This week I am delighted to welcome Eva Glyn (who also writes as Jane Cable) to my blog to talk about a particular aspect of her latest novel, The Croatian Island Library.

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Library is the third of three linked but independent books. The other two are The Dubrovnik Book Club and The Santorini Writing Retreat. Each book is notable for Eva/Jane's talent for creating real-life settings and transporting the reader to the place in question, as well as being stories you want to dive into.

Here's what Eva/Jane says about the friendships in her books:

WHY FRIENDSHIP STORIES FASCINATE ME

In truth I find stories of friendship far more fascinating than romances. Perhaps because they are so universal, and deeply engrained in our experience. Perhaps because I’ve had far more friends than lovers and they’ve been much more varied, so why wouldn’t I want to write about them?

I generally start by selecting three, or in the case of The Dubrovnik Book Club, four very different characters from the motley crew rumbling around in my head, then throw them together, and see what happens. At first they are bound to circle each other a bit, while probably being terribly nice (I struggle so hard to write nasty people as viewpoint characters), but then a few tentative connections begin to form, and a few cracks to appear. Because as a writer you need the cracks to let in the light.

However disparate the people, it’s important to me that their friendship forms naturally, as it would in real life. The key to this is getting to know the protagonists really well before starting to write so when they hit the page they are fully formed human beings. You could say that the first friendships in any book I write are the bonds I form with the imaginary people in my head.

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The viewpoint characters in The Croatian Island Library are Ana, the thirty four year old captain of the catamaran who loves her life on the waves; librarian Lloyd, a British widower in his fifties beginning to move beyond the sharpest of his grief; and twenty-two year old crew member Natali who wants nothing more than to keep her head down in case the others realise how stupid she is.

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Lloyd came to me first. In fact he’d been running around in my head for a while; a thoughtful, intelligent man whose loss left his world in tatters but is beginning to realise he needs to move on. But as I imagined him on the bus from Dubrovnik airport I realised he’d been to Croatia as a student, his experiences leaving him so consumed with guilt he’s determined to keep his earlier visit a secret.

Next was Ana. She’s a friend of Meri’s, one of the minor characters in The Dubrovnik Book Club, and just as feisty. Or so she appears. But the reality is that she’s facing an uncertain future, terrified of losing her boat, and torn between what’s in her heart and familial duty. None of which can she feels she can share with her crew. She’s the project leader after all.

And Natali, dear Natali. She’s been told she’s stupid so often she genuinely believes it, and far prefers the company of her dog, Obi, to humans because Obi loves her unconditionally and never judges. She does want to connect with the others though, she can just never work out what to say. Until, of course, something happens which starts to pull them together.

Being aware I’m writing this for Susanna’s readers, I’m sure the underlying of the premise of friendship forged through adversity sounds familiar. It’s a saga, isn’t it? Well obviously The Croatian Island Library isn’t historical, so technically it can’t be, but to all intents and purposes, perhaps it is.

• It’s a story of everyday people, told in an uncomplicated manner but with tons of emotion

• It’s set firmly in a location that readers come to know well and where the sense of community is strong

• There are obstacles a plenty for the characters to overcome, but there’s always hope

• And a little romance along the way.

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For Susanna, writing her fabulous Wartime Hotel series as Maisie, the unlikely friendship is formed between Kitty, Lily and Beatrice. For me it’s Ana, Lloyd and Natali. But it just goes to show the universal power of stories where friendship conquers all.

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You can visit Eva's author page on Amazon by clicking here. 

A while ago I wrote a blog called So - Who Chooses Your Book Title? based on the common misconception that authors choose their own titles. (If you'd like to take a look, here's the link.)

I also wrote a blog based around the idea that professional authors only write when inspiration strikes. As if! (If you haven't read that blog, here's the link.) Incidentally, this blog includes a piece of advice for all writers, professional and not-yet-professional, that everyone finds helpful.

Another common misconception loved by readers is, "...and of course, you design your cover, don't you?"

Er... no.

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Sorry to disappoint you, but it really doesn't work that way if you are traditionally published. What usually happens is that your publsher will present you with the almost-finished cover design and say, "We hope you love this as much as we do."

