I was recently invited onto BBC Upload in the East on World Book Day, to talk about how I became a writer, and why now I'm doing it, I can't seem to stop!

In this episode of The Talking to My Friends About Books Podcast, I chat to multi-genre author, Claire Buss, who is also Deputy Editor of Write On Magazine.

About Claire

Claire Buss is an award-winning multi-genre author and poet. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of marketing and administrative roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and expert procrastinator Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion. Since then, Claire has published nineteen novels and poetry collections and had her short fiction published in six anthologies. The Gaia Effect won the Uncaged Book Reviews Raven Award for Favourite Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel in 2017 and the first book in her humorous fantasy series, The Rose Thief, won in 2019. Working with Pen to Print, Claire delivers regular Book Surgeries offering marketing help and advice to new and established authors. In 2019 Claire was part of the original team involved in creating and establishing Write On! Magazine and continues to support, work and promote the magazine in her role as Deputy Editor, a different kind of Lois who champions new writers and helps them share their creativity. Claire continues to write passionately and is hopelessly addicted to making the perfect vegan cake.

You can follow her across social media linktr.ee/clairebuss and visit her website www.clairebuss.co.uk for more information about Claire and her writing. All her books are available in eBook and paperback on Amazon at tinyurl.com/ClaireBussBooks

I love chatting to people about books, hence the clever title of my occasional podcast, The Talking to My Friends About Books Podcast.

And for this one it is sci-fi author, Anka Troitsky, who I first met many years ago when we began dancing salsa at the same time. 'Back in the day' as I like to call it, we didn't really discuss the fact that we were both aspiring novelists. And then we lost touch. Fast forward about 15 years, and a familiar face turned up at the Buddy Writing group I run in Chelmsford with fellow author, Lizzie Chantree, and it was only then, that Anka Troitsky and myself discovered that we had both nurtured, all those years ago, the same dream - to write books!

And so far, Anka has had three published - Object and Vist, Construct and Vist, and Vist and Proper Ganda. So, I invited her on to the podcast for a chat about writing and all that kind of thing.

Information about her books and her social media links can be found on https://www.ankatroitsky.com/

My new novel, Summer in Your Eyes, features travel writer and blogger, Holly Merriweather, who has been employed by an iconic guide book company to update their guides to London. So, I thought it would be nice to talk to some actual travel podcasters about why they love to travel and where they've been.

Amy and Nick Thomson are co-creators of the What the Pho Travel Podcast.

You can find out more about them here: https://whatthephotravelpodcast.co.uk/

Summer in Your Eyes

Sometimes life’s greatest adventures are found closest to home . . .
Travel writer Holly Merriweather knows a fresh start is just what she needs to get her life back on track.
Breaking up with her childhood sweetheart and the collapse of their artisan cheese business definitely didn’t help in that department.
So Holly’s thrilled to score her dream job at an iconic travel book publisher. She’s ready for sunsets in Marrakech, cocktails on the French Riviera and gondola rides through the Venetian canals.
And she’s had enough of men. She’s putting herself and her career first.
But of course her new boss Jack is drop-dead gorgeous. And it turns out the job is less glamourous sightseeing and more . . . crumbling offices and a struggling family business, rocked by the death of their larger-than-life founder.
She struggles to keep things strictly professional with Jack. They begin working together to ensure the company’s legacy and uncover a local mystery. Perhaps this summer she’s heading towards the most exciting chapter of her life . . .

Available in paperback, e-book and audio.

Summer in Your Eyes is now out as an audio book (as well as paperback and e-book.)

