, is the joy of writing for me. It’s a kind of alchemy you can’t bottle.
Q4. What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve loved writing stories since I was a little girl. I used to write plays for me and my friends to perform in the garage. I also used to make dolly dressing books – the ones with paper clothes that could be hung onto a cardboard doll. I would write a short story about the doll, and stitch it into the book. An early form of self-publishing, you might say.
When I started reading women’s fiction, I loved Jilly Cooper, especially the humour and observations she brought to her stories, which was unusual at the time, and I just wanted to write like her. (That’s not to say I’ve necessarily achieved it!)
Q5. Who is the most fascinating person you’ve ever met?
A rather eccentric chap who was very keen on cars and motorbikes. I joked, ‘Do you keep your motorbike in the hall?’ to which he replied, ‘No but I have an MGB in my bedroom.’
He had the brand new car picked up on a trailer, brought to his house, then the bedroom window was removed to allow the car to be lifted in.
Any conversation I’ve ever had with him has been out of the ordinary.
Q6. Five things the readers don’t know about you …
- I have a phobia of bells in belfries – if they appear on TV, I shudder and look away.
- My voice has been on several corporate answer-phone systems and even toy for learning the alphabet.
- I once won ten items of silk clothing for suggesting the name ‘Peaches’ for a new range of silk underwear.
- I returned to college in my thirties to study Theatrical and Media Make-up, and deeply regretted not having pursued this as a career choice when I was younger.
- I’ve been known to read tea-leaves with surprising accuracy – none more surprised than I was!
Q7. What in your life is your biggest regret?
I regret failing to send flowers to my dad on his 50th wedding anniversary. I intended to do so, because even though my mum died five years earlier, it was still a significant landmark. I was busy at work and packing for a holiday, so I didn’t get around to it. Sadly, he had a massive stroke the day after his anniversary and died.
Q8. How would you like to be remembered?
With a smile.
Thank you, Deborah, for inviting me onto your blog, and being a part of Vicki's tour.
ReplyDeleteI hope all goes well with your writing ventures, too. Odd how books don't always turn out how you plan, isn't it? xx