Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape. There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone. I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha. I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then. When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time. I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.

My Writing Ramblings: My 2016 Round Up

Published December 31, 2016 | By Laura

MRC, Panic Pictures, Soundtrack New York, Trigger Street and Netflix

MRC, Panic Pictures, Soundtrack New York, Trigger Street and Netflix

Usually, as we reach the end of the old year and are approaching the new one, I am a mixture or happy, excited and nervous. I’m also a little sad that the year is coming to a close. However, 2016 has been a year I am quite happy to say goodbye to and won’t be too sad to leave.
It’s been a difficult year personally (probably the worst one I’ve had) and so I look towards 2017 with hope that it has got to be better than 2016. Please, 2017? Pretty please!?

One of the few saving graces of this year are the great TV shows I’ve discovered and amazing books I’ve read.
Thanks to Netflix and fiction, I’ve managed to procrastinate beautifully.

Some of my favourite shows this year have been House of Cards (such a fan of Kevin Spacey anyway but he’s brilliant in House of Cards,) The Big Bang Theory, which had me wondering why it had taken me so long to discover it and The Gilmore Girls. I want to go live in Stars Hollow.

Book highlights this year have included so many wonderful books. Some of my highlights have included The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell, Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern, Bridget Jones’ Baby: The Diaries by Helen Fielding, No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan, Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent, The Comfort of Others by Kay Langdale, Somewhere inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin and Hungry For Love by Lucy Beresford.

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My Favourite Christmas Books and Film Traditions

Published December 24, 2016 | By Laura

Penguin Classics, New Ed. Edition. Oct 2003

Penguin Classics, New Ed. Edition. Oct 2003

Happy Christmas Eve all. This has to be my favourite day of the year. Christmas day is great but the anticipation of Christmas almost being here is so magical and wonderful. Everyone has their traditions at Christmas whether it be seeing family, going for a Christmas day walk or snuggling down with a Christmas themed book or a movie. I wanted to share some of my Christmas story and movie traditions. There are certain ones that I try to watch and read every year. Some of these traditions I have had since I was a kid and some are fairly recent. I can never wait until 1st December to be able to begin them.

My first Christmas story/film tradition is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I have been watching various adaptations of this all my life (I actually really love the version with Kate Winslet. Does anyone else?) This is the film I will usually put on when wrapping presents. The latest version I love is the Jim Carrey version although the scene where the candle changes faces quite frankly is creepy.
It wasn’t until last year though that I read the book these wonderful adaptations are based on. I don’t know why it took me so long. It’s full of great moments and in places, very funny dialogue. I love how faithful some of these film adaptations have been to the book. Reading this story though gave me a whole new appreciation for it. I will be trying to read it every year now instead of just watching it.

Snowman Enterprises, CH4 Television corp. TVC London. 1982

Snowman Enterprises, CH4 Television corp. TVC London. 1982

Hardcover Edition, Harper Collins, 2008

Hardcover Edition, Harper Collins, 2008

My next tradition is also a film adapted from a book and that is The Snowman. I mean, it’s a classic. I have been watching this animation since I was small and Christmas is not Christmas without it. This twenty minute film is so magical. I wanted to be able to build a snowman and go off to the north pole but I can’t remember the last time we had snow. I still hold out hope even though I am now in my thirties that we will get a white Christmas. It’s always good to hope right?
The Snowman is so wonderfully animated and even though it doesn’t have the happiest of endings, I can’t help smiling when I hear those first few beats of Walking in The Air and they begin to fly toward the North Pole. I notice something new every time I watch it. The Snowman is so timeless and will be part of my Christmas for years to come.

Speaking of which, The Gift by Cecelia Ahern is one of those Christmas stories that will have you reaching for the tissues as it will make you cry. It did me. Lou doesn’t have enough hours in the day. The advancement of his career comes at the sacrifice of spending time with his family. His life is turned upside down when he meets Gabe. Something happens where Lou can be in two places at once but can he discover what is important before it is too late?
This book has stuck with me for so long. Even years after first reading it I still think about it and this is a book I always try and read this time of year. It has such a lovely and important message especially for Christmas. If you’ve not added this to your Christmas reading list, I urge you to. It’s wonderful.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Christmas Carol

Published December 23, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 23rd December 2016: Christmas Carol.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt: As there are only two days to go, I couldn’t resist making the Fiction Friday Christmas themed.

We all know the story of The Christmas Carol. Scrooge, Jacob Marley, The ghost of past, present and future and the eventual redemption.

This week, update the Christmas Carol to make it modern.

Your character is not liked. He’s not a nice person. He/she shuns their family, friends and the Christmas season. Your character is greedy and uncharitable. They are visited by four ghosts. However, what if he is forced to become one of the ghosts for a while? What if he somehow gets the power to transport someone else?

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Writing Achievements and Goals

Published December 22, 2016 | By Laura

Thursday 22nd December 2016: Writing Achievements of 2016 and Goals for 2017.

As this is the last writing group exercise of 2016, I thought it would be good to look back at your year of writing and achievements and then look ahead to the new year.

Divide the page into two. In the first column, write down all the things you’ve achieved this year. It can be anything. For example, that you managed to write every day for a week.

Once you’ve done that, in the other column, write down all of your writing goals for the coming year. Do you finally want to start your book? Write more short stories?

Write everything down. Keep it somewhere safe where you can go back and look at it when you need a boost.

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Mick’s Musings: Felicitous Yuletide Greetings to you all!

Published December 20, 2016 | By Laura

Well, here’s my final blog post of the year and it’s been a strange last couple of months. My personal writing has kind of ground to an unwilling halt for the last two months and I know the exact reason. I’ve transferred back to my old position at work and am often not getting home until nearly half seven in the evening and am simply too tired to pick up my laptop and write. I’m perfectly aware of what everyone, including myself, always tells anyone who wants to write – write at every opportunity etc… – but sometimes, that’s just not possible; especially when you don’t ‘like’ your day job that much

Which brings me onto my New Year’s Resolution; ignore the feelings above and WRITE!! Simple as that and I’ll do my best to hold myself to it. I was doing quite well with my writing for the first ten months of this year and I want to get back to how I was then. Here’s hoping for a better year at work.

So, what have I been doing if I haven’t been writing? Since I last wrote, I’ve devoted quite a lot of time to my reading specifically that of two FRC’s I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to read.

The first was the smash hit on Amazon by the wonderful Sue Moorcroft ‘The Christmas Promise.’ I’m fortunate enough to be a member of her Facebook Group #TeamSueMoorcroft and because of my participation in the promotion of her through Twitter and Facebook, I was given the opportunity to read a preview copy of this fantastic novel. In the weeks leading up to its release on Kindle, I sent out daily ‘Twitter-Teases’ about it and enjoyed myself immensely. If I’m lucky, perhaps I should now consider myself friends with Sue? I wouldn’t be presumptuous enough to assume that, but I would be honoured if this were true.

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Christmas – My 2016 Gift Guide For Writers

Published December 17, 2016 | By Laura

asos-agenda With the days before Christmas creeping into single digits, it’s time to get those last-minute presents. It seems to have snuck up doesn’t it!
As someone who would love to write a book and continues to try, I am stupidly obsessed with any gift that is along the writing theme. Here are a few things I think would make excellent gifts for the writer in your life. Or, if you’re a writer yourself, something to suit you. After all, it is the law of Christmas present buying that you should buy something for yourself right?
(I am not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. I just think the items would make excellent gifts. OK, so I want all of these things too but that is not the point. Ha-ha.) If you’re needing some inspiration, I am hoping this list helps.

The first item/gift idea I found was this very cute Pink Agenda from Ohh Dear and is available via ASOS for £9.99. First it is pink so that is me pretty much sold.
It looks as though it is compact enough to fit into a handbag plus it is not date specific so you can begin to use it at pusheen any point in time you want to.
It’s a day a page. You have space for your daily objectives as well as appointments. There is even space for doodles.
This would suit a writer who loves lists and liked to be organised.

Next up is this very adorable Pusheen stationery set from John Lewis and is £9. Pusheen is so incredibly cute (I won’t mention that I thought Pusheen was a boy until someone corrected me.)
I am such a sucker for stationery sets such as this and would love it when I was still at school. Beginnings of term usually meant I could go out in search of sets like this. Yes, I am Laura and I love all things stationery.
This particular set contains an ‘I’m Busy’ notebook, a pen, pencils, highlighters, an eraser and a sharpener all presented in a plastic wallet. What I love most about sets like this is that it is fun and reminds you as such when you use it. If your writer is also a fan of Pusheen then this is a must have.

get-things-done I couldn’t do a gift guide for writers and not include something from one of my favourite shops on the planet. This Get Things Done journal is £8 from Paperchase.
The cover is so cute and it’s a hardcover so to me it feels like it would withstand being in a bag. Inside there are various to do list sections, daily planners and get it done pages as well as lined and gridded sheets for notes should you need to make any. There are fifty sheets (so one hundred pages,) and has an elasticated closure.
I feel this would be perfect for someone who takes on their novel in 2017.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Someone Is Keeping A Secret

Published December 16, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt: Someone is keeping a secret.

It is time for the family to get together before Christmas arrives. It doesn’t usually take long for tensions to run high as Mum and Dad and five siblings come back under one roof.

Something someone wants to keep secret is quickly revealed but who’s secret is it?

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Latest Book Releases (December)

Published December 16, 2016 | By Laura

The Gift by Louise Jensen

(Released on 16th December by Bookouture.)

