Welcome to another Weekend Read. This week’s featured book is the romantic novel, Escape to the Sun by contemporary women’s fiction author Rachel Barnett. Rachel has dropped by to tell us more about her book and her writing life. So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get chatting to Rachel.

Blurb:

Alone on her dream Caribbean Christmas cruise after her husband’s betrayal, Hannah is determined to leave her heartbreak behind, honeymooning in solitude.

Until she meets Captain Louis King – charming, confident, and completely off-limits. She’s sworn off love… and he’s the man steering the ship.

But as island nights glow and the ocean carries them closer together, Hannah’s carefully rebuilt walls begin to crack.

When the voyage ends and the islands fade behind her, Hannah must decide if this Caribbean escape was only about healing, or the start of something she was never meant to find.

ESCAPE TO THE SUN is out on 17^th August in all formats

https://mybook.to/EscapeToTheSunhttps://amzn.eu/d/05ce65cH

Welcome to my blog, Rachel. What do you like writing most?

I think my answer to this probably depends on how well each phase of the writing is going, to be honest!

Writing the first draft is my favourite part of the entire process, without question. These days I have a relatively clear idea of where my characters are heading (more on the reasons for that in the next question), but they do have a regular habit of surprising me or going off on tangents. It probably sounds a bit woo-woo to say my characters dictate what happens, but to a certain degree it’s true. And I love the process of finding out about my characters as we progress through a first draft, finding out all about what they would or wouldn’t do in the scenarios they face. They develop in real time for me in the same way as they do for the reader – at least, that’s what I hope for.

My writing process is always linear – I begin at the start of a story and write through to the end. I can’t dodge about like some authors can, writing a scene here and the ending first, coming back later to plug the gaps, or juggle chapters around – it just doesn’t work for me. So, sometimes I can get stuck, because I (or my characters) have painted me into a corner and I can’t see a way out. That’s the frustrating side of first drafts for me – realising I need to allow my brain time to process and come up with a solution which will get the writing going again.

I’m a happy editor, too. Mostly. I accepted early on that the professionals who are also working on my books (my agent, my publishing editor etc etc) all want the same as me, to produce the best book possible – it enabled me to take editing notes and suggestions without the accompanying emotion which can sometimes get in the way. If the notes are extensive, or not what I was expecting, I find a few glasses of pinot grigio, and a good night’s sleep usually brings things into perspective. And in all honesty, I have yet to disagree with any major suggested changes – everything has made for more rounded, better books, so engaging in the process is ultimately a positive thing.

If I’m tired, or grumpy, then accepting line editing changes or proof reading is just the thing, because it doesn’t require much thought. It’s a mechanical process which, while necessary, is a bit dull.

Are you a pantster or a plotter?

I used to be a pantser. I used to get myself a great opening, some interesting characters, an idea of the ending and that was all I needed to set sail. I think that’s still my natural instinct. However, now I have a commercial contract to fulfil, being a complete pantser is a luxury I no longer have time for. My agent and publishing editor require a relatively detailed synopsis, so they know I’m not going to suddenly introduce a time-travel machine or zombies into my escapist women’s romantic fiction!

But it has to be said I don’t always stick to the synopsis… Tee hee.

I like to think of myself as a plantser – somewhere between a pantser and a plotter where I can fulfil everyone’s requirements and still retain some wriggle-room for the actual writing.

What are you writing at the moment?

I’m just entering another editing cycle – this time on next summer’s book which is set on a far-flung tropical island and features a particularly accident-prone Green Turtle called Tarquin. This one was a lot of fun to write, so fingers crossed the editing will be similar!

And then I’ll be knee-deep in snow for the Christmas 2027 book, which I hope to set at the top of an Austrian mountain, in a very glamorous hotel…

Meet Rachel

Author bio

Rachel Barnett writes escapist contemporary fiction set in some of the world’s most beautiful locations, from the French Riviera and Italian Lakes to the Scottish Highlands and on to the Caribbean. A former primary school teacher, she now writes full time from rural Wiltshire, where the surrounding countryside inspires her storytelling. Rachel’s novels are known for their vivid settings, heart-warming characters and page-turning plots. She is published by Embla Books and Boldwood Books, and her work includes a Kindle Top 50 bestseller.

Contact links

Website: www.rachelbarnettauthor.com

Boldwood author newsletter: https://bit.ly/RachelBarnettNewsletter

Socials: https://www.facebook.com/rachelbarnettauthor

https://www.instagram.com/rachelbarnettauthor

Author page on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Rachel-Barnett/author/B0C1SMZ8YV

More of Rachel’s Books