Today, we’re welcoming Jane Risdon to ask her a few questions.

Thanks for having me ladies, I am dead chuffed to be here.

Debs read Only One Woman and loved it. Please can you tell us a bit about this book?

Only One Woman is co-written by myself and Christina Jones. It is a complex love-triangle involving two teenage women – Renza and Stella – and lead guitarist Scott who, with his band Narnia’s Children, arrive in Renza’s life when they take up residence in her village; just when she is about to move overseas with her family. Scott and Renza meet in quite spooky circumstances and instantly fall for each other, but it’s short-lived and Renza has to leave all too soon, but not before they agree to marry one day. Miserable and lonely Scott throws himself into song-writing, recording, and touring. One night whilst on stage his eyes meet those of Stella, out for a night with her friend Vix. Stella is facing major surgery and is convinced she is going to die and Vix persuades her to ‘have one last night of fun’ and drags her to the Narnia’s Children gig. Something clicks as Scott and Stella gaze at each other and soon after they begin an affair. Stella is aware of the absent Renza but Renza has no idea about Stella who is hired by the band’s manager as fan-club secretary some while after the gig. We follow their adventures throughout the closing years of the 1960s as the music, fashions, social change, and huge world events shape their lives as they share their thoughts and emotions with us in their diaries. Locations move from England to Germany, to France and Jersey, as well as a fascinating Mediterranean cruise. Many of the venues and events are authentic and fans of the era may well recognise them as the story transports the reader back to a time when anything and everything was possible. Soon it becomes clear that Scott has to make a decision; for him there can be Only One Woman. The question is, who?

And the inspiration behind writing it?

My then boyfriend, now husband, was lead guitarist in a band for whom Christina was hired as fan-club secretary back in the closing years of 1968, and through him we became friends. We both had an interest and desire to write and wanted to write together one day, however life got in the way. My husband and I worked in the international music business touring the world, never staying in one place long enough to remember which city we were in or at which hotel we were staying – it was crazy. Meanwhile Christina became a successful author and as we were rarely in the same country, writing together seemed an impossible dream. Sorting through my husband’s old tour schedules, recording notes, and getting stuck in to reading some of his old fan-mail and looking at old photos one afternoon, I decided to write it all down in diary form as I was toying with the idea of writing a crime story involving a 1960s rock band. After pages and pages of entries I found myself thinking about all the girls – as you do – who’d known the band, who’d been the objects of their affection and I wondered how their lives had panned out. I soon discounted writing a crime in to the story and wondered if it might work as a romance.  As I wrote the characters of Renza and Scott developed and before I knew it I’d almost written an entire book, but with Christina in mind now that I was writing a romance, I thought she might be interested in writing another character into the story – it needed another voice to add some spice. So I sent it to her and the rest is history. She very cleverly managed to write Stella and create her part in the story which fitted with what I’d already developed…no mean feat.

The title came from one of my favourite hit songs of 1968, Only One Woman, which was written by The Bee Gees for The Marbles. The lead singer of The Marbles, Graham Bonnet, went on to become a legend in rock music as vocalist with iconic bands such as Rainbow, Michael Schenker, Blackmore, Alcatraz and others. He now has his own band, The Graham Bonnet Band. I asked him if he’d be up for writing a foreword to Only One Woman – the paperback edition – and he agreed. It is well worth reading because it really is fascinating how he and his cousin, Trevor Gordon, linked up with the Brothers Gibb and how their songs kick-started Graham’s music career back in the 1960’s. Graham has been kind enough to allow us to use his photo and links in publicity as well.

Are you traditionally published, a hybrid, or an indie?

I’ve had, to date, 15 short stories published in anthologies with various publishers, including Accent Press, who publish Only One Woman. Accent Press is a traditional publisher. I’ve also written for online magazines and newsletters and I enjoy the freedom this provides, however, being published by a traditional publisher is preferable for me in that I have the services of editors and marketing staff to call upon.

Can you tell us a little about your route to publication?

My first taste of publication was many years ago when I used to write for music magazines – articles to do with song-writing, image, and recording, how to get a record deal etc. However, I also dreamed of being a published author of crime/thrillers one day, but it seemed to me to be just that – a dream. On my third approach to a publisher Accent Press expressed interest and whilst they were assessing my novel, asked if I’d be interested in having short stories in 2 of their forthcoming anthologies; Shiver and Wishing on a Star. I was delighted and signed with them eventually for all my future short stories and novels, though to date they’ve not published anything other than Only One Woman, because ‘I am not well known enough’ to have a short story or collection of short stories published with them. Hence I publish these elsewhere.

During 2014 Accent Press signed Only One Woman. I had no idea that Christina was also published with Accent Press. The last time we’d discussed publishing she was still with one of the ‘big’ publishing houses as far as I recall, so it was a surprise to me when she said she’d sent Only One Woman to Accent Press, even though she’d not completed her parts, and they’d accepted the book unfinished. In May 2018 the paperback for mass markets was published with a few additions which the eBook does not have; foreword by Graham Bonnet, a different dedication, and our biography pages which feature our photos too. The back cover is also different.

I have put together my first collection – there will be others – and it is called Undercover: Crime Shorts and will be published by Plaisted Publishing House. The book features some favourites from my online contributions and also new specially written stories. Life is too short to sit and wait to become well known.

Jane Risdon writes mostly crime thrillers often set in the music business with an organised crime or espionage element. Her former career in the international music business managing songwriters, singers, musicians, and record producers, enables her to draw upon her experiences in Hollywood, SE Asia, and elsewhere for many of her plots.

She is also the author of short stories many of which have been included in 15 anthologies to date and she also contributes articles for online magazines and newsletters. She enjoys writing flash fiction.

In November 2018 Jane published her first collection of short stories – Undercover: Crime Shorts – via Plaisted Publishing House.

Jane is married to a musician and with author Christina Jones has co-authored Only One Woman, set in the UK Music Scene of the late 1960s. Jane has drawn upon her experience married to a musician and her subsequent career in the music business for background research

Jane’s Links:

Buy Only One Woman: https://books2read.com/u/mlegkP

Jane’s Amazon Author Page

Author Blog, Facebook Author Page,

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jane_Risdon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janerisdonwriter/