Spotlight & Giveaway: Talli Roland

Last month I picked up a book that had been sitting on my 'shelf' for a while and fell in love.  That book was 'Build A Man' and the author is Talli Roland.

After reading Build A Man, I immediately moved on to book two in the series, Construct A Couple and was so happy with Talli's writing that I connected with her on Twitter and asked if she would be willing to guest post on Turning the Pages. 

I am happy to have Talli aboard today as she talks about 'risking it all'.  Welcome, Talli!

Hi Lindsay!

Thank you loads for inviting me to guest post!

T xx

Taking the Plunge

I tried for five minutes (at least) to come up with a cliché-free title for this post . . . and failed. Because ‘following your dreams’ is such a cliché, isn’t it? Just uttering the phrase aloud is enough to ensure a eye-roll from anyone within earshot. In fact, I usually employ a pre-emptive eye-roll myself.

But for all the nausea-inducing triteness it conjures up, there’s nothing more satisfying than making a start at something you truly love. Four years ago, I left behind my corporate life and made the jump to full-time writing, with the goal of becoming a novelist. And not just a novelist: a published one.

Looking back, it was a definite leap of faith – but when is following your dreams ever practical? I’d trained as a journalist, so I knew I had the mechanics of writing somewhat conquered. But could I write fiction, a completely different kettle of fish? I’d never written a full-length ‘adult’ novel. In fact, the last oeuvre I’d penned was at age thirteen. Eep!

Motivated by fear, I sat at my desk and started writing. Eighty thousand words and a few months later, and my first novel was complete. Cue copious rejections! And repeat for novel number two and three and four… and five.

Thankfully, along the way, I met a publisher who contracted me to write a London travel guide, 24 Hours London. Although it wasn’t fiction – and not my dream – I was thrilled to finally tell people that YES! I had something published! My book was in the shops, I got the Mayor of London’s endorsement, and things were finally moving.

And move they did! Since that first London book, I’ve had three others published traditionally (including two novels): 24 Hours Paris, The Hating Game, and Watching Willow Watts. And late last year, I took another leap: this time, into self-publishing. Taking control of everything from cover design to timelines, I released two more novels: Build A Man and Construct a Couple, with The Pollyanna Plan due out in Autumn 2013.

From a standing start four years ago, sometimes I can’t believe what the past few years have brought – and I couldn’t be more thankful.

So has ‘taking the plunge’ paid off? I think you know my answer!

About Talli:

Talli Roland writes fun, romantic fiction. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories--complete with happy endings. Talli's debut novel The Hating Game was short-listed for Best Romantic Read at the UK's Festival of Romance, while her second, Watching Willow Watts, was selected as an Amazon Customer Favourite. Her novels have also been chosen as top books of the year by industry review websites and have been bestsellers in Britain and the United States. Construct A Couple is her latest release. To learn more about Talli, go to www.talliroland.com or follow Talli on Twitter: @talliroland. Talli blogs at talliroland.blogspot.com.

Giveaway:

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