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.

Book Review: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

Published June 10, 2016 | By Laura

W&N, May 2015

W&N, May 2015

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.

Have you ever considered what if? “What if I said yes to that guy” or “what if I said yes to going to that party?” This book explores three what if situations involving the main characters, Eva and Jim. In each situation or “version” as the book calls it Eva makes different decisions, which sets her on different paths throughout her life.

However, just like in real life, certain events do still occur in all 3 versions; the events that cannot always be controlled by decisions such as birthdays and death. This makes the story much more realistic and adds another layer to each story as we see how each different version of Eva copes with these events.

I love the character of Eva as you see how she adapts to different situations. She is loving, kind-hearted but is also a strong female shown through how she copes through many difficult situations. She will do everything she can to protect her family, even sometimes if that means sacrificing her own happiness. In this book we see many different sides to Eva as well as Jim. We see the highs and the lows of their relationship and how one small decision can have such a major effect on their lives.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Looking at Things From a Different Angle.

Published June 10, 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: Pick a situation from real life experience or from somewhere online like a news article or maybe take a section of your favourite story.

Look at the story from a different angle. Write it as though something in the story happened differently. For example, what if it were the white rabbit just sat there reading and minding his own business outside his burrow in Wonderland and Alice walks by. The rabbit then follows her into our world. What if the villain is really the good guy and vice versa?

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Latest Book Releases

Published June 9, 2016 | By Laura

Endof Watch Happy Thursday everyone. It’s time for another round up of the recently released books. Any take your fancy?

End of Watch by Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton, 7th June 2016.)

This had its hardcover and electronic release today. Although it is a standalone novel, it’s also the last in the Hodges Trilogy. I have to admit, I’ve never read any of Stephen King (his book ‘On Writing’ has been recommended to me so many times.) I might have to start though.

Retired Detective Bill Hodges now runs a two-person firm called Finders Keepers with his partner Holly Gibney. They met in the wake of the ‘Mercedes Massacre’ when a queue of people was run down by the diabolical killer Brady Hartsfield.

Brady is now confined to Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, in an unresponsive state. But all is not what it seems: the evidence suggests that Brady is somehow awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.

When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.

The clock is ticking in unexpected ways …

The Fireman by Joe Hill (Gollancz, 7th June 2016.)

This book has been on my TBR pile for a few weeks and I’ve been trying to get to it. It looks so interesting. I am looking forward to reading.

Nobody knew where the virus came from.
FOX News said it had been set loose by ISIS, using spores that had been invented by the Russians in the 1980s.
MSNBC said sources indicated it might’ve been created by engineers at Halliburton and stolen by culty Christian types fixated on the Book of Revelation.
CNN reported both sides.
While every TV station debated the cause, the world burnt.

Pregnant school nurse, HARPER GRAYSON, had seen lots of people burn on TV, but the first person she saw burn for real was in the playground behind the school.
With the epic scope of THE PASSAGE and the emotional impact of THE ROAD, this is one woman’s story of survival at the end of the world.

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Mick’s Musings: And It’s Goodnight From Him….

Published June 9, 2016 | By Laura

And it’s good night from him.

A simple line, but by gum, I wish I could have written it! So, another of the great entertainers takes their final curtain call in a year that so far, I for one wish we could do without. We’ve lost so many already this year. You’ll be missed Ronnie Corbett.

As writers, we’re always hoping to come up with that ‘killer’ line, those few words that, on their own don’t mean anything, but put them together in the right order and bam! Of course, it’s the 400th anniversary of a certain gentleman’s birth this year who’s become the go-to writer for killer lines. Yes, I am taking about the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare, but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be another half-baked celebration, for a start, and please don’t tar and feather me, I’m not a huge fan. I can just about take some of his comedies, but any of his serious plays usually send me to sleep – sorry.

My point is simply that we use his killer lines in our everyday speech, most of the time without knowing it, and wouldn’t we all love to be quoted! In the good way of course. It’s only six words, ‘And it’s good night from him’, but so memorable. I think we could all quote scenes from our favourite novels, but most of us wouldn’t be able to quote a favourite line, or perhaps rather one that would stand out for longer than a few months in our minds.

Which brings me onto the update on my present WIP. I talked in my last Blog update about how hearing a radio interview had interrupted the flow of what I was writing at that time, if you recall. The new one, tentatively entitled ‘Three Little Words’ (but very likely to change. Not because I don’t like it, but because it’s already been taken a number of times), and as of the last few days, I have finished the first draft with the word count standing at 81,986 words. Deciding that I’d like to get about 10,000 words done from Monday to Friday kept me on track.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: You’re The Boss.

Published June 7, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 7th June 2016: You’re the boss.

Today’s prompt: Write about a day in your life if you were running a country. What would you do if you were in charge for a day?

Write from 8am until 23.59pm. Write in the first person.

Include as much as you can about your surroundings, how you feel, who you work with and what you have to deal with.

What kind of leader are you? Continue reading →

Courses and Competitions: Luke Bitmead Bursary 2016

Published June 6, 2016 | By Laura

Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 Luke Bitmead Bursary.

Luke was the first author to be published by Legend Press and the bursary was set up shortly after his sudden death in 2006. Now in its ninth year it is the UK’s biggest prize for unpublished authors.

It’s an annual award that was set up to support and encourage the work of novel writers whilst also raising awareness of mental health.

The top prize is a publishing contract with Legend Press as well as a £2,500 cash prize.

There is a £10 fee per submission which goes directly to the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund. This needs to be paid before you submit your entry.

The novel must already completed before you enter and it must be over 60,000 words to be considered. Also, submissions should be from authors who have not been previously traditionally published and who are 16 or over.

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Competitions: June’s Win A Blind Date With A Book

Published June 6, 2016 | By Laura

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’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 ‘Family, Mystery, Secrets and Sibling Relationships.’

How to enter:

All you have to do is comment below with your name and county. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 29th June 2016.

I will then pick out a winner at random and will announce it on the Novel Kicks blog on Thursday 3oth June 2o16.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Word Association

Published June 3, 2016 | By Laura

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

Grab a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Fold the piece of paper in half or draw a line through the middle. Using one of the prompts below, start playing word association with yourself until you’ve filled both columns.

Elephant

Ticket

Extend

Dishonest

Snow

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Blog Tour: Author and Character Interview with Steven Scaffardi and Dan Hilles

Published June 3, 2016 | By Laura

Today I am taking part in the Lad Lit Blog Tour, and I am delighted to be joined by lad lit author Steven Scaffardi, and the star of his two books in the Sex, Love and Dating Disasters series, Dan Hilles.

Gentleman, welcome to Novel Kicks. Steven, if we could start with you. What were the main challenges of returning to an already established character or did it make writing the second novel slightly easier?

Hi Laura, thanks for having us! When I wrote The Drought, I never set out to write a series but I guess I fell in love with the characters, especially Dan and his three best friends, Rob, Jack and Ollie. At the end of the book, I started thinking what would the boys do next? It set the wheels in motion for a series of ideas that became The Flood.

In a lot of ways, already knowing the characters so well did make it easier as I knew how they would react in certain situations, but at the same time you also have an audience who already knows these characters so you have to remain true to who they are, so from that point of view you can’t suddenly change course completely like you might with a new book and a new set of characters.

Dan, you make a drunken bet in The Flood that complicates your life somewhat when you accept the challenge from your friends to date four women in eight weeks. What were your main motivations for taking the bet?

As you mentioned Laura, alcohol played a big part in me making that stupid bet. Basically, after going through the sexual drought in the first book, the boys were on my case and giving me a lot of stick about not being very good with the opposite sex, especially Jack who once he gets started, simply can’t stop taking the micky!

