A Moment With…Jill Mansell
We are now on our fifth day into National Novel Writing Month. How is everyone doing?
All throughout November, to coincide with National Novel Writing Month, we will be bringing you advice on aspects of writing from a variety of authors including Ali McNamara, Jane Fallon and Nicci Gerrard.
Today, we catch up with best-selling author, Jill Mansell who is talking about planning that novel. She says:
The trouble with planning out a whole novel’s worth of plot in advance is that you are bound to get much better ideas during the course of the book that knock the initial careful plans completely off course and render them useless. Since it’s so important to have the best plot possible, I now only plan it out in the very vaguest of ways, with Post-It notes stuck to a huge length of paper.
by 
Events: Write By The Shore
Being held at the Cockenzie House and Gardens, the Write by the Shore Festival is taking place next weekend (1st and 2nd November 2014.)
Over the two days, there will be a variety of events including sessions like, Meeting the authors, historical authors and there is also a session for Crime fiction authors.
There will also be events looking at children’s books and there is also an open mic session for local authors so plenty going on for both writer and reader alike.
Authors appearing over the weekend include Sara Sheridan, Ed James and Michael Pederson.
Tickets are £35 for the weekend, £20 for a day ticket or £10 per session.
For more information on the programme and tickets, click here.
We had a chat with Sara Sheridan, one of the authors attending Write by the Shore.
Hi Sara, thank you for joining us. How important are events like Write By The Shore? Are they both for writers and readers?
I think one of the wonderful things about the growth of book festivals all over the UK is that it lets readers meet writers and vice versa. I find that fascinating – you never can tell what the audience are going to ask, come question time… It’s also great that books are made more accessible by virtue of these kinds of festivals. I’m a big supporter.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Ghost Stories
Friday 31st October 2014: Ghost Stories.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: It’s Halloween and it’s your chance to write a ghost story. It can be set in any era and anywhere. Is there a haunted house? Do you see a ghost? It can be anything you like.
by Bella’s Scribblings: Half-Term Research
It’s nearly Halloween which not only means things get a bit creepy and there are horror movies on the telly, it also means you need to stock up your house with bucketfuls of sweets and prepare to be terrorised by small children. I quite like the change to Halloween. I was quite creeped out about it as a child so it’s nice to see my daughter getting excited about choosing a costume and putting up decorations. Someone once proposed to me on Halloween (you would have thought I would have spotted the obvious warning signs here but I didn’t).
Anyway, Halloween got me thinking about half term which is usually followed by the word ‘holiday’ and that got me thinking about needing a holiday and the mismatch of my need to the availability of cash to pay for one. (I know it’s a tenuous link but stick with it). Then I thought about all my lovely writer friends that are just popping off somewhere in the name of research!
Many a mini break is booked in the name of research. Trips to take in the details of specific locations, to experience things unique to certain places, to take in the atmosphere and ambiance of a particular place. Google maps and the rest of the wonder that is the internet can take you so far but it can’t tell you what the breeze feels like against your face as you teeter on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland or the taste of the weird and wonderful ice cream flavours as you walk along Aberdovey beach in Wales or the sound of the Titanic hitting the iceberg (OK maybe the last one you could imagine).
by Blog Tour: The Dying Place by Luca Veste
We are delighted to welcome author, Luca Veste to Novel Kicks and his blog tour for his new novel, The Dying Place which was released by Avon on e-book on 23rd October and is due to be released in paperback at the beginning of December.
Luca talks to us about creating suspense and making you turn one more page…
I was asked at an event recently if I was disappointed if someone told me they had read one of my books in a day or similar length. The idea being that something for which I had put in more than a year’s worth of work had been devoured within short space of time somehow diminished the output in some way. I, of course, answered no – I’m actually inordinately pleased if I’m told that someone ‘couldn’t put the book down’! In a world full of seemingly endless distractions, the thought someone can shun all of those and concentrate solely on one thing for more than ten minutes has to be a good thing. And this is something that is of great importance to me when writing and rewriting a novel… how do I keep a reader turning those pages?
Creating suspense isn’t something I have found to be organic during the writing process. It takes time and effort to keep a level of intrigue going throughout a read, with building blocks spread within a novel. Suspense is derived from asking questions and not instantly revealing answers – instead, you keep a reader interested in finding out the answers to the mysteries created in a variety of ways. My initial concern is with character. In order to keep a reader invested is to create characters which will resonate and make people interested in what happens to them. If I want to keep someone reading the novel engaged with what is occurring, I need to create characters who the reader cares enough about to see what will happen to them next. In DEAD GONE, the character of Jemma Barnes runs throughout the novel, with her capture and mental torture occurring over a long period of time. It was important to me that people would care about her predicament, so her personality had to come through in the chapters in which she appeared or other characters talked about her. The reader had to care whether or not she was going to make it or not. Similarly, in my new novel THE DYING PLACE, what is happening to the characters of Goldie – and the rest of the teenagers and what they are being put through – meant I had to make people care about them in some way. I made this more difficult for myself by creating characters which are often the most maligned in society. Issues surrounding young people and the problems a small section of them cause is often the focus of negative media. Creating a moral dilemma for people reading became a major part of writing the novel.
by Blog Tour: The Dying Place by Luca Veste – Review.
Once inside…there’s no way out
A fate worse than death…
DI Murphy and DS Rossi discover the body of known troublemaker Dean Hughes, dumped on the steps of St Mary’s Church in West Derby, Liverpool. His body is covered with the unmistakable marks of torture.
As they hunt for the killer, they discover a worrying pattern. Other teenagers, all young delinquents, have been disappearing without a trace.
Who is clearing the streets of Liverpool?
Where are the other missing boys being held?
And can Murphy and Rossi find them before they meet the same fate as Dean?
I was a huge fan of Dead Gone (the debut novel by Luca Veste,) so I was intrigued to be reading his latest book, The Dying Place.
Set in Liverpool, we return to DI David Murphy and his partner, DS Laura Rossi as they race to save a group of teenagers that are disappearing and being held against their will.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Going Back
Friday 24th October 2014: Going Back.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Have you ever wished you could go back to a time and change it but going back knowing what you know now? After you fall over and bang your head, you find that you’ve gone back in time to an important point in your life – a crossroads for you and you have the chance to alter the outcome. Where do you go back to and what happens? It can be based on fact or you can completely make up the situation (if you are working on a character, where would they go back to?)
by Cover Reveal: The Forgotten Holocaust by Scott Mariani
We are very excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for the new release by Scott Mariani.
