iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

How do you “Kill your darlings”? Some are easy, some not. But a novel needs tough love. This latest series is all about those scenes that don’t make the Final Cut and I’ll be sharing some parts of my debut novel – A Year Without a Summer, that ended up on the cutting room floor and explain why.

100

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Valeria Vescina @valeriavescina.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It has been a pleasure to interview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social for @womenwritersnet.bsky.social. If you missed our conversation about her debut novel and her path to publication, you can catch up with it on our Bluesky feed, any time! #booksky #WritingCommunity

1104

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you so much for having me. It's been fun.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I'm not sure how many readers realise that authors get money when they borrow books through the Public Lending Rights.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I'd love to see it in libraries too, and anyone can ask for a book to be stocked at their local library.

121

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

You can buy my novel direct from the Publisher here: www.barnardpublishing.co.uk from Waterstones: www.waterstones.com/book/a-year-... and it can be ordered from any bookstore or Amazon.

barnardpublishing.co.uk

Home | Barnard Publishing

Be transported from home to another world...read Welsh stories by Welsh authors at Barnard Publishing.

221

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Q6. Where can we find out more about you and your writing? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

161

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Marketing is part of the job however you’re published. And it’s hard – I’m definitely better at shouting about someone else’s new book rather than my own, but it has to be done, so thank you for joining me tonight.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

We know that the #writingcommunity is the best, but finding a group of #debutauthors has been invaluable. The support for each other has been incredible and it’s never a competition. There’s room for us all.

210

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The cogs in publishing turn slowly, until they don’t and you find that editing deadline hurtling towards you. And despite the number of times you’ve edited, read and re-read your manuscript there will still be many, many errors in the proof copy.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Finding an agent is hard. Finding a publisher is harder. The industry is generally risk averse, especially for a debut author with no track record. But there are many smaller publishers out there, you just have to find the right fit. Persistence is key.

220

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Feedback is essential. Early readers will find things you’ve missed like two characters with the same name! Or make suggestions to strengthen your writing e.g. in early drafts a lot of the key action happened “off stage” as reported events or backstory that I needed to bring centre stage.

210

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The image is a photo taken by my dear friend and artist, Hilli McManus. I asked if she had any beach scenes with moody skies and she did, but many were too grey and bleak. We loved the warmer colours in this one, with the sunlight filtering through, both giving a suggestion of hope.

230

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A5. #WomensWritersNet Being with a small traditional publisher meant I had a lot of input with the cover. Myself, my agent and the publisher all agreed a seascape would be good as both characters encounter foreboding skies and rough seas which foreshadow darkness to come in their lives.

130

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

One I wasn't prepared to try even in the name of research!

000

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

So true. I often have a loose plan but I'm always flexible to what the story needs.

010

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

And the history of sea bathing and saltwater remedies which just had to be woven into the story. Apparently, seawater mixed with cream of tartar was actually prescribed for morning sickness.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

My Reverend Hunter is inspired by the Reverend Dr Thomas Redman Hooker who was the highly regarded vicar of St. Margaret’s Church from 1792 to 1838. He is rumoured to have acted as look-out for the smugglers, riding the cliff top on his grey mare.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

There were a lot of Regency rabbit holes to lose myself in, but I enjoy that part, especially discovering the real life characters of the time. My smuggler, Captain Dowse, is inspired by Captain Dunk, a butcher who lived at Whipping Post House with its rumoured tunnels leading to Rottingdean Gap.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you. THere was a lot of playing around but I hope I got there in the end.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It was necessary to divide some of the letters and intersperse them throughout so her story entwined with Milly’s

210

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A4. #WomensWritersNet I love reading dual-timeline novels so wanted to write one. With the narrative structured from Feb to Sep, I initially had Martha’s letters appearing at the end of each month, but I realised we needed to hear her voice more often.

120

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Q4. Your novel is set over a dual time period: 1816 and 2009. What were the attractions and challenges of this structure? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

141

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

There are similarities and differences for the male characters as there are for the female, which is what I wanted to explore.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Milly’s father is similar. None of the male relatives are able to communicate their own feelings very well. I suppose I wanted to show that men grieve too. It’s what makes Dr Cunningham different for his gender and his time.

120

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Although my focus was on the women, I didn’t want the men in their lives to be awful. Charles (1816) is not a cruel man. He’s guided and misguided by the medicine and patriarchy of the time. In the present day, Alex copes by working and avoiding difficult conversations.

120

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I’ve been touched by how many readers have commented on the sensitivity with which I handle the difficult subject and trauma of child loss. Author, Jay Mackenzie wrote: ‘Both Milly and Martha made me want to hold their hands and guide them through their pain.’

130

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A3. #WomensWritersNet It’s a story of loss and longing, of female friendships, maternal love and the importance of family, sometimes found.

130

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I'm glad you think so. That's what I hoped. I wanted her to feel isolated physically and emotionally.

000

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Martha was definitely my favourite, although initially, I wasn’t sure how to write her. Eventually she insisted it was her story to tell and once I found her voice it poured out. Martha’s letters are the least edited part of the novel.

120

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I’m drawn to the sea so wanted a coastal setting. I lived in Brighton in the early 1990s so once I’d decided on 1816 for Martha’s story it seemed the obvious choice to explore the Regency history of the town and surrounding area.

120

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Q2 Without giving too much away, can you tell us a little about A Year Without A Summer? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

163

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A2. #WomensWritersNet It’s a dual-timeline story, moving between the lives of Milly in the present and Martha in 1816. Both women are navigating the pain of child loss, their stories connected by the secrets hidden in Peake House, an isolated manor on the Sussex Downs.

120

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Around that time I discovered Emma Darwin’s This Itch of Writing. She talks about “Tools” of writing rather than “Rules”, explaining aspects of the craft in a helpful way, without being preachy! I’m interested in how other authors write but believe everyone needs to find what works for them.

130

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I still didn’t see myself as a writer, just someone who played with words, until 2018 when I joined the Hampshire Writers Society and started submitting stories to competitions. Having three published in 2019 gave me the confidence to call myself a writer and to finish the novel.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I think there was always a writer in me, it just took a while for me to find her and a little longer to find her companion – confidence! In 2006 I completed a Creative Writing module as part of my English Lang & Lit degree with the Open University which unlocked many dormant ideas.

120

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Q1 Welcome, Lesley. To get things started, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing career to date? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

173

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

My idea for a novel – A Year Without A Summer – ticked along aimlessly in the background for many years until I realised how much I’d regret not finishing it. Lockdown in 2020 finally gave me the push I needed to finish it, but it took another 6 yrs to see it published.

110

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A1. #WomenWritersNet Thank you. I’ve been writing about 20 yrs, mainly short fiction – I enjoy the challenge of a 50 or 100 word flash. You’ll find many of my words scattered around the internet on 50 Word Stories, Paragraph Planet, 101 Words, Cranked Anvil, Free Flash Fiction and Wensum Lit.

130

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Put your contributions in the same threads as the questions. Use our hashtag #WomenWritersNet in your responses to make sure we see your posts. #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

042

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

We’ll ask Lesley some questions about A Year Without A Summer, and she’ll answer below. Please feel free to join in the conversation. Remember to regularly refresh the page to see the latest posts and replies. #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

064

Lesley Bungay Author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you for inviting me. I'm very happy to be here.

020

Reposted by Lesley Bungay Author

Women Writers Network @womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Welcome to our #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview series. Today we are chatting with Lesley Bungay, author of the novel A Year Without A Summer. @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky

143