There's more than one way of being a modern woman, not that the Devlin sisters would admit it
Julie used to be the easy-going one. But now she is a mother of four boys under five, her marriage is under strain and she is struggling to keep sane. She needs support, but her sisters don't understand. After all, their lives are perfect.
Louise has always been top of her game, with little time for family and even less for romance. But with a drunken mistake threatening everything she's worked for, she may have to accept that she needs help to keep going.
Sophie has got everything she ever wanted: a loving husband, a beautiful, well-behaved daughter and a designer lifestyle. Her sisters consider her spoiled and shallow but she doesn't care – that's until her life is turned upside down and she realizes they may be right. Not that she's going to let them know the trouble she's in.
Hi Sinead and welcome to High Heels and Book Deals. Tell me about your journey to publication
I tried – and failed miserably – to get my first two books published. I sent them out to agents and publishers on all four corners of the world – UK, Australia, USA and even South Africa. And they all said NO!
I decided I needed some help. So, I joined a creative writing group at Maida Vale college in London and that was the turning point for me. I began to see how important it was to structure the novel before you begin and I got wonderful and very helpful feedback from my classmates and my tutor. It was during that course that I wrote The Baby Trail , Which is a bitter-sweet comedy about infertility. It was my first novel to be published.
Did you have a lot of rejection slips before getting your book deal?
Honestly, I could have wallpapered my apartment with all the rejection slips. I had hundreds of them!
How long does it take you to complete the first draft and how many further drafts do you complete?
Before I sit down to write I do a lot of research (maybe 2 months or so) and then I plot the book out and do a chapter by chapter breakdown. This involves writing about five lines under each chapter (I usually have about 35 – 40 chapters). So, before I start writing I know what's going to happen and how the story is being moved along. I find this really helpful as it stops me going off on tangents or taking the story down a dead end. The first draft then is read by my editor and we'll sit down and discuss it. Re-writes can involve as little as a few tweaks, or be as significant as they were for my fifth book, which had to be almost re-written completely….nightmare!
Can you tell me a bit about your typical writing day
With three small children I write during school hours. So, I try to be at my computer by 9 and write until 3 when I go and pick them up. I don't usually work on Fridays as it's my day off. And I try to keep the weekends clear for family time, but obviously if I need to put in an hour or two I can.
What book influenced you the most and made you want to write your own?
Every book I've read has inspired me in some way. But as a child I adored Little Women and the character of Jo March was enthralling to me. I wanted to be her.
Are you a plotter or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-panter?
I'm a plotter. But even with all the plotting I do, characters and storylines just come onto the page and take on their own life. I recently had a character turn up in my book, she had never been planned and I have no idea where she came from. She arrived in chapter four and she became a really important character in the book. I love when that happens, I think it really means you are in the 'creative zone'!!
What is your next book going to be about?
The next book, Sweet Child of Mine is about an 18 year old girl, Sophie who one day discovers that her mother, the mother she loves and adores, is in fact a stranger who abducted her 17 years ago. We then go back in time to find out why, how, where, when…
What is your best writing tip?
Sit down, turn off your phone and WRITE!
And your worst writing habit?
Having a quick check for something on the internet….this usually leads to hours of web surfing and some purchasing, particularly high heeled shoes.
And finally, what's your poison, high heels or flat shoes?
The higher the better! I love high heels. I feel taller, stronger and strangely, more confident when I'm in my heels.
I love these because they can make any outfit, no matter how conservative, look a little more edgy.
I love these because they are comfortable and really high. The nude colour also matches everything and they look equally nice with dresses and trousers.
You can find more about Sinead here and Me and My Sisters can be found here. Good luck Sinead.
