Where the Bubul Sings

My guest today is Serena Fairfax, please join me in welcoming Serena to the blog and let’s find out more about her.

1) Where is your home town?

London is my home and no one sings its praises better than Adele in “Hometown Glory.” Listen and hum along to it.

2) How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pen your first book?

Off and on for years. I’d read some Mills & Boons and tried my hand at it. Well, I never cracked the M&B nut although STRANGE INHERITANCE and PAINT ME A DREAM were published by Robert Hale Ltd in its now defunct Rainbow Romance line.

3) Tell us a bit about your childhood in India, have you worked any of your experiences into your writing?

My father was an international businessman (I fantasised that this was his cover story and that he was really a secret agent). Wherever in the world he was posted, we followed. We spent many enjoyable years in India and as my mother was curious and gregarious we had lots of friends from all backgrounds. Some of the incidents in WHERE THE BULBUL SINGS such as the suicide and the acid attack sprang from real life episodes. Then I was sent to boarding school in England (loved it- midnight feasts in the dorm with, dare I say, more than the odd tipple smuggled in, and inspiring teachers) followed by University where I read law and then qualified as a lawyer, which is still the day job.

4) You’ve written 4 romances, there are so many sub-categories in this genre today where would you place each of your romances?

STRANGE INHERITANCE, PAINT ME A DREAM, GOLDEN GROVE and WILFUL FATE (all 50,000 words) are what I categorise as light contemporary romances with a happy ever after ending. Where THE BULBUL SINGS is contemporary women’s fiction (over 100,000 words) with a romance theme but essentially a story of a woman from the minority Anglo-Indian community who reinvents herself. IN THE PINK (45,000 words) isn’t a romance but an entertainment.

5) “Where the Bulbul Sings” is set in an Anglo-Indian community, what is a Bulbul?

A bulbul is an Indian songbird or, more romantically, nightingale. Bulbuls perch in Africa, Asia and as far north as Japan. They have short necks, long tails, wings are rounded and short and they vary in length from 13cms to 29cms. They are highly vocal. Some bulbuls are rather drab whilst others have colourful plumage. Most bulbuls are monogamous but the yellow whiskered greenbul is polygamous!

6) How does the title reflect the story?

Ah, that’s for the reader to determine!

7) You’ve written another book “In the Pink” it is described as a wry comedy, tell us a little about the book and where the idea for the storyline came from.

A friend’s brief involvement with an NGO (non-governmental organisation) triggered the storyline and of course, I pumped it up and invented a lot of incidents and characters including the delightful Dame Marjorie Sandringham.

8) You are part of the “Romantic Novelists Association”, why is this a good group for aspiring romance writers to join?

It embraces a range of writer from newbies, the successful and still struggling and is supportive and encouraging to all. But what would be even better is if it were to go the extra mile to welcome to the membership, talented indie authors who haven’t before been published by traditional houses, thereby ending the unjustified bias against them. The local chapter meetings are a fun place to exchange ideas and the speakers give valuable tips on hot topics.

9) As an Indie Author, what marketing tools have worked well for you?

Marketing is 90% of an indie author’s work and is a hard slog but one mustn’t blush unseen. I give talks, appear at romance book fests (I’m participating in the Festival of Romance which is being held in November), blogging, guest posting, being interviewed on other writer’s blogs and joining writers’ groups. One never knows where it will lead.

10) Tell us about your latest book. Do you have a planned publication date?

My latest offspring is an erotic romance. I hope I’ve pulled it off (no pun intended). It’s scheduled for release as an ebook in December 2013.

Thanks so much, Rosie.

For a direct link to this book click here for Amazon.co.uk