Back in January Prima magazine launched our Flirty Fiction writing competition to win a publishing contract. After hundreds of entries our panel of judges have managed the difficult task of deciding on an exciting shortlist. In the weeks running up to the announcing the winner, we thought you might like to know a little more about each of the shortlisted authors.

Sarah Purdue

What is your story called?
Finding His Eliza.

Can you tell us about your story?
‘In trying to change her into an actress he finds himself changed into a better man’.

What do you do?
By day I train people in First Aid skills for the public sector and by night I write!

Where do you live?
Having lived in big towns or cities most of my life I’m giving the country a try. I now live in Verwood, Dorset, close to family and friends.

Have you ever written anything before?
I’ve completed two novels for children and a Mills and Boon for the Intrigue series. These have yet to find a home! I have written lots of short stories and had some published in Women’s magazines.

When did you read your first Mills and Boon?
My Grandma was a massive Mills and Boon fan and so I had always been aware of them but it wasn’t until I went away on holiday to Tenerife with my family that I read my first. I was thirteen and despite the pile of books I had taken with me, I ran out well before the end of the holiday. Thankfully the hotel had a collection of books that other people had left behind, among them a few Mills and Boon. Since at the time I was set on being a doctor, I naturally started with a Medical and that was it!

Who is your favourite Mills and Boon author and why?
This is a really tough question but if pushed I would go with Carol Marinelli. For me believable characters that I can identify with are so important in any book. Carol brings them to life and I always find myself lost her stories, swept along in all that romance and passion! I love Medical but I’m also a big fan of Modern, Intrigue and Cherish!

What would you do if you won?
Firstly I would jump up and down for a while (probably more than a while!). Then I would celebrate with friends and family. In my family we have a tradition of always having a bottle of bubbly in the fridge. My mum’s philosophy is that you should live life expecting good things to happen and should therefore always be prepared to celebrate. So we would definitely pop a cork, before of course replacing it with another bottle. And then, well it would be back to the laptop to write another chapter!

The winner and the first chapter of their book will be exclusively revealed in the August issue of Prima magazine available from 3 July 2015.

Would you like to become a Mills & Boon author? Do you have a bestseller waiting to be told? Join our Author Lab community on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

By The Mills & Boon team