At that point, you can ask for very small - and I do mean very small - alterations, but that's it. An example would be to point out that a character on the cover should have a wedding ring. Or there might be something that is wrong for the year of the story that needs to be airbrushed out.

But essentially, the cover you're sent is the final one.

That doesn't mean an author never gets the chance to have meaningful input. For example, with the Railway Girls eries (written as Maisie Thomas) I was asked for physical descriptions of the girls and then I was sent photos of possible models - though it wasn't up to me to make the final choice.

When I wrote the descriptions of Joan, Mabel and Dot for book 1, I said Joan should have a young-looking face - and she certainly does. There she is, in the centre.

Because the Railway Girls covers featured trains, my husband, who knows his stuff where trains are concerned, was always asked to check that the train that was used was historically correct.

The train used for the cover of book 3 was actually the Royal Train from earlier in the century - which is why the roof of the train is slightly misted. The Royal Train had skylights in the carriages, and these needed to be faded out in order to give the train a 1940s look.

I was also consulted over the covers for books 2, 3 and 4 in the Surplus Girls books, my 1920s series (written as Polly Heron).

Book 2, The Surplus Girls' Orphans, and book 3, Christmas with the Surplus Girls, shared an original 1920s image, which, after some discussion was chopped in half to share out.

Here's the original picture:

So there you have it. No, authors don't usually get to choose their own titles... and they definitely do not work only when inspiration strikes... and they're lucky if they get to have serious input into their covers as well. You heard it here first!

I am delighted to share my wonderful news with you. I have signed a new contract with Bookouture to write a new WW2 saga series for them.

Here is the news release from Bookouture:

We’re pleased to announce that Associate Publisher Jess Whitlum-Cooper has agreed a three-book World English rights deal, including audio, with Camilla Shestopal at Shesto Literary, for a new historical fiction saga series from Susanna Bavin. The first book in this series will publish in September 2026.

Susanna said,

‘I’m delighted to have signed another contract with Bookouture. The whole team work so hard for their authors and I love being part of the Bookouture family. I’m also thrilled to bits to be working with the talented Jess Whitlum-Cooper once more. She is a terrific editor and always brings out the best in my books.'

Jess said,

‘I am so pleased to have a new series from Susanna coming to the Bookouture list next year. I know her fans will love these new stories, and I cannot wait for readers to discover them.'

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I'll tell you more about my new series in due course, but for now I'll say that I'm very excited about these books and I hope you're going to love them!

It was this week back in 2021 when I 'outed' myself! Up until then, my Maisie identity was a secret known only to a handful of people in the book world. But I was finally allowed to tell the world that Maisie, Susanna and Polly were all the same person! It was an exciting day.

This week I'm delighted to welcome Lynette Creswell to my blog. Lynette has written in various genres, inlcuding children's books - and today she is here to share her advice on how to tackle the writing of a children's book.

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Writing for Young Hearts: Creating Stories for KS1 Readers

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Writing for Key Stage 1 children is one of the greatest joys of my creative life. There is something magical about the way young readers experience stories. They step into each tale with wonder, curiosity and complete openness. When I write, I always remind myself that children of this age are not simply learning to read. At this stage, stories are felt rather than just read. Friendship unfolds, kindness blooms and imagination sparkles around every corner.

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For me, the Hoglets series began with that understanding. Primrose and Prickles aren’t just adorable woodland characters. They’re friends who care for one another, even when it isn’t easy. They learn through mistakes, explore new ideas and find joy in small things. This emotional journey is what truly anchors a KS1 story.

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So, how do we write for children in this age group in a way that nurtures both the reading experience and the child behind the book? Here are some guiding principles I follow.

1. Keep language clear, but not empty

KS1 readers are developing confidence, so clarity is important. However, simple language does not mean plain storytelling. Rhythm, repetition and gentle playfulness make words enjoyable to speak and hear. I often read my drafts aloud to hear how they sound. If a sentence feels awkward or heavy, I reshape it until it flows.

2. Focus on feelings

Plot matters, but feelings are what children remember. A hedgehog who feels nervous about making friends or proud of helping someone will resonate more deeply than a complicated adventure. The emotional core makes the story meaningful. I always ask myself: what is the heart of this story? What is the feeling the child will carry after the last page?