Anyway, after one drink too many I made the bet. I’m not proud of it, and you could say that I got bit on the backside by karma as I ended up dating a stalker, my crazy ex-girlfriend, the office ice queen, and the one who got away before. To be honest, I wish I could go back and change it all. It was a nightmare, especially trying to keep them all apart.

Steven, do you cast your characters and if so, who do you have in mind for Dan, Rob, Ollie and Jack?

The four original boys in The Drought (Dan, Rob, Jack and Ollie) were based on people I knew. Dan is loosely based on me I guess, but most of the personalities and the things the boys get up to are based on fact, and then exaggerated for comedy effect.

Some of the best stories I pick up come from friends when we are standing around in the pub reminiscing about old dating stories. That is a big reason why I wrote The Drought in the first place. Some of the things guys think or get up are to are pretty hilarious, so I tried to build a story around dating disasters. I wanted to tell a story from a man’s point of view about relationships. Most of the time, it’s not as perfect as chick lit makes it out to be, so I wanted to bring some balance to the world!

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Latest Book Releases

Published June 2, 2016 | By Laura

81wYkejKWmL Wow, I can’t believe that we are already into June. With a new month comes a bunch of new books. Here are some of the new releases available this week. Which one do you want to read?

Always With Love by Giovanna Fletcher (Penguin, 2nd June 2016.)

How excited am I to be able to revisit Rosemont Hill? Lots, that’s what. I can’t wait to catch up with Billy and Sophie in the sequel to Billy & Me. A gorgeous cover too.

Sophie’s got used to being the girlfriend of Billy Buskin, the biggest movie star in the world. Sort of.

But when she and Billy take a trip to visit his family in Los Angeles, she quickly discovers she’s totally unprepared for the chaos of Hollywood, the paparazzi and Billy’s controlling mother.

And when Billy extends his stay in LA, leaving Sophie to fly home to Rosefont Hill alone, it seems there’s more than just miles between them.

Now Sophie must decide if they can overcome their differences for good. Because not every love story lasts the distance . . .

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison (Thomas & Mercer, 1st June 2016.)

51T00vORodL This cover is lovely and the plot to this novel is very intriguing.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

Cross Kill by James Patterson (Bookshots, June 2016.)

This is a book in the Alex Cross thriller series and has been released in paperback today.

ALEX CROSS, I’m coming for you – even from the grave if I have to.

Along Came a Spider killer Gary Soneji has been dead for over ten years. Alex Cross watched him die. But today, Cross saw him gun down his partner. Is Soneji alive? A ghost? Or something even more sinister?

Nothing will prepare you for the wicked truth.

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June’s Book Club: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Published June 1, 2016 | By Laura

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Collins Classics, April 2016.

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 June, we’re reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

This is one classic I’ve actually never got around to reading so I am looking forward to visiting Alice in Wonderland.

‘Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”’

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Blog Tour: Rare Objects by Kathleen Tessaro

Published May 2, 2016 | By Laura

Kathleen Tessaro (c) Gregg Liberi USE

Photo credit: Gregg Liberi USE

I am so happy to be welcoming Kathleen Tessaro to Novel Kicks today and her blog tour for her new novel, Rare Objects which is due to be released by Harper on Thursday.

Mae Fanning seizes on a job at a tiny, exclusive Boston antiques shop as the fresh start she desperately needs. It opens a window to new world, one peopled with rare and rich characters. But the day that enigmatic socialite Diana van der Laar walks in, Mae’s hidden past returns.

As a moth to a flame, Mae is unable to resist Diana’s heady, seductive glamour and glittering life. Yet, like the rare objects in the shop, very little is what it appears – Diana included.

Moving from Jazz-Age New York to Boston in the grip of the Great Depression, Rare Objects is a rich and gripping story of what it means to reach for a braver, bolder life.

Hello Kathleen. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me a little about your typical writing day?

Thank you for inviting me!

My normal day involves getting up at 6am, walking the dog, and getting my son off to school. Then I drink lots of strong coffee, research, write, walk the dog again, spend far too much time looking up useless information and then give up entirely around 2:30. The nice thing about historical fiction is that when you get stuck in your writing, there’s always interesting reading or research to indulge in.

How do you normally approach the process – do you edit as you go? Plan? Write in silence or with noise and where do you like to write?

I normally write at home, in relative quiet, and often in bed (though it must be made and I must be dressed – otherwise one is simply asking for trouble). I like to get the first 50 or so pages out before I go back over anything, just because one can get stuck quite easily in re-working the first three paragraphs over and over and never move forward. (Chances are the first three paragraphs never make it to the final cut anyway.) I do plan and sometimes even outline but have never managed to stick to it.

Congratulations on the release of your new novel, Rare Objects which is due to be released this week. Can you tell me a little about it and where the idea originated?

Thank you! The idea came from my fascination with found objects and the stories behind them. I’ve always wanted to write about an antiquities shop so that I would have a constant influx of characters and stories coming in and out. And the reason why different people collect certain things intrigues me. Add into that mix two young women from very different social classes with a shared secret, the glamour and despair of the Prohibition period and a mythical object that acts like an omen to everyone who comes across it and before you know it, an entire world is up and running!

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Everything Has Changed

Published April 28, 2016 | By Laura

Thursday 28th April 2016: Everything has changed.

Today’s prompt has your character lose themselves.

They get up, they get washed and dressed, grab their things and walk out the door.

When they get outside, their car isn’t there. After they call the police, they walk to work.

They walk in the reception area and apologise for being late and yet, no one knows who they are. Carry on the story….

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My Favourites: My Latest Stationery Haul

Published April 27, 2016 | By Laura

Stationery, stationery, stationery. Beautiful stationery. I’ve gone a little mad over the last few weeks. I am all about finding things that are going to make my life a little easier or just buying stationery because it is so pretty. I have to make sure I use them though. My pile of new notebooks gets bigger by the week and yet I can’t stop buying stuff.

Uni-ball ‘Air’ Pen.

My first favourite stationery item that I’ve got is this pen from Uni-ball. It’s the Air pen and it writes like a fountain pen. I was in the supermarket and was just, cough, browsing the stationary section when i can across these pens.

I do love writing with fountain pens. I always have done ever since I was a kid. This was why these pens caught my eye.

I really like these pens. They are not as fine as my fountain pen (I think it would be impossible for a rollerball to be) but it is the next best thing if you want something to have handy to write notes with but don’t want to bother with a proper fountain pen.

This brings me onto the Blue Sky Day Designer.

My pen is resting on the Day Designer from Blue Sky. I am a big hoarder of diaries. I find it hard to find one that fits the exact thing I am looking for in a diary. I like to keep up with everything that is going on (and I need a lot of help in that department as I will think I will remember what I am doing and then I will forget something,) but I also like enough notes pages for ideas and lists.

I saw this diary pop up in a YouTube video and managed to get one via Ebay.

What I love about this diary is that there a section for appointments but there is also a section for to do’s (heaven.) There are also plenty of blank pages for notes at the back as well as a monthly glance page which is handy for blogging.

Where this was brought from America it does have the American holidays instead of the British ones but that is not a big deal. There is also not a lot of space where the weekends are listed but it’s my ongoing battle with diaries and working weekends.

The blue is beautiful. It is also small enough to fit in my bag. Overall it’s all I need in a diary.

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Blog Tour: Somewhere Inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin

Published April 8, 2016 | By Laura

I am very pleased to welcoming Anna McPartlin to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her new novel, Somewhere Inside of Happy which was released by Black Swan on 7th April 2016.