The weather has definitely got colder over the past few weeks. Christmas trees are appearing in corners of living rooms and the festive scents of candles are filling the room.

It is certainly an excuse to set yourself up on the sofa or in a favourite armchair. Here are some new releases; suggestions on what you could be reading as we make the most of being warm against the cold.

The first book is The Gift by Louise Jensen.

This book sounds so good and it’s certainly being added to my TBR pile. Jenna is given a second chance when she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie.

Jenna will always be eternally grateful to Callie and her family. She grows close to the family Callie left behind but discovers they are holding some dark secrets. Jenna feels that she is only getting half the story.

Callie’s sister, Sophie has been ‘abroad’ since Callie’s death but there is something about her absence that doesn’t add up for Jenna. Then she meets Callie’s boyfriend.

Jenna is determined to uncover the truth bit it could cost her everything in the process, including her sanity.

Next up is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander

(Released by Cornerstone Digital on 16th December, 2016.)

(Released by Cornerstone Digital on 16th December, 2016.)

This is a novelisation of the film (due for release in cinemas on 15th December,) and features new scenes and expanded material. POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE BEFORE KNOWING ABOUT THE BOOK, SKIP TO THE NEXT BOOK IN MY LIST.)

The shadows of the empire and deeply troubling rumours loom large across the galaxy. The rebellion learns of a sinister imperial plot to bring worlds to their knees. In empire domination space, a weapon of unbelievable destructive power is nearly completion – a threat that may be too great to overcome.

If the worlds that oppose the Empire have any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies; Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Bodhi Rook, Chirrut Imwe, Baze Malbus and K-250.

They need to capture plans to the Empires new weapon but as they race toward their dangerous goal, the spectre of their enemy darkens the sky: the Death Star.

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My 2016 Christmas Gift Guide For Readers

Published December 13, 2016 | By Laura

Paperchase Book Journal It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It is starting to feel quite festive and there is only a few days to go before the big day; Christmas dinner, the queen’s speech and most importantly, time with loved ones.

What this time of year also brings is the dilemma of what to buy. One of the things I love most about this time of year is buying gifts for other people. I have been looking through the internet and have found some lovely gift suggestions for the lover of books in your life.

First, there is this lovely book journal. I adore using journals like these. It’s a nice and useful way of making notes about books you’ve read (this is helpful when running a blog or simply if you like to work through your thoughts after finishing a book.)

There is a section for the title, author, and then the second half of the page is a notes section. There is also a section for books you’d like to read, books you have borrowed and books that you’ve lent out to people too.

I think this would make a lovely stocking filler for any book lover – perhaps with a lovely pen?

(Book journal: Paperchase, £8.)

book/chocolate gift The second gift is this very cute Book Lovers Chocolate And Book Gift Set from Quirky Gift Library (via Not On The High Street.) I mean, hello! It combines books and chocolate. It had me at that. There is a bar of chocolate (where you can choose from nine chocolate types and is made using yummy Belgian chocolate.) This will have a book quote on it too.

You are able to pick between five of the hardback clothbound classics collection from Penguin which include Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H Lawrence (this one is for adult’s only,) Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift and Emma by Jane Austen.

All this comes with a gift envelope so it’s a great gift for anyone you know that loves the classics.

(Book Lovers Chocolate And Book Gift Set: Quirky Gift Library, £26.)

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Beginning and The End

Published December 13, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 13th December 2016: Beginning and the End.

Today, think about an idea for a story. It could be one you’ve only been inspired to write today or an idea you’ve been thinking about for a while.

Make a few notes about the beginning and the end. Write a couple of hundred words each – how you want it to begin and how you want it to end.

Now set a timer for thirty minutes and make as many notes as you can about the middle. You know how it is going to end but how is the middle going to go?

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Competitions: Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham – Winner

Published December 12, 2016 | By Laura

Virago, December 2016

Virago, December 2016

Talking As Fast As I Can is the new book by actress and author, Lauren Graham who stars in the Gilmore Girls. It was released on 6th December by Virago Books.

We had one copy of Lauren’s new book to give away. Congratulations to Laura Jones who has won a copy of the book.

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood-along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

To read about my favourite Gilmore Girls moment, click here.

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Both Sides

Published December 9, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt: Both Sides.

Your story is going to be told from the perspective of a couple in a relationship. Write five hundred words minimum for each person. When writing from the man’s point of view, he was paid to go out with the woman in the relationship for a bet.

When writing from the woman’s perspective, she has just found out.

Tell it from both sides.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: A Different Way

Published December 6, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 6th December 2016: A Different Way…

Today’s exercise requires you to think of an event/memory from your childhood. This should be one where you made a decision that affected the outcome of the event.

Write a story using this memory but you made a different decision. It ended a different way.

Did you decide to stand up to a bully? Did you not take a part in a play at school because you were scared?

How does making a different decision change it?

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Blog Tour: Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

Published December 3, 2016 | By Laura

Virago, December 2016

Virago, December 2016

Paragon Studios, Warner Bros. Television and Netflix.

Paragon Studios, Warner Bros. Television and Netflix.

My favourite Lorelai moment and WIN a copy of Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham.

This blog tour is to celebrate the release of A Year in the Life (four new episodes of the Gilmore Girls) but also the imminent release of Lauren Graham’s new book, Talking as Fast As I Can: Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between which is available from 6th December 2016 (from Virago.) I am so excited to be a part of this tour. I have a copy of Lauren’s new book to give away (details further down,) but first, my favourite Lorelai moment.

I am very new to The Gilmore Girls. I am not sure how this brilliant TV show passed me by but all I can say is thank goodness for Netflix.

I have been pretty much binge watching this for the last few weeks; sneaking in an episode whenever I can. I am a little torn actually. I want to get to A Year in the Life as I don’t want any spoilers to ruin it (curse the internet,) but at the same time, I don’t want to get through it too quickly as I want my viewing of Gilmore Girls to last as long as it can. I want to go and live in Stars Hollow (or Rosewood for Pretty Little Liars fans.) Can I go and live with Lorelai and Rory?

There is something magical about this series. It’s funny and warm.

I have been asked to talk about my favourite Lorelai moment. How do I pick? There have been many scenes where I have laughed and felt sad for the characters. I want to go and be a part of those town meetings. They look so much fun.

There have been many episodes that I could have picked and I am nowhere near the end. For example, the many exchanges between Lorelai and Emily are just brilliant.

However, there was one scene that has seemed to stand out for me.

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My Writing Ramblings: Reflecting on NaNoWriMo 2016

Published December 2, 2016 | By Laura

rp_Laura-Book-300x2251-300x2251-300x225-300x225-1-300x225.jpg National Novel Writing Month 2016 is over. It’s unbelievable how quickly November passed. Saying that, I am looking forward to the moment where I can say so long to 2016. It’s been a strange year right?

On a personal level, November was a hard month for me as it would have been my Mum’s birthday on the 5th November. The first one without her was always going to be hard. NaNoWriMo was a good distraction.

It was nice to have a fictional world to disappear into for a while. The challenge of 50,000 words is good therapy.

This year, in terms of reaching a daily word count, it was one of my most successful years. I managed to do between 1,700 and 1,800 words per day every day. I got to the overall goal on 28th November so there was no rushing it at the last-minute.

The story I created was a mess. This time around, it was an opportunity to write through my grief. This story will probably never see the light of day again but I am still proud of myself. All things considered, I am very pleased.

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December’s Novel Kicks Book Club: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Published December 2, 2016 | By Laura

let It Snow

Penguin, September 2013

Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.

We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.

The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.

For December, we’re getting in the mood for Christmas with Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle.

This book is a collection of three holiday romances and has a beautiful cover.

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

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Matthew Redford Talks About His Approach To Writing Short Stories

Published December 1, 2016 | By Laura

I’m pleased to welcome Matthew Redford to Novel Kicks today. His festive food related crime investigation short story is due for release by Clink Street Publishing in paperback and electronically own 6th December.

Tenacious carrot, detective inspector Willie Wortell is back to reveal the deviously delicious mind behind the crime of the festive season in this hugely entertaining, and utterly unconventional, short story.

When Mitchell the Mince Spy is horrifically murdered by being over baked in a fan oven, it falls to the Food Related Crime team to investigate this heinous act. Why was Mitchell killed? Who is the mysterious man with a long white beard and why does he carry a syringe? Why is it that the death of a mince spy smells so good?

Detective Inspector Willie Wortel, the best food sapiens police officer, once again leads his team into a series of crazy escapades. Supported by his able homo sapiens sergeant Dorothy Knox and his less able fruit officers Oranges and Lemons, they encounter

Snow White and the seven dwarf cabbages as well as having a run in with the food sapiens secret service, MI GasMark5.
With a thigh slap here, and a thigh slap there, the team know Christmas is coming as the upper classes are acting strangely – why else would there be lords a leaping, ladies dancing and maids a milking?

And if that wasn’t enough, the Government Minister for the Department of Fisheries, Agriculture and Rural Trade (DAFaRT) has only gone and given the turkeys a vote on whether they are for or against Christmas.

Let the madness begin!

Matthew has joined me today to talk about his approach to writing short stories…

When I was asked to draft an article on my approach to writing a short story, I thought this would be a doddle. I mean, after all, I have written a short story – Who Killed the Mince Spy? – which is coming out in December 2016. Well, how wrong I was.

