I’m going to be a bit cheeky now, as I’ve been monumentally disorganised since returning from my travels around UK – even by my own standards! In my defence, I am apartment hunting, and taking care of a poorly cat, whom I’m thinking of renaming Houdini, as she’s become a genius at escaping her neck cone and batting it under the furniture to hide it! So … this month’s post is putting the Accent On this year’s pair of Accent Press nominees for the RNA’s Joan Hessayon Award. And they are … Kate Field, author of The Magic of Ramblings, and – here’s the cheeky bit – myself, author of Sitting Pretty.
Now before I go any further I’ll explain briefly to those who don’t know, that the Joan Hessayon Award is an annual prize, kindly sponsored by Dr David Hessayon OBE, in honour of his late wife, Joan, who was a long standing member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a great supporter of its New Writers’ Scheme. The nominees are authors whose début novels have been accepted for publication after passing through the NWS. The award ceremony takes place during the annual May summer party.
And here we are, 10 of the 11 nominees at this year’s party … That’s Kate and myself, hiding in the back row, with Vivien Hampshire. Middle row L-R: Lynda Stacey, Victoria Cornwall, Morton Gray and Abbey Macmunn. Front row: Arabella Sheen, Emily Kerr and Terri Fleming. Jen Gilroy couldn’t be with us on the night.
We had a fabulous evening, which flew by all too quickly. Lovely things were said about our novels while we were handed certificates. We clutched them as we waited for the winner to be announced … KATE FIELD!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Kate’s début novel, The Magic of Ramblings: 
“Running away can be the answer if you run to the right place…
When Cassie accepts a job as companion to Frances, an old lady living in a remote Lancashire village, she hopes for a quiet life where she can forget herself, her past and most especially men. The last thing she expects is to be drawn into saving a community that seems determined to take her to its heart – and to resuscitate hers…
Frances has lived a reclusive life at Ramblings, a Victorian Gothic mansion, for many years. So why now does she advertise for a companion and welcome strangers into her house?
Barney is hiding away at Ramblings, forging a new life as a farmer after his medical career ended in scandal. He doesn’t trust the mysterious woman who comes to live with his rich aunt, especially when she starts to steal Frances’ affection – and maybe his own too…
Can love, friendship, and the magic of Ramblings overcome the secrets of the past and unlock a brighter future?”
Kate Field writes contemporary women’s fiction, mainly set in her favourite county of Lancashire, where she lives with her husband, daughter and hyperactive cat.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
The Magic of Ramblings is her first published novel.
Social media links: Twitter: @katehaswords
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateFieldAuthor/
Buying links: http://amzn.to/29ZDTrv
Now I know this is supposed to be an Accent On … both Kate and myself, but you really don’t need to see another picture of my ugly mug! So here’s my début novel, Sitting Pretty:
“Professional pet-sitter Beth believes her Greek boyfriend, Alex is the one. When he’s offered a job in Dubai, he and Beth marry so they can move there together. But on the day they’re due to fly to their new life, Alex says their marriage was a mistake and ends it. By phone. Beth is suddenly husband-less and homeless. Distraught, and with her life in turmoil, when her old boss asks a favour she agrees on autopilot, and goes to feed Talisker the cat, whose handsome but dour owner Henry travels a lot. With nowhere to go and determined not to hear her mother’s “I told you so”, she sleeps on Henry’s sofa. Next day, Beth has her job back and a plan. For the time being, she’ll quietly stay in her clients’ homes until she can convince Alex that this is all a big mistake. She’s pretty sure squatting’s against the law, but if she’s careful, no one need find out … until the mysterious Henry comes home unexpectedly.”
Well that’s it for this month. I believe it’s the end of May Bank Holiday so Happy Bank Holiday weekend! And next month’s Accent will be On … nope – you’ll just have to wait and see!
April Hardy - Writing in the Sand 