3. Let illustrations take your hand

I don’t create my own artwork. I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful Italian illustrator whose style is warm, expressive and full of gentle detail. The illustrations bring Primrose and Prickles to life in a way that children immediately understand and feel drawn to. For young readers, illustrations are more than decoration. They guide understanding, build confidence and create a visual world that supports the text. A soft expression, a woodland clearing or a tiny paw reaching out can speak straight to the heart.

4. Let the world feel safe, even when challenges appear

Children need to feel secure in a story. This doesn’t mean avoiding all problems or conflict, but rather ensuring that care, love and friendship guide the outcome. In Hoglets’ Christmas Magic, worries arise and misunderstandings happen, yet comfort and kindness always lead the way back. KS1 stories are a gentle place to learn about emotions with a safety net in place.

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5. Step back and read with a child’s eyes

Before I finish any story, I picture myself at five or six years old. Would I feel curious? Would I smile? Would I want to turn the page? Children are the greatest truth-tellers. They respond to stories that feel real, warm and alive.

Writing for KS1 is not writing “down.” It’s writing with clarity, heart and deep respect. When we create stories for young children, we are shaping early ideas of love, friendship and belonging. That is a responsibility I treasure every day.

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Book Links:

Hoglets’ Great Egg Hunt : https://mybook.to/HogletEggHuntpaperback 

Hoglets’ Christmas Magic: https://mybook.to/HogletsChristmasPB 

Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise: https://mybook.to/HogletsBirthdayPB 

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Short Biography

Lynette Creswell is a multi-genre author who has written four fantasy books, two romance novels and three children’s stories. Lynette’s passion for short story writing has accredited her several writing awards, including SWWJ (Society for Women Writers and Journalists), Hammond House Publishing, Leicester Writes and Shooter Literary Magazine.

Her work spans over two decades, reflecting her lifelong love of storytelling. Lynette lives in Lincolnshire with her husband and their Dachshund, Albi, and treasures time with her grandchildren, who inspire her creativity.

Link to Amazon Author Page: https://urli.info/1e7pb

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about book titles and who chooses them. Many thanks to everyone who contacted me via my Maisie Thomas FB page, mainly to express their surprise that authors don’t necessarily get to choose their own titles.

This is a series based around popular misconceptions about authors, their writing and the publishing industry, and this week I’m going to take as my starting point something that all writers will immediately recognise…

“Of course, you only write when you feel like it… when you get inspiration…”

Grrr! We’ve all had this said to us, including by people we would have expected to know better(!). I don’t know how many times I’ve explained that it’s my job, it’s how I earn my living, and I have to work regular hours the same as anybody else who works for a living. Imagine if plumbers, teachers or heart surgeons only worked “when they felt like it”!

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

I would like to add to this famous quote from Somerset Maugham by saying:

There are indeed three rules for writing a novel.

1. There is no single rule that suits everyone.

2. There is one rule that applies to everyone.

3. Discipline!

Everyone has to find their own discipline. Here are some suggestions:

1. Don’t stop writing today unless you know exactly how you are going to start writing tomorrow.

2. Instead of saying, “I’ll do my other tasks first, and then all the remaining time will be for writing,” say, “I’ll write first, meet my target, and then do the other things afterwards.”

3. Set targets you can stick to – and then keep to them. The first target I set myself, years ago, was 500 words a day. I soon found that this was easily achieved and I upped it to 1,000 words, which was more of a challenge but still do-able alongside my full-time job. These days, I don't have word-count targets. Instead, my target is to write a certain number of scenes each day, and the number varies according to the likely length of the scenes.

4. Get your book written. Don’t be tempted to stop and edit as you go along. Worse still, don’t go back to the beginning and start again because the current version “isn’t good enough.” Finish the whole book and then, and only then, go back and do your editing.

5. Everything you write should earn its place on the page. Don’t include anything just to show off your knowledge. For example, I once read an historical novel in which the author knew all about a certain building. How do I know he knew? Because he spent a page and a half droning through its history and architecture, that’s how. It had nothing to do with the plot.