How do I approach writing a short story? Well, that is a really interesting question and it is not one which I have thought about before and I don’t recall having been asked the question before either. And when I sat down with the iPad in front of me ready to write my answer, I realised I didn’t know where to start!

So let’s go back to basics. How do I come up with my ideas? Well, I write about food sapiens, those walking, talking food items which live and work along us all. There are some famous food sapiens such as the musicians Polenta Faith and Fizzy Pop Gillespie. And with that in mind, I think about all of the different food items and try to come up with story titles which I think are either topical, interesting or, hopefully, both.

Let’s take Christmas. Mince pies are a staple Christmas food item. Simply switch the word, pie to spy and you’ve a living, breathing food sapiens creature which you can take on a creative journey. Or in my case, straight into a fan oven where the poor little blighter is horrifically murdered.

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Phillipa Ashley Shares Her Favourite Christmas Scenes

Published December 1, 2016 | By Laura

I am delighted to be welcoming Phillipa Ashley back to Novel Kicks today. Phillipa’s latest book is very much festive themed and is called Christmas at The Cornish Café. It’s the second novel in the Cornish Café series and was released by Maze.

Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.

She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?

Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.

A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?

As it is nearly Christmas, Phillipa has shared some of her favourite Christmas scenes. Over to you, Phillipa…

Believe it or not, after 16 books and over a decade of writing, Christmas at the Cornish Café is my first ‘Christmas’ novel. Even though my debut novel, Decent Exposure, was made into the Lifetime movie, 12 Men of Christmas, it was never written as a Christmas book.

It was important to me that Christmas at the Cornish Café truly reflected the challenges my characters and the community might face in a small Cornish fishing village – and how people might pull together to help each other against all the odds. I hope you enjoy reading it. Now, here are some of my favourite scenes from seasonal books, films and TV.

The Carrs’ Christmas Box – What Katy Did at School

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Blog Tour: Amanda Brooke Talks About Her New Novel, The Affair

Published November 29, 2016 | By Laura

Today, I am welcoming Amanda Brooke and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Affair which was released by Harper on 10th November in electronic form with the paperback release due for 12th January.

A shocking story about a fifteen-year-old girl and the man who took advantage of her

“You might as well know from the start, I’m not going to tell on him and I don’t care how much trouble I get in. It’s not like it could get any worse than it already is.

I can’t. Don’t ask me why, I just can’t.”

When Nina finds out that her fifteen-year-old daughter, Scarlett, is pregnant, her world falls apart. Because Scarlet won’t tell anyone who the father is. And Nina is scared that the answer will destroy everything.

As the suspects mount – from Scarlett’s teacher to Nina’s new husband of less than a year – Nina searches for the truth: no matter what the cost.

Hello Amanda. Thank you so much for joining me on Novel Kicks today. Your new book is called The Affair. Can you tell me a little about it and how the idea originated?

Thank you for inviting me on to Novel Kicks, it’s lovely to be here again! The Affair begins with the news that fifteen year old Scarlett is pregnant to a married man. She won’t say who it is, but the two likely candidates are her stepfather and her teacher. The story is told from the point of view of the men’s wives; Scarlett’s mum, Nina and teacher’s wife, Vikki. I also introduce Scarlett’s voice as a narrator, and she describes the early days of her relationship and how she feels when the accusations start to fly. I’m not sure how much I can say about how the idea originated without giving too much away. I had a scene in my head of a schoolgirl watching from the periphery while other people’s lives fell apart. She wasn’t meant to be the focal point of the book, other than perhaps a final reveal, but after long chats with my editor, the premise of the story morphed into something quite different, and it was both a pleasure and a challenge to write.

Can you describe what your typical writing day is like? Any rituals like needing tea or writing in silence?

You’ve asked that question at a very exciting time, because I gave up work this month to write full-time. I’ve spent thirty-one years in local government and for the last five I’ve been juggling two careers, fitting in my writing around the day job. I can tell you what I plan to do, which is to concentrate on my writing in the morning, which allows me to spend the rest of the day thinking about what I’ve written and where I need to take the story next. I’m conscious that working from home will be quite sedentary, so I’ve had my treadmill adapted, with a small desk that fits on top of the handlebars. My first hour of writing will be spent walking and typing so I can wake up my body and brain at the same time. As I’ve said, that’s only the plan so you might need to ask me again in a year’s time to see if I’ve kept to it.

How do you approach writing your novels? Are you much of a planner and need to know your characters well and plot inside out? Do you edit as you go?

When I have an idea for a story, I like to mull it over in my head for a while before I commit to paper. The starting point is a two page synopsis, which doesn’t necessarily cover sub-plots or minor characters but should be enough to capture the essence of the story. My next task is to cut up the synopsis into about twelve sections, which in theory will be the chapters and, if nothing else, it gives me some reassurance that I have enough of a story for a full length manuscript. When I’m ready to start writing, I tend to have a very clear idea of the opening and final scenes, but the rest of the book remains relatively fluid. I enjoy getting to know my characters and they’re the ones who fuel my imagination as I go along, creating situations and conflict I never could have imagined from the start. In terms of editing, I see that first draft almost as a test run, it’s only during the subsequent rewrites that I really get to know the story.

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Playing FTSE Author, Penelope Jacobs Talks About Balancing Work and Family

Published November 25, 2016 | By Laura

Playing FTSE by Penelope Jacobs was released by Ipso Books in digital format yesterday (24th November)

When Melanie Collins joins an investment bank as a young graduate, she quickly discovers that femininity is an invaluable asset. But it must not be abused.

She witnesses other women falling victim to office affairs and is determined to be taken seriously. In an industry where abilities are rewarded handsomely, she rises rapidly through the ranks. But her increased profile attracts the attention of a senior colleague and she is ill-equipped to handle his advances.

Balancing a demanding job with a confusing personal life proves difficult and soon their relationship threatens to jeopardise her career. As events move beyond control, her glamorous world becomes tainted by betrayal and bitterness.

One of the themes in the book explores the issues the main character Melanie has with balancing her personal life with her professional one.

The author of Playing FTSE, Penelope Jacobs is joining me today to talk about her thoughts on balancing work and family and why we can’t have it all. Over to you, Penelope.

Achieving a work-life balance is not always possible and certainly requires sacrifices.
Marriage and, more specifically, babies seem to be the tipping point, when life can sometimes spiral out of control. As noted by the National Health Interview Survey, 30-44 year olds report the largest “work-lifestyle imbalance”. During this period, many high-powered career women have simply piled far too much onto their plates. On top of a highly pressurised job, they suddenly have to cope with the demands of small children, a husband and running a household. Not to mention find a little time for themselves.

The Mental Health Foundation states that “the pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general population.” In addition, “many more women report unhappiness than men (42% of women compared with 29% of men), which is probably a consequence of competing life roles and more pressure to ‘juggle’.”

Why are we accepting this burden from society? In my opinion, it is not possible to “have it all” and at the same time seamlessly achieve a wonderful work-life balance.
Every woman I know has made some type of sacrifice which, by definition, means they do not have it all. At one extreme, some high-powered women consciously choose not to have children and, at the other, an enormous number leave their brilliant careers permanently to raise a family. In both cases, the costs are high.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Call

Published November 25, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt: The Call.

You are trying to get to sleep. Your phone rings. It’s from an unknown number but because you’re half asleep, you answer it when you normally wouldn’t.

You answer and say ‘hello.’

There is a pause.

‘We need you,’ is the response before the caller hangs up and you are left with a dial tone.

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My Writing Ramblings: On Track For 50,000 Words

Published November 18, 2016 | By Laura

Wow, we are already halfway through National Novel Writing Month. That is slightly hard to believe.

This month seems to be moving at an incredible pace.

Despite a few personal things I’ve had to deal with this month, so far, I am on track as far as the writing is concerned. In fact, I am slightly ahead of where I’d expect to be at this point in the month. As of yesterday, I’d passed the 30,000 word mark. I am very pleased.

My approach this month has been slightly different to previous years. At this point in the past, I have seen myself in various states. One year, I was already finished by now whereas the year before last, I finished on 30th November with two minutes to spare praying that my internet connection would hold long enough for me to be able to verify my win (which it did thank goodness!)

Where NaNoWriMo is concerned, I am very much a pantster. I tend not to plan much. I have a vague idea and tend to just go with it. With this writing challenge, I tend to like to see where the story will take me. (This month, the non planning was more that November jumped out at me slightly and I ran out of time.)

This year, I have been taking it slow and steady roughly writing 1800 words a day. I have to say, I am liking this pace. If I finish too early, then I don’t know what to do with myself.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Interrogation Room

Published November 18, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt: Interrogation.

You are in a police interrogation room. You can decide whether you want to write from the point of view of the accused or the accuser.

Decide what the crime has been. Serious or petty?

Write a conversation between the accused and accuser but try not to disclose what crime has been committed.

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Blog Tour: Christmas Cheer (Willow Cottage) by Bella Osborne – Extract and Review

Published November 17, 2016 | By Laura

Bella Osborne OK, I admit it, I already have the Christmas songs playing and if I could get away with it, I would already have my tree up. I adore this time of year. I love the songs, the lights and any excuse to dig out the Christmas films whilst eating mince pies.

One of the things I love the most are the Christmas themed novels. I am very excited to say that Bella Osborne is with Novel Kicks today (welcome back, Bella,) with the blog tour for her latest Christmas themed novel, Christmas Cheer which is the second book in the Willow Cottage series.

Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a safe place for little Leo.

When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric!

A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.

Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…

Thanks to Bella and Avon, we have an extract from Christmas Cheer. Enjoy…

‘Carly!’ said Beth, her voice sharp.

Carly spun in Beth’s direction with an exaggerated movement. With slow blinks she looked at Beth until something registered.

‘Beth! This is … um … what was your name again?’ She swung precariously back towards Jack who stopped her falling on him with one hand whilst holding the pub table steady with the other.

‘I know who it is.’ Beth was trying to suppress the annoyance that was rapidly developing within her.

‘He’s lov-erly,’ cooed Carly whilst she stroked his arm in a deliberate action.

‘I’d like to know what he’s planning on doing with my drunk friend?’ Beth retorted. Jack let go of

Carly as if she were a lit firework.

As the accusation slowly registered, Carly looked hurt. ‘I’m not dunk!’ she protested as she slowly slid towards the floor.

Jack was looking blindly from one woman to the other as if he’d just been teleported there. ‘I was just …’

‘For someone that wasn’t looking for a relationship a few hours ago you’ve sure as hell come round to the idea quick!’ Beth stepped forward and grabbed Carly by one arm and hauled her into a standing position. ‘Come on! We’re leaving now.’

Carly wobbled on unsteady legs, grinned inanely at Jack and was towed away.

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November’s Novel Kicks Book Club: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Published November 13, 2016 | By Laura

lovely-bones

Picador, June 2003

Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.

We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.

The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.

For November, we’re reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer.

This is Susie Salmon. Watching from heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone.

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Blog Tour: Lesley Downer Talks About Writing Her Novel, The Shogun’s Queen

Published November 10, 2016 | By Laura

Lesley in Japan with a maiko (trainee geisha)

Me in Japan with a maiko (trainee geisha)

A big welcome today to Lesley Downer and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Shogun’s Queen which was released by Bantam Press on 3rd November.

Japan, and the year is 1853. Growing up among the samurai of the Satsuma Clan, in Japan’s deep south, the fiery, beautiful and headstrong Okatsu has – like all the clan’s women – been encouraged to be bold, taught to wield the halberd, and to ride a horse.
But when she is just seventeen, four black ships appear. Bristling with cannon and manned by strangers who to the Japanese eyes are barbarians, their appearance threatens Japan’s very existence. And turns Okatsu’s world upside down.

Today, on the last day of the tour, Lesley has joined me to talk about writing The Shogun’s Queen. Over to you, Lesley…

shoguns-queen Hello, Laura. Thank you for allowing me to post on your blog today! I greatly appreciate it.

I’ve had a love affair with Japan all my life, and when I decided to move from non-fiction to fiction ten years ago, it was obvious that was where my stories would be set. I’m also mad about research. I love any excuse to go to Japan and I also love scouring old books written by Victorian travellers who were there in the nineteenth century. If I could live my life again it would be in old Japan, the Japan of the great woodblock print artists Hokusai and Hiroshige – and a reasonable second best is reading about it and being there in my mind and taking my readers there as I write about it.

Somehow – I forget how – I came across the Women’s Palace, a sort of harem where three thousand women lived and only one man, the shogun (the military ruler of Japan), could enter. To me the most surprising thing was that I’d spent so long in Japan and read so much about it yet in all those years hadn’t come across the Women’s Palace before. I decided to set my first novel there and so The Last Concubine was born. There was literally nothing in English about the palace. I had to struggle through a book written in Victorian-era Japanese with the help of a Japanese friend. My story took place at the very end of the era of the shoguns and my heroine fled the palace early on in the book.

I went on to write two more novels following on in time after the events of The Last Concubine.
Somewhere along the way I heard of Atsu’s heart-rending story and couldn’t get it out of my mind. It haunted me. Telling her story would mean going back to the Women’s Palace and I’d been feeling for a long time that I hadn’t finished with it – or rather it hadn’t finished with me.

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Blog Tour: Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern – Review

Published November 8, 2016 | By Laura

Welcome to Cecelia Ahern and her blog tour for her new novel, Lyrebird which was released on 3rd November by Harper Collins.

Solomon is part of a documentary crew. He, along with his girlfriend, Bo and their colleague Rachel, return to the farm of a set of twins (that have previously been subjects for one of their documentaries) for a funeral.

When exploring the area around the edge of the farm, Solomon finds Laura hiding in the woods. Laura has been living a solitary life. She’s such a secret no one knows she exists. They discover that Laura processes an extraordinary gift and soon, they have taken her back to Dublin.

Can Laura adjust to life in a big, loud city or will she feel even more trapped?

First of all could I just take a moment to gush about the cover of this book. It is beautiful. I loved the fact that when this book arrived, it came with very pretty feathers. Now I’ve read it the feathers make more sense but they were pretty all the same.

This book was so easy to fall into. It didn’t take me long to read as I couldn’t stop reading. There is something about Cecelia’s writing that just draws me in. There’s such a magic to it. Where Rainbows End still remains one of my favourite novels.

The plot is interesting and explores themes like the pitfalls of fame and reality TV, love and trying to discover who you are.

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Selection of New Book Releases

Published November 3, 2016 | By Laura

Hello everyone. I hope you’re all enjoying your Thursday so far. The temperature has certainly dropped today hasn’t it.

Summer has gone and we say hi to dark mornings, cold hands and scraping of the windscreen on cars.
The one thing I do love about this time of year is that when I do make it home after work or whatever, I can curl up in the chair with a blanket and a lovely mug of hot chocolate and read into the night.

As it’s Thursday, there is a new batch of book releases too. Here are four of the books released today that I am looking forward to reading.

Rather Be The Devil sees the return of Rebus and is the latest novel by Ian Rankin. It’s released today by Orion. I can remember seeing a documentary on the BBC about Ian Rankin and his writing process. It was so interesting. It was also very encouraging for a new writer like me as I got to see someone as fantastic as this author have the same insecurities as me when writing his books and he just sits down and gets on with it. I hope it does someday get repeated.

This book is the twenty first novel in the Rebus series. The general gist is that it has been forty years but for John Rebus, the death of Maria Turquand still prays on his mind. She was murdered in a hotel on the same evening a famous singer and his entourage were staying. Maria’s body has never been found.
Meanwhile, young pretender Darryl Christie is left weakened and vulnerable after a vicious attack and an enquiry into a major money laundering scheme threatens his position.

Danielle Steel also has a new novel out today. The Award has just been released by Bantam Press.
Gaelle is sixteen when the German army occupies France in 1940. Her father and brother are killed in a matter of months and her mother descends into madness.
Gaelle becomes a member of the resistance. She fearlessly delivers Jewish children to safety underneath the eyes of the Gestapo.
Toward the end of the war, she tries to help save France’s art treasures but when the war draws to a close, she is accused of collaboration. She flees to Paris and then to New York to start a new life as a model, a wife and a mother.
The ghosts of her past however are always near.

The third book out today is Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern. This has been released by Harper Collins. I have actually read this book already (I will be reviewing it as part of the Lyrebird blog tour on 8th November so watch this space.)

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Space Race

Published October 28, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt is about a space race.

In the eleventh hour before a big race across space, you are fired from the team. On the morning of the race, you’re hired by the rival team. Your presence does not go down well with your former teammates. The stakes are high and the prize is life changing. The race is about to begin. On your marks, get set….

What happens in this race? Does anything underhand happen?

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Author Interview: Guy Mankowski Talks About His New Novel, An Honest Deceit

Published October 28, 2016 | By Laura

Guy Mankowski wrote his first novel, The Intimates when he was 21. His other novels include the fantastic Letters From Yelena and How I Left The National Grid. His new novel, An Honest Deceit was released by Urbane Publications on 20th October.

When Ben and Juliette’s young daughter dies in a tragic accident on a school trip, they begin searching for answers. But will they ever know the truth? What was the role of the teacher on the trip – and are the rumours about his past true? As Ben and Juliette search for the truth and the pressure rises, their own secrets and motivations are revealed…. An Honest Deceit is an intelligent and gripping contemporary psychological thriller that questions not just the motives of others, but the real reasons for discovering the truth.

Hi Guy, welcome back to Novel Kicks. Can you tell me a bit about your new novel, An Honest Deceit? What inspired you to write it?

Hi Laura, thanks for having me. An Honest Deceit is inspired in the main by an anger at the way our institutions often treat individuals who ask them uncomfortable questions. There are hundreds of people in this country who are sitting pretty in extremely well-paid jobs that they’ve only kept hold of because they’ve used the power institutions offer them to manipulate the truth. They use this power to hurt others and look after themselves. This book looks at the impact of that through the plot of a man investigating how his daughter was killed on a school trip.

What’s your typical writing day like? How has your writing approach changed since writing your first novel?

For my first novel, The Intimates, I edited the manuscript about three times. For my second novel, about eight times. For my third about 35 times and I couldn’t begin to count how many times I edited An Honest Deceit. Every word has been changed at least once so is it even the same novel? If someone looked at a draft I had of a novel called ‘Marine’, in 2011, I think they would barely recognise that it would become ‘An Honest Deceit.’ So my typical writing day has changed in that it is much more about editing and rarely about just writing.

What are the challenges of writing a psychological thriller?

