Romantic-Suspense author Georgia Rose is back with her new novel....Around The Cauldron!

Old school Wizardwatchers will know of my profound admiration for Georgia Rose. 

Financial Director, meticulous bean counter, complex problem troubleshooter, lovely person, and, most of all, in the context of this Indie caper, author of three terrific novels that have gone down a storm with readers of quality romance. 

I couldn't wait to see her around the Cauldron again and, with the imminent publication of her third novel just around the corner, I picked up the Wizphone and seized my chance. 

I caught up with her on the way to London on a crowded train. Here's what she had to say.

Click here for original chat with Georgia. Fav books. Original covers. Fav films etc.

So, Georgia Rose – tell us about yourself, particularly for the benefit of our US readers.

Hi Wiz, many thanks for inviting me back around your rather fabulous cauldron, it is wonderful to be here again.

You're always welcome...

Thank you. I am the author of the Grayson Trilogy which later this week will finally become complete with the release of Thicker than Water. 

This trilogy has been my first foray into the wonderful world of publishing and in hindsight was perhaps quite a lot to take on but this was the story that came to me in glorious technicolour and so it had to be written.

Georgia Rose's first book - originally
published in 2013 - this is the second ed with
sumptuous new cover

I don’t have the luxury of writing full-time (yet!) and run my own business managing other people’s companies and finances which I set up when my son was born as I didn’t want to go back to working in someone else’s office. 

Fortunately I get to work from home for which I am eternally grateful.

Camborne, in Cambs - the type of Trollopian pastoral bliss that
greets Georgia Rose from her bedroom window in the morning, probably.

I live in a small village in the rolling countryside of Cambridgeshire with my neglected family of a husband, who is very patient, and son, who is taking a gap year before going to university. 

My daughter has recently moved into her own home with her boyfriend. I also have two dogs that spend much of their time trying to get under my desk - where there is only room for one of them.

Poppy the (sleepy) dog.

Why did you use a pseudonym? Are you on the run from the law and/or bailiffs?

No, I’m not on the run, or having to hide the telly, but there were a couple of reasons. 

Firstly, and the most straight forward one was that I found another author already had my real name and I didn’t want there to be any confusion.

Secondly, I started writing secretly because I’m not very confident and really didn’t know if I could do this or how my writing would be received. 

At one time I had the fanciful idea of remaining as this shadowy figure behind my work rather like a writing ‘Banksy’ and thought I could live this double life with no one ever guessing at my secret identity. 

I do have a vivid imagination! It soon became apparent that attempting to do this was nonsense as it’s hard enough to sell books and get yourself known in the first place without adding in the anonymity. 

The Flower Thrower:
Copyright - Banksy

Once I started to get good feedback on my books my confidence grew and it became much easier for me to come out of the shadows and reveal what I was doing.

Tell us about the highly anticipated “Thicker Than Water”

"Life is moving on for Emma and Trent after all the action in Before the Dawn but, just as it seems as though they can look forward to a settled future something happens to throw that all back up in the air again. This is a story of relationships and intrigue, a little action and of course romance. Will there be a happy ever after?"

The Wizard's Review of Thicker Than Water

Now, as you said in your beautiful review this book can be read on its own but I really don’t want people to do that. In the first book, A Single Step, I give you the setting which I don’t then repeat in the following books and I want readers to be able to immerse themselves in life on the Melton Estate.

Also, I feel strongly that no one is going to understand the implications of what happens in this book if they don’t know about Emma’s background.

Is TtW REALLY the last part of the Trilogy!?

Well by the very fact that it is the third book I guess it is. The story is complete and until the moment of you asking me this question I had never considered anything beyond that...

...your avid readers won’t be pleased. There are precedents for extended trilogies. Porno scribbler Sylvia Day wrote five in hers…and you could argue Tolkein added a further two to his fantasy epic…

I can’t comment on Tolkein but from the reviews I saw I’m not sure readers were that happy with Ms Day. 

This was originally a trilogy. Will the Grayson Trilogy follow suit?

They were expecting a satisfactory conclusion at the end of number 3 and to then have the story extended over 2 further volumes seemed to be stretching the patience of the fans. I would hate to do that! So, this story is complete. 

Are you telling me off again?

Ha ha. No. I see your point. I am aware that there are opportunities that spring out of the setting I have created but I think after pulling all of this together this summer it will take a while for any fresh ideas to percolate through my brain. I will, however, be keeping an open mind on the future.

Bearing in mind your answer here, my spies tell me there is a spin-off planned with the impish Carlton as the lead. Is this the case?

Hahaha... ah yes the adorable Carlton. It’s very interesting you mention him Wiz. As I said above I had no plans to write anything more about the cast of Melton Manor, but, there are a large number of characters there all of whom have a story to tell... else why would they be on the estate? 

Carlton would be ideal for a spin off as I’m imagining the story of how he came to be on the estate would be a particularly juicy one but those thoughts are for another time.

Possible casting choice for the
rascally Carlton

Someone once said to me that they could see my stories as a TV series and what came to my mind were those ones I used to watch as a kid, The A Team, Hart to Hart, Charlie’s Angels as examples where each week the story was pretty much the same. 

I loved TtW. Do you think you have become a better writer? Was this an easier book to write than the others?

Thank you Wiz, I appreciate the compliment. I do believe I am a better writer. I didn’t really know what I was doing in A Single Step, and actually was trying far too hard hence the fact that I have put out a 2^nd edition this year after listening to my readers. 

I haven’t changed it drastically but it starts differently and I’ve taken out a scene from the middle, which I loved but it slowed it down, so in total I’ve trimmed 3000 words from it.

Before the Dawn was much more tightly written but I got carried away with the action thriller bits and forgot about the romance so in the second edition of that I’ve just developed a couple of the romantic encounters a little. 