‘And just like that my boy was gone.’ Maisie Bean is a fighter. A survivor. Seventeen years ago, she went on a first date that went so badly it was enough to put the girl off chips. The marriage that followed was hell but it gave her two children: funny, caring Jeremy and bullish but brilliant Valerie. Just as it seems everything might finally start going right, sixteen-year-old Jeremy goes missing. The police descend and a media storm swirls, over five days of searching that hurtle towards an inevitable, terrible conclusion. Maisie is facing another fight, and this time it’s the fight of her life. But she’s a survivor. Whatever the odds, she’ll never give in.

Thanks to Anna and Black Swan, I have an extract to share with you today. Enjoy.

Prologue

Introducing Maisie Bean Brennan

The room was silent, but for the sound of shuffling, an unidentifiable clicking and Maisie’s own heartbeat. Shuffle, click, boom, shuffle, click, boom. Calm down, ya silly old cow. It’ll be OK. She could feel her husband’s hands on her shoulders. He was standing right behind her, at the side of the stage, and she could hear him talking in her head. It’s all good, lady, you’re doing fine. Forget the sweats. Just smile. She watched her daughter Valerie limp in and lean against her stepfather, then pull off her shoe and shake out a piece of gravel. Her face and head were on fire: her latest hot flush had drenched her scalp, frizzing her lovely blow-dry at the roots. She tried to smile but her lips stuck to her upper teeth. Oh, brilliant. Now I’ll look mental. The distinguished, learned man introducing her to the stage had been talking for several minutes; clearly he liked the sound of his own voice. It was a nice voice, to be fair, posh and plummy, and he was so softly spoken it had a lulling effect as you listened.

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My Favourite Books: Sweet Valley High

Published April 7, 2016 | By Laura

8bfadb729a1abf638c502cb01b165da1 I have many books that I loved growing up. The Mallory Towers series for example was the first series I remember reading. My sister used to sit and read it with me. However, nothing has stuck with me quite as much as The Sweet Valley High series.

Originally created by Francine Pascal, this series made up the majority of my reading for a long time.

I discovered one of these books in the library at school. I think it was the one called Too Good To Be True. I can’t remember how old I was but from that moment I was hooked.

There was nothing I liked better than to come home from school and disappear into the world of Sweet Valley for a while.

Jessica and Elizabeth were like the cool friends I didn’t have (I was quite shy at school and definitely not a cool kid although everyone seemed a lot cooler than me. The perils of senior school.)

There was something just so exciting about these stories that I couldn’t get enough of them. I devoured as many as I could find from the school or local library.

You can imagine my excitement when I also discovered the TV series. Looking at that now, it was all so poorly acted but I still couldn’t resist watching it. If you know of it, is the theme tune stuck in your head yet?

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Transformation

Published April 1, 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 transformation.

Write a story in which something transforms into something else. What happens once this transformation occurs? What is it that has transformed?

What are the consequences of this transformation and can things be changed back?

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April’s Book Club: Room by Emma Donoghue

Published April 1, 2016 | By Laura

81jS3nJ3ucL 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 April, we’re reading Room by Emma Donoghue.

Jack is five. He lives with his Ma. They live in a single, locked room. They don’t have the key.

Jack and Ma are prisoners.

Room by Emma Donoghue is an extraordinarily powerful story of a mother and child kept in isolation, and the desire for, and price of freedom.

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This Week’s Latest Releases

Published March 31, 2016 | By Laura

51uEk8mDGyL It’s Thursday which means another batch of new books. I love this time of the week. Here’s just a selection of new releases. Are there any new books you’re looking forward to reading?

Half Lost by Sally Green (Penguin, 31st March 2016.)

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love this book series. Half Lost is the last in the Half Bad trilogy and I am anxious and excited to know what becomes of Nathan who I see as a very relatable character. If you’re a fan of Red Queen, then you’ll love the Half Bad series. I’d say you’ll need to have read the first two books though before starting this one…

Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council’s Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel’s amulet – an ancient artefact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle.

But the amulet’s guardian – the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger – has her own agenda. To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with his own Gifts, the amulet might just be enough to turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all…

One Stary Night by Tilly Tennant. (31st March 2016 on Kindle)

For fans of Tilly Tennant or for people new to her books, this is book four of the Once Upon a Winter series. This cover is so Christmassy. I love it.

They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and for the first time Hannah is starting to truly understand what that means. With Gina’s husband misbehaving, Ross under attack, and bad news for Mitchell that only Hannah can tell him, things seem to be falling apart around her. How will she be the rock that everyone needs when she can’t control any part of her own life? It’s going to take a special kind of courage to see this dawn break, but when it does the future might just be the brighter for it. The problem is that Hannah’s not sure she can be that strong…

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Competitions: Winner of March’s Blind Date with a Book

Published March 31, 2016 | By Laura

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

It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. I didn’t reveal what the title of this month’s book was nor did I reveal the cover. All I did reveal was that the themes included ‘friendship, love, relationships and missed opportunities.

Well done to Wendy Janes from London who has been picked at random from our entrants. Your book will be on its way to you soon (e-mail on its way) and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to all who entered and April’s competition is coming soon.

Writing Room: Pictures Say a Thousand Words

Published March 30, 2016 | By Laura

rp_writeanything-300x19911-300x1991-300x1991-300x199-300x1991-300x199-300x199-1.jpg Wednesday 30th March 2016.

Today’s prompt is about using pictures. Look through the internet (Pinterest and Tumblr are good for images.) Find pictures that inspire or interest you.

Taking each one in turn, note down what you like or don’t like so much about the image. What drew you to it and whether it inspires anything.

Does anything inspire a story? Using the image that you’re drawn to or inspires you the most, begin a short story.

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Blog Tour: The Magic Touch by Kelly Florentia

Published March 29, 2016 | By Laura

I am very pleased to be welcoming author, Kelly Florentia to Novel Kicks today. I’ve reviewed her debut novel, The Magic Touch below but first, I get to chat to Kelly about her novel, her writing process and Eric Bana.

Hi Kelly. Congratulations on the release of your new book, The Magic Touch, Can you tell me a little about it and how the idea originated?

Hi Laura, thanks for your good wishes, and thanks so much for having me on your blog today. The Magic Touch is my debut novel, so it’s an incredibly exciting time for me. It’s a paranormal romance about a 39-year-old divorcee who seems to have slipped into complacency with her partner of five years. Perfectly normal, she thinks, for couples who’ve been together for several years. But then when she stumbles across a flirtatious text message on her boyfriend’s mobile phone from a female colleague, sparks fly. Emma’s sole aim is to get to the bottom of Harry’s secret affair, which she does with the help of friends, her ninety-three-year-old neighbour, and a little intervention from a psychic App, The Magic Touch.

The idea for the story came from my fascination with mobile phone applications. There seems to be an app for everything these days. My phone is bursting with them – from social media apps to photography apps. I even plan my week around a weather app (I’ve got three, by the way). Then I thought, what if there was an app that could predict your future with alarming accuracy, what then? And The Magic Touch was born. I enjoy writing about everyday issues that people can resonate with, to a point. So, I based the novel on a couple who suddenly find, after five years together, that they want different things in life, and I went with it.

Can you tell me about what your typical writing day is like?

On a writing day, I’ll grab a coffee, fire up my computer and start tapping away at my keyboard. Of course, this is punctuated by a thousand tweets, a hundred Facebook posts and constantly checking my email.

How do you approach the process – do you plan much, edit as you go? Any rituals?

I’m a planner. I can’t write the story unless I know what’s going to happen, and I have to be incredibly excited about the ending before I can even begin. I get the first draft down quite quickly and then I start editing. Probably three drafts in total. I don’t have any rituals, I’m quite boring, apart from necking copious cups of coffee, but that’s normal, right?

