I’m thrilled to introduce you to author Rose McClelland, who is published by Crooked Cat.

Rose writes women’s fiction with a splash of romance and comedy. She writes about dating and relationships in a humorous fashion, placing plenty of twists and turns along the way. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes or Sophie Kinsella.

Rose lives in Belfast but divides her time between the sofa and bubble bath. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. It’s a bit of an addiction actually. That, and the chocolate Freddos. She can often be found on Facebook posting photos and stories about her cat, her cooking or book reviews.

She has written a few short plays and finds it a buzz to see actors performing her words on stage.

Please follow her on Facebook or Twitter – she’d love to hear from you!

 

Author Q&A:

1. What made you decide to be a writer?

I always had my head stuck in a book as a child. I loved our weekly library trips and would have gobbled the books up by the time we had drove home! I remember at the age of ten telling my mum that I’d like to be a writer. But the book that really made me want to write was “Rachel’s Holiday” by Marian Keyes. I loved the style of writing – the raw honesty mixed with humour.

2. Tell us about your latest book and how long did it take you to write? 

My latest book is called “The Year of No Rules”. It took me between 9 months to a year to write. It’s about a couple and their relationship. Believe it or not, he gives her a list of rules to follow and for a while, she goes along with it. Needless to say, this tests her patience to the max. Throwing the rulebook away, she then takes matters into her own hands and plays the game her way.

3. Do you want each of your books to stand alone, or become a series? 

My three published books are all stand alone. I am writing my fourth novel at the moment and because of the setting and the characters involved, I can see possibility for a series. This would be great as the characters are firmly lodged in my head.

4. How did publishing your first book change your writing process?

It made me read even more and think more about what I want from books as a reader.

5. What excites you most about being an author?

I still love reading and find the best way to relax is by being engrossed in good book. I love the process of tucking myself away and putting pen to paper. It is so much fun watching what the characters will get up to and recording the story as it unfolds.

6. What is the best money you ever spent as a writer?

A laptop. I used it to write my morning pages and do an online writing course with my friends in Brighton. That was the course that really helped me get started on my first novel.

7. How do you balance writing and marketing your work?

With great difficulty! I love the writing side of things, however I struggle with the marketing. If I had my way, I’d tuck myself away in an ivory tower and write to my heart’s content. However, there’s not much point in writing a novel if you’re not willing to share the finished product!

8. Have you become friends with any other authors and has this helped or hindered your writing journey?

Yes, I have be-friended lots of other authors – in particular fellow Crooked Cat authors. It’s a massive help to chat with other authors and motivate each other.

9. What did you edit out of your current book?

My editor helped me to edit the minor characters by writing a bit more of a back story about them. I had a tendency to just make small parts appear out of nowhere to move the story along.

10. What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Becoming overwhelmed by the endless amount of marketing jobs that could be done. That is when I tend to bury my head in the sand!

 

“The Year of No Rules”

BOOK BLURB

When Sasha falls in love with Kirk, she can’t believe her luck. He’s gorgeous, charismatic and charming. Within months he’s even discussing the ‘M’ word – marriage.

But there’s one problem – he’s given her a list of rules to sign.

Blindly led by her infatuation (and the fact that she’s been single forever) – she agrees to sign it and abide by them until everything goes horribly wrong.

Picking herself up and boldly moving on as a ‘No Rules’ girl, Sasha goes on a string of disastrous dates, and eventually meets Sam through mutual friends. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, she keeps him at arm’s length.

Can he tame her independent streak? Or will she be able to make Kirk come crawling back?

 

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