I do think that my writing is better in TtW, made easier by the fact the setting and characters were already in place. But, I found it harder to write. My main problem though was with expectation. When I wrote the first two I did it purely for me with no intention of ever publishing so there was no pressure at all. 

Suddenly with TtW there were people asking me when it was going to be out and telling me how much they loved the first two. 

Now don’t get me wrong, that has been terrific, but, it has also made me very nervous as I would hate to disappoint anyone with a rubbish ending to this tale.  I started out wanting to write a story I would want to read and once I was reminded of that I tried not to think about what everyone else would think of it and I was back on track again.

I am also blessed with a very good friend who told me one day to stop writing the bit I was struggling with and instead spend the afternoon writing 200 words of Emma’s rich and colourful life on the estate. I did, and that was the turning point. 

Allow me to compliment you on these covers. You have done second editions of all the Trilogy. What was the thinking behind that?

I had a comment from someone who said that my original covers didn’t really give any clue as to what the books were about, so once that happened I decided to bite the bullet and do a new set that would look good together and I then decided that as I was going that far I might as well go the whole way and make the changes to the first two books that I wanted to. So I set myself a punishing schedule to get all of this done this summer and so the 2nd editions could be released just prior to the last one coming out.

Burnt copper dipped motor

Did you know in advance that burnt copper is this year’s IN cover colour?

I did not know that! As anyone who knows me knows I am never ‘on trend’, is that the term? I’m always late to any fashion but, as an example, will then be found still wearing jumpsuits, legwarmers and pixie boots long after everyone else has moved on (not that I will have noticed!) purely because they are comfortable. 

Although I do believe they’re all back in again and I know I still have mine somewhere!

Georgia's terrific paperback haul, as seen
on social media all this week

Quality product is ostensibly a huge issue in Indie, though it is improving. Tell Indies how many people were involved in the production of your book?

I use beta readers - six in total. They have all read the other books in this trilogy have liked them and are therefore keen, like me, not to cock the next one up.  The betas are only taken on if they promise to give me full and frank feedback however brutal that may be - there is no point to the exercise otherwise.

I send them the full manuscript after the first draft. It is big picture stuff I am looking for here. I don’t care at this point about misplaced commas or the overuse of semi-colons - though some of them can’t help themselves with the corrections ha ha. 

Georgia's Beta-Reading Guide:

What I am interested in at this stage is

a) does the story work

b) are there plot holes

c) is the pacing right

d) are the characters behaving as they should 

e) do the betas feel any emotion while reading 

and most important of all 

f) do they believe!!

This all happens during Marinade month when I take a month off from doing any work on the MS. I don't even read it during that month. Then I rewrite as necessary.

This time, because of the extra section at the end of the book, I also sent a particular part to someone who knows what they are doing, because specialist feedback was I needed to make sure the voice of that character was right.

I then employ the team at SilverWood Books to copy-edit for me and rewrite again before it goes back for proofreading and the cover is designed. 

This time I went the whole way with that as well including taglines and quotes from other fabulous authors - hoping the attention to detail will make all the difference.

What is that saying? It takes a whole village to raise a child... I feel the same way about my books.

I know that you are incredibly busy – your workload in the world of finance tires me out just hearing about it - but when that’s over, and the writing is done, what does Georgia Rose do in her spare time?

It may seem pretty sad Wiz but I can honestly say that since I started writing I have not had any spare time. I guess actually that the writing is what I do in what would otherwise be my spare time. 

I work very long hours as you know so having a meal out, a weekend away or just watching a couple of episodes of whatever series we are currently trying to catch up on (at the moment its Breaking Bad) with a glass of wine is my idea of time out.

Which is the better version of Magic Mike: The book or the film?

Ah...now then, Magic Mike is more of a visual treat than any sort of intellectual stimulation Wiz - haha! I’m pretty certain it was not based on a book, if it were there would be no plot but more a series of situations ;-)

Where can Wizardwatchers connect with you and your books nowadays?

I can be found all over the internet but if you go to my website at www.georgiarosebooks.com you will find all the latest news plus buttons to connect to my Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads accounts. 

You will also have to opportunity there to follow my blog and the chance to sign up to my mailing list, which is a new feature this week.  

My books can be found at:

A Single Step getbook.at/ASingleStep - currently only 99p/99c (see website for links to Smashwords and Kobo)

Before the Dawn getbook.at/BeforeTheDawn

Thicker than Water getbook.at/ThickerThanWater available for pre-order and to be released 18^th September

And finally, what next for Georgia Rose?

I guess marketing for a while, I have a book launch event next Friday (you are all invited - see website!) and a book signing coming up in November. 

Book Launch at the Racehorse in Catworth, Cambs, Friday 18th September.
Real ale. Semi-gourmet snap. Great books. Georgia Rose - what more do  you
need on a Friday night?

Then I have a couple of ideas for standalone novels - the stories are in place in my head, one’s full length and the other feels like a novella so I imagine I shall just sit down again one day and the words will start to come. I’m looking forward to it already!

Nostalgia....

Georgia, I am delighted you spared some time in your busy schedule - it's always a pleasure to speak to you and we all wish you a heavyweight rest of the year and beyond.

I’ve loved having a chat around your Cauldron.  Thank you very much and have a wonderful day.

______________________________________

Georgia can be found on

Twitter

Facebook

GooglePlus

on Google itself @Georgia Rose Books

and at her weekly blog 

http://www.georgiarosebooks.com/blog

Book Links

A Single Step getbook.at/ASingleStep - currently only 99p/99c (see website for links to Smashwords and Kobo)

Before the Dawn getbook.at/BeforeTheDawn

Thicker than Water getbook.at/ThickerThanWater available for pre-order and to be released 18^th September