Elaine Everest has popped in today to tell us all about her latest saga, A Mother Forever, featuring Ruby Castelton from the Woolworths series
Welcome, Elaine! It’s great to have you visit us once again.
Thank you both so much for inviting me to your blog today.
First of all, can you give us an insight into your main character?
The main character in A Mother Forever is Ruby Castelton. We join her as she is moving into her new home in Alexandra Road, Erith and hoping for a better future for her husband, Eddie and young son, George after living in rooms in an unpleasant area of London. Her mother, Milly is joining them which causes problems – her husband is not enamoured of his mother-in-law.
Collapsing in the street and taken in by neighbour, Stella Green, events unfold that are to shape Ruby’s future.
What inspired you to write A Mother Forever?
For a long time, readers have asked about Ruby Castelton as they’ve only known her since 1938. Gradually the idea came to me of events and family situations that would have made Ruby the strong woman we knew when she was in her later years. Ruby was born and lived through interesting times and it was my job to show this in my story.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Whether I write novels or short stories I know that a character’s name is extremely important. The Christian name must be ‘of the time’ and not stand out as too modern for a historical novel. Of course, there are always evergreen names that seem to stand the test of time. I once had a student who only ever used the name Sarah for her main character. Fortunately for her it was a name that stood the test of time, but would that name suit every character. A name is like a favourite pair of shoes in that it has to feel right and be comfortable for the reader.
Surnames and a few first names I like to take from my own family history. Tomkins, Sayers, Caselton, and many more are also local to the area where my stories are set. I will add that when I visit my online family history charts I can see stories and adventures in so many names, that three hours later I’m no further forwards in my writing.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
For me research is an ongoing project. When I start to think about the plot of a book I will start my research. When this is for a future book I can enjoy reading books, watch documentaries and attend talks (oh, how I long to return to attending talks) and digging into history. This can mean I have a pile of books taken from my vast stock of non-fiction book, or indeed I may be browsing second-hand shops and online sites for new gems I can delve into in the name of research. A recent delivery containing books about the way people die, bastards in history, and crimes set in Kent had my husband asking what I was up to!
I do like a fancy box, so have a stock of them, which I label for a certain project and stash away cuttings, notes and books – that’s when I’m being tidy. I usually have three book ideas on the go at any one time so there are boxes and piles of books everywhere.
What does success look like to you?
To be honest the word ‘success’ embarrasses me. It is so big headed to believe one is successful, but isn’t that what writers strive to be, and why our agent, publisher, and publicist aim for as they build our brand?
For me success means people recognise my books and want to read more. These readers are supportive of what I write and appear at my talks and frequent my Facebook author page while signing up for my newsletters via my website.
What new writers need to understand is that a successful writer also earns above the average income for our profession – and that can be hard!
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Now where did I put that list…?
There is the usual advice to keep reading and write new words every day. I would add to that to not be afraid to read your own genre and if you don’t enjoy doing just that ask yourself why you are writing it?
It is never too early to start studying publishers and agents and keeping a list for when you are ready to submit.
Keep attending talks, workshops classes as we never stop learning.
Most importantly be prepared for rejection as it’s is a rite of passage and don’t ever believe that everything you write is going to be published. All the best authors have books languishing on hard drives that should never see the light of day.
Thank you so much Elaine & Francesca for inviting me today.
Elaine xx
Thank you for that, Elaine, and the very best of luck with A Mother Forever.
A MOTHER FOREVER
1905: Ruby Caselton may only be twenty-five years old but she already has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Heavily pregnant with her second child, penniless and exhausted, she is moving her family into a new home. The Caseltons left their last place when they couldn’t pay the rent, but Ruby’s husband Eddie has promised this will be a fresh start for them all. And Ruby desperately hopes that this time he will keep his word.
With five-year-old George at her feet and her mother having a cross word for everyone and everything, life is never dull at number thirteen Alexandra Road. It doesn’t take long before Eddie loses another job and once again hits the bottle. It’s up to Ruby to hold them all together, through thick and thin. She remembers the kind, caring man Eddie once was and just can’t give up on him entirely. What she doesn’t know is that Eddie has a secret, one so dark that he can’t bear to tell even Ruby . . .
Through Ruby’s grit and determination, she keeps food on the table and finds herself a community of neighbours on Alexandra Road. Stella, the matriarch from across the way, soon becomes a friend and confidante. She even dreams that Ruby will ditch the useless Eddie and take up with her eldest son, Frank. But when war breaks out in 1914, the heartbreaks and losses that follow will fracture their community, driving both Stella and Ruby to breaking point. Will their men ever return to them?
A Mother Forever is the moving story of one woman’s journey through the worst trials of her life – poverty, grief, betrayal – but through it all is the love and comfort she finds in family: the family we’re connected to through blood, but also the family we make for ourselves with neighbours and friends.
Paperbacks are available now from all supermarkets and booksellers and all good online sellers.
About Elaine
Elaine hails from North West Kent and grew up listening to stories of the war years in her hometown of Erith, which features in her bestselling Woolworths Girls series. A former journalist, author of non-fiction books for dog owners, and qualified creative writing tutor. Elaine has written well over one hundred short stories and serials for the women’s magazine market. When she isn’t writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school in Hextable, Kent.
Elaine is currently published by Pan Macmillan for her Sunday Times Bestselling historical sagas including the Woolworths Girls series and The Teashop Girls series. She is represented by Caroline Sheldon at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency and lives with her husband, Michael and Polish Lowland Sheepdog Henry.
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