Recipes for Disaster - Sexilicious Romantic Comedy combined with Fab, Fun Recipes.
Somebody to Love – Sigh with contentment, scream with frustration. At times you will weep.
Warrant for Love - Three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly.
A Little Bit of Madness – White Knight in Blue rescues The Harbour Rest Home.
Learning to Love – Exploring the Fragility of Love, Life and Relationships.
- and has since been offered a further contract! A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She works part-time in her own business and is a mum and a foster mum to disabled dogs.
LEARNING TO LOVE by Sheryl Browne
Exploring the Fragility of Love, Life, and
Relationships...
Learning to Love is the fabulous new novel by Sheryl Browne and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, a laugh to your belly and a warm glow to your heart.
As ever, Sheryl combines the nuances of family life with the highs and lows of love and the tenderness and sadness of real life getting in the way of moving on.
Andrea juggles being a teacher and mum to truculent teens Ryan and Sophie and toddler-with-a-chip-obsession Chloe with caring for her elderly mother, a partner who’s not very good on the domestic front and a Yorkshire terrier named Dougal. Andrea wants to start her own business selling designer second hand clothing, thus giving her a more flexible approach to work and enabling her to spend more time with her dementia suffering mother but Andrea’s partner Jonathan has other ideas.
Meanwhile, opposite the madhouse that is Andre’s home, newcomer David is struggling with his ten year old Jake after a tragedy in their lives that has left David feeling guilty and helpless; Jake lost and alone and neither knowing how to be with the other.
When Andrea’s house burns down it is David who helps to rescue them and gives them a temporary home whilst it seems Jonathan has disappeared....and Andrea’s dreams of owning her own clothing business also seem to have gone up in smoke.
With the support of friends and neighbours Andrea just about manages to get back on her feet and the presence of her own unruly children in Jake’s life, especially Ryan, seems to be having an effect on his opening up; but whilst Jonathan’s absence may not be making her heart grow fonder the presence of David is causing a flutter that means there could be more changes afoot than planned....
Sheryl has made the cast of characters so realistic and compelling that it is hard to believe they are not real! Ryan and Sophie are so credible as argumentative teens that I was certain I was reading about my own two of the same age and whilst dementia is certainly no laughing matter, she portrays Andrea’s mother and the scrapes she gets into with just the right degree of humour that the reader can empathise with both Andrea and her mum whilst appreciating that a person with dementia is still a person in their own right. As for Jake and David’s bereavement and the guilt and loneliness it has fostered, their stories are told with a sensitivity and knowledge that rings true.
A wonderful supporting cast of characters with a sub-story also told with humour and empathy, this novel is about pain and loss but ultimately, as the title says, Learning to Love and as such is a thoroughly enjoyable story that will tug at your heartstrings but will also have you feeling as if you’ve had a glimpse into the very heart of a real family and leave you smiling.
And now..Sheryl gives us some fascinating insights into her working life with this fabulous interview. Many thanks to Sheryl for taking the time to answer my questions - and please, go buy her book now, you'll love it!
What inspired you to write your first book?
I decided to write a bestseller when… Lol. Seriously, I needed to escape, to runaway to my own secret place. Coming from a large family, reading, anything and everything, and making up stories in my head as a child was a kind of escapism for me. I think I started writing seriously as a catharsis to complicated, sometimes sad, situations in my own life. That said, I’m a look-on-the-bright-side sort of person and therefore strive to bring humour into my writing. I like to write romantic comedy because I feel drawn to write about real people trying to overcome life’s little obstacles. Characters portraying people readers can relate to and laugh (and cry) with as they fall over those obstacles, because the reader is empathising with the character, because they’ve been there.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I do tend to look at subjects that require sensitive handling and a good deal of research, as well as personal empathy. In Somebody to Love we have an autistic little boy, for instance. My aim here was to capture the highs and the lows of caring for a special needs child, hopefully to leave the reader with a better understanding of autism. It was a challenge, and definitely needed handling with sensitivity. My latest book Learning to Love started life as a short - the theme of which was bereavement in childhood, which was accepted by the Birmingham City University to be published in their Anthology. Again, it wasn’t an easy subject to tackle. My reasons for doing so were feelings around loss in my own life. Featuring a widowed father and his son, the book looks at the loss of a parent in childhood and how a child dealing with such a tragedy might be encouraged to grieve. Life events had fuelled the emotion. Research, talking to children who had suffered in such a way, provided the story I felt I needed to tell. What struck me above all was the coping mechanism devised by one lone parent. He called it The Memory Box: A simple shoebox, stuffed full of photographs of the child’s mother along with other personal trinkets that would remind him of her. Importantly, remind him of the good times, the positive things his mother brought to his life, the times they laughed together. It was easy to see how humour plays a great part in the healing process. I called my short The Memory Box, in honour of that father and his little boy. Poignant, yet humorous – or as a reviewer put it fiction that “deals with loss & betrayal in manner that lifts it far above average 'chick lit’”, Learning to Love is truly written from the heart.
How long does it take you to write a book and do you ever have writer's block?
I’d say a first draft takes about six months. Thereafter, the story has a second draft, and then a ‘rest’, before tackling a third draft. I will employ an editor if I feel I am just too close to the work. On Warrant for Love, I turned to the Romantic Novelists’ Association, who recommended me a wonderful lady (who wasn’t too costly!). On another, I asked JB Johnston, of Brook Cottage Books, who offers Author Services, to do a ‘Final Read Through’. Her feedback was invaluable. And, yes, I do get dreaded writer’s block! Usually, I find I’m stuck on a point because my mind is refusing to work laterally. If I mull it over while I’m well away from my desk, doing something physical like walking the dogs, I’ll get a light-bulb moment and realise I can write it another way. Problem is, I don’t very often have a pen and paper to hand while out traipsing over hill and dale.
Where do you get your ideas and information from when you are writing a book?
As mentioned, my ideas are often sparked my real life events, some traumatic, some amusing, but my writing is always about the people and how they overcome life’s obstacles. From there, it’s research and more research. I prefer to talk to people face-to-face, but books and libraries are still an invaluable source of material, along with Google, of course.
What do you like writing about the most; romance, relationships, comic elements, plot, twists?
All of the above! But if had to choose one, I’d say relationships. But then, have you ever known a relationship that doesn’t have comic elements? As for the twists and plots, life never goes according to plan, does it? Often you’ll think you’re on a straight road, destination in sight, and then along comes a bend, or even a junction. Suddenly you have to make choices.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Ohhhh, a bit of this and that, nothing too taxing.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Possession by A S Byatt. It part of my reading for my MA in Creative Writing course. Almost finished! Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Have any new authors grabbed your interest lately? If so, who and why?
Oooh, loads. My latest read independent of my course is Storm Clouds Gathering by Pauline Barclay. I’ve read another two of Pauline’s books. She’s extremely talented, bringing real characters and relationships to the page you can totally relate to. You can read a couple of my reviews for her here: http://sheryls-ramblings.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=pauline+barclay]
What's next?
A thriller – from the Safkhet Publishing Suspense line: The Edge of Sanity. Release date is 30th April. Watch this space!
http://www.safkhetpublishing.com/books/suspense/Edge_of_Sanity.html
A HUGE, HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL THE BOOK BLOGGERS AND READERS WHO HAVE GIVEN OF THEIR TIME AND REVIEWED MY BOOKS SO WONDERFULLY.
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