It’s hard to know how deep you should go into a characters psyche because you don’t want to lose the narrative too much. The way I ended up handling it was to go very deep into their darkest thoughts and feelings and then in later drafts ensure that there were questions the reader had at every point to keep them going. It is hard to resolving everything, within your made-up world, so it doesn’t all seem too pat.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Sitting and Listening

Published October 25, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 25th October 2016: Sitting and Listening.

For today’s prompt, it’s about getting out and about and listening.

When you have a few spare moments, go and take a bus journey or sit in a coffee shop. In fact, any busy area will do.

Try to make notes of what people are talking about. How are they speaking? How do they say things? Try to take as many notes of conversation snippets as you can (but not making obvious you are spying on people.)

Once you’ve done that, make up a story based around some of the dialogue you’ve picked up.

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Review: Start Now (A Creativity Journal) – Perfect For Writers

Published October 24, 2016 | By Laura

start-now Start Now: The Creativity Journal is written and illustrated by Kate Neckel and published by Chronicle Books (August 2015.)

This is a book to pour ideas, doodles and dreams. There are illustrations to help spark creativity.
I love books like this generally. It appeals to the part of me that loves stationary and books to work through.

This journal is for people who want to create something.
It is so beautifully illustrated throughout and the cover is bright, colourful and inspiring too.

This book is full of ways you can be creative. You can do pretty much what you want.
You can write, jot down story ideas, doodle, sketch, write down sayings or quotes you find inspiring, song lyrics (your own or ones you like) and poetry. That is what I love about it. It gives you the space to get your ideas (any ideas) down on paper. One of the best things… you can make mistakes and it won’t matter.

It’s inspirational too. Although I did think there would be more than there are, there are prompts to help you along should you get stuck. For example, there is the list of the ten ways to curate your day which includes a suggestion to make snacks. Ha-ha. There is enough space to really make this book your own.
It’s a place to jot down all your thoughts and ideas in one place (a place where you can find order in the chaos.)

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Very Short Story

Published October 21, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt is not a long story.

Write a short story in a hundred words or less. Subject, characters and setting is your choice but it has to be told in a hundred words or less. If you need some inspiration, there are some prompts below.

Two members of the public are stuck in a lift with a celebrity.

The door at the end of a very dark corridor suddenly opens.

For one hour, you find you can suddenly see and talk to that one person you miss.

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Books I Am Looking Forward To Reading: Part Three

Published October 19, 2016 | By Laura

As we reach the middle of October, there have and still are some fantastic book releases to come. Here are a few of the ones I am looking forward to reading…

The first book is Bridget Jones Baby: The Diaries. Now, I have to admit, I was not the biggest fan of Mad About The Boy. There were elements about it that were fine but I didn’t like what happened to Mark Darcy. From what I can gather, this book which was released on 11th October, is more along the story line of the recently released movie (which I am still yet to see.)

Bridget is finally pregnant in this latest novel. It is full of cheesy potatoes, outlandish advice from drunk singletons and smug mothers, scans and childbirth questions. Plus… who’s the father? (Bridget Jones Baby: The Diaries was released on 11th October by Jonathan Cape.)

Lyrebird is the new novel that is due for release by Cecelia Ahern. I love her novels and this one sounds like it is going to be great. In the deep of the woods, a young woman lives alone. She processes an extraordinary talent – a gift that has earned her the nickname, Lyrebird.

When Solomon finds Laura’s (great character name. I know, I am a little biased) solitary existence, her life is turned upside down. She’s pulled from her peaceful home to the chaos of Dublin. Solomon is sure the world will embrace Laura but will she feel free to spread her wings or will she feel trapped?

This is due for release by HarperCollins on 3rd November 2016.

The next book I am looking forward to reading is We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk (Harper, 6th October.) I now have Ross from Friends in my head screaming “we were on a break.” It makes me want to binge watch Friends.

Liv and Adam have found themselves on opposite sides of a life they had mapped out. What should have been a proposal has now turned into a break. Friends and family think they are crazy. Liv throws herself into her work (she finds animals so much simpler than humans) and Adam tries to get himself out of the hole he has dug himself. The short break gets longer. Can and do they want to find their way back to one another?

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Observation

Published October 18, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 18th October 2016: Observation.

Choose any colour. You can pick your favourite but it could be interesting to pick one you don’t like so much?

Now, either walk around your home, outside or take a break around your place of work for up to fifteen minutes. How many times have you seen that colour? Takes notes as you go around if you like.

Once you’re done, write about what you saw in as much detail as you can.

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Book Review: Learning To Fly by Jane Lambert

Published October 16, 2016 | By Laura

Forty-year-old air stewardess Emily Forsyth has everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot of a husband-in-waiting to match. But when he leaves her to ‘find himself’ (forgetting to mention the bit about ‘…a younger girlfriend’), Emily’s perfect world comes crashing down.

Catapulted into a mid-life crisis, she is forced to take stock and make some major changes. She ditches her job and enrols on a drama course in pursuit of her childhood dream, positive that, in no time at all, she’ll be sexily sporting a stethoscope on ‘Holby City’, and her ex will rue the day he dumped her. Wrong! Her chosen path proves to be an obstacle course littered with rejection and financial insecurity.

If she is to survive, she must learn to be happy with less, and develop a selective memory to cope with more than her fair share of humiliating auditions. She tells herself her big break is just around the corner. But is it too late to be chasing dreams?

Learning to Fly is a wonderful debut novel about it never being too late to give yourself a second chance and having faith in yourself.

Quitting her job as a flight attendant, Emily decides to take a leap and fulfil her life long ambitions to be an actress. Things are not always easy for Emily as she tries to navigate the world of agents, other actors and auditions.

Jane Lambert has created a delightful, relatable main character in Emily. There were moments that had me laughing out loud or wanting to turn the page as I wanted to know what happened next. Sometimes, it was both at the same time.
There is a lot of love, warmth and humour in this novel.
It all felt very realistic when it comes to the ups and downs of a life in acting. One minute you’re on top of the world and the next, you’re spending many days in pajamas waiting for the phone to ring.

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Blog Tour: Extract From All She Ever Wished For By Claudia Carroll

Published October 12, 2016 | By Laura

I’m excited to be welcoming Claudia Carroll (best-selling author and all round lovely lady,) back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new book, All She Ever Wished For which was released by Avon on 6th October.

Marriage. It’s a dream come true. Isn’t it?

One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…

All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…

Thanks to Claudia and the lovely people at Avon, I have an extract from All She Ever Wished For to share with you. Enjoy!

The present

‘The main thing is not to panic,’ says Bernard, my hubby-to-be, when I call to fill him in on what’s just happened, my imminent heart attack, etc.

‘Try not to panic?’ I say, doing the exact polar opposite. ‘Bernard, I’ve just been summoned for jury service, bloody jury service and you’re telling me not to panic?’

Claudia Carroll

Claudia Carroll

I consult the now half-scrunched letter in my hand for about the thousandth time today. ‘Here it is in cold, hard print. I’ve got to be at the Criminal Courts of Justice at 9 a.m. this coming Monday morning. So forgive me for panicking when this lands on me less than a month and counting before D-Day! Do you realise how much there’s still left to do?’

It’s a rhetorical question; of course Bernard hasn’t the first clue what’s left to do. After all, he’s a forty-three-year-old heterosexual male. What the hell does he know about weddingy floral centrepieces or alternate menu choices for coeliac lacto-ovo vegetarians?

‘Now I strongly suggest you stay calm dearest,’ Bernard says patiently. ‘All this panic is getting you nowhere.

A nice cup of tea, that’ll soon set you to rights.’

Bernard, it has to be said, thinks that there’s no drama in this life that can’t be instantly righted with a cup of Clipper gold blend.

‘The thing you have to understand,’ I sigh, regrouping and trying my best to keep cool, ‘is that with a wedding like this, there’s a whole clatter of stuff that you can only leave till these last, precious few weeks. So there’s no way in hell I can handle something as huge as jury service right now. Besides, I’ve got my family and pals all roped into helping me out before the big day, how could I possibly just skive off to court and leave them to do all the heavy lifting for me?’

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Book Release/Extract: Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes

Published October 6, 2016 | By Laura

Making It Up As I Go Along (Notes By A Small Woman) by Marian Keyes has its paperback release today (released by Penguin) and is available in most UK bookshops and online.

Welcome to the magnificent Making It Up as I Go Along – aka the World According to Marian Keyes™ – A bold and brilliant collection of Marian’s hilarious and often heartfelt observations on modern life, love and everything in between.

From a guide to breaking up with your hairdresser to entering the fifties-zone, the joys of her nail varnish museum to singing her way through insomnia, Marian will have you laughing with delight and gasping with recognition throughout – because at the end of the day, each and every one of us is clearly making it up as we go along.

I have reviewed the book below but first, thanks to Marian and Penguin, I am able to share an extract from Making It Up As I Go Along with you. Enjoy….

Writers I Love

May I tell you about what turned out to be one of the happiest days of my entire life? I may? Tanken yew! Well! You know Sali Hughes, the brilliant journalist who writes for the Guardian on a Saturday and the Pool on a Wednesday? And has her own website, salihughesbeauty.com, where she does great videos called ‘In the Bathroom’, where she visits the bathrooms of famous and/or interesting people and discusses their beauty products and skincare and whatnot? Well, I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time because while she really loves all things beauty, she’s entirely honest and reliable and informative. She knows everything.
We first came into contact when I twittered asking people what I should do about the little broken capillaries on my face and everyone told me to email Sali – and she emailed me back immediately, giving me a variety of options and telling me the upsides and downsides of each. And after that we stayed in touch, and even though we hadn’t met in real life I loved her already because she has great sweetness and gentleness coupled with razor-sharp intelligence.