Ta-dah!
The new book is called The Forgotten Holocaust. It’s due to be released by Avon on 29th January 2015. It’s the latest adventure starting Ben Hope and we are looking forward to reading it.
About the book:
A lost, aimless and hard-drinking Ben Hope has wandered back to his old haunt in Ireland. The ex-SAS soldier is searching for peace, but trouble soon appeared when Kirsten Hall, a young journalist, is brutally murdered right in front of him. Unable to prevent it, Ben is driven by guilt to hunt down the killers. All he has to go on is a handful of clues from Kirsten’s research – but how can the journals of Lady Stamford, the wife of an English lord during the time of the Irish Great Famine, have put Kirsten in mortal danger?
Ben’s quest for the truth leads him across the world and finally Oklahoma, USA, where a deadly secret awaits. What connects the journals, a wealthy American politician and an intrigue surrounding the Irish Famine?
by Novel Kicks Chats To… Nicci Gerrard
Nicci Gerrard is one half of the writing duo, Nicci French. She is also the author of The Winter House, Missing Persons and The Moment You Were Gone. Her latest novel, The Twilight Hour was released by Penguin on 23rd October. We chat with Nicci about her writing, her new novel and her favourite word.
Hello Nicci. Thank you so much for joining us. Can you tell us about your novel, The Twilight Hour and how the idea originated?
Thanks so much for having me! And for asking me these questions.
The Twilight Hour is really about the past and present life of Eleanor Lee. Now in her nineties and blind, she needs to tidy away her life before her family discovers secrets that she has kept hidden for seven decades. She is about to be moved from her old house by the sea to a home and she employs a lost young man called Peter Mistley to go through all her papers and photos. Gradually he – and the reader – are drawn back into Eleanor’s turbulent history, her love and her guilt. I wanted the novel to shift between two times and to unwind a story that still has power over the present. I also wanted to show how the old – who are often invisible to us – contain all the selves they have ever been. Eleanor might be in her mid-nineties and close to her death, but she is also youthful, caustic, purposeful, passionate and complicated. She still has hopes and desires. She is brimful of memories.
I first thought of writing The Twilight Hour when I and my siblings were moving my very old and extremely frail parents out of the family home. It was very poignant, gathering together a life and packing it away, deciding what to keep and what to discard We came across a film of their wedding day, and that ghostly sense of their young and radiant selves was powerfully moving.
Do you plan much before a novel and do you edit as you go?
I do plan – or at least, I have to have a sense of the journey the novel will make and I have to know why I’m writing it, what is its beating heart, if that makes sense. But then, my plan always goes awry, because of course a novel isn’t like a machine. It won’t obey you. Characters don’t want to do what you thought they should. They go their own way – and that’s good, it’s when the novel is working and taking on life.
I edit as I go – which often means throwing things away and starting again. And then when I’ve finished. And then after my agent has read it. And then after the publisher has read it….But often I think that I know from the start if something is working or not, and if it isn’t all the editing in the world can’t save it.
by Cover Reveal: One Hundred Christmas Proposals by Holly Martin
WE ARE LOVING THIS COVER. It’s beautiful and so sparkly. We can’t wait to read it. We are very excited to be helping to reveal the cover for Holly’s new book. It’s really put us in a festive mood.
You can pre-order an electronic edition of Holly’s new book from Amazon. It will be released by Carina on 3rd November 2014.
About One Hundred Christmas Proposals:
If you thought Harry & Suzie’s life couldn’t get anymore sweepingly romantic than Harry asking her to marry him at the end of One Hundred Proposals – think again!
It’s Christmas in a snow-kissed London, and the.PerfectProposal.com have vowed to carry out one hundred proposals in December. No easy task at the best of times – made even more complicated by Harry & Suzie trying to plan their first Christmas and a visit from the dreaded in-laws. But one hundred deliciously Christmassy proposals later they find themselves asking if everything is still perfect in their own relationship….
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Oh Crystal Ball
Friday 17th October 2014:
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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..
You have to go on a quest to find an ancient crystal ball that has the powers to save the world. This artefact has the power to show the future. Is there anything else it can do?
by Blog Tour: It Started With Paris Competition Winners
Thanks to Cathy and the lovely people at Orion, we had THREE copies of It Started With Paris to give away.
Well done to: Tracy Shephard, Aisling Quinn and Leila Benhamida. You’ve all won a copy of the book.
About It Started With Paris.
It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend, cheered on by delighted tourists. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Bridgeport, Ireland…
Leila’s been nursing a badly broken heart since her love-rat husband just upped and left her one morning, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride.
by Bella’s Scribblings: Which Sandwich Are You?
Apparently I’m a grilled cheese sandwich (English translation is toasted cheese sandwich) – seriously what is going on with the world?
Now I may just be having a grumpy day but just lately there seems to be so many questionnaires that people do online and then share the results to tell me all sorts of bizarre things for example: what song are you most like? Which Harry Potter character are you? How Swedish are you? What age are you going to live until? (How creepy is that one?) and a very long list of other auto generated random nonsense that lands on my Twitter and Facebook feeds.
I have to admit that I am a little suckered in by it because I frequently find myself going “Oh, I wouldn’t have said she was a Pinot Grigio more like a Sancerre.” And then merrily wasting time choosing my favourite colour/90’s TV show/Online company/picture of something blue/Other such nonsense which is going to miraculously provide me with some incredible insight into my persona or more frighteningly into my future.
I know it is very easy to be distracted by the internet and a couple of minutes here and there does no harm, unless you are Katie Hopkins, but these questionnaires are getting sillier and more obscure. And who does one, gets to the punchline and goes “Knowing that has changed my life?” – Continue reading
by News: Launch of One Book Lane
We wanted to tell you about a fantastic new community for readers. It’s called One Book Lane and it comes to you from all those lovely people over at Orion. It’s here to make sure you’re never short of a good book to get lost in. The website is beautiful. We love it.
Launching today, http://www.onebooklane.co.uk is inviting you to get involved in a variety of ways. We love discovering new books and authors and they want to help us all find great book recommendations and there will be great competitions too.
If you’re a member of a book club, you can also register that on the site and have a chance to win books amongst other things.
As it’s their launch day, you can get involved via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
by News: Books Are My Bag 2014
This year’s Books are my Bag campaign launched on 9th October and there are plenty of ways to get involved.
