Please help me welcome today’s guest, Mary Georgina de Grey…
Is this a dangerous move, especially if you have a tried and tested formula?
Did you read Disappeared by M.G. de Grey after my last article for Alicia? If so, I hope that you enjoyed it. It was a big step away from my usual modus operandi, but so far, I’ve had some very positive reviews and comments – and I really enjoyed writing it. If you read it, please do write a review.
Now I’m back to romance with Let the Music Play On, and once again I’ve tried something different. Instead of my usual international settings, I’ve placed the characters, Phaedra and Marcus, in a small town in my local area. Working on the book was in many ways a very similar process to earlier experiences, but also so different. It seemed to require much more research whereas, had you asked me before, I would have said the opposite would be the case.
The town of Totnes is a mystic centre in Devon; people really believe in taking care of the goods the Earth provides, and there are some bona fide worshippers of the Earth Goddess, Gaia – remember NASA chemist James Lovelock’s theories about living beings and non-living beings interacting positively to form a harmonious environment? I discovered there are even witches – the white variety, I understand – who meet up in a hotel down the road from where I live.
Though I certainly haven’t written about mysticism, this background provided context. I have centred on herbalism and how chemist Phaedra, who works in a research laboratory in the capital, moves to South-Devon to heal her wounds and brings her scientific skills to bear on the herbalism she grew up with to set her life on a new course. The approach of her mother, a notable herbalist, had left an indelible mark on her psyche.
Writing this novel, I fell into exactly the traps I warned against in my last article and had to remove an entire chapter (so upsetting to lose 2,000 words, but essential). The whole thing then lacked conflict, and I found myself writing two completely new chapters. I knew something was wrong from the start, but it’s thanks to my Beta readers that I was able to pinpoint the problems and improve things.
To answer the question posed at the beginning, there are advantages and disadvantages to doing this.
- I get bored easily and taking a new approach certainly challenged me and forced me to look at things differently.
- With the thriller I was constantly asking myself what was appropriate and what should definitely not be included, trying to better understand the genre.
- When working on Let the Music Play On, I learned never to ignore the basic rules. You have a good story, but it has to match reader expectations of the genre.
- Both these books are No.1 in a Series, so the hard work at the start will not be wasted.
Conclusion: Have a go – it’s only a small risk and there’s a lot to be gained.
Mary Georgina de Grey, October 2026
You can find Let the Music play On only on Amazon at the moment.
Paperback UK https://amzn.eu/d/069mSLZ3
Paperback US https://a.co/d/07F1YAlm
Kindle UK https://amzn.eu/d/0i8qWaPb
Kindle US https://a.co/d/0e2iZjK0
Blurb
Let the Music Play on
When disaster strikes, chemist Phaedra Marchant abandons her sophisticated London life for the little Devon town of Totnes. It’s charming and she hopes it will prove a good place to heal a broken heart.
She’s worked out a plan to build a new career centred on growing herbs, sustainability and natural products. After all, for the daughter of herbalist Gaia, whose obsessions now appear visionary, it’s a logical move. And if she pours all her energies into that, she won’t have time to dwell on the events that tore her life apart.
An accident put paid to violinist Marcus Rowe’s ambitions on the international stage, and now he’s carving out a career repairing stringed instruments and playing keyboard and violin with The Quartet.
His own tragic circumstances make him sensitive to Phaedra’s pain, but is this enough to break through the barriers she has built? Or could her intense focus on the new business condemn them both to a life without love?
Mary Georgina de Grey, writer of contemporary romance and thrillers
Website: https:// https://marygeorginadegreyauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086424198194
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marygeorginadegreyauthor/
Email: marygeorginadg@gmail.com for newsletter and other enquiries.
Biography
Mary Georgina started writing fiction ten years ago and has written several romances and one thriller. The main character is always a strong young woman determined to make her way in the world, and essentially to establish a loving relationship.
As a linguist, Mary Georgina uses the setting of various countries she’s worked in for her novels.
The book