Also, she gives airtime to all kinds of brands, they don’t have to be big names and expensive, so she’s in nobody’s pocket, so I know that what she writes in her columns is genuinely impartial. Also, she’s wonderful for giving exposure to new and emerging brands, which thrills me because I am a divil for ‘New and Exciting’.

And now she’s after writing a book, called Pretty Honest, and it is the ABSOLUTE BEAUTY BIBLE – it covers everything from the very basics, such as identifying your skin type, to how to manage your beauty when you’re going through something awful like cancer, and she demystifies the ‘anti-ageing’ industry, separating out cod science from things that do actually work. (As well as acknowledging that there’s nothing wrong with looking your age – basically she gives you every option.)

Every woman should have this book. Because beauty stuff is a passionate hobby of mine, I thought I knew a bit, but compared to Sali I know nothing and I’ve already consulted the book many times.
So anyway, there I am, living in Dublin and, you know, living a quiet life, seeing my mammy and the Redzers and the Praguers and going for walks with Himself and Posh Kate and Posh Malcolm – when Sali sends me this invitation to a lunch. A foncy lunch – being thrown for her by Bobbi Brown – yes! The make-up brand Bobbi Brown! And I was invited!

There were only twenty people invited and I was one of them – and when I saw the list of the other invitees, didn’t I nearly get sick! They were all writers or journalists that I hold in HUGE regard: India Knight, Jojo Moyes, Sam Baker, Polly Samson, Miranda Sawyer, Hadley Freeman, Lucy Mangan, Maria McErlane, Georgia Garrett, Julia Raeside, Jo Elvin, Camilla Long, Sophie Heawood, Bryony Gordon and Sarah Morgan. Also invited were three amazing women from the Estée Lauder group: Jay Squier, Cheryl Joannides and Anna Bartle.

My immediate impulse was that I couldn’t possibly go, that I didn’t belong, that I wouldn’t fit in, and then I thought, ‘Feck it! I want to go. I’m GOING!’
And this was huge for me because I’ve been mad in the head (MITH) for so long that I’ve had to keep my life very small and safe because it was all that I could cope with. But I realized I was ready to go into a daunting, intimidating situation and try to hold my own.

And off I went. And I really hope you don’t think I’m being a boasty-boaster, I just wanted to let you know that if you’ve suffered from the MITH-ness yourself and you think you’ll always feel terrible, it may not be the case for ever.

I ‘jetted’ in from Dublin – normally, when I travel by air, I simply fly, but because this was so glamorous I ‘jetted’ – and the lunch was upstairs in the private room in Balthazar and I had to scuttle past the welcoming committee to go to the Ladies to do last-minute checks on myself, only to discover that – horrors! – I’d somehow managed to leave Dublin without my comb!

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Backwards Coming Forward.

Published October 5, 2016 | By Laura

Wednesday 5th October 2016: Backwards Coming Forward.

Today’s writing prompt is about writing and starting at the end. Go through your ideas journal and pick a story that sparks inspiration.

Now, begin writing it but start at the end and work your way back. Start with the last line and end with your first line.

Then, once you’ve finished, read it forward.

If you need a little inspiration, try these….

A clown who ends up with his own circus but starts out as a lawyer.

A family who end up living on another planet because they’ve had to abandon their own.

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October’s Novel Kicks Book Club: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

Published October 5, 2016 | By Laura

Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.

We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.

The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.

For October, we’re reading The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett.

For fans of One Day, Life after Life and Sliding Doors.

Eva and Jim are nineteen, and students at Cambridge, when their paths first cross in 1958. Jim is walking along a lane when a woman approaching him on a bicycle swerves to avoid a dog. What happens next will determine the rest of their lives. We follow three different versions of their future – together, and apart – as their love story takes on different incarnations and twists and turns to the conclusion in the present day.

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Review: Collection of Harry Potter Colouring Books

Published October 4, 2016 | By Laura

Harry Potter colouring books I am Laura, and I am a Potter Head. I will never grow tired of these amazing stories. When I received these wonderful colouring books in the post for review, I was beyond excited. I love an adult colouring book. It’s an activity I’ve liked all my life and find relaxing (and can be for a lot of people especially if you have anxiety or have trouble relaxing.) I have found that people either do love them or hate them but I find colouring books can be really good for wellbeing and mental health.

I received the full size version of The Magical places edition, the compact edition of the Harry Potter colouring book as well as postcard editions. It was hard to decide which one to try first.
The illustrations in these books are beautiful and really capture the greatness of this incredible world. The details within them are great and a wide range of characters and places are represented.

I decided to try the Hogwarts crest first in the postcard edition. What is good about these is that you don’t have to have a good knowledge of the colours. You can choose how you want it to look or simply (as I did) look up an example and copy the colours.

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Blog Tour: The Million Dollar Blog by Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Published October 1, 2016 | By Laura

I am delighted to be a part of the blog tour for The Million Dollar Blog which is a new how to practical guide for people who want to build a successful blog and is written by Natasha Courtenay-Smith.

About The Million Dollar Blog: In a world where everyone wants to blog and blog posts are ubiquitous, how do you stand out? How do you blog your way from nobody to somebody?

How do you make money blogging, how do you start your own blogging business, and how do you, as a business owner, use content to build your brand and drive your success?

Through a combination of practical advice and interviews with some of the world’s most famous and successful bloggers, vloggers and content strategists, including Seth Godin, Lily Pebbles, Grant Cardone and Madeleine Shaw and dozens more, entrepreneur and digital strategist Natasha Courtenay Smith shows you how to build a blog that will increase your profile, create new opportunities, earn money and change your life.

blog-tour For this blog tour, I’ve been invited to talk about my journey into blogging. I have to admit, when I first started, the idea of blogging terrified me. In some ways it still does.

I began Novel Kicks back in August 2009. I can’t quite believe I have been blogging for that long. It originally began as a forum for myself and fellow writers to talk about writing and to post work.

That is still the fundamental principle of my site but it’s also evolved into a place that has all my favourite things. I love writing stories, I love escaping into books. Everything I post on Novel Kicks is something that I am very interested in. This blog is very personal to me and above all, even after seven years I am still enjoying building it up. This is a lot of my passions in one place.

When interviewing authors, I try and keep the questions fun but I also want to ask them how they approach the writing and editing process. As a new writer, these are pieces of advice I find most helpful and I hope other people do too.

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Competitions: Winner of September’s Blind Date With A Book

Published September 30, 2016 | By Laura

September Blind Date With A Book It’s time to announce the winner of September’s Win a Blind Date With a Book competition.

It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. Our competition is one with a twist. It’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.

I didn’t reveal what the title was of this month’s book was nor did I reveal the cover. All I did reveal is that the themes included ‘childhood, siblings, friendship, family, triumph and tragedy.’

Well done to Carol Peace from West Yorkshire who has won this month’s book. The new competition for October is coming soon.

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Wedding Lottery

Published September 30, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt involves a wedding lottery.

A system is introduced that means marriage partners are chosen by a lottery.

You don’t meet your spouse to be until the day of the wedding.

Write about one wedding. What happens? What conflict emerges?

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Looking Ahead

Published September 27, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 27th September 2016: Future Predictions

Today’s Prompt is looking into the future of your characters.

Make a list of your main characters in a work in progress or favourite novel.

Pick a year in the future (make it at least thirty years.)

Write about what the world would be like?

What will your characters be like?

What would they be doing?

Is it a future where technology has expanded even more? Has everything gone back to basics? Dystopian? Expanded to other planets?

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25 Bookish Facts About Me

Published September 26, 2016 | By Laura

Sweet Valley High I’ve seen people do this tag on You Tube and it looked pretty fun so I thought I would give it a go. It’s the twenty five bookish facts about me. If you fancied doing this too, please do in the comments box below. I love tags like these. So here we go…..

Fact one: Despite all of the books I’ve read in my life so far, I can actually be quite a slow reader. It can take me quite a while to get through some books. It’s usually a sign that there is something about the book that I am not quite gelling with and that I am finding it hard going. Sometimes it’s because I keep falling asleep as I tend to read before bedtime.

Fact two: One of my favourite book series growing up was The Sweet Valley High series. I adored them and I think they are pretty much all I read for a good couple of years. I was very much an Elizabeth in that I loved writing and books but I wanted Jessica’s confidence. I loved the TV series too. Anyone now got the theme tune in their heads?
I am surprised I didn’t start writing Sweet Valley High fan fiction. I was so excited to get my hands on the new book in the series that came out a while ago. It was good to find out what happened to these characters I grew up with.

Fact three: I have many favourite characters from literature but I think one of my absolute favourites (because Harry Potter can’t be my answer for everything,) is Don Tillman. Don is the main character from The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Don doesn’t really do subtle but he is such an adorable man. His heart is in the right place. He has a lot of charm and is loveable. Despite the bluntness he displays sometimes, he is a very good man.

Rosie Project

Penguin

Fact four: OK, so you know when I said that I can’t include Harry Potter in every answer and fact? Well, this one was unavoidable because the fictional world I want to visit is Hogwarts. I want to go to school and learn potions, transfiguration, charms and play Quidditch. OK, I am more likely to be in the crowd cheering having fallen off the broom too much to be able to play but it would be so cool.