There will be many bookshop parties tomorrow as well as the chance to pick up the Books are My Bag tote bags. Tracey Emin has designed a collector’s edition bag which will be available from tomorrow (11th October,) but be quick if you want to get your hands on one. Jen Campbell’s, The Bookshop Book is the official book for this year’s campaign and it looks fantastic.
Throughout October, Books are My Bag are also running #ThisBookshop. Just tweet what your favourite bookshop is or if you have your own blog, write a blog post and share on Twitter with that hashtag, #ThisBookshop. The idea is to put bookshops in the spotlight and at the end of October they will award somebody using that hashtag with some book tokens.
They are also hosting #bookadayuk (details in the banner to the right,) throughout October where there is a new subject to tweet about everyday -just some of the many ways you can get involved.
BOOKS ARE MY BAG, which originally launched in 2013, is a Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Mysterious Competition
Friday 10th October 2014: Mysterious competition.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: You’ve had a notification that you’ve won a competition. The prize is £10,000. The only thing you have to do to claim it is to be at the address listed at a certain time. When you arrive, there are five other people waiting; people you’ve never met before. What happens?
(Write up to 1,200 words.)
by Blog Tour: Win a Copy of It Started With Paris by Cathy Kelly
Thanks to Cathy and those lovely people at Orion, we have THREE copies of It Started With Paris to give away.
About the book:
It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend, cheered on by delighted tourists. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Bridgeport, Ireland…
Leila’s been nursing a badly broken heart since her love-rat husband just upped and left her one morning, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride.
Vonnie, a widow and exceptional cake-maker, is just daring to let love back into her life, although someone seems determined to stop it.
And Grace, a divorced head teacher, finds the impending wedding of her son means that she’s spending more time with her ex-husband. After all those years apart, is it possible she’s made a mistake?
HOW TO ENTER:
by Blog Tour: It Started With Paris by Cathy Kelly – Review
It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend, cheered on by delighted tourists. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Bridgeport, Ireland…
Leila’s been nursing a badly broken heart since her love-rat husband just upped and left her one morning, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride.
Vonnie, a widow and exceptional cake-maker, is just daring to let love back into her life, although someone seems determined to stop it.
And Grace, a divorced head teacher, finds the impending wedding of her son means that she’s spending more time with her ex-husband. After all those years apart, is it possible she’s made a mistake?
With her warmth and insight, Cathy Kelly weaves a delightful tale spinning out from a once-in-a-lifetime moment, drawing together a terrific cast of characters who feel like old friends.
(Published by Orion on 9th October 2014.)
It Started With Paris begins with a couple, Michael and Katy getting engaged at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It then looks at how their engagement affects the people around them – focusing on three women in particular; Grace (a head teacher and Michael’s mother.) Grace is still great friends with her ex, Stephen.
Leila is a twenty-nine year old who is divorced and whose mother is in hospital following a car accident and finally Vonnie, who has come to Ireland following the death of her husband.
by Blog Tour: It Started With Paris by Cathy Kelly
We are so happy to be welcoming Cathy Kelly to our blog today and her blog tour for her new novel, It Started With Paris (released by Orion on 9th October.)
Hello Cathy. Thank you so much for joining us. Can you tell us a little about your new book, It Started with Paris and how the idea originated?
Hello! I begin to think about one book when I’m half-way through another one and during the writing of The Honey Queen, I began to think the classic writer thing of ‘what if…?’ In this case, it was what if I wrote about women who had gone through divorce or were alone through widowhood and looked at how their lives had changed and how they found love again. So then I came up with lovely 29-year-old Leila, who has a glam job in the film industry and was married to love rat Tynan, who got up one morning and walked out – for someone with legs up to her armpits. Nightmare, right? Then there’s Grace, in her fifties, who is divorced and has a really civilized relationship with her ex, so that they spend a lot of time together when their son gets engaged and Grace looks at her ex (who is happily with another woman now) and wonders: ‘Did we split up without trying hard enough?”
And finally, there’s American mum-of-one, Vonnie, who lost her husband tragically, came to Ireland so she’d be able to live without expecting to see him all the time, and she falls in love with a man who was married – and whose ex-wife is not so happy with it all. Basically, the book is about how life is never black and white, how relationships are wonderful and sometimes difficult, and hopefully, there’s plenty of humour and hope.
Do you have any writing rituals?
A very strong cup of coffee with a decreasing amount of sugar. I am trying so hard to give it up because it’s so bad for you – wrinkles, inflammation, the list goes on – but I LOVE it. I bring my sons to school, come home, stick on the washing, do my emails, then make a decent cup of coffee and write.
by Author Interview: Nell Dixon
Nell is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her books include Christmas Ever After, The New Bay Series and Radio Gaga. We chat to Nell about her books, fictional characters and theme songs.
Can you tell us a little about the books you write and about your latest book, Sophie’s Choice?
I write contemporary women’s fiction with a dash of humour and a pinch of suspense. Sophie’s Choice is the first in the Ever After series. Christmas Ever After – the second book, was written as a stand alone but readers begged for Sophie’s love story so I gave in. Book 3 in the series will be out before Christmas and is called It Happened at Midnight and is the final one in the trilogy.
How much planning do you do before starting a book? Do you edit as you go?
I do very little planning. I have the characters in my head and I know what their problems are but the rest just writes itself. I don’t edit as I go. I wait till the story is completely done before I start to tinker with it.
What’s different with writing a book for a series and writing a ‘stand alone’ novel?
It’s hard writing series or linked books. You have to remember every detail from what’s gone before and ensure characters that have continuing storylines are still developing and keeping to their original concepts. Plus, you need to keep your timelines straight. Sophie’s Choice happens five years before Christmas Ever After. What advice would you give to someone thinking of writing a series of books? Keep a series’bible’ so you don’t have to keep looking back through your storylines to check your facts.
by Writing Room: It’s Not The End.
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today’s prompt: This is not the end….
I have read many novels where I have got to the end and I have felt sad that it’s over. I have grown so fond of the characters that I want to know what happens to them beyond the end. Until recently, I had wondered what would become of Bridget and Mark, what happens to Harry between school and the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, how would Jem and Ralph get on after Ralph’s Party ended.
by Book News: Marian Keyes
Eeek! We are so excited for the imminent arrival of the latest novel from Marian Keyes. The Woman Who Stole My Life is due for release by Michael Joseph on 6th November (so just under a month to wait,) and it sounds great.