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My Writing Ramblings: Dream a Little Dream

Published March 28, 2016 | By Laura

For the most part I’ve always enjoyed dreams. I will go to sleep wondering what awaits; what strange or fascinating montage my subconscious has waiting for me. There is the occasional bad dream which I am not so fond of. However I mostly just find them interesting even the bizarre ones.

I can usually remember most of what I’ve dreamt. As I am waking up, if I can tell myself to remember, I usually can (although this wasn’t the case this morning and not being able to remember my dream is annoying me.)

I’ve been using my dream journal a lot at the moment and I am enjoying looking at the dreams. My dreams recently have included having a lounge area set up in the middle of a road in a quiet suburban street. A well-known you tuber happened to walk past and have a chat with me, I’ve been stuck in a library (this one wouldn’t have been bad if I wasn’t trying to hide from someone,) to having a ‘Night Manager’ version of Hugh Laurie hiding out in the attic behind a wall hidden by a bookcase which moved. That bit was pretty cool.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Animals

Published March 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 is about animals.

Your characters all share a house. They don’t always get on but are forced to interact. Your characters are a cat, a dog, a hamster and a snake. Your first line is ‘I can’t live with him anymore.’

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This Week’s Current Book Releases

Published March 24, 2016 | By Laura

It’s that time of the week again. I wanted to share some of the new books that have been released today. All of them look great. Which ones are you excited to read?

The Night That Changed Everything by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice (Corgi, 24th March 2016.)

Laura and Jimmy’s book covers are always so pretty. This book sounds great and I can’t wait to read. It’s released today in Paperback.

Here’s the blurb….

Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn’t cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back by Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They’re a perfect match.

Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.

When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.

Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?

Gone Astray by Michelle Davis (MacMillan, 24th March 2016.)

I like a good thriller/mystery so this book looks up my street. Here’s the information…

When Lesley Kinnock buys a lottery ticket on a whim, it changes her life more than she could have imagined . . .

Lesley and her husband Mack are the sudden winners of a £15 million EuroMillions jackpot. They move with their 15-year-old daughter Rosie to an exclusive gated estate in Buckinghamshire, leaving behind their ordinary lives – and friends – as they are catapulted into wealth beyond their wildest dreams.

But it soon turns into their darkest nightmare when, one beautiful spring afternoon, Lesley returns to their house to find it empty: their daughter Rosie is gone.

DC Maggie Neville is assigned to be Family Liaison Officer to Lesley and Mack, supporting them while quietly trying to investigate the family. And she has a crisis threatening her own life – a secret from the past that could shatter everything she’s worked so hard to build.

As Lesley and Maggie desperately try to find Rosie, their fates hurtle together on a collision course that threatens to end in tragedy . . .

Money can’t buy you happiness.
The truth could hurt more than a lie.
One moment really can change your life forever.

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Writing Room: Starting at the Close

Published March 22, 2016 | By Laura

rp_writeanything-300x19911-300x1991-300x1991-300x199-300x1991-300x199-300x199.jpg Tuesday 22nd March 2016.

Today’s prompt is all about starting at the close.

Take your current work in progress or an idea to which you have an idea of a beginning, middle and ending.

Pick a section or write a small section. Rewrite it or start it from the end and work your way backwards.

As always, if you’d like to share your work, put it in the comments section below.

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Competitions: Winners of a Copy of Shylock is my Name

Published March 21, 2016 | By Laura

Hogarth, February 2016.

Hogarth, February 2016.

Shylock is my Name is a modern retelling of The Merchant of Venice and is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Thanks to Hogarth, we had three copies to give away.

Congratulations to Rhoda K, Jinger and Caron Edwards who have all won a copy. An e-mail will be on its way to you all shortly (be sure to check the junk folder.)

About Shylock is my Name….

‘Who is this guy, Dad? What is he doing here?’

With an absent wife and a daughter going off the rails, wealthy art collector and philanthropist Simon Strulovitch is in need of someone to talk to. So when he meets Shylock at a cemetery in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle, he invites him back to his house. It’s the beginning of a remarkable friendship.

Elsewhere in the Golden Triangle, the rich, manipulative Plurabelle (aka Anna Livia Plurabelle Cleopatra A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever Christine) is the face of her own TV series, existing in a bubble of plastic surgery and lavish parties. She shares prejudices and a barbed sense of humour with her loyal friend D’Anton, whose attempts to play Cupid involve Strulovitch’s daughter – and put a pound of flesh on the line.

Howard Jacobson’s version of The Merchant of Venice bends time to its own advantage as it asks what it means to be a father, a Jew and a merciful human being in the modern world.

A Moment With… Lynne Shelby

Published March 21, 2016 | By Laura

I am very pleased to be welcoming Lynne to Novel Kicks today. She talks to me about her writing process….

I never know when I’m going to get an idea for a novel. I love travelling, and very often, when I’m exploring a foreign city I’ve not visited before, I think of a story that could take place in that locale, but it could be a photograph, a piece of music or an overheard conversation that suddenly makes me want to open my laptop and start writing. The idea for my debut novel, ‘French Kissing,’ grew out of a phone conversation I overheard when travelling back from Paris to London with my family on the Eurostar. A young Frenchman sitting across the aisle spent the entire journey calling his English friends on his mobile, telling them that he was coming to London, and suggesting that they meet up. Unfortunately, none of his friends seemed to want to see him, which made me feel very sorry for him – and gave me the scenario for ‘French Kissing,’ in which a Frenchman coming to work in London is made very welcome by his English friend – who happens to be a girl…

When I start writing a story, I know the beginning and the ending, but have only a vague notion of what is going to take place in between. I jot down a few notes, just the outline of the plot, and then begin typing, throwing my hero and heroine together, and seeing what happens as they interact. I already know a lot about my hero and heroine at this point, and I note their age, appearance, etc on index cards, adding more details that as I go along. There does seem to be a moment when the characters I’ve created take over and start telling their own story! Sometimes I realise that the story arc I have planned for them just doesn’t work with the person they have become on the page, and I have to change it. A minor character in ‘French Kissing’ ended up in a romantic sub-plot, although I had no idea that this was going to happen when I first put her in the book – she was just supposed to be my heroine’s confidante.

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My Writing Ramblings: Distractions and Procrastinations

Published March 18, 2016 | By Laura

I am not entirely sure where this last week has gone to be honest. This is my main problem when I am on shift for the day job. Twelve hour shifts really do mean that the days go like lightening. I am really having to try and look after myself so things, like they have this week do sometimes get put to one side.

I have been struggling with motivation and things over the past couple of days. The beginning of the week, I was getting many things done. I’d prepare my to do list, set a timer and get much of it achieved but the lack of sleep is taking its toll which has meant that my productivity level has dipped right down.

Not that I am beating myself up about it. I have good days and bad days (which is par the course if, like me you have anxiety.)

Due to been easily distracted these last couple of days, (my brain has had the concentration span of a child,) I have been doing anything but writing. I’ve been doing other things like watching films, listening to music, reading and playing games on the phone.

This is where I find the apps and games on the phone to be really good for getting me focused on something fun. My shift pattern makes me feel tired which then makes me feel out of it so it is very easy for me to loose days off to nothing.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Round Table.

Published March 18, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 18th March 2016: The Round Table.

Today’s prompt, as you’ve probably guessed centres around a round table. Your character has been taken by a group of people and put into a white van.

The character, male or female are driven to an unknown destination and shown into a dark room.

There is a round table in the centre with six chairs. Your character is told to sit in one of the chairs. Five people occupy the other seats.

Who are they and why has your character been brought here?

