Please welcome back the delightful Luisa A Jones and her writing caves, news of her new release with Storm (it has the most gorgeous cover) and one or two writing tips. Over to you, Luisa …

Hi Georgia, and thanks so much for inviting me to contribute to your fabulous blog. This time I thought I’d give your readers a glimpse into my writing cave. It’s more of a corner than a cave, as it’s very far from being a cavernous space. I’ve only recently moved into this room, which I still think of as my eldest son’s bedroom even though he left home years ago. Since he recently bought a house with his partner, I can now use the room myself. I have two desks, but only one of them is used for writing.

There’s so little floor space that when my son and his partner come to stay, we have to take one of the desks out to make room for their guest bed. The ironing basket and laundry airer have to move out too – I didn’t bother taking photos of those as I’m sure your readers won’t find them particularly interesting! A room this tiny in a family home has to be multi-functional. 

I have a day job as well as being a writer, and since 2020 I’ve worked from home. My need to compartmentalise means that I use the desk pictured below solely for my day job.

Moving from this desk to a completely separate working space against a different wall helps me get back into my writing zone more quickly after logging out of my work laptop. I just wheel my office chair from one to the other to change roles, and use my personal laptop for writing. Admittedly the zones overlap a teeny bit, as I have writing-related items on the noticeboard above my work desk. I was careful to conceal any information that might give spoilers when I took the photograph, in case anyone is curious enough to zoom in!

Until my son bought his house, my writing desk was in a corner of my bedroom. It’s where I wrote The Broken Vow, but it was never a satisfactory arrangement: I couldn’t put up a corkboard or keep my research books readily to hand without making the grown-up bedroom I share with my long-suffering husband look like student digs. It’s lovely now to have my noticeboards and my books around me, to hang schedules and prompts above my desk, and not to feel guilty about my clutter.

As you’ll see from this photograph, I’m not the tidiest of people! There’s a stack of library books next to my mouse, ready for me to continue my research for my next novel. Other essentials for my comfort are hand cream, tissues for those emotional writing moments, notebooks and propelling pencils, and of course a cup of tea (preferably in a bone china mug, as my mum taught me that it really does make it taste better). The blanket keeps my lap warm while I’m writing. I crocheted this one and I’m fond of it as daffodils are the national flower of Wales.

It’s a beautifully cosy space, Luisa and I love the blanket. Another of your talents! I’m feeling very inadequate. I can’t crochet to save my life!

When I’m writing, I can be easily distracted by noise from other family members. Shutting the door doesn’t help, as the dog or one of the cats will usually disturb me by scratching to come in. I find that playing white noise on my laptop really helps me concentrate, and I’ve discovered a website with a recording of the Irish sea to drown out distractions. The sound levels can be adjusted, which is great as I can set the wind level louder than the water sounds which would send me constantly running for the bathroom! There’s also a timer, useful for the occasions when I’m struggling with motivation and use the Pomodoro technique to get my mind “into the zone”.

Great tips!

When I read your blog post by Lizzie Lamb, I was in awe of both her writing cave and her efficiency. Like her, I’m a former teacher, but I fear I’d struggle to match her for organisational skills. These days I make use of Scrivener’s corkboard and Save the Cat to structure my books, but I’m a bit of a ‘plantser’ so I don’t have everything worked out when I start writing. Ideas for scenes, dialogue, character motivation and back stories will often come to me as I’m falling asleep, and I have to jot them down in a notebook beside the bed straight away or they’ll be forgotten by morning. 

Every writer who reads this will empathise. We all do it!

When I’m researching, I make detailed notes in subfolders on OneNote.

I’ve also created a mind map of themes and a timeline of World War II on the Miro website. I’ve only recently discovered this site, but it’s been very useful when planning my next books for Storm Publishing.

Due to worries about being too easily distracted, and having limited time away from my day job, I don’t tend to write in places like coffee shops or libraries unless I’m away from home. However, I do sometimes write in my old Volkswagen camper van, especially on holiday or near the beach if my husband is surfing. It gives me a chance of some writing time in a different environment, and gets me out of the house. This photo was taken while we were on holiday in Guernsey last summer. I got some writing done while my husband and daughter swam in the sea. Who doesn’t love a sea view?

How gorgeous does this look? I’ve got serious Campervan envy!

My dream writing cave would be a summerhouse or cute vintage caravan in the garden. The back garden of my home slopes quite steeply upwards from the house, and from the top there are lovely views past our very ordinary 1960s housing estate out towards the hills, so I could imagine sitting at the top of the garden in a little ‘she-shed’, kidding myself that I’m writing and not just gazing at the scenery. Realistically, I probably wouldn’t want to traipse up the steps with my laptop if the weather was wet or cold, so I’m better off keeping my current arrangement, at least until I retire from my day job. After that, who knows? Perhaps I’ll write while travelling around in the camper van, or move closer to the coast so that there’s always a sea view. A writer has to have her dreams!

Absolutely! If you’d like to find out more about Luisa and her gorgeous new release, read on for buying links, social media links and information about The Broken Vow:

Links:

www.luisaajones.com

Tweets by Taffy_lulu

https://www.facebook.com/LuisaAJonesauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/luisa_a_jones_author/

And here’s the info about The Broken Vow, released on 22^nd January 2024:

Marriage was what Charlotte had been brought up to. After all, it provided a happy ending for all the heroines in the novels she sometimes read. So it would be for her… right?

Born into luxury, Charlotte Fitznorton has always known a life filled with lavish parties and a line of suitors, all part of a future neatly laid out for her by her father, Sir Lucien. She is to marry well and continue the line at Plas Norton, the family seat. When Eustace Chadwycke – son of a viscount – proposes just before leaving to fight in France, it seems Charlotte’s destiny is perfectly falling into place.

Then, tragedy strikes. Her father dies unexpectedly, and her future hangs in the balance – threatened by her hated stepmother Rosamund’s surprise pregnancy. News of Eustace, returning from the war broken by its horrors, leaves Charlotte fearing her engagement may be as fragile as her inheritance.

Determined to at least save her impending marriage, Charlotte pours her energy into turning Plas Norton into a healing place for Eustace and other war-weary soldiers. But small-minded townspeople, a bossy head nurse, and her newborn baby sister’s arrival push Charlotte to her limits.

Just as hope is slipping through her fingers, a mysterious stranger arrives at Plas Norton. This newcomer holds the power to upend everything Charlotte has fought to preserve. Will she have the strength to protect her legacy, or could this unexpected visitor awaken a desire in Charlotte for a different life altogether?

A beautiful and heartbreaking historical novel, if you loved anything by Fiona Valpy or Lucinda Riley, this book is for you.

And this is a little info about our guest author:

Luisa A Jones lives in South Wales, and takes inspiration from the Welsh countryside, towns, history, and of course its people. Her writing explores the dynamics within relationships, the pressures that mental health issues can exert on people, and how these can be overcome.

Luisa studied Classical Studies at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London. Her previous jobs have included tour guide in an historic house; teacher in both primary and secondary schools; careers adviser; and corporate trainer/assessor. 

Luisa loves using her creativity for crafting and baking, as well as writing historical and contemporary fiction with romantic elements. She and her husband are the proud owners of Gwynnie, a Volkswagen camper van built in 1974, which inspired the story behind Luisa’s first book, Goes Without Saying. They have three children, a dog, and two cats.

Becoming an author fulfilled a lifelong ambition. Her first historical novel in The Fitznortons series, The Gilded Cage, was released by Storm Publishing in 2023, followed by the sequel The Broken Vow in January 2024.

Thank you so much for coming on, Luisa. Huge luck with your new release. Diolch!