• Howick and Pakuranga Times
SENSUALLY CONTEMPORARY: Romance novelist Yvonne Lindsay has her works published around the world in many languages. Times photo Wayne Martin.
CONTINUING to do what she loves, successful romance writer Yvonne Lindsay is living proof that the power of perseverance pays off.
For 13 years, the Northpark-based novelist eagerly posted transcript after transcript to potential publishing houses, but received rejection after rejection.
“Sometimes they’d give me a useful critique of my writing, but mostly my style at the time wasn’t what they were looking for,” says Mrs Lindsay.
She describes those 13 years as “soul destroying” but with an appreciative aftertaste: “I was learning and growing as a writer all the time.”
Her dream came to fruition when romance publishing giants Harlequin Mills & Boon contracted her to write a series of books for its Silhouette Desire range in 2005.
She says the approval to publish came with uncanny timing, having just about thrown it all in, Mrs Lindsay decided to “give it one more go”.
“I sent a full manuscript to America – Harlequin Silhouette books, along with a query letter and a two-page outline.”
She was at work when an acceptance letter arrived at home.
“My daughter rang me and I said ‘just open it’ – I couldn’t get home fast enough,” she laughs.
Several years on, Mrs Lindsay, who writes in the sensual contemporary genre, has published 10 books with Silhouette Desire Harlequin Mills & Boon and is contracted to do another five.
The books have been translated into many languages such as Greek, German, Scandinavian and Czech.
“The publishers always send me a copy of any reprints. It’s always exciting to see your story written in another language.”
She has sold more than five million copies worldwide in three years.
“Sometimes you just don’t know how long it can take to reach your goal. I’d say to people ‘keep going, don’t give up’.”
Mrs Lindsay told the Times she owes a lot of her writing success to becoming a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand. She joined the group some time before being published.
Win Yvonne Lindsay books
The Times has three sets of Yvonne Lindsay’s latest trilogy series to giveaway.
To enter, answer the following question: What genre does Yvonne Lindsay write in?
Write the answer on the back of an envelope along with your name, address and contact information and send to: Yvonne Lindsay competition, Times Newspaper Ltd, PO Box 259-243, Botany, Manukau 2163. Entries close at noon on October 7.
Through the group she was able to submit her works into competitions and receive valuable feedback from judges, something she found immensely helpful to fine-tune her writing.
She went on to win the Romance Writers of Australia Emma Darcy Award in 1999 and the Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon Award in 2004. She has been an avid fan of the household name Mills & Boon collection from an early teen.
“I had a neighbour who had stack loads of these books and each week I’d go and swap a book or two. I was hooked.”
She says her family is both happy and proud.
“My husband has read one of my books and my eldest daughter has read all of them.”
