Five minutes with ... Lynne Shelby
Many of your books are set abroad, particularly Italy. Do you start with a particular location in mind and visit it for research, or do you go on holiday and get inspired to write a book about that place?
I love travelling, and I’m inspired to write by places I’ve visited on holiday rather than choosing a location for a book then visiting it. Experiencing the atmosphere of a place, not only the sights but the sounds and scents, or a particular quality of the light, definitely inspires me to write. My latest book, A Venice Summer, was inspired by my visits to that beautiful city.
What’s your favourite thing to do in Venice?
I love seeing the famous landmarks in Venice, such as St Mark’s Square, or visiting the Accademia to see the paintings, and a ride in a gondola is fairly high up the list, but my favourite thing to do in Venice is to get lost among the canals and narrow alleyways and come across a less well known palazzo or bridge quite by chance. Venice is a small city but it can take a while to explore as it’s hard to resist stopping to take a photo every few steps!
You’re working on a book about an English country hotel / wedding venue. What inspired you?
The book was inspired by a country hotel/wedding venue near the New Forest that me and my husband stayed in a few years ago. The grounds of the hotel were perfect for woodland weddings, just like the hotel in the book, and exploring the forest gave me lots of ideas for incidents that have now ended up as part of the plot.
How did you become a writer?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing stories. I first sent a manuscript to a publisher when I was fourteen. They didn’t publish it, but a very kind editor sent me a lovely letter encouraging me to continue writing. I’m very glad I took her advice! My debut novel, Meet Me In Paris (originally titled French Kissing), was published when I won a national writing competition run by Woman magazine.
Where do you write?
I’m lucky enough to have a small writing room (aka the spare bedroom), where I can cover the walls with post-it notes to remind myself of edits I need to do, or the timeline of my latest Work in Progress. Although I live in a town, the room looks out over my garden, so that when I sit down at my desk to write, I have a view of trees and flowers.
What’s your favourite writing snack?
I don’t snack while I’m writing, but I do drink copious amounts of tea and coffee!
What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was You Are Here by David Nichols.
What’s your proudest moment as a writer?
My proudest moment as a writer was the first time I held my debut novel in my hands, closely followed by the time my fifth novel, Love On Location, was nominated for a Romantic Novelists’ Award.
When did you last meet Flora?
I last met Flora at a writers’ conference run by the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