It’s available to pre-order in hardback and e-book.
Who else is excited? We are.
About the book:
‘Name: Stella Sweeney.
Height: average.
Recent life events: dramatic.’
One day, sitting in traffic, married Dublin mum Stella Sweeney attempts a good deed. The resulting car crash changes her life.
For she meets a man who wants her telephone number (for the insurance, it turns out). That’s okay. She doesn’t really like him much anyway (his Range Rover totally banjaxed her car).
by Review: A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride.
About the book:
This experimental debut novel tells the story of a young woman’s traumatic coming-of-age in rural Ireland, as she struggles with her abusive family and clings to her relationship with her terminally ill brother.
(Published by Faber & Faber. April 2014.)
I first heard of this book when it was nominated for the Baileys Woman’s Prize for Fiction. I then saw some of the reviews and it sounded great and interesting so I was looking forward to reading it.
I did struggle with the style of the writing. I found this meant that the book was hard to read.
There were no punctuation marks and so I found it hard to keep up with in places and I found I was having to work hard to fill in the parts that weren’t that easy to understand. I had to go back and re-read to absorb it properly. As a result, it took me a good few days to read despite it being only 200 pages.
The concept of the book was interesting though. It was told from the point of view of a girl who is having to deal with the aftermath of her brother’s childhood illness. You never know her name. I did feel some sympathy for her character. She goes through a lot in her childhood and it subsequently affects her decisions later in life. She is a vulnerable girl and this is sometimes taken advantage of. It’s hard not to feel empathy for her.
by Author Interview: Marissa Tejada
Marissa Tejada’s debut women’s fiction novel Chasing Athens was released by Musa Publishing in April 2014. Marissa had a chat with us about her work.
Can you tell us about your novel, Chasing Athens, and how the idea came about?
Chasing Athens tells the story of a heartbroken American ex-pat Ava Martin who is inspired to continue living abroad in Greece after her new husband literally walks out on her. That abrupt decision leads her through a humorous, touching and cultural journey that forces her to confront her disappointing past and redefine the true meaning of home.
I knew I wanted to write a story that was influenced from my experiences as an American expat living in Europe. There were so many funny, strange, crazy, sad, tragic moments happening around me from all angles. Contemporary women’s fiction is one of my favorite genres. I think it was natural that a romantic comedy set abroad in a foreign place came about in my mind. I had some messages and themes I knew I wanted to express and that’s how my novel came about.
Have you ever got writers block and if so, how do you deal with it?
I go and do something other than sit at my desk. I can go take a walk and go for a coffee at a café. It’s the perfect excuse to go to the gym.
Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?
I’d love to have Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They are so beautiful and Hollywood. I’d love to have women’s fiction authors Wendy Holden and Jennifer Weiner. I’d include author and linguist Noam Chomsky. I think Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien are both super funny and smart. George Clooney, well, because he’s George Clooney.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Waiting Room
Friday 3rd October 2014: Waiting Room.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 setting is a train station waiting room. Whether it’s part of a busy station or a quiet small town station is up to you. Your story should centre around three of the people waiting in the room. Why are they there? Have they met before or are they total strangers? Why are they all waiting for a train? Where are they going? The appearance of your characters is up to you as well as gender, age and occupation.
by October’s Book Corner: Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
Book Corner is our monthly online book club.
How it works…
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Anyone can take part in our book club. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off and then you can talk about any of your thoughts about the book in the comments box below.
This month, our pick is Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson.
About the book:
Memories define us.
So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?
Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love – all forgotten overnight.
by Bella’s Scribblings: Personal Branding
Bella Osborne
Now here’s an interesting phrase I heard recently ‘personal branding’. My immediate thoughts were ‘Someone has a new tattoo’ which was closely followed by ‘or pencils with their name on’. Do you remember the pencils by the way? They were great, new school term, new pencil case and your own pencils with your own actual name on them – genius! (Makes note to order some for myself)
Anyway, it turns out I was completely wrong on both counts. Personal branding is all about you and it’s is quite important if you are promoting yourself or your own business. We are all familiar with big company brands like Disney, Coca Cola and Cadburys but what does it mean for us as individuals?
So I did a bit of research (which we all know means I watched funny cats on You Tube for 20 minutes and then googled personal branding). There was loads of content to read but here are the highlights I picked up that I thought might be useful:
- Personal branding is about thinking of yourself as the product you want to sell – about making the impression you want to make with others
- You need to establish what your personal brand is by being clear on:
o What is unique about you?
o What do you want people to remember?
by Blog Tour: The Rosie Effect Winner…
Thanks to Graeme, Penguin and FMcM Associates, we had ONE copy of The Rosie Effect to give away.
Well done to Derek Norton from Co Durham who has won a copy of the book.
About the book:
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble.
To make matters worse, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly the best model for martial happiness. As Don’s life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable, he needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as practical expertise.
Join Don and Rosie in the next chapter of their weird and wonderful journey.
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion is published by Michael Joseph on 25th September, £14.99 hardback
Follow Graeme on Twitter: @GraemeSimsion
by Review: After Before by Jemma Wayne
That was the day that Mama made the rules: If they come, run. Be quiet and run. But not together. Never together. If one is found, at least the other survives….
During a cold, British winter, three women reach crisis point. Emily, an immigrant survivor of the Rwandan genocide is existing but not living. Vera, a newly Christian Londoner is striving to live a moral life, her happiness constantly undermined by secrets from her past. Lynn, battling with an untimely disease, is consumed by bitterness and resentment of what she hasn’t achieved and what has been snatched from her.
Each suffering their own demons, their lives have been torn open by betrayal: by other people, by themselves, by life itself. But as their paths interweave, they begin to unravel their beleaguered pasts, and inadvertently change each other’s futures.
After Before follows the lives (before and after) of three women, all living in London. The overall idea of the story was very interesting. I like stories where characters who are apparently strangers are then brought together and become connected and where history is gradually revealed. In my opinion, flashbacks are used well and don’t stall the story in any way.
To me, this is a story of forgiveness and acceptance.
The plot elements concerning each of the three women are all interesting and compelling (and in parts outright heart-breaking.) I didn’t find myself favouring any story over another and I didn’t find that I was battling through one character’s story in order to get back to another.
