Here are my reasons for letting author Roxie Cooper guest post on BlondeWriteMore today:
- Her guest post is fab. It is written from the heart and it resonated with me in so many places.
- She has the name ‘Roxie’. Anyone who has same first name as my fictional character Roxy Collins is always welcome on my blog.
- Roxie Cooper is a fellow blonde romance writer.
- Her new book ‘The Law of Attraction’ is destined to be on my ‘To Be Read Pile.’
- Like me she can dance. I am not a professional or anything but I like to think of myself as a professional dancer, once I get on a dance floor at a party. *Sigh*
- She sounds like she would be great company for a coffee and a chat.
So, here she is, Roxie Cooper, author / Barrister / Ex-ish dancer and Classicist.

Hi,
Before I started writing The Law of Attraction I researched all the technical stuff; how to create good characters with internal conflict, what story arcs were, and what made a good sub-plot. But there are some things you simply canât learn in a book. Between plotting the outlines of what became my debut novel all those years ago and my publication day last week, Iâve learned so much.
So here are my top ten most surprising things.
1) Writing is cathartic
People have their own reasons for starting to write. Iâd never written anything before this book. I started writing it when I was in an unhappy marriage with two babies, living in a town where I didnât know anyone, and Iâd go weeks without speaking to another adult. I was in a very bad place. Writing suddenly gave me something to focus on and allowed me to âescapeâ. As the book progressed, so did my self-esteem. Words are powerful.
2) People can get a bit judgemental
Some people have written six novels whilst holding down three jobs, five kids and a circus of pets. Others have written one novel with no ârealâ job or responsibilities. And then thereâs everything in between. I think everyone on this scale is pretty impressive, to be honest. But some people like to be a bit judgy-face about it.
I donât have a âproper jobâ at the moment. This means that a lot of people think I spend all day sitting in a beautifully lit orangery, smiling smugly, sipping on chilled chardonnay as I gently type my latest novel out off the top of my head. Comments like âOh! You must be well-off if you donât have to work!â and âAlright for some!â are standard. Rarely can I be bothered to explain that I gave up my lucrative career as a barrister after much consideration to care for my son who has special needs. After home-schooling him for several years, it became impractical for me to return to the Bar once he finally settled in school, for various reasons. Everyone has a story behind them, everyone makes sacrifices, but many are quick to judge.
ButâŚ
3) People can be wonderfully supportive
You truly do find out who your friends are when you write a book. Itâs such a gruelling, exhausting process. Youâll be so grateful for the little âKeep going!â comments when youâre close to collapsing, which then lead onto âI bought your book!â when youâre published. These people who prop you up all the way through the whole writing, edits, submission, book deal, revisions polava are the special ones. The week before I was published I had a little local drinks gathering for my friends to thank them for their support, because I couldnât have done it without them. They made me feel so very loved and I couldnât thank them enough for that.
4) You read other novels and watch films in a completely different way
I find it impossible now to read novels without deconstructing them. Even films follow a formula (if you want a classic, basic template for a story â watch any Disney film). Breaking down films and books has really helped me find out what makes a great character, plot and twist in a story.
5) Your house will become a rubbish tip.
As you get more into your book, the more time you will dedicate to it. When you have a deadline, donât even think about doing anything else remotely important like eating, dressing your children or cleaning your house â all of these things can wait until you press SEND. If youâre a dust control freak like me, this WILL drive you crazy, but youâve kind of just got to run with it.
6) People will ask you wildly inappropriate questions.
Because youâve created a literary piece of work and thrown it out into the world, some people think itâs okay to ask things like âSo, how much money do you earn now?â, âHow much was your advance?â and, most cringingly, âWho was that sex scene based on?â. The best way of dealing with these questions is to throw it back in their face: âTell me how much YOU earn firstâŚâ and âWell, Gordon, that scene isnât based on you going by what your wife tells me⌠*all the sarcastic LOLZ *â
7) Youâll develop amnesia at the most inconvenient moments.
Youâre in the shower. Youâre walking to pick the kids up with your iPod on. Youâve thought of THE most incredible scene; rich dialogue, beautifully descriptive, the whole thing is swoon-a-rama. âMy Godâ, you think. âI have NAILED THIS!â You finally sit down to type it upâŚand you canât remember a damn thing. You remember bits of it, but on the screen it literally sounds like a half-asleep toddler has written it.
8) You develop the patience of a saint
This one is hard, but it pays off. So, youâve started writing this new book and the first three chapters are GREAT. Youâre desperate to send them off to an agent. DO NOT do it. Why? Well, not only because – even if itâs brilliant – they will tell you to write the rest of the book. Some wise soul said âYou canât write the beginning until youâve written the endâ and this is 100% true. Your characters and plot change so much by the end, you may want to change those early chapters. So much depth was added to The Law of Attraction by adding the prologueâŚwhich was done after Iâd finished the entire book. Donât be in a rush to show your book off to the world, make sure itâs the best it can possibly be.
9) You become obsessed
Writing consumes you. You cannot switch off. I no longer watch TV on an evening (well, apart from Game of Thrones, obviously). Every non-child weekend I spend writing because Iâd feel guilty doing anything else and, ultimately, I am addicted to it. Who knows if Iâll be successful? All I know is that I love it and canât stop.
10) Some stuff you type will be the worst writing the world has ever seenâŚ
Terrible. I mean, REALLY awful. The words wonât come. Youâll cringe. Youâll hate yourself. You might cry. OkayâŚSTOP. Shut your laptop down. Go out with friends and have a drink. Go dancing. Go to the cinema. Forget about it for a day. There will be other days when you write stuff so bloody brilliant, youâll read back on it and think âYeahâŚI got thisâ.
***
Roxie was born and bred in Middlesbrough. After studying Classics at University, she became a dancer in a nightclub for a few years, before going travelling and living in Australia. When she returned, she swapped dancing on a bar, to practising at the Bar, and became a barrister for 7 years.
It was after being constantly told âOoh! You donât look like a barrister!â by absolutely everyone she met, that the idea for her debut novel was born.
Roxie lives in Yarm, a pretty little market town in the North-East. Sheâs a bit (lot) obsessed with Prince and spends far too much time watching him on YouTube. Her hobbies include watching musicals, making her hair as big (and blonde) as possible, and wishing she was Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
Amanda Bentley has always dreamed of being a barristerâŚ
But as a platinum blonde bombshell from the wrong side of town, with a perfect tan and sleek high heels, she doesnât exactly look the part â or fit in with the brash public school boys and cold posh girls of Newcastle Crown Courtâs robing room. Amandaâs never been one to back down from a challenge, and so when she wins a prestigious pupillage following law school, sheâs determined to make the most of her chance â and make all her dreams come true.
Only three things stand in her way: Sid Ryder â the sexy, irresistible barrister who she absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, sleep with. At all. Marty Gregg â her smarmy law school nemesis, who she’s in direct competition with for the top job. And her big, dark secret that could jeopardise everything she’s worked so hard for.
Who said that following the laws of attraction was going to be easy�
Isn’t Roxie Cooper fab?
I think this is an excellent guest post Roxie and thank you for taking over BlondeWriteMore today! Yay – blonde romance writers rule đ
You can contact Roxie on Twitter at @toodletinkbaby or on Facebook here.Â
Have a great day all.
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