Q&A with Rosie Green

 Welcome to The Comfy Chair Blog.... Rosie Green.

Favourite childhood book/author?
I adored Enid Blyton as a child and devoured everything she wrote, but I think the most well-worn, dog-eared copy was probably Five on a Treasure Island.

What inspired you to start writing and how long has it taken you to get to this point?From the age of about nine, I wanted to write a book and get it published. I tried a few times over the years, but didn’t get serious about it until I reached a certain milestone birthday. It took me five years to write a book good enough to land an agent, and then another year or so after that to find a publisher willing to take a chance on me. Getting ‘the call’ from Helen at Avon on that August day in 2014 was one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me.

Describe your writing space.
I used to have an actual study to write in, but my lovely teenage son has now commandeered it for a music studio! I don’t mind because he’s got a real talent for music, but I’m not sure my back likes me much for spending a lot of time sitting on my bed to write. The space itself is definitely more ‘organised chaos’ than neat and ordered.

Easiest and hardest part of the writing process?
I really look forward to writing the last few chapters. All the hard work of establishing setting and character, and plot development, is behind me and the ending practically writes itself. Conversely, the middle of a book can be the hardest to write – I’m filled with enthusiasm for my plot and characters at the start, but by about 20,000 words, I can start to feel a bit bogged down. The ending is still so far in the distance and it can sometimes seem an impossible task to actually get there.

Which other authors are you influenced by?
Marian Keyes. Sophie Kinsella. Ian Rankin. P D James.

How do you select the names of your characters?
It’s just instinct, I suppose. I guess I choose names I really like for my nicest people! There’s also a practical element, though – you don’t want to confuse readers by having two characters with similar names. In my current release, Log Fires & Toffee Apple Cake, the main character is called Carrie, and originally, I also had a ‘Caroline’ in the book, until my editor pointed out that they were probably a bit too similar. So then she became ‘Maggie’.

Do you hide any secret messages in your books?
I don’t. But funnily enough, I have a friend who sometimes reads things into a book I’ve written that I swear aren’t actually there. (Maybe she’s right, though, and it’s emerging from my subconscious!) 

What do you hope your readers take away from your book?
My aim has always been to entertain and provide an escape from everyday life, but I also hope my main characters are inspiring – they’re ordinary women who are facing big challenges but they tackle them with courage and make it out the other side, a little wiser for their experience.

Sweet treat?
My main character in A Brambleberry Manor Christmas runs her own catering company, so I’ve had lots of fun designing scrumptious menus – including the very delicious white chocolate and cherry roulade cake. (I’ve included the recipe in the book!)

My latest book - A Brambleberry Manor Christmas, out on 23^rd December – is packed with lots of festive delights.

Jenny Wilkes is dreading Christmas after the tragic events of the previous festive season. The one bright spot is that her catering company seems to be doing well – she’s been asked to cook for a house party at the wonderful Brambleberry Manor, her friend Fen’s family home. Meeting the lovely Will, one of the guests, gives Jenny hope for the future, and the Little Duck Pond Café girls are great at raising her flagging spirits – but there’s nothing like a bitter and stroppy step-daughter to put a spanner in the works! Can Jenny find her happy-ever-after against all the odds?

Available HERE