Fact five: I am trying to write my first novel and have been for a while (and could if I got out of my own way.) It’s called The Back Up Plan and currently focuses on Carrie, Dylan and Sarah.

Fact six: The first book I read that made me go wow as I made my way through it was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I read it when I was sixteen and it made such an impact on me that even now, it is a book I still think about a lot. Whenever I hear The Day We Find Love by 911 and A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton (yes I know, my music taste hasn’t improved with age either,) I think of this book as these were two songs I was listening to a lot when I was reading this novel.

Fact seven: My favourite place to read is in bed. This is one of the reasons I actually quite like winter evenings. It’s the perfect excuse to snuggle under my duvet, stay warm and make my way through a good book. I find it really relaxing.

Face eight: My favourite things to eat and drink when reading is a mug of tea and biscuits. My tea of choice is good old Tetley or everyday brew from Tea pigs. I also collect mugs and I love going to my shelf, picking a mug and making some tea. It’s the small things. Ha ha. My favourite biscuits are chocolate digestives or hobnobs and jammie dodgers (unless I have Fox & Son’s Jam creams,) and yes, I dunk!

velveteen rabbit

Egmont Children’s Books

Fact nine: My favourite book is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. I really do wish I had discovered this book earlier than I did. It’s such a beautiful story and has such a lovely message. I will forever own a copy.

Fact ten: I’ve previously never been too keen on audiobooks. In the past, I have tried and failed to get through an audiobook. I am trying to improve. I am currently making my way through The Glittering Art of Falling Apart by Ilana Fox and really enjoying it so I am coming around to the idea. I am trying to make more of an effort to listen to them and are finding they are great in the car.

Fact eleven: I struggled deciding on the contents of this fact as I love so many but If I were only allowed to own three books (which was be a sad state of affairs indeed,) they would be Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling. This is my favourite Potter book and I can’t imagine not owning one, Bridget Jones Diary as Bridget is a wonderfully flawed character who I imagine would be great to hang around with and Bookends by Jane Green. I read this when I was living by myself in London so it reminds me that I can do things that scare me and get through the experience.

Fact twelve: If there were no intervening factors getting in my way, the characters I would most like to have around for a dinner party would be Severus Snape (just so I could listen to the voice,) Elphaba from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (as I relate to her a lot,) Aslan, as he is just a cool dude and also a big cat and I love cats and finally Becky Bloomwood from the shopaholic series as I imagine she is just really great fun to talk to.

Fact thirteen: I collect bookmarks (as well as mugs.) I have all the bookmarks my Nan collected in her lifetime from all the places she has visited and when I can, I’ve carried on the tradition.

Fact fourteen: Although I have tried to, I very rarely re-read books once I’ve read them.

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A Moment With Laura Briggs: Self Publishing Vs. Traditional Publishing

Published September 26, 2016 | By Laura

I’m happy to be welcoming a fellow Laura to Novel Kicks today. Author, Laura Briggs talks about Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing and the pros and cons of each. Over to you, Laura.

First of all, thanks to Laura for inviting me to appear on Novel Kicks with a post on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing. I’ve learned a little about both in recent years and hope my experiences may prove useful to some of you reading this.

Let me start by saying that my publisher, Pelican Book Group, is nothing less than excellent. I love working with them and plan to submit more manuscripts to their company in the future. I also love self-publishing and am grateful to have the opportunity for both.

Now—let’s get to some pros and cons on publishing!

The Pros of Traditional Publishing:

•Professional Editing: This is an obvious one, but I can’t stress it enough. Freelance editors cost a few hundred on average, so yes, professional editing gives traditional publishing an edge.

•Professional Cover Design: Another obvious one, I know, but important. Not everyone has the software, or the know-how to make a good cover, even with so many high quality images available via sites like Dreamstime. The cover often serves as your book’s first impression, so it needs to be good.

•Professional Marketing: Let’s face it—marketing is tough. And hugely competitive. Book review bloggers are swamped with requests and even buying ad space from a popular service like Bookbub is difficult to achieve. Some publishing companies have better methods of getting your book out there. Some don’t. It depends on the publisher, and of course, even authors with a traditional publisher must still do some of their own marketing.

•It Has More Options Than Before: There are many small and up-and-coming publishers who will take unagented submissions from writers these days. There are even divisions of bigger publishing houses, like HarperCollins, I believe, that welcome unagented submissions. They may not pay author advances like big companies do, but some are quite generous on the royalties.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Planets Meeting

Published September 23, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s prompt is about the planets around us.

The planets are all getting together for their annual solar system conference. What they talk about and where they meet is up to you.
However, the only rules…. Venus likes Mercury. Jupiter is grumpy and Neptune doesn’t like Earth (is jealous of earth,) so they can’t sit next to one another.

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Writing Room: Seeing Is Not Always Believing

Published September 20, 2016 | By Laura

rp_writeanything-300x19911-300x1991-300x1991-300x199-300x1991-300x199-300x199-1-1-1-1-1-300x199-1-1-1.jpg Tuesday 20th September 2016.

Today’s prompt: Seeing is not always believing.

Senses are obviously very important. Visual is what we most rely on.

For today’s exercise, describe a place of importance but only use smell, hearing, touch or taste.

Anything but visual descriptions.

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Blog Tour: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan – Review

Published September 20, 2016 | By Laura

To everyone who knows her now, Zoe Maisey – child genius, musical sensation – is perfect. Yet several years ago Zoe caused the death of three teenagers. She served her time, and now she’s free.

Her story begins with her giving the performance of her life.

By midnight, her mother is dead.

The Perfect Girl is an intricate exploration into the mind of a teenager burdened by brilliance, and a past that she cannot leave behind.

Zoé and her mother Maria moved from Devon to Bristol to start a new life following a big tragedy. Maria is now married to Chris and along with his son, Lucas, Zoé and Maria seem to be getting their lives back on track. Tessa, Maria’s sister is also living near by.

Zoé finds that she isn’t going to really find protection from her old life when it very much catches up with her. When more tragedy strikes the family, Zoé is worried she is going to become suspect number one but is she really to blame?

I loved Burnt Paper Sky so I have been waiting patiently and excitedly for Gilly’s new novel, The Perfect Girl which is due its paperback release on Thursday (22nd September.)

The Perfect Girl has a great build up of suspense across the novel. It is set in a very short but very tense space of time. The lives of the characters are complicated and fascinating.

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My Writing Ramblings: Taking Myself Seriously?

Published September 16, 2016 | By Laura

It is amazing how quickly a week can go and how little you can actually achieve. It has been seven of those days that seems to have merged into one. Where the day job (or in my case this week has been my first lot of night shifts for months) has taken priority.

I have been trying to sneak bits and pieces in here and there. I’m still making my way through Emma. I am a little behind. I am not too worried about that. Reading Austen was never about how quickly I could get through them. If you’re reading along with me, how are you getting on?

I have been writing about two hundred words of a short story this week to make sure I at least write something. My planning has got to a stage where I need to sit down and map out plot so it is not something I have been able to do this week as I don’t want to rush it. I have done that before and it has not got me far. I am so tired from my shifts though that once I do get home, I just want to sleep. Surprisingly, I am not actually getting too worked up about it. I am still working my way through the plot in my head. That counts…right?

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Woods For The Trees

Published September 16, 2016 | By Laura

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.

Today’s Prompt: Woods for the trees.
What does the picture inspire?
If you need further inspiration, how about this… There are two characters – one male and one female and they are just about to enter the woods. It is up to you whether this man and woman get on and why they are going into the woods. It is also up to you what happens once they go into the woods.

rp_friday-300x16411111111111111-300x164-300x1641-300x164-300x1641-300x16411-300x164-300x164-300x1641-300x1641-300x164-300x164-300x1641-300x164-300x164-1-1-1-1-1.png

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Gill Paul Chats About The Launch Party For Her New Novel, The Secret Wife

Published September 15, 2016 | By Laura

The Secret Wife is the latest novel by Gill Paul and it was released by Avon on 25th August 2016.

A Russian grand duchess and an English journalist. Linked by one of the world’s greatest mysteries . . .

Love. Guilt. Heartbreak.

1914

Russia is on the brink of collapse, and the Romanov family faces a terrifyingly uncertain future. Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with cavalry officer Dmitri, but events take a catastrophic turn, placing their romance – and their lives – in danger . . .

2016

Kitty Fisher escapes to her great-grandfather’s remote cabin in America, after a devastating revelation makes her flee London. There, on the shores of Lake Akanabee, she discovers the spectacular jewelled pendant that will lead her to a long-buried family secret . . .

Haunting, moving and beautifully written, The Secret Wife effortlessly crosses centuries, as past merges with present in an unforgettable story of love, loss and resilience.

Gill Paul has joined me today to chat about the launch event for her new novel (which sounds amazing and I am looking forward to reading it.)

Hi Gill. Congratulations on the release of The Secret Wife. What was the launch party like?

I organise parties like military campaigns with master lists covered in arrows and squiggles only I can decipher. There were lots of elements to this one, which I’d been planning since June, when the Open Russia Club kindly said I could hold The Secret Wife launch there. Among things to arrange were:

• Lots of booze, including vodka I’d brought back specially from St Petersburg.
• Several different types of canapés: caviar on blinis, smoked fish on rye, chopped egg, cream cheese and beetroot, and two trays of gluten-free ones.
• Cupcakes (made by my powerhouse friend Karen, CEO of Orenda Books).
• A large screen showing home movie footage of the Romanovs with a Tchaikovsky sound track.
• Four boards with postcards of Fabergé eggs pasted on them.
• A table for the lovely Waterstones bookseller Maria to heap up the books.
• Postcards of Tatiana and Dmitri for guests to take as bookmarks.

