It sounds like you have one of the few rogue copies of Bad Behaviour. When it was first published a batch of books were sent out to shops missing the last few chapters. Most of these copies were recalled and replaced. If you bought it new you can bring it back to the shop for a replacement copy. There should be 37 chapters in the full book – and I hope you’ll like how things turn out for Darcey…..

all the best
Sheila

I have just reread Bad Behaviour and I felt it ended a little abruptly. Will there be a continuation? is there a sequel? I was hoping that Darcy would find herself with Neil Lombard?

Well, you’ve asked the million dollar question and it’s not one I have a good answer for. I wouldn’t be despondent about not making it through the ABNA competition this year.The fact that you made it before shows that you have an ability to tell a story that reached someone. Chosing a work to make it through a competition can depend totally on the preferences of the people reading the submissions. For example, two of my novels were shortlisted for the RNA awards but in my view a different novel was a far more likely story to have been shortlisted but it didn’t make it. So these things can be very arbitrary.

There is a difference between writing for your own pleasure and writing for publication. I suppose all of us want to share our work with as many people as possible and that’s what keeps you going throughout the time when it seems you’re only writing for yourself. However, you have to want to write for yourself too, otherwise you wouldn’t do it at all. You have to almost have a need to put things down on paper to keep going. And the truth is that most writers feel that way. I wrote a lot of work that was never published before I eventually signed a contract. You’ve got to look at it as learning and refining your skills as a wirter.

The ABNA competition is just one avenue for your writing. If you have work that you feel is ready to be submitted for publication you should check out the FAQ on my site which gives some info on the process.

very best of luck!
Sheila

When I first had Claire bite her lip it was because she was still in a very emotional state. Somehow that habit crept into the book more than I realised. I should have picked it up when editing but sometimes you miss those things. However I did cop on to it afterwards and as a result nobody has bitten a lip in one of my books since!

all the best
Sheila

For the third year in a row I took part in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) competition.
The first year I made the first cut, last year and this year I didn’t.

I thought I stood a good chance this year. I had a good story and a real editor helped me with my pitch.
Still, it wasn’t good enough.

Tonight I’m wondering how a writer keeps going? On the one hand they say that anything that one enjoys doing is never a waste of time, but on the other hand … why keep going and going if there is no place to go?

At what point does a writer give up?

Conny

Sorry Sheila

Yes, my books are now availbe as ebooks and you can get them from either WH Smith or Waterstones

http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/AFB6B720-EFB0-430F-AC9C-F562AA854400/10/132/en/Default.htm

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/browse/ebooks/4294964587/

I was just wondering if all your books are available in ebook format (for sony ereader)…if so can you direct me to where I can purchase same.

Thanks

Are you thinking of the Connections collection? There’s a story in that called Jennifer about a girl who’s about to be married and I adapted that for the Open Door series as a short novel called Three’s A Crowd. The Open Door series is for people who’ve come to reading late in life and so they’re simpler novels than my usual full-length ones. You might also be thinking of the story called Isobel, which is a kind of sequel to my novel Isobel’s Wedding.

Hope this helps!

Sheila

Good luck with your paper! I was born in 1958.

best wishes
Sheila