And I’m going to repeat point 1, because this is the piece of advice that people rave about the most when I say it:

Don’t stop writing today unless you know exactly how you are going to start writing tomorrow.

Good luck! Let me know if something I've said helps you. You can get in touch with me via Twitter (@Susanna Bavin) or via my FB page (Maisie Thomas Author).

I was so very sorry to learn that NaNoWriMo closed down earlier this year. For the uninitiated, that's National Novel Writing Month, when writers all over the world would aim to produce 50,000 words in a month - and not just any month, but November, which has one day fewer than most other months. That's a daily average of 1,667 words.

I signed up for the first time in 2011 in the middle of October and then spent the remaining days that month in a state of utter panic. Whether you think that 50,000 words in a month is a lot or not much depends on your personal circumstances, but for me at that time, it meant combining it with my job as a teacher. Hence the panic.

That November 1st, I spent the day at school, then came home and wrote 1,400 words, which on any other day would have been a splendid achievement; but in NaNo terms, I had fallen behind. That pretty well summed up the NaNo experience for me that first year. Some writers surged ahead. Apparently, the age group that was the most successful was the over-55s: retired people. As for me, I worked jolly hard; I wrote every day and on the days I wasn't at work I tried to produce at least 2,000 words - and usually succeeded.

I remember one day in particular. I wrote a single scene and the writing swam along. Finishing that scene felt like a huge achievement, especially as that day at school was extra long because of parents' evening. Even though I wrote "only" 1,000 words, I remember to this day the satisfaction I felt.

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Did I hit the 50,000 word target? Good grief, no. I managed 32,000 words. I could have written more (though nowhere near enough to get me anywhere close to 50,000) except that I fell into the editing trap. When you did NaNoWriMo, the one piece of advice you were given over and over was not to stop. Keep going. Save the editing for later.

Many writers more than doubled my word count, but I felt I had acquitted myself well. I had written every day for a month. I had worked hard and my average daily word count was over 1,000, which in the context of writing alongside going out to work felt rather good. More than good. I had the most marvellous feeling of achievement.

In later years, I exceeded the 50,000 words twice, once by the skin of my teeth (when writing The Surplus Girls) and once by an amazing 16,000 words - that was when I was writing The Surplus Girls' Orphans.

NaNoWriMo was jolly hard work but it was also the most tremendous fun.

Thanks, NaNo. I'll never forget letting the plot-bunnies out of the hutch ...

Readers make all sorts of assumptions about authors and publishing. 

'Did you publisher throw you a lovely party for your publication day?' is a common question.

'And of course, you chose/designed your own cover, didn't you?' is another.

So I've decided to run a series of blogs addressing these assumptions. If you (either as a reader or as an author, published or unpublished) have a matter you'd like me, as an experienced traditionally publsihed author, to write about, just let me know - either by leaving a comment here or through my Susanna Twitter page or else via my Maisie Thomas FB page.

Today's subject is titles. Readers automatcally assume the author chooses their own titles - and in some cases, they do - but by no means always. I can't give you any statistics to back this up, but I'm happy to share my own experience and you can draw your own conclusions.

Here goes!

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Who Chooses the Title for Your Book?

It's reasonable to assume the author chooses the title. After all, they wrote the book, didn't they? But there are other factors at work - mainly, marketing - and the choice about the title of your book is often made by other people.

Here's an extreme example. I once planned a book in great detail - several pages of synopsis. My editor was happy with it. She was the one who had chosen a title - let's call it ABC - for me to plan my story round. Then the plan was sent to Acquisitions, and they sent back a message saying, 'We'd rather have XYZ as the title, so please can you rewrite the plan accordingly.'

Okay, that's an extreme example - and, no, I'm not going to tell you which book it was - but it shows you how these things can work out.

Here is a list of the books I've had published so far, and I'm going to tell you who chose the titles. Buckle up, everyone!

Susanna Bavin titles

My first four books, all standalone sagas, were published by Allison & Busby, and the titles were mine all mine. At the time, I didn't know any better, but now I realise how very lucky I was, and I'll always be grateful to A&B for being happy to run with my choices - The Deserter's Daughter, A Respectable Woman, The Sewing Room Girl and The Poor Relation. 

