Guest Post by Julie Archer - The Importance of the Writer's Retreat

Today I’m excited to tell you about a new novel called Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayal by Julie Archer and share a fabulous exclusive guest post by the author herself! Thank you to Hello Chick-Lit for letting me be part of the book tour fun!

The Importance of the Writer’s Retreat

Guest post written

By author Julie Archer

If you are lucky enough to get the opportunity to go on a writer’s retreat, I have three words for you: JUST DO IT!

I was fortunate enough to stumble across Urban Writers’ Residential Retreats in Devon (prior to moving there – that didn’t influence my decision though!) a couple of years ago. I’ve now been five times (only a few more visits and I will then have stayed in all the rooms in the house!). The house itself is country-style and relaxed, homely and cosy. There are also farm animals and bunnies for company! Plus plenty of lovely views and rolling hills for inspiration.

It’s a beautifully unstructured retreat where you join in as much or as little as you want to. When I researched retreats, I read horror stories about timetabled writing workshops and, even worse, sitting down each evening to read out loud to the group what you have been working on. Those things don’t work for me. This retreat is not about learning how to write, but gives you the opportunity to settle down and focus for an extended length of time. You can escape from your normal day to day routine where you have to put the washing on or sort out the cat’s litter tray.

Put simply, you get quiet time and space to write. Or read. Or take a bath. Or nap. Yes, the afternoon nap is a hugely underrated part of the whole experience. And no-one judges you if you wear pyjamas for the entire day.

And there’s food…oh, the food! Someone cooks you lunch and dinner. And cake. Every day. Which means you can just focus on the writing.

Then there are other writers. Everyone is at a slightly different stage of their writing journey. Some fully formed, fully published authors with deadlines. Several self-published authors with new ideas. Others who are working on non-fiction books. And those who just want to come and explore the creativity they think they have. Being around half a dozen other writers for several days means getting inspiration and support. If you’re having a bad time, you can talk it through. Or have word races to get the creative juices flowing. Or sit around the dinner table and discuss some of the most random topics (most totally unsuitable to put in a post like this!) to get your brain thinking about what you could write.

I’ve made some really good friends through the retreats. And you’ll often find yourself on the same retreat again, even without planning! If you’ve been once, you tend to find yourself boomeranging back again in a few months’ time. Particularly if you’ve got a deadline to meet or something specific you want to write.

While retreat-ing may not work for everyone, it certainly worked for me in getting Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals into the outside world. I’m hoping it will have the same effect for Book 2!

*Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals by author Julie Archer***

Book Tour Dates: November 27th – December 6th, 2016

Published: September 29, 2016

Blurb:

A bar, a band and a Thorne between two roses…

Caro and Nate are perfect for each other. Trouble is, Nate is really Alik Thorne lead singer of the Next Big Thing in rock music and his girlfriend, Edie, isn’t really prepared to share him…

Caro Flynn leaves behind the sultry nights of Mallorca to open her own bar back home. Romance wasn’t high on her list of priorities, but a last minute fling makes her think again…

Edie Spencer-Newman always gets what she wants. But when she sets her sights on something a little too close to home, she’s about to stir up a whole heap of trouble…

When the consequences of a tragic accident cause relationships to crumble, will anyone find a happy ending?

Book Links: Amazon US | AmazonUK | Goodreads

About the Author – Julie Archer

Author Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Author Bio:

Julie Archer grew up in Hampshire and lived in Reading before moving to the beautiful riverside town of Dartmouth in Devon. She still feels like she’s on holiday.

Julie trained as a journalist, then went into teaching (kept meeting the sixth form students in the pub, awkward!). After that she ‘fell’ into recruitment, spending more years there than she cares to mention, where the most creative thing she did was to create a sexy top line for job adverts! Since moving to Devon, she set up her own business offering virtual administration and recruitment services, worked for an accommodation company and is currently moonlighting in the local bookshop…

Also, COYS, Cats, Metal. Underneath this preppy exterior beats the heart of a rock chick.