This Tuesday, we are looking at another one of our authors, Wendy Beasley, and her two books: CHARLOTTE AND THE FAIRIES - a children’s book, and BEASTS AND BUTTERFLIES - a Crime and Romance novel.

We got in touch with Wendy to talk about her books, and she was kind enough to answer some questions for us.   

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Almost from the day that I discovered reading. I wanted to make my own stories as magical and exciting as the ones I read.

How long did it take you to write your first book?

My first book was 'Charlotte and the Fairies' and although I thought of the story a long time ago, it took over twenty years to come to print.

What do you think makes a good story?

Different things for different people, but I confess, I never write with other people in mind. I am guilty of sticking to the story with very little description which I tend to add later.

However, for me, I tend to write how I read and often skip lengthy unnecessarily detailed descriptions of the weather, the cloud formation, or the drops of dew on the grass. For me, the book is about the story and that is what I want to concentrate on with minimum scene setting other than my own interpretation in my own mind.

What inspired you to write your books?

'Charlotte and the Fairies' - was inspired by my first granddaughter Charlotte. She moved house with her parents and was very unsettled and unhappy, so I made up the story of the Fairy Garden and the Fairies that watched over her to make her feel better.  She never forgot it and years later, at her request, I wrote the story down.

'Beasts and Butterflies' - My inspiration for 'Beasts and Butterflies' was strong women that had overcome adversity in childhood to become who they are today. I also wanted to write a story where many of the characters have secrets which become more significant when one of them dies. My aim was to keep my readers guessing until the end and I think that 'Beasts and Butterflies' achieves this.

What did you learn when writing the book?

I learned what enormous fun it was to start to tell yourself a story, and then finding out what happens.

What surprised you the most?

Finding out just how difficult it was to sell books. I always thought getting them published was the hardest thing but I have since found out that holding a published book in your hands is no guarantee of sales, and the author must commit an enormous amount of time and effort to give it its best chance.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Do not self-publish or pay to be published even though you believe your book to be worth it. Without the endorsement of a recognised publisher you have no way of knowing if your book is good or bad and, although you may well be your own harshest critic, you will still only see what you meant, not necessarily what you have written. A good publisher with a good editor who is prepared to make suggestions and is not afraid to criticise will make your book as good as it can be, and this is what many self-published books lack.  Write your book, believe in your book, but don’t be blinkered to others’ opinions. Finally, if at all possible, try to find yourself an agent; they are well worth their fee.  I have not yet succeeded in this, but I truly believe it makes an author’s life so much easier, and their books so much more profitable.

Can you tell us about your books?

CHARLOTTE AND THE FAIRIES - Charlotte was just five years old when she moved to a new house with her Mummy and Daddy, Morgan the Dog and Billy the Budgie. She felt a bit sad leaving her own home and a bit strange in the new one. Then everything changed when she discovered the fairies in the garden. Nan had often told her about fairies, and she loved the stories she told about them but didn’t really believe them. For fairies weren’t real; were they?

BEASTS AND BUTTERFLIES - Rachel was brutally raped at just 13 years old by Richard, the father of her best friend. The resulting pregnancy was seen as shameful by her adoptive parents, and she was sent off to stay with her adoptive grandmother and have her baby in secret.  Somehow from this disastrous beginning, Rachel manages to make a life for herself and her son, Tom. Although her adoptive parents never forgave her or accepted her back home, when they die, she has the chance to do just that. She decides to make a new start with Tom in the cottage she grew up in, but is dismayed to find that Richard still lives in the village. Could she face him and what would she tell Tom, who has no idea who his father is?  Rachel picks up with her old friend and meets new ones including John, who turns out to be more than just a friend. Richard hasn’t recognised her, and life is going well until Richard is found dead, and the police think it's murder. Rachel soon realises that everyone she knows and loves, including herself, has a reason to see Richard dead. But the only thing she is sure of is she didn’t kill him.

Find your copies of CHARLOTTE AND THE FAIRIES and BEASTS AND BUTTERFLIES here:

https://pegasuspublishers.com/authors/wendy-beasley