My other Susanna books are the Home Front Girls series. With a 'Girls' series, the standard format is for book 1 to be The 'Whatever' Girls and after that choices are made that broadly reflect the content of the story.

The Home Front Girls was the standard series opener. The rest, Courage for the Home Front Girls, Christmas for the Home Front Girls, A Wedding for the Home Front Girls and A Baby for the Home Front Girls were all chosen on my behalf.

Polly Heron titles

Again, The Surplus Girls was the standard series opener. I had chosen titles for books 2 and 3 at the planning stage. (The full plan ran to about 30 pages - I'll blog about that particular planning process another time.) It doesn't matter now what my titles were, because they weren't chosen.

Book 2 became The Surplus Girls' Orphans and book 3 became Christmas With the Surplus Girls. When you write in a book, you generally give it a holding title, which is your chosen title, knowing that it might well be changed after you hand in the book. I was having trouble coming up with a holding title for book 4 and it was my agent who thought of New Beginnings for the Surplus Girls - which I loved, and I'm happy to say, so did the publisher.

Maisie Thomas titles

The Railway Girls series

With the Railway Girls books, book 1 was, of course, The Railway Girls. With books 2 and 3, I made some suggestions, based on looking at the titles in other 'Girls' series. I picked out Secrets of the Railway Girls and The Railway Girls in Love. It so happened that each title would do equally well for both books, and I had to choose which to assign to each one. (Incidentally, there was some discussion between my editor and the marketing department about a possible apostrophe - Secrets of the The Railway Girls or The Railway Girls' Secrets, but the use of apostrophes in titles is another subject all together!)

In the rest of the series - Christmas with the Railway Girls, Hope for the Railway Girls, A Christmas Miracle for the Railway Girls, Courage of the Railway Girls, Christmas Wishes for the Railway Girls and Springtime with the Railway Girls  - all the titles were chosen by the editor of the time.

The Wartime Hotel series

Dead simple! All three titles were chosen by my editor - A New Home at the Wartime Hotel, Hopeful Hearts at the Wartime Hotel and (decided upon just this week, with publication in March 2026) Dreams Come True at the Wartime Hotel.

So there you have it. Something else that's probably worth saying is that, when an author write a series, it isn't just each individual book title that s/he doesn't necessarily get to choose, they possibly won't even get to choose the series name either....

Every now and again, I look back through my work diaries to see what I was doing on this particular date in such-a-year. This week back in 2020, I was finishing work on Railway Girls book 3, The Railway Girls in Love.

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Link to The Railway Girls in Love on Amazon

I am delighted to use this week's blurb to introduce you to a new name in the world of saga writing - Rose Warner. Rose is the new name for Jen Gilroy, who writes contemporary romantic/family stories set in North America, as well as dual-timeline tales.

The first book by Rose Warner is The Teacher Evacuees, which is the first in a wartime trilogy set in Norfolk.

Here's the blurb:

Canadian-born teacher Victoria McKaye takes up a new position at a London school, but soon finds herself coordinating its evacuation to a Norfolk village along with standoffish spinster Beatrice and quiet young Nell. Victoria has to adapt to life in the countryside, petty politics and local busybodies.

When she meets attractive naval officer Louis Grainger, romance blossoms. Victoria is drawn into a clandestine world and told that she is helping the British government, but after she catches Louis covertly meeting a suspicious stranger in nearby woods, she fears the worst – a traitor in their midst.

It’s a race against time for Victoria to discover the truth and keep the village – and the country – safe from invasion.

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Link to Amazon Kindle

Link to Amazon paperback

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My review:

An emotionally satisfying story of new love, unexpected friendships and wartime courage, set against the backdrop of a beautifully described Norfolk setting. Victoria makes a sympathetic and interesting heroine - it's fascinating to have a Canadian perspective. Rose Warner handles her story deftly and realistically, warming your heart and making you smile in one chapter and then leaving you breathless at the drama in the next. A talented new voice in the world of sagas.

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Link to Rose Warner's author page on Amazon

Link to Jen Gilroy's author page on Amazon