Regardless of the forum in which you come across Megan Mayfair, your curiosity is instantly sparked. Her books draw you into their world with characters that resonate and storylines that make you laugh and cry.
Megan’s Instagram page is a work of art. Her blogs are innovative and engrossing. And then there’s the woman herself: a vivacious blonde with bright blue eyes that sparkle, and those trademark red lips.
Megan is a happily married mother of three from Melbourne. She came from the PR world but after attending the launch of a good friend’s debut novel, decided to pursue her dream of writing her own book. She gave a herself a year to discover if she could and should write a manuscript, which she achieved and promptly popped into a drawer.
Not that Megan was particularly bothered by the failure to launch of this manuscript. “I call it my donor manuscript” she laughs. “I completed the challenge I set myself in that first year and I learnt so much. Nothing is ever wasted. Some of the secondary characters became central players in another book.”
More importantly, Megan discovered the pure joy of writing. It gave her an outlet from all the other parts of her life.
“Especially when you’re a mum you give so much of your time to your children, which I want to do. But it’s nice to have something that’s all mine. To escape with my laptop and create something that brings me happiness to be able to write and create.”
An integral part of Megan’s journey into writing was joining Romance Writers of Australia (RWA), and in particular, attending the annual conference. The first being in August 2017.
“The RWA helped to add the structure and process around what I was doing, honing the what, why, when and how,” explains Megan. “And of the course the people, contests and the opportunity to pitch to publishers taught me so much.”
Megan pitched her second manuscript at her first conference and after receiving positive feedback, followed up by submitting it to a number of publishers. At the next RWA Conference, Megan was lining up to receive her ‘First Sale’ ribbon. Her debut novel The Things We Leave Unsaid was released by Independent Publishers, Crooked Cat Books in August 2018. Megan took the insights and lessons she learned and combined them with opportunities both presented and created.
The Things We Leave Unsaid is the story of two very different women who meet just as both their worlds get turned upside down. It’s funny, it’s heart-warming and has just the right amount of romance and intrigue to keep those pages turning long into the night.
And she writes fast. After the success of her debut novel Megan pitched two more ideas to Crooked Cat which they immediately contracted. Her second novel Tangled Vines was published in November 2018 and could’ve come straight from the gossip columns as it follows the story of a woman who was humiliated in front of the entire nation by her cheating, footballer husband.
Her third novel The Problem With Perfect is due to be released in March 2019. While it’s not a sequel to Tangled Vines, it does feature one of its secondary characters.
Three children under seven, ongoing work in freelance PR and sessional lecturing with Swinburne Online University, all the usual demands of life and her first three books published in less than twelve months. How?
“I guess I write fast,” concedes Megan. “When I get an idea in my head the words come pretty quickly. I schedule time for writing as I would schedule appointments. The ability to write quickly and be focused is something I learnt in PR. I’ve been able to transfer these habits into my fiction writing.”
Megan also relies on the encouragement of the writing community, in particular the close group of fellow writers she met through the RWA.
“We live all over the country so we catch up once a month via Skype. We set goals and try and keep each other accountable. My husband is incredibly supportive, but he’s not a writer. It’s great to talk to people who just get it.”
Megan is building a solid connection with her reader base as well through her blog, Espresso Tales, which is a collection of interviews with other writers, and her online presence; “It just made sense. I love following my favourite authors online and with a PR background, it was natural to jump into it.” Megan’s Instagram page is a beautifully crafted homage to her life as a writer and her love of coffee.
So what’s next for Megan Mayfair? “I’m working on something a bit different, a cozy mystery,” is all she’s willing to say, sparking that curiosity once again. ♥
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