So here's a brief extract read by Sophie Dora Hall to whet your appetite

Travel writer Holly Merriweather knows a fresh start is just what she needs. The break-up with her childhood sweetheart and collapse of their artisan cheese business definitely didn’t help in that department. So Holly’s thrilled to score her dream job at an iconic travel book publisher. She’s ready for sunsets in Marrakech, cocktails on the French Riviera and gondola rides through the Venetian canals. And she’s had enough of men. She’s putting herself and her career first. But of course her new colleague — and the boss’s son — Jack is drop-dead gorgeous. And it turns out the job is not the glamourous sightseeing she was expecting. She struggles to stay away from Jack and they begin to work together to ensure the company’s legacy. Perhaps this summer she’s heading towards the most exciting chapter of her life…

©2023 Chris Penhall (P)2023 Soundings

Authors Chris Penhall and Lizzie Chantree chat about their upcoming Energise and Marketing Your Writing Workshop on May 20th at Fete Grays Yard in Chelmsford

Or - Chris Penhall, who has drunk a lot of coffee talks at Lizzie Chantree who is filming it for Tik Tok whilst both are sitting on a beach in Southend in April.

This three hour workshop is designed to give writers, whether they are working on a novel, a poem, a short story, a screenplay, or anything else, a boost in both their writing and their marketing strategies. Starting at 10.30 and ending at 1.30, it's £35 and held in a vibrant cafe in the heart of Chelmsford City Centre.as

For more information and to book tickets, click here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/energise-and-market-your-writing-with-lizzie-chantree-and-chris-penhall-tickets-601310715537?aff=erelexpmlt&keep_tld=1

Sadie Nine, BBC Essex radio presenter, talks about writing her memoire, and her new one woman stage show

Sadie Nine presents the afternoon programme at BBC Essex from Monday to Thursday between 2pm and 6pm.

She's also a singer, actor and columnist and is currently writing her memoires, as well as getting ready for her return to the stage with her new one-woman show at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.

We caught up after her programme for a chat about the writing and the show, details of which are below.

Sadie’s Nine Lives is about just that – Sadie’s life!

Join the iconic BBC Essex radio host Sadie Nine as she takes you through hilarious times, her crazy tours and true stories from her amazing radio career that has spanned over 25 years.

She’ll talk of stories of stars she’s graced the stage with, hilarious memories as a singer and actor, and talk movingly about her battle with cancer and what it means to be a survivor.

It's on at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester on 5th May. Click on the link to buy the tickets

https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/sadies-nine-lives/

I spoke to author,Julie Haworth, last year about her debut novel, Always By Your Side, published by Simon & Schuster in 2022. 

She has now won the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award for the book, in the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) annual Romantic Novel Awards for 2023.  Always By Your Side is also due out in paperback in August. 

I thought, that it would be nice to catch up with Julie to see how she feels now she's got used to the idea of being the winner of such a prestigious award.

Always By Your Side

About the book

When school teacher Rose loses her dream job at a London primary school, her self-confidence takes a knock. Worse still, her stockbroker fiancé, Ollie, sees it as the perfect opportunity for her to join his firm, which only adds to the feelings Rose has that their relationship might be coming to an end.

An unexpected phone call, and an elderly aunt who’s taken a fall, means Rose must drop everything – including Ollie – and return to Blossom Heath, the Sussex village she grew up in.

With no job to rush home to, Rose decides to stay in Blossom Heath for the Summer, trading London for the idyllic countryside. Here Rose finds herself reconnecting to the village life of her childhood in more ways than one, including falling head-over-heels for local farmer, Jake.

So when her London life comes calling, Rose is faced with an impossible choice… to return to the high-pressure life of her past, or embrace the joy of a new life in the country.

About Julie Howarth

Julie Haworth writes uplifting stories about friendship and community, bursting with romance and charm, from her home in the bustling city of Chelmsford, Essex. Her debut novel, Always By Your Side, was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2022 as an e-book and the audiobook was released in October 2022. The paperback will be published in the summer of 2023. Julie is still pinching herself that she’s realised her lifelong dream of becoming a published author! When she’s not busy writing or running her copywriting business, Julie can mainly be found shopping, drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee and hanging out with her two rescue cats. Julie is also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors

You can follow Julie on Instagram and Twitter: @juliehowarthauthor

You can buy the books via all major platforms including https://www.amazon.co.uk/Always-Your-Side-uplifting-friendship-ebook/dp/B09HZ3PFN4