Sheila's success

WN subscriber Sheila Glasbey, who writes as Rosalie Warren, is celebrating the publication of her first novel. Charity’s Child is due to be published in June by Circaidy Gregory Press.

Sheila is a keen member of the Writers’ News forum Talkback, where she appears as ‘Rosalie’. ‘I rely strongly on my fellow writers at Talkback for encouragement and practical advice,’ she says. ‘Two of my friends on there are ex-police officers, who helped me with some of the research for Charity’s Child. I couldn’t have done it without them.’

Sheila has attempted a couple of novels previously, but it was only when she took early retirement that she was able to pursue fiction writing seriously. ‘I completed my first novel at fifteen but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I wrote it in red biro, which has completely faded after twenty years. No great loss to the world of literature, I suspect.’

She spent around three years on Charity’s Child, working on this novel alongside other writing projects. The book is based on a teenage girl who joins a strict Christian community and becomes pregnant. She refuses to name the father and tensions rise as the community’s pastor is suspected.
Sheila found that she was drawn back to her novel, even when it became difficult to write. ‘I had a sense of not having finished it and wanting to know what happened to this young girl who was pregnant.

‘As I write, I feel as if I’m listening to my characters speak and I don’t know what will happen to them until the story ends. I know that everyone works differently, but I would recommend this as a method for other writers. Try and listen to your characters, don’t worry what it sounds like at first, just write. It’s almost like method acting. Try and get under the skin of your characters and imagine what they feel.’

Sheila has posted details of Charity’s Child on her website and will add an excerpt from the novel after publication.

Charity’s Child is available from Sheila’s website: www.rosalie-warren.co.uk or from the publisher: www.circaidygregory.co.uk