Emily is alone in the city having escaped the Rwandan genocide. Deciding to make something more of herself, she decides to train to be a carer as she tries to escape the memories of her past. Emily is lost and vulnerable and from the beginning you sense that there is a huge part of her she is holding back. The book starts with Emily’s story and it immediately pulled me into the story. I was intrigued as to how she would develop as a character.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Building Suspense
Friday 26th September 2104: Suspense.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Carry on from this sentence (max word count, 1,000.) Build the suspense the further you get into the story.
‘I don’t know what will happen if you flick that switch. I have never tired to find out what it does.’
by Blog Tour: Win a Copy of The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Thanks to Graeme, Penguin and FMcM Associates, we have ONE copy of The Rosie Effect to give away.
About the book:
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble.
To make matters worse, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly the best model for martial happiness. As Don’s life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable, he needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as practical expertise.
Join Don and Rosie in the next chapter of their weird and wonderful journey.
How to enter:
by Blog Tour: Review – The Rosie Effect
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble.
To make matters worse, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly the best model for martial happiness. As Don’s life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable, he needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as practical expertise.
Join Don and Rosie in the next chapter of their weird and wonderful journey.
I have been looking forward to this book for months. I loved The Rosie Project so there was a little bit of an expectation with this follow-up. I don’t think you’d be able to read this one without reading The Rosie Project first. It doesn’t stand on its own.
It picks up where The Rosie Project left off. Don and Rosie are now married and are living in New York (I love this fact as New York is one of my favourite cities. I had my honeymoon there.)
I have to say, it was so lovely being back in Don’s company. He’s like a friend I’d not seen in a while. There is something so nice and endearing about him and something interesting in how he sees the world. He’s become one of my favourite characters. It was nice to catch up with the other characters in this book but to be honest, both books for me are about Don and how he copes with the world around him and this book certainly gives him loads to try and cope with. His and Rosie’s relationship is tested and some of what they go through can be very relatable.
by Blog Tour: The Rosie Effect
We are very delighted to be welcoming Graeme Simsion to our blog today and his blog tour for his new novel, The Rosie Effect which is the follow-up to the fantastic, The Rosie Project. Graeme talks to us about how writing much of the novel in New York influenced it.
I had about half of The Rosie Effect drafted, and a clear idea of where it was going, when I arrived in New York with my wife for three weeks in December 2013. We had spent seven months there in 2010, and this was a chance to catch up with friends and revisit favourite places. A holiday: but I had vague intentions of working on the novel, which I felt would benefit from being written ‘on location’. By the time we arrived, those intentions had crystallised into a plan: I would try to write two thousand words every day and finish the draft. As motivation, I promised myself that any day on which I failed to meet the target would be an alcohol-free day.
One of the pleasures of NYC is its bars and restaurants, and I’m a reasonably enthusiastic consumer of wine and the occasional cocktail (‘occasional’ meaning ‘on the occasion of being in New York and it being evening’). I didn’t miss a day. My wife was particularly impressed to find me up at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning, writing diligently. We had champagne with the turkey.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: A Document
Friday 19th September 2014.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: You find a document about your life. As you begin to read about the current day, things from the page start to happen in real life. Continue on the story. What happens next?
by Bella’s Scribblings: Post Holiday Blues (PHB)
Bella Osborne
Oh my word it’s hard being back at the proper job! All those wonderful days relaxing in the sun are so quickly a distant memory as you walk back into the office, open your in-box and start catching up. It all takes so much effort to keep your brain focussed in the room and not wandering off back to that sun lounger by the pool, with the warmth of the sun of your skin, the gentle breeze and the distant laughter of children splashing in the pool… sorry what was I saying? Yes, keeping your attention on the day job is tricky, but essential, because it’s the one that pays the bills.
Somehow after a holiday it all seems just a little bit more pointless than it did before you went away. Before you went on holiday, you were excited about the plans for the second half of 2014, you knew you were adding value, heck you actually enjoyed your job but something has changed. Of course nothing has actually changed – it’s just post holiday blues (PHB).
So question is how best to overcome them? There are probably quite a few right answers for this but here’s just a few suggestions that I tried:
- Cake – no don’t laugh, I’m serious. There isn’t much that can’t be solved with cake. Also if you share it with others it means less calories and lard points for you and a kind gesture to others suffering from PHB.
- Tea or Coffee – More frequent tea/coffee runs gets you away from your desk, which stretches your legs and gets the circulation going again. Giving yourself a break from a computer screen is good for your eyes. So physically this is a good thing.
- Lists – I love lists. It may be because they involve stationery and I have a proper fetish about stationery but any list is a good way to concentrate on the ‘must do’ things. Just take it one day at a time. Too much on the list makes it a ‘laugh and tear up’ list, you need it to feel achievable. You will also feel great as you tick things off your list. Make the first item on the list – Make a list!
- Choices – You do have a choice. You don’t have to do the day job. You could quit and do something completely different or do nothing at all but you choose to stick with what you know. Sometimes it helps to accept that it is your choice to stay in your current job, you could choose to leave but you dislike the alternatives more than staying so you choose to stay. Oh yes you do – I’m not saying it’s a great choice but it is a choice!
by Book News: R.S Pateman
The Prophecy of Bees is the new book from the author of The Secret Life of Amy Archer.
I loved R.S.Pateman’s first novel and so I am looking forward to reading his second novel. It’s due for release by Orion in hardback and e-book on 20th November 2014 and then in paperback on 31st December 2015.
About The Prophecy of Bees.
Moving to Stagcote Manor was meant to be a fresh start for Lindy and her teenage daughter Izzy. A chance at a new life in the country after things went so wrong in London. But for Izzy it is a prison sentence.
There’s something about the house that she can’t quite put her finger on. Something strange and unnerving. As Izzy begins to explore the manor and the village beyond its walls, she discovers the locals have a lot of bizarre superstitions and beliefs. Many of them related to the manor . . . and those who live there.
When Izzy begins to investigate the history of the estate, her unease deepens to fear as the house’s chilling past finally comes to light.
The Prophecy of Bees is available for pre-order
Read our review of The Second Life of Amy Archer.
by Writing Room: Photo Prompt
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today’s prompt: Pathway.
Photos can be great for inspiration. What does this photo make you think about? Does it inspire a story? Using this photo, make a list of all the words and themes it makes you think of and then write a story between 500-1000 words.
by Mick’s Musings: Time To Let The Baby Fly The Nest
Nope, we’re not talking a variation on the Immaculate Conception, so don’t all line up wanting to become my manager. No ‘get rich quick’ scheme here. I’m referring to the fact that after getting my report back from the book I submitted to the RNA New Writer’s Scheme, I’ve now completed the changes/followed the advice that I was given and sent it off to the first publishing house yesterday. But it felt like letting my baby fledge and I admit to needing a little bit of a push to hit that ‘send’ button in my email. A little bit of procrastination reared its head. Asking a friend for advice, replying back, replying back, replying back…you get the picture, anything but admitting that I couldn’t quite get the back to finally send it off.
