At the age of fifteen, I devoured books by Austen, Sabatini and other like authors and found a whole new world of Historical Romance opening up to me. Thus came my compulsion to write about that world and over the next few years I wrote three books. Initially I wrote only for my own amusement but when a work colleague discovered my writing she became my first reader. My readership soon spread to include the other girls in the office and I found myself having to write faster and more often to keep up with their demands. I was almost grateful when I was promoted and moved to a different department as I could then return to my normal rate of writing. It was at this point that I discovered Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'. I adored the brooding, angst-ridden hero, Edward Fairfax Rochester and although I didn't try to recreate him in my writing, he none-the-less left a lasting impression. Books by Georgette Heyer were my next revelation. 'Regency Buck' was the first one I read and from there on in, I was hooked.
As work and life became more demanding, I wrote less and less. I became a wife and mother and gradually my writing ceased. I still read Historical Romance but never attempted to put pen to paper. The urge to write did not come upon me again until I returned to work when my daughter started to school. When the office was quiet, I found myself writing. At first, it was just snippets of scenes but those snippets soon evolved into the first half of a Georgian Romance called 'Consequence'. Again my writing was put aside until several years later when I was forced to retire from work due to ill health.
Much against my wishes, my husband insisted on buying me a computer to help occupy my time as I was loath to sit around the house doing nothing. Said computer arrived and once I had mastered my reluctance to use it, I looked around for something productive to do. 'Consequence' immediately came to mind and within a short while I completed it. Although I initially started writing again as therapy, it soon became a compulsion as I was drawn into the world of Historical Romance once more.
I had no thought of publication but wrote the heroes and heroines closest to my heart and it took much persuading for me to agree to submit my work. I now have three books due for publication with Wings ePress. August, 2007, 'Dominic', which is a light-hearted romance that despite dangers and misunderstandings tells of the delightful, if somewhat unconventional courtship of Dominic and Sophie. January, 2008 'My Dearest Friend', which is a story of deliverance, retribution, misunderstandings and love, and June, 2008, 'His Shadowed Heart', which asks the question, can you mend a shadowed heart?
What happened to 'Consequence' you may ask? It is still regarded fondly and I frequently promise myself that I will re-write it for the current market but for the moment, it remains a dear friend.
Hazel Statham
Author of DOMINIC
http://www.hazel-statham.co.uk/
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