LIGHT HEARTED & INTERESTING!

Received this comment from a reader about one of the romantic short stories in my book “Sunbeams from the Heart”. She said: “Must say that 'Hocus Pocus' is such a light-hearted, interesting story. And that gypsy woman was right on target!”

WARM RESPONSE ABOUT "SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART"

I’ve received a nice email from a former member of my old Bahamas Writer Forums in response to a notification sent out about “Sunbeams from the Heart”.

He says, “Delighted to hear from you once more, Fay. And thanks for sharing the good news about your recent publications. You've added a little warmth to the Canadian winter, which, though long-delayed this year, is at last settling about our doorstep. As I pull on my galoshes, I think of bare toes slipping into warm sand. Gives me the courage to open the door!”

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" GETTING AROUND!

Author Jeralyn Lash-Sands holding a copy of
 "Sunbeams from the Heart",
my book of romantic short stories

Author Jeralyn Lash-Sands, who lives in the U.S., posted this photo on Facebook, saying “Just received Fay Knowles’ new book - Sunbeams From The Heart. Can't wait to read it.”! 

Thanks a million, Jeralyn! Jeralyn’s picture book “The Big Bad Rain Monster” is also available on Amazon.

"REVENGE OF CORNELIUS" - NEW RELEASE BY TANYA R. TAYLOR

Tanya R. Taylor has been writing ever since she could remember holding a pencil and published her first book titled “A Killing Rage” as a young adult. She is now the author of both fiction and non-fiction literature. 

She writes in various genres including Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Thrillers, Science fiction, Mystery and Suspense. Most of her books have made Amazon's best-sellers' lists. 

Now Tanya has released "REVENGE OF CORNELIUS", which is a spin-off from the popular, spine-tingling, paranormal tale “CORNELIUS”, recent #1 Best-seller in the Teen & Young-adult. CLICK HERE

THE CHRISTMAS SHELTER

Here’s an excerpt from “The Christmas Shelter”, another romantic Christmas story that features in “Sunbeams from the Heart” - A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories:-

“That Christmas, when Tessa returned to the small town where her great aunt and uncle had spent most of their lives, the rooftops were white with snow. Shop windows glinted with decorations of reds and greens and golds and silvers. A Christmas tree with twinkling lights, shimmering garlands and a flashing star on top stood beside the town hall entrance. Outside, huddled together on the pavement, a small group of warmly wrapped people sung old familiar carols.”

“Sunbeams from the Heart” is available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback. CLICK HERE

CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE

An excerpt from “Christmas in Paradise”, one of the short stories that appears in “Sunbeams from the Heart” - A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories:-

“An elderly woman with a wide brimmed millinery creation that masked her eyes dropped some dollar notes into a Salvation Army Christmas kettle and entered a luxury jewellery store on Nassau’s old downtown Bay Street. She was followed by a dapper elderly man in a Panama hat, his nose and cheeks ruddy from sudden exposure to the tropical sun.”

“Sunbeams from the Heart” is available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback. CLICK HERE

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

It's a lovely sunny Christmas Day here in Nassau, Bahamas, and we're going for a walk on Paradise Island before we have our Christmas Dinner!

The Junkanooers will be in the shacks making their last minute preparations for the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade. Families will be joining together for Christmas Dinner, which here in the Bahamas will not only mean turkey and ham, but also baked macaroni cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, peas’n’rice and lots of other scrumptious Bahamian delicacies! 

Merry Christmas to all!

"THE PUNCH" NEWSPAPER FEATURES "SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART"!

My new book "Sunbeams from the Heart", a Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories, which is available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback, is featured in "The Punch" newspaper today!

CLICK HERE FOR "THE PUNCH" ONLINE

CHANGING IMAGES OF “THE SECRET GARDEN”

A friend recently told me, “Re-reading a book from one’s childhood after tens of years is like revisiting a place of one's childhood that one hasn't visited for the same length of time.”

That is so true. A few months ago I downloaded and read “The Secret Garden” on my Kindle. I had one picture in my mind of the garden and the garden wall when I read this classic as a child; I had a completely different picture in my mind when I re-read the book as an adult! 

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" - A REVIEW FROM THE U.K.

A reviewer of "Sunbeams from the Heart" from the U.K. says:-

"Fay Knowles’s skill is to keep a short story short. She sticks to the bones of the story and includes no superfluous details, but simply enough for us to get to know the characters. In this way, she maintains the pace of the story with one link of information leading to the next. The reader's interest does not flag and sometimes the ending is refreshingly unexpected."