So, that’s the first one on the way. I was fortunate to get what could only be described as a very positive report. Ask my friends, I never ‘blow my own trumpet’, perhaps that’s down to a little lack in self-confidence, but what really made my mind up to crack along was meeting with the lovely ladies of the RNA Birmingham chapter the other week where they were all so enthusiastic after reading the report, and convinced me that it could barely have been any better. A time-line and two different meals were the only things I needed to change, apart from advice on the punctuation. I couldn’t believe my reader took the time to go through the whole manuscript to enter where they thought I needed better punctuation! Who was that ‘masked reader’? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s wonder reader!!! Sorry, silly hat off.
To say I was choked up when I plucked up the nerve to read the report would be an understatement. I’d worked myself up so much, that I was convinced it would be a couple of lines saying – ‘Step away from the computer. Never darken Word’s doorstep again. You can’t write.’ Okay, you get the picture. See above comment re confidence. Then what it actually said, taken with the lovely ladies of Birmingham RNA reactions and I hunkered down to make said changes. Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Parents
Friday 12th September 2014:
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 last time I saw my mother was fifteen years ago.’ That is your first sentence. Who your character is and where you go is up to you.
by Book News: Cecelia Ahern
The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern.
It’s no secret that I love Cecelia’s novels. I am looking forward to the movie adaptation of Where Rainbows End. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also releasing her latest novel. The Year I Met You will be released on 9th October (so just under a month to go,) by HarperCollins and it’s available to pre-order. I think this has to be one of my favourite covers of 2014 too.
About The Year I Met You:
Jasmine loves two things: her sister and her work. And when her work is taken away she has no idea who she is.
Matt loves two things: his family and the booze. Without them, he hits rock bottom.
One New Year’s Eve, two people’s paths collide. Both have time on their hands; both are at a crossroads. But as the year unfolds, through moonlit nights and suburban days, an unlikely friendship slowly starts to blossom.
Sometimes you have to stop still in order to move on…
by Short Stories For Christmas.
Yes I know, it’s only September but I love Christmas and I am getting more excited as it draws nearer. The other great thing about this time of year is the Christmas stories we get treated to. Here are four short 
stories I am looking forward to reading. They are all due for release on 6th November – just in time for those dark, cold evenings.
Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond.
Lucy’s latest short story is due to be released by Pan on 6th November.
This looks brilliant and I am loving this cover.
With her Cornish Beach Café closed for the winter, Evie Flynn should be looking forward to lazy days and a happy Christmas, with nothing more pressing to think about than when to have her next mince-pie.
But her sister Ruth is coming to stay, in a cloud of heartbreak and bitterness following her marriage breakdown, along with her three unhappy children, and Evie knows she’ll have her work cut out, trying to spread some festive cheer. Then her boyfriend Ed breaks the news that he’s going to spend Christmas in London, for family reasons, and her heart sinks even further.
Add in to the mix a lost dog plus the hotly contested village Christmas bake-off and before long, Evie is feeling the strain. But there are still a few surprises in store for her, that look set to make this Beach Café Christmas the most memorable one yet . .
by Review: Age of Iron by Angus Watson
Age of Iron by Angus Watson.
Released on 2nd September 2014 by Orbit Books.
Dug Sealskinner is a work-shy mercenary traveling south to join up with King Zadar’s army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people.
Now Dug’s on the wrong side of the thousands-strong army he hoped to join – and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one small child, and one unpredictable, highly trained warrioress with a lust for revenge that might get them all killed . . .
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I have read quite a lot of historical fiction by writers such as Bernard Cornwell, but almost without exception these have been based on post-Roman times so this was my first excursion into the heart of pre-Roman, Iron Age Britain.
I have to admit that I was a little put off by the cover. For some reason the stern looking, unwashed man on the front lead me to think that the novel would not be as good as I discovered it to be.
My first thought upon reading the opening chapters was that the characters seem very modern; they speak and act just like we do today, just with the odd Pagan god thrown in for a curse word every now and then. I found this a little unsettling at first, Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Back to School
Friday 5th September 2014: Back to School.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Back to School. Most children are going back to school this week. The character you’re writing about is a man called Bob and he wakes up to find that instead of being 44, he’s back to being 14 years old (but aware of his life as an adult.) What happens? How does he react and does this change?
by Book News: September Releases.
Autumn is on its way and although I am very sad to be saying goodbye to August, I am very excited to say hello to September as there are some brilliant books due for release this month. I have picked three books we are looking forward to reading.
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop.
Due for release on 25th September by Headline.
I love the cover for this book. It’s very pretty. Victoria is the best-selling author of The Island and The Return and we’re looking forward to reading her latest release.
About The Sunrise:
In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island’s most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the …zkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city’s faade of glamour and success, tension is building.
When a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos, Cyprus faces a disastrous conflict. Turkey invades to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, and Famagusta is shelled. Forty thousand people seize their most precious possessions and flee from the advancing soldiers. In the deserted city, just two families remain. This is their story.
by Bella’s Scribblings: Is There Any Writer Out There?
Bella Osborne
Hopefully at some point in time you have faced the inevitable. You have given in to your deepest most feelings, (no not the one about the biscuits) those ones that have been telling you to stop hiding your true self. To embrace the real you and accept who you are. And declare to the world, with pride, I AM A WRITER.
Well done for that, it’s not easy and I hope you are coping with the repeated questions of So when will you get published? When can I buy it in a shop? How much have you made so far?’
It’s truly fun isn’t it? Why are you shaking your head at the screen (I can actually see you… Oh, yes I can… Anyway…) No, it isn’t fun, but mostly they do mean well. Even when they say, ‘Don’t you think it’s time you stopped wasting your time on this?’ Or ‘It’s only a hobby isn’t it?’ Honestly, they still only mean well. The thing is they really don’t understand. They may have known you all your life or just met you in the supermarket queue but the thing is you could spend a lifetime trying to explain but they will most likely never really get it.
The reason for this? (there are a lot of questions this week, I hope you are keeping up.) The reason is… drum roll please… they are not writers.