Like most military campaigns in history, this did not go entirely to plan. It turned out there was no way to fix the Fabergé boards to the walls so we propped them on the floor and no one could see them once the crowds arrived. The television screen was too low down so not everyone could get close enough to watch the incredibly moving pictures of the Romanov girls prancing around in their white dresses and Alexei playing at being a soldier. The music my friend Lee had spent so long mixing couldn’t be heard over the chatter in the room. And worst of all, I forgot to bring my makeup bag to the club with me!!

Several guests arrived early, including Linda Hill – which was great because these early birds were the only people I got to have a proper conversation with all evening. Suddenly, at 6.30, a crowd arrived en masse, the room filled up, and all I could do was wave, air kiss and smile. My editors Eloise and Phoebe acted as bar staff, and were so good at it there’s definitely another career waiting for them should the publishing thing not work out. I seemed to spend the rest of the evening signing books, trying desperately not to spell anyone’s name wrong.

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My Favourites: Book Worlds

Published September 14, 2016 | By Laura

harry-potter

J.K Rowling. Bloomsbury. 2001.

I have always loved reading and always will. There is something so magical about being able to escape to another place for a while. Whenever I feel anxious and want to relax, I pick up a book. It can be such a comfort.
One of the things I love most about escaping into a book is that I get to experience all of these different worlds. I get to travel, get to know the characters and see life through their eyes (it appeals to the part of me that is incredibly nosey.)

Having loved reading since I was young, I have visited many places and worlds. Some I have loved, some I have found intriguing and there’s some where I’ve outright wanted to pack up everything and go and live there.

I don’t think it is any surprise to anyone then that the first book world that’s my favourite is the world Harry Potter inhabits. From the moment I started reading these I fell in love with the magical world. I want to be able to own a wand and do magic. I want to go to school at Hogwarts and learn spells, potions and transfiguration. I don’t think there would ever be a dull day. This is the one world where I would like to actually go live rather than just visit. Can I head to the Hogwarts Express now?

C.S.Lewis. HarperCollins Children's Books. Nov 2009.

C.S.Lewis. HarperCollins Children’s Books. Nov 2009.

Narnia is another world I would love to go and visit (although unlike Hogwarts, I am not sure I’d want to live there.) The stories and the world of Narnia is something I’ve been reading since I was a young child. When I was little, it was the characters within the world that I loved the most and the power to overcome someone like the white witch. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the whole world.
Is it strange though to say that I love the bit with all the snow (yes, coming from the christmas freak.)
My favourite bit is the part with Father Christmas. The setting is just so magical. The imagery you also get at the end where Cair Paravel is described as being by the sea with what I imagined as a beautiful view. It would be somewhere nice to go on holiday.

Never Never Land – the land where you don’t have to grow up. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t wait to grow up and become an adult. I ignored all of the warnings my Mum gave me when she told me to not be in such a hurry and… yes… she was right.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Setting

Published September 13, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 13th September 2016: Setting.

For today’s writing exercise, we’re going to be looking at setting.

Choose a place that you know well. Place your work in progress or an idea you’re thinking about developing into this setting.

Now think of an event that began up to a month before the beginning of your story.

Then, by only describing the place/setting reveal as much as you can about the story and the characters.

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Today’s New Releases: 8th September 2016

Published September 8, 2016 | By Laura

mount by jilly cooper Hello, hello, hello. How is everyone? Thursday has rolled around again. This week has gone incredibly quickly I must say. Here on Novel Kicks, Thursday means a new list of new book releases.

Rupert Campbell-Black is back in Mount which is the latest novel by Jilly Cooper.. It has been released by Bantam Press in hardback and eBook today.

Rupert is the anti hero we all love to hate and hate to love. We find Rupert consumed with his grey horse, The Love Rat. He longs to beat Roberto’s Revenge, the horse owned by his rival Cosmo Rannaldini. This obsession means abandoning Penscombe and his wife, Taggie.

The fort at home is being held by Rupert’s assistant, Gav. Gala also arrived at Penscombe. Gav is attracted to her. The bad news for Gav is that a returning Rupert is also dangerously tempted.
Riders is so delicious and so it’s good to see Campbell-Black make his return.
If you’re a fan of Jilly’s novels, be sure to pick up a copy of Mount.

The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas has also been released today this time by Orion. From what I get from the blurb of this book, it sounds as though it would make a great book to take with you on holiday if you’re managing to escape the impending Autumn weather and the darker mornings that seem to be sneaking up on us.

People think they know Camille. They see her as a beautiful spoilt daddy’s girl who uses her father’s money to fund her lifestyle. Camille however is desperate to have a life free from his strings. She has fought hard for the happiness and independence she now has but she soon finds that her father’s ruthless business dealings threaten her new life.

Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. That is until she meets Jack. He is hired as her bodyguard but he has his own issues. Jack soon finds out that his perception of Camille is incorrect.

I’ve not read any of Jodi Ellen’s novels before but this one sounds very intriguing and a good place to start. This book feels as though it would be a good insight on first impressions and how incorrect they can initially be.

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Competitions: September’s Blind Date With A Book

Published September 8, 2016 | By Laura

It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. The cover is the thing that initially catches our eye in the book shop. It can sometimes completely sell the book or make you walk by it without giving it a chance. Our competition is one with a twist. It’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.

I’m not going to reveal what the title of this month’s book is nor will I reveal the cover. All I will reveal is that the themes include ‘childhood, siblings, friendship, family, triumph and tragedy.’

How to enter:

All you have to do is comment below with your name and county (although county is optional.) The closing date for entries is Thursday 29th September 2016 at 23.59.

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News: Another Screenplay Release For JK Rowling

Published September 6, 2016 | By Laura

fantastic beasts

Little, Brown. November 2016

There has been so much divided opinion since Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was released at the end of July. For me, it was lovely to be back in the magical world that these wonderful characters inhabited. Yes, there were elements for me that didn’t quite add up but regardless, this was another piece of the world I love so much and that is better than nothing. It is for that reason that I am excited for the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them which is due to be released in cinemas on 18th November (it is starring Eddie Redmayne as main character, Newt Scamander.)

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone . . .

Inspired by the original Hogwart’s textbook by Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original screenplay marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books.

This film is based on the short book JK Rowling wrote especially for Comic Relief. That short book was based on the textbook that is required reading for students of Hogwarts.

At a recent trip to the cinema, I saw the trailer for this film. I’ve only got to hear that music and I am back to when I was reading all the Harry Potter books for the first time. It never fails to make me smile.

To carry on the trend of releasing screenplays in conjunction with their performance counterparts, the original screenplay is being released on the same day.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Coming Home

Published September 6, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 6th September 2016: Coming Home

Write a story about a man named Max. He is twenty-six years old. He’s just returned home after a ten year absence. He’s returned for his mother’s funeral.

What is the reaction of the people he returns to? Why has he not been back for so long? What made him leave home at sixteen?

Write in the first person and up to two thousand words.

What if it was a twenty-six year old girl named Rachel? How would the story be different?

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Author Interview: Vicki Wakefield Talks About Her Novel, Inbetween Days

Published September 5, 2016 | By Laura

I’m pleased to be welcoming Vicki Wakefield to Novel Kicks today. Vicki is the author of the YA novel, Inbetween Days which was released by Text Publishing on 26th August.

Jacklin Bates has life figured out – dropped out of school, moved in with her runaway sister, in love with an older boy. But why does she have a sinking feeling that she still needs her mum? Perhaps because she’s stuck in Mobius – a dying town with the macabre suicide forest its only attraction – stuck working in the roadhouse and babysitting her boss’s demented father.

Vicki, thank you for joining me today. Can you tell me about your typical writing day?

There are no typical days. I write when I feel like it, or when a deadline forces me knuckle down. It’s not that I don’t love writing, it’s just that I focus best when my slate is clean. I tend to deal with family, housework, bills, pets and life first, and then I breathe out. I can be epically productive or utterly paralysed. There’s no middle ground.

Do you have any writing rituals (coffee, silence?)

I’m terribly provincial. I can’t do cities, hotel rooms, libraries or cafes (I wish I could, but I either get distracted or lonely). I like to be outside; I like my dog under my feet. I prefer to write at night when everyone else is asleep, and I need tea, wine, chocolate or biscuits (not necessarily at the same time, but I’ve been known to go on a bender). I keep only one working file, so any changes are lost forever (I’m told this is the equivalent of base-jumping, but to me it’s a superstition, like wearing your lucky stinky socks for every game).

Do you edit as you go and plan much prior to beginning a book?

I’m always thinking about a new book long before I finish working on my current one, so the planning can take place years before I write a single word. I keep notebooks filled with random ideas and drawings to help me get to know the world and the characters, and I’ll usually have my opening paragraph perfected before I open a new document (the blank page scares me). Planning in advance helps me to decide whether a story has legs, and drawing helps me to refine my characters before I begin. That said, I’m not a plotter. I trust that the story will take me where it needs to go. I do edit as I write the first draft (against most advice on writing first drafts). It’s my way of feeling out the story. My ideas change so often and so unexpectedly that I worry the novel would be unfixable if I ignored my instincts and tried to write through.

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