BREEZY DAY

It’s cool and breezy here in Nassau, Bahamas, today. The wind rustling through the trees outside reminds me of Scotland, one of the main settings in my upcoming romantic suspense novel “Love at Sunset”. Memories flood back of happy days as a child in Scotland the country of my birth, hop-skip-and-jumping through the leaves as the huge firs bent under the wind.

STANDING OVATION FOR SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART!

I had a lovely surprise today when I walked into Starbucks to meet with two writer friends. They jumped to their feet and gave me a standing ovation for having written and published “Sunbeams from the Heart”! That has never happened in my life before for anything. Of course, everyone else in Starbucks wondered what on earth was going on!

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" FEATURES IN THE TRIBUNE'S "WEEKEND" SUPPLEMENT

Tribune Features Writer Jeffarah Gibson pens a wonderful article today in The Tribune’s “Weekend” supplement about “Sunbeams from the Heart”, my collection of romantic short stories. See page 23 of the “Weekend” or Click Here.

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" PRESS RELEASES

There should be some press releases about “Sunbeams from the Heart” going in local newspapers in the next day or so. And I’m also sending press releases to overseas newspapers in places where I have lived, worked or gone to school.

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" - AMAZON REVIEW

I’ve had some lovely comments from a reviewer on Amazon about my book “Sunbeams from the Heart”:- "This collection of short, romantic stories is heart-warming and beautiful….I was impressed by the way the author developed each plot and took the reader on a lovely journey of nostalgia, leaving a wonderful feeling inside. Stories such as these brighten your day and leave you wanting more of what the author has written."

SHORT STORY IN THE LADY MAGAZINE ENGLAND

“The Lady” magazine, London, England, has sent me a copy of my short story “Cupid Knows Best” as it appears in their special Annual Edition December 11th. I just love the presentation they have given the story and the illustrations are beautiful! “Cupid Knows Best” is also included in “Sunbeams from the Heart”, my collection of romantic short stories.

SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART - NOW IN PAPERBACK!

“Sunbeams from the Heart - A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories” is now available to order in PAPERBACK as well as to download as an e-book on Amazon.
Click here to see both editions

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART", COLLECTION OF ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES - PUBLISHED!

I am thrilled to announce that my book “SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" – A COLLECTION OF TWELVE ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES is now available as an e-book on Amazon. The paperback edition will also be for sale on Amazon in a couple of days.

Love themes in this collection of romantic short stories range from nostalgia to bright new beginnings to homecoming to second chance to the unexpected! 

For those of you obtaining a copy of “Sunbeams from the Heart”, I would love you to leave your comments on Amazon under “Customer Reviews”, no matter how brief! Thanks so much!

CLICK HERE FOR "SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART"

ROMANTIC SHORT STORY COLLECTION - RELEASE DATE!

My new book of romantic short stories will be released on Monday, December 14^th (God willing)! It will be available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback.

I could never have achieved this without the wonderful help of my good friend, author Tanya R. Taylor, whose own books have made Amazon’s best-sellers’ lists! Tanya designed my book’s beautiful cover and she is helping me throughout the publishing process. Tanya’s website is tanyaRtaylor.com  

THE WRITER’S PRAYER

My poem "The Writer's Prayer" was originally published as "The Evergreen Prayer" in the Winter 2013 edition of the British magazine "Evergreen". It was a Knowles family project to publish my poem as a song!

The song "The Writer's Prayer" - lyrics by Fay Knowles; music and vocals by my husband Erskine Knowles; and produced by our son Gavin Knowles/The Element Studio is available to listen to or download at the following link:-

CLICK HERE FOR THE WRITER'S PRAYER

GETTING PUBLISHED – A SWEET FEELING!

It’s a sweet feeling when an editor informs you that your short story is going to be published in an upcoming issue; it’s even sweeter when the story actually appears in that publication! 

My romantic short story “Cupid Knows Best” features in today’s special Annual Edition of “The Lady” magazine, London, England.

“The Lady” - Website

"The Lady" - Subscriptions

NEW BOOK OF ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES - PRESS RELEASES

I’m getting press releases ready to send out locally and to some of the places I've lived in abroad! 

If you have a special connection to certain places, local newspapers might be interested in your book's press release. For example, if you've gone to college overseas, send a press release to the newspapers in that town, mentioning that fact. Or if you've lived and worked abroad, you can write about that connection in the local newspapers where you lived.

NEW BOOK OF ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES

Book approved! Nearly ready to launch.

EVERYONE LOVES LOVE!