I can tell you are not blown away by that answer. Because you are most likely thinking that these people know you very well and they’ve probably witnessed the blood sweat, tears and coffee that you have poured into your writing, so surely they must understand – but trust me it takes a writer to understand another writer.
by A Moment With: Nell Dixon.
Nell is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her books include Christmas Ever After, The New Bay Series and Radio Gaga. Today, Nell shares her five tips for new writers.
Read lots.
Keep writing.
Write what you love.
Don’t be scared to reach out to other writers.
Never be scared to edit.
For more information about Nell and her books, visit her website: www.nelldixon.com
Follow Nell on Twitter.
For more information on the Romantic Novelists’ Association, visit their website: www.rna-uk.org
by Events: Peter F Hamilton
Peter F Hamilton will be at Foyles on 8th October to celebrate the upcoming release of his new book, The Abyss Beyond Dreams (which is a prequel to his popular Void trilogy.)
The event is taking place on Wednesday 8th October 2014.
It starts at 7pm and is being held at Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London (it’s being held in the auditorium on Level Six.)
Since the publication of his first novel, Mindstar Rising, Hamilton’s grand space opera visions have enthralled readers worldwide, with over two million copies of his books now sold.
Tickets are £5, and this includes a glass of wine.
To find out more or to book tickets, visit Foyles website: http://www.foyles.co.uk
Writing Room: Hi.
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today, we are introducing ourselves to our characters.
As writers, we spend a lot of time with the people we create in our imagination but how well do we know them? How much you know your characters will depend on what kind of writer you are and what planning you do before you begin. Today’s exercise is about asking your characters questions about themselves and getting to know them better.
Ask three of your main characters the five questions below. You can choose to either share your answers in the comments box below or simply tell us whether this exercise helped you and why.
Ask your characters the following:
by Book News: Graeme Simsion
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion is the follow-up novel to the fantastic, The Rosie Project.
I loved The Rosie Project and completely fell in love with Don and Rosie. I was lucky enough to attend an author session with Graeme where he told us a little about this new novel and I have been looking forward to its release ever since.
The Rosie Effect is due to be released by Michael Joseph on 25th September 2014 and is available to pre-order in hardback and e-book.
About The Rosie Effect:
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble. Continue reading
by Courses and Competitions: The Writers’ Workshop Writing Course.
Creative Writing Flying Start is a four-week online course aimed at beginners.
This is a course which aims to shed light on the whole creative process. The course helps you get those words from head to heart and onto page or screen. The first few exercises are designed to stimulate creativity and to get you into the writing habit. Above all this is about having fun, about letting your imagination fly.
The course will include an introductory period followed by four weeks of study which will look at Self, Other People, Language and Writing the Story.
It’s being hosted by The Writers’ Workshop and the course is £195. The next available course dates are 2nd September and 4th November. Continue reading
by News: Unseen Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Chapter Released.
Puffin.
Roald Dahl’s classic, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory turns 50 in October.
It is certainly one book that has stayed with me from my childhood and that is why I am excited about the Roald Dahl estate releasing a previously unreleased, unused chapter.
This chapter was not used in the 1964 published book. According to the chapter, there are two new children and another two are referenced but none of which feature in the published novel. These children are Tommy Troutbeck, Wilbur Rice, Augustus Pottle and Miranda Grope.
The characters in this chapter visit the Vanilla Fudge Room in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
The draft chapter which was featured this weekend in the Guardian, reveals that in earlier versions of the novel, there were as many as ten golden tickets and ten children as opposed to the five children we are familiar with – Augustus, Veruca, Violet, Mike and of course, Charlie. Also in early drafts, it’s been indicated that Charlie was accompanied to the factory by his mother and not Grandpa Joe.
Y0u can read this unseen chapter at www.theguardian.com
by September’s Book Corner – A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride
Book Corner is our monthly online book club.
How it works…
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Anyone can take part in our book club. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off and then you can talk about any of your thoughts about the book in the comments box below.
This month, our pick is A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride.
About the book:
This experimental debut novel tells the story of a young woman’s traumatic coming-of-age in rural Ireland, as she struggles with her abusive family and clings to her relationship with her terminally ill brother.
(Published by Faber & Faber. April 2014.)
Buy from Amazon in paperback and e-book.
by Review: Created, The Destroyer by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir.
Sphere, August 2014.
Created, The Destroyer was originally published in the early 70’s and has now been republished by Sphere. It was released on e-book on 21st August 2014.
About the book:
Sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, ex-cop Remo Williams is rescued from the electric chair at the eleventh hour and recruited by a secret government organisation named CURE. From this moment, he ceases to officially exist.
From now on, he will be an assassin, targeting criminals who are beyond the law. Remo’s trainer is a grouchy old Korean named Chiun, whose mastery of the terrifyingly powerful martial art of Sinanju makes him the deadliest man alive.
Together Remo and Chiun set forth on their epic, impossible mission to vanquish every enemy of democracy – every bad guy who thinks they can escape justice.
This is a new era in man’s fight against the forces of evil.
This is the time of the Destroyer.
I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. I had very little knowledge of it before reading aside from the fact that I knew it was a series.
This book began well and drew me in. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Of course I knew Remo was going to escape his execution but how was a mystery and it was interesting to see how his rescuers got him out of that situation.
Remo is a believable hero (you don’t find out too much about his past aside from the fact that he was in Vietnam. I would have liked to have known more about him.)
by Mick’s Musings: Torn Between Two Stories.
There should be a song in there somewhere. Set at some time from the seventies where all the ladies (and gentlemen) had big hair, knew it and weren’t ashamed (I know as I was one). Anyway, today’s story concerns a tale of two stories. Whilst waiting for the critique from the NWS reader – did I mention how wonderful they are? – I allowed myself to be persuaded to start the Children’s story I had the idea for a couple of years ago up in the Yorkshire Dales. I remember the day well, as my lady wife and I were on holiday and she was anxious to get an early start for a trip to (another) castle/ancient town/something else she wanted to see in case it fell down. I was sat at the breakfast bar whilst she was finishing getting ready and this single line came into my head from somewhere:
The Four Hedgehogs of the Apocalypse.
What followed was about thirty minutes of frantic scribbling as what came into my head, was desperately (and slightly illegibly) jotted down in a too small notepad; all the while with my lady wife looking over my shoulder and tapping her watch in a very meaningful way. Then, it got pretty much forgotten about until I’d finished the story that went off to the RNA NWS scheme. In the meantime, as happens, around three or four other ideas came from somewhere and vied for prime-spot in the ‘next to be written’ pile.
