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Author's book deal dream - COMMENT ON THIS STORY
A SINGLE mum is celebrating signing a five-book deal – and finally achieving her childhood dream.
Claire Connor lives at home with her parents in Scalby Road and has her hands full the majority of the time looking after five-year-old daughter, Sophie.
She said: "I'm still a bit bamboozled by the whole thing, you don't really expect to be offered a five-book deal any day of the week!"
Lipstick Confessions is a series of five contemporary stories of romance and intrigue set in London, New York, Northumbria, Yorkshire and Oxford. Rosie: Note To Self is the first in the saga – the other four are yet to be written.
Currently juggling two part-time jobs, playing the trombone and writing, the 31-year-old said it wasn't easy trying to complete the book. She said: "There have been a lot of late nights and running to the school gates, but I got there in the end."
Her inspiration for the series derives from the Bible. Each book focuses on the fundamental principles of a Biblical story, but tells the tale in a modern and light-hearted narrative style.
As the series name suggests, the chick-lit style books are aimed predominantly at women. She said: "The first book is a contemporary re-telling of The Book of Ruth. It is basically the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter and how tragedy strikes the family, and how they rebuild their lives." She added: "It is uplifting and has the Cinderella factor about it."
Miss Connor has written the books under the experienced guidance of Scarborough's internationally acclaimed author, Graham Taylor.
After a chance meeting Miss Connor was encouraged to apply for an admin job for the New York Times Best Selling author. She was successful, and later plucked up the courage to show him some stories she was submitting to a Chick-Lit competition. Mr Taylor loved her stories and they agreed to join forces and become co-authors.
Miss Connor described the way the two worked together as the papier mache approach. "I would write the first chapter, then it would go to Graham and he would add another layer in, and then it would come back to me. I don't think even we can even decipher whose was which bit now, it is so intermeshed."
She added: "It has been fantastic for me working with Graham, he knows a lot about the craft. To be mentored by him is a great opportunity."
Now the series deal is signed and sealed, the two are in talks with film companies about the rights to their first book, Rosie: Note to Self.
Miss Connor hopes she will be able to focus on the writing full time before long. But for the time being she remains Mr Taylor's PA and runs her own holistic therapy business.
She said: "It is fantastic, and I am really excited about it. But I won't believe it until I have the book in my hand."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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