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This Week’s Latest Releases

Published March 17, 2016 | By Laura

It’s Thursday and time for another week of new releases. I have three titles to share with you today. All of these sound so good and I can’t wait to read.

The Unforgotten by Laura Powell (Freight Books, 17th March 2016.)

This has been released today. This book feels as though it would be right up my street and yes, I am in love with the cover.

Summer, 1956. Fifteen-year-old Betty Broadbent has never left the Cornish fishing village of St Steele or ventured far beyond the walls of the boarding house run by her erratic mother. But when the London press pack descends on her village to report on a series of gruesome murders, Betty’s world changes. In particular, she is transfixed by mysterious and aloof reporter, Mr Gallagher.

As the death toll rises, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Betty and Gallagher. But as their bond deepens, they find themselves entangled with the murders and each is forced to make a devastating choice, one that will shape their own lives and the life of an innocent man forever.

Hold Still by Tim Adler (Urbane Publications, 17th March 2016.)

This book sounds like a fantastic read. Even from the blurb, it has me wondering what is going on and how I would react if I were the character. It would be devastating.

‘I photographed the moment of my husband’s death…’ So begins HOLD STILL, a nerve-twisting thriller from bestselling author Tim Adler. How much do we really know about those we love? Kate is visiting Albania with her husband Paul, a much-needed break from Paul’s stressful website business. ‘Hold still,’ says Kate, taking a picture as Paul steps onto the hotel room balcony. ‘We’ll always be together,’ Paul responds. Suddenly there is screaming below and a blaring car horn. Kate stares down from the balcony at the broken body of her husband lying lifeless in the street. Overcome with grief, Kate can’t accept the truth of Paul’s tragic death, and replays the incident over and over again, searching her pictures for a vital clue to what really happened. When she meets the enigmatic Priest at a grief support group, they journey together into a dangerous world of violence and secrets as Kate realises what Paul really meant when he said he would never leave her……

When I’m Gone by Emily Bleeker (Lake Union Publishing, 15th March 2016.)

This book was released in paperback on Monday and again, it’s a really gorgeous cover. I have this book on my TBR pile and am looking forward to reading although it does sound heartbreaking so I might need to have the tissues ready for crying purposes.

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Courses and Competitions: Start Writing Fiction

Published March 17, 2016 | By Laura

regular_51dbd3e2-84fa-4356-ad38-6b76738b6b03 Future Learn, in association with The Open University is offering this FREE online course called ‘Start Writing Fiction.’

This is suitable for anyone who is writing a book or is thinking of writing one. It’s held completely online so all you need is your computer, a notebook and a comfy chair. You’ll have a chance to give feedback on the work of fellow students as well as gain feedback for your own work.

This course focuses on creating characters, developing ideas as well as editing. It will look at the ritual of writing as well as the importance of keeping a journal.

You’ll also hear from writers such as Louis de Bernières, Alex Garland, Monique Roffey and Michèle Roberts as they talk about their approach to things such as research as well as how they got started with writing.

The latest course will run for 8 weeks and begins on 4th April 2016 so there is still plenty of time to sign up. Future Learn recommend that the course will need approximately 3 hours a week.

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Writing Room: Freestyle

Published March 15, 2016 | By Laura

rp_writeanything-300x19911-300x1991-300x1991-300x199-300x1991-300x199-300x199.jpg Tuesday 15th March 2016: Freestyle.

It’s all about just letting yourself write today. Set a timer for ten minutes.

Using the word ‘block’ as inspiration, write solidly for ten minutes. Don’t think, just write.

It’s up to you whether you read what you’ve written once you’re done.

How did that go?

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Author Interview: Rebecca Lim

Published March 14, 2016 | By Laura

RebeccaLim_creditEugeniaLim-web

Photo Credit: Eugenia Lim

Rebecca Lim is the author of The Astrologer’s Daughter and the very popular Mercy series. Her latest book is called Afterlight and was realised by Text Publishing Company on 25th February 2016. Hello Rebecca. I am so pleased you are joining me today. Could you describe your typical writing day?

Hello and thank you for hosting me on your gorgeous site! My typical writing day is pretty manic these days because I juggle a part-time legal practice with freelance writing and creative writing. I find I work better when people are holding up little red flags all over the place and screaming at me to run at them.

I work whenever and wherever I can and have been known to pull the laptop out in a parked car…

Could you tell me a little about your new book, Afterlight and how the idea originated?

I haven’t really spoken about it much until Afterlight came out, but I had a visit once as a child, from a shining presence that stood over my bed, that I don’t think I imagined/hallucinated/dreamed. It’s one of those weird, defining things that—as a highly rational, scientific, logical person—has always stuck with me. What if there are things out there that we can’t explain? And what if something you couldn’t explain came to you and asked for help and sent your life in a completely new direction? That was the impetus for Afterlight.

I’m fascinated by the possibility that real magic exists.

Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?

There are so many (because I’m such a nerd). But I’d love to meet Rachel Morgan from the Kim Harrison Hollows series because I feel like I know her already, Daniel Silva’s Israeli spy/assassin/art restorer, Gabriel Allon, and cool intellectual and naval physician/spy, Stephen Maturin, from the Napoleonic era Aubrey-Maturin books by Patrick O’Brian.

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Competitions: Win a copy of Shylock is my Name by Howard Jacobson

Published March 14, 2016 | By Laura

Hogarth, February 2016

Hogarth, February 2016

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

Thank you to the lovely people at Hogarth, we’ve three copies of Shylock is my Name by Howard Jacobson to give away.

This book was released by Hogarth on 4th February 2016, is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series and is a retelling of the Merchant of Venice set in the modern world.

How to enter:

Comment on this post by the closing date of Sunday 20th March 2016 at 23.59. Three winners will then be chosen at random from the entrants and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Monday 21st March 2016. UK and Ireland only. Good Luck.

(The winners will also be contacted via e-mail so be sure to check your junk folder. The prize is being sent directly from the publisher so allow at least fourteen days for delivery.)

About Shylock is my Name….

‘Who is this guy, Dad? What is he doing here?’

With an absent wife and a daughter going off the rails, wealthy art collector and philanthropist Simon Strulovitch is in need of someone to talk to. So when he meets Shylock at a cemetery in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle, he invites him back to his house. It’s the beginning of a remarkable friendship.

Elsewhere in the Golden Triangle, the rich, manipulative Plurabelle (aka Anna Livia Plurabelle Cleopatra A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever Christine) is the face of her own TV series, existing in a bubble of plastic surgery and lavish parties. She shares prejudices and a barbed sense of humour with her loyal friend D’Anton, whose attempts to play Cupid involve Strulovitch’s daughter – and put a pound of flesh on the line.

Continue reading →

Competitions: Winner of the Signed Copy of The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Published March 11, 2016 | By Laura

51apxj+IVRL To celebrate the release of the film tie-in for The Choice, Sphere has given me a signed copy to give away. The person picked at random from all the entries was IAN YATES. Well done, that signed copy will be on its way to you shortly.

About The Choice:

Travis Parker has it all: a good job, loyal friends and his dream home in North Carolina. The last thing he’s looking for is a serious relationship. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.

Despite Travis’s attempts to be friendly, the alluring redhead simply will not warm to him. But Travis feels compelled to get closer to her, leading them both down a road where they will face tough decisions, shocking revelations and devastating consequences.

To read my review of The Choice, click here.

The Choice was released by Sphere on 11th February 2016 and is available in most UK bookshops.

Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Stranger Than Fiction

Published March 11, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 11th March 2016: Stranger Than Fiction

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: Pick a book you’ve recently read. It doesn’t have to be one that you liked. The plot of this book has suddenly become your character’s reality. What is your character like, how do they react and what happens to them?

