Olivia Ryan is the author of three novels all telling “Tales From”: Tales From a Hen Weekend, Tales From A Wedding Day and Tales From A Honeymoon Hotel. The books don’t follow each other as Olivia explains below. I haven’t read any of the three but I think they all sound fab. Olivia also writes under her real name of Sheila Norton and has had 5 books published under her Sheila name.

1. Describe your latest novel in a sentence.

Three very different couples meet on their honeymoon on a Croatian island - but it soon becomes apparent that they all have difficulties to overcome in their relationships.

2. Will there be a fourth “Tales from…” book? They all sound like fab reads!

Thank you! No - the series was marketed as a ‘trilogy’ (even though the books are all separate stories, with different characters), because they make up a nice set as a hen weekend story, a wedding story and a honeymoon story. We felt it would be overdoing it somewhat to carry on with a pregnancy story or a divorce story!

3. What inspires your books?

Real life situations, real people, real relationships. I love to portray the humour and emotion in ordinary people’s lives.

4. How did you get published?

I wrote short stories for many years before having a book published. My first confidence boost was winning two short story awards, and I then began to have stories published in women’s magazines. I tried writing a couple of novels, unsuccessfully, but when I wrote ‘The Trouble with Ally’ (my first book published as Sheila Norton), I felt instinctively that it was ‘the one’. It was a romantic comedy about a woman turning 50. It took 18 months of sending it around agents and publishers before Piatkus accepted it - and gave me a two-book deal.

5. You also write as Sheila Norton, will there be a new book out under your real name?

Well - anything is possible! I took on the pen name of Olivia Ryan at my publisher’s suggestion, to market the ‘Tales From’ series as something new and different, and to reach out to a younger readership. I’ve kept my real name ‘alive’, as I still use it for writing my short stories - so I could write future books under either name, depending on the publisher’s wishes. It’s always necessary to be flexible and willing to do whatever is suggested!

6. Who are some of your favourite authors/books?

I have a life-long ‘love affair’ with Shakespeare! - I was blown away by his wit and use of language when studying him at school. But to relax I like reading contemporary fiction: I enjoy, and very much admire, Jodi Picoult’s relationship dramas, and to keep up with writers in my own genre I read Marion Keyes, Judy Astley, Christina Jones, Sophie Kinsella, Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell. I often enjoy thrillers - I recently read Robert Harris’ ‘The Ghost’ (about a ghost writer of a former Prime Minister), which was great. I struggle with historical fiction though, sadly, as I always struggled with history at school!

7. What is your normal writing day like?

Having worked, until last year, in a busy secretarial job, I now take great pleasure from having no strict routine! Every day is different - but in general, I tend to do most of my writing in the afternoons. I’m not a morning person so I usually get the boring things like shopping and housework out of the way then, if I have to! - and attend to e-mails etc. I also go swimming two mornings a week, and visit an elderly relative. Sometimes I take a whole day off from writing - but sometimes I work at the weekends, sometimes in the evenings - I enjoy being flexible.

8. What’s the best thing about being an author?

Definitely, being able to do the thing I love and enjoy most - and being paid for it! It’s a great privilege.

9. Finally, what advice would you give to those wanting to write a book?

Only do it for the right reason - because you love writing and will love writing the book. Don’t do it for money - very, very few published authors earn a living wage. The average author’s earnings in the UK are just £4000 per annum - so most of us have to continue working at another job. (I retired early for health reasons - not because I was getting rich!).

Having said that - if you want to do it - just get on and do it! Don’t put it off, and definitely don’t make excuses to yourself about ‘not having time’. I wrote my first six published books while still working at a busy job, so I find it quite irritating when people say ‘I’d write a book too if only I had the time!’ You have to make the time - if it’s what you really want to do, you’ll be happy to sacrifice something like watching TV in the evenings!

And finally - don’t expect to get published. You might, of course - but if you don’t expect to, you won’t be quite so devastated if it doesn’t happen. It gets more difficult all the time, so be prepared for a long haul of submitting, and be prepared for the rejections. It’s par for the course. Only those who are determined, and are prepared to accept editorial criticism and advice, succeed! But holding your finished novel in your hands is the most amazing feeling. The thrill never wears off!

Thanks Olivia!

For all of Olivia’s fans, she is working on a novel but doesn’t yet have a contract so there’s no release date yet.

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