Jenny Colgan Books

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Jenny Colgan is a Scottish author that writes romance and children’s fiction. Born in 1972, the author is a native of Prestwick, Ayrshire. Though, she has lived in various places, including France, the Netherlands, and the US.

Print:

She attended the University of Edinburgh. Then she spent half a decade in the health service before turning her attention to publishing. She tried to make it as a cartoonist.

But things did not work out. She also tried her hand at stand-up comedy. Colgan and Catherine Tate started doing stand-up comedy at roughly the same time. However, while Tate was great, Colgan’s skills were lacking.

She has used her experiences with standup comedy to inspire aspiring writers. She knows that a lot of them struggle to find the energy to sit down and write, and she has gone so far as to encourage them to abandon their publishing dreams if the thought of writing makes them miserable.

Colgan did not stumble into standup comedy by accident. She was certain that she wanted to work as a comedian. However, every second she spent on stage telling jokes was a nightmare for the author. She hated it. It did not take her long to realize that she did not want to pursue stand-up comedy as a career.

She has applied the same rationale to writing. As far as she’s concerned, if an aspiring writer is truly determined to make it in publishing, they will find a way to write. And if writing is a struggle, they will set a word count as a goal and they will make every possible effort to meet that word count every single day.

Eventually, weeks later, they will look back on their journey and they will realize that they have come quite far despite the difficulty. And if writing is still a miserable experience, they should leave and do something else. Colgan understands the hardships that surround the writing activity. But she also enjoys it.

She started writing because she loved reading. And after reading, writing was the next best thing. Colgan wanted to produce the kinds of novels she enjoyed reading. Her parents helped the author on her journey by getting her a typewriter when she was nine.

They also got her a typing course. She couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift. The typewriter did not help the author’s handwriting. Even after taking a calligraphy course, she still describes her handwriting as terrible.

But Colgan has also become a fast typist. She prefers to pen her stories on a computer rather than using pen and paper. She has cited Judy Blume as her biggest inspiration. Even though she loved reading when she was young. Colgan had no idea that people could write stories for a living.

All that changed when she saw Judy Blume at a local library and the woman showed her that people could pursue writing as a career. Her life was never the same. Even though she did not succeed in her endeavors as a cartoonist, she never stopped drawing. Sometimes, Colgan will draw her characters before she writes about them. This allows her to get a better understanding of their appearance.

Jenny Colgan Awards

Colgan’s accolades include the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel Award (2013) and the Melissa Nathan Award (2012).

Best Jenny Colgan Books

Some of Colgan’s novels were published using different pen names (J. T. Colgan, Jane Beaton). Many people know her primarily for the ‘Doctor Who’ stories she has written. Colgan’s best books include:

The Bookshop on the Corner: Nina Redmond’s life changed when her job disappeared. She loved the work she did as a librarian. But it was gone. The notion of starting over in a sleepy village was frightening. But Nina was determined to make it work, which is why she purchased a van and turned it into a mobile library.

Now, Nina’s life is filled with so much magic. She spends her days talking to interesting individuals and navigating new adventures.

Little Beach Street Bakery: Polly’s life was a mess. Her relationship was in shambles and she was living alone in a small flat. She only started making bread because she needed a distraction. She did not expect the hobby to change her life and those around her.

When Does The Next Jenny Colgan book come out?

Jenny Colgan doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Lessons at the School by the Sea and was released on March, 7th 2023. It is the newest book in the Maggie Adair Series.

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