Having written mostly newspaper articles and feature stories over the years, I never thought of myself as a writer of romance. Even the stories and children’s book that I wrote growing up were mysteries and not at all romantic (of course, in my teens, my poems were often full of love lost and won!).

However, after looking over all of the short stories I’d written as an adult, I realized that most of them involved love and romance! And I began to write more and more in this genre. Now I am well on my way to publishing my first book of romantic short stories, to be followed soon after by my romantic suspense novel.

A little aside: I told a friend the other day about my upcoming book of romantic short stories. He was interested and asked jokingly if he was in the book! I said, “Are you romantic”? He replied, “I put the R in the word Romance!” I believe many men will read my romances too! As another friend commented, “We all love love!”

WHEN WRITERS MEET

We share, we laugh, we plan……What a joy it is to have friends with like minds. When writers meet, everything and everyone else fades into the background!

And out of these meetings come new ideas, new markets for our stories and books, new writing competitions to enter.

We part, newly motivated, and go back to our computers, ready to write that next best seller!

BOOK COVER

I've chosen a gorgeous picture for the cover of my romantic short story collection. I think you'll like it!

NEW COLLECTION OF ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES

Working towards releasing my new book of romantic short stories! It will be available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback.

UPCOMING COLLECTION OF ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES

I'm busy compiling my collection of romantic short stories, which I hope to launch by December 14th! This will be available in print or as an e-book.

WRITERS MEET

I’m off for coffee with a few writer friends in Starbucks this morning. Because we all have busy lives, we are only able to meet occasionally, but when we do, we get so much out of sharing our latest writing projects and future publishing plans.

It’s not a large group, usually only three or four writers at a time, but we are all interested in writing in one form or another. And it’s not a formal group. It’s casual and spontaneous, with one or other of us deciding, let’s get together. No stress. No demands. Only support and encouragement. I always come away from our little meetings with my writing fully charged!

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

It’s disappointing to hear that traditional publishing might not be all it was cut out to be any more! My writer friend Tanya R Taylor (Author of "Cornelius" - Amazon #1 Best-seller in Teen & Young Adult Multigenerational Family Fiction) shared some information she found on the web from another author, who says she was traditionally published for several years with a very large publisher. Tanya reports that this author got decent advances, but did encounter some problems. One of the books didn’t do as well, because somehow a retailer ordered it from the wrong publisher and no one noticed the book wasn't being carried by the retailer until release day. Then another retailer told the author’s publisher they would no longer be carrying their midlist authors, only the New York Times bestsellers.

Tanya says the author went on to be self-published and apparently sales are steady.

HOW I CAME TO WRITE MY FIRST NOVEL

I have written since the age of nine, wrote a full length children’s adventure story book when I was eleven, put out a colouring book for a shopping mall, wrote a book about two little boys’ on an island, had many feature stories and articles published over the years, and kept trying to get my short stories published. However, it wasn’t until my short story “Love at Sunset” was published in the July 19th, 2013, "Summer Collector's Edition" of "The Lady" Magazine, London, England, that my fiction really started to take off and I decided to write a novel.

The Editor of “The Lady” described my short story “Love at Sunset” as “hugely popular”. A friend in the U.K. mentioned it was reminiscent of the popular British television series “Last Tango in Halifax” about a couple in their seventies rekindling a relationship. And some readers told me that they would love to know more about the protagonists, so at the end of May 2014, I decided to develop a romantic suspense novel out of the short story.

Once started, it was much easier than I thought it would be! I got caught up in the characters and their lives and became excited about the novel. I was so excited, I started writing the book at the beginning of June, and the first draft was finished by the end of July! I worked hard on redrafting and my novel was finally ready to send out to prospective literary agents and traditional publishers by October 2014.

So far, I’ve sent out over sixty queries and submissions. One agent wrote that she had read a big chunk of my book and she loved the characters, the settings and the storyline, but she offered some suggestions for improvement. I made the changes and sent the novel back to her again. Despite a couple of follow-ups I haven’t heard back from her! This agent had even offered to let one of her assistants contact me with a critique, but I didn’t hear from them either.

I had one encouraging reply from an American publisher, who emailed me that my query had been forwarded to their committee for review. Most other responses were kind and encouraging, but probably generic!

I am determined to get my novel published, if not traditionally, by the wonderful world of publishing that has opened up on the internet. So look out for an announcement on this site that my novel “Love at Sunset” is to be published!

WELCOME!

Welcome to my new blog! I write romance. I love to create large as life characters and to set my stories in interesting locations. My aim is to write well and entertain my readers. I never send out a piece of work until it's the very best it can possibly be. I hope you will join me on my journey through the exciting world of writing and publishing!