Donna Ashcroft was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager.
Donna wrote novels for over ten years before being published. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and was a joint winner of the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017. Her first two books Summer at the Castle Cafe and Christmas at the Castle Cafe will publish in 2018.
Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her teenagers about who is doing the washing up.
(a) What inspire you to write a book?
Lots of things. I love Christmas and traditions like Secret Santa. I heard a story from a friend about someone who was Secret Santa for their office and no-one knew who brought and delivered the presents to them each year. One year she was ill and forced to take time off work, so she had to ask someone to fill in because she didn’t want the people in her office to guess that she was secret Santa. I also love animals and had an idea early on about my heroine having to take care of someone’s animals – including a turkey who hated men. I liked those ideas and the story sprang from there.
(b) Do you write full time? if yes, is it tiring to write day in day out?
Yes, I’m a full time writer and it can be tiring. I have to build in breaks to walk and get out of the house. If I write all day I’m mentally exhausted by the evening but I love it.
(c) Which of the book that the story plot touches you the most and the hardest for you to let go?
I always find it hard to let go of my characters when I finish a book. I really get to know them through their journey and I feel for what they go through and fall in love with them a little. It can be difficult to start a new book until I’ve had sufficient time to forget the characters I’ve been writing about.
(d) Do you read other author’s book specifically from the same industry as you?
I read lots of other romantic authors. I’m good friends with Jules Wake/Julie Caplin and read all of her books. I also love books by Milly Johnson and Sarah Bennett and many more. Romance is my favourite genre.
(e) Which part of the writing process that you find it hardest to go thru i.e. from writing to the published book?
I find writing the hardest part of the process, simply because while I will have an idea when I begin, it can take a while to discover the story and my characters. I’m very lucky though because I have a publisher who does a lot of the hard work from sorting covers, creation of the book, publishing it, advertising and publicity and that means I get to concentrate on my writing.
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