Meet the Author Monday: Francesca Capaldi

It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Francesca Capaldi, author of “Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel“.

About Francesca Capaldi:

Francesca Capaldi has enjoyed writing since she was a child. She is the author of historical saga novels, short stories and pocket novels. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

A New Start at the Beach Hotel won the Romantic Saga Award at the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards in 2024. Heartbreak in the Valleys, was shortlisted for theHistorical Romantic Award in the RoNAs in 2021. Both the Valleys series and the Beach Hotel series are published by Hera/Canelo.

Francesca was born and brought up on the Sussex coast by a Welsh mother and Italian father. She later went to London to do a history degree and post grad teaching certificate.

Currently she lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

About Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel:

A new arrival at the Beach Hotel spells trouble

Chambermaid Fanny is thanking her lucky stars she has had a second chance at life. As an unmarried mother, it could have been very different and she is happy.

But when new maid, Susie, arrives at the Beach Hotel, it isn’t long before sparks fly. Susie begins to meddle in Fanny’s friendships and even in her budding romance with Walter, an American working at the aerodrome.

Meanwhile, a flu epidemic starts to spread and as more people fall ill, the hotel is forced to close.

Matters come to a head when Susie plots to reveal secrets about Fanny that could spell her ruin.

Can the hotel and the hardworking women who run it survive?

An uplifting, emotional WW1 saga perfect for fans of Ginny Bell and Jean Fullerton

Author Interview with Francesca Capaldi:

1. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I started my road to publication in writing classes led by saga writer, Elaine Everest, who became a firm friend. Sadly, she died last summer. She was very important in my writing journey, encouraging me to send short stories to magazines at first, then later, to write novels. She had a wealth of experience and gave some very good advice in her classes. Quite a few published writers came from those classes, and we are still friends, like Elaine Roberts, Angela Johnson, Karen Aldous, Sarah Stephenson, Catherine Burrows and Natalie Kleinman. We’ve always encouraged each other in our writing and given in valuable feedback, as well as celebrating each other’s successes.

2. When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I had my first short story published, in a periodical called The Weekly News, in 2008. It was a Christmas story called ‘Ho, Ho, Humph!’ and was the first of around forty short stories of mine to be published in various magazines.

3. How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
   

I’ve had to organise myself in a different way. I’ve always been one for getting on with it, working on several different projects, but my time was more flexible then. I could work on short stories for magazines, competitions, novels, pocket novels, even poetry, because I had few deadlines. But when you’re working with a publisher, there is a schedule to follow, for when things have to be submitted. A book can have four or five different processes–the original submission, two or three edits and a proofread, all with deadlines. And you have to put aside time for promotion on social media and time to connect with your readers. It means I don’t have so much time for other writing projects these days.

4. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

With historical novels, quite a lot of research is required. As you write each additional book in a series, there are general things that you get to know and remember, but any new book will always throw up fresh questions and queries.

Some of my research is done before I write a scene breakdown for a book, to makesure it’s plausible and practical. For instance, before starting Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel, I found out about the American aerodrome being built not far from the hotel. But there are always many questions that pop up while writing the novel itself, to do with everyday living. For instance, what entertainments there might have been on the promenade in the 1910s, in the case of the Beach Hotel books, or what films would have been showing at the picture houses.

Research sometimes comes from archived records, like the census, commercial directories, OS maps or newspapers. Other research comes from books, and I am fortunate that there are quite a few involving Littlehampton’s past. Many of these include old photographs, which give a wonderful feel for the area in the period. There’s also a wonderful Facebook page for Littlehampton that contains many old photos. And then there’s visiting the place involved (I was brought up in Littlehampton, but no longer live there), where I’ve taken the opportunity to visit the museum and library.

I’ve always loved research, especially looking through old records and photos, a passion discovered when doing my history degree many years ago. I could do that all day!

5. What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

Although I mention historical figures in my novels, it’s always in passing. They’re never ‘on stage’. For instance, national figures like David Lloyd George or Kitchener might get a mention when someone’s imparting some national news. Or I might make a reference to a local character, like Miss Boniface, who was the real headmistress of the school Dorothy and Arthur attend. But none of them have an active role.

6. How do you select the names of your characters?

I have several ways of doing this. I have a list of popular baby names in the UK during certain decades, which I’ll often look at. Sometimes, a name just pops into my head for a particular character. For instance, I knew the three artists, regular guests at the Beach Hotel, just had to be called Ebony, Hazel and Marigold, referencing their hair colour. I do have a few minor characters named after friends and family. My four kids and three grandchildren are all in there somewhere. The only family member who has a more major role is the Geordie storekeeper Bridget Turnbull. She is based on my late grand mother-in-law, Betty Turnbull, herself from Tyneside.

7. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Short answer: Yes! Ever since I was a child, I’ve made up stories in my head, eitherabout existing characters or ones I’ve made up

8. If you could only have one season, what would it be?

Summer. The longer the day, the better. Even a couple of my characters have taken on my bias, bemoaning the coming of shorter days!

To learn more about Francesca Capaldi, here’s where you can find Her: