Swansea writer
Coral Leend whose second novel Free Spirit, £18.99,
has been published by Robert Hale wrote short stories for
many years, selling around 80, mainly to women’s magazines,
before turning to novels.
Despite her success, she was working full time so was unwilling
to commit herself to writing a full-length novel. ‘I
could have spent a year or so on it, perhaps been unsuccessful,
and I would have lost all my magazine contacts.’
She
did however, change her mind and now finds novel-writing
is more satisfying. Her first book Shadowed Waters,
completed after she retired, was published by Mentor of
Ireland and shortlisted for the RNA New Writers Award.
‘I
had almost completed my second,’ Coral explains, ‘when
Mentor dropped adult fiction, other than Irish topics, to
concentrate on children’s books and adult non-fiction.
With my successful record I assumed I would easily get an
agent, but I failed,’ she says. Frustrated, she sent
Free Spirit directly to Hale who liked it but decided
it was too long. Coral wrote back offering to amend her book
to meet their requirements; they agreed and she sold it. Robert
Hale have also optioned her next two books which she is working
on now.
