Heidi Swain: Summer at Skylark Farm

Today we welcome author, Heidi Swain to the blog to write about her latest novel and 'second book syndrome'.

My goodness, what a year it has been! By the time you read this post, my second novel, Summer at 

Skylark Farm will be published, the associated celebrations will be over and I will be off on my blogging travels enjoying a brief but fun tour before settling back into editing my Christmas release in time for publication day on October 20th and writing novel number 4.

Yes, life is suddenly rather busy and what with juggling family life and work, my writing life sometimes feels more like a merry go round than a career and that’s what I want to talk to you about today. 

However, before I type another word I just want to get one thing straight. This is not a moan or a complaint because I wouldn’t change a thing (unless managing to magic a few extra days into the week is ‘a thing’ but I fear not), so, please consider this a heads up really. A timely reminder, especially to those of you fortunate enough to be on the wonderful New Writers Scheme, that once you sign on the dotted line things change, for the better of course, but they do change - a lot!

When I was writing The Cherry Tree Café I thought I was busy, but it was nothing compared to the workload I have to manage now. Even as my first publication day loomed large on my horizon last July and I was running round baking cakes, typing blog tour copy and Tweeting like my life depended on it, I didn’t think it could possibly get any more jam packed, but of course it could.

You see with two novels being published this year, edits to oversee, publishing and RNA events to attend, articles to write, launches to organise, promoting The Cherry Tree Café and not forgetting the deadline for Novel Number 4 creeping ever closer, I’m just beginning to realise that the more I write, the more books I have published the more intense the workload is going to be.

And it isn’t just the schedule that cranks the pressure up a notch. Once that first book baby is launched and the lovely reviews start arriving on Amazon along with a merry skip up the charts you begin to wonder how you can possibly do it all again. How can I possibly match that first precious book in half the time with a deadline looming and inspiration still to strike?

I wish I had the formula. I wish I could promise that one day when you sit at the keyboard it will all flow out of the end of your fingers, perfectly formed and beautifully crafted, but I can’t. All I know is that a publishing contract and an eager editor can galvanize even the most terrified into action and somehow we manage to do it all again, and if we really stick at it, again and again. 

Happy writing folks!

About Heidi: 

Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in literature, married and had two children, before she plucked up the courage to take her literary ambitions seriously. She lives in Norfolk with her wonderful family and a mischievous cat called Storm.

A lover of vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she writes contemporary fiction for Simon & Schuster and loves spending time with a host of feisty female characters.

Links:

Twitter Heidi_Swain

Blog Heidi Swain Blogspot

Facebook WriterHeidiJoSwain

Amazon Heidi Swain

Thank you, Heidi. If you find out how producing books become less frightening please let us all know!

This article was brought to you by Louisa Heaton on behalf of the RNA Blog Team.

If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com