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Earlier this year we ran a Love to Write writing competition in conjunction with Prima magazine. The winner will win a publishing contract with Mills & Boon, a £500 cash prize and their first chapter in Prima Magazine, accompanied by an interview. We were thrilled with the amount and quality of the entries we recieved. Our fabulous judges reviewed the submissions to find the next Mills & Boon bestseller. Now the judges have whittled down the entries to the fabulous top 8!
Meet Ella Hayes
… We love her feisty heroine!
Name: Ella Hayes
Location: Kinross, Scotland
Occupation: Professional photographer www.tracygowphotography.co.uk shooting weddings, portraits, boudoir and commercial commissions.
Why I love to write: I always got top marks at school for creative writing. It was something I loved doing. I’d intended to follow a career in TV journalism but got side-tracked into visuals and spent ten years as a camerawoman before taking time off for the kids when they were little. When they went to school, I set up my own photography business and I’ve been shooting weddings for thirteen years.
I’m an avid reader and have been in the same book group for fifteen years. I love the book group because reading other peoples’ book choices widens your reading experience and I love talking about plots and characters. A couple of years ago I started writing again and found I couldn’t stop. Maybe it’s a mid-life thing, but it was something I simply had to do. I’ve written two novels (unpublished) but feedback has been very positive and I write shorter literary pieces too because it’s a good way to experiment with language and style.
A friend pointed me in the direction of the Prima Love to Write competition and I thought it would be great to have a go. I read the odd M&B title in my twenties so was familiar with the brand and the pace required, and of course, being a wedding photographer, I’m all about love and romance.
Social media:
Twitter: @EllaHayesAuthor
To keep up with the latest news on the Love to Write competition make sure to check our blog. You will be able to find out the winner at the beginning of August – exciting times ahead!