My heart and gut actually wants to write another romance, but I’ve decided to allow myself to give this children’s one a go. So far, there are only two and a half chapters written, so much slower than I was hoping for, but I think I’ve just had a minor ‘block’. I do love Walter the Henchtoad and his evil boss Greyback the Squirrel (grey of course), but I’m not exactly enamoured with a couple of the names I’ve given my hero Hedgehogs, but I guess they’ll do to let me keep writing, I can always change them later.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday – Late, Late, Late.
Friday 29th August 2014: Late, Late, Late.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 is running late for a meeting. Why are they late? What consequences are there for the character because they are late? What happens? Do they make the meeting? Have you ever been late for an important meeting? If so, use it as inspiration.
by Blog Tour: A Piece of Cake by Trisha Ashley
We are very happy to welcome Trisha Ashley to our blog today as we kick off the blog tour for her new short story, A Piece of Cake which was released today by Avon.
Trisha will be sharing one of her own recipes shortly but first, we review the book.
A Piece of Cake is the latest short story from best-selling novelist, Trisha Ashley.
Kate is an accomplished cake maker and is currently making the cake for her best friend, Laura who is getting married. Also, much to Kate’s annoyance, as if she’s not got enough to do, Laura is trying to play matchmaker and set Kate up with her groom’s best man, Wes. However, Kate has met Wes before and first impressions die hard. The last thing Kate wants is a romantic encounter with Wes.
This short story was so charming. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. I am a huge fan of Trisha’s books and this one did not disappoint. Despite its length, it still has the humour and warmth that I would usually find in Trisha’s novels.
I found that the characters were well-rounded and I liked Kate and Laura’s dynamic.
Wes was an interesting love interest who is charmingly awkward toward Kate and this, to me made their relationship and interactions more realistic and believable.
I read this book within about twenty minutes. I would love to know what happens next actually. This book is perfect if you are looking for a quick read before bed, or on the bus or looking for something to read for a relaxing session in the bath.
I loved A Piece of Cake. Bravo, Trisha.
To celebrate the release of her latest short story, Trisha shares with us her recipe for Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum cake and we have to say, it looks scrummy.
Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum Cake (Serves 12)
I spent some Christmases in Antigua and Grand Cayman, where I substituted the usual fruit cake for a local speciality, Rum Cake. You can get them in different flavours all over the Caribbean, but it’s taken me a few attempts to recreate anything similar at home. Here’s my recipe for chocolate rum cake, which is as close as I can get to the original and makes a perfect alternative to the traditional Christmas cake.
by Fiction Friday: Nursery Rhymes
Friday 22nd August 2014: Nursery rhymes.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 nursery rhyme (it can be any one you want,) and write a story using it as inspiration for a story. The maximum word count is 1,000 words.) You can choose whether you tell it from first person or third person point of view and it’s your choice as to which character within the rhyme you use.
by Courses and Competitions: The Big Idea Competition
Do you have an idea for a story that children will love?
The Big Idea Competition is giving you the chance of seeing your idea transformed into a book, TV, movie or theatre production!
The judges are Tess Daly, Neil Blair, Barry Cunningham, Debra Haywood, Philip Ardagh and Sonia Friedman. The closing date for entries is 2nd September 2014.
All you have to do is come up with an original story for children and tell the judges in 500 words (they ask you don’t exceed 750 words,) about your story using the following questions:
. Who’s in it?
. What happens?
. Who’s it for?
. When and where?
To enter, Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Chats To: Janice Preston
A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Janice’s debut novel, Mary & The Marquis was released by Mills and Boon Historical earlier this month. We chat to Janice about her book, her approach to her writing and her advice for new writers.
Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, Mary and the Marquis and how the idea originated?
Mary and the Marquis is set in Northumberland in the autumn of 1811. When destitute widow Mary Vale aids an injured man on the road, she is shocked to discover he is the reclusive Lucas Alastair, Marquis of Rothley. She’s intrigued by him, but when she offers to nurse him back to health in return for shelter he proves a difficult patient. Lucas hides some deep emotion beneath his brusque manner, and a stolen kiss leaves Mary longing for more… She’s able to help mend his physical injuries, but can Mary heal the wounds of his painful past?
The idea came from a mental image of a young woman, with two small children, walking through a gloomy wood. Suddenly a deep, rasping groan sounds from amongst the trees. Who is she? Why is she in that wood? Where is she going? What is that noise?
Did you plan much before starting the novel?
I probably knew more about Mary and Lucas’s pasts than I did about what would happen in the actual story. I had ideas for the turning points, but I didn’t plan in any great detail, which is probably why the editing caused me such headaches! I had to delete a few scenes entirely – always hard to do.
How do you approach editing?
Every day, I go over what I wrote the day before as a way of immersing myself back in the story. I do tend to edit at that point, although I’m well aware it can be a waste of time if that particular section ends up deleted (see previous question). I should try and break that habit!
by Bella’s Scribblings: Procrastinators Anonymous
Bella Osborne
Last time on Bella’s Scribblings I talked about finding time to write. What I didn’t cover was how to avoid squandering it on non-writing displacement activities. School holidays is the time when most of us grab a couple of weeks away from the proper job to spend time with our offspring and hopefully get some writing done too. What actually happens is that offspring magically eat up all but a smidgen of the time we have and when we do get time to write what do we do?
I’m afraid to say that sometimes, not always, but sometimes we waste the time that we do have. I am thinking of starting a local group of Procrastinators Anonymous, but in the meantime here are my suggestions for combating procrastination:
My family want feeding – This is an easy one. Go back in time and spend a day making batches of food you can reheat and use fish fingers for the other days, they’ll be fine – that’s what vitamin supplements are for.
The house needs cleaning/tidying – scientific fact that living in a sterile environment isn’t good for the immune system so a little bit of dust will be better for your family’s long term health.
I need to go on Twitter to keep my social media presence current – and a couple of quick posts a day should do it. You do not need to read everything from the last ten hours on your feed nor do you need to look up everyone you know to see if they posted something interesting in the last few days. Trust me, they won’t have. Do not get caught up in conversations about dogs, cats or wine – they go on forever. Stop obsessively checking the number of followers you have and trying to work out who has deserted you – it doesn’t matter – well, certainly not as much as finishing your writing does.
by Book Club