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Latest Book Releases

Published March 10, 2016 | By Laura

It’s time to share some of the new book releases this week. There is a nice mixture of genres and authors this week. Which one are you looking forward to reading?

Song of the Skylark by Erica James (Orion, 10th March 2016.)

I do have a thing for covers and this one is beautiful. This book sounds so interesting too.

Lizzie has always had an unfortunate knack of attracting bad luck, but this time she’s hit the jackpot. Losing her heart to her boss leads to her losing her job, and with no money in the bank, Lizzie finds herself forced to move back home with her parents. When she reluctantly takes another job, she meets Mrs Dallimore, a seemingly ordinary elderly woman with an astonishing past . . .

Now in her nineties, Mrs Dallimore is also coming to terms with her situation. Old age is finally catching up with her. As she and Lizzie form the bond of unexpected friendship, Mrs Dallimore tells the story of a young girl who left America before the outbreak of World War Two and, in crossing an ocean, found herself embarking on a new life she couldn’t have imagined.

As Lizzie listens to Mrs Dallimore, she begins to realise that she’s not the only person to attract bad luck, and that sometimes life has a way of surprising you . . .

Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan (Mira, 10th March 2016.)

I know I do go on about covers but again, this one is beautiful and very whimsical. It’s also based in New York which is one of my favourite cities. This sounds like a lovely romantic comedy.

Great friends. Amazing Apartment. An incredible job. Paige has ticked off every box on perfect New York life checklist. Until disaster strikes and instead of shimming further up the career ladder, Paige is packing up her desk.

Her brother’s best friend Jake might be the only person who can help her put her life back together. He also happens to be the boy she spent her teen years pining after, and Paige is determined not repeat her past mistakes. But the more time she spends with Jake, the more Paige realises the one thing that was missing from her world all along: The perfect New York love story…

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Author Interview: Joanna Barnard

Published March 10, 2016 | By Laura

Hello Joanna. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me a little about your book, Precocious which has been released today and how the idea originated?

Hi Laura. Thanks for having me! Precocious is about a pupil-teacher relationship that’s rekindled when the two meet again 15 years later. It was a ‘slow burn’ idea in that it originated with a short story I wrote while at university. I wanted to write a kind of Lolita story but from the perspective of the girl. Unfortunately the theme is still very topical as there are lots of examples of these stories in the media today.

What’s your writing process like? Do you plan much before beginning a novel? Do you edit as you go etc?

I’m afraid I’m not much of a planner. For me the preparation is thinking about a cast of characters and their situation. They brew in my mind for a while before I put anything down. Then I tend to start by writing a scene (usually the opening) and just see where it goes from there. With a novel, I will get about a third of the way through and then decide I should probably start planning the rest! It can be a bit of a chaotic way of working but it seems to work for me.

Where do you like to write? What conditions do you like to write in – silence or noise?

At home, I write longhand on the sofa or in bed and then type up at my desk. I get loads of writing done on trains, I think because I’m rooted to the spot and can’t do anything else. I don’t mind a bit of noise. The radio is constantly on in my house but when I’m really engrossed in what I’m doing, I’m not really hearing it.

How long does it typically take you to write a book?

There is no typical – Precocious evolved over about six years! But with the second one, I’d left my job so could focus on it pretty much full-time. The first draft took about nine months. I think of it a bit like gestating a baby! But I’m still working on the final version. I know some people can write a book in a month or two but I think I need at least a year!

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My Recent Book Haul (February and March)

Published March 9, 2016 | By Laura

I love me a good book haul. Buying new books is one of my favourite things to do. Recently, I have brought or received so many lovely books. It was hard to pick which ones to feature (I’ve managed to narrow it down to nine.) Here is my selection.

Room by Emma Donoghue (Picador, 2011.)

This book is not a new release but I am not sure why I haven’t got around to buying it until now. The premise sounds intriguing. Jack and his mother are prisoners in one room. I’m a few pages into this book and am already enjoying it. I am also wanting to see the film based on the book but I think I want to read the book first before I see it.

Jack is five. He lives with his Ma. They live in a single, locked room. They don’t have the key.

Jack and Ma are prisoners.

Room by Emma Donoghue is an extraordinarily powerful story of a mother and child kept in isolation, and the desire for, and price of, freedom.

Winter by Marissa Meyer (Puffin, 2015)

Winter is the fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles. These books are all based on well-known fairy tales. I have not read any of this series yet but having received this book for review by the publisher, I can’t wait to get started and Cinder is also here waiting to be read. The series sounds fantastic and right up my street.

Princess Winter is admired for her grace, kindness and beauty, despite the scars on her face. She’s said to be even more breath-taking than her stepmother, Queen Levana…

When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?

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My Writing Ramblings: Keeping a Writing Journal

Published March 9, 2016 | By Laura

I can’t believe how quickly this week has gone. I can’t believe we’re already into the second week of March. Time seems to be going doubly fast at the moment. My shifts at work have had a little bit of a say in that I guess. Five, twelve hour shifts in a row does have a tendency to suck my time away. As a result, I have not got as much done this week as I had hoped but no matter. It’s a new week and a new to-do list.

Due to work, I’ve only managed to do a couple of days on preparation and planning of my novel. Going by the fact that I wasn’t managing anything previously, it’s a large step. I am seeing it as a positive. One thing I have been enjoying this week is my writing journal. I have always tried to jot down my ideas for things when I think about them. I do this mostly because I don’t trust myself to remember it (and that has happened more times than I care to admit.)

About a year ago, I did a writing course who encouraged the students to keep a writing journal. It was one of the elements of the course that I most enjoyed (and another excuse to go out and buy a new notebook.) Once I had finished the course though, I got out of the habit of keeping one.

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Writing Room: Working on Plot

Published March 8, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 8th March 2016: Working on Plot.

For today’s writing room, write down eight major plot points on your current work in progress, (you can use a published novel if you prefer,) onto individual cards and lay them in the current order.

Once you’ve put them in order, spend five minutes moving them around and putting them in different orders.

Has this improved the plot sequence of your novel/story? Is there anything you need to add or take away?

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Author Interview: Alison May

Published March 7, 2016 | By Laura

I’m very pleased to be welcoming author, Alison May to Novel Kicks today. Hello Alison. Thank you for joining me.. For people who are new to your books, can you tell me a little about your novels and writing style?

I write romantic comedies. When I’m being flippant I say I write books about twenty and thirty-somethings getting drunk and making bad life choices. When I’m not being flippant I try to make it sound more serious and important than that, but really it’s mainly drinking and bad decisions.

What is your typical writing day like?

Morning: Get up. Wonder about putting proper clothes on. Eat toast in pyjamas. Accidentally get sucked into watching episodes of The Gilmore Girls I’ve seen about eighteen times before. Get cross with self and actually turn laptop on. Answer email and look at social media (which is totally definitely work and not procrastinating at all). Realise it’s lunchtime and resolve to definitely do better in the afternoon.

Afternoon: Much like the morning, but hopefully ending up with a phase of frantic writing of words which will almost certainly turn out to be terrible.

Where do you normally like to write? Do you normally like to write in silence or surrounded by noise?

I mostly write at home in my tiny purple office, but I try to mix things up, so I’ll turn music on and off over the course of the day, or I’ll move with my laptop and write in bed or on the dining table for a bit. I do that because I’m a huge procrastinator, and I find that changing the environment can trick my brain out of faffing and get it to refocus on whatever it’s supposed to be doing. For the same reason I sometimes drag myself to the local library (The Hive in Worcester – it’s very big and very gold). I usually go to the library if I’ve got one big task that I’m procrastinating at home, and set myself a rule about when I’m allowed to leave the library eg. ‘You can’t go home until you’ve drafted that short story’ or ‘You can’t go home until you’ve finished reading that draft.’

What is your process like in regard to planning, daily word count and editing?

It’s different for every book to be honest. For my first novel I just wrote 2000 words a day with no planning at all until I had a first draft. It was an awful first draft, but it had the right number of words at least. Now it varies – I plan more than I used to, but I invariably abandon the plan as soon as I start writing. I sometimes find notes I made at the start of a book and I can barely recognise which book they were supposed to relate to.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Genie in a Bottle

Published March 4, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 4th March 2016: Genie in a Bottle.

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: Your character finds a genie in a bottle. He is granted the usual three wishes. He can only spend the wishes on himself and he must make them. He can’t just decide to change his mind and put the genie back in the bottle. However, there is also a further catch. For every piece of fortune your character bestows upon himself, it means misfortune for someone else.

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Blog Tour: Review and Win a Signed Copy of The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Published March 4, 2016 | By Laura

READ IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT: WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THE CHOICE BY NICHOLAS SPARKS…THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED.

I’m very happy to be part of the blog tour for the film tie-in release of The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I’ve reviewed the book below but first, thanks to the lovely people at Sphere, we have a signed copy of The Choice to give away to one lucky winner.

Travis Parker has it all: a good job, loyal friends and his dream home in North Carolina. The last thing he’s looking for is a serious relationship. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.

Despite Travis’s attempts to be friendly, the alluring redhead simply will not warm to him. But Travis feels compelled to get closer to her, leading them both down a road where they will face tough decisions, shocking revelations and devastating consequences.

How to enter:

Comment on this post by the end of day on Thursday 10th March 2016. I will then pick a winner at random using random.org and announce on Friday 11th March 2016. UK and Ireland only. (The winner will also be contacted via e-mail so don’t forget to check your junk folder as well as your inbox. The prize is coming directly from the publisher so please do allow at least fourteen days for your prize to arrive.)

Good Luck.

My verdict on The Choice by Nicholas Sparks.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you will know that I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks so I was excited when Sphere asked me to be a part of their blog tour for the release of the film tie-in for The Choice. It was not one I had read before.

Travis is a popular, successful guy who is not looking for love and is seemingly happy with his life. He doesn’t feel that he has a lot lacking until Gabby Holland moves in to the house next door. Gabby also isn’t looking for a new relationship. She has a boyfriend and a job she enjoys. However, after spending the weekend getting to know each other (after some reluctance from Gabby,) Travis soon realises that Gabby is someone he can’t be without and that he has fallen in love with her.

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This Week’s New Releases

Published March 3, 2016 | By Laura

There have been some great novels been released this week so some potentially great books to add to your collection. These include…

Last Night on Earth by Kevin Maher (Abacus, 3rd March 2016.)

The paperback edition for Last Night on Earth has been released today. The premise for this novel looks very interesting.

Jay adores his small daughter, Bonnie, and nothing matters more to him than being a good father. But Bonnie’s traumatic birth puts an unbearable strain on his marriage with Shauna and the couple eventually separate.

Despite this, London is the place to be: New Labour is in power and the city is buzzing with optimism. Jay is slowly putting his life back together, snagging a job on a TV documentary about the Millennium Dome and, crucially, spending time with his beloved three-year-old daughter, Bonnie.
Indeed, things might have even begun to look up. Until, that is, the arrival of The Clappers. Six foot tall, all muscle and plenty of heart, she insists on making the world right for Jay. But, inevitably, she makes it wrong…

You Sent Me A Letter by Lucy Dawson (Corvis, 3rd March 2016.)

Both the paperback and electronic versions of this book have been released today. Again this is another great sounding novel and I actually can’t wait to read this one.

At 2 a.m. on the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes to find an intruder in her bedroom. The stranger hands Sophie a letter and issues a threat: open the letter at her party that evening, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m., or those she loves will be in grave danger.
What can the letter possibly contain?
This will be no ordinary party; Sophie is not the only person keeping a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people’s lives will be altered for ever.

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Courses and Competitions: Mslexia Woman’s Short Story Competition 2016

Published March 2, 2016 | By Laura

Mslexia are still excepting entries for their Woman’s short story competition for 2016.

They are welcoming writers of all levels and experiences and you can write on any subject and style as long as it’s within the 2,200 word limit.

First prize not only includes its publication in the June issue of Mslexia, it also includes £2,000 and optional extras of a week’s writing retreat and a day with an editor at Virago Press.

The person who comes second will receive £500 and third place will receive £250. An additional three finalists will receive £100 and all six will be featured in the June edition of Mslexia.

The judge for this year is author, Michele Roberts.

Entry is £10 per story and the closing date is 14th March 2016.

For more information on the competition, how to enter and the terms and conditions, head to https://mslexia.co.uk

My Writing Ramblings: To-Do Lists Are My Friends

Published March 2, 2016 | By Laura

This week has been a mixture of being productive and retreating into a book with an occasional need to hide over the covers. The weather is less than inspiring. I am one of those annoying people who love snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it. I think snow is what we should be getting if it’s going to be this cold.

It’s certainly one day at a time for me right now but I am still constantly thinking about my novel and have been setting myself the challenge this week of doing thirty minutes a day of novel planning. It’s amazing how much you can get done in that time provided you don’t get distracted.

My seven hundred and fifty words streak is still going strong. I am currently on my four hundredth and twenty-seventh day. It is such a good tool as I can use it to bash out ideas, write fiction or just empty my head. My latest habit has been to include a hundred words inspired by a prompt so it’s at least making sure I am writing a piece of fiction every day as well as giving me some great ideas for future work.

This week, I’ve also been making the most of to-do lists. I have always been a list maker. I love them and have always been a fan. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t start my homework without making a list of what I had to do (I will forget the fact that I still left some of it until the last-minute.)

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Competitions: Blind Date With A Book – March

Published March 1, 2016 | By Laura

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. Here’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 ‘friendship, love, relationships and missed opportunities.’

How to enter:

All you have to do is comment below with your name and county. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 30th March 2016. I will then pick out a winner at random and will announce it on the Novel Kicks blog on Thursday 31st March 2o16. It’s not needed to enter but if you wanted to have a go at guessing what the book is too. UK and Ireland only this time around. Good Luck.

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Author Interview: Alena Graedon

Published March 1, 2016 | By Laura

I am very happy to be joined today by Alena Graedon, the author of The Word Exchange. Thank you for joining me today, Alena. Can you tell us a little about what your typical writing day is like?

This semester has been so busy that I haven’t had many typical writing days. But when things are a bit calmer, my writing day starts with trying to wake up quite early (around 6am), drink an alarming amount of coffee, going into my office, and reading for a bit–maybe 30 minutes–before sitting down to work. I often read things that evoke the same sort of mood that I’m going for. (For example, I’m writing something fairly dark at the moment, and one of the things that I often read a few pages of in the morning is Roberto Bolano’s 2666.) Then I generally start off by reworking the page or so that I wrote the day before, and then I start (slowly, slowly) writing that day’s work–maybe a couple of pages. I try not to check my email or the internet until I break for lunch. Then I usually have freelance projects and other work to get to in the afternoon, and then I usually go for a run or do some other exercise in the late afternoon. (That’s what helps me keep sane and focused after being in my head all day.)

Can you tell us a bit about your book, The Word Exchange?

In a nutshell, The Word Exchange is set a few years in the future (but really, like, two). It imagines the possibility that we’ve become so integrated (including biologically) with the electronic devices that help to support and augment our realities that a virus is able to spread from a machine to human beings. The potentially fatal illness that it transmits affects people’s language and speech, garbling their words and making it impossible for them to communicate with one another. (It’s colloquially known as “word flu.”)

It’s an interesting and scary premise. How did the idea originate?

I think that it probably came from my own love affair with/dependence on/wariness about technology. I grew up at a time when we were really making this big cultural shift from print to digital technology. My friends and I used to send lots of letters to one another, and I kept a physical diary. And now it’s surprising if we can even find time to email each other. I think I became very aware of the ways in which my life really had become totally augmented and interrupted by devices and digital tools, and I wanted to think a bit more deeply about what that might be doing to my ability to connect with other people and with my own thoughts.

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Writing Room: Looking Back

Published March 1, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 1st March 2016: Looking Back.

Today’s workshop is going to be using dialogue. Pick one of your characters from your current work in progress. It doesn’t have to be the main character. It can be the villain. If you’d prefer, pick a character from one of your favourite novels. Using just dialogue, have this character have a conversation with their younger self. Think about the circumstance in which they meet – setting etc. What would they talk about?

If you feel like you want to share your work, post in the comments below.

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March’s Book Club: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

Published March 1, 2016 | By Laura

Fourth Estate, 2013

Fourth Estate, 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. The best 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.

For March, it’s The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides.

This is the story of the five Lisbon sisters – beautiful, eccentric, and obsessively watched by the entire neighbourhood.

The boys that once loved them from afar are now grown men, determined to understand a tragedy that has always defied explanation. For still, the question remains – why did all five of the Lisbon girls take their own lives?

This hypnotic and unforgettable novel treats adolescent love and death with haunting sensitivity and dark humour, and creates a coming-of-age story unlike any of our time.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Knowing Your Enemy

Published February 26, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 20th February 2016: Knowing Your Enemy.

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.

For today’s prompt, write about when your character swaps places with an enemy and they have to work together to get swapped back.

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Five Books I’m Looking Forward To Reading In 2016

Published February 23, 2016 | By Laura

2016 is bringing so many new books and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year for books. Here are five of the books being released in 2016 that I am most excited to read.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany (Little, Brown, 31st July 2016.)

I can’t, can’t can’t wait for this to be released and on Harry Potter’s birthday too. The eighth story in the series, this is a script of the upcoming stage play. It’s written by Jack Thorne and is based on an original story by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. This is the closest I am going to get to the play (unless some magic grants me a ticket) so July can not come quick enough.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

I Found You by Lisa Jewell (Century, 14th July 2016.)

Also due to be released in July, I Found You is the latest novel from Lisa Jewell. I adore Lisa’s novels. I always look forward to being able to escape into her fictional worlds for a while and so I am eagerly awaiting her new book. It sounds fantastic.

‘How long have you been sitting out here?’
‘I got here yesterday.’
‘Where did you come from?’
‘I have no idea.’

East Yorkshire: Single mum Alice Lake finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement she invites him in to her home.

Surrey: Twenty-one-year-old Lily Drew has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

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Writing Room: Betrayal

Published February 23, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 23rd February 2016: Betrayal.

Today’s prompt: There are two people sat at opposite sides of a table. The setting and whether there are people around them is up to you. One of them has betrayed the other. Write 300/500 words from the person who has been betrayed and then do the same but from the other persons point of view. Do the accounts differ in any way?

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My Writing Ramblings: This Week I’ve Been Mostly….

Published February 19, 2016 | By Laura

This week has mostly consisted of large bouts of wanting to crawl back under my duvet and not come out again until the summer. However, I’ve armed myself with a thick jumper and continuous cups of tea (as much to keep my hands warm than the fact that it helps makes everything better which tea does.)

To try and fight off anxiety this week, I’ve been reading a lot. I began reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger at the beginning of the month and finished it this week. It took me a little while to get in to I have to say. I am not sure why.

I’ve also finished Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott. Novel Kicks took part in the blog tour for her latest novel (click here to view the post.) I started this book and finished it within two days. I couldn’t put it down.

I absolutely devoured Kill Me Again. It was a great crime/mystery and has ignited a reading phase, as I had not read much since the New Year started. I never like when I have slow patches in my reading, as I love reading.

I am now currently reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides and liking it so far. Has anyone read any of the books above or read anything good and have a recommendation?

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Overhearing

Published February 19, 2016 | By Laura

Friday 20th February 2016: Overhearing

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:

Your character suffers severely from OCD. After hitting his/her head, he/she discovers that they can hear other people’s thoughts and they accidentally hear plans for an upcoming alien invasion.

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Blog Tour: Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott

Published February 19, 2016 | By Laura

I’m so pleased to be part of the blog tour for Rachel Abbott’s latest novel, Kill Me Again which was released yesterday by Black Dot Publishing. Rachel is with me today to talk about how to get away with murder.

In the very first of my novels, Only the Innocent, I wanted a man to be murdered and I wanted his killer to get away with it. I didn’t mind that people might guess who the killer was – the book wasn’t really about that. It was about why he had to die. The most important part for me, though, was creating an unbreakable alibi for his murderer, and that took some thinking about. If you want to be credible, it takes a lot of research – checking out train timetables, flight routes, maybe even tide tables. You might also want to check details like the time of sunset according to the month and location of your murder, if that’s relevant. Every detail has to be considered, or readers will see straight through it.

So, alibi is top of my list of techniques for getting away with murder. They couldn’t possibly have committed the crime, because they were in another part of the world or the country, and lots of people saw them there. I could tell you how to set that up – but perish the thought that this blog post becomes a reference manual for would-be murderers! In my latest book, Kill Me Again the alibi set-up works so well that the police are fooled for a long time – yes, even DCI Tom Douglas! But to talk about that here would be a spoiler, so I will resist.

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A Moment With….Tara Guha

Published February 18, 2016 | By Laura

Tara

Tara receiving her award for the Luke Bitmead Bursary

Tara Guha won the Luke Bitmead Bursary in 2014 and her first novel was published on 1st September 2015. Tara talks to me about how she feels about being a writer...

Two years ago I didn’t describe myself as a writer. Mother, of course. Charity project worker, self-evidently. But writer – one who writes (and had in fact written an entire novel) – not a chance. For years I’d been saying apologetically “I’m writing a novel” but never felt able to use the term writer, fearing questions about publication and generally being “found out.”

Then one night in late November 2014 everything changed. From 8pm to 8.01pm I went from being one who writes to a Writer. Of course, nothing had changed in terms of my abilities or passions, but suddenly the world and I accepted me as the thing that I had in fact been since the age of five. That crucial minute saw me named as the winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary 2014, an award for unpublished novelists with a publishing deal as first prize. It was the most mind-boggling experience of my life.

I’d spotted the ad for the Bursary back in May. Luke Bitmead was a talented young writer, Legend Press’s first signed author, who tragically took his own life in 2006. His inspirational mother Elaine launched the award with Legend Press to help struggling writers to get a foot in the publishing door – one that is so often closed politely in your face. I was delighted to be short-listed but my expectations of winning were truthfully non-existent. I went along to the Bursary night to enjoying the experience of a night in London, a new dress and the chance to meet fellow “writers.”

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Courses and Competitions: BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words Competition

Published February 17, 2016 | By Laura

Are you a budding writer or do you know one who is between 5-13 years? Well, BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words writing competition is back for 2016.

It’s an opportunity for young children to write, submit their story and win an amazing prize.

According to the 500 Words website, the story needs to be an original piece of fiction. It can be on any subject or theme. It just needs to be five hundred words or fewer.

The winning story could be read live on the radio by a superstar celebrity such as Hugh Bonneville, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch or Jeremy Irons (Scar from The Lion King) and it could be heard by the millions of Radio 2 listeners.

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